Today is the greatest day I've ever known

I have been hanging out with my stud all morning, he is such a pleasure.  We had plans to run errands with my husband, but then he was asked to use his culinary skills in the kitchen of our synagogue to prepare for tonights new moon celebration, Rosh Chodesh.  So I had some extra time, it wasn't too hot yet so I took him to a new awesome park I found right down the street, every climbing apparatus was better than the next, and he mastered them with skill.  Then I decided to go into a Trader Joe's down the street from our speech therapy, it was great to be in the air conditioning and get a quick snack.  My son loves his sessions, and now we just came home and had some lunch, hopefully nap time for him, and work for me, headed out shortly, my husband should be coming home any minute.

The title of this blog are lyrics to a Smashing Pumpkins song called Today, and it really is a great motto for life.  If there were no financial hardships, bills, schools, and all the other things families have to deal with today, including mine, I would be so happy to have days just like this, and am trying to stay as much in the moment of it as I can, just enjoying the wonderful company and the go with the flow.

I have a Yoga class tonight, heading to work at my kids school now, and maybe will be able to get a Prenatal class together depending on everyone's schedules.  I really do love the go with the flow of my classes and clients, especially now that I am a doula.  It is so important for my person to be able to call and easily cover my classes or reschedule clients, luckily my husband is supportive and on a regular basis takes care of our kids basic needs.

Thoughts come into my mind to get into more permanent things, but really the only permanent place I can even imagine is my own permanent place, where everyone can gather, work together, support, learn, and grow.  I am very excited for my gut and the needs of the community to keep heading in this direction, there are so many places, but it would be amazing to have a central place for health, labor support, and post partum physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual support systems.

Deep Down I Know I am in the Right Place, at the Right Time,
Let's Work Together to make it a Reality,
What is it?
Something we have to create, give birth to, develop,
So exciting,
If none of this makes sense,
That's OK,
I am letting my brain dream and envision, and letting my fingers take notes.
Thank God I type 90 Words Per Minute,
Allow Yourself to just see what you can create, what excites you, what makes you smile,
It feels so good,
FEEL GOOD,
Coach Yulia

This day just keeps on getting better and better

I am soooo ready to go to sleep, but I must tell you all about my day.  First of all it was super hot, 90 degree weather, luckily all my work was in air conditioned indoors, but wow, was it hot outside.  What I love about the hot days is the hot nights, makes me think of Miami, there are always hot nights.  I grew up there, and you really live in air conditioning, from the house to the car, but at night, it is warm, fun, and magic.

I had a couple of classes today that were wonderful, it is the first time the students saw me since I came back in town from my vacation, and the energy was great, they were very happy to have me back.  I had a wonderful private client that brought her friend that really enjoyed the Yoga and said it was just what she needed.

Then I went to get the kids from school, took the baby to hang and I helped out a bit, it was so hot, it is a short drive to school, I don't think that the air conditioning cooled anything down, same thing on the way home with all the kids.

We hung out, I tidied up their room, we all ate watermelon and then I had to run off to teach a class, right before I left I saw there was a Torah and Tea gathering happening, my other night class had cancelled and I was determined to go.  Many Torah and Tea learning groups have been popping up all over the world to honor an amazing woman that has recently left this world, and this was finally my opportunity to join.  Thank God I got the kids to bed, was running a little late, but made it just in time and saw many people I knew and met a wonderful pregnant young lady that is looking for a doula, and she was already given my name and was going to call me.

Listening to my gut has always been my way of going with the flow, doing what feels right in the moment, I just knew I had to be there for many reasons.  The lesson from the Rabbi was so powerful and familiar to me because it is my constant message in my Yoga classes.  There are many ways of doing things, and doing your best is the most important way, there is no perfection, there is not one way, there is just YOUR WAY.

Embrace You,
Celebrate You,
Listen to You,
Take care of You,
Do YOU get it?
Who else will do it for you?
Coach Yulia

Remembrance and Trust

Yesterday at the beach, very windy and chilly, beautiful sky, kites flying, played in the sand

The Jewish concept of trust, is something I am lucky to have as part of who I am as a person, http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1405289/jewish/Bitachon.htm, I do not know any other way of being.  It is really the only way that I can function with all the hazards in our world, with my children running out of my sight for a moment, all I can do is trust that everything will turn out for the good.  Some may call it naive, but for me it is really how I feel the world works, and it is proven to me time and time again.

Today is Holocaust remembrance day, people are posting the most incredible stories, I love to read the stories year round, I love that after that horror, people moved on, had children, had successful lives, it is moving and inspiring to me.  I posted a story about a pregnant woman that listened to her gut when a Nazi guard told all the pregnant women to step forward, they would get double the amount of food.  She just knew not to go, and all the women that went were killed.  I really believe in the power of listening to the gut, I feel it is our connection with our sense of what is right and what is wrong, for some people it is a direct connection to their creator.  I love how with trust, a positive mindset, and knowing that all has a purpose, the persecuted have moved forward and thrived, this is a great example,

Post by Humans of New York.

