Back to School!

WHAT? School is back in session !!!!  What happened to the summer, August?  Uh, and what about September?  Henry is quite the happy camper to be back at school and quite proud of his Spanish speaking capabilities (go Communikids).  This mama is proud!

But what about summer?  It was so full, so crazy, so fun and a lot of work.  My hubby worked extra hard at getting his business up and running, which to date, I am delighted to say is coasting along nicely. :) Go love!  I took most of the month of August off from teaching Pilates to be with Henry for some fun time (we took trips, had mom camp and all).  Henry tried new things at his various summer camps.  He took Tae Kwon Do, learned a little about acting, music and dance and fine tuned his swimming skills!  I've got a fish on my hands!  All in all our summer was super fun, filled with adventures.  Here's a quick peek:

Visit to Wisp in Western Maryland

Crazy jumps into the pool!

Hen took 2 weeks of Tae Kwon Do camp!  Loved it! We'll be back next year.

Henry and I had a mom and kid getaway in Martha's Vineyard. We went to visit one of my very good friends MT and her two boys.  We had such a fun time.  MT's whole family was there and it was a full house of fun.  The photos taken are by Amy Bennett who is an incredibly talented photographer and friend who lives in Cabo San Lucas. We all had a blast!  Thank you again Amy for taking these amazing photos of us.

Silly Faces!

How old? My birthday celebration!

Remembering...

I came across some of the most delightful pictures of Hen and I doing Yoga.

Yoga Toes

Cobra

We went to the dedication of Jayna, over at the Lululemon in Bethesda. It was the day which marked the stores re-opening after the murder that had taken place.
The morning was beautiful and quiet. Everyone layed out their mats and while they waited for the class to begin, people sat to meditate or stretched, said hello to their fellow yogis. It was a community that came together to honor. You could feel that energy. I set my intention to honor the life of a beautiful woman who lost her life too soon.
It felt special too to involve Henry in this special tribute.
LOVE

A little bit of everything! New venture ahead!

Summer fun continues!

We've just started a NEW camp this past Monday that Hen hoodle LOVES! It is his first brush with the martial arts and I am so excited to see that the kid has taken to it.
We heard so many wonderful things about a Tae Kwon Do studio nearby in Bethesda called Flying Kick Fitness Center. The more I started talking about it, the more parents told me that their kids went there.
Anything new is a little scary, but after the first day, he has taken off. Hen has made new friends and really digs his uniform. ;0

Talk about Mr. 'Poser!'

Besides all this fun camp adventures, we also have been enjoying the days outdoors (when the heat isn't up too high and the mosquitoes aren't insane). We've been going around the neighborhoods on scooters, playing with our neighbors in the street (with parental supervision, of course).




And aside from all the kid fun, I've been enjoying summer cooking, plenty of salads, grilled goods and ice cream! I've listed the ingredients of one of my favorite salads that I've concocted:

KATE'S FAVE SUMMER SALAD

• Arugula (handfuls)
• grape tomatoes
• English cucumbers
• zucchini linguini (peel zucchini into strings with Jaime Oliver peeler)
• Avocado
  
• crumbled goat cheese
• pesto (2 tablespoons)
• seeds; pumpkin/sunflower
  
• Chicken (cubed), optional

Are you an Almond lover?
I just spotted at my local Whole Foods, Justin's Nut Butter. I was first introduced his line of products while living in Boulder back in 2009. I've been eating Almond butter for 10 or so years but this company outdoes itself on their butters (its what they're all about after all)! It is hands down, my favorite!

Love these little packets of goodness!

Yummy honey and almond butter! (Their almond and chocolates combo is delish too).

All you need is a spoon!



There is a new little business I've got bubbling. Soon I will be announcing my new venture with one of my all time favorite people. Watch this spot!

Muy Caliente!

We're experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in the district-o-columbia. Oh please let this break soon. I really do love heat, but this hot is too heated! It is too humid! I really feel as though I am walking through something sticky, like carmel.
Thunder storms are in the forecast for tomorrow, so looking forward to that and hoping that it will relieve us just a bit.

