Day... (Lord only knows!): I'm Back!

Hello, Dear Readers!  You might remember me?  I'm the woman who used to write a daily blog about novel experiences?  Well, I'm back and ready to get back in the game.

You may have wondered what happened to me? Did my computer spontaneously combust?  Did my tequila shot experience lead me down the path of raging alcoholism?   Did I fall off the novelty band wagon? Did the novelty of this experiment wear off?  The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "No!"  I'm very happy to report that the Novel Experience Experiment is alive and well, despite the lack of blog postings.  What did, in fact, happen since my last posting was that I became buried by the depth and breadth of my novel experiences. 

As a result, Dear Readers, I've learned some important novelty-related lessons.  First and foremost, too much novelty can be ungrounding.  Since my last blog post, I have faced the following changes/novel experiences:

1.  Ended my maternity leave and returned to my private psychotherapy practice

2.  Started a new business with two colleagues

3.  Put my home on the market

4.  Searched, and searched, and searched for a new home

5.  Had a cancer scare

6.  Watched my daughter develop new skills at break-neck speed

Each of these situations has provided me with a plethora of novel experiences.  Each of these situations has also had the potential of transforming the very fabric of my day to day existence, which, at times, has put me on Novel Experience Overload.  While I have had some very fun novel experiences since my last posting, a good number of these experiences have been stressful.

Add in the fact that my daughter finally, (FINALLY!!!), started falling asleep around the same time as my son, my late night blogging was replaced with luxurious and much needed hours of sleep.  And, as I became more and more overwhelmed by the novelty in my life, I had less and less motivation to spend my free time writing about it, and increasing amounts of motivation to SLEEP.

When Season 1 of Glee was added to Netflix's streaming offerings, I was pushed completely over the edge.  The sweet escapism was too much for me to resist!  Forty-four episodes of Glee later, (and a novel experience with a roku player and Hulu Plus), and I'm finally back.  Realistically, writing a blog posting a day just isn't going to happen.  My little life is now far too hectic for that kind of pace!  However, I have missed my blog and I want to reconnect.  So I think I can commit to one blog posting a week.  My new-found Arrested Development addiction will have to take a back seat.

So, hello again!  And I'll talk with you again real soon!  Promise!

Day Fifty-One: Tequila...

Perhaps I am strange...  But I find that I am ever so slightly embarrassed about today's novel experience.  My embarrassment spans multiple levels.  First, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that today's experience was novel! I guess I am somewhat afraid that you, dear reader, will wrongly assume that I have lived under some sort of repressed rock.

However, at the same time, I am a little embarrassed that in this uber responsible, mother of two children, business woman/professional, older than dirt stage of life, I was taking part in these shenanigans!  OK.  Truth time...  I guess my embarrassment is not so much that I took part, as much as that I am about to admit to it publicly!  But here goes...

For today's novel experience I did a tequila shot!  I am not sure how I made it through college having completely avoided this rite of passage, but I did.  It's not that I didn't drink socially when I was younger, it's just that I'm not really the shot type.  I'd much rather savor a nice glass of wine or enjoy a frilly, girlie drink than pound back the hard stuff.  And, truth be told, the whole ritual just seemed too damn complicated for me.  And then, as I aged, it seemed less and less appropriate to try it...

But, when discussing novel experience possibilities with a group of close friends, it was brought to their attention that I had never done a tequila shot.  And then, unbeknownst to me, the secret planning began.  And then next thing I knew, I was standing before a shot glass, salt shaker, and lemon being coached on when and what to lick and suck by my husband and some of my closest friends.  

Now alcohol and novelty seekers have a conflicted relationship to say the least.  In my research, I've come across articles stating that novelty seekers are especially prone to alcoholism, particularly if they are at all sugar sensitive.  I think it is probably clear to you from my multiple dessert related posts, dear reader, that I am both.  Thankfully, while I will enjoy a drink from time to time, I've somehow avoided this pitfall.  But it is worth mentioning here, that the relationship between drinking and novelty seeking has been explored and it isn't pretty!

So the verdict...  I think I would chalk the actual experience up to "been there, done that."  My life has not been profoundly changed for having had a tequila shot and (thankfully) I have not become inspired to partake in this activity everyday!  At the same time, if it hadn't been for this experiment I probably never would have had this experience as I had previously determined that my window of opportunity had closed.  In a sense, this experiment opened the window and gave me an excuse to revisit my (lost) youth.  And, in a strange way, I'm very glad for this.  I had let the psychological confines of my age limit what I perceived as my opportunities.  The phrase, "I'm too old" had snuck into my vocabulary.  And every time I had this thought, I found these false limitations to be incredibly depressing.  

