The days are long, but the years are short!

"The days are long, but the years are short." Think about this quote for a minute. Really think about it.
I found this quote in the book, The Happiness Project and it immediately jumped out at me. My days are extremely long with Clark. He has alot of energy, some characterize him as a "spirited child". At first I wasn't sure how to take that statement. But I purchased another book Raising your spirited child and it spelled out exactly how I had been feeling about my chunk.
Clark is full of energy ,intense, persistent, and perceptive. As his mama I have to realize that what we do daily or even minute by minute really affects his overall being. I have learned that big stores such as Stop and Shop are not good places for Clark. There is a huge infusion of sensory imput that he has to try to block out. When we go to Trader Joes he is able to enjoy the process of shopping, however we can not go into the one in Cambridge- because there are too many people. We shop at the one in Hanover and he is wonderful in the store.
After talking to a great friend, who is amazing... a teacher, professor, friend, mother, author, and overall wonderful gal - I felt so good about what I have been doing with Clark. We go for long walks, we head to the park, we run and run and run his little buns off. Like she said, you know your child best and know exactly what he needs.

I have been incorporating a daily schedule with Clark- we have breakfast about 9am. Food is very important with a child that has alot of energy. Clark tends to burn off alot of what he eats, so we have three healthy full meals a day as well as a snack. For example this morning, he had banana yogurt and toast with cream cheese. Water is a big part of the day- sometimes Clark has three baths a day- water tends to soothe him and get him out of any funk he might be in. Next we have time for "structured" movement-- he can bounce on his rody bouncer, we sing "Trot, trot to boston, trot, trot to lynn watch out little Clark you don't fall in" -- then he falls through my lap. We do this several times. At this point Clark now flips over and lands on his feet (with help).
Clark goes out for a daily run and when he comes back- we go to the playground for more free movement. Swinging, climbing and sliding are things that he enjoys. When he arrives back home we have lunch- most days its something quick and always includes fruit. Then Clark will have milk and head in for a nice siesta. Keeping his room cool helps him wind down and sleep. Usually his naps are about 2.5 hours.

Once he wakes up - we head outside on the porch or go for a long walk. Clark loves to see people and watch the world go by. He has been loving feeding the ducks with Na-Na. Cruising the Charles River and watching the boats is a really great way for Clark to be contained( in the carriage) but focus on something in his environment.  We have dinner which is a bigger meal and then Clark gets to play in the tub. After the tub, Clark needs time to wind down - so he plays with his toys and interacts with everyone before bed.
"By recognizing your child's innate need to move and planning for it, you help him direct his energy in a positive way"-- Mary Sheedy Kurcinka . Yes! Yes! Yes!
The schedule I came up with tends to be working for Clark!

In the beginning I was so worried about what people thought about my son and all of his energy,  but even more so I worried about what people thought of me as his mother. We all know that people look down upon people who have children that scream in the stores etc. I know I have... but now I have a different outlook.
From the book, The Happiness Project "One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy". Clark is my first priority -as long as he is happy, then I will continue to adapt my life to make his better. Whether it is something simple like heading to a different store, or prolonging emptying the dishwasher until after bed, Clark comes first.If Clark is happy then I am happy as well!

Together we are making one another happy!
Until next time,
There is only love <3