Next to the sunroom, the pink room has often been one of my favorite rooms.
Once upon a time it was a guest room. Then we painted it yellow, with green shades, a grass green crib (yes the one that is now the compost bin) and grass green rocking chair, with a beautiful rainbow mobile. I used to sit in there and rock and stare at the mobile for hours on end after work when I was expecting each girl.
I've spent countless hours in that room over the years, rocking babies, struggling to get little ones to stay in their new beds, playing puzzles and dress up and store and tea-party. It was easy to keep clean and lovely when they were too little to clean up without my help. But then there were two and then three. Three girls who went to school and started growing out of clothes at alarming rates and bringing home pictures colored with wide swipes of a crayon that only they could describe. "Horse? Elephant? House? Oh, it's your best friend - how lovely." Papers painted green or purple from edge to edge. Treat bags that had to be saved even though the candy and note were long gone.
I started to despise that room, and not because we painted it pink. Barbie shoes and plastic tiaras hidden on the carpet under innocent dress-up clothes were the enemy. Puzzle pieces were lost, clothes mingled with the dress-ups. Papers and broken toy parts I heartlessly suggested be thrown away ("Yes moommmmm," followed by a long sad sigh) mysteriously found themselves tucked in dresser drawers, on closet shelves behind games and under the beds. It made me crazy to go in there.
Almost two years ago we took everything out, sorted through the boxes of minutia, separated game parts and, well, junk. It took a week + to get it all back in... it was insane.
This weekend I was there again - at the point where I hated even to walk past and didn't dare enter the room with bare feet. It was particularly bad after an entire summer of playing and 'cleaning' episodes where the 4 year old sits on her bed while the 8 year old alternately reads or plays with whatever she's picked up, then frantically stashes things under the bed when she hears me coming to check on their progress.
So this weekend I cleared the floor and reclaimed some of Mira's dresses and shorts from the dress-up box. I filled a large garbage bag with papers, gum wrappers, scribbled notes, papers painted solid blue. I filled a second garbage bag with stuffed animals (note, the girls were sent outside at this point, and there are still two large baskets filled with the animals they play with). I sorted clothes and made them try everything on (and later sneaked a few too small favorites out of their closet). I turned one avalanche of a dresser into a dress up dream with containers of play rings, necklaces, hair do-dads. I recovered countless headbands and hair clips from Ponies and dolls heads so once again I can tame Mira's curly head. You don't want to know about the beaded dust bunnies I vacuumed. I (gasp) sorted out a box of books from one of the bookshelves. And - AND - I did all this without yelling. That alone is a miracle, but I suppose that if being horribly messy is their only fault then I guess I can just dig in and get it done.
Once again the room is lovely, calm, peaceful. Mira and I spent most of this morning actually sitting on the rug playing games, building puzzles, dressing dolls and reading. I love this part of parenting...
No, Natasha's room is NOT next. Thankfully she sorts her own clothes and can clean her own room when she feels the need, though I do have to talk to her about not shoving everything she no longer wears directly into Sarah's dresser whether it fits Sarah or not. I like it when the drawers actually close.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Good Grief Blog
To gather. To grieve. To celebrate. To praise. To mourn. To love.
A Scrapbooking Journey through Loss and Healing.
Those are the taglines on the new blog my good friend Amanda began recently. Amanda is an incredibly talented scrapbooker and while I could list her scrapping resume*, all you really need to know is this: she is a very creative, funny, caring person who knows how to tell a story. She also lost her Dad two years ago in an accident, and kinda got lost herself for awhile.
Until she returned to her scrapbooking and began recording stories about her Dad. She found her way again and felt compelled to share her journey of healing through the Good Grief Blog.
To quote Amanda, the Good Grief Blog is "intended to help in that process of loss and healing...to be a source of inspiration and motivation...and to simply be a place to share and know that others understand."