So, tequila shot, thank you for stopping me from limiting myself due to my age.   As silly as this experience was, a profound lesson was learned, and I will be taking this one with me for a long time to come!

Day Fifty: My Completely and Totally Failed Attempt at Growing Sugar Crystals...

The title really says it all, here...  Not only was this an attempt at a novel experience, but it was a novel experience as it is my first, utter and complete, failure.  

I first was inspired to try this project after doing a Google search for projects that use Borax.  (Don't ask...  and anyway, I am sure you will find out why soon enough!)  From this search I learned that you can grow crystals with Borax!  I thought that this would be a really cool novel experience to do with Liam...  Until I did further research and discovered that Borax is toxic!  However, at this point it was too late.  I was fixated and dead set on finding a way to try to grow (non-toxic) crystals!

I then learned that you can do, (more or less), the same process with salt or sugar.  Being the little sugar addict that I am, the decision was clear!  So I boiled my water, saturated it with sugar, and immersed my eyelash yarn, (a fancy suggestions found here).  Then I waited....  and waited...  and waited for my sugar crystals to form.

And here you have it!  The end result of my experiment!  If you clicked on the link above, you can see a picture of what I had expected to find at the end of my project.  I think mine is prettier, don't you!  OK.  Fine.  It looks a bit like a drowned rat.  I admit it.  There's not a crystal in sight.  

Surprisingly, though, I had fun with this!  The simplicity of following simple directions.  Stirring in sugar until it pooled at the bottom.  The anticipated of the end result.  All of these things were fun for me.  Which just goes to show that true happiness can be found not in the end result or destination, but in how we approach the journey.  

Day Forty-Nine: I Do My Best Pirate!

I present to you the following blog post, which stands as a warning to all of my novelty seeking readers about what can happen when you leave your novel experience until the end of the day and have absolutely nothing planned to pull out at the last minute.  This is also a cautionary tale about peer pressure. 

It was another busy, sometimes frantic, day in which I attempted, unsuccessfully at times, to meet the needs of my very small children, my household, and myself.  I find that motherhood, for me at least, often resembles the work of a triage nurse:  you assess the level of the crisis, prioritize, and then follow through in order of importance and urgency.  My children's basic needs and happiness come before everything else, and some days it feels like that's where all my time is focused...  Thus, leading to the seemingly never-ending backlog of tasks of lesser importance that need to be addressed when there is a rare free moment!  But it is my internal list of priorities that gives some semblance of structure to my days.  As a result, this novelty experiment, which is, of course, a lower priority than the needs of my children, can get pushed off until  they are safely tucked in bed.  And then the race against the clock begins!

Tonight, my best friend, Angela was over so I decided to employ her as the generator of novel experience ideas for the evening.  So, of course, she suggested something really easy.  "You need to Google search Guinness Book of World Records," she said with authority.  "Dare I ask why," I replied.  "Just do it.  Trust me."  

So, like the obedient woman that I am, I typed in the search parameters and pulled up the website.  "Now you're going to break a world record," exclaimed Angela.  Oh.  Of course!  What else would I do with barely two hours to dedicate to a task?  Doesn't everybody set out to beat a world record when they have a few moments of free time?  

Shockingly, it became abundantly clear that this was not a realistic goal.  However, the website did provide endless amounts of amusement with some inspiration mixed in to boot!  As we perused long lists of the fastest, tallest, widest and smallest, Angela became excited about a listing for the most people dancing the Bharatnatyam, an Indian dance form, and decided that learning this dance was going to be my novel experience for the evening.

But here's the part where I put a damper on Angela's enthusiasm...  A quick search of the internet confirmed my darkest suspicions...  I've actually danced the Bharatnatyam before.  Seriously, what are the odds that this WOULDN'T be a novel experience?  But when I was at a welcome reception in India in 1995, a group of us went up on the stage to learn how to dance the Bharatnatyam with the performers...  I hadn't been able to remember the name of the dance, but the description gelled with my memory of the experience.  So it was back to the drawing board.

The good news, here, is that it was at this point that we became inspired to do random searches on YouTube.  A simple search for "how to" led me to the novel experience of the night...  Though I initially protested that this was a cop out, I was eventually peer pressured to participate.  And, while laughing to the point of tears, I did, in fact, practice like a good little student, thus alleviating my concern that this should not count.  Are you ready?

