Sunday, June 30, 2013
7 Things I Learned in June
Emily, at Chatting at the Sky, has invited us to share what we have learned during the month of June. So here goes (I just love random ramblings!!)
7 Things I Learned In June
1. I love summer! I rarely say this. I've never been that fond of summer - I'm more of a fan of fall. This summer though, it hasn't really been that hot (yet). We've gone places, but we've been home a lot too and I've enjoyed the ordinariness of doing things around the house. I've enjoyed doing a lot of nothing and only what I want. I've also enjoyed cooking (some). PT (Prior to Teaching) I spent a lot of time menu planning, preparing and cooking. During the school year, that just doesn't fly!
3. There is something (good) to be said of children getting older. I learned that dead animals of any kind make me squeal (I already knew I would jump on the couch for live mice, etc.). When the dog brought a bunny in (I'm sure she found the bunny unresponsive and after unsuccessfully attempting mouth to mouth was bringing it to see if we could help.) it was really nice insisting my fourteen year old son handle it (his Dad was gone at Scout camp) since it was after all, his duty.
4. I learned that I stay up waaaay too late when Hubby is gone. I already knew I slept with the bathroom light on if he's not home, but 2 am is way too late for me to stay up (I'm one who requires sufficient beauty rest!) reading. Once I do turn the light off I sleep horribly too.
5. June was conference time! I went to a four day one and an afternoon one so I learned many new classroom ideas - way too many to write about. I'll just mention a couple - I learned that Dr. Seuss books contain a high amount of Dolch words. So having a student read a book to you is way more exciting than reading a list of words!! I also learned to take existing games (Twister, Jenga, Candyland) and make them in to sight word (or letters for early years) practice games.
I can't wait to figure out which grade I'm teaching so I can start working on some games!!
6. I finally found a study at church that works for me to attend! I've been going to Beth Moore's lecture series "The Law of Love". It's so beautiful to see the fulfillment of the law in Christ (I love to see the fulfillment of Jewish customs in Christ too). Our Promised Land is Christ Himself. Every part of my listening guide is covered in my writing and each time I reread it to try to write something down I've learned, I just get overwhelmed that I couldn't possibly write everything down!!
7. I also learned every time L. and I get a chance to go eat together we usually choose barbecue! He doesn't like Chic-fil-a and I don't like sushi, so that's what we agree on. Also, M. doesn't usually choose it because he doesn't like to SMELL like barbecue when we leave! L. and I were in "the city" doing errands a couple of weeks ago and we ended up at an old favorite and last night when it was just the two of us for dinner, a different BBQ place was our choice.
Thanks, Emily, for the encouragement to write.
I'm looking ahead to July - Beach vacation and to August - I will kick getting ready for school into high gear!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Our Backyard
When I was looking for pictures for "Flashback", I found one of our Butterfly Bush in Albuquerque. I was so excited a couple of summers ago to plant one in our backyard. I was even more excited to see how nicely it had grown this year!
I went out to take take pictures of the bush and took a few more. While photographing I had some deep contemplative thoughts to blog - but now I can't remember what I wanted to say!
I thought it would be nice to share the pictures anyway. And since J. the dog made some of the pictures I might as well tell her excitement from a few nights ago,
A bit of trauma in our home tonight...I opened the door to let the dog in, but I could see she was carrying something. I jumped on the couch and maintained my position when M. said it was a mouse. However when he said it was a bunny I ran to my room where I shouted directions and demanded he take care of it. I bet M's friend spending the night thinks I should be committed! Nothing like this has happened since L's soccer coach's wife rescued me from the bird that flew in the house.
Ok, I guess that was my excitement and not hers! (I just used what I put on Facebook and changed the name I had tagged.)
Anyway, I'm so very thankful for my backyard!
I went out to take take pictures of the bush and took a few more. While photographing I had some deep contemplative thoughts to blog - but now I can't remember what I wanted to say!
I thought it would be nice to share the pictures anyway. And since J. the dog made some of the pictures I might as well tell her excitement from a few nights ago,
A bit of trauma in our home tonight...I opened the door to let the dog in, but I could see she was carrying something. I jumped on the couch and maintained my position when M. said it was a mouse. However when he said it was a bunny I ran to my room where I shouted directions and demanded he take care of it. I bet M's friend spending the night thinks I should be committed! Nothing like this has happened since L's soccer coach's wife rescued me from the bird that flew in the house.
Ok, I guess that was my excitement and not hers! (I just used what I put on Facebook and changed the name I had tagged.)
