These days, I can only get my toddler to nap in the pram. We used to have such a solid schedule, oh my! I would drop off my older daughter, then my little one would fall asleep in the pram back like clockwork in the morning, and the afternoon would be a solid nap in the bedroom. Done and dusted. So predictable.
Enter… toddlerhood! Ready to flip your world on its head, M*#&*#&(&#)!!!
(Not that my angelic cherub would ever think such a thing… but this really is the feeling sometimes)
And so, I walk. I find myself walking in the beautiful autumnal sunshine that we in Melbourne are so lucky to be blessed with. A fresh day, with a crisp air and yet a blue sky? To die for. Perfection! In the same breath, the weather may do a little switcheroo on me (also very Melbourne), and I find myself enjoying an outdoor shower, whilst walking my baby/toddler. I sometimes feel like Dory… just keep swimming walking.
And so I go. To be honest, while I miss my super relaxing, horizontal time of the day where I could often nap myself, I am enjoying this walking schedule. In all honesty, this is what has allowed me to write these blog posts recently. No, I don’t sleep enough, but hey, I can type! And actually think in a quiet house. It’s funny, these are the things I get excited about these days. And rightfully so!
I’ve been using our local library service a lot lately, as my older daughter is an avid reader. AVID, I tell you. We /she ploughed through Anh Do’s Hot Dog series, and I found I couldn’t keep reserving and borrowing them fast enough. They are done and dusted, and oh how she loved them! So of course, I took it upon myself to thoroughly research the Next Best Thing to the Hot Dog books, and find myself at the library multiple times a week. We no longer just have a section in the reserves shelf; nay, we have a basket, on the floor, full to the brim with a range of beautiful books.
I thought of this because I recently saw a book called Walk had been newly released, and you bet your a I’ve reserved it. Add it to the basket! I say. And while I literally have not researched anything about this (because I was too busy scouring the ‘net for my 5-year-old’s next read, duh!), it apparently seems to be all about the benefits of walking. As in, humans are meant to walk. And you wouldn’t believe how many holds this book has.
It’s funny how we seem to let go of the little things, in our quest for the “big” things. Walking, breathing, eating, connecting. The basics suddenly become so… complex. But watching children grow up, especially newborns with all their respective reflexes and will to not only survive, but to continually advance and develop, makes this fact a little more sobering. Why don’t we know how to breath? Why don’t we just walk?
For me, I’ve realised over the years that expressing myself through this here blog actually keeps my mental health in check. It’s saved me, y’all! And that’s why I’ve kept it up, on and off, slowly but surely, for over a decade. I just can’t quit it! And it’s because, to me, that insatiable need to purge myself of my innermost thought onto the internet for all to read seems to be what keeps me happy and sane. And so it goes!
Now that I’m walking again pretty regularly, I guess breathing is next on the list. How much of dysregulation as a parent comes down to shallow, improper breathing, I wonder? I’ll report back and let you know!
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