VOTE PLEASE!

Good Mood Gig from SAM-e


Would you vote for me please?? And tell all your friends to vote, too?!

One vote per day, per IP address til Nov 6th...so use all your 'puters every day ;) I want to make it to the second round and I need THOUSANDS of votes to get into the top 20 (what in the heck are they people doing to get so many votes?) so I'm looking to go VIRAL!

Thanks so much for helping me become the "Good Mood Blogger" lol

cidlicious.com

hey peeps!

come check out my bright shiny new blog!! I'm trying wordpress (cidlicious.wordpress.com), so we'll see how it goes...I may be back at Blogger sometime soon...who knows? All I know is I have blogger's wrist already- it's fun to have a new addiction :)

Wellness and Abundance, Cid

Follow-through...

something I am not known for, lol. Why? So many theories...I used to blame it on being a perfectionist. A "lazy perfectionist". You know, if you can't do it right, don't do it at all. Through lots of Inner work, I've come to realize that I'm not a perfectionist at all...lots of time wasted on that excuse :)

So am I just a procrastinator? Is it because I'm a Gemini? A 7 on the Enneagram?

The word "procrastinate" has latin roots...meaning "forward" and "belonging to tomorrow". I guess if you always put off til tomorrow what can be done today (and all that happy horseshit, lol) It has such a negative connotation, doesn't it...to be called a procrastinator is not a good thing. I just have such a hard time actually sitting down to do whatever it is I need to do! I lose track of time (which I'm trying to remedy by using the timer on my phone more, and not sitting in front of my computer for extended periods (but then my email inbox gets out of control, lol).

Gemini are known for their duality. From the article that I linked to...

The air of Gemini is always changing direction. First the winds blow one way, then another. It's a metaphor for how our mind solves a puzzle, first thinking one way and then trying a different approach. This is a restless and searching wind.

So is that why I'm so here and there? Why I struggle to finish what I start??

The Enneagram describes nine distinct personality types...nine different perspectives on life...nine ways of being in the world. The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Investigator, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger and The Peacemaker. I'm a "seven", aka The Enthusiast. I would highly recommend the book, The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson to anyone interested in the Enneagram at all. This was a hot topic on my Christine Kane retreat last year....and I learned a TON about myself as a result.

From the above book, I am a seven with a six wing, which makes me the "Entertainer" (apropos, yes?) and they have this to say about the "average" Entertainer...

They are generally productive but can lose focus, become scattered, with less follow-through than the other subtype.

hmmmmmmmm. So a whole lot of ideas (sevens are known for being gifted at brainstorming and synthesizing information, lol)

So, I wonder if any of the "Practices that help Sevens develop" would help?

-when you are mentally revved up, take a moment to breathe and see what is really going on with you

-It is not so much that you ignore your negative feelings as that you process them incompletely....see how your feelings are experienced in your body.

-Learn to notice your impatience and its roots.

-Find the joy of the ordinary.

-Meditation can be extremely helpful for Sevens, especially for quieting down the mind.

-You do tend to be happier and more exuberant thatn most people. See what happens when you can share that feeling with others without pushing. You are most profound and effective when you are grounded and steady- at such times your joy is evident and affecting to everyone.

so....that's it for now. I have a plan for today, I need to stick to it so I can get my other stuff done. I think that's what I need to do to complete more of what I start- have a plan, and stick to it. It's the "stick to it" that's challenging for me, tee hee. I've had many plans before....GOOD plans. But it's the following of the plan that eludes me :)

Baby steps....
Peace & Abundance, Cid

Ads?

I'm going to try out a new thing soon...I signed up with Google Adsense and will be placing ads on my blog to see what happens :) supposedly you get paid when people *just click* on the ads...so I don't mind getting some advertising money to come my way, right? And you don't mind clicking on ads from my blog even if you don't have an interest in what the ad is for, right? That's what love is all about ;)

I'm hoping this will be just another motivator for me to keep my blog new, fresh and up-to-date (versus old, stanky and out-of-date, lol).

