Thoughtful Thursday

A Basketful!

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

                                                                               - Charles Dickens

Looking Back on 2011

Looking back

The 1st of January always inspires at least a bit of reflection on the previous year.  Here's a quick look back at some of my 2011 highlights:

January
Started Darrah Parker's Slice of Life Project - the beginning of my new-found hobby!

February

Continued to find ways to capture our beautiful everyday moments.

March

Second annual trip to the Aquarium - it was so fun to see Beansprout mesmerized by all the sea life.  I was happy to see he was especially fascinated by the belugas!

April

Hosted an egg hunt for the little ones - I had a blast putting together a kids party!

May

Started my blog on May 3rd and enjoyed a play-filled visit with Grammy and Papa.

June

Quality time with Dad gave me a boost into summer.

July

Spent a week on the Sunshine Coast - really enjoyed exploring a new place with Beansprout!

August

Visit home to Michigan for my 20-year reunion - still having a hard time admitting that one.

September

Put away my German dictionary to teach Psychology and have loved every minute of it!

October

31-day Challenge inspires me to write about play all month!  A wonderful experience that showed me I've  found something I'm really passionate about - writing and photographing.

November

An overnight conference at Harrison Hot Springs reminded me how much I love learning about and reflecting on teaching!

December

Celebrated Christmas in our home with Opa!

What are your highlights of 2011?  I would love to hear about your own personal successes!

Half-finished Projects

Advent Calendar 2011

Sometimes I just can't follow through.  I have many half-finished projects to attest to this fact.  Though it's much more fun to write about and feature the stuff that I do accomplish, it's definitely more realistic to let you in on (at least a few) of the things that don't get done.  I mentioned here in late November that I was using Pinterest to inspire my Advent Calendar for Beansprout this year.  It looks great!  I used old socks of Beansprout's and filled in with a few socks bought at thrift shops, the dollar store, and Superstore.  I printed pictures to represent  the activities we would do each day, cut small pieces of scrapbook paper, added a number sticker, and stuck them into each of the 24 socks.

Counting Down 2011

Little Stocking All in a Row

Oh, how I had big ideas!  I thought I'd take a picture of each activity we did and feature them weekly to show all that we'd been up to in December.  Big ideas.  The truth is, we probably only did 3/4 of the activities and somehow the recording and posting of the activities dwindled out of sight.  I guess it's a lesson learned?  I now realize that a mixture of small gifts and activities would probably suit us better.  Luckily, Beansprout is really just too young to actually grasp the concept of counting down everyday, and so this year the Advent Calendar was more for me.  I also realize that prioritizing "me" time is difficult.  When things get busy and hectic, photographing and blogging are the to-dos that get cut.  To look on the bright side, I guess I have some built-in resolutions for the New Year!

Thanks for reading!  I love your comments and would love to hear how do you handle finding "me" time.  Also, are you able to balance the big ideas with realistic follow-through?  Share your secrets!


Wishing you love and joy as you ring in the new year!  All the best in 2012!!!

Thoughtful Thursday

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. 

                                                                                                        ~Edith Sitwell

Thomas the Train Christmas Tree!

Thoughtful Thursday

A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.

                                                                      -- Allen Klein

Children's Hospital Allergy Clinic 2011

Talking about Santa

Picture with Santa 2009

Our Beansprout has really been interested in the Santa aspect of Christmas this year. Since he was born, I've been wondering how we'll approach this topic with him.  Luckily, I have the examples of others to take in as we continue to work out the what and why of who Santa is.  My favorite post is actually a mom's letter to her little girl, who wants to know the truth about Santa; it's a real heartbreaker and definitely worth the read!  I've also read some really great blog posts about how different people describe Santa, and I especially like this one and this one from Not Just Cute.  At this point with Beansprout, I've sort of let the books we read do the explaining - it's easy now because he doesn't ask a lot of questions.  I love hearing how he sorts it all out through his limited language and have to share our most recent conversation:

Beansprout: I go to North Pole.
Me: That's right, what that actually means is that you're going to have your picture taken with Santa.  Do you want to sit on his lap?
Beansprout: I talk Santa.
Me: You can talk to Santa when you're on his lap.  You know, you could tell him what you want for Christmas.  *long pause*  What might you tell Santa you want for Christmas, Beansprout?
Beansprout: Ba-bars.  (snack bars)

We've been talking about Santa, but Beansprout has yet to sit on Santa's lap this year.  I've been trying to prep him and show him pictures from previous years, because I really think this is the year he'll boycott Santa when it actually comes to getting the picture taken.  I had made "Visit Santa" an activity in our Advent Calendar, but that's another story I will have to share soon.

Is anyone else astounded at the fact that Christmas is one week away?!?  I would love to hear your stories about Santa!  How did you find out the truth?  What are your thoughts on Santa now that you're an adult?

