In Search of Balance

Kiwi Loco Fun SOLS

2012-02-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

After picking up our fruits and vegetables from our weekly co-op, the girls and I headed for a Saturday snack. Only this time, we weren't going to our regular smoothies for the girls and chai latte for me. Instead we were headed to Kiwi Loco, the newly opened self-serve frozen yogurt in our community.

Once inside the girls were thrilled to see all of the options, options, options. I had already gone with a co-worker the day before and decided to stick to one flavor of frozen yogurt and two toppings.

The girls had a different strategy though, adding a little of this and a little of that. As we sat down at our table, Diana took her first bite and made a face. Luckily I already had my camera up to capture the moment. Right before clicking, I asked her if she liked it. Based on her expression, I expected her to say no, but instead she gave me a thumbs up. "It's really good," she said, as soon as she swallowed.

Today after school, I met the girls and Manuel at Kiwi Loco for quick trip before commuting to classes. The girls just could not wait until the weekend to show Papi how it all worked. I thought they might have decided to go with a more simple mixture this time, but no, they still had multiple flavors and toppings. And their dad's looked much more like theirs than mine! Maybe I will be the only one in the family lacking creativity when it comes to our trips to Kiwi Loco.

Peace and Quiet

2012-01-31T18:25:00.002-07:00

I came back from lunch and logged back in to my computer on a mission to complete some tasks on my to-do list. The office was unusually quiet, with just one other person in for most of the afternoon. Stomach full and in the right frame of mind, I efficiently worked my way through some of my tasks.

And when the time did quickly approach to shift gears and head out the door in order to stop by the gas station on the way to class, I re-evaluated what I still had to do and shifted tasks to appropriate days.

A calm quiet afternoon. A lot to do, but an absence of panic and distractions. Some peace and quiet to be productive. What a great Tuesday afternoon!

Project Life - What Really Matters

2012-01-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Before I posted about how I would be working on three Project Life albums this year - one to focus on myself and one for each of my daughters. Almost a full month into the process now, I have been loving the experience and learning a great deal. I have noticed that it is true - you can't document everything. However, I am excited about the little moments that I was not capturing with my previous scrapbooks. Every once in a while I would put ephemera in my writer's notebooks, but I would not do so consistently. This year I am holding on to everyday artifacts and love seeing how they show up in my albums.

The girls have also been loving the process. I ended up switching over to putting together the albums on Sundays so that the previous week was complete; however, I also notice that this mixes me up at times. Last week when we put my 8 year old's layout together, we focused on an event from Sunday. Since I caught it, I am debating whether I will flip the cards over and write something else from the week prior OR I will do as some others have mentioned and realize that from time to time it is okay if it is a little bit off.

One of my big surprises about the processes is that the girls don't just want to focus about themselves in their albums. As we scroll through the pictures on my computer from the week, I was initially surprised that they were choosing pictures of their dad or each other, rather than just pictures including themselves. However, it did not take me long to realize why this was the case. Even though I started out the year saying I was going to have my own album to focus on me, from the first weeks I realized that in order to capture my life, it would entail me as a woman, me as a mom, me as a daughter, me as a teacher, me as a wife... I realized that they were the same. Even if the picture did not really directly relate to them, such as a picture showing a sister doing something funny, it relates to their experience as being a part of a family. Families delight in laughter-filled moments. It doesn't matter if they were the one prompting the laughter or if they had just joined in. It was a valuable memory.

So I am having fun, documenting and exploring, watching how our albums emerge.

Big Decisions

2012-01-24T07:02:00.001-07:00

Big decisions are always bitter sweet. There is the mixture of excitement for what is to come along with sadness for not doing another option. So many factors to consider when thinking about what matters most in life. So I sit and think and analyze

...wondering about what is and is not under our control

...wondering about my professional goals

...wondering about what is best for the girls

...wondering what will make my husband most happy

...wondering about what I really want

Along the process I try to keep reminding myself that looming decisions (especially when they impact a sense of stability) always bring on a certain layer of stress. I cringe when I realize that I am impatient with the girls as a result of the level of stress. I try to get myself back into check. Most of the time I do well, but then there's those times when I am not so proud of the way I react to the smallest of things. But soon we will make a decision and sea lo que sea, we will be grateful and move forward thinking of the positive.

Project Life "Mentor Texts"

2011-12-30T16:16:00.001-07:00

As a writing workshop teacher, I have come to recognize the value in "reading like a writer and writing like a reader," which goes hand in hand with the concept of mentor texts. Today when I saw that Ali Edwards had posted her latest glimpses into her 2011 Project Life album, I thought about how I was so excited that 2012 is just a couple of days away, meaning that I will officially start my first Project Life album.

As I was marveling over Ali's creativity, as I often do, once again I thought about how Ali's posts serve as a great mentor to the possibilities for my own album. I opened up my writer's notebook and started a new list of ideas sparked by the way that Ali preserves her memories. I love that Ali provides different pictures of her complete pages, talks about different aspects, and shares the products that she uses for her album. So much to learn from her. Because she was the inspiration behind me deciding to start my own Project Life album, I was thrilled to see that she will be a member of the Project Life Creative Team. Based on comments on her site, I know that her influence is far-reaching, so it is well-derserved.

Previously I skimmed through the blogs/sites of the various Creative Team members and I enjoyed this post on Becky Higgin's blog sharing different ideas for title pages from the Creative Team. I know that throughout the year I will continue to follow Ali's blog and learn from her about different aspects to try out. I look forward to seeing which of the other Creative Team members' personal styles catch my attention and give me ideas. I know that I will love aspects of all of their pages, but I also know that some will more closely align to the way that my albums will emerge, which seemed to be exactly the point as Becky was forming the team, based on her announcement of the idea.

I look forward to future posts on Becky Higgins' blog that will highlight various Creative Team members since I will not have time to closely watch all of their sites. Her posts featuring their work will help me to decide whose blogs I will want to check on a regular basis. It seems like a perfect balance.

Yours to Keep

2011-12-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

On the second week of the break, I am continuing to read as much as I can for pleasure. Yesterday, I read Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey. I was laughing as I was clicking it open on my Kindle, thinking about how it looked awfully similar to books that my mom reads that our family has teased her about for years. Nonetheless, it looked like a fun read.

Just as soon as Sean got settled in an apartment above his cousin's bar and grille upon returning from serving in the military, there is a knock on the door. He is surprised that a friend of his cousin's wife that he has never met is asking him to act like he is her fiancé for a month while her Grandma is visiting. He thinks she is absolutely crazy but then decides to help her out because he can understand the reasoning behind her request.

The novel has third person narration, giving insights into different characters' thoughts, making some of the events even more funny as we realize disconnects between what certain characters think others know and the reality of what they actually do.

Sean also has a big extended family in the same town, which adds a lot of flavor to the book with their good-hearted fun. I noticed that Stacey actually has a couple of previous books about the Kowalski family, and it would be fun to read her other books focusing on other family members.

*Net Galley e-copy provided

Ali Edwards' One Little Word 2012 Class

2011-12-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Recently when I was scrolling through Ali Edwards' blog, I came across a post that I missed when she originally posted it earlier in the month talking about her One Little Word 2012 class that she offers through Big Picture Classes. I had already been planning on doing my Gratitude scrapbook this year, and as I read more about Ali's class, I realized that it entails prompts and that she creates and OLW scrapbook with hers. Though she has a supply list, sharing what she recommends, she also makes it clear that it is okay to go with a different format. I decided to sign up for the class and look forward to the monthly prompts and discussions to help me keep my word in sharper focus this year.

I also signed up for her Storyology class off of her site, and look forward to the writing I will do related to that class as well. I will write more once I have actually completed the self-paced class.

Santa Slip-Up: SOLS

2011-12-27T10:04:00.001-07:00

Celeste came to lay by me in bed this morning, wearing her Christmas footy pajamas.

I rubbed her back and said, "Do you like these? I bought them for you because I know that you love this style of pajamas, but the others were getting so small." (She still squeezes herself into some of her old 5T pajamas.)

"Santa got them for me!" she said, laughing.

Ahhh, I thought. "You're right! Mommy is so silly. I must have had a dream last night that I bought them," was the only thing that came to mind.

I was waiting for more questioning, but she moved right on to the next topic. Each year I feel a little conflicted about Santa - it feels dishonest; yet, I remember how magical it was when I was a child and when I did find out, I did not resent my parents for "lying" all those years. I wonder how many more years the girls will believe...

This Year's Advent Calendars

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year someone was selling muffin tin advent calendars at our school, but I didn't buy one thinking, I could make that myself. Well, it ended up that advent time arrived, and I had not made them yet. I made a note for myself on my Google Doc to-do list for early fall so that I would make sure that I would get my home-made advent calendar ready for the first time.

In September I saw the following post from Ali Edwards about the advent calendars she typically buys. I loved the idea of Leogs for advent - a nice building anticipation; however, I did not necessarily love the pre-made Lego calendars available, so I decided to make my own.

First, I chose a Lego set for each of the girls, as I decided that it would be fun for each of them to have their own.

I bought the following set for Celeste, my eight year old.

This set was for Cecilia, my five year old.

I looked on line for how-to instructions to make muffin tin advent calendars; however, some seemed more complicated then I thought was necessary, so I decided to do it my own way. I bought two mini-muffin tins with 24 slots (however, later I realized how this was just a December countdown, rather than a "real" Advent calendar which would have started the end of November). Then, during my October crop weekend, I borrowed my Creative Memories consultants' tag maker and star punches to cut out sets of 24 in red and green card stock. Then I used Creative Memories scrapbooking markers to write the numbers on each star and tape runner to attach each star to a tag of the opposite color. Back at home I used the magnetic tape that I bought to cut off little squares to affix to the ends of the tags.

Closer to the start of December, I opened up the girls' Lego packets and decided how to divide up the pieces. For some days I needed to make a note saying, "Ask Mom for day ___," when the pieces were not going to fit.

Last I put on the magnetic tags, and they were set to go. I was thrilled that they actually worked out!

The girls absolutely loved the process. It was something to look forward to each morning. I did have some issues with Cecilia packing her pieces all over the house and then losing a tiny piece here and there. We were able to locate all of the pieces again with the exception of one of her latest adventures.

I will re-use these muffin tins in future years, but I won't necessarily use them every year, nor will I have material items each year. For example, one year I plan on using the idea of having slips of paper for family activities for each day. Next year I think that I will use another idea that I am pretty sure that I heard about on Ali Edwards' site to wrap a book for each day, but I could not find the original post where I saw the idea explained. However, here is a post where Ali documented this new tradition in her December Daily album.

I am watching for great holiday books to include, so please leave comments for any suggestions you might have. I have already included some that Stacey has been posting about on Two Writing Teachers this month.

2012 OLW and Album

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I was at the October Crop Weekend, I saw Nancy O'Dell's Creative Memories Gratitude supplies, but I have to admit, I did not really like the coverset. Then I won some of the stickers as one of the hourly drawings for the event and suddenly the coverset and related supplies started to grow on me. The sayings so closely aligned with the purpose of Slice of Life Stories to capture everyday life.

I realized that earlier when I had skimmed the product tables, I did not pay attention to the stickers since I didn't love the coverset. Nonetheless, I did not buy more of the supplies at the time because I had already spent plenty on other supplies that did instantly catch my eye.

Yet, as I considered the word I wanted to choose for my 2012 one little word, gratitude kept coming to mind. I know that 2012 will be busy and potentially more stressful than typical years because of various reasons, including my dissertation. However, I typically deal with stress fairly well by focusing on the positive (and lots of to-do lists that I frequently update!).

Last year my One Little Word was embrace. I knew at the time that it was possible that I would be filling in as a sabbatical replacement in teacher education, rather than teaching in my regular 6th-8th grade language arts position. I was also nervous about taking statistics. In short, I knew that there might be many instances of stepping out of my comfort zone, and I wanted to remember to embrace the unknown.

I see gratitude as an extension of embrace. I will continue to embrace whatever comes my way, especially aspects I don't anticipate. Gratitude takes it to another level though, remembering to be thankful and to focus on what's going well with life rather than simply being determined to embrace the good and the bad. In some ways the two words go hand and hand, yet they are their own distinct words.

Once I decided on gratitude as my word, I thought of the idea to buy the coverset and paper from the Creative Memories Gratitude series and create my first ever One Little Word accompanying album. I hesitated for a while, thinking about how I was already going to be doing Project Life and my regular scrapbooking. However, once I realized that it would not necessarily have to be just for 2012 I started to like the idea more and more. After all, just as I have kept simplicity (2010) and will keep embrace in mind, gratitude will stay with me long after 2012 is complete.

My plan for the album is to include pages from time to time focusing on and journaling about what I am grateful for. I might include my family in the process as well. I am not sure how many pages I will create for this album in 2012. I am not going to stress about having a certain amount, but rather I will keep it in the back of my mind and see where the process takes me. Then I can continue adding pages in future years until it eventually fills up.

There's a lot of scrapbooking fun to look forward to in 2012.

Traditional Scrapbooking in 2012

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

This year I have been reflecting a lot about the direction I am heading with scrapbooking. I have thought about digital vs. paper, and most recently, I have thought about Project Life. From time to time I have considered whether I would eventually love a newer type of scrapbooking so much that I would essentially stop my traditional scrapbooking. Yet, over time I have realized that digital scrapbooking and Project Life scrapbooking probably won't be completely replacing my traditional scrapbooking (with Creative Memories supplies) anytime soon.

I have certain albums going that I update annually, such as a family Christmas album and a School Days album for each of the girls, so it will take multiple years to come to fill those albums. I originally thought that Project Life might replace my on-going family albums; yet, I realized that there would still be a need for our regular family albums. They will just span a larger time frame since many of our pictures will be in our Project Life albums.

I see Project Life as filling a niche that my regular family albums did not capture as well - consistent everyday moments with journaling. Often, by the time I order pictures and get to scrapbooking, enough time has passed that the moments are not as fresh in my mind. Project Life will allow me to improve in this area in a manageable format.

On the other hand, I know that I will not include everything that I might want to scrapbook in our Project Life albums, as I am planning on just doing a spread a week. There will be certain moments or trends that I will still want to capture as I have been with our traditional albums.

My Creative Memories consultant and neighbor has monthly Crop Nights at her home that I enjoy, as well as Crop Weekends two times per year. The majority of my scrapbooking has taken place during those events, and I envision that still being the case, while I plan to update my Project Life album each weekend.