Yup...  This is how I ended up spending my night.  I do feel that my new bilingual status will help me in life in the long run so I am very grateful to Angela for convincing me of the worthwhileness of this novel experience.  I mean, just check out my mad pirate-speaking skills:

"Arrrr...  This sharp-tongued wench be tired.  I gunna be sleepin."

So, on that note, I will wish you all a goodnight, and will now retire to my bed to dream of plunderin' and booty, (of the pirate variety!)  

Day Forty-Eight: Mainers, Massholes, and Mangoes

For those of you who have not visited, Maine is, in many ways, an idyllic place to live.  With its endless coastlines, beautiful mountains, and quaint villages it's really a perfect place to raise a family.  And Mainers are acutely aware of their assets and fiercely proud of their state and their roots.  As a person of Scottish heritage, I liken Mainers to the Scots:  Rugged, proud, and rather disdainful of their neighbor to the South!  

My husband and best friend are both Maine natives.  This puts them into the elite class of Mainers and affords them acceptance without question throughout the state.  I, on the other hand, am the sworn enemy of the native Mainer.  I am from Massachusetts...  or, as we are referred to locally, I am a "Masshole."  

I can remember my husband's disappointment when he discovered my heritage on our first date.  At the time, I thought he was teasing when he exclaimed, "But I thought you were a nice New Hampshire girl!"  I now know better.  As far as my husband is concerned, my Masshole status is a secret that must be protected and a shame to his family.  At business dinners he has frequently told people that I am from New Hampshire.  You see, to the native Mainer, New Hampshire is a huge step up from Massachusetts...  A step up, but believe you me, it is still not Maine!    Maine is the way life should be!

Now, while we do live within the borders of the Great State of Maine, we happen to live quite close to my old stomping ground in New Hampshire.  On occasion, we will even leave utopia so that I can meet my long standing need to "live free or die."  You see, while I was born in Massachusetts, my heart is in the seacoast area of New Hampshire.  

In the later months of my pregnancies, these ventures south became a risky business.  To my husband, it was paramount that his children be born in Maine so that he could bestow native status on them, thus negating the blight of their Masshole mother.  Therefore, if I happened to go into labor while "away," his plan was to drive me over the border to ensure that his children receive their birthright.  In the final weeks of my pregnancy with our son, we needed to run an errand in Massachusetts.  As we crossed into "enemy territory," I remember requiring my husband to give me a verbal contract that he would take me to the NEAREST HOSPITAL if I were to go into labor, which, after hemming and hawing, he agreed to.  Thankfully, we were safely back in Maine before my water broke twelve hours later, and twenty-three hours from that point, our son officially became a native!

As an outsider in a family of natives, I've been able to observe the Native Mainers within their own habitats, and I've made some striking discoveries.  They can crack a lobster like nobody's business, a good majority really do answer questions with "ayuh," and they seem to be immune to the cold.  It is not unusual to see a Native Mainer in a t-shirt in below freezing weather, and shorts are often broken out as soon as the temperature hits a balmy 40 degrees.

It is the tolerance to cold that sets me most apart from the Native Mainer.  While I would be very happy moving down to Costa Rica and living in the glorious, tropical heat and humidity for the rest of my days, my husband lives for April snowstorms.  Crazy!

Which brings me to the novel experience of the day...  The weather today was cold, wet, and miserable, as it often can be this time of year and I was busy feeling sorry for myself while my husband celebrated.  In a futile attempt to cope, I pulled out all the stops...  I listened to Caliente on my satellite radio...  I turned up the heat...  I drank hot beverages and snuggled under blankets... but nothing was working.  The reality of the weather proved to be too much.  Just when I was about to give up hope, I remembered that I had bought myself a tropical treat at the store:  Orange MANGO juice.  

Nothing says tropical weather, monkeys swinging by in trees, and a very happy Christy like a mango!  While it did not take the cold away, it did remind me that sunnier days are coming and gave just the shot in the arm that we Massholes need when living outside of our natural habitat.

Novel Experience Day Forty-Eight: Sweating to the Oldies!

Dear Reader,

I am at a loss.  Just how does one start a blog posting that has anything to do with Richard Simmons?  Particularly, when it is about your attempt to do Sweating to the Oldies 4 with your 2 year-old son?  I guess the only choice I have is to start from the beginning, which takes us back to week one of this project.

During my first week of novel experiences, I spent a great deal of time fending off my fear of starting this experiment and failing...  completely, utterly, and publicly.  I had doubts about being able to identify 365 new experiences, when I've tried so many things in my lifetime already.  I also had doubts about my ability to maintain the myriad other responsibilities and commitments in my life while adding another, sometimes time consuming and challenging, task to the seemingly never ending to-do list.  Of course, I told myself, if it gets to be too much I can always just quit...  

