Conversation Starter
I had no idea when I took introductory biology last year that I would eventually become an amateur bug collector. It just simply started when I found a dead grasshopper and with my basic knowledge was able to turn it into a science lesson for my kids. I haven’t touched the collection since last summer. Alas, spring is upon us again and it’s time for the family to start hitting the trails again. I love educating my children about nature and science and brewing their curiosity about the world. I was impressed to see them excited when we dragged the out the bug collection. They started asking questions about the bugs… when and where each one was found. I think this has turned into a great little family activity and it brews conversation among my children.
A few days ago I decided to take them on an impromptu bug hunt. I picked them up from school, and we headed out to the wildlife refuge, bug nets in hand. They caught three damselflies. Only one ended up being a viable specimen for our collection. However, they have been talking about it all week and have been giddy to participate with pinning and labeling. I just can’t tell you how COOL I think it is to see my babes getting so interested. Keep it up, kids!
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Send Her the Bill
A hush fell over my home, and I heard the muffled stream of rushing water. I went to the bathroom door, I was in a panic knowing already what I would find when I opened it. I pushed the door open and discovered my half naked toddler standing on the stool in front of the sink. Water rushing. Water pooled on the counter. Her hands stretched out over head holding the bottle of hand soap upside down.
Arghh…. actually the damage isn’t too bad… but, she should quit while she’s ahead.
My toddler then turned to me and I noticed a dark smear on her cheeks and mouth.
“Josie, what is on your face?” What on earth could she have gotten into? God, please tell me she didn’t get into something bad. What if that’s poop on her face? Would she do that?
“I weah yo’ah make-up!”
Learning to Let Go
Since my divorce I have finally learned to let go of perfection. It has been a long emotional journey, but one that I am proud of. During my marriage I was fairly uptight, forced that way by a tyrannical partner. I was expected to maintain my house to such perfection that Donna Reed would have looked like a damned hippy. I believed that a tidy house was a reflection of who I was on the inside. I thought that people might judge my character or integrity or status based on whether my home looked like a Pottery Barn catalog. And guess what? I was wrong. (well, I suppose you didn’t have to guess that part. You probably saw it coming). As long as I was married I was empty on the inside. Dead. And if I were dead, then my home was simply a really clean and tidy coffin.
Over the past 2 years I have had to re-shift my focus on what is most important in life. With such a busy schedule, I have had to decide where my hours and time are most worth spending. My children need me more than they need sorted and folded laundry. I would rather spend their wakeful hours reading aloud The Lorax, or watching Cars for the 110th time. Now even on the weekends when they are visiting with their dad I have let go of hurrying to catch up on the week’s chores. The chores will get done with time. What I need is rest and downtime so I can get up and tackle my monday again.
Cheers to NOT being productive!
Time
It’s time for a new header. Maybe with a new header I’ll feel like blogging again. I’m sorry I have SUCKED at blogging lately. I haven’t even sucked! ‘Cause I haven’t even done it. Many reasons why. Some days I think about blogging and then I wonder “who the F cares?” and then I don’t blog. But, what kind of an attitude is that to have? I wouldn’t get anything accomplished with that. Not going to bore you with any whining. On with it!
Tortured Soul
(hey, that thing I said about writing a post offline? scratch that.)
Holding the fresh baked cookie in front of her non-verbal autistic child, the mother wondered how long she could hold out waiting for a verbal response from her child.
Alas, the mother did not have the endurance. The child waited in silence. The mother could not stand to torture her child anymore, and thus gave in. Torture is what the professionals are for, anyway.
Crawling Out From Under a Rock
Hello World! I said, HELLOOOOO!!!! Yeah, it’s me. Despite your biggest fears, I am alive. My hibernation is over. Ha! We all do it. Or at least, I’ve noticed from time to time that SOME bloggers take hiatuses. I did not plan it. I simply was tortured to near death by organic chemistry mid-way through the fall and I could NOT bring myself to blog.
I have missed it! I have so many post ideas swarming in my head, and with so much time to think to myself instead of blogging every thought, I also had a chance to rethink the direction of my blog and its themes. I want to move forward with a little more direction and focus in my blogging. For starters, I should keep a list of topics so that I don’t “draw a blank” when I sit down to write. Second, I want to get away from typing my posts directly into wordpress. I have only ever blogged directly into wordpress, and as a result I get impatient and desire only to get the darn thing posted so I skimp on editing. No more! I want to start my posts in microsoft word, where I will be forced to control the quality of my posts and then just copy/paste into wordpress.
Since I’m currently typing this into wordpress, this is as far as my patience goes. So, I will get on with my list of post ideas and I’ll see you back here, REALLY SOON!
There is no Faye anymore
There is no Faye anymore. What persona used to occupy her cranial space is now just a gobbly goop of information. When the correct three small humans, also known as children, are around the now voided Faye, she still maintains Mommy. Mommy is, afterall, the most important persona, and SHE will always remain intact no matter how many protein cascades plow into her cranium.
Who Could Ask For Anything More?
“I just love you sooooo much, I love you all the time. I love you all the time when I’m with you and when I’m doing things with you and I love you all the time even when I’m at school, or at my Dad’s, or I go somewhere and I see somebody, I just still always love you, and you know what? I’m never going to not love you.”
“and you know why? because you’re so beautiful when you talk, and I just love your hair it’s so soft…. I just, I just love you.“
Said my son as I tucked him into bed.
“That was the best thing ever!”
Heaven, ahhhh.... three happy wandering digging kids, quiet beach.... happy mom.
I received an invite from a classmate to bring the kids down to Jekyll Island to observe the bird banding station. The banders operate the Jekyll Island station for approximately two weeks twice a year. I had never been to Jekyll Island, and knew very little about it, but after some consideration the thought of nature, beach, quiet, all seemed like a great idea… The kids and I were really due for a “break” and “detox” from our daily grind.
When we arrived on the island, yesterday morning, we were greeted by my classmate who has an interest in environmental education, thus my clan was a perfect match for her; three wide-eyed bushy tailed adventurers who were willing and excited to listen and learn. We received a personal tour of the bird banding area, as well as the wetlands and dunes of the southern end of the island.
We followed that with a bite to eat, and a trip to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Da-ta-da! The mecca for young ones who are mesmerized by reptiles. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center was quite impressive, and they also allow you to walk through the rehabilitation building where they had approximately 10 adult size turtles in rehab tanks, and a few green hatchlings. It is quite impressive to see the size of the loggerheads. Wow. Such amazing creatures!
serious observation
happy boy
After touring the Sea Turtle Center, we checked into our hotel and crashed on the beach. Then we woke early this morning and went back to the banding station and the children were allowed to watch over the bird bander’s shoulder. He even let them sneak in a few gentle touches. “It was SOOOOO soft”, Jackson later told me.
As we left the banding area, Jackson exclaimed repeatedly in the car, “that was the best thing ever!”
Score. Happy kids, happy mom.
sandy salty
i stopped just for a minute to snap a photo of this old shrimp boat in Darien, on the way back up hwy 17. I LOVE shrimp boats, sometime, when I have a child-free weekend, I'll have to go back down to Darien and take some serious pics.