In 2012 I will also be starting a new album linked to my One Little Word - something else that I have never done before. I will write about that tomorrow.

Involving the Girls: Project Life

2011-12-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked about how I set up my 2012 Project Life Album, and I mentioned that I would be working on three separate albums. In this post I will explain more about the background of how I came about that decision. I already mentioned that part of the reason was wanting to focus on myself and capture my life in my main album, but the other reason was a desire to involve my girls in the Project Life process.

For the last two years I have been doing a monthly Slice of Life Story Album for both of my girls. This was something that I did on my own - I noticed a story to capture each month and took pictures to accompany the slices. I also put the pages together. The girls were not involved in the process at all, other than being excited to see their albums from time to time.

I had already been considering switching album format over to the We R Memory Keepers 12x12 binders. The size would allow for a bigger layout, as well as provide the flexibility to include more artifacts from their every day life and to be able to add in additional pages, rather than being limited to a spread per month.

A couple of weekends ago, I worked on my girls first mini-"scrapbooks" with them, and they loved the process. That's when I made the decision for three albums (mine and one for each of the girls). I realized that I could shift my concept this year for their Slice of Life Story Albums, so that they would be more aligned to the Project Life concept (which is such a nice Slice of Life Story complement anyway). It will also accomplish my goal of wanting to share the joys of scrapbooking and documenting everyday life with the girls.

I plan on a new fun weekend tradition of putting together their pages for the week. I will have some type of a box or bin for them to drop in any daily artifacts that they think they might want to include, and I will also encourage them to include a lot of their drawings/writing. I already had extra We R Memory Keepers binders and page protectors, as well as the Project Life Big Variety Pack. That is what I am going to use for their albums. They won't be as uniform as mine. It will be nice for me to be able to decide which way I prefer.

With their albums I am going to be more relaxed about the process. If it ends up not being every week, that is fine. It will all depend on how they respond to the project, although I think they are going to love it and it will be more of an issue of choosing among many options when considering weekly inclusions! Nonetheless, if they don't get as excited as I think they will, at minimum I will make sure that we are documenting something monthly.

Tomorrow, I will be posting about how I will still be doing some traditional scrapbooking in 2012.

Gearing Up for Project Life

2011-12-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

I am all set up to start Project Life in 2012. The red smaller albums are my girls' 2011 Slice of Life Story Albums. They will be moved back to the shelf once I finish them up in early January.

Back in October I posted about my plans for doing my first Project Life album in 2012. As January is getting closer and closer and supplies have been arriving, I have been getting even more excited. Initially I was worried about being able to keep up with a weekly album and thought that I would aim for a monthly album. It ends up that I am on the opposite end of the spectrum now, planning on doing three albums!

A couple of weeks ago I was setting up my Amber edition album. As I was doing so, I thought about how this will be a big year for me, including completing my doctorate. The majority of my scrapbooks are filled with my girls, a little bit of my husband, and barely ever including myself. I decided that my Project Life album would focus on me and my stories throughout the year. Of course, my family will have a strong presence, but I will make a conscious effort to focus on myself.

At first I ordered the Big Variety Pack of page protectors, but then I saw one of Becky's older videos showing how to set up the album (before the new core kits and different plastics options). Originally I had thought of just going page by page as the year went along, but as I watched her video, I liked the suggestion of setting up the album prior with the title cards in a pattern. I realized that many of the newer plastics designs did not have the layout to put the title cards in the top left hand corner of each spread.

I liked the way the album on the video was coming together; yet, I thought about how the newer page protectors are probably available now based on requests or a desire to have a more flexible album. After debating back and forth, I ended up buying a Big Pack of Design A and decided to go with a format similar to what Becky showed in the video. (Looks like I did it just in time as they are now out of stock of both big packs until January!) However, I did not put the filler cards in yet, as I know that I will not necessarily do that aspect the same.

Tomorrow I will post more about how I will set up my girls' albums - the reason for the shift to three albums. And, I am still planning on doing my regular scrapbooking as well. I will write more about that on Friday.

The Wedding Girl

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monday I decided to treat myself to a book by one of my favorite "fun" authors - Madeleine Wickham (who also writes as Sophie Kinsella). One of my sisters had loaned me The Wedding Girl a while back, but in the rush of the fall term, I had not had a chance to read it. When I picked it up in the early afternoon, I was instantly swept up in Milly's world that I couldn't put it down until I finished.

Milly reminded me a lot of Becky in the Shopaholic series, but of course, she was her own distinct character. When Milly was 18, she impulsively did something silly. Yet, nobody in her life really knew about it, so she pushed it out of her mind - as if it had never happened.

That is until she was twenty eight and planning her wedding. As the big data approaches, the instance from ten years ago is on the verge of catching up to her, leaving her wedding dreams in limbo.

With a fun cast of characters and various twists and turns, the book fulfilled my desired intent to just read something light that would make me laugh.

Tamale Time is Coming

2011-12-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

It happens every year. Christmas Eve we boil the chicken, carrots, and celery. We blend up the chiles. We mix the masa with the chicken broth and other ingredients until it is just the right consistency. Corn husks soaked, we are about ready to start.

Inevitably, along the way there will be multiple glances between my husband and I, trying to remember exactly how we were supposed to do something.

When they are finally ready, we talk about how they taste and what we should have done slightly different so they would be just right. We vow to make them more often so that the process will come more naturally.

And then the year gets busy, and the days and months pass until right about this time when I realize that another year has passed without those in between Christmas tamales. (Maybe I should add a quarterly note to make tamales to my Google Doc to-do list). We'll see how we do this year.

But really, even if they are not the greatest, it is more about the process, the family time, and the tradition.

Last year Diana decided to join in on the fun.

Hello Winter Break

2011-12-17T20:49:00.004-07:00

One week of my winter break has already come and gone - I spent it working to get ready for winter term, as well as spending time with the girls at school and commuting to the last two sessions of my doctoral classes for fall term. Needless to say, this week didn't quite feel like a break yet!

Now it's time for two weeks at home with the girls. I had syllabi and texts organized in a bin that I loaded into my trunk to continue planning away for winter term, but then last night I made a liberating decision - I'm not going to work on further preparations for the term over the next two weeks. The time I spent this week was very productive, and while there are many things that I could do to continue to prepare, I did what I really needed to do already. I also have another week off once the girls go back to school, and I desperately need to make some progress with my dissertation. It is hard to shut off the coursework gears for a couple of week, but it will be a very good thing.

Aside from working away on my dissertation (planning on around 3-4 hours a day), I want to spend the rest of the time focusing on family, as well as hobbies. I plan on/have been...

reading some professional books for pleasure
going to the library with the girls
trips to the park
raking leaves - hopefully before the first snow
lots of time snuggling and watching movies
a trolley tour around "the city" to see Christmas lights as a family
scrapbooking
cooking and baking
seeing the latest Chipmunks movie with the girls
blogging
reading, reading, reading with the girls
a black light Zumba fundraiser for a new early childhood center
maybe reading a YA book

Oh, and how could I forget to potential need to report to jury duty (pending what the automated recording says after 5:00 the night before scheduled trials)!

Here's to catching my breath!

Destination Dissertation with Some Detours

2011-12-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

My students' voices are swirling around in my mind, intermixed with my own narratives related to teaching and others' research and commentary. I am envisioning how it is all going to come together and considering mentor texts for different aspects.

And yet, there is so much to do - finals and wrapping up fall term, gearing up for winter term, wanting to spend time with family for the holidays. Thoughts and ideas pop into my mind throughout the day, sometimes jotting a quick note or emailing myself.

This evening I was wondering if I would still remember what came to mind with some much clarity during my commute to classes. And then I hit the city and the Christmas lights. My thoughts shifted to knowing I needed to pay attention to the road but also being mesmerized by the lights, just as I had been last week when thoughts entered my mind wondering if it would be worth it to drive two hours round trip so the girls could see the lights sometime during the break.

I feel so scattered, yet so focused, noticing different aspects that connect to my dissertation. I wonder how much I will have transferred to paper before classes start again in January. I wonder how well I will balance all of my holiday priorities...

The Help

2011-12-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our November/December book club featuring Kathryn Stockett's The Help. Yet, one more book that I have heard about how fabulous it was for over a year but had not picked up. I was thrilled to finally read it and glad that my book club gave me a reason to do so in the midst of the end of the term busyness.

Set in the south during the Civil Rights Movement, Skeeter, an aspiring writer has just returned home from college. Though she would have much rather been able to work in New York City, the only job she was able to get as a writer was writing a cleaning advice column for her local newspaper. Since she did not have any idea how to respond to the questions, she requested that one of her friends allowed her to interview her maid.

One thing led to another and Skeeter's questioning about cleaning shifted to questioning about what it was like to be a maid for white families in the south. Going on a personal journey to answer questions about her own childhood, as well as a new lens to examine her family and friends, she tried to get more maids to open up with the hopes of publishing a book.

Yet, she did not realize how risky that seemingly simple request was. The book within a book shifted perspectives between Skeeter and two maids Aibileen and Minny - three strong characters. With suspense, mystery, historical aspects, and romance the debut novel caught and maintained my interest.

The others in my book club loved the book as well, so naturally, one of our big questions was whether she had any other books published or close to publication. None of us knew, but a quick web search showed references (such as this) to her working on a second book - can't hardly wait!

Still Alice

2011-11-20T17:16:00.001-07:00

About a year and a half ago a co-worker bought me Still Alice by Lisa Genova for my birthday. Like so many great books in my house and on my Kindle, it has been waiting and waiting in the wings. Everybody in my book club has already read the book, and I had tried to read it before our book club focusing on Genova's second book, but it didn't happen.

This fall I have been reading it bit by bit from time to time, but this weekend I hit a certain point where I could not continue reading a few pages here and there. Instead I treated myself to finally reading for pleasure again after not doing so for most of the fall.

The gripping novel shares the journey of Alice, a Harvard professor who discovers that she has early onset Alzheimer's from her point of view. Last night the tears came as her life changed progressively more. As I was sitting in the hallway while my girls were at Sunday school today, I realized that I probably should have saved the last chapters for when I was at home! A few tears snuck out, but luckily no one was really around, so I was able to wipe them away before being detected.

Just like with Left Neglected, there were certain lines that jumped off the page and stuck with me, making me reflect on my own life and priorities. Genova has a real gift for considering what it would be like to have life altering medical conditions, and I can't wait to see what she will write about next.

Learning to Tie Shoes

2011-11-15T06:20:00.001-07:00

D has been asking for a couple weeks about learning to tie shoes. She is motivated by wanting to be a shoe helper in dance class, which according to her entails having her name on a shoe helper board and being able to help others tie their shoes after dance class.

The only problem was, none of her shoes had laces. Sunday night she was thrilled to get a pair of athletic shoes. Even though she was temporarily distracted by other cute shoes, it was easy to remind her of why she wanted new shoes to get her to focus back on those that had laces.

Yesterday afternoon reminding her that I was going to teach her to tie shoes was enough to get her to leave the after school program right away, rather than begging to stay just a little bit longer. The only glitch was her older sister did not want to go, to which she let her know that she was not being "kind and helpful" (the focus in Girls Scouts earlier in the afternoon).

Once at home, we sat on the love seat with our shoes. She pulled one on her right foot, and I had to pause to think about how to explain tying shoes, a process that has long come to me automatically.

It came to her pretty quickly, but she will need practice, practice, practice before it is more automatic - a process that was distracted by her sister listening to music and dancing, so D was torn about wanting to tie her shoes after a building desire or have fun with her sister. Then I am thinking once she can tie her own shoes, she will need to practice with shoes on someone else's feet since her goal is to help out in dance class.

Creative Memories Croptoberfest

2011-10-25T07:01:00.001-06:00

Scanning tables of product, product, product
especially the new items
couldn't resist the new Holidazzle
perfect for our Christmas pages
while the girls are young

Flipping through the new catalog
marking my "someday" products
imagining the projects I have planned
considering paper and digital

Pulling out my supplies
first on the to-do list
update Alice's school days album
from last year and organizing photos
I have started to collect from this year

Next up a trek to the car trunk
Dropping off the school days album
Restocking with our family album, extra pages...

Punching out card stock tags and stars
sticking together with adhesive
numbering away for our first home-made advent calendars

Revisiting pages already complete in the family album
mapping out the remaining pages that will fit
on yellow legal pad - quick sketches of two-fold pages
accompanied by words to describe the stacks of photos
already organized prior to the weekend
Once again, scrapbooking away

And of course, at some point in the evening
a pause for dinner - creamy enchiladas, salad, and tortilla chips
And later dessert - caramel corn and brownies

At times I worked in silence
zeroed in on my own thoughts, my memories
planning out what to journal
But other times...
joining in on conversations

Continuing on even when I didn't think
I could stay awake any longer
but not wanting to "waste" the opportunity

A perfect, perfect weekend
As always, a chance to allow
preserving memories to sneak
to the top of the to-do list

Project Life

2011-10-21T13:40:00.001-06:00

Today I am gearing up for Croptoberfest, a scrapbooking weekend that my neighbor/Creative Memories consultant hosts and something that I always look forward to. Naturally, scrapbooking has been on my mind a lot this week.

I frequently see Ali Edwards' posts about Project Life. When I read the most recent, I decided it was time to find out a little bit more about the process. I didn't realize that there was a specific person who created the idea and who creates kits to go along with it but had a fun time exploring Becky Higgins' site and learning more about the background of the project.

I love the concept of the pockets to document and save different artifacts that comes along with day to day life that so often show up in Ali Edwards' pictures of her Project Life album. The kits already had me hooked, but watching the video of the rationale for the program sealed the deal. In 2012 I will do my first ever Project Life.

When I first starting seeing Ali Edwards' posts, I admit I was intrigued, but I was not quite sure if I was at a point in my life where I would be able to commit to documenting every week. However, by watching the video, I realized that there isn't one set frequency for "Project Life" albums.

I am excited, excited, excited for all of the possibilities and to try out a different type of scrapbooking. This year I am completing the second annual Slice of Life Albums for my girls, and I had already decided to try out a different format (binders with page protectors) for their 2012 albums when I was completing the Week in the Life project (again from Ali Edwards' site and the type of album she was using).

I am excited to see how the different formats of scrapbooking will complement each other and if eventually I will start to shift toward a particular type of continue to experiment with a variety. One thing is for sure - my Scrapbooking shelf will not have the uniform look that I love right now, yet I think there is a lot to gain from being open to and embracing a variety!

Come November when the new products are released, I will be excitedly placing my order. I'm thinking that I will either order the Amber or Clementine editions.

