Realism

It is Friday evening - 8:20. Kids in bed, hubby out of town and I told myself I would watch a movie or a show. I use to live for movies. I think because I go to bed so early that when it comes right down to it, it simply gets to be too late. I can't remember if I already blogged about this, but a yoga teacher, Max Strom, said to watch the news once a week. I use to watch the Today show every morning. When you tune out, you get to the point where you can't even tune in - not even for 5 minutes. It is so depressing. I don't feel like I am missing out. Really, the only thing that I ever really followed were the human interest stories anyways. Maybe I pretended to tune in to the latest political outrage, but in reality, I didn't. Even now, I ALWAYS flip to the very last pages of the Time magazine - the human interest section - the movies, books, etc. I think I already consciously know there aren't a ton of good movies out there that I am missing. I LOVE a good movie, but how often does that happen? Like the news, if it doesn't capture the human experience (in a positive light), I am out. I would rather read my book (except I fall asleep). So sad.

I saw a fantastic movie a few weeks ago - Mother and Child. So wonderfully acted, so beautifully told. Annette Bening and Naomi Watts are the adoptive mother and daughter who never meet and spend a solid portion of their lives mourning the loss. It was so.....real. Does that make me a realist? In fact, pre-kids I would thrive on those dark, depressing, intense films that just dove right into the harsh reality of life. I am not much of an escapist - seldom do I really like a mindless chick flick, but the problem is I can no longer watch many of the art films, so maybe that is why when it comes down to it, I don't watch many movies. Then again, maybe I just know our routine - early risers and busy days. A realist.

We were in San Diego over the 4th. My sis in law went all out - she was such a gracious hostess and stocked the house with lots of food and beer - and just went with the flow as we overran her newly remodeled beautiful, modern home. My niece and nephew have to be two of the nicest kids I have ever been around. I am not saying that as their aunt, I am saying that as an admirer of good parenting. They are a direct product of amazing parents - loving, involved, dedicated, and above all else CONSISTENT. I have been floundering in the consistency department this summer - (gonna get right back on that tomorrow). My sis in law took it even a notch higher than food and beer and scheduled a private yoga lesson on the bluff overlooking La Jolla (fabulous). We spent a day at the beach, eating, drinking, talking, FRYING ourselves and laughing at Jeff who said he got stung by a sting ray (he did). We spent a looong day at the zoo, adults drinking margaritas, kids just powering though - animal after animal - (the difference between traveling with 4 year olds as opposed to 3 year olds, is mind-boggling). We hung out at a neighborhood block party and just rocked out to my brother's band ( WTF? Seriously. How can one sibling get all of the talent? No offense to my younger brother - we certainly have our strengths, but playing in a rock band and leading trauma surgeons are not among them...where does that talent come from?? Why wasn't it more equally distributed?) We watched fireworks from their deck and the kids spent endless hours in the hot tub and pool. My other sis in law and I snuck out to Nordstrom Rack and went on a manic shopping spree ( I actually might have drooled at one point...oh the things I miss and didn't even know it, namely, FASHION.) We were gaga. We unknowingly drug our kids on the the Journey to Atlantis water "slide" at Sea World and it is debatable who clung to whom harder - Mommy or Ivy (it was just awful...had I known...but they actually ended up loving it...it is really only me with the lasting trauma), we ate authentic Indian food from two generations of Indian cooks after graciously being invited (all 13 of us) to a friend's ultra-modern, ultra-cool home overlooking Pacific Beach (such lovely hosts....you know if you are immediately comfortable in a home straight out of Architectural Digest it is the sign of gifted hosts). We ate, drank, slept like queens and kings - one night I slept 10 hours (freakin' TEN hours - not sure I have ever really slept ten hours) and didn't think about yoga once. It was a true vacation.

And best of all, I left overwhelmed with gratitude for my siblings and their families. At the end of the day - family is it. It just is. Realism.