Around Here
Reading M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled.
Hearing Simon and Anna race back and forth upstairs from my office, down the hallway and into my bedroom (while I'm downstairs cleaning up the kitchen). Back and forth and back and forth. There's laughter and then there's yelling and then more giggles and it most often ends with one of them yelling for me.
Navigating our new normal and finding places of peace and connection and joy.
Riding waves of emotion and working on allowing myself to be present in all aspects.
Negotiating money and time.
Adoring the addition of our new cat George. He is awesome.
Refereeing a myriad of arguments between an almost 10-yr old and an almost 3-yr old - most having to do with one of them touching the other or getting too close.
Savoring Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down The Bones one chapter (or two) at a time.
Organizing legos.
Enjoying the process of working on my 52 Creative Lifts newsletter the last few weeks.
Listening to Simon read Kung Fu Panda 2 out loud in the evening before bed.
Listening to Anna sing so many songs. Songs she knows and songs she makes up.
Cleaning up my office after painting this past week. It was a major project and now I'm into a major supply reorganization. I've got a bunch of layouts I want to do but before I start I really want to get this place in order.
Preparing to celebrate Simon's 10th birthday tomorrow and taking cupcakes to his class today.
Planning, dreaming, taking steps forward for this next chapter.
Cant wait to see photos of your office!
Change can be so difficult.
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My son has Aspergers and as a result we don't "do" birthday parties so every year I take cupcakes to school for a class "party". It's great! No mess to clean up, no kids to entertain or run home afterwards. LOL. Highly recommend it! Well done Ali. xoxo from NZ
We do that too Esther - we started it back in kindergarten and it's been a great tradition. Last year was the first bigger friends party and it went fine - trying it again this year.
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"Planning, dreaming, taking steps forward for this next chapter."
This made me smile. I hope your dreams for the next chapter come true.
Happy Birthday, Simon!
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You have so got this!! You are amazing! Love you!!
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Happy birthday to Simon. My son turns 10 exactly one week after him. How did time go by so quickly?
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Ali, your situation has been weighing on my heart. You pop into my mind at odd times. I honor your spirit of keeping things moving "up" when those waves of emotion hit. Blessings to you and your children!
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Hello Ali,
I commented first thing this morning that my kids have been good, well I should have known better. They didn't get along today and it was a loooong day.
Just got your creative letter for this week and loved it again. It is fun to see how many stories you can get from one photo. I love the one your nanny said about Anna wanting to be part of Simon's world. That is something she will be doing for a long time. Good luck with the rough times and treasure those sweet precious moments they do have even more.
Thanks for the inspiration
hugs,
Dawn
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Happy Birthday to Simon. 10 is a big deal! My son (3.5 years) is also doing a lot of singing of actual songs and making up his own. The made up ones are quite funny and might just have to make it into my PL this week.
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I admire your honesty and strength as you move forward and upward! Happy birthday to Simon...what a milestone! And I also hope that you share pictures of your newly painted office once it's all settled and cozy. :)
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Ooo--love Natalie Goldberg! Have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e17SIiSRIwY Also, I have read and heard (audio book read by Natalie) Old Friend from Far Away--have your read that one. So great! I think that you and Natalie have much in common with what you give the world.
HUGS girlfriend and happy weekend!
=) Liz
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Just wanted to say that I am loving the Creative Lifts! Very inspiring and gives me lots to think about...
Thank you!
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Ali, you've been on my mind a lot this month, especially knowing the range of emotions you must be feeling as you navigate and negotiate. Don't forget to be gentle with yourself. And be gentle with your heart. I also think a lot about Simon and Anna, for I have been exactly where they are. I, too, was 10 years old when it happened in my life. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be for you to be "present" for Simon and Anna at the same time you are dealing with so many complex emotions of your own. Simon, especially, will remember you being present and later on, he will thank you for that. I promise. Take care of yourself, sweet lady!
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Hi Ali, I find all your projects & posts very inspiring! Just wondering if you have any more classes in the works (at big pictures) i loved yesterday & today, my favourite class ever!
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Just read your newsletter, really enjoyed it.
My grandchildren have lots of Lego at my house I spent a week sorting by color, that lasted about a month - I give up! We use a dust pan to pick up the legos really speeds up the process.
Enjoy Simon's birthday, children grown up to fast!
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Just read your newsletter and loved it. Had to sit down right away and write about our children 8 and 11. Thank you for the inspiration.
I read several of the comments and notice that a lot of them said you are amazing and I wholeheartely agree:
YOU ARE AMAZING JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!
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UP Ali- keep your chin up. You are such an amazing person! Thought of the lyrics of the song 'The Rose'. You are the most beautiful rose - the state flower of our beautiful Oregon state! (I am not usually this sappy :-)
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose
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You are such a remarkable lady and inspiration. I can remember when my children, who are now 47 and 45, saying, "Mom, he is touching me." Kids!!! Happy Birthday, Simon!
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Awesome post that captures today. :)
And...I'd super love to hear/see your Lego org solutions sometime! We have an overflow here. Some sets are together and intended to stay that way...others are all over the place. I like the mini fig bucket...we had one of those (once). Until it overflowed. lol
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I'm so glad to see that Ali and several others are holding off on layouts until they've reorganized their supplies! I kept wondering if I was just finding a great excuse for procrastinating! Or maybe we're ALL procrastinating??
Happy birthday to Simon. Double digits - wow, next think you know he'll be a teenager.
And about that "touched me" stuff?? My three are 25, 19 and 19. They haven't stopped. Though for the most part they have stopped whining to us about it. Each gives as good as she or he gets.
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happy birthday Simon! love to you Ali.
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oh ali, you have a way of making life look so glittery, even amidst difficult days. i love that you are reading natalie goldberg. she's the best. and if you haven't already, you'll love IF YOU WANT TO WRITE by brenda ueland. so inspiring. keep up the good work and enjoy every minute of that ten year old birthday!! wowza. hooray. major milestone.
xo.
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Thanks Ali, its always a joy to open your emails full of wonderment and love. A Happy Birthday shout out to Simon....:)
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Ali,
Your new beginning is sad, exciting, scary, new, every feeling in the world every second! I did this type of ending 12 years ago and it was hard indeed. But, I did it! If anyone can pull it off for everyone and their best interest YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!! Your pictures bring my memories of my children back to the surface with so many giggles. The quiet can change is such an instant it always amazed me. You are real with us, your children, and; speaking for me I, so appreciate you and how you tell your story! Thank you Ali Edwards!
Marilyn P
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Ali, I forgot "The Road Less Traveled" was life transforming during my crisis. I also read it when I was working on my graduate degree in Social Work. His philosophy was similiar to mine. I'm really glad you are reading it. Another one I love and I'm working on my certification in this type of therapy is, "Getting Back to Life When Grief Won't Heal" by Phyllis Kosminsky. It talks about death, but divorce is like a death in reality and it really puts things into perspective and just makes good sense. She even references Peck's work. Let me know if you get a chance to read it.
Marilyn P
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Would love to see how you end up organizing the Legos! I'm debating how to go about doing the same thing and could use the inspiration!
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