Right.  However, there is one major, characterological flaw with this line of thought:  I am stubborn.  I often tell my clients that stubbornness can be a very good quality - if you direct it toward the right things, like attaining a goal, finishing a health-promoting project, or carrying out an important responsibility to its completion.  And I whole-heartedly believe this to be true.  However, in my case I am, perhaps to a pathological degree, not a quitter.  If I make a commitment, I will follow through, sometimes at high personal cost, to the absolute bitter end.  Knowing this about myself, I try very hard NOT to commit to anything that could be negative or push my life out of balance.  So while, of course, I could always back out of this experiment if it gets to be too much, I knew that if I publicly committed to starting it, I would feel compelled to see it to its completion at almost any cost.  

Note my use of the word "almost."  The major exceptions here are my children.  While I have many other responsibilities in my life, my commitment to my two little munchkins trumps everything else I have going on.  I felt certain that I would choose to quit if the experiment had a negative impact on them.  And while this is positive in many regards, this brings us right back to the fear I had of completely, utterly, and publicly failing.  

Which also brings us back to Richard Simmons!  While I went around in mental circles, knowing that I needed a project such as this one to fill a gap in my life, but fearing the possible negative consequences of committing, I decided to take a jaunt down to my basement and go on a hunt for future novel experiences.  Now, if you have been a faithful reader from early on, you might remember me talking about my basement?  And also about my mother, the fellow novelty seeker, who undoubtedly passed this propensity down to me?  (If not, you may wish to click here before reading on so that you can be up to speed on both matters!)  Well, doing just a little digging I found that I somehow owned a copy of Sweating to the Oldies 4 on VHS!  (Of course.  Doesn't everyone have this lurking in their basement somewhere?!)  So I brought this little gem upstairs and tucked it away for some future cheesy novelty fun.  

It took more than a month, but today I decided to pop this tape in and experience a Richard Simmons workout first hand.  After fast forwarding through all of the advertisements and previews this is what I got:

What a disappointment!  To think that I was given the precious gift of a used Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies VHS tape, and it ends up being broken!  I had a vague memory from my childhood about a tracking adjustment on old VCR's, but my newfangled version does not appear to have one.  However, all was not lost.  Despite the picture, I could clearly hear the song "Shout," with Richard touting the importance of giving ourselves daily hugs.  I also, through the interference, could make out the basics of the dance moves.  So, as I had looked forward to this novel experience for a while now, my stubbornness kicked in and I decided to give it a shot regardless.  By the time the first song was complete, Liam was chanting "No, 'Shout!'  No dance!"  He clearly had had his fill of Richard Simmons.  And, although my original intention had been to complete the entire workout, I allowed my toddler to temper my resistance to quitting and shut the television off.  Clearly, there is much to learn from a two year-old!  

It's time for me to sign off and say "goodnight."  Don't forget to hug yourself today!

Christy

Novel Experience Day Forty Seven: Caught in the Hail Storm

While I do admit to having my fair share of neuroses, there are only two things that make me truly afraid.  The first, which I have already admitted to in this blog, is heights.  Or more specifically, I am afraid of falling or of witnessing the (serious) fall of a loved one.  I have no idea where this fear comes from, but I can remember climbing a fire tower as a wee one and having to cling to my grandfather's hand...  Or his leg... Or a support beam...  the entire way up and down.  This is my first memory of a great many memories of times that I have felt afraid of heights.   For the most part, I have not let this fear stop me from experiencing the good things in life, and there are many examples of the times that I have "felt the fear, and did it anyway..."

Recent examples include crossing a suspension bridge in the cloud forest in Costa Rica. Scared, but did it.  Climbing one of the only Mayan pyramids in Mexico that is still allowed to be climbed by the public...  Terrified, but did it, (while crying).  And doing the "cat walk" at a high ropes course...  Absolutely out of my mind with fear, crying, but did it.  After completing each of these experiences I had a high that was indescribable and felt incredible pride about my accomplishment. These are some of my most treasured memories...  Everything is a bit different in hindsight!

While my fear of heights is somewhat irrational and seems to be something I was born with, my other fear did not develop until college.  And, frankly, I experience absolutely no pride or exhilaration when forced to face it.  This fear is of lightening.  