Getting Organized

2011-10-18T06:43:00.000-06:00

The to-do list kept on growing and growing. One of those days when I was not sure where to start. As we were nearing home from a Sunday family breakfast out, I told M that I wanted to move the storage containers out of our room. They had been there for over a month. We moved them from underneath our house in order for a consultation for a free duct repair program we heard about from our electric company. The only problem was after we moved all the storage containers into the corner of our room by the desk weeks started to pass between the consult and repair. Eventually we found out that the company was not going to repair anymore until they actually received payment from the program reimbursing them for the first couple of jobs they did. So we waited and waited and life started to feel cluttered looking at the bins.

Instead of moving them back where they were, we decided to take a table out of our garage to make room for the bins. Many were filled with books and my husband was less than thrilled to heave them up to me from underneath the house, so I decided that probably was not the best location for them anyway.

We continued to shift and organize, sort into a fundraiser yard sale donation and trash piles. Somewhere in the process M headed to work, and I took the girls to Sunday school. Once back home, it was time to get going with dishes and laundry - the two on-going chores that are always nagging. The girls and I had lunch, and I was exhausted.

I curled up on the coach and D instantly came and laid with me. A was quietly drawing. Before I knew it I woke up to a quiet Sunday afternoon house. My arm was starting to fall asleep from holding D, but I lingered there a bit longer. She's ever-increasingly moving into the big girl phase and she will rarely slow down enough to let me hold her.

The nap left me refreshed and ready to continue on with the to-do list. What a great feeling to cross off those items and get different aspects of life organized.

Fall of Giants

2011-10-04T06:42:00.002-06:00

With school starting again, my book club decided to combine September and October for one book club, especially since the book that we selected was close to 1,000 pages. I was glad that I read Ken Follett's Fall of Giants as a book club book because it was fascinating throughout but because of the amount of pages, I probably would not have picked it up for a very long time because of my busy work and school schedules.

The book is told from the third person, but jumps around on the perspective that it highlights, giving a unique perspective of how many different people would have felt around the time of World War I. I do not have as much prior knowledge of World War I, so it was interesting to get a much greater understanding through the events in the book. Follet's decision to follow characters from different countries made for a unique book, in that it made the reader care about all of the different countries and characters, rather than having a clear cut good vs. bad.

The individual plots were all high-interest on their own, but it was also interesting to see how the different lives intersected from time to time.

One aspect highlighted throughout the book was the concept of individual opinions/desires vs. country-wide decisions that impact their lives. The cast of characters represented various age groups, as well as male/female perspectives and a range of personalities, lending to a wide range of thoughts and actions.

As a teacher, I have realized how much I enjoy historical fiction in middle grades/young adult books, but I rarely read adult historical fiction. Follett's book makes me want to read more. This is the first in a trilogy, so eventually I would like to read the others as they are released. Follett also has many other books already released.

J'adore New York

2011-10-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

Being able to read J'adore New York: A Novel of Haute Couture and the Corner Office by debut author Isabelle Laflèche and write a review as part of the book's blog tour was a special, special treat. There was so much to love about the book.

Having experienced the life of a corporate lawyer first hand, Laflèche was able to bring the hectic lifestyle to life for her main character, Catherine who is just beginning a new stage of her career in New York after transferring from her law firm's Paris office. A lover of fashion, Catherine is thrilled to see all that her relocation will offer.

The novel covers the emotional ups and downs of her move, including the never-ending demands of being a corporate lawyer, learning to survive the office politics, and navigating a new romance with a client (something that she was hesitant about).

I always enjoy the integration of language, even if I don't know the language. There were times when reading J'adore that I could figure out the French because of the context or because of cognates with English or Spanish. Even with the times that I did not fully understand the French, I was glad that Laflèche decided to include it since it always includes voice.

While the two books are very different in many ways, some of the questions that Catherine is considering about her future path complement Left Neglected. I enjoyed every minute of seeing Catherine think about who she was and who she wants to become. I noticed on Laflèche's blog that she has an upcoming book J'Adore Paris that I will be anxiously awaiting. I can't wait to see the cover.

*Review copy provided

Reasons to be Happy SOLS

2011-09-27T06:09:00.001-06:00

Seeing the girls smile, especially D when her cheeks look like they are going to explode from such an exaggerated effort
Jayme Jayne peppermint lip moisturizer
Watching the process of the girls learning and growing
Loose teeth - Right now A has two top teeth missing, one bottom one ready to fall out at any moment, and a second bottom one that is getting there. It is a repeat of last year when it was here four front teeth.
Watching the girls reenact what they have learned in dance class at school
Making M laugh
A new experience with new possibilities
Situations that challenge me, stretch my thinking
Going to the girls' open house and seeing that the first page in D's book of ideas was a picture of four girls swinging. "This is A and this is me," she said of the big girls off to the left side. "This is Milly and this is Maggie," she said to the other, smaller set of girls. (Note to self: Don't tell the girls, not even one time, "If I had two more girls, I would name them..." because even over a year later they will still remember and they will talk about how they are going to have six people in their family or how their mom is going to have two more babies or...)
A nice chai latte warming my hands
Peaceful commutes to class - time to think and process (or sing along with the radio)
The joy of returning from class and being able to collapse in bed after a long day and evening
Laughing uncontrollably with family and friends about the silliest things
New days and new opportunities

*I got the idea for this SOLS when I was recently reading Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle. The main character's lists were one of my favorite aspects of the book.

Mini-Teacher

2011-09-13T11:48:00.001-06:00

"When I say, 'Eyes on me,' you need to say 'Eyes on you,' and then put your hands like this and freeze like a statue," D said as we were sitting at the dinner table.

"Ok!" I replied, knowing she was practicing her kindergarten procedures.

"Eyes on me."

"Eyes on you," I replied, the model student. Only M, oblivious to what was going on continued on with his conversation to me.

"Papi, you didn't say it and you're not freezing," D said.

I gave him the background on what was going on, and she tried again.

D continued in different rounds, bringing out puzzles as centers and giving us glimpses into her classroom. She said that she was Sra. B, the most beautiful teacher in the world.

As time went on, she also told us who we were. Papi, who was inconsistent with following all of her prompts, was named after a boy in her class that doesn't always listen to the teacher, according to D. This coming from the vivacious girl who had her own instances of not following some of the listening procedures at the start of the year.

I love being the mom of a kindergartener, experiencing it all through her eyes - so much to smile about.

Revisiting OLW - Slice of Life Story

2011-08-30T09:42:00.000-06:00

I sit typing away on my computer thinking of the One Little Word, embrace, that I selected to guide my year...

Embracing uncertainty with an optimistic outlook, ready to take that risk.

Embracing challenges, pushing myself to branch out into the new, not going the easy route.

Embracing academia, enjoying the doctoral journey.

Embracing life, spending time with family and friends, savoring moments.

Embracing the simple things in life, a quiet morning listening to the fish tank filter whir and the birds chirping.

So many opportunities to embrace on a day to day basis!

The Simple Joys of Reading

2011-08-09T14:05:00.001-06:00

I was already tired. I could have just gone to bed. Instead, I let D know that she could choose a book and wait for me in her room. She chose Marvin K. Mooney, and we snuggled up on her bed to read together. She has started to read along with me, often when I don't even say for her to. I usually point her finger along at least part of the time so that she can get a better idea of text-print matching.

A came into the room and joined us on the bed while we were finishing up with two books of her own. First she read us Baa-Choo! a fun book that has a lot of rhyme. We laughed about the names, as well as the plot.

Then she pulled out Bella and Bean, a book that I bought after Sarah at The Reading Zone recommended it. I had it at the school, but it was one of the books that I brought home while deciding what to leave and what to take from my classroom during my leave of absence. It also had a nice flow, and the girls were being goofy about the illustrations, laughing about every little detail.

We read, we laughed, we snuggled, and then we slept...

Left Neglected

2011-08-06T09:53:00.001-06:00

Our August book club is coming up on Friday, and I just finished Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. On Two Writing Teachers, Ruth Ayres has a regular feature called Words that are Speaking to Me, and I couldn't help to think that from the first lines of this book's prologue, it was speaking to me.

I think some small part of me knew I was living an unsustainable life. Every now and then, it would whisper, Sarah, please slow down. You don't need all this. You can't continue like this. But the rest of me, powerful, smart, and determined to achieve, achieve, achieve, wasn't hearing a word of it. (1% Kindle)

Much of my reflections this year and summer have been focusing on the idea that there is so much that excites me about my career, so many potential avenues for professional growth. Yet, I need to focus on prioritizing instead of doing it all if I want to maintain that careful balance of career and family. So, I knew from the start that Sarah would be battling with those same emotions, albeit I knew that part of her journey would involve a life-changing moment that would physically cause her to slow down. Nonetheless, from those first sentences I knew I could relate to her and that I would absolutely love the book.

In the book, powerful and intelligent Sarah is juggling a hectic career in business with being a mother of three. Her husband also has a time-consuming job. Their lives dramatically shift as Sarah gets into a car accident one morning while trying to multi-task on her way to work and ends up with a rare condition called left neglect where she is unaware of the concept of left. It was fascinating to learn about left neglect through the book. I tried covering up my left eye to see how much of the room I could see and realized that even that would not give a clear picture since from the description Sarah saw much less than even that. It's hard to imagine not being aware of my left side, including losing that automatic control of everything left.

Parallel to this aspect is Sarah's own son being diagnosed with ADHD and working through transitions to try to support him in being more successful in school, as well as Sarah's mom attempting to reconnect with her after spending the majority of Sarah's life disconnected. As such, the book was multi-dimensional exploring many aspects and the complexities of life.

A hunch that I had fairly early on, ending up coming to fruition. The book contained a roller-coaster of emotions, but throughout it all was Sarah's sharp wit and humor, so much voice. The perfect, perfect conclusion had me in tears with the last clicks of my Kindle. In general, this is one of those books that impacts the reader as a person, causing them to pause and consider their own life.

My teaching partner gave me a copy of Genova's first book, Still Alice for my birthday and I still haven't read it. Everyone else at book club has already, so I would like to finish it up before book club as well since I am sure that some of the conversations will refer to it, as well as Genova's writing style hooking me.

2011-08-02T21:28:00.002-06:00

D burst through the back door with A closely behind. I could not understand what D was trying to tell me about why A was crying. My heart sped up wondering what happened and how she got hurt. Then the girls got out that they had seen a dead bird in the grass of our back yard. A curled up on my lap and I tried to console her, rubbing her hair.

"Come out and see! Come out and see!" D said, motioning with her hand.

I tried to get A to stay inside, but she followed with us to show me as well. I saw the little bird laying in the grass, and the girls were upset all over again, D noticing that ants were crawling on it. I let them know that Papi would take care of it when he got home.

I carried A back inside and snuggled with her on the couch.

D, who had been concerned but stoic the whole time, walked through the door announcing, "Now I'm about to cry!"

She came over as well. For a few moments they let me envelop them both in my arms, reiterating that Papi would make sure to bury the bird when he got home, somewhere nice and peaceful.

Digital Scrapbooking SOLS

2011-08-02T07:49:00.002-06:00

Ditital Scrapbooking - one more example of something that I am embracing this year. I almost held off on learning until I caught up with my paper scrapbooking albums already in progress, but thoughts of digital scrapbooking kept creeping back in. Last night I sat on the couch, and later my bed, learning, experimenting, and delighting in what I saw appear on the pages in front of me, often with the girls or M peeking over my shoulder.

I wanted to complete pages for my Monday photos from last week, but I was just too tired. Head aching, I shut down the computer and felt the relief of my pillow.

It will be a long time before I am highly proficient in Photoshop Elements, but it is always beneficial to go through the experience of learning something new, along with the excitements and frustrations so we can remember what it is like.

*This pages was made with one of Ali Edwards' layered templates from the Grid No. 2 pack for the Week in the Life project.

Week in the Life Day 7

2011-08-01T17:10:00.001-06:00

Week in the Life Day 6 Saturday

2011-07-30T22:05:00.001-06:00

We woke up to a cloudy morning, but other than a short bit of raining, the day ended up being sunny.

Our Bountiful Basket from the week

Stopping by Sorbenots for a warm chocolate and smoothie - seems like the girls would like to extend their soccer season weekly visit to be each week after picking up our Bountiful Basket!

D decided to draw on her balloon - faces all over it.

The girls played outside for just a little bit before realizing it was WAY too hot.

Instead, they brought out a stack of puzzles to the living room.

Pausing from the puzzles, to dance and laugh.

Getting used to seeing her neck, instead of her wild hair.

Week in the Life Day 5 Friday

2011-07-30T09:45:00.002-06:00

Last day of swimming lessons

Watching A out the window as I sat at my desk working

A's floor puzzle from Aunt Sherri

A found a scarf that one of my student's mom gave me at the end of the school year

Typing away on my Comps Pilot Study proposal

Week in the Life - Day 4 Thursday

2011-07-29T10:31:00.001-06:00

New haircut and new swimsuit

Showing off a fun day care craft

Her turn for a hair cut and Mommy-Daughter night

At McDonald's - lots and lots of fun for D and reading a little bit of Left Neglected on my Kindle for my August book club, while catching glimpses of D on the slides

She must get her emotional side when it comes to books and movies from her mom, crying while watching Gnomeo and Juliet

Week in the Life - Day 3 Wednesday

2011-07-29T10:24:00.001-06:00

More swimming fun

Family lunch and relaxing

Gearing up for school with a new haircut

Reading away for my methodology section and checking out one of Heinemann's latest

Week in the Life Day 2

2011-07-27T11:19:00.001-06:00

A and D had been arguing over who would get a certain towel, so when I went to snap a picture, A stuck her tongue out since she was still in a cranky mood. She got over it quickly though.

When I sent A out to capture some of our week, a lot of the pictures she took were of flowers in our yard.

A ended up having her afternoon "Quiet Time" in my room. She layed on one end of the bed reading Froggy books while I was doing some reading for the methodology section of my dissertation.

I was also organizing some of the resources that I will be using for a Reading and Writing Workshop training next week.

The girls had fun making Kool-Aid together.

Snuggling together in the evening while eating some ice cream.

Translation Mix-Up - SOLS

2011-07-26T22:01:00.001-06:00

We snuggled on the couch, just having finished a few books. "Mommy, how do you say we in Spanish?" I heard her say.

"Nosotros."

"What?"

"Nosotros," I said again.

And then her doll was off, sliding down her leg, "¡No-so-tros!"