The heat, when it is THIS hot....does something a little nutty to me. My tolerance level goes from 10 to 2 in about 30 seconds flat. Not good when you are rearing a toddler, well a 4.5 year old boy who has LOADS of energy!

Today was a slightly difficult day as a parent. I found it very difficult to run two errands. That being; driving in the car to get a coffee for me and a 'treat' for Henry and going to 'Bed Bath and Beyond.' This trip included multiple temper tantrums. Given that the toddler has no interest in taking a nap where a needed nap is due, well, this truly is a recipe for disaster. I kept telling myself to keep cool. How does one do that when it is 107 degrees? How?
Well, not so well.

We're in B, B and Beyond (to hell) when my son decides while his grandmother, aka Nonna, picks up her much needed dust buster, that he too NEEDS to have a dust buster as well.
"Honey love," I tell him, " you have a dust buster at home, you have two, the one mommy uses and the one that you got for Christmas."
"No, no," he says, "I need one, I need my own dust buster. You make me so sad mommy, you are hurting my feelings so much! I want a dust buster!"
Urgh! Pulling out the 'you hurt my feeling so much.' Total killer to the mama heart.
"Hen love, you have one," I confirm.

No this isn't gonna work mama.
It doesn't matter WHAT I say at this point. The tired, sticky hot toddler is on a mission to acquire his OWN dust buster TODAY (even if it means he truly has his own play one at home that actually works and sucks up dust)! Well I did NOT break down and buy the child a new dust buster, I just had to do my darn-dest to keep it together while my child let out blood curdling screams (got plenty of looks).

"Control yourself Henry, calm down and take 3 deep breaths," I said.
I'm sure customers were wondering, "Is this chick for real?"
Yeah, I was, for real. My kid does take deep breaths during those out of control moments to help center him. At least we do our best to try!

Finally, Henry realized he could just hold onto the box that contained Nonna's dust buster and announce it was his. We just went along with him "this is mine, my dust buster!" He proclaimed.

Sure, kiddo! Whatever, I kept thinking to myself.
Well, whatever I could do in order to keep my head on straight.
Argh! I felt like such a HORRIBLE mom.
Horrible. That feeling of not being able to help your child through those uncontrolable moments, is a killer. He just had to roll with it.

Once in the car, I was relieved to be buckled in securely (for the safety of all, not just mine)! Whew! What the hell was that?

Note to self: DO NOT go one errands on a scorcher day like today.
Spend it instead at the POOL, crazy lady!

Not such a good moment today at the B, B and Beyond (gone)! Delighted in that the day has come to an END. And better yet, my child is his happy little boy self (even though he never napped) and has no interest in Nonna's dust buster!

Motion, Summers here....

Well it is sad to say that summer is swiftly moving right along!
There is swirling going on at the moment and am just starting to catch my breath since Henry has been out of school for the past two weeks.

Firstly, I would like to update our little bunny story. Sadly we were left with ONE bunny. Not sure who or what took the second, but it was gone, and its predator only left little bunny feet behind-eek!
After watching the remaining bunny like it was our own baby, and not seeing the mom return to the nest for 24 hours, we decided to take the bunny to the wildlife refuge. We were relieved to know that little bunny was going to make it! He was slightly dehydrated since he hadn't had mommies milk, but the Vets at the refuge were going to take good care of him.




Hen and I just returned from a trip to California to visit my sister and niece. We took an overnight trip to Ojai California to visit some family friends of ours. They have a beautiful property up in the hills/mtns, overlooking the avocado orchards and the mountains beyond. What a gorgeous place to be. The days were hot hot hot and the evenings cool. I love weather where you can open your windows and doors at night to allow the cool breezes in (and not have to worry too much about the bugs, minus the snakes, however).

We ate delicious food, some right off their property. Delicious peaches! We took a ride in their mule which to our surprise drove up steep hillsides. It was super fun to ride in and Henry decided he had a 'new' toy. He has asked me for his own mule!

Leslie is an artist. She owns a gallery in the heart of Ojai. Her gallery is called Nomad Gallery which has artifacts from Africa and India. She also displays her beautiful paintings and jewelry designs as well.

