My daughter, Ruchi, is out of town and this picture was taken at bedtime the first night she was gone. It was time for Divya and Kaya to go into their crates where they usually spend the night. But I got the distinct feeling they’d gotten used to sleeping in her bed!
Have you ever been moving through the day and suddenly discovered that something was not as you assumed? How do you react? Do you put things back in their place or improvise with the new information? The first night I put things back in their place. Much to their dismay, it was back to the crates for Divya and Kaya. Because that was at one time part of their routine, there was little protest and the night went smoothly.
The next day I decided to let them sleep in Ruchi’s bed. Because Divya is only 5 months old I decided to sleep in the bed, too, just to make sure all went well throughout the night. It did not. At about 3 am Kaya fell off the bed. I was awakened by a loud thump that included a jingle from her collar. Sleepily I surveyed the situation and Kaya chose to get in her crate rather than back in bed. Fine. I went back to sleep. About an hour later Divya fell off the bed! She wanted to get back in. Since she was small I just reached down and pulled her back up. The rest of the night went unimpeded. If you decide to improvise, be ready for more surprises.
Good luck with your assumptions this week!
Next 2 weeks, no Monday Morning Mojo as Kaya and I will be in the woods of northern New York, off the grid. She better enjoy the soft bed while she can because she’ll be sleeping on the ground with me in a tent for a while!
“Through improvisation, jazz teaches you about yourself. And through swing, it teaches you that other people are individuals too. It teaches you how to coordinate with them.”
– Wynton Marsalis