"Oh," I tried to get out through my laughter, "That type of whee. It's not nosotros, it's… I think it is the same in English and Spanish."

Week in the Life Day 1 Photos

2011-07-26T21:49:00.001-06:00

In my post earlier today, I was not able to share my pictures, but I solved that problem. Here are some of the pictures from Day 1 - start to finish.

Week in the Life Day 1

2011-07-26T08:48:00.003-06:00

I ended up with 112 photos for my first Week in the Life day, although the were very unevenly proportioned, as most of the photos were from about the first half of the day, with just a little toward the end of the day. I am thinking that for later in the week, there might be days that focus on just the afternoon if I am not getting pictures consistently throughout the day. Part of it was that we went back to the pool as a family in the evening. We could not take the camera since we were all swimming. Sadly, right now I can't figure out how to best share my photos. When I use the Blog This button in Picasa, it automatically selects a different blog. Then when I click on the drop down menu, it won't allow me to select any other. For now, here is one picture. I have all the pictures I want to share ready to go as soon as I figure it out! Here's one in the meantime. UPDATE: Here is a link to the post where I put my other photos from the day.

The D Word Blog Tour Q&A

2011-07-26T06:48:00.022-06:00

Today I am pleased to host a stop on The D Word Blog Tour with a Q&A with co-authors, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Enjoy!

Q: I am always fascinated with the writing process, even more so when there are co-authors. Can you share about how you two wrote the book together? For example: Did each of you write one of the two main perspectives? How did the plot emerge? How did you decide when you wanted to slip in the occasional additional perspectives?

A: Although we’ve been friends since before Milli Vanilli were ousted, we knew that the only way that we could write a book together, without killing each other, was to write a dual narrative. This way, we each get the much-needed control over what we initially write and by the time the editing process begins (which is fair game for either of us to change anything) we’re mentally prepared to have to let go of things the other one doesn’t like. In THE D WORD, we slipped in an additional perspective when we put on our “reader” hats and asked ourselves, who would we want to hear from? The plot emerged as we were writing. We’re not outliners. We come up with the basic plot, but it isn’t until we dive in that we know where the story is going.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: We both experienced divorce while growing up and also have close relationships with many people who’ve gone through it. When we were deciding what to write a book about, we thought divorce would be a great topic to write from dual perspectives. So often the ex-wife and the new girlfriend in her ex-husband’s life do not see eye-to-eye. We wanted to investigate why that is.

Q: In what ways is your friendship like Taylor and Elle's?

A: Like Taylor and Elle, we know our friendship could survive anything.

Q: Have either or your (or family members or friends) been able to sense what is going on with others' lives and their futures like Jordan?

A: Liz always has a way of knowing things. When one of our besties was prego, Liz had a dream that her water broke at 1:10am. Sure enough, when her water broke two weeks later, she looked at the clock and it was 1:10am! *cue Twilight Zone music*

Q: I already have I'll Have Who She's Having on my Kindle and can't wait to read it. I am excited that it is also told from the perspectives of two female characters. Are you already working on a third book?

A: Yes! We just came up with the idea and have a date we plan to start writing. Be looking for details in a few months!

I can't wait! Good luck with your new project.

First Digital Scrapbooking Page

2011-07-22T14:58:00.001-06:00

Last night I was able to update my computer with everything that I mentioned. Before going to sleep I revisited Ali Edwards' tutorial using her free layered template, Remember This (available on the same post as the tutorial video).

I ended up not doing all of the capabilities that she mentioned as it was getting too late, but for the most part, everything was going smoothly. The only aspect that I did not figure out was that when I tried to change the color of the frames going around the page, it was changing more than just that layer, so I clicked undo. I am sure there will be an easy solution, but I need to have more time to figure it out.

Today I downloaded some Designer Digital templates for the Week in a Life Project. I almost bought the 2010 kit, but then I realized that since I would need to buy the 2011 Sentiments Tabs and since I preferred the Journal Vol. 2, rather than the original that came with it, that I would rather buy separate components. We'll see if I just made it more complicated than it needed to be.

Here is what I ordered:
Week in the Life Journal Cards Vol. 2 Value Pack
Week in the Life Daily Tabs
Grid No. 02 Layered Templates
2011 Sentiment Tabs
Ali Edwards Layered Template No. 37

It ended up being almost exactly the same as if I would have bought a kit.

Today I also downloaded the 30 Day Trial of Creative Memories sbcStudio. When I was looking at paper on Designer Digitals I was thinking about how I am already familiar with and love the palettes they offer. I'm debating whether I would have been better off to start out with sbc and then add in Elements at a later date... It is too late to worry about that though. I have noticed that it seems like there are quite a few discussions online where people mention having both programs. I might end up getting that program as well and use both depending on which type of project I want to do. I wanted to at least look into it before investing a lot of money into other paper.

And now, I am not going to be busying anything else for digital scrapbooking (or paper at that) for a while, with the exception of printing out pages or books.

Next step - getting to work on the Jessica Sprague beginner's class.

Gearing Up for a Week in the Life

2011-07-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

I am anxiously awaiting my first time participating in Ali Edwards' Week in the Life. I have been visiting her blog frequently to read more about the process and to see how she is organizing herself in advance. Aside from updating my computer in order to jump into digital scrapbooking in general, I have also been exploring different options for photo books vs. printing out scrapbook pages. I plan on trying out photobooks through iPhoto, as well as Shutterfly. It was perfect because I just received my Elements 9 in the mail and it had a Shutterfly gift certificate.

It took me a while to decide the format that I wanted for my Week in the Life project. A message in my inbox from Joann stating their scrapbook albums and protectors were 50% off, as well as a promotion for $5 flat rate shipping, led me to at least see what they had available. It ended up that they had the same album that Ali mentioned she is going to use. I had considered trying out an 8.5 x 11, except they were out of extra protectors and did not have as many styles of protectors for that size of album. Instead I ordered some 12x12 albums and different types of page protectors to allow for flexibility. Whenever something is on sale for a hobby, I typically stock up. (I also decided to stock up on some kids craft supplies that were on sale as well.)

I am still deciding for sure which color I will choose from the three I ordered, but it might just be this one in aqua.

While I had been planning on having this project be my first ever digital scrapbooking, using this three-ring option allows me to do hybrid scrapbooking if I want to. I appreciate the flexibility it allows. It will all depend on the type of ephemera that I collect from our day to day life.

One of the last details that I am trying to decide is the layouts. I have been looking at a lot of Ali's options through Designer Digitals - so many options.

I love that the Week in the Life project complements Slice of Life stories so well and look forward to this new venture.

A Perfect Summer Day

2011-07-19T21:21:00.001-06:00

Exhausted by too much lit review,
I decided to take a break today -
just for a day, things could wait
Tomorrow I can get back to the
jumble of papers waiting to be
organized
and re-organized
and organized again
looking for clarity and making sure to get it
just right

I ignored the piles of papers looming,
hidden in a basket the night before

Instead I focused on the girls -
swimming lessons
swinging and singing at the park
clicking away on my Kindle
in the calm summer breeze
as they played with glee

I took some time for myself -
sipping a chai latte
skimming the scrapbooking supplies
reading, reading, reading
while the girls took a nap

I headed to the gym -
working out with other women
making the effort for my health

Returning to girls eager
to pull out the craft supplies and Easy Bake oven

Clicking away on my keyboard,
submitting a proposal
(Guess, I could not completely stray
from academics)
In and out

Then sitting back to relax,
to peer out the window,
clicking away at this slice
as the girls race around the backyard
slipping in and out of my view

What a perfect summer day

Digital Scrapbooking Ready (Almost)

2011-07-16T14:06:00.002-06:00

I recently posted about how I wanted to start experimenting with digital scrapbooking; however, I realized that my computer currently would not support many of the programs that I would want. The main issue was that I have a pretty old version of OS X on my Mac (10.4.11). There have been quite a few programs that I was not able to use on my computer, noticing more and more all the time because of it (Creative Memories Digital Scrapbooking for Mac, Photoshop Elements, the Kindle reader, Amazon Chrome...). I decided that I wanted to start experimenting with Photoshop Elements, and I was planning on updating to a new version but then realized that only having 1 GB would also be an issue because it requires at least 1 GB to install. I was starting to seriously consider buying a new Mac.

Luckily, I called Mac support to decide between options. While talking to the representative, I was thankful that she talked to me about updating my Mac rather than starting over completely. When looking over what my computer currently has, I still have a lot of extra space on memory, as well as a good processor. I ordered 2 GB that I will be able to easily (I hope it ends up being as easy as it looks) install myself. Then I also got a Mac Box set to update to Snow Leopard and the newer version of iLife. I will also update to Lion when everything is set up. I also ordered a 16GB flash drive because she recommended backing up files before updating just in case, something that I have been wanting to do for a long time anyway since I have not been very good with that at all lately. Finally, I ordered Photoshop Elements 9. In total it will be $320.91 (once I update to Lion). Compared to around $1600 that I was going to spend on the Macs that I was looking at most closely, I am so glad that I called for suggestions. Aside from probably needing to replace my battery and charger sometime soon, my Mac should still have a lot of use yet.

Now I will be busy exploring around whenever time allows with new programs. I will still be reading more background information about Week in the Life, and will maybe do my first digital scrapbooking that week if everything has arrived and I have been able to update. Ruth of Two Writing Teachers and Discover. Play. Build. let me know that when she was getting started that Jessica Sprague's Up and Running with Photoshop was very helpful, so I plan on using that as a resource as well. I like that it is a self-paced on-line class that will be available forever, rather than expiring after a certain amount of time.

This morning I was just watching Ali Edward's video of an example layered template and got even more excited. Best of all the template she was showing is available on that same post as a freebie, so it will most likely be the first one that I will try. I know that I will be revisiting it, as well as the wealth of other explanations and resources on her sites, such as her tips for getting started with digital scrapbooking. I also added a bunch of her Designer Digitals elements to a wish list for future reference.

I also intend to create some books on iPhoto. Right now I have been using the Kodak program that came with my camera to store my pictures on my computer, but I am going to switch everything over to iPhoto once I update it. So much to explore... It will just be a matter of finding the time. Either way, it will always be a special treat!

Week in the Life

2011-07-10T14:03:00.001-06:00

My face to face summer school class is officially over. That's not to say my to-do list is not growing and growing though. As I think about all of the commitments still on my plate, I want to make sure to take time to embrace the summer and spend time with the girls, rather than letting another summer slip by without dedicating enough time to family.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about digital scrapbooking and the various options available. One of my neighbors' relatives is a consultant for Heritage Makers, and I recently participated in an on-line webinar. Another neighbor is my Creative Memories consultant, and now that they offer a Mac digital scrapbooking program, I have considered that as well. Then there's the Adobe options that I have heard others discuss.

I was just clicking back to Ali Edwards' site that I heard about from Two Writing Teachers since I have looked at her page before when I was just starting to think about digital possibilities. Today when I was there, I saw her talking about the upcoming "Week in the Life" toward the end of July.

Though I could consider it just one more thing, I realized that I can also view it as another reminder to slow down and focus on life and time with family. Just like buying a summer pass to the pool has helped me to make going swimming with the girls, one of their favorite activities, a priority this summer.

I am looking forward to participating. It will be a perfect complement to the annual Slice of Life albums that I do for my daughters. I will be reading to catch up on more of the back story behind the project so that I will be ready to go on July 25th.

The D Word

2011-07-07T19:14:00.005-06:00

Co-authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke tell the parallel stories of Jordan and Elle in their novel The D Word. Through alternating perspectives we see the multi-layered emotions involved with relationship decisions and wondering whether or not things should have worked out differently.

A year after telling her husband she wanted a divorce, Jordan is wondering whether he was really the one keeping her from her dream life. She is horrified thinking that maybe it was just her all along. While signing the divorce papers, she is already convinced she has to get him back and have a complete family again with their son.

Elle is also coming to grips with the effects of a big decision to call off her wedding to her best friend's brother about a year ago. Torn between wondering if it was just her fear of the potential for a divorce or if her gut feeling that she just shouldn't marry him was right, Elle misses her best friend and wonders what it would have been like if she had gotten married.

By chance Elle meets a man who for the first time she feels like she has a connection since her engagement. There's only one big problem - it's the man that Jordan is trying to get back! Going back and forth between the two character's thoughts we are able to get a sense of the big picture and wonder how it is all going to work out for everyone involved. There are also occasional chapters by other minor characters, including additional insights. Reading I felt the same confusion as the main characters and was not sure how I wanted the novel to end. There was potential for multiple happy endings depending on how it all played out.

At only $2.99 for the Kindle version, it is a low price for a fun summer read! Their first book I'll Have Who She's Having is available for only $0.99 on Kindle, and I have it downloaded as well. It sounds like it is similar in style as far as the alternating perspectives, a format that I always love.

On July 26th I will be hosting a Q&A with the authors as part of their blog tour.

*Copy provided for review purposes

Unexpected Fireworks

2011-07-05T18:49:00.000-06:00

We lounged on the couch last night, my husband watching TV, while my sister and I read books. Three kids were asleep, with only my oldest daughter still awake watching Nick Jr. on my sister's bed.

A came out of the room and tiptoed toward me. "I just saw fireworks outside the window," she said.

"Wow!"

As she slipped back to the room I was feeling a little sad that she would be missing out on seeing fireworks this year. I thought back to the joy and amazement last year as we snuggled on a blanket at the park in our town.

Later, I peeked into the bedroom to see if she had fallen asleep yet. She had been so tired for hours. My initial glance surprised me to see an empty bed. When my gaze moved up, I saw her standing at the window, in between the curtains.

"I'm watching fireworks," she said.

"Come on. Let's go watch them on the porch together."

Little did I know, the firework she had seen earlier was not just a small one from the neighbors - they were actual fireworks high in the sky. We wrapped up in a blanket together and watched the panorama show, playing "I Spy a Firework". Others eventually joined us outside - all except D and one of my sister's boys who were still fast asleep.

It was not long before A hopped off my lap and danced around the yard, jumping, squealing, and pointing to fireworks. I ran for the camera and my attention switched back and forth between the flash of my camera and the bursts in the sky.

Bombones and Popsicles

2011-06-14T18:28:00.001-06:00

This morning as I gave D her hug and kiss before leaving as she was still sleeping in bed, she barely moved. I was glad that it appeared she would keep on sleeping. I have learned that no matter how early in the morning I have to leave, it is essential to give that hug and kiss. If not, as soon as she hears the garage, she goes racing to the door, practically in tears, saying, "Wait! Wait! You forgot to give me a hug and a kiss."

