Happy Summer, Moms!

Hey Moms!  How's your summer going?  Have you found sufficient ways to keep your kiddos busy?

If my kids had to vote right now, I'm not sure I'd get Mom of the Year.  I'm certain of it.  I'm that mean mom making my kids do a workbook over the summer.  It's called "Vacation Station."  It helps bridge the gap between the grades.  It should only take about 15 minutes per day.  Insert whining and complaining.  On those days, we've sat at the table for hours.  No joke.  HOURS.  I think they are slowing learning that I can't be broken on this one.

On top of that, I'm trying hard to get them reading.  They definitely prefer the downtown library.

My biggest battle are those stupid video games.  I really loathe them.  If your kiddos are gamers, how do you find a healthy balance there?  Hook a mom up.  I feel like I'm losing this particular battle.  And I blame myself.

Check in.  Let us know how your summer is going.  Tell us about your vacations.  Or Stay-cations.  Keep enjoying the break. The insanity will start soon enough.

I can hardly wait for homework to resume.  (Where's that sarcasm font when you need it?)

Keeping it real...

Best Laid Plans....

Well I had planned our vacation...virtually down to a tee only to discover that none of it went as planned.  I am learning to realize that having a two year old means that nothing goes as planned and I have learned to be okay with that!  

It rained and rained and rained some more...but as a Texan I simply cannot complain about rain.  

We were able to visit with family and have burgers and homemade ice cream for Memorial Day.  Unfortunately Liam was in no mood for fun and festivities.  His allergies have just gotten the best of him this year.  

Then all hell broke loose and Liam's allergies were worse and YaYa got the nasty stomach bug.  So our plans to visit Sea World went up in smoke.  Hopefully we can try again next summer.  

We were able to visit Fredericksburg one day so that I could get my German food fix.  But Liam decided he would take a dive and smack his head on the restaurant table.  Scared this mama...luckily he is tough and didn't seem to phase him much.  I am quickly learning that being the mom of a boy means being able to react to situations like that with calm. 

The rest of the time we have just been chilling and being goofballs.  

Playing at the wild seed farm!

 Discovering our talents!

All in all in wasn't the week I had planned but it was great to be back in Texas and relax and visit with the family.  I am already looking forward to my next vacation!

May Calendar!

Did you have any fun? Tell me what did you do?

SO I have been blessed to have been given the chance to direct my first theatrical production, which closes it's run tomorrow.

I really got into this without thinking it through, and once it got closer I found myself becoming really nervous at the commitment I had given with no directing experience other than the snippets of Annie I'd force my little brother and sisters to perform for family when I was a child. Questions started littering my mind such as:
Am I even good with children?
What if they don't like me?
What if I'm not as good as the previous director?
I don't even know everything about theatre; how am I going to teach them?

But the biggest one was; What if I fail and disappoint everyone? First, let me fill you in on this children's program... it's more of a classroom setting than just learning a play. They have to audition and learn stage directions- pretty much everything that goes into putting a play on stage and the class ends by the children actually performing their play on stage with a live audience. The decision to produce The Cat In The Hat was made, and there I was on the first day of class speaking to all the parents and making sure everyone knew everything they needed to know regarding rehearsals and attire etc.

Then the parents left, and there I was with 15 kids staring at me waiting for something amazing to happen =) Well, let me tell you... something amazing did happen! I became an instructor, lol, with the help of some of my treasured friends I learned how to direct and teach and I started falling in love with these kids. I'd watch them spend hours rehearsing scenes that took mere minutes to perform and I was proud... The heart and willingness to please was amazing and we did many group hugs.

I didn't realize you become their protector as well... I had children coming to me for hugs telling me that they wouldn't be in class the next day because a grandparent had passed away and wiping tears away. I bandaged boo boos and gave words of encouragement all while becoming more attached and believing in them. On one of our last dress rehearsals one of my smallest kids ( I had a class of 8-18 year olds) didn't get changed in time and collapsed in a puddle of tears losing all faith in herself and I sat back stage with her trying to convince her she was wonderful and that she could do it!

And guess what? SHE DID!

