Official!

Graduation Day!!!!

Day Fifteen: James Freestyle Level up Practice, Yoga Business, Personal Story/Goals, Personal Notes, Group Picture, Graduation Ceremony and Cake!

• Wendy was super cute this morning and passed out mini flashlights so that we would all remember to let our lights shine. 
• James introduced the concept of warming up on our own, going through sun salutations or anything we needed so we wouldn't have to waste class time doing them.
• Because we warmed up ahead of time, we were able to go super freestyle and James put forward quite a few challenging, deep and fun poses. 
• Poses like Spider, Turtle and half Crane! aka, poses that make you yelp, oh! my hamstrings and inner thighs!
• But yet, getting into transverse lunge, I went  as deep as I could go, and looked around, thinking, going this deep looks like Im in a whole new position versus what it normally looks like!
• Yoga studios are failing because their business models don't work. Very few and far between studio owners are actually making money right now. 
• Sharing our thoughts on our own personal futures, its nice to hear Ann not just say that I am a good yoga teacher, but demand that I ask for a full time job, not just sign up for the sub list as a beginning.
• The more famous you become in yoga, the more you think you're a rockstar, and quite a few yogis seem to think that way. Including S. Nardini apparently. And parties like one.
• I love the idea of writing your name on a piece of paper, then passing it around the room so people can write you a little note on it. A perfect way to end 2 SOLID weeks together. Then the person right before you folds it into "origami" before giving it to you. Some creative ideas…thats for sure ;-)
• It doesn't matter how organized or adult you are about it, taking a group picture and getting everyone in place is near impossible. 
• Nothing reflected the experience more than sitting outside, and walking in the ceremony, across three yoga mats in any way we wanted (lots of bowing and curtsies) to get our certificates. 
• James had three options. Handshake, high five, or hug. No fist bumping, chest bumping, or picking up. So cute.

• I reached my time to get my diploma, "You better teach." Im telling you, these people know how to create confidence. 
• There was even graduation cake for us! Sweet treats for sweet people.

• Waiting to take pictures and say goodbye to James and Ann was like waiting in line for santa. And John was a great elf ;-)
• Leaving that room was strange, knowing I wouldn't be back. So much time spent there. 

Last little bit of gradjumatation.

My bad. I meant to post this last week and just never got around to it. I think I was too busy trying to have free time after a solid four days of go go go! The photos are pretty self explanatory. My brother graduated. Ceremony and all! Crazy. It was super nice to have commencement in the McLeod Center as opposed to the Dome where mine was. I was surprised at how fast the actual ceremony took, despite the 333 kids graduation. Afterwards, a few family photos outside (of course, the High School Graduate still needs his Mommy's help)
Other people took our picture, but really, I just take the best photos myself ;)

And for some reason, I just really like this one.

We had cake at my parents house, and later there was lasagna, but I gladly stuck to left over graduation rolls. Something about Open House bread. Deliciously naughty.

We headed off pretty quickly after, to make it up to Minneapolis that night. Caught a lovely late showing of Angels & Demons (much better than the first movie) and crashed. The next morning was lackadaisical. Breakfast that we brought, hit up IKEA, almost bought a table, didn't think it would fit in the car (and we CERTAINLY did not want a recreation of the time the art wouldn't fit in the car) and then headed to the Red Sox/Twins game.

I was not aware that the Twins stadium was indoors. Here it was, Memorial Day, gorgeous, mid 70s, super sunny, and I was stuck inside of an indoor baseball stadium that was freezing cold (I had Tim's jersey on my legs, my bag on my arms and was still shaking) watching baseball. This was my view, note the lack of beautiful blue sky.
But with the help of my current reading book, the Kevin Smith diary, I was at least somewhat entertained for the game.

Then off to home! Ending a very long weekend. But yes, my brother really did earn a diploma. Major plus.

Isn't my brother lovely (Graduation Day Two)

I am one tuckered puppy right now, but tomorrow and Monday are going to be just as busy, so I want to continue on with the Graduation Festivies.

I at least got to start my morning with an hour long massage, which I offered up to my withered mother, but she refused (silly move woman, it was fabulous) and I was forced to get rubbed and scrubbed myself :) The morning was gloomy, not the kind of weather you want to plan for an outdoor open house. With Carol and Mike's help though, Mom and Dad were set up before we could even get over there, so we joined them for some late Panera breakfast. Got a nice 5.5 mile run in too before Open Housing it up Nordyke Style.

Full decorations complete with all sports schtuff and photo boards were in order, as were the mini cupcakes, barbecue sandwiches (BBQ theme) chips, coleslaw, and a rootbeer keg. It was a hoedown waiting to errupt. I was worried there might be a mandatory bandana dress code (phew!)
I swear I told a million and a half people what I am up to, what I'm doing, yada yada. But you know the one question that I just realized not a single soul asked? When are the kids coming? This is awesome! Maybe people have finally taken the hint. Anyways. Lots of people showed up, I knew most, not all, but enough to stay busy through the whole open house in between licking the frosting off numerous minicupcakes (I'm naughty, I know).

Friends from other states even came(See Barthelemy's here!), which was cool to catch up with everyone. The rest of dad's family flowed in from their prospective states. Carol and Mike from the night before (OH) Tom and his daughter Molly, and randomly one of his sons Patrick was playing a gig in Waterloo tonight (IL), John and his 3 kids (IL), and Margaret with her husband Scott and daughter Carly (WI).
Once most of the non relatives left, everyone finally got to chill out some more and chat, and Scott had even brought some lawn games that a few adults and most of the younger kids decided to try to whip each other's butts in. I kept on hearing the screams from my Uncle to his daughter ("Wait, which one of us is in softball?!")
Darkness came, as did the pizza and the clean up. By 930 I was ready for bed, but we stayed to listen to the utter insanity that was them playing Apples to Apples until 11ish, and finally I could take it no more and we headed home. Tim's asleep, fully dressed, shoes probably still on, and tomorrow is going to be just as busy...we must remember to breathe!

Night One of Graduation Weekend!!

My brother graduates from High School this weekend. Yes, somehow they are letting him on to the real world...but he turned out to be a pretty decent kid. Loves working out, loves hanging out with his girlie girl, and is just a nice guy all around.

But as much as this weekend is about him, its not. Its about the massive gathering of everyone he has ever known. My parents have been preparing the house on weekends for the past two months, and for the past two weeks its been a daily task list. But the time is finally here! The preparing has ended and the festive itinerary has begun.

Tonight we were joined by Chris' girlfriend, as well as the first of my dad's relatives, one of his sister's and her husband, who are hilariously loud and know how to have a good time. So after a delicious Brown Bottle dinner on the patio, what else is there to do but Apples to Apples!


Here's the newcomers Aunt Carol and Uncle Michael!