Crafts and Things.......

I attempted to make a yarn wreath several days ago. It was pretty painless, not entirely time-consuming, somewhat relaxing, and easy. I selected some multicolored yarn from the local craft store along with a wreath and got busy. Not bad for my first attempt - I decided to hang it in front of one our windows in the living room.



This weekend, the kids and I are going to attempt to make yarn balls and from what I've read is pretty messy, which is why I thought the kids would enjoy it. I'm pretty excited to give it a stab. We shall see how it all turns out!

The kids also received their annual letter from Father Christmas and keeping track of how well the kids have been behaving. I told the kids a while back that the cameras you see in stores, etc....are called "Santa Cams" and that is how Santa keeps track of every one's behavior throughout the year, when my kids begin to act out, I simply point to one of the cameras, this has been working well and works year round, however, I'm not sure what is going to happen when my children are older, but I suppose by then my kids should know better than to bicker in public.

And speaking of Christmas, last night we were talking about what is on their lists and my little man, looks at me all serious-faced and says, "do you really think Santa will bring me 30 packets of honey" and I said we shall see as I thought, honey, really? (My son has actually requested manuka honey from New Zealand, which may be hard for Santa to acquire)

The kids had their school auction last weekend, we walked away with some tickets to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, a card basket, movie ticket with candy basket, books, and are splitting a lake cabin with some friends for a week.
We made and donated a rain barrel and two wine "tiki" torches with the citronella. The school sent out final numbers of what was raised, but it was just recently updated with proceeds from the bake sale and remaining items that needed to be paid and the money raised was $15, 387 - I think that is pretty impressive for a school our size. Most of the money will be used to help fund another classroom for next year as well as supplies for teachers. It is always a fun time, I helped checking people in this year, but I think I will help with set-up next time.

I'm also reading a book titled, Montessori Madness by Trevor Eissler, I've just started reading it, but so far I enjoy it. I continue to write letters to the Governor's office, but I definitely think we need more public Montessori schools not only in this state, but in the United States or at least there needs to be more choices for parents than what is currently offered. I'm currently on the part about what is going wrong in schools today and it reminds me of the other book I read and have mentioned, The Art of Learning and Forgetting by Frank Smith. Both great reads for parents!

I've also started a new writing project....I won't go into many details as I'm still sketching ideas about, but it is a great start so far.

“Books fall open, you fall in. When you climb out again, you're a bit larger than you used to be." Gregory Maguire

Reflecting on my dad.....

With Veteran's day tomorrow, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my dad and the commitment he made to his country. He served 26 years in the U.S. Navy, something I really didn't appreciate or fully understand till I got older.
Growing up I only looked at it as a job that took my father away for long periods of time, I resented the various moves, I resented that he missed out on holidays or birthdays or father-daughter dances.
When we moved to a state that didn't take him out to sea every six months, it was definitely an adjustment period, who was this man that was now home and why was he trying to tell us what to do, that was mom's job and even then I still didn't realize the commitment one makes when joining the service....it didn't really dawn on me, till my father retired from the Navy and going through his retirement ceremony and I cried only then realizing that perhaps there were times that he didn't want to leave us, but it was his job and regardless of how he felt, he had to go.

As an adult and parent, I realize how lucky I was to have had the opportunities that we had - how happy I felt when we would go to the base and eagerly watch the ships coming into port while the servicemen were all lined up on the ship and I would try to find my dad among all the servicemen. Or when my dad would take me to his office and let me type on his typewriter, or play the one game they had on the computer and the nights we would get to come on the ship and get to eat with him; I can still remember the smell of the ship: metal and diesel fuel, sometimes tar-like. Or the great friendships you would make with the other military families.
Or all the places we got to live and experience - although growing up I absolutely hated moving and the process of having to meet new people, new schools and the one year I changed three schools in a matter of six months and I remember my dad walking me into one of the schools, trying to ease my nerves and hugged me and said it will be okay and all I wanted to do was cry and say, don't leave me here, but I didn't because you adjust...you meet some great people that turn into friends. Looking back it definitely helped shape me into the person I am and I wouldn't be the person I am had it not been for all those experiences. It's not an easy life for anyone involved, but it's life just the same and I want to just say thanks, Dad. Thanks for your service to this country and for giving me the opportunity to be a military brat - I'm proud to be your daughter!
And thanks to all the servicemen past and present....not all appreciate or fully understand the type of commitment it takes, but thank you.



