What's up with the Kids

I not sure why but I haven't mentioned to many people (before now) that we took Satvinder out of school a few weeks ago. She's really struggled with school for the last couple years - like seriously, miserably struggled emotionally. And we finally just decided to stop forcing her to do something that she dreads and hates so vehemently when we have the ability to let her be home. Some of you may remember that we took her out of school this very same time last year. Yeah. I don't know what it is about Spring. But two years in a row now, this has been our breaking point.

Since that shift, she's been much more at peace and things have felt better. I don't know what we'll do in the future (that's pretty much true in every single area of life right now.) I can make no guesses as to what we'll be doing next year. All I know is that right now, this is good. And we'll keep doing our best with what each moment presents us.

If you haven't checked out Satvinder's blog lately, take a look. She's been updating it recently. (Yes, she is a passionate child.)

As for a Sukhjot update: She has a handful of English words that she uses sparingly and a whole vocabulary of adorable munchkin speak that she uses profusely. We don't know what she is saying most of the time but whatever it is, it sure is cute. One of her most used English words is "all done" which she says as "ah-duh" and she has a great sign language communication for it too. I've been amazed at how often we need to communicate "all done" - it is very handy. All done eating, getting dressed, diapering, being outside, nursing, etc. The other day I was in the shower and I heard Sukhjot come into the bathroom, wimpering at me. I peeked out of shower and saw her signing "all done" with her little hands and looking at me expectantly. She wanted me to get out of the shower.

She loves food, animals (Oh. My. God. She goes crazy when she sees them in person), books, and playing outside. She gives hugs and kisses and pats backs.

A day at the park

This is the stance Satvinder takes when she is annoyed with the baby for some reason.

A loving moment at the zoo - Satvinder was looking out for Sukhjot on the playground.

Sights

Visit with Mangala Sadhu Sangeet's mom

Sharing a shake at Joe's Farm Grill

Sukhjot trying to climb into a garden plot at the community garden

Super full moon on March 19

At one of our favorite, family-owned restaurants, Fattoush.

Satvinder made this today to express her distaste for mung beans and rice.

To Begin

I think these times are for opening the heart. It is a prying open, digging deep through the crusty shell of protection and bursting open the consciousness of love, compassion, and unity. It hurts in the beautiful sort of way that only the heart can ache - where feeling more means you feel everything more..the pleasant and the not pleasant. And there is no longer the option of pretending that we, on this planet, are separate. What happens to one, happens to all.

I've been thinking of this a lot - feeling it, experiencing it. And life just keeps giving more of it. So yesterday someone posted a story on Facebook. It was a story that comes through the news now and then - something that I think should never happen but it does - and it has been haunting me, haunting me. A little girl died the other day because of abuse inflicted by her family - of course, it was something she'd experienced much of in her short life. Unfathomable. I can't stop thinking about her. I wish I could go back in time and find her and save her. I wish it so bad.

I posted on my own Facebook status something I have been feeling a lot lately: When I hug my kids, I ask that love touch all the children who need it right now. Love is infinite. And I believe we can send it anywhere, anytime. May we all continue to expand and expand and expand the love so that everyone can feel it - especially those who aren't feeling it from sources that are close.

Honestly, the story of the little girl makes me want to do much more than that, of course. It makes me want to do things that are illegal and insane. I admit it. It makes me want to go door to door and see if people are taking care of their kids (as if I could even judge such a thing) and if not, I want to take the kids home with me and just absorb them into our family and stretch my arms huge and wide and wrap them up in love. That's what I want to do. But for now, sending love (in my thoughts and intentions) is what I can actually do.

After much thought and reflection, I have found that to be a worthwhile start. If we all - collectively - continue to open our hearts and feel each other as family and we continue to expand the love and compassion, then that is a huge step. When we feel each other in this way, we (as a planet) won't be able to keep doing things in the grabby, self-absorbed way we've been doing them. We won't be able to let other people go without the basic resources they need to provide for their families. We won't be able to restrict our love, our service, our money to only "our" kids. There is enough (more than enough) for everyone. But we have to start with the love, with the heart, and with feeling the human condition as One (even when it hurts.)

