The extra poundage, dog update

I gained a lot of weight this semester in a very short period of time. I learned, incidentally, that I am a comfort eater, which I would have denied prior to this semester. Now I'm working on losing it. I lost two pounds in two days without even trying hard, which just goes to show how much I was having to eat to maintain this weight. Last night was a bust, and I ate like a pig. I had forgotten to eat lunch, so I pigged out at dinner.

***

Our new edition to the family, Triton the dog, is going to have to go. I like him a lot and especially like that he doesn't shed, but he has bitten both kids in the face. The tricky part is getting the lady from Boxers and Buddies to accept the towel I'm throwing in. She's an excellent dog trainer, and when I told her Triton had bitten Sawyer, she had me come to classes with her and had me follow certain dominance establishing procedures. He seemed to be getting better, and then he bit Rosalind in the hand and then later in the face. As a mother, my first priority is the safety of my kids. Plus, it gets exhausting always having to worry about where the dog is, where the kids are, and whether the dog is feeling threatened. The kids don't harass him, but Triton gets very nervous about feeling cornered, which is when he bites.

***

I'm loving summer!

Spiritual Laziness, Part II

Now that I am officially done with work for the summer, I have found that my pace is much slower than before. I am spending more time with my children, just being with them as well as "doing" things with them, like going to parks, tea parties, reading, etc. I am enjoying the quiet time with them in the back yard as they play, throwing balls with my son, dress dolls with my daughter.

I am also meditating more. And being present a lot more. Without the constant concern of the items on a to-do list, I can be more present, more mindful, and more spiritual.

The key is going to be to find a way to slow down during the school year so that I can still be the spiritual person I want to be.

I think an important point is to define spiritual, at least in how I see it. To me, being spiritual isn't about mysticism. It's about the tiniest movement I make as I live my life. This moment as I type is an opportunity for spirituality. As I drink my latte, I have the opportunity to be spiritual. Choosing the be fully present with my children is a spiritual choice. Meditating is important, but spirituality is there as a way of life twenty four hours a day.

When I first started studying Buddhism (one short year ago), my first book was Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das. He talked a lot about his time in Tibet and about Tibetan monks. For example, in discussing the preservation of life, he explained that during the rainy season some monks will sweep the ground in front of them as they walk to prevent any beings from being stepped on and that some don't venture outside for that very same reason. Reading this, I thought It's easy to live the Dharma when you're a monk living in a cave. Harder when you're a working mother of two. (Listen, I know it sounds petty, but I'm trying to be honest here.) But after some time it occurred to me that there was another way of looking that this. I could think that being a working mother of two children makes it difficult to be spiritual. I could also look at it a different way: that being a working mother of two small children makes it that much more important that I be spiritual.

I practice for me, for sure. But I also practice for my children, my husband, my students, my friends, my family. Being a more spiritual person hopefully makes me better at all the roles I play in life.

Well, I think my thinking has meandered enough. Off to clean the house while I have the place to myself.

Peace, love and happiness to you all.

What's Happening?

Our sangha gave ourselves the homework assignment of asking a "radical question." This stemmed from Day 2 of the retreat we had where I had only attended the first one, so it's not all entirely clear to me. Anyway, our homework assignment was to ask ourselves What's happening? at least three times a day. The idea is to help us be more present and to begin an inquiring process that can lead to discovery (I think). If it isn't making sense to you, it's probably because it's still unclear in my own head what I'm talking about, but I'm hoping to learn more.

On a different note, today my friend and I took our daughters to Bell's Tea Cottage in Reno, NV. The kids loved the tea, the provided hats and scarves, and the food. We liked our food, the tea, and the quiet atmosphere. We weren't so excited about the price ($14 for my meal, $8 for DD's). The kids got a PB&J with a small scone and a small plate of candy. Too many sweets even for my lil' sweet tooth. The final decision was that we could have just as much fun with a tea party at home for a much more economical price, although it may be a nice treat for the ladies to go one Sunday for an afternoon of shopping.

Later we met friends at the pool for some tot swim time. I LOVE summer!