"On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind" - Dan Lipinski

Family Dynamics.....

I debated internally with myself, whether or not I wanted to blog about this, but then I thought, crap, I've blogged about so much other stuff in my life, why not. And perhaps it is because I pretend it doesn't bother me when in reality it does. And thus I don't really want to go into it, because I don't want to stir up anything, so I ignore it, but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to really see the bigger picture.
So, whatever is it that I'm eluding to....the family dynamics of my siblings. My husband has his own issues with his siblings, so I'm not going to get in those, but is it just us or do most siblings have closer relationships with friends besides their own sibling? In my case, I'm definitely closer to a few of my friends than I am with my siblings and do I like it that way? Yes and No. I guess I always felt like at some point things would change and eventually get to there and in some aspects of my life it has, but it has always reverted back to more of a "this person has a presence in my life" rather than "this person is a part of my life."

My sister and I have had our ups and downs and growing up I have always envied her "carefree" demeanor, I'm definitely not that gal in settings I'm not comfortable with....whereas my sister has the "don't care what you think" attitude, but she has always been the more social butterfly and gets more laughs, which I admire. However, I have always felt like I had to compete for her attention and at times I felt she resented me, which drove a wedge even further between us.
And time after time, after something would happen and the more disappointed or hurt I felt, I continued to let it go for the sake of wanting her in my life. I would wait for an apology, I would wait for some closure, only to be told not to live in the past, but yet if her feelings were hurt - then it is okay to bring up the "wrongs" in her life. And most recently after something happened, I thought really? I definitely wouldn't take this from anyone else, why in the hell should I take it...I'm not a doormat and I refuse to be one. So, my sister is not really in my life and I am not a part of hers, am I comfortable with that? No, not really, I would love to have a relationship with my sister who I could call up and hang out with, but I'm tired of continually giving emotionally to someone who I feel doesn't give back or can take responsibility for their actions. And I know that if I were to pretend nothing has happened, things would be great, until the next issue arises and once again it will be my fault. I can't continue to live like that and I won't.

Relationships take work and it is easy to let relationships fall then to work on them and the thing is if I really felt like my sister wanted me a part of her life, I would make more of an effort, but it has to go both ways. And instead I feel like an outsider looking in to her world and I'm not going to apologize for my life, I feel like - I've done so in the past and I've tried, but I don't get the impression that she cares one way or the other.

I feel for my children because I don't want them to have this type of dysfunctional relationship with their sibling, at times I wonder what example am I setting for them...I can't rely on my brother, I can't rely on my sister, there is no relationship there and then we have no relationship with my husbands siblings. It's like seriously, these are siblings and my children look at our close friends as aunties/uncles more so than the real ones....what kind of picture is that, but again the relationship with those friendship is that we work on being a part of that person's life.
My little man is taking piano and he said to his piano teacher, how a close family friend's daughter (who is also taking piano) was his cousin. The piano teacher asked if we were family and I laughed and said no, but we see each other that enough that the kids feel like family.
I don't expect a perfect family, but to feel like I could count on my sibling would be enough.

"The most powerful ties are the ones to the people who gave us birth it hardly seems to matter how many years have passed, how many betrayals there may have been, how much misery in the family: We remain connected, even against our wills." - A.Brandt

30 Days of Gratitude

Well we are already into the first week of November, we've been trying to talk about all the things that we are grateful before bedtime. It is always interesting to hear what the kids have to share, such as...my books, my family, my bed, candy, the animals, etc...
I am thinking of making some Thanksgiving and Christmas questions that we can take turns asking/answering during dinner time. The dollar store has some foam craft stuff that I think we can use to decorate and write the questions on - I also have a box that they kids can decorate and I know they will enjoy it.
I've signed the whole family up for the Miracle of the Bell campaign through the Salvation Army, so yes, we will be out there ringing those bells - the kids are pretty excited as they had so much fun last year ringing the bells.
The husband was away this week - I don't mind when he is away, but sometimes it gets old. The kids are always well-behaved, but they miss him terribly - well we all miss him. It feels like he has been traveling more, but I really don't know it that is the case or if I just notice it more, but it is what it is. I just try to enjoy and soak it in when he is home (when he is not wrapped up into all the home projects).
I've also found a new holiday DIY project that I'm excited to try, so I'll post pictures if I start and finish it :)

"Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. " E. Caddy

Yummy Fall Treat

I saw this recipe in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try. I added my own variation to the recipe and I think they turned out delish, well and also from those who tried them. So here it is:

Caramel Apple Muffins
1. Take your favorite batch of apple muffins and make them as stated (I used the Jiffy Apple Muffin Mix), let them cool.
2. Use an electric mixer to blend 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Add food coloring (I used 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red).
3. Frost each muffin and coat or edge with chopped nuts (I used brown sugar and rolled oats mixture) and drizzle caramel over the muffins.