I have spent the whole day at home trying to put the house back together after our trip.  Kids are in school, my husband is out, the baby is with me and a complete angel, I am so lucky to know this side of parenting, we had a wonderful morning, and he is napping right now, after he wakes up I will take him out to run around.

Never Forget the PAST,
Live in the PRESENT,
Thrive in the FUTURE,
Coach Yulia

ICYMI

I am trying to write my blog early, and getting pounced on, might as well take a picture

No wonder I thought the road sign ICY was an abbreviation for something.  Someone just posted ICYMI and I instantly googled it, apparently it stands for "in case you missed it!"  Aha, for some of you this may be common knowledge, but although I am all about Facebook, some slang I am still learning, but I must have seen it before, and my brain knew it couldn't just be warning of an icy road, it had to mean more.  Just in case you need to figure out what something means, here is a slang translator link, www.noslang.com.

My oldest wants to hang with his father all day, I want to go to a beach celebration not to far away with bubbles and kite making, and its a gorgeous day outside.  Community Yoga class later on tonight, and in between getting the house back together and getting organized for the week ahead.

Sunday Funday,
Yoga and Prenatal Yoga classes starting next week,
Spread the word and get in touch,
Coach Yulia

One Yoga Class

OK, HELP! Those of you that do your own hair, specifically straightening with an iron?
What is the magic product/process, how come at a salon its perfect and when I do it myself its super poofy and frizzy?

Since we left for our road trip, two 16 hour drives and no bed as good as mine, my body and neck was so achy, we got back late Wednesday night, had a busy Thursday, still achy.  I went to my teacher's Yoga class Friday morning, and today I feel good, it is amazing how right after the class I felt this amazing natural high, and then today my body is good.  So happy to be following it up with a hot tub right now with a friend of mine in her home.

How funny I just noticed that in my picture above you see my fridge with pics of my kids, funny what glimpses I give you behind the scenes.

I am tired, still recovering from our adventure, slowly getting back into our routine, and focusing on getting organized for the million things on our to do list.

As I love to say these are all good problems,
Happy Weekend,
Shavua Tov,
Coach Yulia

Past, Present, Future

My baby visited his brother and sister at school 

Where does your mind preside most of the time?

I am so much in the present that sometimes things surprise me or shock me.  I feel blessed to have an unwavering faith and trust that things will turn out OK.  When life throws a turn I get in a place of disbelief, regroup, and go into problem solving zone.  There is no room for fear or second guessing, I just trust my gut and take action.

I took an amazing Yoga class with my 81 year old teacher today, and he said something amazing.

When you always think of the past it can lead to depression.
When you always think of the future it can lead to tension and anxiety.

My husband's father passed away over a year ago, during certain Jewish holidays children have a special prayer remembering their parents.  Recently there was a shock in the Jewish community of a mother of eight passing away in her sleep.  Her husband wrote the following description of this special prayer that his kids must now say.

Yizkor

The next major step in my journey was explaining to the children what Yizkor is and they would need to attend.....alone.

Yizkor is a memorial prayer that is said on the holidays, four times a year, in which the soul of departed loves ones is invoked and prayers are said for their memory.

It is a place where there should theoretically only be adults in attendance, but sometimes sadly their are small children as well mourinng the loss of a young parent.

The tradition is that one that is blessed to have two living parents does not say the Yizkor prayer and doesn’t even stay in the room when Yizkor is said.

My task became to encourage my children to be brave enough to not only be inside for Yizkor but do so without their father at their side supporting them because he is blessed to have two living and great parents.

I had decided that the oldest six children (ages 7-14) would attend, but the youngest two (ages 2 & 4) would not. So when I discussed and prepped the children for Yizkor I never discussed even one word with the youngest two.

The last day of Passover arrives and the children are making their way to the Synagogue for general prayers and for Yizkor. I had gone earlier because my job includes leading services when they begin and so the kids were coming with their visiting relatives.

The youngest two were also on their way to Synagogue totally oblivious to the deep emotional senses myself and the other children were experiencing.......or so we thought.

On the way to Shul (Synagogue) my four year old turns to his aunt that was walking him and says: “When we get to Shul please leave me with Gideon (a neighbor and fellow worshipper) because he also doesn’t have a parent”

Whether it seems so or not kids hear and internalize everything …. Especially the little ones.

A lesson for all in education and child rearing.

Shabbat Shalom

I find this very touching and inspiring that we must remember but also keep living our life, honoring our loved ones by being good people and doing good deeds.  There is a time and place for grieving and mourning for all circumstances of our past, and then marching on shining our bright light.

That was a thought about dealing with the past, and now this article below is a scary reality of our future.  It is good to be informed, and with personal matters and family matters worry and anticipation are human feelings, but the best thing we can do is be armed with knowledge, keep learning, and then live in the moment, be present to our blessings, be grateful for what we have and who we have in our lives.  The article talks about genetically modified foods, we cannot just stop eating period, just like every other challenge of our life, it is about figuring out the best action in the present moment, not going into panic mode.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/01/09/confirmed-dna-from-genetically-modified-crops-can-be-transfered-to-humans-who-eat-them-2/

When practicing Yoga, the goal is to give your undivided attention to the breath, and when we do that the brain turns off from the rest of the non stop running through it sometimes 24 hours and ruining sleep.