There are scrapbooking challenges which will be added to twice a month - challenges helpful to anyone who wants to record memories and feelings about someone they've lost. Even if you aren't a scrapbooker, the challenges may help you focus your thoughts whether you keep them private, in a journal, or decide to share them in letters to family and friends. There is a message board with space for discussions on grieving and prayer requests, an area for celebrating those loved ones, and galleries for sharing your creations, if you feel like doing so.
It's a lovely place. Check it out and bookmark it even if you aren't currently grieving. And I pray that you won't need to visit for a long time to come.
*Amanda has a monthly column in Creating Keepsakes magazine, her own book Month to Month Scrapbooking, and is a Design team member for Prism Papers. She is also a wonderfully attentive mother who home schools her three beautiful boys, and an amazing friend.
http://GoodGriefBlog.com
(post edited 9/20/09)
A Scrapbooking Journey through Loss and Healing.
Those are the taglines on the new blog my good friend Amanda began recently. Amanda is an incredibly talented scrapbooker and while I could list her scrapping resume*, all you really need to know is this: she is a very creative, funny, caring person who knows how to tell a story. She also lost her Dad two years ago in an accident, and kinda got lost herself for awhile.
Until she returned to her scrapbooking and began recording stories about her Dad. She found her way again and felt compelled to share her journey of healing through the Good Grief Blog.
To quote Amanda, the Good Grief Blog is "intended to help in that process of loss and healing...to be a source of inspiration and motivation...and to simply be a place to share and know that others understand."
There are scrapbooking challenges which will be added to twice a month - challenges helpful to anyone who wants to record memories and feelings about someone they've lost. Even if you aren't a scrapbooker, the challenges may help you focus your thoughts whether you keep them private, in a journal, or decide to share them in letters to family and friends. There is a message board with space for discussions on grieving and prayer requests, an area for celebrating those loved ones, and galleries for sharing your creations, if you feel like doing so.
It's a lovely place. Check it out and bookmark it even if you aren't currently grieving. And I pray that you won't need to visit for a long time to come.
*Amanda has a monthly column in Creating Keepsakes magazine, her own book Month to Month Scrapbooking, and is a Design team member for Prism Papers. She is also a wonderfully attentive mother who home schools her three beautiful boys, and an amazing friend.
http://GoodGriefBlog.com
(post edited 9/20/09)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Beaverdal Fall Festival
It's a gorgeous Fall morning... yes, ok. Most mornings this summer could have been classified as a Fall morning. But the sun is out, crickets are chirping, and for once no one in the neighborhood is having a tree cut down or a driveway ground out.
The girls have no school today, so Sarah is off to a playdate with a friend who changed schools last year. I still have some projects to work on, but we'll do some gardening and neighborhood walks in between. Then tonight Beaverdale Fall Festival Starts.
2008
Last year was a doozy. We had dinner at the various stands, walked around, watched Mira groove to the awesome street bands. Then I needed to go home. Couldn't stand any longer. Despite 6 weeks on two new anti-arthritic drugs I couldn't fathom the thought of walking back down the street to watch the fireworks. Three stinkin' blocks. Or two, depending which side of the street you walk on. So Rich walked down with the girls. I felt guilty. I tried to watch from the porch but too many trees in the way. I tried to hobble down the driveway but it was too much and I went back and just listened. Apparently this bad memory is going to stick - I was just at the point where I was giving up on the idea this arthritis disease was virus induced, and I wasn't happy about the idea of taking even the mild meds I was then on for the rest of my life. And I was missing doing something I loved with my family. Turned out to be a good thing I missed the fireworks. Rich said a renegade firework went off course and headed straight toward them. Didn't come near and all were safe, but yeah, I would have freaked. Freaked that my girls were in danger, freaked that I couldn't have helped move them out of the way.
The next day we enjoyed the 2 hour parade drinking our coffee, girls catching more than enough candy, waving at friends, dashing off for cinnamon rolls. We walked around the neighborhood awhile longer before heading home to relax in the backyard. Only I ended up with hives from the combo of my non-working med and the sun. That part I can laugh about!