Moving along....

Well it's been some time since my last post. I have no excuse other than life is moving along, sometimes faster than I actually think I realize. Work is busy, the kids activities are keeping them (and me) busy and we've been rebuilding the shed and chicken coop from the fire and decided to add a little green house as well. Then before I realize it, weeks have past.
My little man has started karate and he tested for his white with yellow stripe belt, seeing how proud he was when they called his name was the best. He is gaining so much mo self-confidence since he's been attending.
I also watched a documentary, titled The Human Experience. It was a great movie, it is definitely one of those movies that makes you stop and think about life in general. I watched it four times in one week and considering buying it. It is one of those movies you think everyone should watch and as I struggle trying to figure out what my place is in this world, I think it helps put things in perspective. One of the most memorable quotes for me was "by giving yourself, you find yourself," which I think is true. We take moments in our life, both good and bad and we find meaning in them whether it is intended or not, but regardless of what you find, it is your experience and I realize that if I don't try to reach for my dreams than what kind of example am I setting for my children. We tell our children from an early age to reach for the stars and dream big, but then as life moves along and those children grow, we tell them to get a job, take responsibility, and grow up....and thus later in life we find ourselves questioning "life" and what it all means, is it all mundane or is there a bigger piece to the puzzle?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not in anyway indicating that I'm unhappy with my life, in fact I'm quite happy....what I question is there a greater purpose, what is my impact, what am I contributing to the world.
So, I've spent some time trying to figure out, what am I passionate about, what would I do for free if I didn't have to work, and what brings joy to my life. Writing, education, and my children/family is what I kept coming back to.......I have some ideas as far as writing projects and I always start them, but never finish, we shall see if I can overcome my fear of failure and just do it, if not for myself, but at least to show my children that I can.

"But whatever experience we have, whether it is good or whether it's bad, we can always remember it and learn something from it. And it's those moments....when something touches you, something opens up something that you didn't realize before, you feel a longing, you know, that you never felt before." - Makoto Fujimura

Montessori Madness

My sweet pea, the first-grader, has been working on this school project for a few weeks.
Every so often I’d get an update from her:…..“Today, we got to make up our own insect…mine is the “buttercock,” half butterfly and half peacock”…….”I wrote a story about my insect”…………”I made my insect out of clay”…….and this went on, what I noticed was the excitement in her tone, what she was learning about the insects, the details she was including and the smile it brought to her face.
And then the day came when she could barely keep still, waiting patiently as my little man talked about his day until she can no longer stand it and says, “I have to tell you this….we are having an author’s café in my class, you get to come, I can dress up and we tell our stories and then serve you drinks and cookies, I’m really excited, can you come?”

So, we marked it down on her calendar and it was like leading up to a birthday….the day finally arrived and she puts on her best dress and says, do you think I’ll be okay in front of everyone? I nod.
My mum accompanies me to the Author’s café and we are greeted by three third-grade girls in the classroom and told to pick a seat. The teacher explains how the projects got started and thus turned into the Author’s café and then the students begin reading their stories about the insect that they created.
I was impressed by the creativity shown by these children, the details that were included and some made you laugh out loud, it was quite impressive and you could tell each child enjoyed the project, there was a spark in their eyes as they talked about their story and sitting there listening to these children made me appreciate my children’s school, appreciate the spirit that they are instilling into my child. It’s what I love about Montessori, they are creating independent, life long learners.

A few parents have created a committee to work on spreading the word of Montessori, there should be more public Montessori schools, we need to expand our school we have a growing population with less teachers and it is going to bubble – the school has over 500 students on the waiting list, which shows parents want more options and we should have more options than traditional public school settings. Our children continually are taught early on that they "CAN'T," when in all reality they CAN.
If you are unfamiliar with Montessori, here is a great video....take a peak



"We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses." - Maria Montessori