The summer before my junior year of college, four people that I knew were struck by lightening.  Two of the people who were struck I knew very well...  Another was the mother of my roommate at the time.  The fourth person, who tragically lost his life, was the father of a college friend.  The whole experience was horrible.  Almost exactly a year before this tragedy occurred, I can remember purposefully sitting outside on a friend's porch during a storm, watching the lightening strike over the lake, feeling safe in the knowledge that being struck by lightening "couldn't happen to me" and thoroughly enjoying the experience.  Now I live with a very clear understanding that it certainly could happen to me, and I derive zero pleasure from storms.  Does it seriously impact my life?  No.  I am not a person who completely loses the ability to function at the first hint of thunder.  But at times, my fear of lightening can impact the decisions that I make.

Which brings me to today's novel experience.  Now I count on my "smart" phone to notify me of many things, and it serves me well most of the time.  However, today my phone failed me in a most profound way.  With absolutely no inkling that a monster storm was brewing and a severe weather alert had been issued for exactly where I was, I set out with my two babies and giant dog to drop my son off at daycare.  At first, there was just your typical rumbling of thunder followed by a bit of rain.  But then the sky darkened, opened up and I was suddenly driving in the most massive hail storm I have ever encountered...  and the only one I have ever been caught in.  Within two minutes the road was completely white with fallen hail and the thunder was booming around me.  When lightening struck a few hundred feet in front of me, (and exactly where I was headed), I pulled a u-turn and went home to assess the damage to my car, (thankfully, none!), and wait out the storm in the comfort of my garage.  It was a relatively warm day, and this photo was taken more than thirty minutes after the hail had fallen.

So while this photo does not do the storm justice, you can get a sense of what I was dealing with. 

The transforming power of hindsight has struck once again.  Fear has turned into awe, and I am amazed by the strange beauty of this experience and the power of mother nature.  But this is one novel experience that I definitely hope, (but seriously doubt), will remain novel for a long time!

Day Forty-Six: Binaural Beats

As the Experiment has unfolded, my novelty seeking skills have become honed and I have become much more efficient and prolific at discovering sources of novelty.  Where once I would have panicked as the clock struck 11:00 pm and I was left with one brief hour to discover and complete a novel experience, I now embrace the challenge with confidence that there is an almost endless amount of novel experiences for anyone who wishes to seek them out.  As a result of this new attitude, life seems much more exciting and filled with opportunity and wonder.  So, dear reader, let me share a few of my newfound secrets for discovering opportunities for novelty:  

Novel Experience Seeking Formula Number One:  I would consider this to be one of the best case scenarios for successful novelty seeking as the experience is meaningful, useful, and (in theory), integrates seamlessly with one's life.  When applying this novelty seeking formula, I first identify a need, desire, or goal in my life outside of this project.  These needs have varied from needing more energy, (i.e. Yoga Nidra), to addressing muscle pains, (i.e. Tea Bath), to completing home improvement projects, (i.e. Basic Wiring for Dummies).  From here, I try to find a novel way of addressing the pre-existing need or goal.  See?  The novelty just blends in with the flow of life, serves a purpose and is in no way disruptive.  Love it!

Novel Experience Seeking Formula Number Two:   I identify something that I have always wanted to try, but have not prioritized and I make it happen.  Making a cheesecake and going to the local Teppanyaki restaurant fall under this category.  I particularly revel in these novel activities as they tend to be things that I am more prone to really enjoy.  Also, the anticipation is heightened by the fact that I have procrastinated their completion for so very long, and I get the added benefit of checking something off of my mental to do list!

Novel Experience Seeking Formula Number Three:  Completely random, unplanned novelty.  Mother Nature, my friends and family, and my children tend to be a good source of this type of novelty.  Wonderful when this happens, (Usually!), but this type of novelty can not be counted on!

Novel Experience Seeking Formula Number Four:  I find inspiration in random places and plan an experience for the future.  Inspiration can be found almost everywhere!  Whether I'm briefly scanning my Facebook homepage, listening to a story told by a loved one, surfing the web, or reading advertisements in the paper, it is amazing to me how many opportunities for novelty are out there when it becomes a habit to notice them!  A friend's comment about tapping his maple trees led to a Google search and the discovery of Maine Maple Sunday.  Another friend's Facebook link and personal story led to the discovery of a fun tool on the web.   And then there are the many requests and suggestions I have received from readers and friends as this project has unfolded.  Other people's lives are a tremendous source of inspiration when you are open to moving outside of your normal comfort zone!

Novel Experience Seeking Formula Number Five:  Speaking of moving outside of your comfort zone...  I think most people have genres of activities that could be considered atypical for them.  I find that activities within these broad categories provide nearly endless opportunities for novelty, though I have sometimes had some initial resistance to stepping that far outside of my comfort zone!  For me, home improvement, anything team sports related and visual artsy or craftsy activities have in no way been part of my day to day life since I was a child.  However, talk about opportunity for novelty!  (In particular, I have discovered that anything creative by definition includes a dose of novelty!)  And, interestingly enough, I have actually enjoyed some of these activities the most!  