2009
This year, I actually contemplated walking in the parade, thanks to stronger meds. Natasha and a friend are walking with our church, passing out flyers and pencils (trust me, anyone watching from the sidelines ends up with enough tootsie rolls to make candy shopping for Halloween unnecessary).
Sarah wanted so badly to ride her bike with her elementary school, and Mira wanted to walk with her preschool, dressed with wings (the Butterfly lady visited her class this week). However each school requires parents. And I'm a bit selfish - I want to enjoy this years' parade, sitting on the sidelines with Rich and my coffee, watching one last little girl dashing for candy and oooh-ing at the bands.
So that's what we'll do. Sarah will ride with the church group and her sister. The parade route ends a few blocks from our street so they'll just walk back and join us for the end of the parade. Mira will wear her wings, and if she still wants we'll join her preschool for the last few blocks. Everyone happy. But first we'll watch the fireworks tonight. Together.
Beaverdale Fall Festival
The girls have no school today, so Sarah is off to a playdate with a friend who changed schools last year. I still have some projects to work on, but we'll do some gardening and neighborhood walks in between. Then tonight Beaverdale Fall Festival Starts.
2008
Last year was a doozy. We had dinner at the various stands, walked around, watched Mira groove to the awesome street bands. Then I needed to go home. Couldn't stand any longer. Despite 6 weeks on two new anti-arthritic drugs I couldn't fathom the thought of walking back down the street to watch the fireworks. Three stinkin' blocks. Or two, depending which side of the street you walk on. So Rich walked down with the girls. I felt guilty. I tried to watch from the porch but too many trees in the way. I tried to hobble down the driveway but it was too much and I went back and just listened. Apparently this bad memory is going to stick - I was just at the point where I was giving up on the idea this arthritis disease was virus induced, and I wasn't happy about the idea of taking even the mild meds I was then on for the rest of my life. And I was missing doing something I loved with my family. Turned out to be a good thing I missed the fireworks. Rich said a renegade firework went off course and headed straight toward them. Didn't come near and all were safe, but yeah, I would have freaked. Freaked that my girls were in danger, freaked that I couldn't have helped move them out of the way.
The next day we enjoyed the 2 hour parade drinking our coffee, girls catching more than enough candy, waving at friends, dashing off for cinnamon rolls. We walked around the neighborhood awhile longer before heading home to relax in the backyard. Only I ended up with hives from the combo of my non-working med and the sun. That part I can laugh about!
2009
This year, I actually contemplated walking in the parade, thanks to stronger meds. Natasha and a friend are walking with our church, passing out flyers and pencils (trust me, anyone watching from the sidelines ends up with enough tootsie rolls to make candy shopping for Halloween unnecessary).
Sarah wanted so badly to ride her bike with her elementary school, and Mira wanted to walk with her preschool, dressed with wings (the Butterfly lady visited her class this week). However each school requires parents. And I'm a bit selfish - I want to enjoy this years' parade, sitting on the sidelines with Rich and my coffee, watching one last little girl dashing for candy and oooh-ing at the bands.
So that's what we'll do. Sarah will ride with the church group and her sister. The parade route ends a few blocks from our street so they'll just walk back and join us for the end of the parade. Mira will wear her wings, and if she still wants we'll join her preschool for the last few blocks. Everyone happy. But first we'll watch the fireworks tonight. Together.
Beaverdale Fall Festival
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hello September and 40!
Short post to get back in the swing! Here's me, day after my 40th. Not so bad, eh?
I had a great birthday, breakfast with friends, afternoon getting my hair done, dinner at home, and a scavenger hunt for my present - the girls set it up, and I had to solve each clue to find the next. Two weeks later I'm still having lunches with friends who couldn't make it to my breakfast! The weekend after we were camping (as always at Labor Day) with my parents. Beautiful weather, and my Mom gave me a beautiful scrapbook celebrating many of my 40 birthdays :). Lovely.Rich just celebrated his birthday yesterday. He isn't like me, and likes to keep things simple, though he is happy we are in the same decade again. Silly.