At 6 a.m. I was walking as quietly as possible down the hall after leaving A's room where she fell asleep last night, when I heard her yelling, "Mom! Mom!"

"What D?" I whispered as I walked back down the hall.

"Buy me some bombones and Popsicles before you come home."

"D, I'm going to school. I won't be going to the store."

As I was pulling out of the driveway, the front door opened and both A and D came running out barefoot and in their pajamas. I put the car into park and got ready for additional rounds of hugs and kisses, hoping that I would not be late for classes after my commute.

***

This afternoon I returned home exhausted.

"Did you get my bombones and Popsicles?" D instantly inquired.

"I told you I was not going to the store," I said.

Right now D and A both fell asleep. Looks like they were also exhausted and needed their afternoon siesta. As soon as they wake up they know we will be going to the store - a trip for two specific products to be exact...

*Bombones is marshmallows in Spanish

Sunday Afternoon Swinging Slice

2011-06-05T16:08:00.000-06:00

D asked me to go outside with her. I finished up switching over the laundry and walked out the kitchen door onto the concrete patio. As I neared the grass I saw her.

In her inside out pink sun dress, navy blue tights, and Disney princess boots, she was swinging away. The swing set creaked as she went back and forth, back and forth facing the back fence.

A walked onto the patio talking in a loud voice. "Shh," I said and motioned her over to me.

We stood there watching D, unaware of our presence for a little while. We watched and whispered as she started to dip her head back, feeling the wind in her hair. I was waiting for her to notice us, but she did not.

Eventually I grabbed A's hand and we walked across the grass together. D started to sing, "I believe I can fly..." When we got closer and she finally looked our way, she continued right on singing with a smile on her face.

Sunny Summer Mornings - Slice of Life Tuesday

2011-05-24T08:41:00.001-06:00

It was about 8:15, the time when we would have just been starting with our first class of the day and I was laying in A's bed with her. I grabbed a book and she snuggled into my side and drifted off to sleep again. D had heard me walking in the hallway, so it was not long before she joined us in A's bed. I pulled back the twin bed covers and set my book down. While A typically does not talk in the mornings, D has plenty to share, so I was ready to give her my full attention.

"Mom, where is my spider girl costume?" she asked.

"I don't know. Have you looked in the costume bin?"

"Yes. I mean no, but I can't open the lid."

We hopped out of bed and I opened the bin, before heading back to A's room. She was just getting out of bed and popped a Jungle Book CD in.

While the first soft tunes of the "Bear Necessities" were wafting into the room, the parade began. First came the Cinderella wand. D clicked the button to make the sound effects, which instantly caught A's attention.

"Where did you find my wand?"

"It was in the costume bin!"

Then came the Cinderella costume, the lady bug costume, the Belle costume... A combination of their years of Halloween costumes, along with many, many dresses that one of my co-workers' daughters passed on to them last summer.

A came in to say, "I can't believe I found my crown from Aunt Tam."

Right beside her, D had her lady bug headband in her hand, and I expected the same glee. But no, she said, "I found my lady bug headband," in a sad voice.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The bad news is I can't find my spider girl mask."

Luckily, she got over it quickly and it was back to pulling out more and more. A was soon back in the room in dress after dress dancing along to the music.

Ah, summer!

Smart Ones Blog Tour / Healthy Living

2011-04-27T06:00:00.068-06:00

This year I was off to a great start making healthier decisions and finding a better balance between work, family, school, and nutrition and fitness. However, around the end of March, the normal flurry of spring activity made it harder and harder to keep juggling all aspects. I have had to shift my priorities to wrapping up the school year (both with my students and my doctoral courses) and making sure to spend time with my family.

Yet, I am still determined to continue having a focus on making healthy decisions long-term. Rather than thinking that once again I was not able to maintain balance, I will continue to prioritize and re-focus. As I continue to check end of the year events and commitments off the list, I am enjoying any opportunity to squeeze in exercise, but I am also looking forward to summer time when it can once again be a major emphasis.

As I am constantly reflecting and refocusing, I consider what has been working well and how I want to gear up for the summer. Here are some of my thoughts from this year:

It is a fine line between making excuses to not go to the gym or go for a run and being too overwhelmed as a result. I am finding that I can't always stick to the same routine. As my responsibilities and commitments ebb and flow during the school year, I will not always be able to have the same level of activity. Part of being happy all around is deciding which I need more at the time - catching up with something for work or school, spending time with family or getting in a great workout. With the warm weather sometimes it is about compromising by getting out of the house to do something active as a family.
One area that always makes me feel better, even if I am not able to get to the gym or go for a run as often as I would like is to make healthy decisions while eating. Taking the time to plan ahead when it comes to meals will always be time well spent. Buying Weight Watchers Smart Ones* meals has been very helpful in making sure that I am eating less meals from my school cafeteria. Knowing that I can have a warm meal with a satisfying portion size always makes me feel better. After buying Smart Ones products for a couple of years, my favorites are the fettucini alfredo and angel hair marinara.
Cooking more with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as eating them for snacks is another area that I am working toward. Bountiful Baskets has been so helpful in always having plenty.
Looking to others for inspiration to motivate and encourage me through the challenges of seeking balance has been an invaluable aspect of blogging. I also love reading books and magazines with both non-fiction and fiction angles.

Throughout the ups and downs on my constant journey to make positive lifestyle changes big and small, I have finally realized that it is not going to all come at once. Or more importantly, that it is okay to have various aspects click into place at different times. I will have accomplishments and set-backs, as well as differences in what I need most at the time. I have discovered that what matters most is being realistic and not giving in by saying it was just too complicated. Instead, I will remember to always do what I can and hold myself accountable.

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Weight Watchers Smart Ones and received a promotional item and coupons to facilitate my review.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones is making it easier to stay on track with a healthy meal plan without spending time on prep work beforehand. Their products provide a variety of delicious, convenient and portion controlled meals and snacks that contain lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And now they are offering two new breakfast items - like the new Egg, Sausage & Cheese Wrap and the French Toast with Turkey Sausage. Plus, the packaging tells you the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values in each serving, allowing you to conveniently plan for the day. Visit www.eatyourbest.com for more information.

Scanning for Memories - SOLS

2011-04-26T20:57:00.000-06:00

Today I started out the commute to classes early since I took a personal day in order to go to some meetings at my university. The sun was peaking through the overcast sky, the roads were clear, and there was barely any traffic.

Scanning the stations, my mind wandered to different memories...

With the Spanish station, I thought back to the early days meeting my husband and listening to music with him. I remembered my bus rides from the city to rural Mexico and having the realization that for the first time since I had been to the country I was hearing my husband's favorite music. And, of course, I remembered the city chavos who did not want to consider it "Mexican" music since it was not their favorite. Various Mexican music memories flooded in.

Flipping over to the country station, as always, I thought of my dad and growing up in eastern Oregon, especially since I was just home for Easter weekend and my sister had rented Country Strong.

Another station had more talking than music. It's the time of year that they always place an extra emphasis on child abuse awareness, but this year they are adding in the slant of bullying prevention. As they shared a particular story, my thoughts drifted to Albert Borris and his Crash Into Me.

With a click over to number six on my programmed stations, classical music flowed through the car, and I thought of watching A gracefully dancing, making motions to mimic playing the different instruments, or just sharing a calm moment together as we drive to school.

Different music and different memories...

Here, Home, Hope

2011-04-23T04:51:00.002-06:00

It has been pretty busy lately, as this time of the school year always is, and it will continue to be pretty hectic for the next couple of weeks, so it was a special treat to carve away time this week to read Kaira Rouda's Here, Home, Hope, which will release on May 1st.

Thirty nine year old Kelly is ready for a change. It is summer time once again, which usually means that she packs on the pounds while her boys are away at summer camp in Maine. Different events in her life have lead her to realize that while she has loved her years as a stay at home mom that maybe she is ready to step back into the business world in order to work toward a balance between family and career now that her two boys are older.

She begins putting post it notes with reminders of positive change all over her house and car, grappling with exactly what she would like to change in order to feel more fulfilled. A suggestion by a real estate friend to start doing home staging quickly builds excitement as she ventures into a new career opportunity that is a perfect fit for her strengths.

Yet, her summer is not just about having a chance to focus on easing back into a working lifestyle while her boys are away for the summer. The plot is complicated by her best friends crisis, including becoming a temporary primary caregiver for one of her friend's teenage daughters who is trying to work through her own emotions.

I love the cover of the book because even though Kelly's life becomes so hectic during the book, a mixture of excitement, stress, and balancing an ever-growing to-do list, Kelly realizes the value in taking time to sit back and regroup. Just looking at the image calms me, making me want to take a deep breath and refocus. As I am often organizing my own priorities and to-do lists, this book emphasizes working toward a healthy balance that prioritizes the importance of personal happiness and its effect on overall family dynamics.

I also appreciated the blend of characters and scenarios that were developed throughout the book. Having the mixture of adult and teenage issues explored reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls. While Here, Home, Hope stuck with Kelly's first person narrative I noticed through reading the book that the time when I will have tweens and then teens will be here before I know it. Reading women's fiction that involves parenting those age groups will continue to catch my interest.

The title also made me think of Eat, Pray, Love. I enjoyed how that book was divided into sections or stages in the author's growth as she recounted her personal memoir. Here, Home, Hope also had that feel and was divided into a section for each word in the title, but the Home section is significantly longer than the others. Once again, I enjoyed this layout.

From the information at the back of the book and her website, I realized that Rouda has a passion for empowering women. While this is her first novel, she has another book Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. I look forward to future novels that Rouda might write since I am noticing that I am enjoying women's fiction increasingly more than chick lit as it seems to be a closer match for where I am not with my family and career.

*Advanced reader's copy provided

This for That - SOLS Tuesday

2011-04-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK. All over the linoleum.

SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK on the concrete.

Squeak, squeak, squeak on the carpet. Yes, even on the carpet. All day long, my favorite, comfortable Danskos squeak on all different surfaces to various degrees.

Rather than getting better with time, it seems to get progressively worse. I still wonder if it has something to do with walking through my building last year when parts of it were under construction. Could it have been that old carpet glue sticking to the floor? Even though it does not quite make sense, none of my other friends have had this issue of squeaky Danskos.

As I walked out of my statistics final this evening, I had a smile on my face thinking about how thanks to Amazon's textbook trade-in I traded this:

for that:

Sigh - SOLS Tuesday

2011-04-12T19:11:00.000-06:00

I just pushed away my empty chicken strips and french fries basket and scooted back the Dr. Pibb fountain drink. I looked out the window to see college students passing by. A dull headache, I am ready to be home curled up in bed with a good book or hearing about the girls' day. Instead I am trying to gear up to take some quick notes on an inter-library loan book about qualitative dissertations before returning it to the library and heading home.

I'm wondering if I will be able to continue listening to Wake Unto Me with my Kindle's text-to-speech option on the way home or if I will need to switch to some up beat music to keep me awake more.

It's time to shut my laptop and get going. With each moment I feel more and more like sighing and taking a nap, even if it is right here at the table and hour away from home! Instead, I will step outside into the light breeze and hope that the short walk to run my campus errand will give me a jolt of energy.

A Growing Reader - SOLS Tuesday

2011-04-05T06:57:00.000-06:00

Last night we sat side by side on her bed. She had gotten her sister's blue dolphin pillow pet without her noticing, and I was sitting with a regular pillow behind my back. We were going to read another chapter in the book she got from the library, but then she asked if we could read Silverlicious that my sister recently bought her. A strong believer of choice in reading and writing, I said yes, and she hopped off the bed to get it from her book shelf.

She open up the book and began to read and read and read. She was unsure of some words, but for the most part she was reading, looking at the pictures, and responding to the events. Her reading is still halting at times, rather than a nice, natural flow, but as a middle school teacher who has never fully experienced early literacy first hand, I am thrilled that she is well on her way to decoding words, and more importantly, that she knows reading is an enjoyable, meaning making experience. I especially loved when she got to parts where she appropriately changed the expression in her voice, showing yet another area of reading that she understands.

I continue to be amazed at the ever growing journey of reading.

2011 Reads

2011-04-02T10:59:00.004-06:00

Fenton, Liz & Steinke, Lisa
The D Word - July Book 3

Fergus, Jim
One Thousand White Women - March/April Book 1

Follett, Ken
Fall of Giants - October Book 6

Genova, Lisa
Left Neglected - July Book 4
Still Alice - November Book 7

Laflèche, Isabelle
J'Adore New York

Roudas, Kaira
Here, Home, Hope - April Book 2

One Thousand White Women

2011-04-02T10:58:00.000-06:00

Before meeting with co-workers for our first book club, I had never heard of One Thousand White Women, but I was excited when we decided to read it next as it sounded like it had an interesting premise. Next Friday we will meet to officially discuss the book, but throughout the week I have talked to one of my co-workers from time to time as we were both at about the same time in the book. I am loving being a part of an adult book club more and more. It is a chance for me to experience book clubs as a peer rather than as a teacher with my students.

Here is some more background and my thoughts on the book. After an initial introduction, the majority of the book is composed of journal entries of May Dodd. Inspired by a real event of a Native American chief proposing that President Grant trade one thousand white women for one thousand horses with the goal of intermarrying in order to learn more about the culture, the novel explores the what if. What if President Grant and others in the government actually orchestrated a secret trade after publicly announcing that they would not even consider this venture.

A combination of volunteers as well as women from insane asylums who were granted freedom upon agreeing to live out west for two years, a group of women left to start a new, unknown life living with the Cheyenne tribe. May herself took up the opportunity in order to escape her dreary life in the asylum where her well to do family had her for being "promiscuous".

While reading the series of May's notebooks I was intrigued by the overall strength of the women as well as the blend of different types of personalities. Through her documentation of life experiences we see both cultures shine, as well as unfortunate events provoked at different times from each culture represented in the book. I found myself endeared to May, as well as having a vested interest in the other characters, being torn trying to decide what would be the best for each. There were also many twists along the way that I cannot wait to discuss at our book club meeting.

Slice of Life Challenge 2011 Reflections

2011-04-01T23:45:00.000-06:00

I remember prior to last year thinking it was often a struggle just to do the weekly Tuesday slice of life posts, but for some reason, I still thought it would be fun to do the March challenge just to see how many I could do. I am pretty sure that I was able to slice each day, and realized that there really was not a valid excuse to do at minimum the weekly Tuesday slices. This month I was excited to complete 31/31 slices - sometimes on days when I had multiple ideas and narrowed it down to one, while other days I was exhausted and grappling with what to say.