So there you have it!  The Novel Experience Experiment's Official List of the Top Five Ways of Discovering Novelty, (Other than a random Google search or web surfing, which can also be mighty effective, FYI!)  

Which brings me to tonight's novel experience...  Now I am a psychotherapist by trade, so one would think that most methods of working with the mind for healing purposes would at least be familiar to me.  This is a genre of experience that is incredibly well traversed!  However, while engaging in random web surfing, I came across a link for something called "binaural beats," which purported to increase focus, memory, creativity, decrease stress, pain, help you quit smoking, lose weight, etc., etc., etc....  Apparently a cure all for everything!  And, a quick scan of wikipedia confirmed that some of these claims appear to be backed by actual research!

Fearing that these free recordings would some day put me out of business, I put on my newly acquired speech to text headphones and attempted to increase my creativity by listening to this stream of background conversations and strange tones.  Really, this is an experience that has to be, well....  experienced!  It was quite interesting.  I excitedly opened up my blog, curious to see what level of brilliance might come out of me after all this prepping for increased creativity...  and had writer's block for the very first time since starting this experiment.  Looks like my career choice is safe...  for now!

And...  If you want to take my suggestions and run with them for seven days, go ahead and join the Novel Experience Challenge!  I bet you'll be glad that you did!

Day Forty-Five: Novel Experiences and Motherhood...

Before I move on to documenting the three novel events that I had today, I need to make sure that one very important fact be stated for the record:  I love being a mother.  In this blog, I have written about loving moments with my son and mindful moments with my daughter.  And these have been some of my favorite posts...  But here's a warning...  Today's post is probably going to be just a little bit different!

First, let me start by saying that today I witnessed yet another novel experience plan go wrong.  A miscommunication between myself and my husband led us to a different unexplored nature preserve than I had planned for.  As the forest path led to a small wooden walkway built on top of a bog, a stroller was not an option.  Therefore, both of my children experienced milestone novel experiences:  Liam had his first long nature walk without an optional method of transport available and Gracie had her first ever walk in the woods strapped snugly into the front pack.

Our walk to the end of the pathway went off without a hitch.  The weather was gorgeous, Liam was cooperative and excited, and Gracie calmly took her surroundings in with an air of fascination.  On our walk back to the car, I was congratulating myself for teaching my children about nature, and exercise, and novelty seeking...  and then novelty hell broke loose!

It started with Gracie blowing out her diaper in the front pack:  Novel Experience Number One.  Now, when I say blowing out, I mean blowing out.  There was baby poop EVERYWHERE, she was in full meltdown mode...  and we had left her just-in-case outfit in the car.  Thankfully, by the time this happened we were relatively close to the end of the path and shouldn't have had more than a five minute walk...  If Liam had not have chosen this very minute to start fighting us about staying on the path, which put him in full meltdown mode as well...  

So with two children screaming in cacophonous unison, one covered in her own feces, the other periodically sitting on the muddy path and refusing to move, we slowly proceeded down the pathway, passing the other hikers who had come out on this beautiful spring day in search of a peaceful walk in the woods.  

As we trudged on at a snail's pace, it became clear that my poopy little wonder was needing to eat...  now!  So, while sending up a little prayer that this would not be the moment a group of teenage boys would meet us on the path, I "pulled off" the trail to "discretely" nurse my hungry little girl...  with my son screaming for his Mama the whole time.  Breastfeeding in the woods:  Novel Experience Number Two.  

FINALLY, we made it back to the car.  There were tears to be wiped away, diapers and clothes to be changed, and cooperation to be bought with stickers.  However, eventually everyone was strapped into their seats and we were on our way to experience Novel Experience Number Three.

In hindsight, dear reader, I know that I have learned an important Mother-Of-A-Two-Year-Old lesson...  Never take your child out to a nice dinner after a day of physical activity...   even if they nap beforehand...  even if they had an immaculate track record of good restaurant behavior before they turned two...  and particularly if you have not been to said restaurant before to scope out it's child-friendliness factors.  

