She likes to move it move it

One of my very best friends, who also happens to be a preschool teacher, gave me some excellent advice in beginning my new venture as a SAHM. She told me to create some structure for our days and to also remain flexible. I nodded in agreement because of course I would be flexible. Addie is still a baby--I have to be willing to abandon my plans at times and just let go. But really, I don't know if I have ever truly known the meaning of the word. According to merriam-webster.com: flexible is characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements. I am so not flexible.

I have always been the anal, organized one in my family. As a child, I couldn't go to sleep unless my room was clean. At work people made fun of me because I got really excited if there was a project that involved color coding. If we deviate from a plan or schedule, I can do it... but my chest gets tight and I have to really try hard to not let it bother me. Yeah, not the most easy going person in the world. However, if there is one BIG lesson I have learned so far in motherhood, it is that my child can bring out parts of me that I never knew were there.

Last week I tried to stick with my preconceived idea of what our schedule should be... Activity/outing in the morning, home by lunch and nap time, then playing in the afternoon. We tried it and it did not work. Addie fell asleep in the car during our mornings out and threw her naps completely off... I tell you if there is one thing in the day we should try not to sacrifice, it is her nap, and not just for my sake. Since I didn't really create a back-up plan, this week we are going with the flow. Gulp. Steady breathing. Yes, the plan this week is we have no plan. (cue Psycho shower scene music)

My hope is that if I can just wait and let Addie's schedule shine through, we will naturally develop a rhythm that will show me the best time to go out and when she needs to be home. So far, this wreckless abandon has allowed for a certain pattern that I actually love and hope we can stick to... My girl loves to dance. For the past few days, usually sometime in the morning, we gravitate to her room where she reaches for the iPod remote. I ask her if she wants me to turn on some music and she enthusiastically nods her head. I turn it on shuffle and the magic begins. She moves her hips and shakes her shoulders and sometimes stomps her feet (my favorite). The best part is getting to see what lights that fire--O.A.R., George Michael, Billie Holiday, The Jackson 5, Beck, Jack Johnson, Dean Martin... Awesome. She especially loves to hold the remote and control when the music starts and stops. Perhaps the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree...