Leo turns ONE

Enjoying his chocolate ice cream!

From now on, each year with winter solstice will also come the celebration of Leo's entrance into our world... it's quite a remarkable correlation and an 'exciting' birth story. Since his birthday also falls very close to Christmas, an event we celebrate with abundance in our home, I am committed to ensuring that he always feels that we mark the special moment that is his birthday during this often very busy time of year. So, despite preparing for our family vacation to Canada and the busy-ness of work (currently photography and yoga) this time of year, we still decided to plan a little party in Leo's name just before we left... being that his birth was in Colombia, it seemed appropriate to mark his 1st birthday cheer here also. We tried to keep it small (which is always hard for me) in part because we did not want to overwhelm Leo (and the girls), and in part because both girls, Leo and I all got sick for the two weeks prior to our departure. Never a dull moment...

We managed to bring together a small circle of cherished friends to honour our little man with their presence. I baked a zucchini cake (two, in fact... you will read why) with no icing (i know, i'm so boring). I made some food (sadly no photo of the spread... i always forget that). The kids ran around our apartment and the adults got to share some 'interrupted' conversations, yummy dips & things, and steaming mulled wine (yummy... my first batch and i loved it... i think it cured my cold). For the cake we all sang (in English, in Spanish, and of course in Polish too) as Leo sat proudly in his high chair, blew out his candle (with a little help from his big sisters) and then got to have one of the cakes all too himself. I had to reassure the shocked faces looking at me that there was another cake to share with all the guests... this one was just for Leo.

As each guest left we shared a blue crystal that they could hang in their windows to bring light into their homes and in doing so to let the light of our world grow more brightly for the future (and present moment) of all our children. All in all, it was a lovely afternoon... and very low-key for Colombia, so much so that I actually had one of the young guests (she is four) ask me when the party was starting (meaning: when are the animators coming to make animal balloons, where is the jumpy house, when is the puppet show, when does the face-painting start... birthday parties in South America are huge). Though by the end she too was having a great time and most of the kids did not want to leave as they were having so much fun.

Of course, we also marked Leo's actual birthday on December 22nd in Morin Heights, QC, Canada... in the home that Joshua celebrated his first birthday. This second event was even quieter bringing together two of Joshua's brothers, Joshua's parents, and a dear family friend, Rhonda, to share some cake (gingerbread baked by Mallory... delicious).

Make a wish Leo

Sadly, Leo himself was not in the happiest state of mind. We had just flown in the night before... it was the first time Leo was experiencing snow, cold, and his first flight ever to boot!! The flight went well, other than the landing in Montreal where the plane decompressed too quickly and Leo got massive pressure in his ears... we actually feared an ear infection, but were happily helped by a local (and truly gifted!!!) Osteopath who was able to help release the pressure and bring our happy guy back to his normal, happy, easy-going self. And from here, our adventures in Canada began... but I'll save that update for the next post.

Big Sister Anaïs 

Big Sister Isabel

A very unhappy Leo... so rare, i had to post!

A much happier Leo opening his birthday presents from Nana the next morning... sweet, sweet bunny hugs

Catching raindrops...

Catching raindrops

Today we enjoyed our 3rd Annual Kramer Marshmallow Roast and Crafts morning. It was the Day of the Immaculate Conception, and so a national holiday here in Colombia. However, the embassy does not follow the Colombian holiday schedule (too bad, as there are about 25 Colombian holidays throughout the year!!), and so I was solo with the three kids. Thankfully, there were lots of helping hands, and we all managed to have a great time.
The weather was, well, typical for Colombia... some sun, some rain, and a lot of unpredictability. Despite the clouds and sprinkles from the sky, the roast and crafts went on. Isabel and Anaïs made beautiful pine cones sprinkled with glitter for our tree, and roasted marshmallows to make s'mores (two graham crackers filled with chocolate and roasted, melting marshmallow). Isabel devoured hers, and then quickly ate Anaïs's, after Anaïs decided that the roasted marshmallow leaking out from the cracker was just too messy (wonder where she gets that from?!?).
Rather than hiding from the rain, the kids and I decided to enjoy the sprinkles from above singing one of our favourite tunes...

If all of the raindrops were jelly beans and gumdrops, oh what a rain that would be. I'd go stand outside with my mouth open wide singing "ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah..."

Sure beats 'rain rain go away' when you are living in rainy season here in Bogotá. A dear friend caught a photo... and since it's a rare one of me in front of the camera (rather than behind it taking pictures of everyone else) I wanted to share!!

 

Día de las Velitas

Our five little candles... the first to light up in the early evening!!!!!

The Day of the Little Candles is officially celebrated on the eve of the Day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th). It is one of the most observed traditional holidays here in Colombia. As the sun goes down on December 7th, people place candles and paper lanterns on their windows, balconies, porches, sidewalks, parks and local squares. We took a walk down to the square next to Hacienda Santa Barbara to light five candles... one for each member of our little family. As we lit each candle, each of us set an intention for something positive on earth... in our home, in our world.

Traditionally, the candles are lit to honour the Virgin Mary and in particular her immaculate conception of Jesus Christ. As some of you might know, Colombia is extremely religious, and dominantly Catholic. The celebration of the Day of the Candles dates back to December 8, 1854 when Pope Pius IX published a constitution that marked the Immaculate Conception as dogma in the Catholic faith. In anticipation of this announcement, people showed their support and faith by lighting candles and paper lanterns.

Colombia is one of the few places in the world that continues to observe this tradition. And while the customs vary slightly in different parts of the country, it is a very big deal all over the country
In Bogotá, this is the day that begins the full expression of Christmas decorations and families make plans to walk the streets all over the city to enjoy the beautiful lights and light their own candles. On the coast, the lighting of the candles and lanterns takes place in the early hours of December 8th, just before sunrise, instead of the night before. In Cali, the Cali River is illuminated for the season and people walk in almost a pilgrimage along the river. All over the country, this day brings families together to celebrate with food, drinks and lights.

One of the most interesting things about celebrating the festival of lights here, is that it has afforded me the opportunity to learn more about the day of the immaculate conception. I had always been under the false impression that December 8th marked the day of the 'actual immaculate conceptuon'. Meanwhile, it simply marks the day it became dogma in the eyes of the church. Certainly makes much more sense than a 3-week pregnancy!!!

Breath of Joy: Energize, Uplift and Cleanse

You give me joy, joy, joy, joy, joy!

There is something magical about December 1st. Somehow it is the start of a new season, a turning of the page, a permission to immerse head first into the spirit of the season. Whether celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Light... there is a magic to this time of year that cannot be denied. I see it in the eyes of my children... they are full of excitement, and there doesn't even seem to be a reason for the excitement, it is just there. As I embrace the joy, there is only one pose that I can think of to inspire even more joy, as well as to help put to rest any 'stress of the season' that might sneak up from behind. The breath of joy is a fantastic yoga breathing exercise (pranayama) that has the power to energize, uplift and cleanse mind, body and soul. It uses rhythmic body motion (coordinating arm movements with your breath) to facilitate deeper, fuller breathing. The motion in the arms helps to fill all areas of the lungs (lower, middle and upper) with fresh oxygen and charges the entire with energy.

It is undoubtedly one of my favourite 'poses'/breathing exercises. It is also one you can do anytime, and I was hazard to say anywhere (so long as you can find a little space of your own away from all the action). I still remember (in my past life when I worked crazy hours and spent my days immersed in the corporate world of strategic planning and organizational restructuring) sneaking into my office, closing the door and taking a pause with a few breaths of joy... the effect was amazing. No matter what was waiting for me on the other side of the door, I was renewed with energy and courage.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It is about learning to dance in the rain!" ~ Anonymous

Taking position...
Stand with your feet hip width apart with a gentle bend in your knees. The inhalation is done in three parts, followed by a strong hara breath exhalation. Each part of the inhale corresponds to a movement of the arms. Make sure that it is one inhalation and try to avoid inserting a small exhale at the end of each part of the inhale.
Inhale through the nose and gently swing your arms up in front of you to shoulder height (parallel to the floor). Continue to the second part of the inhalation while swinging the arms open to the sides, opening in your heart center (making a T-formation). Feel your shoulder blades come together in the back as your chest opens in the front. On the third inhalation, swing your arms up overhead, fingers to the sky.
As you exhale, swing the arms towards the ground allowing your torso to fold forward as you let out a 'HA' sound.
Start of slowly to find a rhythm that is appropriate for you.
The breath is: in, in, in, out.
The corresponding arm movements are: front, side, up, down.
Repeat five to eleven times. At the end of the final exhalation, allow your upper body to hang down in rag doll... releasing and observing the effect of this breathing technique. When you are ready, slowly begin to roll up. Try to take a few full breaths to come up to standing stacking one vertabra on top of the other. Roll your shoulders back, bring your gaze forward and either: get ready to face the next moment in your day, or continue with some light stretching (e.g. half-moon stretches lifting your arms up and extending to the side).

Benefits...
The use of the arms with the inhalation encourages deep and full breathing infusing the body with fresh oxygen. The first inhalation (arms forward) encourages breathing into the diaphragm. The second inhalation (arms to the sides) encourages thoracic breathing. The third inhalation (arms up) encourages clavicular breathing. Then the deep and complete exhale at the end helps to detoxify the body (via the respiratory system) and get rid of any stale air that builds up in the lungs.
The pose naturally energizes the entire body, strengthens the arms and shoulders and it will, no doubt, make you smile!!

Taking care...
There are not too many reasons to hold you back from doing this pose, but I will note a few precautions for your personal awareness. Since the head falls below the heart for the exhale, you may feel lightheaded. This is not a major concern. Just take a moment to relax and find your natural breath again. If you need to, come down to the floor and relax in child's pose. However, if you have low blood pressure, practice slowly and go less deeply into the bend on the final exhalation. The one caution I will suggest is that this breathing technique is not recommended for anyone with untreated high blood pressure or injuries of the head (including severe migraines or glaucoma). It is important to keep your knees bent to protect your lower back against the slight bounce as you move through this rapid and dynamic breath. If you have lower back issues, go at a slower, gentler pace. As always, listen to your body and go only to your own personal edge.

This is one of my favourite yoga exercises as it encourages better breathing, engages the entire body, and always leaves me feeling lighter. With the holiday season, this is also a great breathing technique to release anxiety... take a moment to escape and return with less stress and ready to have fun. It's also one of the most fun exercises to do with the kids... as they are eager to move around and have no inhibitions being loud (even in yoga class, which really does not always have to be quiet). Whenever we do this pose at home we usually end up laughing on the floor (now that's reason to celebrate)!
Have fun, let go of your inhibitions and enjoy the smile on your face (not to mention the stretch for your body).

Have fun creating joy... from the inside out!!!!! There is incredible power in simply carving out a little space in your life for moments of joy.