Either way, I love the chance to have a reason to write each day, both when it is easy and flowing naturally and when I have to push myself to do it. I also love the community of writers and responses - my slice of life posts typically receive more comments than my regular posts, and I am thankful for each and every commenter. It is always exciting to see others' responses to writing, a feeling that validates the way we respond to students' writing at school.

I just got home from a long day traveling (but for an exciting reason - we went to my husband's ceremony to become a US Citizen), and right now it is one of those times that I am pushing a bit to get my thoughts on paper. Yet, I turned on my computer rather than just curling right into my covers because before we left yesterday afternoon to do post my 31st slice link I noticed Ruth's request to reflect on SOLSC 2011. I did not want to go 31 days just to go to sleep without reflecting! I look forward to continually post on Tuesdays as well as next year's challenge. It has already been interesting to see it continue to grow and evolve from last year. I am sure there is still a lot more waiting for us, so many reasons to be a rewarding experience.

1st Grade Fun - 31/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-31T16:34:00.000-06:00

"Justin Bieber and I sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," A sang on the way home from school.

I held back a laugh. If it wasn't for my 7th grade girls who are obsessed with him, I would not have even known who he was. A must have heard about him from the older girls at school because lately she talks about him more and more, sometimes singing out his songs.

I glimpsed at her in the rear view mirror. The gap from her missing front teeth still there, I saw her pig tails with her hair ties that had slipped down throughout the day, the spring sun glistening on her face.

The joys of having a first grader.

Never Enough Nights - 30/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-30T07:05:00.000-06:00

"What are we going to do when we wake up?" D asked this morning as she rolled over and squinted her eyes at the light.

"You're going to day care today," I said.

"No, I don't want to." Her typical answer. She loves the playing and preschool time, but the afternoon nap overshadows all of that when it is time to talk about going.

"But guess what? Tomorrow after we pick you up from day care, you will get to go see Granny and Grandpa."

"For how many nights."

"Just one."

"What!?" and then after a very brief pause, "but I wanted to stay four nights."

When it comes to Granny and Grandpa's, there are never enough nights!

Deviating from the plan - 29/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

I had planned ahead. Though my teaching spring break was last week, this week is the spring break from my doctoral classes. Today was the day that I would have typically been commuting an hour after class, staying for about 5-6 hours of classes and commuting back home. Instead I had the afternoon off. I told myself I would stay late at the school working on my study write up. After all I am used to having class on Tuesday afternoons, so I could have a nice, productive afternoon.

But then the exhaustion set in - the kind that always comes with the first day back after a break. Last night I felt to tired to gather up what I would need to take to school in order to work on my assignment there. I adjusted the plan. Instead I would come home right after work, eat dinner, and lock myself in the room working away with my only break being reading with A before bedtime.

Then more exhaustion set in. Sometimes the second day back into the swing of things is even worse than the first. About the time that I was going to come home to start on my homework I told one of my colleagues that maybe I would wake up early on Saturday instead, nice and fresh since I did not feel like I would be too productive. Instead, we decided to head out for a lattes and have a chance to catch up on a rainy, spring day.

When I finally got home I spent some time rocking A. She had a rough afternoon toward the end of the day, which I was sure had to do with her probably also trying to transition back to busy school days. Then I ate dinner. Just as I was getting ready to get to the project, D was knocking on the door and crying. I opened up and rocked her in my room for a while, asking about her day and how gymnastics went. By then it was time to read with A.

Finally, when it is close to the time when I would be commuting back to home, I am about ready to get to that project (after I slice, that is). I did not follow my plan for the day, but sometimes taking some time for life's relationships is worth deviating from the plan. In the grand scheme of things, my paper can wait. There is still plenty of time to spare.

English or Spanish - 28/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-28T20:18:00.000-06:00

We walked through the door of the school and A started talking about Spanish week.

"I think you are in English week now," I said. For a moment I was panicking. Her first grade class is on the same rotation as I am, so if she was going to start a Spanish week, then I should be with my students as well. "Weren't you in Spanish before the break?"

She was thinking, I could tell.

"Yeah, she's in English this week," a voice said from the stairway. It was one of her classmates.

What a relief I thought. I had planned for the right language. I left A and continued to my building next door.

The 6th graders were trickling in.

"Are we in English week or Spanish week?" Sally asked me.

"English. We were in Spanish before the break."

"Well, Abby said we were going to be in Spanish," she said, and went back out of the room.

I could here her talking in the hallway. "It's English week." Her classmates came in and chose English books.

All day long I heard the same question over and over from my 6th graders. Then my 8th graders. Then my 7th graders. I guess sometimes a week seems like a long time, losing track of the language rotation!

The funniest was from a 7th grader 35 minutes into class. After reading a picture book that ties into the theme of our unit well we were transitioning into independent reading. Then came the question. I could not help it. I laughed and said, "Which language have we been in for the last half hour?"

A smile cracked across his face as well. "Oh," he said as he pulled out his English book.

Linger - 27/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-27T15:23:00.000-06:00

I'm lingering in the last day of spring break today. At moments I was feeling frantic to finish up what I had wanted to before the break was over. But then I just finished reorganizing the last little bit. What a relief! Though I still have more that I want to get done this afternoon/evening, for now I am taking a little break. Curled up on my coach, laptop in hand, I am reevaluating my to-do list to reshuffle and think about what I really need to do so that I can enjoy time with the girls - take time to slice another mango, cook a healthy family dinner, enjoy bath and bedtime.

And then, I'll gear up for fourth quarter. I will make sure to go to bed at a good hour so that I can shift back into work mode, waking up with a smile ready to go tomorrow morning.

Calm, Quiet Classroom - 26/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-26T19:45:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting at the round table at the back of my classroom, sifting through some of my students writing and reflecting on class trends to focus on for improvement as we come back from spring break and start up the fourth quarter on Monday. The rest of the building is silent - the only sounds are the clicking of my keyboard and the whir of traffic outside.

Though coming in on weekends and spending a significant chunk of my weekend at school used to be more frequent than weekends away from school, once my husband's schedule changed I shifted to doing as much as I could from home. Now it is rare that I come in and spend time on the weekends.

There's something about coming in when everything is calm and quite, being able to be in my classroom with constant reminders of my students, while also being able to gather my thoughts that is so fulfilling.

What We Remember - 25/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-25T20:13:00.000-06:00

This afternoon I was going through mounds of books and some composition books. We decided to get rid of one of our book cases as we have been rearranging and organizing our house. When I caught a glimpse of a composition book for a literature class from the spring of my freshman year in college, I instantly had flashbacks of joking around that I was going to get an ulcer from the class.

The professor had each of our names on a note card and would use them to call on us. I always had so much anxiety. It seemed to work out that I would have great thoughts for others' questions, but as soon as it was my turn my heart would start pounding and I could not succinctly share my thoughts.

I was a small-town girl still getting used to being out of the comfort zone of being with classmates that I had already known for years, and in a course that was challenging me at that. Being in my first upper division class with mainly older students was intimidating. Oh wait, the cover says English 205. So it wasn't upper division?

As I flipped through the notebook, my first thought was that my handwriting was so nice. I have realized it has been getting a little sloppy, but today made me think of just how much! At a time when typing on computers was still relatively new, I am wondering if the speed at which I can type has led me to get impatient with my handwriting, rushing along trying to get my thoughts out as quickly as I can typing away.

Then my thoughts about the shift in handwriting screeched to a halt. A note from my professor - "Very good. This is superb!" What!? Another - "Great work" and "What a pleasure it is to hear you say these things," and "Excellent." Hmm. It's funny how at times we build certain events in our mind with a specific slant. I know this would have been from entries where I was able to sit and compose my thoughts from the comfort of my dorm room, not as I was sitting in class wondering when I would be called on; yet, I am thinking maybe it was not as bad as I thought.

*On a side note, for the teachers that are reading, there were also many comments asking me questions or responding directly to something I said in addition to these general comments in case it seems odd that the professor did not have much depth to his comments.

Knowing When to Take a Step Back - 24/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

This spring break has been non-stop. Friday I left straight from work (3rd quarter teacher work day) to pick up the girls at day care and head to my parents. We stayed until Monday afternoon, and after a little while at home my husband arrived from work. I had to run a couple of errands and then we had a little bit of time together as a family (including our zumba session) before it was bed time for all. Tuesday was a packed day at my university with back to back meetings and class.

Yesterday I woke up early to go get my snow tires off, get the oil changed in my car, and do a few other to-do list items. Shortly after I got home, we took the girls to the pool and then went to the movies to see Gnomeo and Juliet at a theater about a half hour away to use a gift certificate we had received for Christmas. Today's plan was to make lemon bars (upon D's request), pack a lunch and walk to a park to play and have a picnic. Then we were going to walk to the post office to mail a package (another to-do list item) and then head to the library before walking back home.

Needless to say, the busy days and rarely being at home has added up to one disorganized house screaming for attention. So, I had to break it to the girls this morning that while we could make lemon bars this afternoon, the walk and all the festivities it involved would need to wait until tomorrow. Today will be a day for staying close to home - cleaning, organizing, doing homework, and relaxing. By stepping back for a day, hopefully we can enjoy the rest of the break with the relief that comes from having a clean, organized home, as well as some homework items crossed off the list. It always feels good to take the time to stop and catch my breath, rather than letting everything spin out of control!

Swimming Gradual Release - 23/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

I had told M that he could not go over to the hot tub. When we are at the pool it is all hands on deck - one of us watching each girl, making sure that they are staying in the pool where they are supposed to be or if they are out that they aren't running or doing anything else that they are not supposed to be.

Only, even after multiple times to the bathroom with the girls and reminders of "walk, walk, walk" as a preventative measure things were going smoothly. No broken rules. No making me nervous for their safety. I was realizing that they were both fairly independent in the smaller pool.

"You can go ahead and go to the hot tub," I told M.

"Why are you taking the girls out already?"

"No, I just realized I will be just fine in here alone though."

Little by little I am noticing the girls are growing up and in different contexts I keep on realizing that it is not such a chore to go places with them. I am envisioning a family membership to the pool this summer - afternoons as family of four, as well as many more with just the three of us while M is working. After all, this afternoon I saw how they have crossed another thresh hold. I can go solo with them at the pool without feeling completely stressed out.

Sister Search - 22/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-22T21:10:00.000-06:00

I was just pouring my cereal when A walked out to the kitchen. I let her know that she could go back to bed and I would go eat my cereal in her room if she still wanted to lay down. I heard her walk down the hall, but when I followed her with my bowl, I realized that she had other plans.

"I can't find my sister," she said.

"She's in her bed still."

"No, she's not," she responded as she pulled the quilt from the bottom of my bed, only to find Papi's feet. Dismayed she continued, "She's not here."

I walked down the hall and flipped on the hallway light to illuminate the girls' room. I could barely see D's hair coming out from the comforter.

"See, she's right here," I whispered.

Still not convinced A pulled back the covers to see D's feet. "Oh..."

"Come on. Don't wake her up. Let her keep sleeping," I said as I went back to my room to finally finish my cereal and get ready.

Only, A was not content with letting her sister sleep. Shortly after when I was going to say goodbye to A and start my commute to school, I saw that both of the girls were snuggling with a big blanket in a recliner watching a movie. I love early mornings (or anytime) when they enjoy time together as sisters.

Family Zumba - 21/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-21T22:24:00.000-06:00

This evening instead of going to the gym for Zumba night I opted to shut our living room blinds and pop in one of the DVDs that came in the Zumba set that my sister gave me for my birthday. I had told D that I was going to be doing Zumba when I got back from running errands, so as soon as she heard me, she came flying out of her room. A was not far behind her.

For the first beats, all four of us were dancing along with the video until M realized that it was not the best right after eating a big dinner. A who was already tired, headed back to her room shortly after. However, D stuck with it. She twirled and spun, sometimes making an honest attempt to follow along with the video while at others doing whatever she wanted to.

I told her that she was doing a good job as I watched her smiling along with the process, so later on she looked at me and told me I was doing a good job.

I might not have gotten as good of a workout as when I am at the gym since I was constantly watching to make sure that D did not get too close to where I might accidentally step on her. Yet I would not change a thing. It was worth it to smile and laugh with her, sharing the joys of exercise.

Longer Run - 20/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-20T11:40:00.000-06:00

In 30 degree weather we set out to run a familiar loop that starts right by our childhood home. My sister, her friend and I started off, and before long the snow flurries started. Hands tucked in my jacket since my sister and I had not thought to bring gloves or anything to cover our heads, I started out at a comfortable pace.

As we approached the first blind curve I felt a tap on my shoulder as my sister reminded me to stay in tight to the edge since cars might not be able to see us. As I jogged I debated wheather I would turn around at the triangle or continue on around the loop. The wind was blowing against us and I thought about how nice it would be to turn around with the wind at my back.

Yet, the turn around came quickly, and I decided to continue on, seeing the different scenery. The songs on my iPod shifted to more upbeat music and the wind was no longer blowing against me. I continued to feel more and more comfortable, thinking about how my sister had said many times that it is after a couple of miles that she truly starts to feel much better.

As the country loop wound back into my town and I was back to the house-lined street I was feeling great but also noticing that my knee was getting sore. I ended up deciding to walk the rest of the way to my house to not push it too much. I had already reached my mileage goal for the day.

Today taught me a lot. I realized that the 12K coming up in May is not so daunting. Though today I ran about 3.5 miles, around half of what the actual race will be, I know that by sticking to my training plan, I will be ready. After today, I know that I will be able to progress up each weekend just fine.

*My sisters and I blog about getting back into running at My Sole Sister.

A Little Pampering - 19/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-19T18:41:00.000-06:00

I sat in the comfortable chair, feet in the spa water bin below sipping on my chai latte, a sister on each side getting a late-birthday peticure. For moments we talked briefly, at other points I clicked away on my Kindle once my latte was gone. At times it was all I could do to not yank my foot away during the cuticle phase (always my least favorite on the few occasions that I have had a pedicure) or during the foot massage (my sisters said I need to pamper myself a bit more often in order to not be so ticklish). Other times I just sat back and relaxed, such as during the lower leg lotion massage. With hot pink polish on my toes, we were off for the rest of our fun-filled sister day.

