Family Yoga Class

Noah and I went to a Family Yoga class at the library. It was fun to be a student with Noah. I liked how we didn't actually do too much. What I mean by that is it helped me realize you don't have to put too much stuff into a class even though it is an hour long.

The classes I taught yesterday at the after school program were much more enjoyable for the kids (even the "bad" ones) because of this same strategy. We did one game and then broke into groups, sword fighting and lion dance. They learned like one move in lion dance and that was it.

Actually the younger kids got through more stiff even though their class was only 30 minutes and the older kids had an hour.

Anyway, back to the Yoga class. It's good that Noah and I can do this and follow a teacher that is someone else. It is nice not to be the leader and let me think about my own stuff instead of worrying about the pace of the class etc. It's also nice to be doing something where I don't care if Noah is "doing it right."

It was also good to be around a group of people who wanted to do a class, and wanted to follow the teacher and be together and to Yoga.

I have been using Yoga stretches drawn from various Kung Fu forms and using them as a break in between basics, and I realized how differently I would do a Yoga pose than other people.

I really noticed it Yesterday when I saw Jonah doing poses. His Yoga poses have GUNG. Even though he likes Yoga I knew he would not be ready for someone else's class. So I didn't bring him today.

But then when I saw how the teacher did the poses it reinforced how different I (or even Jonah) does a pose. Our poses look a lot more like Kung Fu. Even though the pose is a Yoga pose.

I also noticed how differently my version of the Sun Sequence (sun salutation) really is, even if it is the same thing. Because of putting it in the context of Tian Gong Kuen. But of course out of respect for the teacher I did it her way. I just have more confidence in the routine that I have been doing with Noah. (basics with Sun and Moon Sequence in between for breathing and rest)  I am confident that this sequence is not only fun and good for us, but can stand on it's own as a Yogic Kung Fu regimen that is it's own thing. Before I thought it would look like not Kung Fu and Not Yoga. But actually its is a Tibetan White Crane Martial Kung Fu Yoga of it's own.

The next project

I thought the next books I was working on would be easier because they would be mostly pictures. But what I have found is that the pictures are the hardest part. I'm not even trying to create works of art here,. I'm still just sketching and somehow that sketching just makes me tired. When i drew as I child I guess I wasn't so precise about how my drawing looked. But Now I have like a goal. My books are going to show techniques and how to do them. Why is that so hard? Actually it's not.

Even the story telling with the stories seems hard. I'm going to let my kids color and help with the drawings too. So I thought that would make it easier. But they get tired too. The worst part is, I had this Lion Dance book in mind. But what happened? This other book which I meant to put on the back burner keeps bothering me. It keeps coming to the surface, and I can't even decide which one to work on first. It's derailing me, and yeah my little novel is not out on Kindle Direct yet.

I guess I am just becoming impatient. Grace wanted to do a quick read through and help me with the putting it up online part. I did notice that she was able to just choose the better cover and the better format immediately where I kept going back and forth and all that. So if she wants to handle it, that actually is better. She's just better at it.

She said I should just move on to the next project while she handles that.

But I am not focused in my net project.

So which should be next. Lion Dance or Kung Fu?

Milk Carton Boat

Noah had been bothering me about making a toy boat. So I finally helped him stick a take out chopstick through a milk carton and a black construction paper triangle for a sail. The thing is, he brought it to school yesterday, and on the way home he sailed it through the snow. He sailed it around the house and had it battle enemies. He took it to bed last night and wanted to bring it to school again. I didn't care yesterday because I figure if he lost it, it's trash anyway. In fact the only reason why we were able to bring it home was because I had to go back inside to get his snow pants.
But somehow, this milk carton which still really really looks like a milk carton, has become something special. His favorite toy. It made me wonder why we buy toys at all.

He tried to have me put the carton away and have him earn it like the other prizes in the closet waiting for him to get in return for points. He valued the milk carton at 40 points. I think the star wars comic book Jedi Academy, and also the Darth Vader and son were 25 points and 40 points respectively. In other words, he values this milk carton, which was going in the recycling at a very high amount of points.