Lego Mama...

I never intended to take up Lego building in my mid-thirties (and yes, 37 is still mid-thirties). I never did Legos as a kid and quite honestly, I don't remember ever being introduced to them (whether too expensive, or what, I don't know....). My brother never had an interest, that I recall.

As my boys got to be 6 and 9, I thought we'd skipped the "Lego phase"...they have friends that have been Lego-obsessed for YEARS and it never rubbed off. I had a castle set in THE CLOSET (which has now been decluttered and converted into Torin's closet, with space for my crafts, WOO HOO!) and one morning I woke up to a quiet house (things that make you go "hmmmmm") and the boys were in the living room floor playing with it! (Unfortunately, this just re-enforces the pack rat tendencies that I need to boot....and I'm having a sense of deja vu here- I musta blogged about this already, lol)

And that was the end of life as I knew it..... Webkinz are now not so cool. All the boys' spending money ( including the Disneyland spending money they were given!) is spent on Legos kits. We spend time on legos.com and ebay searching for piece and parts and mini-figs (I didn't even know wtf a "mini-fig" was until my sweet hubby let me in on it.)

The boys really haven't been building like they did that first morning anymore... they buy the sets (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Spy somethingoranother...), put the sets together, and put them up on the shelves. They PLAY with them- all sorts of wonderful inventive play :) And my role of Lego Mama has evolved because Torin really loves putting the sets together, but gets overwhelmed if he has to sit there with the booklet and put the whole thing together by himself...you know, one little row off and nothing fits together right!! So we're like a Lego-building team :) one of us finds the pieces we need next, and the other puts them in place. Sometimes he gets too tired and just wants me to do the whole thing for him...and that's when the voices, the tapes-in-my-head, start whining..."you have other stuff to do", "if you do it for him he'll never learn how himself", etc, etc. The same voices that sometimes bother me when I'm picking up shoes and pillow cushions for the millionth time, lol. And the truth is, those voice can kiss my ass! Every moment is a choice...and I choose to do things that make me happy. Putting together Legos for my son is no big thang ;) and it makes him happy. And what's he going to "learn"? He's going to learn how good it feels to do things for other people, because he sees that in my face...

and you know what? I've discovered that I L-O-V-E building Lego sets! How f'n cool is that? :)

Piano...

oh my gosh...I love this couple :)

Never get it all done...

I've been getting the message from the Universe...that I'm never gonna "get it all done". I love it when messages come at me from various sources, all at once =)

All is well, and you will never get it done. Life is supposed to be fun. No one is taking score of any kind, and if you will stop taking score so much, you will feel a whole lot better -- and as you feel a whole lot better, more of the things that you want right now will flow to you. You will never be in a place where all of the things that you are wanting will be satisfied right now, or then you could be complete -- and you never can be. This incomplete place that you stand is the best place that you could be. You are right on track, right on schedule. Everything is unfolding perfectly. All is really well. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun!

Excerpted from a workshop in Tucson, AZ on Tuesday, February 20th, 2001

All Is Well

Each time I set aside a weekend to "GET IT DONE" (which mostly means tackle some of the organization projects that have been needing to be done for awhile) something comes up!!

Most recently, my brother's truck broke down (18wheeler) in Fresno on a Friday, giving him the whole weekend to stay with us and visit! So I set aside well-made plans and enjoyed his company...we don't get to see him often. Oh, and then there was Easter weekend when, in addition to the festivities of Easter, we were planning on gutting my closet, laying bamboo flooring and building new shelves, rods, etc. with the help of Home Depot product and hubby sweat...and then got a short-notice invite to celebrate my cousin's birthday (on Easter Day this year) in Phoenix...see the trend here?