18 years ago, Leslie landed in the Sahara desert as an inquisitive artist. A chance meeting with the Wodaabe nomads took her on a path that changed her life. After visiting this nomadic family the second time a year later and seeing the poverty they lived in, she decided to give them a gift of $200. On her return the next year the family explained that with the gift they had purchased a cow and because of that they were able to remain nomadic. The realization that this relatively small sum could transform a family's life made her realize that she could make a difference. Thus began in 1997, the Nomad Foundation, a non profit that helps these groups. Leslie travels to Niger every year for a few months, to continue her work to help sustain the Nomadic life of the Tuareg and Wodaabe as well as oversea the Tamesna center which she opened in 2010 that provides medical aid. She is amazing!

Here are a few of her paintings:










To learn more about her foundation (www.nomadfoundation.org), please click here




Here are a few family pics of our time in San Diego. Wishing that Dean was with us on this trip!

Good Morning Ojai!

The Guest House

The Mule

Henry rides Squirt!

Butterfly Bush

Baby Bunnies

Last Thursday, Dean and I saw a bunny in our yard building this:







We thought, "Cute, it's building a little nest for itself." We left and a few hours later, it seemed that the nest was flattened, so we thought, "Oh, well, it must of moved on."


Monday morning, we were leaving our house and Henry screeches, "Mommy, Mommy, come look it, it's a baby piggy."

Me: "Huh?"

Henry: "Mommy, Daddy, you've got to come out here and see this, it's a little piggy, just lying here. Not moving"

Me: Thinking.... Um, no, can't be a piggy. Two, uh, lying there not moving? Dean better go look.

Long story short. We have baby bunnies in a nest in our yard. And on Monday morning, a predator, took one out and laid it on our pathway, left for dead. It seemed that some thing got to it and had taken off its ear and knocked its poor little head.

Not knowing what the heck to do, and a little bit frantic, I went over to our neighbors house.
Me: "Mary will know what to do!"

Sure enough, she did. We took this little creature over to the Second Chance Wild Life Refuge. They cleaned him and check him out and then put him in a warmer. I hope the little thing survives.

Low and behold there are two more.




So everyday we have been watching this nest, like a hawk to make sure that no prey comes to get them. However, we learned that the neighbor Mary, her cat had brought one of the baby bunnies to her bed last night at 1 am. She brought it back to the nest. So today we thought to put a milk crate over it during the non feeding times (the mom has come over to feed at 8 am and then again at around 7 pm). For some reason she did not feed them this evening and we are a little worried that she may have come this afternoon and couldn't get to them because we had the box over them. Fark!

So what to do?! We wait and watch. Hoping these little guys make it!

Yoga time

Yups! It is that time again. Yoga teacher training is in full force this week with my mentor and teacher, Shannon von Burns.

This intensive is, well, quite intense! We are not even half way through the program. It ends early 2012.
The past two days have been about shoulder openers, legs, back bends, shoulder openers, bandas/abdominals and shoulders! Yes, a lot of opening our shoulders the past 24 hours. Note to self: buy EPSON SALT! We are also, doing our meditations and our breath work as well, so these centering aspects really help level us while doing all these deep and intense asanas. Tonight my two favorite asanas:
Warrior III against the wall. We started with blocks under our hands then collecting our "bandas" deep pelvic floor and then placing our arms up over our heads and interlacing our fingers (pointer fingers out)
Hand Stands with the strap slightly above elbows (at the wall). This one was NUTS. Well in a good way. Shannon spotted me as I am still working on opening my shoulders and gaining the strength. While in the handstand, she supported my legs as I lifted my pelvic floor, squeezed my legs/knees/feet together and lifted (I also had to adjust my pelvis a bit too).


Here's a little more about this incredible woman who I am so honored to be training with and learning from!

Shannon von Burns

"Shannon von Burns believes Hatha Vinyasa Yoga is the antidote to all our daily challenges. She is a teacher's teacher, known for her healing approach to yoga. She holds over 1000+ hours of yoga studies and is an anatomy geek. Firmly rooted in the deeper principles of the Raja Yoga System, Shannon shares philosophy in her classes , in a no-dogmatic, positive and joyful way.

