Do something today that your future self will thank you for! ~Unknown

I was chatting with a good friend about the transitions that were happening for me this fall and she wisely reminded me that new beginnings are a great time to establish new habits.  She is a very wise friend.

I thought about the idea of new habits and realized what I really wanted to do was get back to blogging.  I really have missed it.  I decided to take a peek to see if I remember how it all works.  Turns out I do!

So, I am back.  I have revised my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days.  I think I am going to have to reset my complete date a little since I am have been ignoring it for so long.  I still have 84 things on my list so I think my new end date is going to be Dec 31, 2017.  That gives me 828 days (thank you google) to finish the 84 things left on my list.  84 things in 828 days.  Kind of has a nice ring to it.

There are a few things that are in the works that I will be able to check off rather quickly.  Fall has officially arrived and a fall bucket list with Taelin would be an easy one to tackle. I will be D-O-N-E with the classes I am taking by Thanksgiving.  I can start looking for some new recipes, pass on some books that I am done with and start writing gratitude posts every week.  I am already so happy to be here.

So, if you were a loyal reader that was wondering when the heck I was going to start blogging again, I am sorry I left you.  If you are a new reader, welcome to the ramblings.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. ~Chinese Proverb

We have just finished the second full week of school.  It has been an interesting month as all three of us have needed to settle into a new routine.  Taelin loves, loves, loves her new school.  She is excited to go every day and comes home happy.  I could not be more pleased with our decision choose Heritage as her school.  She is just going to blossom!  She is struggling a bit with full days all week and has been really tired at the end of the day.  Add dance into the mix (which is happy has started back up) and she has a really full schedule.

I asked her today what her 5 most favorite things she has done at Heritage have been:

1. Art-They have been writing a ton and she loves illustrating all of her stories.  They also had the art teacher for the first time this week and she got to sketch in her art notebook that is "just like LaLa's!"

2. Math- Who knew my kid would love math!  She loves the small math group and the games they are learning to practice addition.  It is seriously the first thing she talks about when she gets in the car.

3. Reading- Man, this girl is SO motivated to read.  I have been really careful not to force the issue because I know she will be able to read when she is ready...and I think she is ready.  Her challenge is going to be that it doesn't come fast.  (I don't know where she gets that from.)

4. Morning Meeting- Every morning they start their day all together in a morning meeting.  When Joe and I did our visit last year, it was seriously the most magical thing.  I actually got teary while watching the class.  They talk about a quote and then write and then talk some more. I'm not surprised at all that it is one of her favorite parts of her day. It's amazing.

5. Missoula Children's Theater- This week they had a two hour theater workshop done by the Missoula Children's Theater.  They got to do a bunch of different things.  She learned about 'key gestures' and 'isolation' and got to practice in a couple of skit.  Not surprising to anyone...she loved it.


I am so excited to see what this year has in store for this great kid!

"And suddenly you know...It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings."

This quote just SO fits how I am feeling tonight.  I am so hopeful for this week and the beginnings that our family is experiencing.  Every single one of us is venturing into something new.

The magic of beginnings.  I just love it. Instead of feeling anxious or nervous or doubtful, I am trusting in the magic of beginnings.  I am so grateful for this beginning I am starting.

Tonight was open house at my new school and I stood awkwardly at my office door kind of wondering why I was even there.  Kids were walking towards their new classroom with backpacks full of supplies and parents in tow. I smiled as they went by and watched as the office helped those that stopped for one reason or another.  A line started to form and a mother and 5 year old boy stood at the back of the line, close to my office.  I smiled and said hello and that was all it took.  He was the most excited a kid has even been to go to school.  He was literally bouncing with excitement when he told me he got to come to this school every day and be a kindergartner.  He told me he was so excited to meet new friends and see his classroom and play outside and then in mid-sentence he jumped towards me and gave me a hug.  He was so happy to be there.  And at that moment, I was too.  It was a little piece of magic.

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to. ~Author Unknown

I need to have this quote tattooed on my hand. Ok, that might be going to an extreme.  At the very least, I need to write this quote down in a couple of particular places as a reminder.  I keep finding myself in situations where I feel like I need to argue my stance, prove my point, convince others to change their mind.  The majority of the time, I end up walking away frustrated, worried, angry and irritated.  Usually I end up carrying those feelings (that continue to compound) long after the conversation is done.