The girls are back in school, have been for weeks. Three schools, 3 dismissal times (although. 3 of the same dismissal time would be more disturbing I think)! Natasha is again in Band, and playing volleyball as well. She and I have piano lessons right after each other (yes, I am taking piano this year!).
Sarah gets her piano lessons in school and is SO excited to be in 4th grade math. 
Mira goes to preschool in the afternoons 4 days a week and this year jumped right in. No shyness at all. She also has Kindermusik once a week which she still loves.
In the meantime I've been working on a project for HEN, which is in it's end stage. A new website, which should debut before the mid October annual meeting. So I've been busy, along with a few other people and about to get busier for a few weeks, but oh so worth it. On top of that, I'm President of my Women's Circle at church this year, and helping with several other things at church, the girls school, and HEN. Going to be a great but busy Fall!
I had a great birthday, breakfast with friends, afternoon getting my hair done, dinner at home, and a scavenger hunt for my present - the girls set it up, and I had to solve each clue to find the next. Two weeks later I'm still having lunches with friends who couldn't make it to my breakfast! The weekend after we were camping (as always at Labor Day) with my parents. Beautiful weather, and my Mom gave me a beautiful scrapbook celebrating many of my 40 birthdays :). Lovely.Rich just celebrated his birthday yesterday. He isn't like me, and likes to keep things simple, though he is happy we are in the same decade again. Silly.
The girls are back in school, have been for weeks. Three schools, 3 dismissal times (although. 3 of the same dismissal time would be more disturbing I think)! Natasha is again in Band, and playing volleyball as well. She and I have piano lessons right after each other (yes, I am taking piano this year!).
Sarah gets her piano lessons in school and is SO excited to be in 4th grade math. 
Mira goes to preschool in the afternoons 4 days a week and this year jumped right in. No shyness at all. She also has Kindermusik once a week which she still loves.
In the meantime I've been working on a project for HEN, which is in it's end stage. A new website, which should debut before the mid October annual meeting. So I've been busy, along with a few other people and about to get busier for a few weeks, but oh so worth it. On top of that, I'm President of my Women's Circle at church this year, and helping with several other things at church, the girls school, and HEN. Going to be a great but busy Fall!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
August Fly-by
School is just about to start up, and in the month since I've posted we've:
The other night I finally took a little time to scrapbook too - felt good to just sit back and create, even if I kept things a bit simple. Used quite a bit of old product too. This is Natasha's 6th grade school photo - just in time as the new ones are scheduled for a few weeks from now! The golds are a bit more vibrant IRL and those two orangey flowers on the side came off another page you'll see in a minute - in other words, imagine the page without them!
Sarahs' second grade school photo - used Perfect Pearls bronze on the Basig Grey white letters.
Mira last Labor Day. Every year we camp with my parents ( it's lovely to have a getaway every year on my birthday) and every year it seems we find a walking stick at our campsite- climbing up Grandpas' chair while we roast marshmallows or just after we've finished packing up the car and are setting up for the annual photo of the girls with Oma and Grandpa. Not this year - lots of fuzzy caterpillars which Mira took a huge interest in. We stopped at the range station just before leaving the park (which we never do) and there in the grass was our walking stick!
Mira early last summer (note boxes of bedding plants on the picnic table). She had her Disney Princesses in hand and spent the afternoon playing with them and dancing all over the yard. What an enchanted day! Karen Russel products (including parts of a rub-on that inspired the outside circle to tie the page together, and painted CI flowers, didn't notice the missing flowers when I took this photo). The rest of the circle consists of my handwriting and AC Kate alphabet rub ons for the title.
- picked Natasha up from camp;
- visited my lovely cousin Karen and some Twin Cities attractions;
- spent a week camping in MN along the beautiful St. Croix River, and picked up an armful of fun antiques;
- harvested plenty of beans, broccoli, zucchini and tomatoes from our garden
- Painted Natashas' room (finally) a gorgeous Fountain Blue, glazed with a seafoamy green color we swirled and ragged on as a top layer. I think I want my old office back...