And it's joyful substitutions I'm making, so I know it's a gentle nudge to ENJOY LIFE! So I'm complying ;) but wondering when all the other stuff is going to fit in to my life...I hope at some point, because I'm looking forward to a beautiful closet!

amazing and inspirational...

Susan Boyle knocked my socks off. I am humbled...truly inspired and open to all possibilities after watching this...I'd seen a you tube video of her singing last week, but the opening to this one (the rolling of eyes in the audience, etc.) really hit home.

Luteal phase...

may just be the lesson for this evening. all day I've been bitchy, cranky and generally unpleasant to be around. D was able to "escape" a majority of this, as he slept til 11 and went to work (and is working overnight). My poor, sweet boys, however, are another story. They've had to listen to me kvetch and micromanage...complain and cry. For fucksake!! Does it help to know that I'm luteal, and that the progesterone surging in my body is making me crazy like this? What would following the Law of Attraction do for me... can I just decide that my body is perfectly designed and I don't have to suffer (and make others suffer) through this time of the month?

good grief.

I am so happy, on days like this, that the boys and I are so connected that we will make it through unscathed. I've apologized at least 10 times today, and called "do-overs" a few times too :) I guess it's going to be okay...

Total Annihilation

Total Annihilation is a new (well, not exactly NEW now) passion that all three boys share...I love it when they set up at the table and play. The smack-talk is enjoyable to listen to, too :)

A boy and his frog

Truly Present

The boys and I got home from Declan's karate class and dinner around 8:15 this evening...D's working tonight, and after my my less-than-ideal sleep last night, I was ready to zone out and play on my newly re-built laptop. (Have I mentioned lately that DH is a computer wiz, gadget genius and I'm SOOOOOO lucky to have him?!) Torin really wanted to finish his new Star Wars Lego set, and I had told him on the way home that I'd help him... Declan didn't want to play Halo, which was T's first choice, so I offered Legos with me while Declan played Spore as an alternate. I was *so* tempted to play on my computer and just hand him the pieces as he finished up his creation. I have a patience issue with Legos as it is, and knew that it wasn't the best idea...and my lil guy really was wanting to connect with me, and spend some time building this awesome aircraft with me. What an honor :) and I know it's not going to last forever...someday he may be happy building by himself! So, I decided to practice living in the way I really want to- being truly present.

We had a great time (and I really do love building with Legos...and my position of piece-finder!!!) and finished it...and now I'm getting some computer time :) and I didn't have to half-ass either.

What the hell am I doing up at 5am?

Oh, my.

My poor, sweet Torin is having some major congestion issues. That thick cough that makes you cringe...and makes him have to vomit/cough up and spit stuff out every 53.2 minutes (or more frequently, lol) so I am up. D and I got him propped on the couch after he dozed off around 11:30 and hoped for the best. Made it til midnight :) and I think I was up 6 times by 5am. Then I decided it was best just to get out the laptop, since I really couldn't sleep :) It's amazing to me, that after 4 days of this, I'm still waking up feeling well rested! Mind shift, I think... last night I was definitely ready for sleep at midnight!

Yesterday was a full day...D home in the morning, picked up my MacBook from the Apple store (they replaced a part for FREE...the front of the case on my particular laptop has been known to crack and they replace it free of charge- I love Apple!) through the carwash, and picked up crickets for the critters (and tadpoles!! The lovely people at Petsmart gave them to me without charge when I asked about them :) Declan used his spending money a long while back to get a kit, and we decided it was lame to have to send off for the tadpoles...we'd find them locally...not realizing it wasn't the right season, lol. So he was very happy when I showed up with a couple in a bag yesterday!) anyway...ALL this before 11am, which is not normal for me =)

Then to the park for our Tuesday Homeschool Park get together...as usual, a great place to spend time with some of our favorite peeps. And new friends, too! And sweet Jayne attempted to teach Shari and I to knit, tee hee. I need to try to get my needles out in the next day or so, lest i forget what we learned!

