At some point during our trip to Houston, I earned a new nickname: Mama Ninja. It was bestowed on me, of course, by my husband because my Type A Game was in top form and I really was doing a ridiculously good job of anticipating what was coming next or what the kids needed before they asked. Or Ben would think of something we needed to pack for a days’ activities and I would be all, “Already on it” and he’d call me “Mama Ninja” or just Ninja in response.

Now, many of you saw the pic on IG/FB of poor skater/hipster/Royal Lincoln’s pants
to know that not ALL things were coming up Ninja while we were gone, but actually, I might argue that somehow getting a 2.5yo to wear size 6-9 month pants (and totally Work them all through a wedding and reception) is in fact very much Ninja like, but I digress….

Ninja also became a compliment from my husband whenever we pulled off something seemingly impossible or at least very tricky on our little vacay. Like, get ourselves to the airport, return the rental, take a shuttle,
check-in, and have everyone use the potty all while hauling all of our children and all of our luggage as we waited for my parents who were getting a ride from my brother and meeting us before heading through security. Ninja. Or us getting split up during security after ending up in a line (so not marked either way) that was not “set up for children” but all of our crap was already on the conveyor/going through x-ray, so Ben stayed with the bags and I walked over in my socks wearing one baby and leading three others who were all hanging on to each others’ hands to go through the child-approved machine one at a time before meeting up with Daddy again. Ninja. Or simply walking all of us and all of the aforementioned crap through the airport as we waited for our first flight out of Houston Hobby. Ninja.

Now, you might notice, rightly, that many of these Ninja moments are not mine in solitude. Often, for my Ninja skills to come out, my partner had to be at the top of his game, too, which he thankfully was for most of our trip. That he was aware of the effort I was putting out and willing to comment kindly on it was just icing on the cake.

We’ve been home for a week already, but it would appear that Ninja is here to stay, as I continue to duck, dodge, flip, and float through the daily navigation that is Life as Six, and let’s be real, when is summer break ever quiet? Besides camps and play dates, and a garage sale plan, we’ve added some big plans to our summer itinerary and Ninja skills are going to be downright necessary to pull them off, I think. So it is good that Texas gave me an opportunity to practice (and no, no flipping way are we flying anywhere again any time soon, and no, we never could have done Texas without the help of my parents and other family members who entertained a kid when necessary or helped us keep tabs on everyone in busy times/places — apparently I come from Ninja stock, yes?).

Included on this ever-expanding summer itinerary are several road trips, one of which will lead me to my first-ever yoga festival experience at Wanderlust in Aspen-Snowmass in July. Thank you New-to-us-Fridge for not squashing those dreams during Appliance Gate! It will take Ninja preparatory skills, though, to get both myself and my family read for this venture (and my longest separation from Trumy ever! 😦 ) but in the immediate now, it means more yoga. Much more yoga!! trying to get myself ready for three long days of multiple practices in higher altitude. And so, yoga every day, which as you may have read Friday, is off to a feel-good start!

It just so happens that this weekend is also special in that one of my teachers is in Hastings for the first time teaching new YTTs and I got to take her class yesterday that involved a cue near the end that instructed us to put a foot down at the back of the mat like a, you guessed it, Ninja!

Summer ’16 – the year of the Mama Ninja.

I love it.