It is such a tricky thing when I find myself in a situation like this.  Others I know, believe the same thing I do but can state their opinion and move on.  Others I know believe the same thing I do but just don't even engage.  I don't do either of those and I need to.

I am not good at letting go of things.  You would think the amount of times I have watched or heard the soundtrack to Frozen I would have "Let It Go" running through my subconscious but I don't.  I am not sure how it get better at that. When I don't engage, I often feel guilty later.  Like my silence was an acceptance of a differing view.

Lately, it seems I find myself in these situations in the education word, not only as a teacher but now as a parent.  I kind of always thought I would be a pain in the ass to my daughter's teacher and turns out I know myself pretty well and I was right.  I try to mitigate my pain in the ass-ness with baked goods, gift cards for coffee and volunteering but I am sure that only goes so far.  

Here is the latest example. Taelin is super excited to become a reader.  She loves reading books together, has started wanting to "read" books in bed after I read to her at night and one of her favorite apps is the Reading Rainbow app.  She has about 7 notebooks strewn around the house with pictures and labels and is constantly asking how to spell words.  She loves making up stories in the car when we are driving and wants Joe and I to tell her stories of when we were kids. She is super excited and really ready.

Enter sight word flashcards.  I can't even put into succinct words how much I abhorrently disagree with giving 5 year olds 10 unknown words at a time without any kind of context for meaning on flashcards with the charge of practicing every night so you can get tested every day so you can get a sticker on a chart when you know them all so you can get 10 more unknown words without any kind of context for meaning on flashcards.  I could go on and on but I won't.  It quite literally turns me into a crazy person.

Taelin was motivated for a bit because it was new but quickly became discouraged when she couldn't memorize them. So now we don't do them.  The teacher discussed with me that she was concerned because Taelin was only on packet one and most kids were on packet two or three.  I told her I didn't feel like isolated flashcards fit her learning style (I left out my overall opinion) and that we weren't going to do them like that. I told her we would work more writing at home and I would have the words with us so if a sight word came up, she should include it in her writing. She wasn't super happy with me.  I have been on the other side of the table of that discussion, I know how not happy she was with me.  She expressed her concern that she just wants Taelin to be able to become a reader and not knowing sight words is going to get in her way.  I have to fight the small panic I feel when I hear that...until I remember what she can do.

I went on the Mickey Mouse Ferris Wheel of Death!
 (done at school)

I went to Lucy birthday party.  She opened her music box!
(done at school)

                                   

I went on Grizzly River Run! I love love that ride so much!
(done at home)

We might need to work on varying her beginnings but I know she is going to be just fine.  

I feel lucky that I can make that decision for my daughter and I should "attend" those arguments.  It is my job as her mother to advocate for her.  And I will every time...and then will follow it up with loaf of banana bread for her teacher.

But what about as a teacher?  I have often found myself more of a questioner than a bandwagon jumper on-er. Usually I can resolve whatever issue I am concerned about and will eventually find myself on the bandwagon. But I am finding myself more often unable to resolve my concerns.  I find myself "attending" arguments that I shouldn't.  It does no good other than to irritate those around me (oh and they do) and leaves me frustrated, worried, angry and irritated.  Those kind of arguments are the ones I need to stop attending.  

Which brings me back to the tattoo...or maybe just a few sticky notes in a few key places and maybe some banana bread for myself.

The living moment is everything. ~D.H. Lawrence

There is so much I can learn from this little girl.  After days of hot weather, perfect for days at the park and running through sprinklers, we woke up Wednesday to a cool rainy day.  We declared it a "we aren't going in the car anywhere" day which was just fine by me as we had been going full speed for awhile.  We had a slow morning getting ready, made zucchini bread (ate a half of a loaf between the two of us), snuggled and read her new library books.  It started to rain a little harder, the kind that you can hear on the roof and Taelin ran over to the window and shouted, "Mama, there are puddles that have to be jumped in!  Let's go!  This is going to be the best day of my life!"

What could I do?  They had to be jumped in.  We dug out the rainboots that were buried at the bottom of the outside shoe basket, donned our raincoats and I grabbed an umbrella and out we went.  If I hadn't had Taelin as my tour guide, I would have missed a lot of puddles.  She saw them everywhere.  It didn't really take much to make it a puddle.  Enough water gathered up that when stomped in made a splash...that was a puddle.