Before I knew it, opening day was here and I could barely breath as I gathered my kids in a circle to pray before they got in places back stage to show their friends and family what they'd been working on for 3 months. We said Amen and off they went... without me... and I realized I was powerless at that point. I had to sit in my chair and watch them and hope I had done a good enough job that they could overcome anything that might happen.

With my husband on my left and my parents on my right I watched as something incredible happened. The lights came up and it was theatre magic.... They remembered to smile and remembered every little note I had ever given them... they even hammed it up! At one point one of the things got her kite string stuck on one of the cake candles and drug it around stage and everyone played it up! Nobody fell and everyone loved it. At curtain call I was the first one on my feet in tears wanting EVERYONE to stand up for these wonderful little people that had just performed with their whole hearts... and guess what? Everyone stood. Everyone clapped and screamed and cheered... and I cried. I couldn't count the number of hugs and thank you's I got from my kids... funny... I'm calling them my kids now. I stood there in the lobby watching all of them smile and take pictures with everyone and I was just happy. I had done it!

Now for what I learned.... You have to have faith... I can't help but link it to my relationship with God, which might sound funny. He loves you and trusts you to do well but he doesn't have puppet strings attached to your arms making you do everything correct and perfect. Things are going to happen but he trusts that you'll do your best to get through it and he smiles. I didn't even know if I would get along with these children and now I am already mourning the fact that tomorrow is closing night of our show and then they aren't my kids anymore...

I'm sure my relationship with my own daughter will be a lot like this as well.... One day I am going to have to just let go and watch her act on her stage of life, and trust that I did a good enough job that she will thrive. What a wonderful and unexpected experience this has been.

ONE other thing... I did realize The Cat In The Hat has an underlying moral, which happens to tie into this blog nicely... In the Cat In The Hat the Mother is gone and has left her children trusting that they'll be good. The Cat is the symbol of mischief and trouble and all things children secretly want to do when their mothers are out of the house. The fish symbolizes the spirit of their mother... always in the back of their minds telling them what they should and shouldn't be doing. I thought it was pretty neat!

Oh.. I didn't mention that we sold out our opening show =)

I'm just so proud. What an experience! God is Good!

It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.

Personalize Your Calendar

Most of us have that yearly calendar hanging on the wall to keep track of our busy lives. We either pick it up from the bank or even spend money to buy one. Why not make it personal and teach your child a lesson with it?

This is a great way to teach months of the year, days of the week, and days of the month.
Begin with having your child draw pictures, color pictures, or even take pictures. Paste on the top of a large piece of construction paper or card stock. You can find calendar templates all over the internet for the entire year.

Print out each month and paste on the bottom of the construction paper or card stock. Finish off with a hole punched in the top left corner and attach all twelve months with a metal ring. You can also have your child mark important dates on the calendar. This is simple to do and creates something we all use, but makes it personal.

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!

My house got run over by a reindeer

Christmas has come and gone and now my household is a wreck. Will stray decorations ever go back in the boxes? I feel maybe my elf is distressed with all the Christmas spirit leaving our home, so he is putting decorations in random places.

How often must I reopen a box or run another item to storage?

I'll tell you something, if putting away the decorations was as much fun as decorating, I would go all out for every holiday. Unfortunately, for me that isn't the case, but definitely worth the effort for the joys of the next year.

Live Without Fear

It's been so interesting (and a little sad in some cases) to see how people are reacting to the "12-21-12" phenomenon... For me, it's been a good opportunity to talk to my kids about *not* living in fear, and not allowing fear to rule their lives.

Rumors of threats at schools Friday had them questioning whether they wanted to go today.

"There are no guarantees in life," I told them, "Something can happen anytime, anywhere, and no one ever knows what tomorrow will bring."

Although the rumors are hopefully just that, SAISD and the San Angelo Police Department are being proactive by placing patrol officers at every campus- even elementary schools.

What does sending them to school teach them? Maybe nothing.

And, of course I pray for their safety, as I do every day...

But, hopefully it will teach them to rise above their fears, live life to the fullest, and never let anyone's words bully them into cowering in their home.

12-21-12 is the last day of school before Christmas Break! Enjoy it~ Lol, it's the last break "we" get for two weeks ;) 

Have a great day!