Labor Day Weekend Update

So I'm just trying to keep all you anxious readers (hahahahahahah...ha) satisfied with all the nitty gritty, sordid details of my life here.

Here's a list for you of the last few weeks or so. Life's about to make the jump to hyper space here in the next week and a half, with the boys starting school. This week will be a warm up, with ballet for Lucy and soccer and baseball for the boys beginning.

1. Week before last I had four days of teacher meetings at my school. I will be teaching 5-8th graders again this year. The meetings were very fun, encouraging and even, dare I say, inspiring. We teachers had the chance to play with art, poetry, science, and exploration. Very good for the soul.

2. Last Wednesday was my first day of teaching for the year! Eeek! I'll be in class M/W/F this year and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been doing lots of reading online and otherwise about school issues, teaching methods, and teaching in general. Invigorating. As a side note, one of the most interesting books I've read is called The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn. From my perspective, as both teacher and parent, he is dead on in his assessment. I'm already dreading the homework this year. That sentiment leads to my next point of interest...

3. I've been reading Parenting with Love and Logic and it is like a balm to my mother-soul. So much wisdom in their parenting ideas and techniques. I'm just a fledgling at trying them out, but can't wait to read more and experiment more. Have any of you read this stuff? I'd love to talk it out with someone.

4. We did indeed have two birthdays week before last. I WILL post pictures very soon. I will, I really will. Suffice to say for now, that the numbers 7 and 11 were involved and there was a trip to 7-11 that week.

5. We had a yard sale on Saturday, finally! We have been meaning to have one ever since we got a serious truck load of stuff from John's folks last fall. We would plan it and then have to put if off for various reasons. We really almost did it last weekend, but it rained. So yesterday was the day and I'm SO glad that we pulled it off! We made a decent wad of cash and got rid of some things. We still have some stuff to sell, but I think we'll use craigslist and some other email lists to do it. It was A LOT of work, but I think worth it.

6. I had an epiphany while reading a old favorite, classic book to Lucy tonight (Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel). I know this book so well that I don't have to really concentrate in order to read it well and with expression (I think this also points to how well the book is written. It easily lends itself to being read aloud. Some children's books are just absolute death to read aloud. Some books I just flat out refuse to read aloud...but that's another topic). ANYWAY, there I was, reading about Mike and Mary Anne, his steam shovel, and my mind was completely wandering to other things, making plans, pondering plans, etc. Are you still reading? Are you wondering what this epiphany was already? What I realized was that I can actually get some good thinking done while reading if I'm reading something familiar and comforting. So not only did I get some snuggly pre-bed time with Lulu, but I also had a good little brain workout. That's what I call time well-spent. And we all know that I'm all about efficiency and spending time well. Right? We all know that...don't...we...?

This strange post has come to an end. More as the holiday weekend unfolds!