For me Yoga is like a mini Shabbat, but there is nothing like the actual Shabbat, a whole "Day of Rest" off of the world.

Goodbye World,
Just for 24 hours,
Such a recharge from our overstimulated world,
So healthy and makes me feel so balanced,
So rare that we are completely present,
Especially with family, friends, and community with no distractions,
I don't know how I would function without it,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

ICY

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see ICY?

We were driving down the 15 highway from Las Vegas headed to Los Angeles, and when I saw that sign I started wondering what is it an acronym or slang for, what does it mean.  I started to ask my husband what it stood for and then realized it was just a road sign and started cracking up.

In our world of abbreviations that I am totally clueless to, it cracks me up how our brain sometimes thinks in a completely different way than what is right in front of our face. I see these all the time, iso, fml, smh, some of them are not so kosher, so google it.

So let's have some fun, I realized the road sign before I could start imagining what it stood for.  I guess it did not register right away as well because it was a gorgeous sunny day, and we were 12 hours into our drive, four more to go, and I was delusional.

Hmmm.

I See You

If  Canaries Yodeled

Incredible Corridor Yonder

Instant Crossing Yield!

Indigo Corduroy Yarmulka (little head cover that Jewish boys and men wear)

Isometrics Calisthenics Yoga

Iconic Coach Yulia :)

R.O.A.D

Roaming

Outdoors

Adventure

Diversity

On our long drive my poetic side comes out as I glance at the gorgeous mountain ranges of Colorado and Utah. I also have a special fondness for acronyms, and since I love the road I figured, why not think about what it represents to me.

I have always lived in big cities and love to be surrounded by different cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds.  In my opinion it makes everything more fun and interesting, and I love to meet new people and go to new places.  Definitely as my kids get older we will be able to have more extravagant roaming, outdoor adventures enjoying the diversity J

It is amazing when driving through a region where there are barely any towns and it is just nature.  It is interesting to me that at first its beautiful, but then it becomes monotonous, and then there is a spectacular view, and it takes our breath away.  What I love is that some of the views you just see mountains and sky, and my kids mistook it for the ocean, I enjoy children’s interpretations of the world.

So far the drive back is even better than the drive to Denver, kids are doing great, and my husband is enjoying the road, and I just love observing the whole experience.

Busy day tomorrow,

Love my non stop life,

So glad we got away,

Ready to jump in head first into my life,

Coach Yulia

A classic American family on the road, my baby is playing with his new alphabet talking dog that his Safta, grandma in Hebrew, my husband's mom got him.  I am on my phone and now wifi hotspot on my laptop.  The kids were watching a movie on my laptop right before I got it, and my husband is driving and has the rest of his attention on the radio.  Sometimes technology is a good thing, especially on a 16 hour drive!

One More Night

A few days ago in the dining room right by the window and a beautiful sunrise, the cat was playing with the shadow of my hair on the wall, so I took a picture with my phone, which you can see if you look close, do you see the cat?

The kids and I are all ready to get back to our routines, they will be missing one day of school tomorrow.  I am not sure why they didn’t give tomorrow off, many families go away for Passover, and since it ends late Tuesday night, won’t be able to travel until the next morning, and we are driving our 16 hour shift.

Overall it has been an amazing trip celebrating the holiday and visiting family and friends.  We are loading everything in our car, heading out at 6am, and I am honestly looking forward to the drive home.

I am feeling good tired, almost done, going to bed soon, the house looks like how we got it, and everything is ready to go.  My husband already went shopping for everything not allowed on Passover. We got bagels, cookies, pretzels, you name it, we will be munching on it on our road trip.

Excited to get home and focus on the future, work, schools for kids, and spending as much quality time together as possible.  I personally cannot wait for them to be in school 9am-4pm, but I am happy they will have wonderful memories of our adventure.  Today we spent the day in the synagogue, my husband remembers his father today in a group prayer, the kids had a blast with the organized play group, and I enjoyed myself knowing it was the last day.

One More Night,

Coach Yulia

Wild Animals

Hanging with my aunt and her doggie on her porch

Everywhere we go in this town people have pets, recently all of my kids have started to get comfortable and calm with pets.  For me personally pets are another thing to take care of, I have a hard enough time keeping up with myself let alone my kids.  Our neighbor has a dog that my kids know and my hairdresser has quite a few dogs, every time I go and bring the kids they enjoy each others company.  For some reason my oldest would run in the other direction from any animal when he was younger up until maybe 6 months ago, then he started giving a hand to dogs, and being more courageous around animals of all shapes and sizes.  The dog that lives in the house next door to my sister in law is a Great Dane, now I have to tell my son to ask the owner before approaching any animal, not just run up and touch, it might scare them.

My daughter loves to grab my camera, so I should thank her for the picture of the cat that we are house sitting.  We don’t know the cat’s name or sex, I have just realized I have not tried to look, so we call it kitty. We also don’t know the cat’s age, but I think it is a young one because it loves to play with the cat toys, and my kids particularly love one that is a stick with some string and a bell on the end.