- Visited Michelles parents in Chicago while attending her grade school reunion in the park (and an evening out afterwards), and spent a day at the Museum of Science and Industry including a visit to the Harry Potter Exhibition and the U505 German Submarine Tour.
The other night I finally took a little time to scrapbook too - felt good to just sit back and create, even if I kept things a bit simple. Used quite a bit of old product too. This is Natasha's 6th grade school photo - just in time as the new ones are scheduled for a few weeks from now! The golds are a bit more vibrant IRL and those two orangey flowers on the side came off another page you'll see in a minute - in other words, imagine the page without them!
Sarahs' second grade school photo - used Perfect Pearls bronze on the Basig Grey white letters.
Mira last Labor Day. Every year we camp with my parents ( it's lovely to have a getaway every year on my birthday) and every year it seems we find a walking stick at our campsite- climbing up Grandpas' chair while we roast marshmallows or just after we've finished packing up the car and are setting up for the annual photo of the girls with Oma and Grandpa. Not this year - lots of fuzzy caterpillars which Mira took a huge interest in. We stopped at the range station just before leaving the park (which we never do) and there in the grass was our walking stick!
Mira early last summer (note boxes of bedding plants on the picnic table). She had her Disney Princesses in hand and spent the afternoon playing with them and dancing all over the yard. What an enchanted day! Karen Russel products (including parts of a rub-on that inspired the outside circle to tie the page together, and painted CI flowers, didn't notice the missing flowers when I took this photo). The rest of the circle consists of my handwriting and AC Kate alphabet rub ons for the title.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Camp, Computers and photos.
Yet another long absence...
I've been having so much fun with all this computer nonsense. I am very thankful for my mini-laptop (an eeePC). Rich knew I'd be happier editing photos and chatting etc. from the living room (nevermind my difficulty navigating stairs at the time), but it has been instrumental in helping me navigate this malware mess and get back in touch and on track of projects. The main computer is a total loss, recovery not possible, things disappearing every time I turn it on. Yes, I had a current security/back-up system, but based on timing of the last back-up I believe it was disabled about the time of Natasha's birthday sleepover. Several girls were up late looking at youtube... maybe they turned it off instead of delaying the back-up or perhaps they innocently clicked on a link they shouldn't have. Or maybe afterwards when Sarah was on youtube because Mira was playing on their computer? We'll never know. Thankfully since that time I've been uploading photos to my eeePC and haven't deleted from the cards yet.
The girls aka OLD computer is slowly getting faster. Still needs work (which is why I am up at the moment, actually), but it is fast enough for me to FINALLY access my back-up hard drive. What a huge relief to see those files, and all of our photos dating back to 2004. Having access to those, I now feel safe enough to finally reformat the infected drive. And lucky for me, my computer guru Jeff (Hi Brother-in-law!) just got home from a short vaca today. I promise not to call too many times... Somehow the phone connection between Iowa and Georgia is just so much better than the relays between Iowa and halfway around the world to the support people. Bonus: I can understand Jeffs' accent. I'm not knockin' the support departments - they were thorough and GREAT once I got them to stop passing me from person to person asking me to type in the same set of commands over & over. I'm convinced being able to hear or understand them would have saved several hours over the past week.
Digital Photos
I have been beating myself up a bit for not having them all printed as we went along, seeing as we went digital before Mira was born. Also for not having finished my scrapbooks of several vacations since then, but I will be doing that here. Slowly, but I'll be doing it. Rich, being the perfect man that he is, told me that if the photos were lost we'll just have to revisit all those places again :). Not that I wanted to recreate Miras' birth, but do I have to tell him the Hawaii photos are ok? In the meantime, we've been talking about our vacations this past week - prompted by my worries, sunsets, clouds that remind of us that day at Natural Bridges last summer and the random memory generator that started Mira talking about the Tall Green Statue in New York holding a book. Because of this there are two things I've remembered that I want to share.
a: We remember the vacations and important events in our lives. The girls remember them. Maybe because we talk about them, maybe because we do look at photos, or kept journals, souvenirs, maps and postcards, or trusted that they can entertain themselves (no handheld games or backseat TVs). Who knows. But they remember. Without photos.
b: We lived those events. Not everyone gets the chance to do some of the things we have, or go some of the places we've been. Then again, not everyone has learned to see the beauty or stop and notice a wonderful moment or how to create one in their busy lives, vacations or no. And I see that my girls do. That is so much more important than photos.