Thoughtful Thursday

Christmas Cookie Baking

How did it get so late so soon?  It's night before it's afternoon.  December is here before it's June.  My goodness how the time as flewn.  How did it get so late so soon?

                                                                                                                     --Dr. Seuss

Advent Calendar Traditions

Advent Calendar 2011

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was working on a Pinterest-inspired Advent calendar!  It is (finally) complete, albeit a few days late.  I hope you'll come back for a weekly post showing all that my little Beansprout did to countdown and prepare for Christmas!

Counting down the days 'til Christmas is such a wonderful tradition.  I can remember having the paper link chains and my fair share of the chocolate window variety, but it was my year studying in Germany many years ago that opened my eyes to a whole new way of approaching the Advent calendar.  My "German Mom" sent me a fabric calendar with 24 little gifts affixed to round red rings.  I was in heaven.  I learned what Raffaelo candies were, gave walnut cracking a try, and learned that sometimes the simplest gift can make your day.  A new tradition was born.

Upon returning home, I began to gift one to a family member or friend every year.  It was so much fun thinking of little gifts that would fit and to imagine the delight of the person who got a nice treat throughout most of December.  In recent years, I have only had the energy to create them for our niece and nephews, and as more nephews came, I decided I had to have an age limit.  This year the two youngest of the group get to keep the tradition going.  I pulled out the flat rate shipping box, the Santa treat bags, and some tissue paper, wrapped everything up and sent them off via USPS.  I hope the little guys are enjoying the socks, Christmas crafts, stickers, and books that will help them count down!

Do you have any Advent Calendar traditions?  Do you remember counting down until the big day as a kid?

Thoughtful Thursday

The Little Blue Truck

"Now I see a lot depends on a helping hand from a few good friends."

              -- The Dump, in The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Lists

I know it's the season for making a list and checking it twice, but I happen to be in the habit of making lists all the time.  Especially when I'm feeling stressed and/or slightly out of control of my life, I make a list.  Or two.  Or three.  I love lists!  I make them to organize life-goals, to make a plan for shopping, to write down all my wishes, and to remember whatever it is that I need to remember.  I guess that's how it works for me - I write it down so I that I don't forget.  Of course, I often find I've left the list or lost it altogether; but for me, the act of writing something down usually helps me recall what I need.

The lists pictured above are definitely the trying-to-gain-control kind.  You can tell by the scratchy writing and the crazy cross-outs and circles.  The bottom of one of these lists actually says, "Aaaaaah!"  Stress.  And now that I've shared these "crazy" lists, my mother will be disowning me.  Her lists are perfect.  She has just the right notepad, just the right pen, and gorgeous script!  Oh, and I think she re-writes them when she makes a mistake.  Maybe she won't notice.

How do you deal with stress?  Are you a list maker?  I'd love to hear about what you list!

Thoughtful Thursday!

I can no other answer make, but thanks, and thanks.

                                                     -William Shakespeare

Thankful.

Wishing all of our American family and friends a lovely Thanksgiving!  We will be thinking of you and counting our blessings.

"Me DRIVE!" Letting kids do dangerous things.

At the wheel.

We have a new driver in our house!  He's a bit short, can't quite touch the pedals, but he "drives" almost everyday.  It's hilarious to watch him.  He gets into the driver's seat, puts on his daddy's sunglasses, turns the wheel back and forth, and pushes any buttons he can find.  We figure this game will have to stop once he finds the horn!  Though he's not anywhere near moving the gear shift and Matt assures me that cars have to have the brake engaged in order to put a car in gear, I admit that I feel like a bad parent for letting him do this.  Beansprout's utter delight in "driving" and then "coming home" (through the back hatch of the car) make me put my worries aside.  The role-playing of him telling us he's home is priceless.  It's amazing how much they want to do all the things that we do when they're young, and believe me, I realize this is only the beginning.

Do you remember doing things just like your parents as a kid?  Did you get to "drive"?  I've heard that it's one of five dangerous things you should allow your kids to do!  Here's Gever Tulley's quick video about it on TED talks.  Do you agree with his list?  Anything you'd add?

Pinterest Inspired Advent calendar

I've mentioned before how much I love Pinterest!  The trouble is, I collect a lot of ideas, yet rarely do anything with them.  So in the spirit of the Pinterest Challenge Sherry from Young House Love started with her friend, I've decided to create my own diy goals inspired by this wonderful website!  

First up?  The Advent calendar.  After receiving the best Advent calendar in the world from my "German Mom", I have been creating Advent calendars for family members for years now, actually for over 15 years!  More on that soon . . .  Now that Beansprout is old enough, I want to start the tradition for him.  And though I'm holding to my pledge to avoid decorating for Christmas too soon, with December 1st fast approaching, I need to have a plan.  

There are a ton of creative ideas out there, but I've decided on a combination of the following:  

Simply ADORABLE!

An activity for every day of Advent.