When we pulled into the restaurant parking lot following the 45 minute drive, we had two sleeping babies in the backseat of the car, one of whom needed to be woken up so that we could make our reservation time.  As my angelic sleeping toddler transformed himself into a fully awake little monster I knew that we were in trouble.  While he had had a normal amount of food and rest since our walk, I had not factored the amount of energy he had expended walking on his own on an uneven path for at least a mile...  Before I had fully realized what I had gotten myself into, I was carrying an exhausted two-year-old with low blood sugar through an adult-filled, quiet dining room to the table furthest from the doors.  

At this point, I knew that we were racing the clock.  More sleep was not an option so the child needed sustenance and he needed it fast...  We ordered him orange juice and held him off from his meltdown just long enough for the bread to come out.  As I was sighing with relief about the crisis narrowly averted, my husband took a "too large" piece of bread out of Liam's hands to rip it into smaller pieces...   and our son absolutely lost it.  Leading to Novel Experience Number Three:  Carrying my tantruming child out of a restaurant.  

So it was a day filled with Novel Motherhood Rites of Passage.  The poopy, blown-out diaper in the front pack with no change of clothes, breastfeeding trailside in the woods, and carrying a tantruming toddler out of a restaurant are the flip side of the coin to the first smiles, first "I Love Yous," and first giggles that I've written about before this.  But that's motherhood.  You take the bad with the good, and do your very best to meet everyone's needs and climb up the pyramid knowing that things are changing moment by moment.  Eventually, the coin flips once again, as it did for us tonight, and motherhood becomes a joyous journey of love, learning, and connection.  So, without further ado, let's get to the happy ending of our story.

After Liam calmed down outside and had a little bit more to eat he was perfectly behaved for the rest of our meal.  The food was excellent, Gracie remained asleep the entire time we were out, and Liam charmed all of the people at the surrounding tables.  Our neighbors and the waitresses even commented about how well behaved he was, (clearly there was a shift change during our mealtime!)  We all drove home feeling full and satisfied while Liam chattered on in the backseat about the events of his day.  And this mother, hearing the joy in her son's voice as he recalled the many positive parts of our "walk in woods" and marveling about the impact that this novel experience had, realized that she would not change one moment of this day if she had it to do over again.    

Day Forty-Four: The Cactus Project!

I am a lover of all things green.  I was brought up with gardens, of both the vegetable and flower varieties.  I have worked as a flower gardener at a large University.  I have rooted plants in glasses of water set on a sunny windowsill.  I have planted herb gardens in strawberry pots.  I have started seeds in starter kit "greenhouses."  I have grown vegetables in containers.  And, I have even grown lettuce hydroponically.  

One would think, given this amount of plant-related interest and experience, that I would be a pro at keeping houseplants alive.  However, if one did think this, one would be WRONG!  In my time, I have killed the hardiest of houseplants.  It's not that I have a completely brown thumb.  There have been times in my life when I have kept multiple plants alive for long periods of time.  It's just that as much as I enjoy looking at plants, I just don't seem to enjoy watering them as much!

However, this spring all of this is going to change!  This spring, I am determined to teach Liam about planting seeds, caring for plants, and harvesting vegetables.  Apparently, Grandma had the same idea as we recently received a children's gardening kit for growing tomatoes delivered to our doorstep!  So today was the day for Liam to have the novel experience of planting his first seeds!

Such an auspicious occasion deserves appropriate attire!  So I pulled on an old pair of overalls I have saved for gardening and gestating children.  Thinking that Liam would get a kick out of seeing his mother in overalls just like his, I gestured to the bib.  "Liam!  What are these?"  Without skipping a beat, Liam looked deep into my eyes and  gave his earnest answer...  "Boobies!"  Ummmm....  Right....  

Moving on, we assembled our tools and moved ourselves out to the deck.  The first step in growing tomatoes with Elmo is to add water to these expanding soil pellets.  

Here you can see my smiling boy helping to pour the correct amount of water into the bucket holding the soil pellets...  So far, so good...

Elmo's second step is to mix the soil and water with the provided tools.  Here's where things got a little ugly...

It might be hard to see here, dear reader, but there is an INTENSITY between Liam and his bucket in this picture.  This intensity had been unwavering for nearly an hour, and was punctuated by exclamations of "NO, MUM-MUM!  LIAM do it!!!!"  Now, you may remember that my dear, sweet, boy has just turned two.  Therefore, underneath his cherub-like, innocent exterior lurks a little monster just waiting for the opportunity to rear its head. 

Which brings us to the third step in growing tomatoes with Elmo...  It took some serious convincing to get him to transfer the soil to the cups...  and even more convincing to let me pick up the soil he dropped in the transfer...  As the time passed, my patience shortened and nap time approached...  I pulled out all of my tricks, but step number four, planting the seeds, finally was completed and it was time for a nap...