I took a few pictures but once I got a few, I put my phone away and joined in the jumping.  We probably were out for 40 minutes and she was just as excited when she saw the 10th or 20th puddle as she was the first.  She has such an ability to see the possibilities for joy in the moment and embrace them fully. It amazes me every time.

Once we had splashed in every puddle in the neighborhood, we headed home.  We sat down to pull, and I mean we had to pull, Taelin's boots off and about an inch of water fell out of each boot.  Her pants and socks were filthy. She thought that was hysterical. And it was. She declared a bubble bath was just what she needed, shaving cream for drawing was necessary for this particular bath.  Once we were warmed up, we ate some more zuchinni bread and enjoyed homemade chicken and rice soup, an afternoon nap (glorious!) and rounded out our day together snuggled up watching a movie.  

The living moment is everything. I am so thankful I have a little girl that reminds me of that everyday.

Top 5 Friday: My Top 5 Favorite Maya Angelo quotes

I was so saddened when I woke to the news that Maya Angelo had passed away.  I never was lucky enough to hear her speak, but her written words are some of the most wonderfully inspiring words.  Here are my Top 5 Favorite quotes...

• "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

• “When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time."

• “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” 

• “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” 

• “I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” 

It was hard to pick 5...

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Albert Schweitzer

It is no secret to anyone here that I have been having what could be called a crisis of faith in regards to education.  No matter what I do, it never feels enough.  I miss teaching kids but know myself well enough that the feeling of "not enough" would only be compounded if I were to go back into the classroom now.  So, I support my beginning teachers the best I can, wishing I could more, wishing education had less trajectories and data and more connection and common sense.  I leave them with encouraging words until I can see them again.

I knew that I needed to rekindle my love for education some how so last spring I approached my boss about attending the annual convention of National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) this fall. I had attended when the convention was in Nashville and then again in New York but it had been a few years. She supported my attendance and even decided to come along.  I flew off to Boston with a schedule full of sessions I hoped would inspire and renew and maybe even redirect my journey.

I have been home from Boston for a week and have sat down to do a NCTE13 'recap' post many times since I boarded the plane last week. The problem I keep having is trying to put into words the experience I had.  I got to hear some inspiring teacher developers and some of my favorite authors. (Judy Blume was there!  Judy freakin' Blume!)  By the end of the first session on Thursday afternoon, I knew I was in the right place. The sparks from all of the session presenter's and the people I sat with during the sessions reminded why it is I love teaching.  

There was one session, however, that will not be soon forgotten.  The session title was Closer Reading: Close Reading Texts, Close Reading Lives and the presenters were Chris Lehman, Kate Roberts, and Maggie B. Roberts.  I didn't know it when I crammed myself into the corner way in the back of the crowded room but it was exactly what I was looking for.  Exactly what I needed.  At the end of the session, Chris shared a story about his wife and when he was telling it, I saw myself.  After the session, Chris and Kate were doing a book signing and I skipped my next session to get in line to have them sign my book but more importantly to say thank you.  

Before I write anymore, go read Chris' post here. (If you don't click and read the rest of my post isn't going to make any sense.)

I was one of those criers that Chris wrote about.  I don't know where it came from.  It just happened.  I had just gotten Kate's signature and was trying to be as non-creepy fangirl as possible (without much success I would guess) and then stood in line to thank Chris for his words at the end of the session.  And before I even got the phrase "thank you" out, my throat tighten and the tears welled.  Embarrassed, I tried to start over and began blubbering about what I can't remember.  (I am pretty sure that it had something to do with teaching.)  I didn't rally very well and Chris stopped, came around the desk he was sitting behind and gave me a hug.  The kindness he showed me is something I will not forget anytime soon. As I walked away, I felt embarrassed and inspired all at the same time. 

Then I read his blog post and realized that I am not alone.  Not alone by a long shot.  I have been thinking about what my butter knife is since.  I think for me, like Chris, those butter knives are connecting.  I always feel better after reaching out, reading and listening to others.  I feel less isolated.