The Wild Animals title of this post refers to my children and human beings in general.  We all have an animal side.  My sweet baby that is the kindest and happiest boy ever, repeatedly grabs the poor cats tail.  We keep on telling him no my daughter is on the lookout, once I was sitting right next to both of them he started sweetly petting the cat then sneakily walked around to go behind him, the cat’s tail was tucked in, and had to reach in and grab it.  Thank God the cat has not attacked or scratched, maybe it is a chill cat or is used to the wild kids of the house.

I feel like when buttons are pushed our animal side pops out, and it pops out in many other scenarios.  Definitely there is one inside me, oh yes do my husband and kids see it.  Most of the world sees the calm Yoga instructor and Doula, and when I am doing my life’s work, I get into a peaceful zone, and enjoy the energy exchange.  With family it is 100% unconditional giving, so the well runs dry, the patience is thin, the sleep is scarce, and our instincts take over I suppose.

Balance is my savior,

My sanity,

My recharge,

Find your space or place where you can balance the intense, non stop, 

and challenging factors of your life,

Then go back and deal,

Persevere,

Transform,

Weather the storm,

Because all storms will pass,

And for my California folk, so will the earthquakes,

So why worry in advance,

Be prepared,

Be present,

Live,

Let the wild animal out once in a while in a safe, holy, meaningful, and appropriate place,

Coach Yulia

Vacation from the Vacation

Matza Pizza for the kids, it was YUM!

These are facts, they are not complaints, they are just my reality while on any vacation.  Usually the sleep is not as good as my own bed and at home for many reasons.  Besides the bed, there are a million things we want to do, so even during the holiday time when we do not drive, spending all day with family and friends, long days, it is all good stuff, the food is delicious, the conversation is thought provoking, but it is all exhausting.  Also our baby ends up in our bed no matter what we do, and last morning I hear a cry outside of my room, and of course the bed I chose was the smallest bed in the house but the most comfortable, with the big baby taking up most of the room, not so comfortable.

As I remind myself every moment, these are all good problems.  I was reading a book today about a girl that found something to be “glad” about in every situation, she inspired the whole town to change their perspective.   Everything in our reality is about our perspective, I figure life is challenging enough, might as well look at the positive side.

We all crave fun, change, excitement, I think no matter how good life is, even a wonderful routine, project, or career needs a break once in a while.  I like to say if we don’t take a break we will break, somehow, maybe physically or mentally from stress.

After a good break, when you feel satisfied, when you are ready to come home and jump back into your own life, that is the best feeling.

Excited to have a few days here,

So ready for our long drive home,

Miss my Yoga and Doula clients,

Adore my community,

Kids are ready to go back to school,

I definitely need a vacation from the vacation,

What I mean is in my own routine I could include rest,

Nowhere to be, nothing to do, just recharge time for me,

And Yoga for me with my amazing teacher,

Yes its been nice but I am ready to be home,

See you soon LA friends,

Coach Yulia

There is no place like home

We visited a wonderful friend with her adorable twins

It is amazing how with family we know that no matter how we act, we will be there for each other, they will put up with us, they see every side of our personality.  However with friends it is just nice, easy, and usually a great time.  I suppose even with friends that have known each other forever there is an understanding that the connection will always be there, but if life takes you in another direction, there are no expectations, just happy memories and hopes to get together again.  With family on the other hand, you love them, but you do not always like them, and that is OK too.

I have always enjoyed an environment that is genuine, where everyone could just be themselves, but what if certain personalities clash for whatever reason, I suppose that is the game of life.

In my single life I easily walked away from jobs, people, and places, it was a good time but never a permanent connection.  Once something didn’t suit me, I was done, excited to move on, excited for change and new adventures and possibilities.  I get excited about the unknown, trusting my gut to lead me where I need to be.  Sometimes maybe the head or the heart take over, and there is a realization that it is not the right fit, and the search continues.

Marriage and children are for life, they are family, they are unconditional love and a permanent state of being.  There is a comfort in knowing that home is a rock, but for some people it may also feel stifling.  I feel blessed that all of my wild adventures that I jumped into eyes wide open ready to experience the moment and never regret anything have left me with a feeling of been there, done that and in complete appreciation of my life today.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

Now the adventures are as a family, and luckily my kids are excited to be along for the ride, my husband needs a little more convincing, but usually goes along and even enjoys himself.  We are running around town today and then getting ready for a peaceful Shabbat with our family.  I have really enjoyed Denver, but there is no place like home, excited and ready to get back to my LA family, routine, work, life.  Sometimes it is important to get out of it in order to get into it.

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia

Picture Day Inevitabilities

All of us have a scratch, bump, or bruise somewhere on our face, it seems like it always happens right before picture day.  I need to cut my baby’s nails today, my husband and I got some prominent love scratches on the side of the nose and I got another one on the nose, ouch!