We have a couple of new-to-homeschooling folks (just pulled their kids from ps) and so the conversation at the park was all about different methods of homeschooling, the angst of ps and a child's excitement about a science fair project being squashed because the teacher didn't think it was a great idea (and that translated into the possibility of a lower grade so it was dropped) and how bad that sucks. How one elementary school is so concerned about gang activity (have had issues in the past, I guess) that the kiddos have to sit in complete silence whenever their at their desks. ummmm, not being allowed to go to the bathroom if it's not the "right time" in the schedule...man, I'm glad we found this life before either of the boys had to be subjected to that!

Headed out of the parking lot around 5:45pm (sun still out! and a bee-utiful day it was for St. Patty's) and home to leave the boys with Mimi (the sitter) and head to Starbucks for the Unschooling United meeting that I facilitate. This group is everything I wanted, imagined and more :) amazing people, talking about the life I love...real conversation with others who get where you're coming from. aaaaaahhhhhh. And I've enjoyed how each month has been a different combination of people...usually some veteran RUers and at least one person new to the idea of the freedom we have. I just LOVE it!

Home to my boys at 10...Declan headed to be shortly thereafter (he likes to have me here before he goes to sleep, if at all possible) and then T and I watched The Suite Life On Deck until he fell asleep on me, sitting up (easier to breathe that way, dontcha know) and D got home from work.

And then I got a lil sleep :) and now I'm up with the coffee that I don't usually need (but it tastes so f'n good this morning)...and ready to have at it again! Boys starting back up with tennis after a hiatus (for unpredictable weather). They LOVE it. Not sure if it's cause they're doing it with friends (many of whom decided not to participate this 6 weeks) or the coach (who bugs the hell out of me, but I have decided to "get over myself" because he's good with the kids and the boys like him) or what....it's just awesome to see them so passionate about something and be able to make it available for them! It's the only activity that Torin's really wanted to take part in like this (he's told me in the past "I would like to take a class, as long as there's not a teacher") and it really brings joy to us all! I need to get D to look at my iPhoto so I can post pictures!!!!! Be looking for them sometime soon :)

Time flies...

funny...looks like I've used that title already before (it came up automatically when I started typing)but it is once again true. I am happy that I have a laptop at my disposal again, and hope that means my writing will be more prolific.

I don't know where to begin.. or if I should go back and pre-date some entries, but SO much has happened since my silence. I feel like I'm becoming more of myself each day :) and it feels so good, LOL.

The things I'd like to chat about are: The Peace Treaty, Enjoy Parenting, Unschooling United, my health and food choices, music and the boys (what else, right?)

I can't put up pics right now (iPhoto is behaving badly after migrating all my stuff to the MacBook) but I will soon...so many fun images to share!

Just know that I'm back ;) (for those of you who've been asking where I've been) and better than ever...

Peace & Abundance, Cid

My Word of the Year

My word for 2008 was create. Create is exactly where I was last year... trying out my power as a deliberate creator... creating art... creating peace in my home.

I was thrilled to be able to attend one of Christine Kane's retreats this past November...she is an amazing, inspirational person :) Present, creative, lovely. In my time there, I was able to really focus in on what I wanted to do differently in 2009.

This year my word is Allow. More about Be-ing than Do-ing. I'm learning that the most fabulous things come with Grace...effortlessness (hmmmmm, that would be a good word too!) and without force. I don't have to DO anything, just Allow myself to be in alignment with total Well-Being. The ease of that is just yummy to me...

So this year I will focus on Allowing...of course, I won't be able to learn guitar, write music and all the other things I'm going to do in 2009 without some action!! But I know that these things will come more easily if I don't force the "how". I'm going to set my intention for each one of these things...decide a course of action...and then Allow it to happen. Allow myself to take the time I need to do it my way! Allow myself to be less scattered, be more present in each moment.

to take a deep breath...and Allow.