I was out to lunch with a friend the other day after I got back and ran into a teacher that I mentored for the last three years.  I was sharing the stories of how inspired I was by the words of the presenters at the convention. I was sharing that even though there aren't any less data walls or assessments than when I left two weeks ago, somehow it all feels a little more manageable and how even though it was super creepy, that I wished I could just be friends with all those presenters. My teacher looked at me and smiled a little and said, "That's exactly how I feel when I listened to you when we worked together. I know you just thought you were just leaving us with words, but now you know what words like that can do." Maybe words are a butter knife for me too.

I started a Twitter account last February that I didn't do much with.  I revived it at the convention and followed along those that were tweeting with the hashtag #ncte13.  I even tweeted a couple of times myself.  But it is scary and I am pretty sure I am doing it wrong.  (Is there a wrong way to tweet?) 

I was in session listening to Lester Laminack and he said, "We wallow in what we do well."  This blog isn't an education blog.  It is a little blog about me living life. But, in the spirit of connecting (and not just wallowing), I am going to tweet the link to this post even though it terrifies me. After all, what if a bunch of English teachers read this and see all my grammar mistakes and my sentences that end in prepositions. 

It's ok though...I owe a deep gratitude to those at the convention and luckily red pens don't exist on the internet. I owe a deep gratitude to those that have rekindled the flames within me so I can continue on in my work. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Here is the complete list of the 101 quotes that inspire me.  I wrote to most of these quotes and when I reread them, I can remember what the post was about.  It is such an interesting journal of the last almost 1001 days.  

1. Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca
2. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 
3. Resentment is one burden that is incompatible with your success. ~Dan Zadra
4. Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
5. Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. ~Henry Ward Beecher
6. Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. ~Scott Adams
7. The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter. ~Author Unknown
8. Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone
9. Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them. ~Author Unknown
10. Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. ~Antoine Rivarol
11. In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer
12. A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown
13. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity. ~Gilda Radner
14. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~Found on a headstone in Ireland
15. Don't let your dreams go up in smoke - practice fire safety. ~Author Unknown
16. Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
17. ...and when you exhale, release the thoughts and feelings that do not serve you... ~My yoga instructor
18. The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. ~John Bingham
19. I want to do it by myself. ~Taelin Crowe
20. Everyday might not be good, but there is good in every day. ~Author Unknown
21. Why not learn to enjoy the little things-there are so many of them. ~Author Unknown
22. I have learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. ~Maya Angelou
23. May you live in interesting times. ~Chinese Proverb
24. Words have weight. Stephen King
25. Life is a long process of getting tired. ~Samuel Butler
26. Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. ~Peg Bracken
27. The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart. ~Julien Green
28. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~Winston Churchill
29. Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~unknown
30. The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~Hans Hofmann
31. Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. ~Kak Sri
32. So many books, so little time. ~Frank Zappa
33. A child, like your stomach, doesn't need all you can afford to give it. ~Frank A. Clark
34. Action expresses priorities. ~Gandhi
35. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
36. Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. ~Buddha
37. There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world. ~Mary Anne Radmacher
38. Learn to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not. ~Henri Frederic Amiel
39. Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
40. You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones
41. Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens
42. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Unknown
43. We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder
44. Feelings are much like waves, we can't stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf. ~Jonatan Mårtensson
45. There is a choice you make in everything you do. In the end, the choice you make, makes you. ~Author Unknown
46. Life is the sum of all your choices. ~Albert Camus
47. Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~Walter Elliott
48. The home should be the treasure chest of living. ~Le Corbusier
49. Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold. ~Judith Olney
50. You learn something every day if you pay attention. ~Ray LeBlond
51. Life is a combination of magic and pasta. ~Federico Fellini
52. A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. ~Author Unknown
53. What counts can't always be counted; what can be counted doesn't always count. ~Albert Einstein
54. There are years that ask questions and years that answer. ~Zora Neale Hurston
55. At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. ~Lao Tzu
56. Music is an outburst of the soul. ~Frederick Delius
57. Learn to smile at every situation. See it as an opportunity to prove your strength and ability. ~Joe Brown
58. The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away. ~Linus Pauling
59. Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. ~Charles F. Kettering
60. Opportunity is one of those things that depend greatly on the eye of the beholder. ~Andrew Sanchez
61. A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty
62. Gratitude is the memory of the heart. ~Jean Baptiste Massieu
63. It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. ~K.T. Jong
64. Time is an old firmly rooted tree; we are the breeze rustling its leaves. ~Terri Guillemets
65. Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone. ~Deborah Whipp
66. The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child. ~Joe Houldsworth
67. People that hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life. ~Faith Resnick
68. Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul. ~William Hazlitt
69. I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. ~Emily Ley
70. How you climb up a mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. And so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one gigantic test followed by one gigantic lesson. In the end, it all comes down to one word. Grace. 
71. It's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.
72. Kids believe in Santa; adults believe in childhood. ~Cate Kennedy
73. I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. ~Nancie J. Carmody
74. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou
75. Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ~Joseph Addison
76. Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back. ~Arthur Rubenstein
77. Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
78. Human life is purely a matter of deciding what's important to you. ~Anonymous
79. If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown
80. Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
81. As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way. ~Mary Anne Radmacher
82. I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. ~Jennifer Yane
83. Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink the wild air. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
84. Though she be but little, she is fierce. ~William Shakespeare
85. To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. ~Charles Dudley Warner
86. Be selective in your battles, sometimes peace is better than being right. ~unknown
87. The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boye
88. You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop and what you reinforce. ~Tony Gaskins
89. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because you character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. ~John Wooden
90. Storms make trees take deeper roots. ~Dolly Parton
91. At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. ~Lao Tzu
92. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. ~Irish proverb
93. To invent your own life's meaning is not easy...but it's still allowed...and I think you'll be happier for the trouble. ~Bill Watterson
94. Laughter is the fireworks of the soul. ~Josh Billings
95. Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. ~Margaret Peters
96. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. ~Arthur Ashe
97. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength. ~Corrie Ten Boom
98. She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails. ~Elizabeth Edwards
99. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain. ~Vivian Greene
100. Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. ~ Maya Angelou
101. Words-so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

