8 Things: What I Know for Sure

This latest addition of the '8 Things List' is about one's self.

8 Things I Know About Me!

1. I need creativity in my life. Being in school for the past 6 months took away all my freetime in which I create. Be it sewing, knitting, painting, writing, scrapbooking, decorating, etc. I MUST have this to feel sane!
2. I need to laugh...and laugh hard!
3. I need to be connected to others--I'm so missing my homeschool support group! It's creat to connect with them online from time to time but I can't wait to get back home and involved with them on a daily/weekly basis again. In the interum, I've met a wonderful homeschooling mom here and look forward to getting things together for the fall.
4. I need alone time. I need time to be with myself.
5. I flourish through learning new things. I do this by reading, mostly, but have taken classes and done things online. But also by being with others and making observations.
6. I need a good challenge. Another thing that may fall closely to learning but slightly different in that it can be something very short-term (ie decluttering the house) and has a definitely end time with view of the results/all my effort.
7. I need companionship & intimacy on a regular basis; from talking & sharing to hugging & kissing---I need it all!
8. I am learning how to speak my truth & set boundaries for myself.

Want to join in? Check out Rachelle @ Magpie Girl for more information about 8 Things, the Do Less Revolution and other great things!

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Children's Museum

We spent the morning at a children's museum here. Despite all the crying and fussing the preceeded it and followed it (deep sigh), the children appear to be having a good time. I reminded them as we left that they, in fact, had had fun today! And since I am the first to document our experience in writing, I am the one who gets to frame their memories!(smile)

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Wreck This Journal

I've been wanting to do this since I first saw it posted on another homeschooler's blog but being in school has kept me from getting to a book store to pick it up. Well, late yesterday afternoon I finally located a copy of my very own! I'm so excited!!! I will probably begin in a few minutes, once I get the kids asleep. Then we'll do several pages over the next few days.

Follow this link to Jamie Ridler's blog regarding this. There are a ton of folk participating. You can order the book online or pick it up at a local bookstore if you're interested in participating. It's a cute way to show one's creativity!

I stayed up and did a few of the suggestions:

1. I broke the spine of the book--which was REALLY hard for me as I HATE carrying around a book with a broken spine.

2. I added page numbers to the bottom of all the pages.

3. I burned a good part of the page the asked to be burned! (This was fun as I do enjoy a good burn!)

4. I wrote one word over and over. I chose the word Hope!

5. I poked holes in one page using a pencil.

6. I closed the journal & wrote things on the edges.

I have to say...this was FUN!!!!! We'll see what we'll do tomorrow as I include my kids in all this destructive creativity and reckless abandon!

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Water Play

Our third full day of being on vacation. We had to wait until the heat of the day was past but it was worth the wait! The kids had a blast playing in the sprinkler. We even met the neighbor kids and invited them to join in on the fun!

This was Melvin's first experience playing in the water. Uncle "Fun" made the experience even better! YAY for summer!!

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Book Sharing Monday

Today we're sharing the book entitled: The Color of Us by Karen Katz. It's about a little girl named Lena who is noticing the different shades the people in your life are. In taking a stroll through her neighborhood she notices all the beautiful colors her family and friends are. The names of the colors identified are also names of things we can eat--so it's a delicious sounding book as well!
;-) We liked this book because we found each of our shades in it. I'm sure you will too!

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Snapshot Sunday

We are away from home visiting with my mother. So, here are a few snapshots of our day here with her. We are all enjoying ourselves! ;-)





To join in, contact Sarah at The Napping House.

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Graduation or Between Chapters

I've done it! I'm finished!! YAY!!!!

I've been in school for the past 6 months--evening classes M-Th from 5:30 to 10pm--to become a massage therapist. We decided that we needed some additional income and wanted to find something that would allow for a flexible schedule so that I could remain at home.

I have to say that I never thought about doing this before. I'm an educator and have been in and around education all my life. I looked high and low into all possibilities in education. But as those of you who do this as well know, there is NOTHING part time in education!!

So last December I searched online for any legitimate part time gig that would be worth my time and continue to allow me to be the main one with my children. I stumbled upon massage therapy and immediately started looking into it. In my search I found that there was a accredited school less than 5 minutes from our home here (I could walk there in 10 minutes--and did several days as week). I called and set up an appointment to meet with the school director and view the school itself to see if it'd be a good match for me.

Upon my meeting and touring the school I knew immediately that this was it!!! I've never made a decision this quickly---but I have to say that I knew that this was it!

It's been rather challenging to say the least. I've taken two classes: Anatomy & Physiology (on a level that would compare to a second year college student/pre-med major) and Massage Theory & Practice. I've had to do a lot of practicing and studying. I've learned more than I ever thought I would learn about the human body. I've also learned lots of good techniques and am on my way to becoming an excellent massage therapist.

My husband has been supportive through all of this by encouraging me and by fathering our children while I've been away in the evenings. They have had a wonderful time getting to know their daddy in this way. It's also given him a chance to fully appreciate what I do with them! ;-)

I'm finally at the end. I'm relieved. I'm proud of myself. I'm looking forward to the next part of all of this (starting my own practice). But mostly, I'm glad to be fully back with my children!!

As one chapter closes another begins. I'm starting a new chapter....and looking forward to what it will be about!

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Building, Creating, Playing...with Legos!

I have always enjoyed Legos! Now I'm enjoying watching my children as they build, create, play, de-construct, re-think, design, formulate better ways of building, practicing sharing with their sibs, etc., etc. all with legos. My brother, who is an architect BECAUSE he so thoroughly enjoyed Legos as a child (and was awesome at design and construction), sent Jaya her first set of Legos (DuploBlocks) when she was just under a year old. Now they've graduated to the small bricks and with adult supervision (yeah, they're choking hazards for the little one) we all have a ball putting things together. I'm always amazed at what they the come up with!

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Park Day...FINALLY!!!

Today we went to one of the first playgrounds we found when we arrived in PA. There are rarely any other kids here, when we've been at least, so my kids think it's their own personal playground. They've updated the wood chips with recycled tires--which have a really nice "cushion-y" feel. It did take a while to get used to walking/running of them.

As you can see, the kids had a nice time! My mother, who is in town visiting, enjoyed watching them too. I was just glad to be able to get out with them. We've been in for so long due to all the rain we've gotten in the past several weeks!

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