Before we left Los Angeles, my kids were horsing around and my baby tries to keep up with the other two, I was not home so I did not see exactly what happened, but the side of his mouth was cut open, and the inside was so bad that the doctor said it is OK but it will look ugly while healing.

My daughter was fine until we got into Denver and went to a playground, she bumped right into a version of a tire swing, smack in the middle of her bottom lip.  My oldest definitely got my klutziness, while running around in the cousin’s house he just bumped into a wall, with the side of his face!

This is the first time in a long time all of my husband’s family is together, we have our pictures in a couple of hours, and however it turns out I am excited to document the moment.

Later on today we are visiting a friend that I know from my childhood in Denver, she recently had twin girls, they are almost 8 months now, so excited to see her new busy life and her little princesses.

I love to visit people more than places, sure there are many places I still want to go, and African Safari, all over South America, and hopefully Australia someday.  Especially since I had kids, I want the cousins to know each other, and our families and friends all over the world to keep reconnecting.  After all what makes our lives rich on this earth are our relationships, and then we can enjoy the nature and scenery together.

Coach Yulia

Passover is 8 days long

I forgot to mention that I would not be blogging yesterday, everywhere else except Israel Passover is 8 days.  We have two nights and two days where we step off of the world similar to the Day of rest.  It has been wonderful, the table was full of people from all over the world.  My kids enjoyed it as well, we are so blessed to be staying in a beautiful home, my sister in law's neighbors went away for Passover, and she arranged for us to stay in their home.  They have kids so the toys are awesome, the kids are having a blast with their cousins and other friends and when we are in the home we are staying in, they are enjoying all the different toys.

My brother in law is dating a wonderful girl that he brought to meet all of the family, she is staying with us, she is amazing with our kids and we are all enjoying getting to know her.  They are leaving in a couple of days and spending the rest of Passover in Los Angeles, we are staying for another week.

I am so happy we took this road trip, it is so nice to be in another place with family and just have time to hang out and enjoy each other.

We are happy for the next couple of days we are able to drive around and visit friends and then we have a wonderful Shabbat and the last day of Passover with our family.  Today was my sister in law's birthday, we had an amazing barbecue, great conversation, and she gave me a wonderful blessing, saying that my husband should listen to me all the time, YES!

Coach Yulia

Signature Denver Passover

It's 40 degrees, the sun is warm, my son is holding snow and the tables are covered like a blanket.  We are at my sister in law's home, she is having twenty guests, her husband's family is a Cohen, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_(surname) from Morocco, it is going to be a fun and interesting Seder, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder.

Three of their guests were driving yesterday from Louisiana, their Uhaul that they were driving slid on the road and flipped over, it is still in the snow.  Miraculously they all walked away, at the motel right next door they met a fellow Jew who was driving to Denver and had room for them.

Recently there was sad news about a shooting of a Jewish community in Kansas,
http://www.kshb.com/news/region-kansas/overland-park/suspect-in-jewish-community-shootings-identified.  A friend of mine wrote that her sister usually took her kids swimming there but that day had a feeling not to go.  I am always amazed at how life happens, and those are big things.  On a small scale while I was driving around with my mother in law today I kept on going in the wrong direction and had to ask where I was multiple times, but it led us to some yummy doughnuts for the kids, our last Chometz, any type of grain or leavened bread, we will not be eating it for the 8 days.  The kids know no pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, and any type of bread.  Kids favorite foods of course, but it is amazing how they understand it, they learn it in school.  We are honoring and celebrating the Jewish people who were slaves and Egypt and when finally freed, they didn't have time to wait for the bread to rise, therefore we eat matzo.  I love how it is compared to the ego, when the Jews left Egypt just like the bread didn't rise, there was no ego just gratitude, hope, faith, and trust.

I just read that this holiday is also called the holiday of Matzot, and in Hebrew Mitzvot is spelled exactly the same, so it is the holiday of following the specific laws and doing good deeds. 

Anyway back to my day, so from all the running around I also stopped into a store to book a family photo and the guy handed me a 50% coupon!  My mother in law got all my kids a gift they chose, and me my favorite face moisturizer.

My aunt that lives in Denver is joining us tonight for the holiday, my husband is helping his sister cook up a storm, he has been in the kitchen all day, my job is to get the kids out of the way, now its nap time before getting ready.

Happy Passover,
Chag Sameach,
Coach Yulia

It doesn't feel cold

When we arrived in Denver it was in the 70's and today it snowed all day, but it is pleasant, beautiful, and a nice change from the usual.  My skin is really dry, all of our lips are chapped, but besides that the kids are enjoying it, really their first time being old enough to really understand it and appreciate snow. This was when it was still light, you cannot really see it on our car, but now it is white everywhere.

Today was a wonderful day connecting with friends for a homemade brunch, our husbands did all the cooking, pancakes, eggs, potatoes, fruit, it was delicious and made with love, while our kids played and had fun together.  Then we headed to my aunts house, and just relaxed, she was the person that invited us to live in Denver when we let Russia for good in January 1980.  I grew up here from 7-14 years old and I remember walking to school in the snow.  I made some lifetime friends here, and feel so blessed to be so close and connected as happy and healthy adults.