To invent your own life's meaning is not easy...but it's still allowed...and I think you'll be happier for the trouble. ~Bill Watterson.

You probably will have to click the link below this cartoon to actually read it, but it is worth it.  Joe found this and shared it with me.  There is a reason he did and I am still formulating a lot of my thoughts around it, but I think it is safe to say that I am in the "trouble" part of this quote.  I am not sure where it will lead...  

http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/27/watterson_advice_large.jpg

The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. ~Henry Boye

I don't know that our trip to Moses Lake is the most important trip we will take but it was all about meeting people halfway.

Chris, Heather and their son Connor live in Missoula.  We live in Salem.  Half way between the two is Moses Lake.  So that is where we went!  Joe took a couple of days off from work and as did Chris and Heather and we renting a condo on the lake.  We had absolutely no agenda except to spend time together which is exactly what we did.  I challenged myself to take 500 photos during the weekend which I did with the help of an unplanned stop on the way home.

Here are some of my favorites from the weekend! (Don't worry...there are only 25!)

We were staying at a golf course so there were lots of
beautiful spaces to look at (and to play in.)

Thanks to Joe for grabbing the camera too!

Connor and Heather...that kid loves hats!

At a park in town

BIG step!

Right before Connor decided he did NOT like this purple dinosaur

Not a problem for Joe and Taelin

BUBBLES!

Sharing is hard...for the 18 month old and the 4 1/2 year old.

Add caption

Rolling down a hill

I don't know who had more fun!

Awww...

HAT! 

We went for a couple of walks and Connor LOVED finding the circles

There was a swimming pool that we didn't know about so a leotard had to be
 good enough for a swimsuit for Taelin and shorts for Joe.
I don't think they minded.

I love these two!

Double rainbow!

On the way home we needed a break from the car

<3

Thanks again to Joe!

Beauty all over!

We are getting good a self-family portraits!

Exhausted.

We had a wonderful weekend and it was just what we needed!  I have a feeling it won't be our last time at Moses Lake!

Though she be but little, she is fierce. ~William Shakespeare

It should not be a surprise to anyone that knows me even a little bit that my daughter is my world.  She was wanted for a very long time and she is loved more every day, if that is even possible.  I learn more about the person I want to be when I am around her more than any other person.  She, simply put, is amazing.

Raising kids is a hard job.  There are all kinds of things that make it hard.  For me, one of the things that I try to be so mindful of and second guess myself on all the time, is about any gender expectations that I have for Taelin.  When I first filled her closet with such tiny clothes before she was even born, I hardly filled it with pink. We tell her she can be anything she wants to be.  Right now the current answer to the "Want do you want to be when you grow up?" is a ballerina spaceman mama.  She said earlier today when we were at the zoo that she would like to add zookeeper to the list but she says, "I just don't think I would have time for all of that."