Shannon has been teaching yoga for 10+ years. Her love for yoga is fueled by watching her students progress, laugh and heal. Originally from Los Angeles, Shannon is also a renowned master bodyworker, yoga therapist and walking therapist. She is currently studying Ayurveda and teaches Master Classes, Intro to Yoga and Ayurvedic Lifestyle as a way to continue the practice of unity off the mat. As a yoga therapist, Shannon utilizes gentle and supported yoga postures to help relieve chronic neck and back pain, migraine head aches, frozen shoulder, joint movement, Sacro-Iliac dysfunction and numerous other chronic pain related issues. She encourages her students to learn how to modify their practice to heal their bodies.

Shannon's walking therapy involves applying yoga principles and philosophy to carry yoga alignment into your daily life through the lens of your walking technique or gait. She welcomes all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. Her motto: "Yoga is for healing everyone, including you!" "

This afternoon while playing with Henry, I had made a comment about how I had a headache or something about my shoulders "nemesis" being tight and Henry piped up, "Mom, you know you should use your breath (he starts to inhale through his nose), its good for you, you know. You should do your Yoga cause it is really calming." Yes, he used the words breath, yoga and calming. I've trained the little guy well! I about oodled all over him in with hugs and kisses after that one. Boy I love that child!

Off to regurgitate all the modifications and adjustments (that are swirling in my head) that we did tonight, in bed.

Downward-Facing Dog: SanSkrit: Adho Mukha Svanasana
(note to self: fix head placement, drop heels)!

Cookies and DANCE

Yesterday, we made the most yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! Henry and I love to cook together. Henry loves being a "chef, " so I had stocked up on organic baking needs from Whole Foods. I picked up butter, eggs, chocolate chips, and the oats from their bulk bins. I had all the other necessary goods needed.
When trying new recipes I opt to look at a few online and then combine the ones that look best to me (usually don't like cooking with abundance of Baking powder and Baking soda at the same time, and usually I cut the amount by a 1/4 tsp).

So I combined Betty Crockers version with this one, from Savory Sweet Life blog.

Ingredients (as Organic as possible):
1 1/2 Brown sugar, gently packed
1 cup Butter (slightly cold but not frozen)
1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Almond meal
1 3/4 cup Oats (not quick oats)
Chocolate Chips (semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixer (with the paddle attachment), mix brown sugar and butter until fluffy (about medium to high speed). Mix for at least 2 minutes.
Slow down the mixer while you add the vanilla and the egg. Let it mix completely. Add in baking soda, salt, flour, almond meal, oats and chocolate chips.

Create spoon sized balls onto non-greased baking sheets. Cook until lightly golden brown!

YUM to your tummy!

Lately, we've been looking over youtube to look at dance. Henry has shown an interest in dance. He wants to know about ballet (not sure where that came from but most likely innately from my genes-I was a ballet dancer for many years). So I have been showing him little blurbs from my favorite dance company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, out of Brooklyn. The dancers in that company are mind blowing! They're athletic, technically skilled, and overall incredibly talented. They have INCREDIBLE STAMINA!




The Fire Island Dance Festival clip here is amazing! This includes multiple
dance companies (about 15) including Complexions. Henry loves watching it (so do I)!

Not that either of these blog topics are related, but at least now that you have a new cookie recipe, you can dance off all that deliciousness with this inspiring dance clip!!

A schlew of things....

There are many blog topics that I have on mind these days, so decided that I would end the week with an array of things!


Memorial Weekend!

After much persistence from our 4.5 yr old, we finally took Hen doodle to NYC!
Will write a post about this adventure as the 3 of us had a blast!

Interior design is one of my secret addictions! Currently I am trying to decide what color to paint my front door. Thinking that a yellow door will add a nice pop to my white house with gray shutters....

Here are some of my faves!!

But there is always blue too.....





Blue Door, Dublin Ireland, 2007. By Michael Gebauer Photography





Not quite sure what to choose, but will go buy test colors tomorrow to make my decision.

Greens Drink to start the day off!
Today was a fun and nutty day, but managed to start it off with a greens drink, which was actually quite delish, especially with pineapple coconut juice. My acupuncturist gave me this sample to try out. It has greens and minerals (like Kale, alfalfa, basil, dulse, kelp, nori) as well as various enzymes and probiotics!



Enjoy the weekend!!