Another school year

Another school year approaches and I am ,yet again, surprised how quickly the summer went by. My kids are growing too quickly. Their personalities evolve daily it seems. My daughter is 10 going on 15. Sometimes I am left with an openmouth at her sarcastic remarks. Oh how I dread the teenage years. But I am hoping that our close rapport will see us through the rough patches.

Today I will head out to buy school supplies and marvel at the cost :) Clothes are just unbelievable to me. My son is no problem, but buying clothes for my daughter is already a costly venture! She is ready to be 16 and work at the mall...so she can get a discount, good thinking love :)

Hope this post finds you all in good health. I know it has been a loo-ong time since my last chat, but I hope to get back into it, especially since both kids will be in school all day this year. What am I going to do??

Floating

Have you ever felt like you were floating through your life? It is a strange feeling to feel like you aren't "all" there. I have had a hard time lately. Largely because I would love to go back to work and finish school. Unfortunately the cost of child care makes it unpractical to do that right now. I can take courses at night, but the working mom thing doesn't seem to work for our family. At my daughter's school I know moms who work and moms that stay home. I have to say the stay-at-home moms are less stressed and more in tune to what is happening at the school at any given time.
The working moms seem to have more energy and alot more to talk about!

Is there a happy medium or is it a catch-22 that you have to pick sides of and be happy with your choice?

I went back to work a few months ago. I loved it, the people, the energy, the feeling of being useful. But the household went FLOP! So I am back home and will remain so until my son is in school full time.

Here's what gets me....I enjoyed feeling useful. There is so much to do at home and many areas to be involved in through the school, why have I stopped feeling useful in those areas?

Old Friend

Oma's assignment today:

Homework: Pick one or the other, or be inspired.

~Read something on your book shelf for sheer pleasure.

~Blog about a book you've read over and over. Prompt: "I can rifle the pages of ____and easily find my favorite part about____."

Reading for pleasure is something I do without thinking about it. I cannot remember a time that I didn't want to pick up a book, grab a cup of coffee and snuggle down into another world. Even as a child I loved to get lost in literary worlds. The characters became confidants as I escaped my sometimes turbulent childhood. (Nothing too dramatic. My parents divorced when I was 11, but separated several times before that.)
My father was seldom interested in our day to day childhood experiences. I cannot remember ever playing a game together. However, he enjoys reading and passed this along. For that I will always be grateful. When I was 13 he bought me a set of books based in the pioneer days. He must have been nervous; buying a set of books set in "old times" for a young girl headed into her teen years. But they were wonderful and full of lively characters. I read the series in its entirety about once a year or two. There are favorite books and passages, but once I start them, I have to finish. The "Love Comes Softly" series by Janette Oke sit beside Pride and Prejudice, Hamlet and my John Grisham books.
I love the simplicity of this time period. Oh, they had hardships that we would be hard pressed to face today, but they were tougher in spirit. The simple act of constructing a school for their country children is inspiring and makes you realize that we have so much to be thankful for. What we take for granted now, and often complain about, was hard won back then. Janette Oke did a follow up series starting with "The Tender Years" and I also have this on my shelf. I love her storytelling and style.

If you would like to participate in School Days, look up Travelin Oma for your assignment

Back 2 School - Oma Style

I was sitting here trying to figure out transition sentences for my essay when I came across the most interesting blog post. (I know, I get distracted from my work) Travelin Oma is doing a "School Days" series through her blog. It not only looks fun, but the writing practice is exactly what I need! I hope you decide to join me!

Homework Assignment:

The first time I entered blog land I came across Adventures of a Relunctant Housewife, that sold me then and there. What a phenomenal idea! I am here doing laundry, cleaning house, preparing meals, and feeling underappreciated by society. And I am not alone. I began my blog HappyBaker to share my love of baking, cooking and recipes. Soon I realized I had more to say than comments about food, so I began this blog. Overboard? Maybe.

If I were to write my memoirs, my name would be Sara. It is a pseudonym that I have used even for this blog. The people who know me best could definitely pick me out of the stories I would tell.

A title for my memoir would be tricky. Maybe "Forgotten Joy", "Forgotten Pleasures", or .......

Please see Oma for future assignments.

School's Out

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

School is out for 2 1/2 months for me and the kids :)

I have been neglecting my blogging to focus on intersession classes. comp class in 2 weeks is insane but I am glad it is behind me now!!
In the fall I will take comp II and a history class. Why on earth did I let fear grip me for so long? This has turned out to be so much fun!!

Hope you all have a safe and fun summer!!

Facing Fear

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

This quote is one I have been looking to for the past several months.
Deciding to take risks is always hard, at least it is for me.
If something seems out of my reach, I tend to back down.
My hubby has been a source of encouragement and for that I love him more each day.
Going back to school is a big deal for me. I am 2 classes down and it feels great!
It no longer feels like it is out of reach! How empowering!

White Wonderland!

That's what it is like her today!
We are covered in a blanket of snow, about 4 inches and counting. Hubby was too excited! hehehe You would have thought it was Christmas morning! The kids got up and went out with him to "catch snowflakes on their tongues". I took pictures and videos, smiling at my snow covered trio. While they played, I made blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, malt o'meal and sliced up a cantaloupe. I called them in to eat and warmed them up with coffee and cocoa.

What a wonderful day. It feels like we have frozen time for a moment and made a special memory......