She has babies and kitchen sets and tool benches and cars.

I am sure that there are many things that we have done that give her the preconceived ideas of "girl roles" and "boy roles" and it is something I worry about all the time.  Especially when I look at what she absolutely loves:  pink, princesses, dress up, toenail polish, ballerinas.....the list goes on and on.

But then things like what happen today, happen and I suddenly I don't worry quite as much.

We were driving home from her first swimming lesson this morning when we drove past Willamette University.  She noticed on the field a bunch of kids and asked me what they were doing.  I glanced over and said they were playing football and that it kind of looked like a camp, kind of like the soccer camp that she started last week.  She asked me if she could do that and without even thinking I said, "Well, it is pretty much a boy game."

The most indignant response came from the backseat.  "Wait, what?  They only let boys play that game?" (you really had to be there to hear the disgust in her voice)

I said, "Well, you don't have to be a boy but it is a game that is mostly played by boys."
Her response, "Are there any girls out there right now?"

By then, we had passed the field and so I answered the question as best I could and said, "I didn't see any but we drove by it really fast."

She was quiet for a minute and then said, "Do you remember that Sophia the First where those other prince boys and princess girls kept laughing and making fun of Sophia and said that Sophia couldn't do the flying horse races because it was a prince thing not a princess thing but Sophia kept trying and trying no matter what?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, if there are girls out playing at that football camp, do you think there are boys that are making fun of them and laughing at them?"

"Maybe.  I hope not," I said.  There was silence for a minute.

"Well, when I get big enough I am going to do that camp even though not many girls do.  And if there are any boys that make fun of me or laugh at me or any of my other friends that are girls because they don't think we can play that game because we are girls and not boys I will tell them to stop because it is unacceptable to tell someone they can't do something just because they are a girl or a boy."

"I love you Taelin," was all I could muster through my tight throat.

"I love you too, Mama."

Have I said how amazing my little girl is?  Oh, I have?  Good.

Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink the wild air. Ralph Waldo Emerson

It has been really hot here lately.  Like in the 90's hot.  I know that in some parts of the country that isn't "really hot" but for us Oregonians, 90's weather is really hot.  We are lucky to have air conditioning which makes it really comfortable but it also nice to get heat relief in other ways.  So, when my friend Jocelyn and I were making plans for a play date I decided to throw out an idea that we have been talking about for the last three summers but have yet to execute.

We loaded the car and drove to the beach for the day.

It seems like such a simple thing when I just type it out but we hadn't been able to pull it off...until this last Monday.We packed a picnic, lots of liquids, towels, blankets and an extra change of clothes and heading to Lincoln City.  Jocelyn has a daughter that is almost exactly 18 months older than Taelin but they have SO much fun playing together.

We often go to the beach but the most we play out there is an hour or so and then we head back to the hotel/campsite and then go off to do something else.  We haven't ever just dedicated an entire day to spending at the beach, which is why it was on my list!  When I first envisioned me completing. this, I imagined myself on blanket with a book and Joe and Taelin playing all day. But since we went on a work day Joe didn't come along and instead of a book, I had my camera.  And boy did I use it!

I promise I pared down these photos as much as I could.  I took a lot...well...because I could.  Here are my favorites from the day!

they spent a big chunk of time filled sand holes with water

we found a great place to put our blankets for the day.
we had this tree to lean against, a great little beach area in front
of us and a protected from the waves place for the the girls to play.
the girls were covered in sand like taelin is here for most of the day.  

this is the only picture i got of her looking at the camera

she just plopped down and decided to make a sand angel.
And I quote...
 "it worked in the snow.  i thought it would work in the sand and i was right!"

we were in a little bay of sorts, which is way we were protected a little bit .
across from us we had a great view of the waves and a huge amount of sea lions

there was a slight hill that she had a great time rolling down

the tide started to come in towards the end of the day
and running from the "waves" is always fun!

so happy

there was a perfect little shallow area for them to play in

i absolutely LOVE this picture.  this was right before we got ready to go.
they were so worn out and all they could do was sit.

They played for hours and had so much fun.  We were on the road for about 5 minutes on our way home when they both fell fast asleep. It was a day well spent!