Steed's Dairy

stress

The word stress itself doesn't even represent the complete magnitude of the effect it manages. It's deceptive in that it looks like a small word - but it has 6 letters. stress - orange. See the difference? Both have 6 letters and yet stress looks small. Deceptive. If I were king of the world, stress would always be referred to as S T R E S S...because that's exactly what it feels like. Big and bulky. Huge and heavy.
It's pretty hard to get rid of, too.
If you are to be a responsible contributor to society...if you care in the least about the welfare of your family and friends...if you are in any position in which you have to provide for someone or something else... you will undoubtedly never escape stress.
I have met people who are stress free. Unfortunately for them, they do not meet the previous qualifications.
Nonetheless, they are everywhere...and they cause me stress as well.
I've been delving into the different methods of stress relief lately. Some out of curiosity, but mostly out of necessity.
I've shied away from methods that involve medicine - although the thought of popping a little pill and suddenly being able to handle life better is very appealing.
Instead I do things like - blog. I look for the bright spots in life and I write about them. It has to do with positive thinking and the effect that manually changing your outlook can have on your being.
I also see a therapist regularly. I love her. For one hour, I get to talk about me..just me. I don't have to argue a point. I don't have to justify my feelings. I just get to let my emotions flow as they may. We do try and solve problems of course, but the therapy part is the absolute freedom to just be me....tears, laughs, curse words and all.
I've also learned some interesting stress relieving techniques such as tapping. I don't know if it has a proper name and sometimes, I'm not even sure I'm doing it exactly right. It looks funny to an outsider, but it has a strange calming effect on my body, sending it into another zone - another plane for as long as I do it.
There are simpler ways of stress relief. Why, just the other day, I rolled up the windows and blared "Wild Wild West" as loud as I could stand it. God bless the creators of 93.9 Bob FM where "we play anything" is the theme.
My mother had an interesting outlet of stress relief for us as children. She'd send us to chop wood. It's a shame I live in the city today, or I might practice this method from time to time. Mind you the thought of a 12-14 year old with an axe terrifies me as a mother, but she was from an entirely different era. It did the job.
If I were an exerciserr, I'd probably be less stressed. Or maybe a boxer...yes, knocking the lights out of an opponent is a tremendously satisfying thought. But I'm notoriously unsteady on my feet and completely inept when it comes to sports and 9 times out of 10 I hurt myself. Just ask my Jazzercise instructor who I met a total of 2 times before I threw my back out during a routine never to return again.
In short - as if this entry were short - there are tons of ways to lessen the effects of stress, but besides selling everything and living a monk's life in Tibet, I cannot figure out how to avoid it altogether.
So in the meantime, I'll embrace things like this. Phoebe from FRIENDS and her running style.

YouTube - Phoebe running style

See?

O to live like Mickey Mouse

I watch way too much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse these days. Addison insists. The only way I can get her to stop asking to see it is to tell her that Mickey Mouse is sleeping. In reality, he could be, because he only works from 8-9a.m every day.
After much observation, I've come to really envy Mickey's entire life at the Clubhouse and in my dreams, I have a clubhouse of my own.
Who wouldn't love to have a contraption called the "handy helper?" Extra hands that do the simplest things like open doors, but who could also be used to change diapers, fold towels and take out the garbage. Oh the tasks I could think of for those handy helpers!
Then of course there's the fact that you have every mode of transportation available from a car housed in the "shoe garage" to the "glove balloon".
What I really want is a Mouse-ka-Do-er. I don't know how to spell it, but it is omnipotent. It always knows what problems will be encountered and what tools will be needed to accomplish ALL the tasks. Although I'm always amazed at how often a baby elephant is needed as a tool.
But I think the best part of living in a clubhouse would be "Toodles." When you need 'em, Toodles will bring 'em. Can you imagine someone available every minute of the day, ready to provide you with anything you ask for?
Then of course, if the handy helpers don't get all the work done and there are no more tasks that can be accomplished during that day....if Toodles is all out of helpful tools, all I'd have to do is fold the clubhouse back up into it's hidden underground chamber and remember that tomorrow will be saved by three simple words...Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse!!!!
If only.

Personality Pics

Babble continued

Had to share tonight's baby babble.

"Bit! Bit! (Book! Book!)
There's a big shoe box.
"Nie, Nie Bit." She puts the books in the box.
"Seep" (Sleep)
"Seep Bit, Nie Nie"

So cute I can't stand it.

Addison Babble

It's been a while since I've posted pictures of my cutie patootie. Today is a recap of some of our latest achievements at 22 months.
She's becoming more and more verbal even though most of the time I'm playing a guessing game trying to figure out what she's talking about. Many of her orations start with "bo bo be ba ba ba" or "dooeee dooee dee da"
There are other times when she's very clear and can mimick every word I say. Today she busted out with "Eat". It's the first time she's told me she was hungry.
She really likes reciting our family members names over and over, "mommydaddyaddison, mommydaddyaddison."
She loves Aunt Sandra and her dog, Pearle..."An San" and "Pear". I love her renditions of words - so cute.
And her favorite toys are things like a blueberry scented candle from the dollar store that we salvaged out of Aunt Sandra's yard sale pile. Then there's the swiffer wetjet and Trenton's fan and the ever popular empty diaper box.
She's very adventurous now since she learned to climb. She can climb out of her pack-n-play and climb up in chairs. Just tonight, I caught her up on the bar stool where she had gotten hold of daddy's chocolate iced donuts. She took a bite out of each one. We had to laugh. Sometimes, that's all you can do.
Here are some photos of my angel. She's growing up fast.

Last but not least...a funny video.