Rainy Day

I had forgotten how much I love rainy days.

Perhaps it's because we had such a dry summer and autumn. Or perhaps it's because we've had so few days of any kind of precipitation this winter. Whatever the case, I totally enjoyed listening to the rain last night. And it was amazing to wake up to grey skies this morning! I hope it will continue to rain all day! Even the puddles are making me cheerful this morning!

Here is a series of books perfect for enjoying on a rainy day. Jane Smiley's Horse series: The Georges and the Jewels; A Good Horse; and True Blue.

I love the teen main character, and the fact that the author isn't shy about her faith. Great stories! I'm reading True Blue right now, and it seems to fit in well with my morning so far.

"Usually, when you wake up and the day is already sunny, especially after a big rainstorm, you can't help feeling fresh and happy..." Abby Lovitt from True Blue by Jane Smiley

Camp Report

Hooray for church camp! We spent a weekend at church camp, with 15 of our church kids and nearly 40 kids total. It was a wonderful weekend.

I love watching the kids as they learn and experience God in new ways. Some of the highlights? Nature Walk with Travis; group movie night; creative worship experience offering our hearts; learning new songs like "The Word is Alive"; small groups; Skittles game; making prayer sticks; hugs and making new friends. Wow, the list could go on and on.

We took several kids with us who had never been away from home (without parents) before, and they had a great time! I think maybe their parents were more nervous waiting at home for them! We also had lots of sets/pairs of relatives. Seems like everyone was related to somebody... Of course, my kids had been to this event before, and so had a couple of others. So, they all worked together to make everyone, even the youngest, feel welcome and part of the event.

I took tons of pictures, and Christine took tons of pictures, so between the two of us we have two tons of pictures! Can't wait for Sunday when the kids get to tell all about their experience! And they can't wait for summer, when they (hopefully) will get to go back to church camp!

Sad State of Affairs

I have recently re-employed an old instrument belonging to the library. This creative (though ancient) gadget is used to apply tape to the spines and binding of books. It has not been used in many years; I had to scrounge for the tape to use in the machine. Last week, I had to order more stock of this special tape.

Why has this old machine come back into fashion? It's due to the sad state of affairs here. Alas, we cannot afford to buy new textbooks. Instead, we must keep using the old ones, no matter their state of disrepair. I have repeatedly taped (and retaped ad nauseum) math, history, and science textbooks.

Now, it's not that these books have been shoddily cared for (in most cases). The problem is just that the books are old. Most of our textbooks have not been purchased new in nearly a decade.

So we are making do with what we have. And that means I will be taping, taping, and retaping. I will probably use more tape than what I have ordered. (And when this is all over, we might not really be saving that much money.)

In the spirit of reusing and recycling, I thought I'd recommend Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong. (I needed a happy face.)

Disney Connections

My family is crazy about all things Disney. And most things that are linked to Disney. We really enjoy Star Wars, Star Tours, and that unique connection to Disney and Walt Disney World. (Kids are currently planning their next trip, as if it was going to happen tomorrow, when in reality, it will be a couple of years...)

Anyway, I saw the neatest picture today that really portrays the way my family feels about Disney and Star Wars, and connects to my kids' childhood innocence. Here it is!

Awe! :) I love the simplicity of this picture, and the way childhood innocence is captured. I love the way this picture makes me feel. And I especially like the look on my son's face when he looked over my shoulder a few minutes ago.
"Mom, that is so cool!" Yep, that's my boy. And my daughter instantly got it too, and made the leap to Pooh without prompting.

And may I recommend Peter and the Starcatchers for those readers who, like my family, love all things Disney-related!

Balancing Act

Working and having kids is a balancing act. Often, I wish for more time to spend with my kids, just being their mom and enjoying the precious time I have with them while they're still little. (Or somewhat little.)

Today was a good example of that balancing act. We had the day off from school, but I had many tasks I needed to accomplish at the elementary library, things that had to get done today or I would be even farther behind. And yet, today was a such a beautiful day, it just BEGGED for an Adventure with Mom!

So... we compromised. PaPa took the kids and me out to breakfast this morning! (Yay, special treat!) Then, while I worked in the library, they played outside. They love the playground, especially since it is close to home and my work. When they eventually got cold, they came inside and helped me with my work. When I got tired, we went home for a spell and enjoyed playing computer games and PS3. After lunch together, we went back to the library and worked some more. And the kids got to play on the school computers a bit.

I am not completely caught up on my work. (However, I think being "caught up" is just a figment of my imagination, not a true goal to reach.) But I got to spend some of the day with my kiddos, which is really what a day off should be about! Especially when the weather is lovely and the kids are getting along so well.

What series am I reading with my kids at night now that we finished Lightning Thief? The 39 clues series!

We are starting #11 tonight: Medusa Plot. Can't wait! Love that mom + kids time!

Pinterest

Okay, I admit it. Everyone I know has been talking about Pinterest for several months. I have been loathe to jump on the bandwagon. After all, I reasoned, everybody tells me about the projects, food, hair ideas, decorating, etc. I don't need to look for myself. (I believe I also understand myself well enough to know that I will spend WAAAAY too much time on such a site.)

Well, I broke down and let a student show me how to find it online. Yep, I am now addicted. It truly is amazing! So much to see, and do, and food for thought (as well as real food).

So, do I like Pinterest? Indeed, I love it! (But I still think I never should have tried it in the first place...)

Addicting website -- Pinterest

Series to read (also addicting) -- Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton

Small Groups and Ivy

I had such a good time yesterday evening, at the new women's meeting at church. Although calling it a meeting makes it seem like a drudgery, it is really fun! I think sometimes I just need to hang out with friends, in this case, no matter what age. Our group may be a Bible study of sorts, but it's also about getting together. It's about the support we feel from being with each other, sharing our concerns, laughing with each other, learning more about each other, and yes, learning from the Bible. And of course, eating snacks. :) We had about 5 at our first meeting, and we had 8 last night. Hopefully, even more will come in February, when the weather is nicer (maybe).

The best part of the evening, I think, was just being with other women. So often, the groups I'm with are either groups of both men & women, or groups of children. It's nice to just be with friends who know and understand you, and love you for who you are.

One thing we do at the end of the get-together involves an "invisible trinket". It's something that we imagine taking with us from the meeting, to think about for the rest of the month, until we get a new "treasure" at our next session. The trinket from last night was an ivy cutting (completely imaginary, but substantial). It's to remind me that a life of love is like an ivy: take care of it and it will grow, and you can share it with others. I totally love that thought!

We are studying a book, but I don't remember the name of it. The thing is, that part isn't really that important. The most important thing is being in the moment, knowing that you are loved and understood. And trust me, that's a God thing!