More Photos
That said, I took at least 200 photos during the girls swimming lessons this past week. More at the zoo with Sarah's friend on Thursday. Last week we took about 100 at Living History Farms and Rich set the camera up by the hummingbird feeder on Sunday. Today when we dropped Natasha off at GT camp I left her 2 disposable cameras for 5 days. (She desperately wants a digital camera, but if a disposable camera falls out of a pocket when she's on a 60 foot high zip line or her canoe tips over, no loss.)
I'll get back to sharing the photos and hopefully updating this blog whenever all the computers are in tip top and I'm all caught up. When will that be you ask?
Lets see, Sarah has Art class a sleepover and at least one playdate this week, Mira has two playdates, plus the company picnic...
I've been having so much fun with all this computer nonsense. I am very thankful for my mini-laptop (an eeePC). Rich knew I'd be happier editing photos and chatting etc. from the living room (nevermind my difficulty navigating stairs at the time), but it has been instrumental in helping me navigate this malware mess and get back in touch and on track of projects. The main computer is a total loss, recovery not possible, things disappearing every time I turn it on. Yes, I had a current security/back-up system, but based on timing of the last back-up I believe it was disabled about the time of Natasha's birthday sleepover. Several girls were up late looking at youtube... maybe they turned it off instead of delaying the back-up or perhaps they innocently clicked on a link they shouldn't have. Or maybe afterwards when Sarah was on youtube because Mira was playing on their computer? We'll never know. Thankfully since that time I've been uploading photos to my eeePC and haven't deleted from the cards yet.
The girls aka OLD computer is slowly getting faster. Still needs work (which is why I am up at the moment, actually), but it is fast enough for me to FINALLY access my back-up hard drive. What a huge relief to see those files, and all of our photos dating back to 2004. Having access to those, I now feel safe enough to finally reformat the infected drive. And lucky for me, my computer guru Jeff (Hi Brother-in-law!) just got home from a short vaca today. I promise not to call too many times... Somehow the phone connection between Iowa and Georgia is just so much better than the relays between Iowa and halfway around the world to the support people. Bonus: I can understand Jeffs' accent. I'm not knockin' the support departments - they were thorough and GREAT once I got them to stop passing me from person to person asking me to type in the same set of commands over & over. I'm convinced being able to hear or understand them would have saved several hours over the past week.
Digital Photos
I have been beating myself up a bit for not having them all printed as we went along, seeing as we went digital before Mira was born. Also for not having finished my scrapbooks of several vacations since then, but I will be doing that here. Slowly, but I'll be doing it. Rich, being the perfect man that he is, told me that if the photos were lost we'll just have to revisit all those places again :). Not that I wanted to recreate Miras' birth, but do I have to tell him the Hawaii photos are ok? In the meantime, we've been talking about our vacations this past week - prompted by my worries, sunsets, clouds that remind of us that day at Natural Bridges last summer and the random memory generator that started Mira talking about the Tall Green Statue in New York holding a book. Because of this there are two things I've remembered that I want to share.
a: We remember the vacations and important events in our lives. The girls remember them. Maybe because we talk about them, maybe because we do look at photos, or kept journals, souvenirs, maps and postcards, or trusted that they can entertain themselves (no handheld games or backseat TVs). Who knows. But they remember. Without photos.
b: We lived those events. Not everyone gets the chance to do some of the things we have, or go some of the places we've been. Then again, not everyone has learned to see the beauty or stop and notice a wonderful moment or how to create one in their busy lives, vacations or no. And I see that my girls do. That is so much more important than photos.