On to Fourth Quarter - 18/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-18T23:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the last day of third quarter, an action packed Talent Show day. Typically the show was an end of the year event, but in an attempt to not have so much happening at the end of the year, we moved it up this year. Every year time seems to move faster. How can it honestly be time to start the fourth quarter?

One week off in between to catch my breath and to do as much of my Cognition study write-up will be perfect before going back to school re-energized and ready for the fast paced fourth quarter. Before I know it, it will be summer!

The Big Day (or Her Free Style Ballet Moment) - 17/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-17T19:49:00.000-06:00

I went to find A on the playground in order to get her changed for the big event. I did a skim for her bright pink jacket and eventually saw her on the farthest end of the playground swinging. I tried a few times from different distances to try to catch her attention and have her come to me, rather than trudging through the whole length of gravel. Then when I was finally close enough to catch her attention, I realized there was a big mud puddle under the swing she was on. I don't even know how she got into the swing without making a huge mess.

Once I got to her, we hurried into the bathroom and started putting on the different layers: tights, leotard, tutu, and ballet shoes. Just as we were finishing with her clothes, I heard the music start back up. The break was over and the show was continuing. I quickly pulled her hair back into a pony tail and a new fun clip in her hair for the special occasion.

She smiled in the mirror and we headed out to wait for her time to shine.

Cookie Delivery Day - 16/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-16T21:44:00.000-06:00

I knew what to expect this evening - a Samoa induced belly ache. Like Krisy Kreme donut delivery day for our school's fundraiser, it is so hard for me to have self-control when it comes to Girl Scout cookie deliveries. This year was even worse because it was A's first year being involved, so I bought more than I typically do. Luckily, while I definitely had more than enough I did not make myself sick!

Yet, with just one afternoon and many boxes still in the kitchen, I am thinking about how I will get them out of sight, out of mind or limit myself so that I can enjoy them without going overboard. D is thrilled to take a couple of boxes to share with her friends at day care tomorrow - fine by me!

Talent Show Practice - 15/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-15T23:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was standing in the hallway when one of my colleagues came up with a clipboard and asked, "Which song will A be dancing to for the talent show?"

"She's dancing in the talent show!?" I asked. Sure, I had asked her at home if she wanted to dance in the talent show, but she had never said for sure. The deadline had passed so I chalked it up as a maybe next year. She didn't though. She signed herself up unbeknownst to me.

When I talked to her about songs she vetoed what I thought would be her choice, Taylor Swift's "Love Story" that she had just danced to with her ballet class for their performance. Instead, this morning we arrived to the school early and pulled out the classical music that I sometimes play during writer's workshop. She did her freestyle ballet moves to the different rhythms before settling on Tchaikovsky's Nocturne in F.

She is so different than me. I would never feel confident stepping on stage as a first grader in front of my k-8 peers and teachers without knowing the full dance all planned out, practiced many times. Most importantly, I don't think I would have ever done it all by myself. Sure, I danced to Kylie Minogue or Tiffany songs with classmates in front of our class a few times, but nothing like she is going to do.

I am nervous for her, yet excited since it seems like it will be a positive experience for her. She typically thrives in our school dance performances. This will be a big step for her - dancing on her own with those musical genes that obviously come from Papi!

(Tomorrow night we will practice and then Thursday will be the big day. I bet I will be doing a slice about it on Thursday!)

Realizing I still wanted to become a Teacher - 14/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-14T06:59:00.000-06:00

*This was the preface to the educational memoir I did this summer for one of my classes. I was re-reading last night and thought it would be a fun slice. I was about a sophomore in high school at the time.

I watched the nurse insert the needle into Andy’s arm as I stood in line in the library for vaccinations. Suddenly I felt weak. I started to notice black in my periphery vision. I had to sit down, and soon the nurses suggested I lie down and close my eyes. Rather than hitting the gym floor with the rest of my classmates once I recovered enough to stand up and walk again, I sat in the bleachers watching everyone else. That is when it hit me.

If I nearly passed out just watching one vaccination, I should not even be thinking about the recent idea I had been entertaining of becoming a doctor. My future was clear – it would be back to plan A for me – the plan that had been in the back of my mind since childhood, the plan that was a small seed growing from my early love of school, the plan that my grandma nourished with all of her stories of being a teacher in a one-room school house before getting married. With a sense of conviction, I knew that I would become a teacher after all.

Spring Ahead - 13/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-13T17:09:00.000-06:00

Last night I got set on switching over the clocks. First were the oven and the microwave - set back one hour. Check. Then I went on to our living room clock that has not been chiming correctly since we changed the time in the fall. Set back one hour and chiming correctly with the hour. Check.

I was lounging around in the living room with M and the girls. I was organizing my statistics notes and organizing myself for the rest of the semester, prioritizing different tasks on my to-do list. I decided to take advantage of the "extra" hour that I would be getting in the morning by staying up a little bit later.

When I finally made my way to the bedroom, I decided to switch the time on my alarm clock. As I was getting ready to go back one hour it finally dawned on me. It's the SPRING. I was not going to gain an hour; I was going to lose one! Good thing I stayed up later than I would have - arg!

Too exhausted to get back out of bed to put the clocks forward two hours, I made sure that M realized my mistake, telling him to rely on his cell phone in order to make sure that he got himself to work at the appropriate time rather than looking at all of the clocks that I had changed to the wrong hour.

Bountiful Baskets - 12/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

I drove around with the girls trying to find the pick up location for Bountiful Baskets. Though it was my third basket over the last four weeks, it was my first time to actually collect my own basket, so I did not know what to expect. The first surprise was that it was not where I thought it was located.

Luckily, I got ahold of one of my neighbors who has been helping out; she was able to orient me in the right direction just a couple of blocks away. After waiting in line with my laundry basket and the girls, we made it into the gym.

Rows and rows of small laundry baskets filled with portioned out fruits and vegetables filled most of the room. The line moved toward a table where we signed in before being directed to a volunteer holding up a certain colored piece of paper. The girls excitedly helped me transfer our produce over to our own basket, and then it was time for the extras we ordered - the Italian pack, the granola, and the five loaves of bread.

Even though Cecilia had wanted me to make blueberry pancakes with the fresh blueberries, the girls could not contain themselves. One phone call while putting everything away had me moving to my bedroom so I could hear. When I came back to the kitchen, the girls were happily eating away. The blueberries were almost all gone!

Each week is a fun surprise to see what will come in our basket. The only disappointment is when we don't make it in time to get a basket since word has spread quickly and they sell out shortly after the order window opens. That has only happened once so far, giving me extra motivation to log in as quickly as possible once the options are posted!

*This picture is actually from our basket a couple of weeks ago. This week our basket included: strawberries, blueberries, apples, cantaloupe, bananas, pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, garlic, and more. Yum!

Wiped Out - 11/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

I walked through the door ready to change into pajamas and read on my Kindle briefly before heading straight to bed. Ready to reenergize and enjoy the weekend.

After staying at the school late with my teaching partner to prepare report card comments, I was pulling into the garage just before 9 p.m.

I definitely would not be going back out for my monthly scrapbooking night. I will just have to pull out my supplies sometime over the weekend because for now I am exhausted - so exhausted I just might not be making a whole lot of sense on this slice!

Surprise, Surprise - 10/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

We pulled up to the school parking lot with the rain pouring down. I turned to my colleague and said, "I think I am going to drive around to the back to pick up A so that she won't have to walk across the parking lot in the rain."

Little did I know that just walking the few steps to my car and opening the door would be a chore. The wind whipped through my hair, the rain beat down, and it took two attempts to get my door open, especially since I burst out laughing after the first failed attempt when the wind slapped it back shut.

Once inside my car I cleared off my glasses, put my wipers on high and drove around to the back. I raced to the back door and pulled open the backdoor, making sure I was forceful enough to only have to open it once.

Hair tangled in the wind, partially soaked with water and making my grand entrance, I realized that instead of the few kids from the after school program, I was face to face with about 20 of my students who had to come in from soccer practice because of the rain.

We looked at each other and started laughing. "Whoa, Mrs. V, you look different," they said.

Hmm, I thought. That could be referring to either my suit (since they never see me in a skirt) or the windblown, drenched look - most likely the combination of the two. It was smiles all around as we all laughed about the weather.

***On a side note, my new shoes were fairly comfortable today. I think with time I will break them in more, but for the most part, it was great.

New Danskos - 9/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. I power walked down the hallway of the mall, trying to get in and out of the shoe store as quickly as possible before the two girls got restless while waiting for me at the food court with Papi. Though I love the comfortable feel of my Dansko clogs, the squeaking that I am pretty sure is from walking around in my school last year during renovations with old carpet glue on the floor is starting to get to me. And I needed a pair that would go with a skirt, rather than slacks.

Choices. Choices. Choices. I did not see the pair that I had envisioned from before, but the closest was the Savanna style. When I tried them on they definitely had a more narrow feel. "They'll stretch to mold to your feet," the salesman said. I hope he is right, I thought. I tried on a style of clogs that he also brought out since he noticed me looking at them and instantly thought about how great they felt - no need to wait for the leather to expand in those. Yet, one image of me wearing clogs with the skirt made me go for the less comfortable pair. Bag in hand I sped back to the food court and it was time to head back home.

Stats Project 3. Check. - 8/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

It was the project that I had been wondering about since we went over the syllabus in January - the one where our professor had told us to draw some tears next to it because it would be more complicated and frustrating than the others. I knew that statistics would be out of my comfort zone anyway, so I was not sure what to expect.

Luckily, our professor announced last week that after staying late to explain more of the background, we could use tonight's class time to work in the lab with his support.

After our first class tonight, we broke from our routine and headed for the lab. I arranged my notes in my cubicle and tried to refresh my memory from last week's discussion and notes. A couple steps forward and I was pausing to check in with classmates or my professor before moving ahead some more and sifting through notes.

Remembering back to my high school days completing math homework, going through cycles of trying to work it out on my own and then verifying, checking, or clarifying with others, I plugged along with the project.

As I emailed off my attached document, I could not help smiling. Stats Project 3. Check. It always feels great to cross something that has been looming off my to-do list!

Spring "Picnic" - 7/31 SOLSC 2011

2011-03-07T06:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday started out as a rainy day. I imagined a nice, cozy day inside the house, snuggling with the girls, watching movies, and reading books. Then, with classical eastern Oregon weather flair, the sun started shining and by afternoon it felt like a warm, spring day. The girls had been playing outside for about an hour, playing on their swing set, digging in the dirt, running around the yard, and helping me rake the leaves that we waited too long to rake up and ended up having the yard covered in snow before we got the job done.

I decided that I wanted to read on my Kindle while they continued to play, but then it got chilly. I went back inside for a sweater and a blanket for my lower legs and feet. As soon as she saw me coming out of the house, D wanted the blanket, but I told her what it was for. A told her not to worry, she would go get her picnic blanket.

The girls set up a bright pink sarape as a picnic blanket and then the rounds began - the brought out their slices of cake that they had not fully finished, fruit, a container full of water to wash the fruit, tortilla chips, a coloring book, crayons, blankets, winter coats (just in case), and pillows. Somewhere between the rounds I told A to grab my camera from the kitchen and I snapped away as they set up their section of the yard, leaning over in my chair to get the angle right without getting my lawn chairs in the shot.

The girls were playing together for around a half hour (or maybe more) with their picnic. From time to time I would put my Kindle down and take more pictures - at times they noticed, at others, they were completely candid. As I was sitting there I realized, the next time I needed to get my camera AND writer's notebook. Though I remember some aspects, there is a lot I have already forgotten. Jotting down some quick, creative phrases alongside the pictures can bring back so much.

A Birthday Slice - 6/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

*This slice is from an event that happened last weekend when my parents were in town to celebrate my 30th early.

We walked through the door, the girls thrilled both to have Granny and Grandpa visiting as well as to have their Redbox picks in hand. As I walked into my kitchen, I quickly noticed the toolbox sitting on my table. A smile spread across my face as I thought back to earlier in the fall and a different visit from my parents when we were trying to fix my doorknob. I was ranting (only partly jokingly) about how M never takes care of his tools even after I bought him a toolbox to organize them, resulting in never being able to find the tools when we need them. He remembered I thought.

My dad proudly showed me the different tools, and I marveled at how much thought he put into my gift. The label with my name transported me back to my childhood when he bought me a tool organizer to store my LEGO pieces, complete with a label on each drawer to note the color or type to be stored there -- the organizer that taught me the word miscellaneous when I was in about third grade.

We went through the toolbox together, unwrapping some of the tools and my dad demonstrating how to use some of them. I laughed when I saw the padlock remembering that fall conversation. My dad told me I needed my own toolbox, one with a lock. My oldest sister had the same tool dilemma with her husband so my dad had bought her a toolbox, but before too long her husband had her tools everywhere. Thus the lock. Even though my mom was horrified, worried that it would hurt M's feelings, I thought it was hilarious.

And just in case I forget the combination to my lock? No worries, my dad has it written down in his wallet. The little details that make such a difference in knowing the thought that went into a gift.

Saturday Mornings - 5/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I laid on the love seat, Kindle propped in my hand reading away in the early chapters of Timeless for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge. Since the girls were sleeping on the hide-a-bed couch from our "slumber party" last night, I was using my Kindle cover light so the girls would sleep away.

It was not long before M woke up to get ready for work. He sat at the foot of the love seat with his cereal. D noticed and rolled over on the couch, watching him eat his cereal.

"Are you going to work Papi?"

"Yes."

"But, I'm not going, right?"

The early morning conversation continued, and when M left, D moved right over to snuggle with me, asking if I would get her gummies. I told her that I was going to finish my chapter and then I would go. She waited patiently for a little bit, but then started with her usual, dramatic, "But I'm getting very hungry!"

When my chapter came to an end a couple of clicks later, I slid the light shut. "Whoa, that's very cool," she said. Then instead of getting right up for those gummies and cereal, she laid with me and we talked and talked before heading to the table together.

Realizations - 4/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

I stood on the elliptical machine starting to glide my legs along while waiting for the machine to prompt me to input information. As I clicked in the 29 for the age, it hit me that it would be the last time I would be able to type in a twenties age. By next week when I go back I will have transitioned over to thirty. Even though I have been thinking frequently about the approaching big birthday, it is the little things that still catch me off guard.

Though I was drained, exhausted, and not necessarily in the best mental toughness state to give my full effort during the workout, I was still glad that I had not cancelled my personal training appointment. Cooling down on the elliptical, thinking about my twenties and all that will come in my thirties made me smile.

