Simple Joys of the Week, April 21st Edition

Ahhhh...another great week. I said it last week and I'll say it again now: I know that things don't always go so smoothly in life (especially with a baby!), so I'm *really* trying to appreciate these past couple of lovely weeks for what they are.

It's interesting, because I've been writing SJOTW every Friday for over 6 years now, and it has truly made me look at my weeks from both a macro and a micro level in very different ways. Writing this column has obviously taught me how to appreciate the little things SO much more, but it's also taught me how to appreciate the really good weeks as a whole, and even to appreciate the good things that happen during the weeks that aren't as good, which has been a valuable lesson for me. My tendency is to always look towards the future, but SJOTW has helped me learn to look back and to appreciate the present moment a bit more. 

SO, lets get to it! Here are a few things that brought me joy over the past week...

HEAR: Raffi 
Um, parents, how good is Raffi? Non-parents who remember him from childhood: I also remembered him from childhood but had no idea if his music would still hold up and it does! I think it's still some of the best kids' music around; Ben and I are doing a lot more singing of Raffi songs these days than I ever imagined we would--even after Charlie Mae goes to bed at night and we're doing the dishes, we're still singing Raffi together as we work. #thecouplewhosingstogetherstaystogether

SEE: Charlie Mae dancing 
Ladies and gents (mostly ladies, I know), we have a dancer on our hands. A SERIOUS dancer. Charlie Mae loves music and almost the second it comes on, she starts swaying her body and rocking out her go-to dance move, which involves lots of torso movement and not a ton of arms and legs [yet]. It's the best and gets me every time. Also: why we're listening to SO much Raffi and singing so much, as mentioned above ;) 

TASTE: Homemade [raw] applesauce
I can't believe I've never made raw applesauce in our Vitamix before--it's the easiest thing EVER and I had no idea! Here's what you do: peel 4 apples, cut them up, put the pieces in the Vitamix, and then start it at setting #1 and increase to #3 slowly. That's IT!!! Can you believe it!? I made applesauce for Charlie Mae last weekend and when Ben and I tried it, we were annoyed that we haven't been making it for ourselves over the past few years. Delicious!

SMELL: Spring flowers
I have to admit that I haven't actually smelled a ton of floral spring scents wafting around in the air yet, but spring flowers are finally blooming here on the Cape and that's something to appreciate. It makes such a difference when the world bursts into color around you, doesn't it? It just feels like a celebration any time you see a bunch of bright blooms in your line of vision. I know it comes every year, but spring always surprises me with just how special it feels.

TOUCH: Savasana assist in my first studio yoga class in MONTHS (!!!)
Yesterday I took an actual yoga class [taught by another teacher] for the first time in forever. And on Monday when Ben was home from work, I took a barre class! Doing these two things for myself felt incredible and the savasana assist that I received at the end of class yesterday was the icing on top of the cake (thank you, Anna!). I'm still struggling with the guilt that I feel when I go to a class ("I should be working," "I should be with Charlie Mae," etc.), but I was able to let that go by the end of the practice. So good. 

And one more thing: I went on a neighborhood walk with another mom + her baby/baby stroller this week! It was so lovely to meet a fellow mom who lives IN our neighborhood and chat about being a mama on the Cape, and made me realize that I need to make more time to do things like this with other local moms. SUCH a simple joy.

What brought you joy this past week? I hope you can find the time to reflect today.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!