Gearing-up for the Week

Saturday was a glorious fall day - the kind of day that comes to mind when someone asks you to visualize the "perfect fall day". We headed to the pumpkin patch with the kids to find a vast array of pumpkins - short ones, fat ones, tall ones, white ones, mini ones - and managed to bring home one of each (which you can sort of see in the wheelbarrow Little Sister is attempting to push!).

The whole experience put me in a wonderful mood that I hope to maintain as long as possible! The pumpkins on the front steps will serve as a reminder of our wonderful family pumpkin patch outing, which should help prolong the warm, fuzzy feeling - even if the sky returns to the dreary Seattle gray.

This week I'm working to oust the junk - piles in the kitchen and bedroom don't stand a chance! If I can sit still long enough I'll get through the monstrosity on my desk that is on the verge of blocking the lower portions of my monitor (one telephone is currently serving as a paper weight to prevent that from happening, but I'm not sure how long the phone can battle the power of the junk!).

I'm also enjoying some one-on-one time with my son, which is something that doesn't often happen. Little Sister is off on an adventure with her dad for a few days, leaving Mr. Music and me to some quality time to ourselves. It is really a winning situation for us all.

Today my dad and I took him out for lunch and then to the zoo. When we got home we got to play a board game (a rarity, since Little Sister is usually around trying to take the pieces) and then made pumpkin bread with a sugar pumpkin we got on our adventure yesterday. A whole day of fun. Before bed, we curled up on the couch (bellies full from the pumpkin bread) to read not one, but two entire chapters of The Mouse & the Motorcycle - uninterrupted, even. Good times.

I anticipate the week being filled with more glorious reading time, playtime in the backyard (assuming cooperative weather, which I really SHOULDN'T assume), more pumpkin baking adventures, and more games. I'm smiling just thinking about it. I'm really going to treasure this time with just him, knowing that these opportunities are so rare. AND, the ease that comes with being with one child instead of two - really, I feel more relaxed and less stressed - refreshed even. Though I miss my husband and daughter, this time is good.

To make good on my dedication to de-clutter this week, I'm off to tackle the tops of the bedroom dressers. Then it is off to do some "light reading" - Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child. This is going to be a great week. I love the satisfaction that comes with accomplishments!

I think the week is also looking good for 2-3 runs . . . Look out Husband, you might come home to a new wife - a de-cluttered, exercised, calm, happy woman.

Friday Flashbacks - Familiar Books

When I initially planned the idea of Friday Flashbacks, I had high school and college memories on the brain. I'm about a month away from the big 3-0, so this year has been filled with thoughts of my formative years. Maybe once the big day arrives I'll be ready to pull my brain out of the past and get to dreaming out the future again (usually I'm a planner and a goal-setter, so this year has felt a bit quirky).

I digress . . .

Thursday my son came home from preschool with the phonics reader "Sam & Al". I nearly fell over when I saw the book. It was the FIRST book I read when I was in Montessori School . . . that's right, do the math - about 27 years ago! So when we got home, there we sat together on the couch as he read it to me. I couldn't help but get a little teary-eyed - with pride for my son as his reading skills blossom, and with sentimentality as I think back to those exciting first days when I learned to read. Talk about a flashback!

Though I do enjoy reading the Magic Tree House series to Mr. Music, after 28 books since mid-July, I did insist on taking a break from them. We'll get back to them soon enough, but I just needed to have our conversations be about someone OTHER than Jack or Annie from those books!

I'm mentoring a high school senior for her Senior Project (a learning experience now required for graduation). She's writing a children's book - good pairing, eh? When we met a few weeks ago I suggested that she spend a bit of time revisiting children's literature so she could get a good idea of how authors develop characters and keep stories flowing. Good writers are avid readers, and while I know she has some great ideas to incorporate into her story, I'm sure early chapter books aren't what she has been reading as of late. So, together we sat at the library and picked out some top notch kids' books to refresh her memory - books by greats such as Beverly Cleary and Andrew Clements made the stack.

In our exploration I stumbled across The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Ralph S. Mouse, two books I vividly recall my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Jennings, reading aloud to my class. I can still hear her voice making the motorcycle sounds as Ralph figured out how to make the motorcycle run in The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I couldn't let my mentee have all the fun - I made sure she got what she needed and then checked out the mouse books by Beverly Cleary books to read to Mr. Music.