In this scenario, I think the fact that the kit was labeled for ages 3 and up was more to protect the parents' sanity than a reflection of any safety issue for the little one!  Frankly, I was exhausted.  

Now, originally there had been a planned phase two of Liam's Introduction to Planting that was to occur this afternoon and would double as my novel experience of the day.   However, I'll admit it!  I chickened out!  I just didn't have it in me to revisit the whole dirt/seed debacle with Liam for a second time today.  So, by the dark of night, while my little boy dreamed of soil, shovels, and spades, I pulled out the cactus seeds and soil that I had been hoarding and set to work planting.  I have no idea if the little buggers will even come up...  and if they do they will have to be kept out of reach of my grabby toddler's hands...  but I bet that even I will be able to keep these plants alive...  at least for a while!

Day Forty-Three: Look Mom! I'm Tweeting!

I LOVE my readers!  And I also REALLY love my Facebook community!  From the comments, to the discussions, to the people joining me in the Novelty Challenge, I gather a great deal of inspiration from those of you who are contributing to the dialogue about novelty!  Today's novel experience was actually a special request from a friend of mine who has contributed a great deal to this project.  (What!?  You didn't know that I take requests?!)

My friend sent me a message on Facebook asking me if I have ever Twittered. (Or tweeted?  Is that the correct vernacular?).  To which I responded that I have not.  So, with a promise that we would figure it out together, I signed The Novel Experience Experiment up for a Twitter account and sent out my very first "tweet"!

While I am still learning the basics of twitter-speak and how to use my account, I have since learned how to have my blogs automatically "tweeted" to my "followers."  I am also attempting to use my Twitter account as a way of disseminating quotes and research related to novelty seeking and happiness.  This will be different from my blog, which provides information about The Experiment; and my Facebook page, which provides a more interactive forum for discussion and inspiration.  So if you are on Twitter and want to check out what is going on over there, you can find me at NoveltyExpermnt or you can click on the button below!

Day Forty-Two: Practicing What I Preach!

So yesterday's novel experience, combined with my public display of hypocracy, has led me to make an important decision, Dear Reader...  Today I decided to practice what I preach.  It is true that I really do believe in the importance of a healthy diet to overall well being.  I also clearly know HOW people can motivate themselves to make positive dietary changes.  Yet, somewhere along the line I have lost my way.  There are a lot of factors that have taken me away from my previous life of daily yoga, minimal refined sugars, and maximum ingestion of healthy foods...  Possibly being pregnant twice in the past three years has something to do with it?  Regardless, though, I am clearly back on the sugar train and it's time to get off.

Now, let me be very clear about one thing.  I am not a believer in total deprivation or obsessing about what one eats in MOST situations.  I believe that Ben and Jerry can play a legitimate role in most people's lives.  However, the question one needs to ask oneself is what role they have been playing?  Are Ben and Jerry your acquaintance or have they become your roommate?  In my situation, it appears that they have just started leaving a toothbrush in my bathroom in preparation for Full Roommate Status.  

So, while considering how I could serve Ben and Jerry an eviction notice while simultaneously having a novel experience I made a shocking discovery...  While I am often coaching my clients with food issues to keep a food diary I have never actually done so myself.  

Now, the concept of the food diary is not so much to try to make changes as much as it is to document and analyze your current behavior.  At least, that is what we therapists tell people.  However, the reality is that the moment anyone starts measuring and documenting ANY behavior there is a natural tendency to make changes whether the goal is stated or not.  The idea of writing down the BAD behavior is never very appealing...  particularly if the information is going to be shared!

So, after downloading an appropriate app for my phone I set off to document my eating habits.  And, true to form, I ended up ingesting nothing but healthy foods all day.  Which kicked in the sugar withdrawals and cravings, BIG TIME.  Which informed me that I was WAY more addicted to sugar than I had realized.  

Now I have detoxed from sugar on more than one occasion, so I know the tricks to survive (small amounts of maple syrup), and I know what to expect, (a few days of intense sugar cravings masked as hunger and intensely low energy).  But let me tell you, Dear Reader, if you are considering cutting out sugar, refined carbohydrates, (which the body turns into sugar), and alcohol, (ditto), it can be challenging, but it is fleeting.  Stick with it and you will have more energy than you know what to do with!  When I've been completely off sugar my allergies clear up, my skin clears up, and I have an even amount of energy all day.  It's a pretty incredible feeling!

So, Ben and Jerry, it looks like this is farewell (for now).  It's not you...  it's me!  I still love you but I'm not IN love with you.  But I hope that we can still be friends...