I think that is what life is doing to us on many levels - making us open our hearts to that kind of love. That is where change will happen. I want more. I want to do more. But that is where I begin. And life will lead us.

Waves

How to begin? Today feels pretty raw, doesn't it? Mother Earth is shifting - literally - and waves and waves wash over. These photos of the tsunami in Japan are stunning and I feel a lot of things. So many things. But you know what is biggest? Love.

The water is washing over me too. Nothing here happens in isolation. And the illusion of isolation is crumbling. Here we are. And the waves are coming. They may not be the same actual waves of water and debris but we are all getting moved around faster than can even be imagined. My heat overflows with love for all of us and this amazing planet we are on. Prayers for all.

So today is another significant day. March 9 was significant day for entering a new cycle of consciousness. And today we enter into an astrological change that lasts 8 years - a time of revolution and unpredictable, rapid change. And so it begins with an earthquake and tsunami.

I have been thinking a lot lately about what matters in life and also my own experiences of how the kindness of others has impacted (and in some cases, saved) my life - changing who I am, how I live, and how I relate to others. Mangala Sadhu Sangeet Singh sent me this article yesterday and it really touched my heart and spoke to both those topics. And what I keep coming to is that I'm not really sure there is anything that matters except helping each other. If we aren't helping each other then what are we doing here? Look at those tsunami pictures. Everything we create can be washed away in a second. Our biggest accomplishments in the physical world are actually tiny and insignificant.

It is the unseen things like kindness, love, and generosity that ripple on forever. Imagine what life would be like if we found a way to build our world based on those values.

Riding the ride

Today Sukhjot kept trying to sit on a my-little-pony sized tricycle. It was funny watching her try to sort that one out. See for yourself:Scootaloo video

House update: We accepted an offer a few days ago. Now, since we are trying for a short sale, we wait to hear if the bank accepts. It can take 30-90 days to get a response.

In the meantime, wow! According to the Mayan calendar, our planet is moving into an accelerated cycle of change in consciousness. Yesterday was the "kick off day" - March 9, 2011. One of my favorite monthly forecasts, thepowerpath.com mentions it towards the end of this month's forecast (though the whole thing is worth reading):
March 9: The Mayan calendar changes into its last cycle. This cycle is compressed into 280 days. (The last one was from 1999-2011. The one before that was from 1755-1999) This is just a note to advise you of this day as an important one that coincides with some of the potent astrological events this month and to be aware of the accelerated aspect of everything that is happening on the planet. The good news is that change will not take long. The bad news is that change will not take long, which means more intensity in the process.

Here's to changing consciousness!

This little peace elf lives in our dish cabinet. (Remember this guy, Adria? We lost his tree somewhere along the way so now he holds a peace sign.)

Sun and breeze and growing things

in the backyard...

"Your strength is not in your wealth. Your strength is not in your degrees. Your strength is only in you, now calmly, quietly, peacefully..."~Yogi Bhajan

It is happening

The house went on the market on Wednesday. It is priced at a little over half what we paid for it - that's the reality of the Phoenix housing market for you. Is that hard to swallow? Yes. Am I accepting it? Yes. Let's just hope the banks are equally as accepting of the situation.

Sometimes I get kind of freaked out about it. This morning I was spouting off about it - feeling frustrated about the financial loss and all the uncertainty that goes with that. And then Satvinder started handing me cards that said things like "Smile! Somebody loves you" and "This note is a hug from me to you - Can you feel it?" And just like that, she shifted me with her love.

Another thing I have been thinking about a lot lately, especially as I've been getting rid of stuff: It is not like anything actually belongs to us anyway. It is all temporary. Who cares when it goes? We have things for a few days or a few years - but nothing is forever. Not our stuff. Not our homes. Not even our bodies. And it is okay. We aren't our stuff, we aren't our money, we aren't our bodies. And I'm grateful to be feeling that more and more every day. There is a beautiful freedom in that acceptance.