I can't resist the baby sock Advent calendar, and love the fact that I really would have to stick to buying a small gift that could fit inside the little socks.  However, I have read over and over again that it is the experiences of life that bring us happiness, so the idea of creating a special activity for the first 24 days of December sounds lovely!

It's taken me this long to come up with a plan, because I've felt slightly paralyzed by the fact that I want this to be a tradition for Beansprout.  Once I finally let go of that and realized that I can change the what of the Advent calendar anytime, I was ready to embrace my idea for this year.  By December 1st, I'll have a row of 24 baby socks filled with an activity for the day hanging just out of Beansprout's height.  I can't wait to show you how it looks!!!

Thoughtful Thursday

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough."

Holding on to Fall

This time of year is challenging.  I seem to breeze through October thinking everything is going well, but with the drastic change of light and weather, November hits me like a semi.  I'm tempted to jump into decorating for Christmas, to keep my spirits up, but can't help feeling it's just TOO soon!  So with the sun peeking out in the late afternoon a few days ago, Beansprout and I enjoyed a walk/bike ride with the iPhone in hand.  My goal was to capture all that I want to hold on to of Fall.  I will have to keep returning to this picture for the remainder of the month, because today, three leaf bags stand ready for pick-up.  Amazing how quickly things can change in two days.  Hope you can savor these last few weeks of fall, what do you do to avoid the early holiday pressures?

Thoughtful Thursday

Watching giraffes - Detroit Zoo 2011

"The soul is healed by being with children."

                                     --English Proverb

Encouraging the Cautious Daredevil

It all started with peek-a-boo around the ladder.

As I kid, I never felt fearful of trying new things and pushing myself physically.  I swam in waters deep at a very young age, loved climbing trees, and took on new challenges without hesitation.  To be honest, I never even thought much about it until I was faced with a wave runner.  I was in college when a friend invited me to try one out.  Getting on the machine wasn't hard, but I found myself quite afraid of trying the flip-arounds some riders do so well.  At the time, I was extremely frustrated with myself for not having the confidence to keep trying it, for being afraid.  Later, I realized that it was often the encouraging voice of my dad that allowed me to feel it was safe to try new things as a kid.  I guess I had a trust that if he thought I could do it, I could.

Luckily, Beansprout is no daredevil - not by any stretch of the imagination, really.  For this I am truly grateful.  That being said, he is a cautious explorer, meaning he does indeed push himself to do the usual things kids need to do to help them develop.  This has left me in the conundrum all parents must I'm sure face - allowing him to do things that make me cringe because of my fear he'll get hurt.  Naturally, I know it's necessary and par for the course, but still, I cringe.

"So tall!"

Before I continue, I have to admit that in the spring I feared he wasn't challenging himself physically -- you know, developing those gross motor skills he needs.  I needn't have worried it seems.  We have a ladder in our home, leading to a cozy little loft space above our bedroom which with a little work could be the perfect kid's hide-away for our Beansprout.  Though I'm not quite ready for him to have his own secret loft space yet, I am trying to be that encouraging voice telling him he can do it.  I am accepting the gray hairs I can see growing right before my eyes as he heads (quite safely, I must say) up the ladder "two times".

How many gray hairs did you give your parents as a kid?  How would you handle encouraging cautious exploration of somewhat dangerous endeavors?

Saline and tissues

First cold of the season!

Beansprout's first cold of the season makes me remember:

#1) how I take for granted our cold-free summers
#2) how helpless I feel when he's ill, as there's really nothing I can do to help him
#3) how everyone wants their mom when they're sick

Though I'm cursing the germs, I'm relishing the extra snuggles Beansprout has for me and giving thanks for our overall good health.

Has cold and flu season visited you yet?  Do you have any special routines when family members in your home are sick?

Thoughtful Thursday

Getting the hang of posing for pictures!

"Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

                                                               ---Robert Brault

Pieces of Home

The bright colored leaves of Fall are making me homesick.  I guess it happens this time of year . . . even before moving away, I would usually get quite nostalgic with the change of the season.  The fall colors are a point of pride for Michigan, where you may even take a weekend trip away to see them at their peak.  British Columbia is one of the most beautiful places on earth, yet though I have admired the bursts of color here and there, it can't compare to the trees at home.  Of course, it's not really about the leaves.  I miss home.  To help me feel better, I've continued to add little reminders of "home" to my new home.  I started with a small collection of Pewabic Pottery from our first home together and received Woodward Avenue Brewery glasses as a gift to remind us of our second house (we tend to move a lot!)  These are all proudly displayed in what is now the playroom, until I figure out where they can be relocated.  It doesn't end there --- on my last two trips home I've felt almost a tourist, buying a Starbuck's mug of the Detroit skyline and most recently a Detroit Tigers t-shirt (in the airport!)  To take it a step further, I've postered University of Michigan all over a corner of my classroom!  This is my way of dealing with living thousands of miles away from family and friends - though they are just objects, the memories they represent comfort me.

Do you display, collect, or wear reminders of where you're from?  How do you handle homesickness?