{ a wake up call - and a little down time }

I had a wake up call this morning. At the first it saddened me...the news so right there in my face...and then I was awakened and realized the happiness that awaited me...

...and the story goes -

I woke up this morning and began my routine, for what is a life without routine? I wrote my Morning Pages, {something I learned from Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity...thank you Sandi for leading me to her!} I whipped through some chores, made the children breakfast,put in a few hours for my "real job", and finally sat down with a cup of coffee to start my photo downloads & editing, read and answer email, creating  a new post... all the things that come with having a full fledged blog. Not a few minutes into it my Sophia came up to me and asked what I was doing. But she knew what I was doing. The same thing I do for myself every morning for an hour. I told her anyway. She sighed and wandered away. A few more minutes sailed past and she was back. This time undercover. Stealth in her black and white polka dotted tights and Daddy's black t-shirt. She skidded past me on her knees, swiffering the wood floor as she went and landed with a thud under my desk and knees.

My aggravated mother side muttered something silently, but the loving mother side calmly spoke.

"What do you need Sophia?"

"I am not Sophia, I am a ninja."

I ignored this and kept reading, working, trying to concentrate on what I was doing. A pause, and out she crawled. At least I had the good sense to notice she was a little dejected that I didn't play along. But still I read and wrote and edited.

Halfway through the next minute I am alerted to another surprise attack. This time by a much larger Ninja who is trying to slither his way behind my desk.

"Okay Ethan, I see you. What do you guys need? I am busy...go play for awhile...give me ten minutes...I am almost done..."

And there it was....

... from the depths of their sweet imaginary jungle I hear Sophie sadly utter a single sentence that sends my own heart plummeting to the jungle floor.

"But when you are done with that you will have something else to work on."

And the sadness came from the truth in that. I ALWAYS am doing something, working on something, creating something...and while 99% of the time those two little ninjas are having their own fun it is a fact that I need to be there the ONE time that they ask me to be...want me to be....NEED me to be.

And so there will be some down time. I vow to take REAL TIME this summer to ASK my little ninjas what THEY had planned for the day. Most of the time their plans won't include me....their forts and picnics and water balloon fights custom  made for two...but should they ask me to be a part of their day I will be there. ALL OF ME.

Will I be able to blog and edit and create every day? Probably not. Will my life be less richer for taking the time off? Definitely NOT. Will I lose readership? Most certainly....but my heart will be happy. My soul will be richer. My children will smile. That is really ALL that matters.

And so if you do not see me every day, here at this little blog of mine, it is because I am out LIVING my NOT SO SHABBY LIFE!

{p.s. I WILL BE HERE...just not every day....stick with me if you will!}