Why can't every day be like Christmas....

why can't this feeling go on.....endlessly.........

I wonder if that's what Elvis was thinking as he sat on that toilet in August 1977. Ha!

I'm getting ready for the big day....all shopping is done, and a few presents are wrapped and under the tree...school is out.....meals are planned and I only have a few things to pick up on Sunday morning at the grocery....cards are sent....and housecleaning has begun. I started dusting and polishing tonight. I have to finish that tomorrow, then clean the kitchen. I may also do a little bit of baking tomorrow - either another batch of almond roca, or a batch of congo bars, or both. Saturday I vacuum downstairs and mop - that in itself will take half the day. I'll also vacuum upstairs. Then I wrap more presents on Saturday afternoon/evening. Sunday I clean bathrooms, strip and change the beds, do some meal prep for Christmas eve meal/Christmas morning breakfast and dinner. I don't have a whole lot of prep to do, but I do want to get my Christmas dishes down, make sure stuff is ready to be set out, etc.

I got to yoga last Sunday and yesterday and that's probably it until one night next week. I could have gone tonight, but attendance at the studio is really down, and I like the collective energy of a full class. The hot 75 yesterday morning (which was actually more like a hot 95) only had four people, and it's usually well attended. It was kind of like a semi-private lesson with lots of adjustments. It was a difficult class because I was trying to follow the teacher's pointers, and some poses we held longer than others while she worked with us. The floor series she kind of blew through because we were running so far behind. Instead of the regular Bikram situp, we did some Pilates-style situps and I was pleasantly suprised to feel the strength I've gained in my abs and in my sides and middle back.

This class, though, made me see how much more work I have to do right here where I am.

My left knee felt really unstable yesterday and my balance on the left leg was really bad. I couldn't fully lock it, so I kept it just a bit soft during balancing poses, and I kept having to compensate. Today my knee hasn't bothered me a bit. Why does this joint pain come and go? Why can't it go on a day when I'm practicing?

I signed the boys up for the Winter series of Yogakids - one on Monday and one on Thursday - and I mentioned to Debbie how much I wished I could sign up for the "intro to Ashtanga" series starting in January on Tuesday nights. She has not had enough people sign up yet to say for sure it will take place, but she said she'd let me take it on a drop-in basis.

I have started doing some backbending at home, on days that I don't practice. I almost always do the first part of half-moon, because the stretch feels so good. After I do that a few times, I put my hands in namaskar and slowly backbend, going as far as I can depending on how warm I am. I can go a lot further with my hands in namaskar than I can with my arms up as in the second part of half-moon. And backbending, which I used to despise, feels sooooo good. I get such a rush of energy afterward.

Today Lee went on a field trip with Will's class to a jumper/inflatables place. Afterward, he said that he thought we needed to cut Will some slack at home, because his class is so highly structured. His teacher is nice, and warm, and loving, but very structured. Knowing that made me feel more tolerant of him, though the amount of noise he generates is still bothersome.

Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to walk. The boys are going to write short letters to Santa, then we are going to walk to the post office and drop them in the "santa letter" box. After that, I'm not sure what we're going to do. If the weather is bad and it looks like Lee will be in the office until close to five, we will go see "Happy Feet".

Speaking of movies, we watched a trailer for "Order of the Phoenix" online today. Oooh, it gave me chills. I can't wait! I just finished listening to the audiobook and it is on my mind.