More Photos
That said, I took at least 200 photos during the girls swimming lessons this past week. More at the zoo with Sarah's friend on Thursday. Last week we took about 100 at Living History Farms and Rich set the camera up by the hummingbird feeder on Sunday. Today when we dropped Natasha off at GT camp I left her 2 disposable cameras for 5 days. (She desperately wants a digital camera, but if a disposable camera falls out of a pocket when she's on a 60 foot high zip line or her canoe tips over, no loss.)
I'll get back to sharing the photos and hopefully updating this blog whenever all the computers are in tip top and I'm all caught up. When will that be you ask?
Lets see, Sarah has Art class a sleepover and at least one playdate this week, Mira has two playdates, plus the company picnic...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A fun day
It's cool and breezy today, almost ready to rain but not quite. Last night as we ate our grilled salmon, grilled sweet corn and foil wrapped grilled potato, green pepper & onions, the girls had to run in for fleece jackets to cover bare shoulders. It felt like Fall, and this was the week with no preplanned activities, places we HAD to be. Well, with the exception of Natasha's pre-camp physical which we missed on Monday and have had to reschedule. (blush).
Yesterday was sunny enough for most of the laundry to be line dried. Not warm enough for the pool, but the girls didn't care. They had their noses stuck in books picked up at the library during Mira's story hour- our second trip in 3 days. They love reading as much as I do. The elementary school is participating in Scholastics' Summer Reading Challenge and adding their reading hours to Scholastics bid at a Reading World Record.
Sarah is not the best at keeping track of her hours - she forgets to write things down because she has her nose stuck in a book or magazine, and occasionally the paper. It's a safe bet that if you haven't seen her for 20 minutes she's either out riding her bike,or has picked up a book somewhere in the house. I know she's read at least 40 hours since June 4 - and that's not counting every hour I've read our 'family reading' or all her stolen half hours when she was supposed to be cleaning her room, sleeping, or looking for socks to wear.
Here she is reading on the swing this past Spring - I have been writing the titles of her finished summer books on the tabs - don't worry, I have many more tabs that can be added!
Today isn't even sunny, and we're all wearing long pants. So we're headed to a favorite spot, the Art Center to see some new exhibits, and some Japanese Art. They each have classes starting there in the next week or so, and they still are dying to go today. Please Mom? Love it. After that, we'll try for a picnic in the Rose Garden, weather permitting, and then a walk around Grays Lake. May toss Sarah & Mira's bikes in the trunk for that. (We'll ride the trails down on a sunnier day.)
Yesterday was sunny enough for most of the laundry to be line dried. Not warm enough for the pool, but the girls didn't care. They had their noses stuck in books picked up at the library during Mira's story hour- our second trip in 3 days. They love reading as much as I do. The elementary school is participating in Scholastics' Summer Reading Challenge and adding their reading hours to Scholastics bid at a Reading World Record.
Sarah is not the best at keeping track of her hours - she forgets to write things down because she has her nose stuck in a book or magazine, and occasionally the paper. It's a safe bet that if you haven't seen her for 20 minutes she's either out riding her bike,or has picked up a book somewhere in the house. I know she's read at least 40 hours since June 4 - and that's not counting every hour I've read our 'family reading' or all her stolen half hours when she was supposed to be cleaning her room, sleeping, or looking for socks to wear.
Here she is reading on the swing this past Spring - I have been writing the titles of her finished summer books on the tabs - don't worry, I have many more tabs that can be added!
Today isn't even sunny, and we're all wearing long pants. So we're headed to a favorite spot, the Art Center to see some new exhibits, and some Japanese Art. They each have classes starting there in the next week or so, and they still are dying to go today. Please Mom? Love it. After that, we'll try for a picnic in the Rose Garden, weather permitting, and then a walk around Grays Lake. May toss Sarah & Mira's bikes in the trunk for that. (We'll ride the trails down on a sunnier day.)
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