The rest of the family flew in today, we had pizza together for dinner, getting in all the bread products we can before Passover begins tomorrow night.

For my Jewish women out there, I really appreciate our community and services for Jewish women in Los Angeles, we have it good girls, it is just not the same here, but I was grateful that it exists, but wow, we have it good in LA.

Looking forward to family fun tomorrow, a mani and pedi, a nice day with my friend visiting from Miami, and getting ready for the first Seder, Passover meal, story, and celebration tomorrow night.

So happy that we are here,
Coach Yulia

Rest then Play

Just got home from a fun night out with my childhood friends, got my red lipstick on, we met a a really cool place full of healthy and nice looking people.  My friends tell me that everyone in Denver looks like this, it is a very outdoorsy, fit, and healthy place, and its people of all ages.

I have m laptop and my webcam is a little grainy, I have been enjoying the moment and have not taken many pictures.  We had a beautiful Shabbat with our family, the cousins played together non stop.  We had guests for lunch today that were fun and great conversation, we will be seeing them again during Passover.

So happy that we are here, tomorrow morning we are visiting friends and family all day,and then my brother in law and mother in law fly in, so excited to have my whole husband's side of the family together.

It was nice to be out, I haven't been out in a while, my friends look amazing, and I am happy that from our high school years we have all found wonderful husbands, have beautiful families, and are doing great, and also look young and fabulous of course.  I feel like we all still live on the same block in Miami, it is so fun to see good friends, it really does feel like no time has passed, and the conversation never ends.

Looking forward for our full day of fun tomorrow,
Good Night,
Coach Yulia

You just keep going

Cousins

Obstacles, problems, challenges, injuries, you name it, especially with kids it keeps on happening.  The day before we got on the road we had a doctor's appointment for the baby to check the fluid in his ears, I just came back from teaching a class and there was chaos in my home.  The baby was chasing the kids around and bumped into a table busted his lip inside and out, a lot of blood.  I grabbed him and headed to our appointment, I knew the doctor would tell me if it was minor or not.  Luckily it looked worse that it was, she cleaned it up, taped it up, and we moved on along.

Thursday morning we got up at 4am to load up the car, woke up the kids at 5am, it was quite smooth, the road was clear, when the whining happened I would pop in a video into my laptop and they would be good for a while.  The baby slept a couple of times, the hardest part was at the end, it was dark, everyone was tired and uncomfortable, I should of took a picture of the car, I don't know how we all fit, we took produce for all the Passover meals, plus our bags, and of course I had to bring books and activities.

We all had a good night's sleep, the kids woke up bright and early as usual, had fun playing with their cousins. I took them to a park, and that is the picture you see above, as soon as we got there, while trying to get onto that tire swing my daughter busted her lip, luckily she barely cried and continued playing, she is a tough cookie.  My baby just pooped before we left the house so we cleaned him up and I decided not to take wipes and diapers, so I had to ask some nice ladies at the park for some wipes or tissues to clean her up.  My oldest needed to go number two, the bathrooms were lucked, there was a disgusting portable bathroom nearby, luckily he was able to hold it until later.

I figured the kids needed to run around after the 16 hours on our tushies.

Soooooooooooooooo ready for Shabbat,
Excited for Pesach,
We are so happy to be with family,
Things happen,
Deal,
Move on,
Have Fun,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

16 Hours - No WiFi

Good Morning, sorry for the delay, I wrote the blog but had no wifi and we go in past midnight, I was done :)

I love travel, I love adventure, I love the road and I am lucky that I married a trucker.  My husband in most cases would rather be home, I am the one that runs the kids around Los Angeles and I enjoy it, but lucky for me he loves the road as much as I do.  We have taken two RV trips cross country and multiple road trips, yes we go nuts, but as I love to say, otherwise we would be bored. 

We planned to leave at 6am this morning, ended up leaving 6:30, not bad, so far it’s a smooth drive, the kids had minimal whining, we are handling it.  I brough my laptop with a few movies on it, it is plugged into our car, we are all squeezed in,bringing a lot of stuff to Denver, on the way back we will have an almost empty car.

I am going to keep writing throughout the day, we are almost 3 hours into it, excited for the adventure, I need my positive view to stay sane, keep peace, and try to have as much fun as we can.

It’s almost 2pm, on the road for 7 hours, we already switched our clock for Mountain time, so it’s one hour ahead almost 3pm in our car.  Not bad at all, we got pizza in Vegas, not too much chaos in the car, a little whining here and there, but we are figuring it out, even the baby is being quite clear.  We woke up the kids at 5am, so the baby fell asleep for most of the first part of the drive, and now after lunch my daughter is taking a nice nap hopefully for a while.  We are almost half way there, making great time and having a smooth ride so far, Thank God.

It’s 5pm mountain time, we will probably get to Denver around 10:30pm, baby slept again for a bit, now everybody is up, kids just watched a movie, all are calm for the moment, baby just pooped gotta go!

So we have made an extra bathroom stop for each kids, baby didn’t poop, but needed a change.   My energy is running low,  the kids are asking “are we there yet?”

