November 2012

My Small Group's Micah 6:8 Project

(Helping Out With My School's Food Drive)

 The Beginning Of Our Family Service Project

 A Tea Party (Yes, That is my son Asher wearing a dress!)

 Playing Outside on Thanksgiving

(It was  BEAUTIFUL Southern California day!)

 Building a Fort at Aunt Pam's and Uncle Bob's House

Decorating The Christmas Tree



October 2012

A New Project

 Eden's 5th Grade Language Arts Award

 Pumpkin Carving

 The Girls Made T-Shirts At Daycare (So Cute!)

 Halloween

 

September 2012

Final Beach Days

 Astro Camp For Eden

 Anniversary Weekend (15 Years!)

Asher's 2nd Grade Math Award 

 Eden Plays Soccer



Escape Adulthood: I fell off the wagon.

I finally realized it last week.  I had fallen off the wagon.  I had done so well with my recovery, but that was during summer vacation.  I can't even pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but I'm sure it had something to do with going back to work. 

I am, once again, totally suffering from "Adultitis".

*What is Adultitis?Adultitis is a common condition occurring in people between the ages of 21–121, marked by chronic dullness, mild depression, moderate to extremely high stress levels, a general fear of change, and, in some extreme cases, the inability to smile. Patients can appear aimless, discontent, and anxious about many things. Onset can be accelerated by an excess burden of bills, overwhelming responsibilities, or a boring work life. Generally, individuals in this condition are not fun to be around.*
I'm struggling with this big time.  I want to change this.  I want to be experiencing joy moment to moment, instead focusing on my never ending "to-do" list. 

What I'm finding out, though, is that change is hard.  I know that's not some profound new discovery, but it's true. 

I have always been mature for my age.  Through my whole life, I have been called an "old soul".  People complimented me for this, which caused me to see it as a positive personality trait.  Which it can be, much of the time.  Until, of course, you realize that you are turning into a grumpy old man at the ripe old age of 35. 

I have a fabulous life.  My husband is truly the most amazing man I know and my 4 kids (while frustrating at times) are beautiful people: inside and out.  I have an incredibly wonderful family.  My circle of friends know me, like really know me, and they love me and support me anyway.  My job is rewarding and fulfilling; and I have a boss and colleagues I admire and trust. 

And, above all else, I have a God who loves me with a deep, unconditional love that I can't even understand.  He offers me grace when I mess up, love when I don't deserve it, and peace when I stress myself out.  He's always there, with open arms, offering me all of himself, even when I withhold so much from Him.

So, what's my problem then?  I think my biggest mistake is that I take myself, and my tasks WAY TOO seriously.  Life is busy, crazy, and chaotic.  I'm a full-time teacher and mom of four.  The fact is, things are not going to slow down any time soon.  So, it's time for me to get over it.  I can live this crazy life, and enjoy myself while I'm living it.

I need to stop putting fun at the bottom of my to-do list.  I need to give enjoyable activities priority.  The truth is, the laundry, vacuuming, dishes, dinner, paper grading and whatever else I have to do really can wait.  It's time for me to stop following the rule that work must be completed before play can begin.  Honestly, I'm pretty sure that rule doesn't exist anyway.

* All information about adultitis taken from Kim and Jason's blog: http://kimandjason.com/blog/

Road Trip 2012 Memory List

1. Asher- What are those black things?    Us- Those are cows city boy!

2. Flying Red Jacket, Angry Mom and Dad

3. Us- Hey kids, look at that view.     Kids- (in patronizing voices) Oooooooo.  I could live here.

4. Melted red taffy in Josey's hand.

5. Delicious relaxation time reading under the redwoods at the campground in Humboldt.

6. Crazy Long Distance Bicyclists

7. Asher lost his camera, wallet, and jacket.

8. Cute Coffee/Gift Shop in Florence- Got my gift shop fix in 7 minutes.

9. Beautiful Scenery in Northern California

10. On Columbia River Bridge: Josey- I'm freaking out right now.  Eden- Are they working on the bridge right now? That makes me uncomfortable.

11. Korey (once we crossed the Oregon/Washington border)- Good. Now I can pump my own gas.  That's a weird law.

12. Disturbing Names Like: Lost Man's Creek, Dead Man's Cove, Cape Disappointment

13. Korey adding the letter "y" to words to turn them into adjectives: oaky, piney, wetty.

14. Bikini Coffee Bar in Anacortes.....Creepy

15. Listening to Everyone's Beautiful Memories about Mema: My Favorite- She washed Rhonda's feet.

16. Eden skipped a rock into Asher's face.  Trip to ER....not broken....relief.

17. Crazy Day Trip to Canada: a bus, running to the stinky sky train, Asher almost got off the sky train by himself at the wrong stop, we made it to the train station....relief, wait.....not relief.....last call to get on the train and we're not ready.....phew, we mad it.

