In no particular order, five things that make me feel very old
1. Gabe kissed me goodbye before he got on the bus, when I told him I'd miss him, he said "Jeez Mom, I'll only be gone six hours, get a grip"
2. Last night at the school's open house, Bitsy got to see all of her new classrooms and meet the principal and other support staff and she looked like she belonged there. She was perfectly content to roam the halls and check out the library and I'm pretty sure she was positively giddy when she saw the gym and art rooms.
3. I had a serious conversation about fiber with someone the other day. FIBER!
4. I've been called ma'am this week.
5. The daughter of Kurt Cobain is voting age.
*sigh* I'm so damn old this week.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thankful Thursday: Flowers
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Day is Done
We had a lovely day today. Took a long walk, saw some butterflies, ducks, and geese. Had a bbq, watched some silly tv, and Bits had a sleepover with Aubrey. Can't beat a day like this!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Family As An Oasis
Oasis: something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.
Years ago, I attended a seminar on making your classroom an oasis for students. We were urged to shelter our students, keep them safe from "the world", help them feel comfortable enough that they felt they were able to make mistakes without judgement from those who might not understand what the process they were going through was.
I've always felt that was the way a family should operate; we ought to make our children feel comfortable in their own homes. They should be free to be themselves, whether that means, oh I don't know, wanting to learn about jets for six weeks straight then jumping onto learning about the human body for a month or so (ya know, just an example haha) or dressing in orange shirts, striped shirts, and mismatched socks. They should feel free to express their emotions-positive or negative. They should be free from judgement. They should feel safe. They should be happy. They should know that no matter what happens, they will always have a group of people around them who will love and accept them despite the shortcomings society may think they have. They should know that no matter what labels are put on them by society, we don't care, they are who they are.
I think this is ESPECIALLY important when you have a child with special needs and I think it's especially important for the PARENTS of that child to have a family oasis. A shoulder to cry on, a person to say "damn that sucks" and "how can I help?" People who are there for you and accept you and your kiddo despite the fact that they frustrate the crap out of everyone; people who understand that kids are kids and EVERY kid comes with a set of challenges that are unique to them.
Sometimes though, it's just not feasible for the parents to have that oasis; sometimes it's up to them to create their own oasis within their own home, their own circle of friends, and maybe even on line. I'm so thankful that our oasis, while not perfect, has a great mix of family, friends, both near and far, and friends whom I've never met "in person" but feel connected to. It's nice to have someone to turn to when life becomes too much to deal with; when the stress levels are so high you could scream; when you absolutely do not how in the hell you are going to continue on when everything seems so defeating.
And on a sillier note, there's someone in OUR Oasis who happens to LOVE the band Oasis, so for him I present you with...nothing because apparently you cannot link youtube videos into blogger anymore...sorry Uncle Dole :P
Years ago, I attended a seminar on making your classroom an oasis for students. We were urged to shelter our students, keep them safe from "the world", help them feel comfortable enough that they felt they were able to make mistakes without judgement from those who might not understand what the process they were going through was.
I've always felt that was the way a family should operate; we ought to make our children feel comfortable in their own homes. They should be free to be themselves, whether that means, oh I don't know, wanting to learn about jets for six weeks straight then jumping onto learning about the human body for a month or so (ya know, just an example haha) or dressing in orange shirts, striped shirts, and mismatched socks. They should feel free to express their emotions-positive or negative. They should be free from judgement. They should feel safe. They should be happy. They should know that no matter what happens, they will always have a group of people around them who will love and accept them despite the shortcomings society may think they have. They should know that no matter what labels are put on them by society, we don't care, they are who they are.
I think this is ESPECIALLY important when you have a child with special needs and I think it's especially important for the PARENTS of that child to have a family oasis. A shoulder to cry on, a person to say "damn that sucks" and "how can I help?" People who are there for you and accept you and your kiddo despite the fact that they frustrate the crap out of everyone; people who understand that kids are kids and EVERY kid comes with a set of challenges that are unique to them.
