Check up!

River saw the doctor she been seeing since she was 2 months old, yesterday for her 4 year well child check. We have been fortunate not to have had many in-between visits over the years, but we make sure to check in with Jeff once a year so he can make sure she's progressing normally and to get her vaccines. I'm to understand that she passed her hearing and eye exams, although she tells me she was shy for the second eye...lol. She is just under 40 lbs. And is a very tall 42.5". I suspect we will run into issues with her always looking older than she is before too long. She's just a healthy, happy four year old and I thank the universe every day for that. Chris tells me Jeff has no worries at all about her verbal skills, as they had a lively conversation about Disneyland. :) Apparently, she was ok for the first shot but cried for the second and her story to me is that she doesn't need anymore shots until she's 11.

Big Step

Today, River decided that even though she is shy, she was going to volunteer for just about everything this morning in her meditation class. I am so proud, but it was also kind of funny watching her sit very shyly in front of everyone. She did a great job showing everyone how to cross their legs. She was also very quiet the whole time! She also volunteered to pass out craft items.

One thing that has been somewhat of a big deal every week is how to deal with our big feelings. For the first two classes, River cried for a long time because they gave her a song book... don't ask me why. I don't think she can even tell you. After the second time, we discussed what she would do if she was offered a song book again. So last week we practiced saying, "no thank you." This week, our new friends joined us and we had a lot of fun sitting next to them. River said, "no thank you." Her friend did the same. My friend and I both took song book. Unexpectedly, the girls stole our song books! Haha. River opened it and showed Suvi the picture in the front and said, "This is a lotus flower." She still wasn't really into the singing, but baby steps!

I think the routine nature of it will be good for her. All of the teachers are licensed so it will also teach her a sense of being in a classroom setting. She is one of the youngest if not the youngest every week, so she's learning by watching older children and how to interact with all different ages. This is all a bonus to the actual meditation practice and lessons being taught. I only wish there were more outdoor activities or moving around, but they can't do it all in 1.5 hours. She is learning skills she will use all her life and that she may not get elsewhere.

Meditation

River initiated mediation tonight. She was very hyper. She was very excited to show daddy her dharma envelope with the conch symbol on it that she had made at Kadampa. We read some of the lessons, the first of which was to thank someone for their help and kindness. She excitedly thanked me for my help and kindness. I thanked her for helping me put oil in my car and doing such a good job being in charge of the dipstick.

Daddy asked her to get a book to read. A really nice woman bought River her first Buddhist story. So they sat down together and she promptly crossed her legs, closed her eyes, put one hand on top of the other and began to calm herself down. We all practiced breathing and becoming very quiet for ten whole seconds! Lol. We talked about many things including beaver tails, trees, where our hearts are in our body, etc.