He LOVES them. We're about 7 chapters in (started it on Monday) and he begs me to read past his bedtime every night so he can see what happens next. I have a hard time saying "We'll read more tomorrow" because I'm right there with him, enjoying the adventure of the little mouse. And, there's Mrs. Jennings' voice in my head as I read it - I think I'm even starting to use her intonations as I read. Funny how we don't realize what an impression a person has on us until many years later . . . after doing a quick calculation, I realize I first met Mr. Ralph S. Mouse via Mrs. Jennings 21 years ago.

I'm also realizing that Mrs. Jennings' selection of books to share with my class was very influential for what I read to my own class of fourth graders (who are now seniors - yikes!). Her choice of literature was outstanding and not always mainstream. I don't recall too much more of that year, but I did walk away with a great appreciation for books and a strong skill set for reading books aloud so they come alive.

So, kind readers, I leave you with these two questions: Which of your teachers had the greatest passion for books? What book is most memorable from your early years?

Trials & Achievements - Scrambled Brain!

Yesterday I crossed more off my To Do list than I ever thought was possible. Today I'd love to keep the momentum from yesterday going, but for some reason I can't even figure out where to START. I guess that's half the battle for most things - the courage and drive to START a task. Once we make that initial first step, momentum &/or gravity take over and before we know it, we've FINISHED. I'm looking forward to finishing some things here before too long . . . if I can just get to that START line!

My pressing trials:
- finishing my daughter's quilt so I can clean up the sewing room
- developing a method for clearing the piles of junk out of our house (I'm hopeful that fewer junk piles to look at will also de-clutter my brain!)
- writing a few articles for guest blog posts and newspapers - I seem to have writer's block in the worst way
- developing a workout schedule and sticking with it. This girl needs to get out and RUN, no excuses (again, this will de-clutter my brain!)
- getting Mr. Music to get put together in the mornings so we can leave on-time (I'm reading the book Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Child by Robert J. MacKenzie to help with this and many other scenarios we've been experiencing throughout Mr. Music's 4 years here on this planet - he IS a strong-willed little guy . . . and we love him . . . and we'd like him to enjoy a good long life . . . in harmony with those around him!!!)

My recent achievements:
- another good sized book order from our wholesaler
- I finished the book I'll review for you next
- I sent over 100 items to the consignment sale (will know within 30 days how successful it was - the wait is HARD!)
- making mini cupcakes with the kids after a rough day yesterday

Any recent trials or achievements you'd like to share?

Hope your week is going well! I'll probably add some links before the day is out, but the grocery store calls - we can't eat JUST mini cupcakes for dinner. :)

Starting with a Thankful Heart in the Rain

Here we are at Monday again. While not everything is falling into place as I'd like, I can't seem to accomplish my tasks as quickly in reality as I do in my brain, and our home has been plagued with the first round of colds this season (and we're out of tissue!), there are STILL many things for which I am thankful. Here are my top 5, in no particular order:

1. Cooler weather means I can pull out my sweaters and my Keens/Dr. Martins. I love my chunky shoes. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.

2. Morning naps (Little Sister's, not mine - I would enjoy a daily morning nap I'm sure, but I'd be frustrated that I wouldn't be accomplishing tasks). I'm enjoying these while they last. Something tells me the days with naps are numbered.

3. The Seattle Symphony Tiny Tots series. We're headed for the first concert of the year on Friday, this time with some friends! Can't wait!

4. The magic of the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand concert last Wednesday. It was a LATE night for us, but it was absolutely amazing. Led Zeppelin fans have every right to be sad that Plant won't be reuniting with is former band members . . . but they should seriously consider checking out his new projects. I can't believe how T-Bone Burnett transformed some old classics to be hauntingly wonderful new pieces using bluegrass instruments and the voice talents of Plant & Krauss. I could just go on & on & on & on . . . it was simply one of the best concerts I've attended - and I've seen some good ones!

5. I'll be signing books my birthday weekend in November at the REF runs for Riverview Turkey Trot (which was the topic of my first post , which was just 147 short posts ago - woah!). Somehow the event had slipped my mind (not my calender, though!) . . . until I read my name in the paper as one of the attractions for the Expo! Things have been a bit slower than I like with the book, so it is great to know that my "name" can help promote a wonderful event that will benefit the health and wellness programs for a school district. And, it will motivate me to get some longer runs in over the next few weeks so I can take part in their inagural 10K race!

And YOU, kind reader, what is something for which you are thankful this fine Monday?