Well we kept it home today and will continue to work on it. It has a little border and we will add people to it today.

SHows that are Guilty Pleasures

I was feeling a little bored today. I needed something to distract me from life I guess. So I subjected Jonah to one of my guilty pleasures. Downton Abbey. This had the up side of putting him right to sleep. I noticed though the preview had a seen that wasn't in the episode. I guess they have to do that now. Plus the pictures made it look like they were going to have Tom and Mary have some sort of fling which would upset the whole family, which would be stupid. No instead they managed to keep the whole thing, not stupid, and funny. 

How long are they going to have this show go until? Until WWII? How old would these characters be now? Are they aging as fast onscreen as they would be in real life?

Well watching the show their is really nothing much to talk about in terms of a recap. It's just that it is so satisfying to watch. And now I want more, even though it's the 5th season. 

Grace missed her show on Sunday. Her guilty pleasure is that Madame Secretary. And I guess my other show that I care about is Legends. Which is totally stupid but still satisfying. 

It's weird how I like the one show because it's stupid and the other one because it's not. 

Sunday rituals

I went to church in the morning. I left before communion, which I can't receive anyway. But I noticed that most people who do the Church thing in an in and out manner try to come just for communion. I actually found what Fr. Shen helpful. It was about giving the soul a rest etc.  Also they had the First Noel to sing a long, which I actually like, so i enjoyed that. I bought my Chinese Veggies and then off to a lion dance it was for me. Interestingly I brought the wrong uniform. I brought Noah's. I can't believe it actually sort of fit in a weird way, but I ended up getting an extra adult one anyway. I ending up being the head so it was a good thing I decided to go that route.

Jonah's eye is looking much better.

We wound down with one of Grace's Juice's full of tumeric and vegetables, and watched Star wars Rebels (a CGI TV show.) Noah is really into Star Wars Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown. It's making me get really into Star Wars myself. I'm glad they have these Lego and other versions because the old movies were good for their time, but I don't think they are as entertaining now. It's really the ideas in these stories that are great.

Eye problem

Well, the doctor thought that Jonah's eye probably was MRSA. She took a culture from his nose but said that would only prove it is MRSA but if it is negative it won't prove it's not. We got the medicine. Grace will have to administer it. I can't do it. In fact it's hard for me to look at Jonah. I get all depressed, but they said it's actually not that big a deal. Well I guess I should cancel my classes this week huh? I'm sure other patents would appreciate me not bringing Jonah near them. We will administer medication.... but hopefully it really was just a bug bite. Unlikely though.

New Year's Resolutions

My New Year's resolutions are, 1) to be healthier in terms of my food and my physical and emotional habits.

Basically this meant to be mostly vegan, and maybe instead of being a Kung Fu guy that does some meditation, to be a meditation guy, even a Yoga guy, that is all weird and drinks juices and stuff like that, who does some Kung Fu. Of course that didn't even last the whole day yesterday as Grace had a craving for and ordered American Chinese Food. (You know the greasy meats on sticks type of stuff.)

This morning for my little work out, instead of the Yoga I've been doing (with some Kung Fu mixed in there) I created my own little sequence based on the Tiger and the Crane. That will be another book I think. Right after I publish this own fully, and then there is another little sequence book I am working on too.

Oh yeah, I have to self publish that Kung Fu and Love book fast. My other ideas that are useful to me are bubbling to the surface constantly now.

In terms of my physical and emotional habits, basically my workouts should be about being healthy and not punching people in the face or injuring myself. Nor should it be about getting jacked or body image. Just health. Hence a shift towards Yoga Chi Gung type of stuff.

2) Learn to drive.

3) Which is last but not least, Love my children in the moment as much as possible, which is sort of one but more specific.

Jonah has this weird thing on his eye btw. I really hope it is just a bug bite.