Best Friends

taking flight...

"When once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." Leonardo Da Vinci

I really love this quote. It reminds me that we are all made to do something great. Feel something great. BE something great. Once you've experienced that greatness, you want it to continue to grow. You need it to keep you flying.
I think greatness comes from being quiet enough to listen to those little whispers from your heart that tell you what to do, what you want, and most importantly... what you need. It's not always easy to listen to the Universe when she speaks, but I think it's necessary in order to make room for the greatness that will come from doing so.
This summer I am working hard to take flight. I am trying new things, playing with art, and taking lots of photos. This summer...I am determined to be good enough. Not just good enough...but
GREAT.

Collections

My oldest child has always been a serious collector. Rocks were her first obsession. When she was a tiny little girl, she used to love to dig around in the dirt and find little treasures. Once she found her first sparkly crystal-like rock, she was hooked. Shiny rocks are like gold you know.

As she grew a little older, she developed a love for turtles. Especially sea turtles. Dogs and cats scared my little timid girl but turtles were just her speed. And she could admire them from a safe secure distance.
She now has over 30 little miniature turtles and more stuffed turtles than I can count. But she's been slowly growing out of the turtle phase for a while now. Just like the rocks, she's moving on to other interesting things.

I thought maybe she'd given up on collections all together, until Stella started sneaking into her room and stashing some booty of her own under a blanket on the couch....

When I pulled back the covers to see what the littlest pirate had taken, I realized...that oldest one...she's still a collector all right. Now...it's nail polish. *heavy sigh*

(As for that little one...her collection days are JUST beginning. :)

Book Store Field Trips

Stella loves to read. I am really very very happy about that BUT it gets a little tiring some days. Some days we read the same books about 20 times. (Lately it's been Curious George)

I would love to take the kid to the library more often. Due to budget cuts in our area, many of the libraries will be closed for the summer. Ridiculous you say?? No kidding. Saddens me deeply. I will eventually take her to our main library downtown...but in the meantime, we've been hitting up the neighborhood bookstores about once a week instead. She loves it! We sit in a somewhat quiet corner and read her stack of books. I don't think she has a clue the books there are actually for sale. And I'm ok with that!

As for me...I love to read too. I am dying for some new stuff to read. I checked out Oprah's summer reading list and chose The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender for my first read. I will let you know how it goes.

What are the people of blogville reading these days?? I would love some suggestions!

Daddy

I am really wanting to write about my Daddy today. The only problem is...I have no idea where to begin. Tears are welling already.

I think I'll just make a list of important things I have learned from him.

I learned...

1. that children are great! and all of his grandchildren seem to be particularly smart, witty, funny, and talented.

2. that super heroes are real.

3. to take LOTS of pictures and to always have your camera.

4. you don't really need all that much to survive.

5. you can love every team in the ACC if you want to...but NorthCarolina is number 1.

6. the love of travel.

7. the love of theater.

8. how to laugh really hard.

9. how to fly like peter pan.

10. how to dream really big.

11. how to play.

12. how to make breakfast...cheese eggs, cheese toast, and cheese grits.

13. to always wear lots of sunscreen.

14. how to spend money. (he spends very little...but told me on more than one occasion, "money's for spendin. not for savin." hahahaa)

15. how to have faith.

16. all about ducks. dad has his own special "duck theory" for sure.


Thank you Daddy. I love you.

that SUMMER feelin...

So school has been out around here for almost a week and we are love love loving it!!
Here's what we've been up to...

I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers from one of my students! I have really been enjoying the flowers this season. The kids have too. Maddy came home with the beautiful Tiger Lily above...and I fussed at her for picking it...but it is very lovely in my kitchen window!

AND, most of all, we have enjoyed having time to
PLAY.

Tree blocks and little woodland fairies...

books and stories in all shapes, sizes and colors.

(i organized the books by color. a little clever thing i learned during color week. people actually organize books by color. AND I LOVE IT.)


Finn got a new Star Wars Lego kit and put it together alll by himself. (Thank goodness because I am not the spatially gifted type.) It took him less than 2 hours and it's PERFECT.

And of course we went to the craft store. Lots and lots of artsy crafty things for us to use this summer.

Here are all the materials needed to create more little bead fairies to go with our tree blocks...
and check out our prototype below. I love her!!
Little Fairy Princess in her TigerLily home.


HAPPY SUMMER!

a BLOG i love to visit

DRUNK LOVE HEART posted this poem recently. I love it. For many reasons. I have always wanted to be a poet. Secret is...I do write poems. Lots of them. I just don't let anybody read them!! They stay safe in hidden journals.

BUT HERS....she posts often. And I love them all.

Here is DRUNK LOVE HEART...

If you can relate a little bit to the color of dirt at sunset

Or the taste of air under the dampened moon

If you can fall into a body of water and shed a tear -
For the endless work of waves

Or the tireless pursuit of wind

Then you are a poet.

If you pause when sun slips behind a winter cloud

Or laugh at the rope, you swore was a snake

If your heart leaps and your stomach falls for any reason whatsoever

Or no reason

Then you are a poet.

If you have ever wondered how your skin came to be your skin

Or your brain - your mind, your eyes - your sight,
your wounds - your gift

Then you are a poet.

Better yet,

YOU - ARE A POEM.

(written by the wonderful akka b. at drunk love heart)

SUMMER TIME!!!

School is officially out for the summer. BRING ON THE PICNICS!!!

10 things that make me happy right now...

1. My new fluffy kitty named Lulu

2. My new job title for next year....which includes the term, "part-time position"!! WOOHOO! I get to teach literacy to children in small groups. In a small room. With very little noise. I stepped out of my full-time classroom teacher position to teach part-time. Title 1 Intervention Specialist. SOOO excited. Might actually see my own kids during the week now.
3. Iced tea. Half sweet/half unsweet
4. Summer time. Ate outside in 92 degree weather today. Didn't even feel too hot. Loved it.
5. Summer storms
6. My bed
7. My kids excitement over ending the school year
8. My Nick
9. My clean house
10. Stella's tangled, curly, fluffy hair