Summer is Over {SOL 9-08-15}

Labor Day has passed.

     No more lazy mornings.
     No more endless days.
     No more afternoons at the pool.
     No more playing in the garden.
     No more shorts,  all day PJ's and white shoes.

  Summer is officially over.

Labor Day has passed.

     Cooler, crisper days are ahead--
     Trips the orchard or pumpkin farm,
     Bonfires where friends gather to keep warm,
     Sweaters and boots become the uniform,
     Comfort food cooks all day on the stove,
     Rich reds, oranges and golds please the eye.

  Summer is officially over.

Celebrating this Week {9-05-15}

Thank you, Ruth Ayres, for offering this space every week for celebration.

As I was considering my celebrations for the week, I was drawn to look at the pictures on my phone.  I seem to capture my celebrations to hold them forever in pictures.

Here's what I found this week:

My 16 year old daughter still gets out the sidewalk chalk to add some unexpected color to life.

These three stopped me as I was on my way out the door on the first day of school to be sure that I snapped their yearly photo.  Surprising...for a bunch of teenagers!

Hannah (our exchange student from Germany) and Kara are becoming very good friends.  They even sometimes dress alike!

I love this picture I took of the girls as they rode X-Flight at Great America last weekend.

Having a tremendous fear of rollercoasters, I celebrate that my daughter does not share in this trait.

I just love this little planter I put together to put near my desk at school.  

The little birdhouse tops it all off.  Every time I look at it, I feel peace and happiness.

What are you celebrating this week?

Celebrate This Week {8-29-15}

This week I celebrate:

* Returning to work.  It has been a long, long summer.  I do love the down time, but I am looking forward to returning to a routine.

* Ryan's acceptance into the University of Iowa.  This is only his first and we aren't even sure this is where he will end up going to college, but the first acceptance letter is very exciting.

* My ability to remain (mostly) positive during the crazy 'getting ready for school' week.  Schedules changed at the last minute, patience ran short, and sleep went missing....but I took lots of deep breaths, put a smile on my face, and remembered how blessed I am. 

* Prayers answered.

* Friends -- there when I need them them most, even when I don't realize that I do. (Yes...I'm talking about YOU! :)

I hope you had a great week with bountiful celebrations!

So What Do You Do? {SOL 8-18-15}

So what do you do when it has been almost a month since you've written and the thought of putting pen to paper reminds you of the feeling you used to get when your mom used to force you to ride that tall, scary roller coaster when you were six?

So what do you do when life has become so much that you do not even have the words to help you make sense of it all and you know that writing will only shine a spotlight on the craziness?

So what do you do when you know you should be writing, but instead you think of a million excuses for why you can't?

So what do you do when you see others around you who are writing -- people you admire and trust -- and feel that there really must be something wrong with you because you can't do the same?

So what do you do when you feel like you are losing one of your favorite parts of yourself for every day that goes begins and ends with nothing written down, only promises that tomorrow will be different?


                                                                            You write.


You pick up the pen or open the laptop and you let the words come out...word by word or letter by letter.

And you pray for the same thing to happen tomorrow.

Links I Loved This Week {7-26-15}

Here are some of my favorite ideas, inspirations and thoughts from around the internet this week:

The always inspiring Ruth Ayres opens up her teaching treasure chest as she shares some amazing ideas to help support teachers of writing, as well as teachers who write.  I especially love the Lessons for Writers page!

Jon Gordon shares why we all need people in our life who help us stretch in this week's newsletter. Who do you have in your life who can give you that extra push when you need it?

Loved Melanie's ideas for building my own Reader's Notebook to help me teach this skill to my students.

Mary from Teaching with a Mountain View has compiled a list of great back to school activities.  Who says going back to school can't be fun?

Kathleen Sokolowski shares a beautiful poem about how her career as a teacher chose her, not the other way around.  There are lots of us who can relate to her sentiments.

The Positive Writer shares the four people you must have in your writing life.  Honestly, I think this applies to life in general, not just our writing lives.

Source

Thank you to Elisabeth Ellington at The Dirigible Plum for the inspiration of this weekly post!

One Step Ahead {SOL 7-21-15}

Teenagers argue.  It's in their DNA, I think.

They are fighters and they will fight with you until they wear you down and win.

Their weapons of choice?

         Words.

     Looks.

                Attitudes.

            Sighs..


When did they morph from the adorable, cuddly, mom-can-do-no-wrong children into...THIS??

Day after day, I have to stay in a constant state of alertness, just waiting for my children to announce what I have done wrong, how I don't know anything, how I am ruining their lives...blah, blah, blah.

They are trying to bait me into another argument, just so they can assert their independence at the sake of my sanity.

But I have found a new way to approach these battles...

          I just don't.

It takes two people to have an argument, and lately, I am finding myself more and more unwilling to be one of them.

I have this little sign that sits on my desk.  I bought it about a year ago because I liked the saying. Now, it has extra meaning for me...

So when I feel myself getting to the point that I am getting sucked into argument mode, I go for a walk.  Usually by the time I round back toward the house, I am much calmer and clear headed and can handle the situation in a much better way.

Yesterday, I took two walks...

My kids better watch out.

I have outsmarted them again!

Just When I Needed It {Celebrate this Week 7-18-15}

I love it when life sends celebrations just when we need it the most.

This has been a rough week....

My daughter's boyfriend was in a car accident on Monday. During a bad storm, there was a malfunction with the stop lights at a busy intersection, giving everyone in all directions a green light.  I celebrate that he was able to walk away because it could have been much, much worse. Cars can be replaced.  Lives cannot.

We were approved as a host family to have Hannah from Germany stay with us for the next school year.  Unfortunately, there was a mix up with the paperwork and the school was not kept in the loop, jeopardizing Hannah's placement with us and leaving us in limbo.  I celebrate the patience I showed as the school and exchange company worked through this, even though I wanted to rant and rave which only would have made matters worse.

Writing has been a struggle for me lately.  I have not blogged or written anything for about three weeks.  I celebrate my new online writing group who will help get me back on track.  Thank you, Michelle and Leigh Anne!  :)  I saw this and it made me think of our conversation this morning:

My daughter turned 16 this week.  It is clear to me that she is no longer "my baby" and is flying out of the nest.  I celebrate the wings she has, the beautiful woman she is becoming, and the strength I am finding to let her go.

I hope life has brought you many things to celebrate this week!