Less Phones More Nature

Recently I announced to the kids that this was going to be the summer of meditation and smoothies. Less junk more veggies. Less phones more nature. I told them I was determined to find shakes they loved with spinach in them and that if it meant trying a million different recipes I would do it. I told them together we would learn to meditate and calm ourselves in this hectic, fast-paced world. I told them we would work on focusing on our breathing and that it would all help them when they grew up and even before tests in school. By August, I told them concluding my fiery speech, we would be totally zenned out and healthy and ready for the rest of our lives!

The older kids rolled their eyes and groaned. The younger kids ignored me because they had stopped listening long before my fiery conclusion.  

Even though they all think I'm slightly (or majorly in some cases) annoying, it's my job to teach them life skills. And dammit having recipes with more vegetables and fruit and knowing how to calm yourself is freaking huge. Right?! Well I can tell you from experience they are hugely important because these are life skills I do not have and I desperately need.

So, whether they like it or not, this IS the summer of meditation and smoothies! 

This is our first week of summer vacation. It has already been busy and full of camps and friends and sleepovers and football conditioning (what?! yes) and staying up late and movies and more. Yesterday we went to pick strawberries. It's the first time we have gone since JT broke his arm berry picking (story here, remember?). He elected not to go so we went while he was at basketball camp.  It was a beautiful day. It was relaxing. No one fought. No one had their phones out. It was our first attempt at/version of meditation.

I want the kids to understand that meditation and finding ways to be calm isn't always about chanting and doing a formal meditation. I want them to know going outside and taking care of nature and being phoneless and quiet is a form of mediation--it is mindful and deliberate.

So together we will learn and we will be healthier and happier...at least we will try. Happy Summer!

I had to remind Wade that even though he picked those strawberries we were going to dump into a collective strawberry bowl and share. He wasn't too thrilled.

Making Strawberry Shortcake for dessert last night helped Wade get over his not so share-y feelings.