The Littlest Professor

So yesterday I mentioned that my son Parker turned a year and a half, and as I was making dinner (more on this later) for my little man and his best friend Gabrielle, I thought about how much he has changed and the amazing strides these kids make in such a short period of time. But what I find even more fascinating is how much he has changed me. “Changed” might not be the perfect word, actually,… at 38 I am pretty set in my ways. Maybe inspired says it better.

I’ve noticed this most recently, now that my son is a toddler. In the first 12 months, there are still too many “WTF is going on?” moments, both good and challenging (I prefer not to call them bad), to really stop and pay attention to what your child might be teaching you, but as things settle into an easier groove and you both really start to get to know each other, lessons from your little one become more apparent. Here are a few little nuggets of wisdom not necessarily newly learned, but definitely rediscovered through the help of my pint-sized professor.

1. Live in the moment – I know this sounds hokey, and I should definitely be a living, breathing example of this mantra as a certified yoga instructor, but no one teaches you this better than a child. Sitting on the grass, playing with a twig, giggling, staring at the sky… for an ENTIRE HOUR… it’s pretty fascinating, and probably the best medicine for anything that ails you. It’s meditation as medication… if you take the time to spend these moments with your child.

2. Check your ego at the delivery room – Actually, I can start even before then. I’m used to getting things that I want (through hard work and a little persuasion 😉 . I’d say I’m “half-spoiled”. But mother nature don’t play that game. I immediately thought (in my confident, not cocky way), that I would get pregnant easily, which happened to be the case… but I’ve also lost two pregnancies. Whaaaaat??!! You mean I’m not 100% in the driver’s seat??? It was a sad but necessary slap in the face, because even with the child that I am so amazingly blessed to have… I am still not 100% in the driver’s seat and I needed to be reminded of that. You can read every book, watch every tutorial and be given every piece of advice, but this mini-me in front of you has their own ideas and they are ready to challenge you from the get-go. Check your ego at the door and your experience will be more of a tango than a tug-of-war.

3. Be inspired – My poor husband. I haven’t been an avid cook, and he’s a Half-Italian food fanatic that grew up with tomato sauce coursing through his veins, and homemade meals for a family of NINE never neglected by his 100% Naples born mother. I should have thrown in the cooking towel after my first home visit. He’s also a health fanatic (fitness and nutrition expert) who requires not only delicious, BUT nutritious meals to boot.

I’m not a bad cook. In fact, he can attest to the fact that I’m really quite good! It’s the quantity (lack of frequency), not the quality of food that’s in question. After years of late work hours on his part and a stuck-in-the-rut small appetite on my end, we’ve allowed quick trips to our local organic cafes and Whole Foods drive-bys to satisfy our needs.

After the arrival of our little man, I was blessed by Mother Nature and the ability to breast feed exclusively for the first 6 months, but as the introduction of solid foods quickly approached, I was suddenly faced… with a new face to feed… and I chose to be inspired! I’ve gotten quite creative and can make a mean stir-fry out of any ingredients left in the fridge… and you know what? It’s fun!… and so is dancing, and singing, and making truck noises (that’s a nod to you Natalie), and playing with sand, and going for long walks, and clapping, and writing a blog 😉 EACH and EVERY DAY.