thirteen things we hear when we make quiet

Happy Thursday! (This is especially true for my little Australian friends... the rest of you are celebrating early). After some time away from the computer, I'm feeling much more refreshed and ready to tackle a list. In order to read it, though, you'll have to enjoy a little story about my beloved boys and our adventures.

Obi-1 was struggling to settle down for a little afternoon nap today. I sang a few songs and we did some deep breathing, but I could tell his mind was still racing. So, I taught him how to "Make Quiet." In case you're unfamiliar, Making Quiet is different than Being Quiet. Being quiet is just trying not to make any noise - what I like to call an "anti-" activity: anti-noise, anti-interruption, anti-fidgety. It's very hard for little boys, and actually very hard for most of us, whose beings aren't very quiet.

Making Quiet, on the other hand, is a great skill & quiet easy to learn! In a nutshell, here's how you Make Quiet: close your eyes. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, as deeply and slowly and quietly as you can. And then... Listen. Listen to every sound, and try to figure out what you're hearing. The more (and longer) you Make Quiet, the more you'll hear. This list is thirteen things we heard when we were Making Quiet...

1. The garbage truck outside in front of our house
2. Glass being dumped into the recycling section of the garbage truck
3. The neighbors' dog whining
4. A neighbor mowing the yard two houses away
5. A squirrel running across our roof
6. An airplane flying high overhead
7. The hum of my computer
8. Obi-2 snoring
9. Cars on the street a block behind us, slowing down for the nearby Italian cafe and shops
10. My tummy rumbling (note to self: must eat lunch!)
11. The mail dropping into our mail slot by the front door
12. The washing machine spinning out the freshly laundered sheets
13. A neighbor child riding his bicycle on the sidewalk & laughing out loud

By the end of our time together Making Quiet, I felt more rested, and Obi-1 was asleep. It was a good way to spend a bit of a lazy afternoon.

p.s. lots of people write interesting Thursday Thirteen lists. You can find them here...