I will post when I get connection on the computer, I am done.

God Willing we will get there before midnight,

Coach  Yulia

Separation

As I keep learning about Judaism, I feel blessed that my husband, children, and community are part of my life, and I love the way our ancestors lived is how we live.  Although I am Jewish by both parents during communism in the Soviet Union it was not a religion it was a nationality.  My parents knew some things because of their grandparents, but in their daily lives there really was no way of practicing.  They chose to leave Russia so we would no our roots and could live openly and I am forever grateful for their risk, sacrifice, and example.

I love to learn the deeper meaning of everything, and that is what Jewish learning is about, there are so many layers and for children it is simple and like a storybook of Jewish history.  Every year as we hear the same stories we learn a little more, and now as an adult I feel like I learn something new every time.

One of the main themes in Judaism is separation, and one that is very clear is the Day of Rest, every other day we go, go, go and on Saturday we stop, feel grateful for what we have, appreciate and enjoy our family and community, dress nice, eat, have guests, it is such a pleasure to do it every week, the kids look forward to the fun, and I look forward to a day off of the world.

There are so many others, dressing a certain way, between husband and wife, and during the holidays it is important do follow what our ancestors have done to never forget the history and how we stay strong through hard times by sticking to traditions and sticking together.

My kids are excited for the Matza, and I love how we will spend it with family and friends, every year they understand the holiday and customs a little more, and I enjoy learning from them as well.

We drive tomorrow,
Excited for the Separation from routine,
Chag Sameach
Happy Passover,
Coach Yulia

Having fun at a park near the museums, we took the metro, just that is simple and fun, I love simple and fun

Kvetching is Healthy Sometimes :)

Me and the kids had our hair done before Passover, Young Again!

We are one of the lucky ones leaving town for Passover, so even though we are cleaning our house, it is not as intense if we would have stayed here for the holiday.  That actually makes me a little lazy and my last minute self just wants to throw everything in the car and figure it out when we get there, luckily we don't need much, and don't they say that last minute stuff fuels energy and creativity? Add our 80 plus heat and Santa Ana winds, I just want to take a nap, oh yeah, I haven't slept the last few nights, baby under the weather.

Everything is great, all of my kvetching is all good stuff, we are so blessed, first world problems.

¹kvetch

 intransitive verb \ˈkvech, ˈkfech\

: to complain often or constantly

Full Definition of KVETCH

:  to complain habitually :  gripe

— kvetch·er noun

Examples of KVETCH

1. They're always kvetching about something.
2. <a chronically resentful person who seems to look for things to kvetch about>

Origin of KVETCH

Yiddish kvetshn, literally, to squeeze, pinch, from Middle High German quetschen

First Known Use: circa 1952

Happy Cleaning My Jewish Friends,
Coach Yulia

So much to do before PESACH

This whole week  Jews all over the world are preparing for Passover, we are all deep cleaning our homes getting rid of every crumb.  The kids are learning in school how we are not allowed to eat bread, pizza, pasta, cookies and any grains, they know we are going to eat Matza with chocolate, cream cheese, and even make matza pizza.

Eli Tzvi did the rock climbing wall, and Ziona Sofia joined him in archery, the baby loved running free

All over town the events are themed for Passover, but also camps all over Los Angeles want to invite families to take a peek at what they do, amazing events with all kinds of activities, our Sundays have been so fun, here is a peek at yesterday's fun above, and below at another event face painting and drums.

Today is the kids last day of school, I took the baby to his last mommy and me, you can see all the mom's are happy to squeeze it in but then are ready to run to get back to getting Passover ready.  The baby is napping, hopefully he will wake up soon I am taking him to the chiropractor and am excited to get him healthy for good, no more treating symptoms.

Have a great week everybody,
So excited for our Spring/Pesach Break,
Ready for our long road trip,
Yesterday our first event was in Malibu it was over an hour drive,
I told the kids Denver would be longer,
We enjoyed the ocean and the mountains,
I told them we would have snacks and videos,
I think we will be OK,
Coach Yulia

EFFORT

My kids know I blog everyday and love to be in on the picture

My husband says that my kids do not appreciate and many times complain when I run them all over town, encouraging them to experience life, the world, fun, all new and wonderful things.

ef·fort

noun

1. 1.

   a vigorous or determined attempt.
2. 
   

I don't know any other way to operate, with my kids it is just automatic, unconditional, I want to do it all, give it all, the 100% just comes out.

Do I always get appreciation? NO
Do I feel drained?                  YES
Is it worth it?                          YES

I love to try new things, I love to be social, and I love events, my kids love people and they love to go out and do things, and I think for me it is fun as well.  Sometimes when we go to a new place they are at first shy or uncomfortable,. so I have to deal with calming them down, a long conversation, sometimes picking them up, and dragging them there because I know they will have fun once they chill out.  I tell myself to breathe, to stay calm, to be patient, but it is not easy when all I want to say is that I do it all for them and they should be so grateful that I am running around town trying to give them a fun experience, and sometimes I do say that.