Sometimes though, it's just not feasible for the parents to have that oasis; sometimes it's up to them to create their own oasis within their own home, their own circle of friends, and maybe even on line. I'm so thankful that our oasis, while not perfect, has a great mix of family, friends, both near and far, and friends whom I've never met "in person" but feel connected to. It's nice to have someone to turn to when life becomes too much to deal with; when the stress levels are so high you could scream; when you absolutely do not how in the hell you are going to continue on when everything seems so defeating.
And on a sillier note, there's someone in OUR Oasis who happens to LOVE the band Oasis, so for him I present you with...nothing because apparently you cannot link youtube videos into blogger anymore...sorry Uncle Dole :P
Monday, April 9, 2012
Easter Fun
We had a wonderful Easter filled with cousins, cousins and MORE cousins...we finally got to meet our new nephew Liam and oh my goodness, what a cutie!! How about some pictures?!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tell the Truth Tuesday: Easter
I have a love hate relationship with Easter. I grew up going to a rather strict Baptist church where Holy week was a big deal, so I got to know the days of Holy week and actually like them. The town I grew up in was rather religious as a whole, so on Good Friday, most of town would shut down from 1-3 so everyone could go to church. I always enjoyed the quietness of Good Friday services; for something so sad for Christians, it was also such a hopeful time as well and you could feel it in the air. Easter Sunday of course is probably the most beautiful church service of the year (in my opinion!) and the sunshine, flowers, and just the general NEWNESS of the holiday is nice. Even though we don't regularly go to church anymore, Easter Sunday is still probably my favorite religious holiday...which is why I'm torn on it.
When I was 18, my grandmother passed away the week before Easter and we were all together for her funeral and then a week later we were all back together trying to pretend to be happy and cheerful when all of us were clearly grieving. My grandma was the one (at least in my mind) who *made* the holidays. We were always at her house or my uncles' house with her bossing everyone around and most of my memories from the holidays are of her. The year she dumped WAY too much sage in the gravy at thanksgiving and created her fantastic green gravy; the year my father dropped her gravy bowl, the year she complained loudly that no one ever remembered what she wanted for Christmas as she was unwrapping the gift she'd told us about months ago, and the bag of potpourri that she and my father passed back and forth as a gift for years because neither one of them wanted the other to NOT have it. The year she died, joy at Easter slipped away for me.
For the kids' sake, we dye eggs, we do baskets, bunnies, and egg hunts but it's hard for me-I always wonder what my grandma would be like with all these great grandchildren. I have a feeling she'd be overrun with fluffy bunnies and chicks JUST to make them all happy...and some baby pigs as well, maybe some turkeys, probably a dog or two...I'd imagine they'd all be as happy as my cousins and I were at her house; playing on the swings, climbing in the hayloft and chasing kittens, and swinging on the huge branches of the weeping willow in her yard.
And now you know my secret about Easter...
When I was 18, my grandmother passed away the week before Easter and we were all together for her funeral and then a week later we were all back together trying to pretend to be happy and cheerful when all of us were clearly grieving. My grandma was the one (at least in my mind) who *made* the holidays. We were always at her house or my uncles' house with her bossing everyone around and most of my memories from the holidays are of her. The year she dumped WAY too much sage in the gravy at thanksgiving and created her fantastic green gravy; the year my father dropped her gravy bowl, the year she complained loudly that no one ever remembered what she wanted for Christmas as she was unwrapping the gift she'd told us about months ago, and the bag of potpourri that she and my father passed back and forth as a gift for years because neither one of them wanted the other to NOT have it. The year she died, joy at Easter slipped away for me.
For the kids' sake, we dye eggs, we do baskets, bunnies, and egg hunts but it's hard for me-I always wonder what my grandma would be like with all these great grandchildren. I have a feeling she'd be overrun with fluffy bunnies and chicks JUST to make them all happy...and some baby pigs as well, maybe some turkeys, probably a dog or two...I'd imagine they'd all be as happy as my cousins and I were at her house; playing on the swings, climbing in the hayloft and chasing kittens, and swinging on the huge branches of the weeping willow in her yard.
And now you know my secret about Easter...
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