18. Abby walked to the train door.  It opened automatically.  Anthony- Oh Crap!!

19. Trail Mix + Fruit Bars = Contraband

20. Du Bomp Bomp, Chick Chicka Chicka

21. Bowling Alley Fish and Chips.....Yummy

22. Lots and Lots of Beautiful Views: creeks, rivers, trees, coast.....love, love, love!

23. Korey- I actually like country music.....I secretly listen to it.

24. Eating so Much Crab that it Made me Full

25. Undergrowth- Thick Ferns, Lush Clover, and Washington Wildflowers

26. Trip Music: Fun.- Some Nights

27. Humboldt Gift Shop- Abby fell in love with a big stuffed bear.  She kept pointing at it and saying, "Bear, Bear."

28. Giggling at the parents who were pulled over cleaning up the mess their kids made after getting car sick.  Fast Forward 15 minutes, not giggling anymore as we were the parents cleaning up the mess our car sick baby made!

Rescue Puppy

He keeps things exciting around here!

There's never a dull moment with Asher!

August 2012

Welcome Home David

First Day of School: Eden-5th Grade, Asher-2nd Grade

Camping at South Fork



 



July 2012

Bike Rides

A Trip to the Zoo

Beach Trips (My Favorite!)

 

A Tea Party

 

More Camps: Eden-Surf Camp, Asher- Rock Star Camp

 

Asher's First Concert- Big Time Rush



 

One Amazing Road Trip- More on that Later

 



June 2012

A Visit from The Craigs

A Father's Day Hike

A Father's Day Cabbage Ball Game

Forest Falls

 

Summer Camp: Eden- Sports Camp, Asher- Game Camp

Camping in Green Valley Lake with Friends



 

 





The water reminds me of God.

Whenever I am at the beach, I feel a deep peace and better ability to praise God for who He is.  I can't help but have a reverent attitude as I look out over His creation.  On a recent trip it struck me, I think that water (in it's natural, beautiful state) reminds me of God.  We all need water.  Water keeps up healthy.  Water brings life to the earth (think of lush rain forests).  Water is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking (the ocean and waterfalls).  Water is strong and powerful (it carved the grand canyon).  Water is loud (it's sound drowns out even the loudest noises).  Water is passionate (you know this if you've ever gotten caught under a wave).  Water can be both dangerous, yet amazing and wonderful at all the same time.

I think the quote from C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe says it perfectly.

" 'Course he isn't safe.  But he's good. "

I love this man because....he has a special look just for me.

There is this look he gives me.  It's reserved only for me.  I catch him giving me the look at the most unexpected moments.  Recently, it happened in the kitchen.  And with that look, I know that he is still passionately in love with me, that I am the woman that catches his eye, that to him I am lovely, beautiful, and irresistible.  That look takes my breath away every time I see it. 

Awesome Kid Quotes #11

I had been telling Eden that I wanted the hat he won at surf camp.  He asked me why I wanted it so much.  I said, "Because I think it's cool."
Asher responded with, "Mom, you're too pretty for cool."

Escape Adulthood: Challenge #11

Do something your parents would never let you do as a child.

Captain Crunch....never in my childhood home....NEVER!  If we wanted sweet cereal (Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, etc.), we had to sleep over at a friend's house.  Oh, and trust me, when I had the opportunity to eat sweet cereal at a friend's house, I ate my fill.  I had no shame in eating 2 or 3 bowls.  My friends probably felt sorry for me, the way I gobbled that stuff up.

So, for this challenge, I bought one box of Captain Crunch and we ate it for...wait for it...DINNER!!  Oh my goodness, that was so against all of the healthy eating habits my parents instilled in me as a child.

Sidenote #1: My husband found this box of Captain Crunch (even though I had it hidden) and ate half of it for dinner one night when the kids and I weren't home.  Can you tell that his parents had the same crereal rules as mine?

Sidenote #2: I totally hold the same values now about healthy eating habits as my parents did when I was a kid.  I'm truly grateful for what they taught me, and I am teaching those same habits to my kids.  However, a little splurge now and then is fun, fun, fun.

Challenge ideas take from "The Escape Plan" written by Kim and Jason Kotecki

Awesome Kid Quotes #10

Eden (on the phone with me after his first day of surf camp):
"Mom, I caught my first wave today.  It was a great feeling."