Anyway, I'm so very thankful for my backyard!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Flashback Revisted
I was re-reading my blog (I do that!) and noticed I used a lot of Kentucky pictures for Flashback. We only lived in Kentucky for 11 months!
We lived in Albuquerque when M was 4-6 and L was 2-4. M came in while I was looking through these pictures. He said "That was my favorite house!" That's interesting, of the three houses he actually remembers, it was the smallest. However, Hubby and I might just say the same thing! It didn't have anything to do with the size of the house though, it had everything to do with how much we thoroughly enjoyed this age of the boys and spent so much time with friends and neighbors (well neighbors were friends too). (A side note, it was a neighbor in ABQ who got Hubby connected to his current line of work).
We had a place in that modest home where many friends gathered, dinners were made, treats were mixed (or munched), birthdays were celebrated and casserole dishes were stored. Our kitchen island......
We lived in Albuquerque when M was 4-6 and L was 2-4. M came in while I was looking through these pictures. He said "That was my favorite house!" That's interesting, of the three houses he actually remembers, it was the smallest. However, Hubby and I might just say the same thing! It didn't have anything to do with the size of the house though, it had everything to do with how much we thoroughly enjoyed this age of the boys and spent so much time with friends and neighbors (well neighbors were friends too). (A side note, it was a neighbor in ABQ who got Hubby connected to his current line of work).
We had a place in that modest home where many friends gathered, dinners were made, treats were mixed (or munched), birthdays were celebrated and casserole dishes were stored. Our kitchen island......
July 2003 |
2003 - Do you like my choice of birthday candle? |
This was pretty tame compared to what the four of these guys were normally doing! |
No comment |
2004 - I need to fire the photographer for taking that picture towards a window! |
2004 - A great place to pose with artwork... |
5th Birthday - Birthday parties for M when he was young were so easy! He liked so many things! |
Even a birthday party for a neighbor! (The adult - not sure why he only got four candles! It may have been all I had!) |
Friday, June 21, 2013
Summer Bucket List
In two days we will have been out of school for exactly a month. So better late than never? I've been talking about this list for a while now, the boys ask "Where is this list?" and I tell them it's all in my brain...
1. Sleep in...a lot!
2. Go to a drive-in
3. Read a book with paper pages
4. Flint Creek with friends from school
5. A conference or two
6. Sell our house
7. Pick blueberries and blackberries
8. Pick other fruit too
9. Fly a kite on the beach
10. See the wild horses
11. Snuggle with my niece
12. Go to a museum (or two)
13. Eat breakfast at the donut shop
14. Connect/Catch up with friends
15. Do something with my blog
16. Restart my gratitude journal
17. See fireworks
18. Make something homemade
19. Finally go to the Flying Pig
20. Celebrate our wedding anniversary
I decided this was my list, that the boys are old enough to do their own if they want. However, I was happy to have L. with me at the berry farm today. Then M - has become our leader in getting the house "show ready". The other day he wouldn't even let me leave my socks in living room floor when we left the house for some errands.
Which ones are done? The ones in italics. Wow, I thought I had done more than that. Never fear, as soon as we return from vacation a large portion will be accomplished. Actually, the best part of summer so far has been no pressure to accomplish anything!
By the way, I'm not late at all on this list. Today is the first day of summer. Happy Summer!
1. Sleep in...a lot!
2. Go to a drive-in
3. Read a book with paper pages
4. Flint Creek with friends from school
5. A conference or two
6. Sell our house
7. Pick blueberries and blackberries
8. Pick other fruit too
9. Fly a kite on the beach
10. See the wild horses
11. Snuggle with my niece
12. Go to a museum (or two)
13. Eat breakfast at the donut shop
14. Connect/Catch up with friends
15. Do something with my blog
16. Restart my gratitude journal
17. See fireworks
18. Make something homemade
19. Finally go to the Flying Pig
20. Celebrate our wedding anniversary
I decided this was my list, that the boys are old enough to do their own if they want. However, I was happy to have L. with me at the berry farm today. Then M - has become our leader in getting the house "show ready". The other day he wouldn't even let me leave my socks in living room floor when we left the house for some errands.
Which ones are done? The ones in italics. Wow, I thought I had done more than that. Never fear, as soon as we return from vacation a large portion will be accomplished. Actually, the best part of summer so far has been no pressure to accomplish anything!
By the way, I'm not late at all on this list. Today is the first day of summer. Happy Summer!
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