My body got into the rhythm and I let my breathing return to a more natural level, content with my own thoughts, not missing my iPod at all. Leaving the gym, I was thinking about how I am proud of myself for working out more than ever in my adult life this year but also knowing that I need work on being in the right state of mind when it comes to the workouts, as I have been building up anxiety before my recent sessions instead of going in with energy and excitement.

Toothless Grin - 3/31 SOLSC 2011 Challenge

2011-03-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Glimpsing at me in my rear-view mirror, smiling from her table in the cafeteria, or changing into her pajamas for bed, I love seeing A's missing teeth. Ever since she lost her two front teeth on Valentine's week, I have been soaking up any opportunity to stare at her smiling away, talking, or reading her books.

Her new top teeth were poking through within a day after she lost them both, so I know it is just a matter of days before the cute little gap will be replaced by big, clunky teeth that will seem too big for her mouth until she eventually grows into them. Those moments of childhood that come and go so fast!

Trying Something New - 2011 SOLSC 2/31

2011-03-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

I gently opened the door to the workout room, ten minutes late. Unfortunately, my co-worker who I had been planning on doing my first ever ab lab with was across the room. A last minute errand that I needed to run with M threw my plans off. As a result, instead of stepping out of my comfort zone from the safety of being alongside my colleague and other women, I was stuck by the door where another woman that I did know who had to leave early was set up.

Though I was lucky to have a spot already set up to slide right into, the downside was that I was right next to a row of three high school boys (at least I am pretty sure because I recognize them from when I was at the middle school a few years back) who regularly go to the class. At least on the other side of me there was one other woman.

I tried to not be self-conscious and just try to figure out how the class worked. Things were going pretty smoothly, despite getting stuck with a larger than ideal balancing ball. That is until we were switching gears and the instructor who also teaches my zumba class was explaining the next position. I rolled up on the ball as she did, only when I went to roll back down, I slid right off the ball.

A bit humiliated, I did the best thing I could think to do - get right back at it before drawing too much attention to myself, wishing I was next to my colleague so we could have had a good laugh about it. As I was continuing to do the move with one leg raised while doing crunches on the ball, I realized that I felt more unstable and the fear of rolling off the ball again caused me to overcompensate and not do the movements as fully.

Next week I will be getting there on time and securing my favorite size of ball and a spot next to my co-worker!

Sunny Days Waking Me Up - 2011 SOLSC 1/31

2011-03-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Sunny Days ring tone blared through my otherwise quiet house from my bathroom counter. Because I have realized that for most of the winter I have not been embracing getting up with my alarm, I pulled out all the stops - moving my cell phone from my bedside to somewhere where I would need to walk to, changing the volume from soothing vibrate to the highest volume, and switching the ring tone (for those rare days when I did hear music instead of the vibrate setting) from the calm Sweet Dreams to the upbeat Sunny Days.

It worked. This morning rather than hitting the snooze button three or four times, I actually got up quickly to shut it off before I woke up the whole house. It felt great to click dismiss, rather than snooze. I enjoyed a quiet breakfast before hearing D's feet coming down the hallway. On this particular morning, it did not take her long to wake up and excitedly start talking, "Last night I dreamed a goat was eating our house. Then I went to all different places - happy places, scary places, gardens, safe places..."

The bathroom counter will be the new location for my wake-up call; although, it was pretty apparent this morning that I don't necessarily need to have it on full blast!

A Book Club - Finally

2011-02-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

When I was in college my older sister would talk about a book club with her friends. I always wanted to be a part of a book club, but at the time, I was too young/at a different stage in my life to be a good fit for her group. Through different moves, I never had a chance to be in a book club. Though I found on-line blogging discussions, as well as book clubs with my students filled parts of that void, they weren't quite the same.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when I received an email in early January from one of my co-workers saying that starting a book club was one of her New Year's resolutions. She had already picked The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo as the first read. Since I had just barely read the book during winter break, I marked the date on my calendar and anxiously awaited the eventual get together.

Earlier this week my colleague emailed us saying that she wanted to meet in a local coffee shop to just enjoy conversation. It ended up being perfect. While some others were interested, it ended up being three of us, which turned out to be plenty to have a nice enjoyable discussion about the book, as well as just catching up in general.

The environment of the coffee shop was perfect, and I proposed that we always just met there, knowing it would give us a chance to get together and not have to worry of distractions at home. For example, I know that when I host, my girls would want to check in to see what was going on.

We decided to read One Thousand White Women and meet again in early April. I can hardly wait! Though I already downloaded it on my Kindle, we talked about how we could all read it over spring break (the week before our meeting) so that it would be fresh in our minds.

Patricia Selbert Blog Tour

2011-02-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about Patricia Selbert's book The House of Six Doors, I was instantly intrigued. It had so many of my favorite themes: identity, culture, transitioning to new surroundings... I just received my copy in the mail this week, so I will be posting a review soon.

Reading about the book made me think about celebrating cultures and discovering identity in contexts where people are negotiating between multiple cultures. It reminded me of my own experiences thinking through similarities and differences with travel and family. I also love thinking about how personal experiences transfer into writing as well or the potential that they have to fuel writing.

For this stop on her blog tour, Patricia Selbert is talking about how she has different identities in different cultures. It reminds me of language registers and the power of being able to match the appropriate register to a given context. Enjoy Patricia's insights into how her identity changes depending on the cultural context.

If a friend in California were to ask me, “How are you?” I could comfortably answer, “Great” and go on to tell them all the wonderful things that were happening in my life. In the American culture, focusing on successes is important.

But if I were in the Netherlands and a friend were to ask, “How are you?” I wouldn’t think of saying, “Great.” In the Dutch culture, that would be boasting, and to go on describing how well everything was going would be thought of as inauthentic. In the Netherlands, it’s important to be realistic and share a balance of success and challenges when communicating.

I find that I tend to behave differently in different cultures. A culture’s values, traditions and beliefs influence how the people of that culture relate to each other. If I want to assimilate into a particular culture, I have to subscribe to that culture’s values, traditions and beliefs, otherwise I would stand out as a foreigner.

Personally, I find there is something very satisfying about being able to shift from one culture to another. It makes my world a bigger place.

Reading Patricia's comments made me think about how I also love shifting from one culture to another. It also made me consider how cultural context and noticing the subtleties of individual cultures is essential in order to make writing seem authentic.

Weekend at Granny and Grandpa's

2011-02-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

After spending a long weekend at Granny and Grandpa's I had the girls loaded in the car early yesterday morning. I knew that there was laundry and cleaning waiting for me back home and it was essential to get home by mid-day while I still had the motivation to get it done.

With the girls buckled up and snuggling with their blankets, I was ready to drive off. Grandpa was waving outside and making the girls laugh.

"That was a fun, fun weekend, wasn't it?" I asked the girls.

"No, it was a sad weekend," D said.

"What? Why was it sad?"

"We only stayed 4 nights, but I wanted to stay 100 nights!" One hundred is her favorite number lately. When I had to tell her that her sister was right, one thousand is more than one hundred, it warranted a pouting session because in her words "ahhh, I wanted one hundred to be more".

I had to smile. What can you say to that? I attempted with a, "Oh, that is sad, isn't it? But guess what? They will be coming to our house next weekend."

"Yeah, and 100 nights is a long time. Papi would miss us," A said.

I continued driving and eventually the girls were lulled to sleep, making for a quiet trip home.

Tooth Fairy Math

2011-02-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I could not wait for my four year old to go to sleep. She can be quite the night owl. I was sitting on my seven year old's bed reading away; she had already fallen asleep with her front tooth that had been loose since the end of November under her pillow. My four year old, on the other hand, was laying at the foot of her bed cross ways with her new Pillow Pet that I finally bought her for Valentine's Day. I stared into her sleepy eyes and she would smile back. I could tell that at any moment she would fall asleep. Approaching 10:00, it was about time!

My head was hurting from a long day, and I could not wait to get to bed. Yet, at the same time I was worried that if I laid down, the next thing the tooth fairy would know, it would be morning! So I stayed up, and I watched my girls. As expected, D finally slipped into sleep, snuggling with her blue dolphin Pillow Pet.

I snuck to my husband's change box and chose a change combination. I was about ready to make the switch, but then I could not resist going back for my camera. Despite my tiredness, I just had to document A sleeping on top of her tooth and D with her new present that she had been asking for for months. Snapping away also helped reassure me that they were sound asleep and would not catch me putting the money under the pillow.

This morning when I woke up, I heard the money bag crinkling under A's pillow, and it was not long until she walked out to the kitchen, showed it to me and then left it on the table. Surely excited, but also still trying to wake up. I followed her back to the room where she was sitting in a recliner and we counted out her money: four quarters, six dimes, and eight nickels. We counted away together reinforcing her classroom standards. We have ended up making it a game each time to see the combinations of coins that the tooth fairy will bring!

(Pictures to follow later in the week.)

Dannon "Small Steps to a Better You" Program

2011-02-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

I recently heard about Dannon's Small Steps program through a Mom Central email notifying about the tour that mentioned how it is common for people to start of the year great but then having attempts at healthy lifestyle improvements taper off after January. That immediately caught my attention as I have been doing better than ever with my attempts at exercising more and being more conscious about what I eat. Right now my big focus is to maintain my current efforts to balance family, work, and the time to exercise and plan ahead for healthy meals and snacks.

I was excited to hear more about the program that has some amazing prizes. Three grand prize winners will win free groceries for a year, fifty first prize winners will win free groceries for a month, and one hundred second prize winners will win groceries for a week. I would be thrilled to win any one of those since at times healthy lifestyle changes require allocating funds differently. In my case, it was being more careful with the amount of books and scrapbooking supplies. I am sure that whoever the lucky winners are will be ecstatic to not have to worry about some basic living expenses for a while.

Best of all, Dannon made it really easy to enter. The company has many products to choose from, including Dan-o-nino that always reminds me of Mexico. Yet, while you can fill out UPCs when submitting entries, it is not required. There is also a button that says "Don't have a UPC?" Upon clicking it, the field is filled out, making it possible to enter without purchasing anything.

One of my favorite aspects is that along with the "Thank You For Registering!" message, there are also Small Step tips. For example, with my first entry it said, "Small Step #97: Don't automatically have second helpings, unless it's a low-calorie vegetable or fruit." There is also an option to click on to the next tip. I'm not sure how many tips they have, but I know that I couldn't help myself from clicking right through, skimming away. It started back at one before I realized, but I think it may have been at about 200. They have a nice blend of physical, nutritional, and emotional tips for all around healthy living.

Aligned with the tips, there is also a section on their site, Healthy on the Go, with additional support and motivation. I especially liked their sub-section on Grab on the Go because one of the biggest obstacles I have been working toward overcoming is getting too swept up with everything else in life and having healthy decisions fall to the way-side. I also like the Advanced Planning sub-section since that is another aspect that I have been realizing makes a huge difference for me and goes hand in hand with making it possible to take positive steps toward long-term goals and to find balance in a busy life.

I was glad to hear about the program, and I think that I will be trying out some of their Greek yogurt. I often hear about it but have never tried it. Then there's my favorite standbys of regular yogurt for lunch or snacks!

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dannon and will receive a coupon and gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate with my honest opinions of the program.

Zumba

2011-02-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

I took one look at the line of people in the back row and decided to opt for the extra space by moving to the front row. The narrow room that our gym set up for classes has been fuller than ever since the start of the year, but last night at zumba it reached a whole new capacity. Word of mouth must be motivating many that zumba is a fun way to exercise. Packed into the room with the side door open, letting the cool winter air into what otherwise would have become an intolerably stuffy and sweaty room, Spanish music pulsing through the air, we began the routines.

The instructor always radiates energy; nobody can notice when she is tired. In the room there was a mixture of people who often go, as well as people going for the first time. On sections where confusion set in, laughter rung throughout the air. So much to enjoy about zumba and the positive attitudes of the ever-growing crowd!

Slice of Memories

2011-01-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

When my oldest daughter was first born, I tried keeping a journal to note different moments in her life. However, the entries were soon fewer and farther between. By the time my second daughter was born, I started her a journal that I virtually never wrote in. A little over a year ago when my scrapbooking consultant was showing me how she used a certain album to put a calendar from the month along with a few pictures, I got the idea to find a perfect balance for capturing special moments while the girls were growing up.

Using the Slice of Life Stories idea from Two Writing Teachers, I decided to use the same albums but with a monthly slice, rather than a calendar. I recently finished up the girls' 2010 Slice of Life Stories memory albums, and soon I will get started on the 2011 version. I have decided to buy the girls identical albums each year so that they can match up to see what each was doing during the same year. Above is a picture of D's October entry, and it A's album in the back shows what the cute cover looks like.

*I wrote a similar post when I was just getting started on the idea. The post has a lot of the same background idea, but it gives a little bit more details in case you would like to read more.

Amber Sporting Goods Jump Rope Review

2011-01-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

After my trainer talked about the merits of jump ropes as a convenient means to get in some exercise for the day, I decided to move it to the top of my products I want to eventually buy while working toward my new healthy lifestyle goals list. I wondered if CSN stores sold jump ropes, and I quickly realized that it was more of a question of which one to buy since it was clear that there were plenty of options to choose from available on the site.

I took into consideration what I was looking for and which products were in stock. I decided on a Amber Sporting Goods jump rope. The picture shows them in multiple colors, but there was not a place on the order to select a color, and mine came in red. Though blue has always been my favorite color, I was not too concerned about the color of my jump rope, so red was just fine.

From the first time I used it, I realized that it was just what I needed in a jump rope. It was a nice length for my height (around 5'3"), and I am able to comfortably use it in my living room without hitting any of the furniture. When I went to a session with Trainer P last Friday, he had me warm up with a jump rope, and I also used it again at the end of our session. He also talked about how on days when I can't fit in a regular workout that jumping rope for an hour (split up into as many small chunks as I would like throughout the day) reaps great benefits. He also talked about how a 20 minute jump rope workout building progressively is also another great way to get in a workout for the day, though this is something that I will need to build up more stamina before doing.

I like the case that it comes in, especially for when I am traveling, but when I am at home, I have decided to hand it up on my coat rack hook so that it will smooth out the kinks.

My daughter A was also thrilled. The evening I got it, I could hear her trying it out and singing the playground jump rope songs as she went along, so it really does accommodate different heights comfortably. I am not sure how tall of people it would be a comfortable fit for though.

Now I have one more convenient option for working out at home that I can use on its own or in combination with other activities. Best of all, at only $9.99 and with free shipping, it is a low-cost option for all of the benefits that it can provide.