Escape Adulthood: Challenge #10

Create a memory today with someone you care about that will mean a lot ten years from now.

My boys and I spent the day at the beach together.  Just me and them.  This is a HUGE deal because they so often have to share me with their sisters who, because they are younger, usually get more attention from me.  We had a wonderful time.  We rode bikes to the pier, played in the water together, and sat on the towels and talked. It's rare for them to get my undivided attention like this.  It was so fun.  During one of our conversations that day, we were reflecting on all of the things we had done this summer.  I asked them what their favorite things was.  Asher leaned into me and said, "Spending time with you."

I have to say...I agree with him. 

 

Challenge ideas take from "The Escape Plan" written by Kim and Jason Kotecki

Awesome Kid Quotes #9

When Asher was in kindergarten, I received a call from his teacher.  She informed me that he and some other students were saying the phrase, "Kick his a**."  She said that upon further questioning, he admitted to saying that he was going to, "Kick the devil's a**."  She told me that she had to work really hard not to burst out laughing after that comment.  She explained to him that, yes, the devil is a bad guy, but maybe we shouldn't be having these kinds of conversations at school.

Wow!  I do not know where he comes up with this stuff!!

Escape Adulthood: Challenge #9

Do one thing today to support a cause or issue you really care about.

Positive, Nurturing Behavior Management

This is the issue I really care about.  I am passionate about behavior management.  To be honest, I am unlike many teachers I know.  I LIKE getting the students with behavior problems in my class.  Nothing is more exciting to me than to build a relationship with that challenging student, get to know him/her, and find a plan that works.  I love discovering the great qualities in that child and finding an incentive that causes the child to exhibit more of their great qualities over their difficult traits.  I have had the privilege of being part of this process for many students over the years.  Nothing is more amazing to me than to witness a child's behavior to change from negative attention seeking to positive, confident, and self-sufficient. 

Much of what I do in my classroom comes from the book Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser, MA and Jennifer Easley, MA.  After I read this book, I completely changed how I ran my classroom, and my home.  It is amazing, and the techniques definitely produce results.  What's really great is that I can use it with ALL of my students and it allows all of them (both challenging students and "well behaved" students) to feel encouraged, respected, noticed, and built up. 

So, for this challenge, I wrote a thank you note to the authors and sent a donation to The Children's Success Foundation which is devoted to introducing the nurtured heart approach into schools.

Challenge ideas take from "The Escape Plan" written by Kim and Jason Kotecki

Awesome Kid Quotes #8

Asher's kindergarten teacher wrote this on facebook. (He is "other kid")
so I'm telling my class that we are all going to ride the bus to the pumpkin patch this month....
kid: even you? you're gonna ride the bus?
me: yep, i'm gonna ride the bus
kid: don't you have a car?
me: well, yes, I have a car
kid: how come you don't just drive your own car??
other kid answers: because if she was by herself, she wouldn't have anybody to play with!

My boy is so thoughtful and clever.

Escape Adulthood: Challenge #8

Draw a funny picture and hide it in an unexpected place for someone to find.

I drew this and left it in my hubby's car on his last day at work before our vacation.  You see, we are taking a 2 week road trip which will cover 2500 miles of driving, 4 hotels, 4 nights of camping, and a family reunion.  I've been working on the packing for over a week already.  I'm sure he got a kick out of it because it's a pretty good likeness of me (after I have been trying to pack for 6 people).

Challenge ideas take from "The Escape Plan" written by Kim and Jason Kotecki

 

Awesome Kid Quotes #7

When I was pregnant with Abby, Josey put her head on my belly and told me she could hear the baby. I said, "Really, what is the baby saying?" She said, "B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name oh!"

Escape Adulthood: Challenge #7

Spend 15 to 30 minutes doing something you love that you don't often have the chance to do.

I SOOOOO knocked this one out of the park.  Thanks to my wonderful dad and step-mom, I had an afternoon (way more than 15 to 30 minutes) to myself.  I went to Whole Foods to get a delicious lunch and my favorite tea.  Then, I went to the beach alone.....yes, you read that correctly....ALONE.  I rode my bike for a while, then sat in the sand, read, and napped.  It was FABULOUS!

P.S. And I only had to apply sunblock to myself.  Anyone else with kids knows that this is a HUGE deal!
Challenge ideas take from "The Escape Plan" written by Kim and Jason Kotecki

This one is for Meme.

Thank you for the adorable ballet outfits. 

 The girls look so cute in them.