Gal to Gal Virtual Walk - Part 2

Two posts in one day - unheard of for this blogger!

But, as I was posting about the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk on BookieBoo, I realized what a great educational tie-in the route of the walk is. Here's something to consider as you sign-up to participate in the virtual walk with your family:

The site is also a great place to visit over the course of the month with your children. The avatars are walking from Boston, MA (they started there on the 1st of October) and will work their way across the United States to end in San Fransisco, CA at the end of the month (they do journey up to Seattle before going south to CA - hooray!). You can turn the walk into a fun geography lesson for your family as you watch your avatars make the trek! Fodor's (the renowned travel book publisher) also provides city trivia for the "City of the Day" with links to more information about that destination.

Some questions to consider with your kids:

1) Which city on the walk is closest to where we live?

2) Do we know anyone who lives in the "City of the Day"?

3) What important historical events took place int he "City of the Day"?

4) How far did our avatar travel yesterday?

5) Get a pedometer for your family and take turns wearing it - who took the most steps this week? Did your avatar walk further, or did the family?

6) How many miles has the avatar traveled in all?

I'm sure you could come up with MANY additional questions for your kids to answer and research with you (and they can be adapted for age appropriate skills!). Let me know what questions you would explore with your family on an adventure like this one!

Oh, after you leave your comment head on over to the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk join my Balanced Steps team! Can't wait to see you there!

Gal to Gal Virtual Walk

Yesterday, October 1, was the start of the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk to raise $250,000 for patients and families battling stage IV breast cancer.

All it takes is $5 to join and you can make a difference! You get to make your own nifty avatar and join the fun virtual walk. As for me . . . I'll be walking/running at home during the month-long event, too - my sporty avatar isn't the only one who gets to be active!

Click here to see the celebrity video on YouTube about the event (I'm not yet savvy enough to know how to embed it here, or I would!).

Join my team - Balanced Steps - to help make a difference! You'll find companies such as Epson & Franklin Covey are supporting the Gal to Gal walk, as well as a long list of celebrities.

Check back here for an update - I'll post my avatar here (once I figure it out!), as well as some celeb avatars. My goal is to get 20 folks on the Balanced Steps team. Won't you help me?!!!

Trials & Achievements - How is it October already?

I'm heading to the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss concert tonight (and to dinner beforehand with my husband!), so my time here will be zippy.

Here are some recent trials I'm working to overcome (mostly life balance related!):

1. A bit of a break from doing work things has been refreshing and has allowed me to do more things on the homefront, but now work-related projects are creeping up on me and I'm not sure how to work them back into my life!

2. I'm struggling with how to strike a balance between how our family is used to living and being more environmentally aware. Being green isn't always a cheap way to go, but it is definitely smarter and has a positive long-lasting impression. More on this to come, for sure.

Some recent achievements I'm excited about:

1. Next week we're taking our first step toward carpooling for pre-school. Since the kids are young (3 & 4), the other mother and I are taking it slowly so that it is as easy as possible on the kids. We'll have a bit of a playdate one afternoon and then each do one pick-up from school later in the week. Wish us luck - this will be FABULOUS for time and gas savings if the kids roll well with it (11 miles each way)!!!

2. Little Sister's room is painted. Turns out the walls never really were painted before (or maybe just once in 10 years, we're guessing) - so they soaked up TONS of paint. It took nearly 2 full gallons to cover 4 relatively small walls. But, it is done and looks fresh and happy.

3. My wonderful readers are reaching out to their local bookstores to ask them to carry We Are Girls Who Love to Run! We're starting to get requests from bookstores that order through a different distributor than the 3 we use to order directly from us. Very few things are more satisfying to an author than to hear that her books are in demand!

4. I tagged over 100 items to sell at a big children's and maternity consignment sale this weekend in Seattle. I'll haul them all to the event Friday afternoon and hope that most of them will sell on Saturday & Sunday! If it goes well, I'll be even more thorough in getting things ready for the spring sale (I didn't go through accessories and such this time around, just clothing). The great thing about the sale is I had a choice to donate what doesn't sell to a local charity or have them set it aside for me to pick-up. Everybody wins at these events!!!

Off to pack the kids for their overnight at my parents' and then get myself out of my mom duds and into some fancy concert-going attire. Think I'll remember how to put on make-up?

What are your recent trials? Have an achievement you'd love to celebrate with us? Be sure to leave a comment!