The start of 2015 has been all about embracing the moment. It took my 3 year old to reteach me the importance of that again.
It was having him give one of his (make me go nuts) tantrums that made me stop and try to embrace this challenging time having young children at home. The time where you feel lonely, defeated, constantly tired and walking around like a zombie- like you shouldn't be in public... but you are.
A time when the days seem longer but the years go by far too fast. And then you blink and your children are gone all day at school or off to college and you wish they were right back home again with you all day.
The boys and I were driving down the highway last week, heading to Target in Ventura. We stopped to get a coffee and bagel along the way. When Chase finished his bagel his hands and face were covered with cream cheese so I pulled off at the next exit to clean him up. We were on a bit of a schedule, heading there to be there in time for the baby to be fed and home before naps. We happened to stop at the bird refuge near Coast Village Rd. and boy was Chase excited when he saw all the birds swimming around the pond! As I was cleaning him up he kept saying "no mama, lets go!" I thought he meant to Target and as I got in the drivers seat he began to cry saying again "no mama, lets go!" and pointed to the birds and pond. I realized schedules can change, embrace this fun opportunity for random fun! Surely we can take a moment to get out of the car and enjoy the nature we landed upon on our journey to Ventura.
That moment is my favorite part of 2015 so far. We just hugged each other watching the birds flutter and swim around catching fish while Curren slept in the car. It was one of those moments you think you are too "busy for", "it will mess up our schedule", "we don't have time" to "stop and smell the roses". Children are amazing how much they can teach us.
That moment made all the tantrums seem to disappear from my mind, and was replaced with overwhelming gratitude to have this time to be with young children. It's hard and challenging but they remind us of some of the important things in life. Like stopping and playing and laughing and loving.
When we got home from our adventures that afternoon we made a Basic Granola Recipe together. Granola is so much better homemade & you can throw in whatever dried fruit, nuts and chocolate combination you like. It is healthy and only takes about 30 minutes to create. Well worth the wait slightly warm and topped with yogurt, fruit and a bit of honey!
Easy Basic Granola Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup unsalted cashew pieces
- ¾ cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ cup agave syrup
- ⅓ cup dried fruit - I used cranberries
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Toss oats, cashews, and almonds, into a large bowl. Mix in agave syrup, dash of salt, coconut oil and olive oil until dry ingredients are fully coated. Bake until golden brown about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the ends do not burn. Once out of the oven, immediately stir in dried fruit. Or let cool then add chocolate chips.
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