1 down, 11 to go

Well, it’s the first of February. One month of blogging done. And I have a new (used) first gen ipod touch as a reward. I was expecting something like flowers or a sorry-I-forgot-IOU so I am very impressed and excited about my new toy. It has already proved useful for stealth checking emails while Miss M is around.

Funny how over the span of a month each day feels much the same as the one before, and yet when I look back I realize quite a bit has changed. I’ll be starting a new job in a few days, and Miya has a new nanny (after quite a frantic and rather discouraging search).

I also have, for the first time in my life, been able to get into the routine of regular meditation. No vistas of enlightenment to report, but I noticed after a few days that my mind is clearer and I feel sort of energized – in a calm way – after meditating.

My down time of the day is the short hour or so when Miya is napping. It used to be that this was rarely enough time to feel rested. Sometimes I would just lie down for a nap, only to hear her call for me from the other room. But now I find that meditating for around 10 minutes clears my head and gives me a new energy and focus for my afternoon. I still find it very, very challenging to keep my attention on my breath – but am encouraged that even my amateur, bungling attempts are making some difference.

Those are probably the biggest changes in my life over the past month. The other things are little – like finding new ways to keep Miya entertained. The other day we were stuck in a long line at the grocery store and ended up pretending the zucchinis were phones. She got a lot of smiles from people around as she held the zucc to her ear saying, “Hello Grandma, hello Daddy.” I’ve also learnt how to draw penguins for her to ‘colour’. A very valuable skill.

And thanks to those of you who take the time to read these blogs. More to follow...