So today there is a huge event in Malibu, with a Kosher lunch, all kinds of Passover activities, kids 6 and under free, and then at the JCC near us there is a fun event in the afternoon with a drum circle, the kids really love music, they have my mom's musical genes.

It is early, so they are playing, I am blogging, my husband is doing his weekly clean and detail of our cars, and then he will help me get the kids ready, he goes on his errands, and we are off to a day of FUN, whether they like it or not!

Coach Yulia

Hanging with my Hottie

Thank God my older kids listen and are ready for bedtime, my little rock star is hanging out with either myself or my husband until the wee hours.  We had such a fun day, we first went to a different synagogue that was quite a walk away to see some of my older son's school friends and play, then walked to join my husband for a huge lunch in honor of an amazing woman in our community celebrating and being grateful for her health.

For some reason my baby starts getting super fussy, maybe it is the terrible two's but I really think it has something to do with his ears.  On Monday I am taking him to a chiropractor, so many mom's have told me that once they are adjusted, everything drains properly, no need for antibiotics, we are on our third round, and the doctor told me next appointment would be a specialist.  It is annoying because I have been blessed not to have to deal with ear infections, all my kids maybe had two their whole life, and the baby does not have chronic ear infections, but when he has a cold it develops into an ear infection and this is the third time. He has had this since end of January, we flew to my family in Atlanta, and he screamed for the first few days, I took him to the doctor right before, she said something was developing so she gave us an antibiotic, now over three months later he still has fluid.  Many mom's tell me as soon as they see their baby touch their ears and get fussy they go straight to the chiropractor, I am so happy we are going on Monday.

Next week the kids have only one day of school, then we leave a few days after that for our Passover vacation, so excited, so the kids and I are getting our hair done, me color, Eli Tzvi haircut, Ziona Sofia trim, and the baby we don't touch until next year according to our tradition, so excited to see how his hair will grow this year until he is three.

Tomorrow there are some fun events around town, the weather is gorgeous, and I feel ready to break the routine, even though I love it, I think it makes you love and appreciate things more when you take a trip, it is so nice to come back home.  We are driving to Denver, my husband used to be a trucker, we leave super early in the morning and get there right before bedtime.  I am ready, computer, DVDs, snacks, we will get pizza somewhere on the way, the kids are enjoying the road as much as we are, I hope that will be true on our long ride there and back.

I am always hopeful,
Always looking at the positive,
Excited to Explore,
To have an Adventure,
Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world,
I definitely have it, and I think my kids already are so excited for new adventures,
Coach Yulia

The X Factor

I wrote the other day about delving into yourself, figuring out what makes you tick, what are you passionate about, what makes your soul soar.  This amazing video below of a simple woman, with an interesting job, and a beautiful family who has a love and a talent of singing, and gives it a shot.

X fac·tor

noun

informal

1. 1.

   a variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome.

   "the young vote may turn out to be the X factor"
2. 2.

   a noteworthy special talent or quality.

   "there are plenty of luxury cars around, but the S-Type has that special X factor"

There is a show with this name, but I was curious what the definition was, and all of us have a special talent or quality, some of us know it, some of us discover it later in life.  I have a feeling that this special talent or quality leads to fulfillment, being true to yourself, if it is not a career or being the best mom ever, it could be a hobby.  Take the time to find your X factor, because there is only one you, nobody else is like you, your unique energy, talent, gift, and presence is a blessing to this world.  I love when people are searching, it is so beautiful when they find it.  The amazing thing is there does not have to be just one, limitless, infinite, go for it, be yourself, step out of what is comfortable and go for it.

What is special to you?
What do you love to do?
Especially in our world of social media it is relatively easy to share,
What can you share maybe with our significant other, family, or good friends?
Start sharing you, the world wants to listen, the world wants to learn, the world wants to be inspired,
Who are you?
I am ready to rest from it all,
Have a great weekend,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

From Whitney Houston to Guns N' Roses

When I was in Junior High School, probably 15 years old, our project was to pick songs and describe what they were about.  I don't remember many things from my childhood or even adult life, but I will never forget the songs I chose, and it shows that as a Libra I love balance, I love to show both sides, and I have a very diverse taste in music which has expanded since the 1980's new wave and dark wave, into hip hop and electronica, I still love to listen to Hair Nation when I can catch it on Sirius/XM.

It is interesting that the Whitney Houston song is about taking care of yourself, loving yourself, putting yourself first, which is a big theme in my coaching today.  Gun's and Roses is exactly the opposite, it is about excess, addiction, and getting out of control.  The funny thing is that I love to say excess once in a while is moderation, but I have never been drawn to it because Thank God there is nothing better than my natural high.  I really loved the hair metal music back then, I don't really think I knew what all the lyrics meant, I had a very innocent childhood and feel blessed for that, I am trying to do the same for my kids.  There is some crazy stuff online parents, keep an eye on what your kids are doing.

I guess my point in my class presentation what to show two sides, positive and negative, and to be aware how important it is to stay true to yourself and keep checking in with your gut, no matter what is going on around you, take care of you.

Coach Yulia