Disney on Ice and The Sword

Thursday night M and I did a partner yoga class, which was a lot of fun. The instructor(s) did a good job of making it interesting and not intimidating. And it wasn't easy! The class was a good mix of experienced and not so experienced yoga practitioners. Matt and I have both done yoga on and off for the past 12-13 years. When we first lived in Alaska, we took a class on Sunday mornings with Emily. It was my first exposure to yoga in that kind of environment. It was a large class, and held at a gym, but the instructor was more on the alternative side. She had just had a baby and was in fantastic shape. It seemed so hard to me at first. I don't think I'm naturally very flexible. We would go to class and then go have breakfast. It was a nice ritual, and fun to do together. It was the kind of class where some folks had been practicing with her for years.

Then, when we had the gym, our friend Arianne taught an Ashtanga yoga class in a space we had upstairs. I think that is the most consistent I have ever been with my practice. I took her class at least twice a week, and in addition practiced with Arianne or another friend, Ben a couple of times a week. When that ended (Arianne moved) I continued with a couple of instructor friends at a local yoga studio. I took Rhonda's class before and after I became pregnant the first time. Rhonda and the other students were great at getting me comfy for shavasana. While I was pregnant I met Jenny, who's son ended up being born 6 weeks after Sam. We continued with Rhonda's class after the kids were born (whenever we could make it). Sometimes we would go for walks or coffee after class just for a break from the kids. Then Jenny started teaching (she was a long time practitioner), or maybe she had taught for a while and I just "discovered" her. At first, both hers and Rhonda's styles were so different then the aerobic ashtanga, but I soon adapted and became attached to their wonderful teaching and soothing voices. I have yet to take a class her like the ones I was fortunate to attend in Alaska, but I have found some ways to get my yoga fix. I have started going to a yoga strength class at the gym on Saturdays which I enjoy, and the studio where the partner yoga class was held is a place I enjoy going too. It's just a little too far for me to go regularly, and since I have a membership at the gym it's a little hard to justify the classes on a regular basis. But for now, I'm happy, and I even occasionally do yoga at home with the help of the Wii, or just to stretch out. Most of the other classes I've tried here are hot yoga, and I just can't deal with the heat.

Soooooo....Disney on Ice. Sam and I went with Babysitter Extraordinaire (BE), who thankfully includes navigating around Boston as one of her special skills, so the driving was stress free, once I got to her house (I may have gotten onto the Mass Pike by accident on the way there). Sam was super excited by all the STUFF when we got there, the halls of The Garden were filled with Disney crap that spun around and lit up. He was happy but antsy in the beginning, and a little distracted. So BE got up and got him popcorn and a light-up spinny thing and he seemed better. He got a little antsy again during the intermission and took a while and some french fries with ketchup (and water, poor thing was thirsty from all the salt!) to calm down. But then he really enjoyed the rest of the second half, especially the finale. He stood up and danced and the whole time and then clapped after each number. It was pretty cute and it filled my heart to see him be so happy. The seats (we got special seats for folks with disabilities) were great. Easy in, easy out. It was a good ending to a fun treat for all of us. Poor little guy crashed on the way home after we dropped BE off.

Now I need to give a shout out to my friend BE, because I couldn't have done it without her (and kept my sanity and actually enjoyed myself). She made things so easy and knows us well, as well as GETTING Sam and the autism thing. Plus, she's my adopted girlfriend and I love her. That's why I pay her to be my friend! Hope she is enjoying her much deserved fancy dinner out with her sweetie.

As for the rest of the day, after getting up at 4 with Sam, and then getting out of bed and letting him out at 5, I was exhausted and low-blood sugar hungry. So I chowed and took a nap, thanks to M. Earplugs are a beautiful thing. Now, I am finishing my coffee, getting ready to move onto wine, and to have a fabulous Valentine's pre-dinner (we'll be away and with family tomorrow) with M. He has started cooking and I am pretty turned on by the smell of garlic already. Here's to hoping that my parents actually get on their flight tomorrow (rescheduled from a cancelled flight on Thursday), and that cousins J and M enjoy their rendezvous in Hawaii now that J finally made it out of Guam (cousin M is in the Navy and they are stationed their right now). Reminds me of trying to get out of small towns in Alaska!

P.S. I forgot about THE SWORD. While Sam was having his special day, fantastic Grandparents took The Little Person toy shopping and out to lunch. And he came home with A SWORD! Enough said. NO Wrestle Mania yet, okay Mom and Dad?