So I Was Just Thinking

Summer is coming to an end and our worlds are coming back to "normalcy." So it is time to share with you all our monthly reflections on our word for the year. With our busy lives, it could be really easy to neglect our words, but AVTCoach's determination to keep the wheel rolling brings us back to our monthly posts. Therefore, it is only fitting that I share her word first. In August, I recognized the ABUNDANCE of seeing old friends, listening to great music, feeling the cool mountain air, and having a real time phone conversation with a good mate! Flygirl: I have found that JOY is all around me.... It just takes opening my eyes and heart to really see it and feel it! Miruspeg: Striving for BALANCE between complexity and simplicity, constantly evaluating and re-evaluating the trade-offs I have to make to get there. Octamom : Excellence: A process and a discipline, not a destination. Which ties neatly into mine: Discipline is setting your eyes on the prize, recognizing ...

OMG is all I had to say. I was dumbfounded the other day as I was flipping through Facebook and saw that someone I dance with had gone to see Wicked down in Austin this past Friday. The fact that Wicked was playing was not the surprise. What shocked me was who went along. Now it's time to flashback to the beginning of summer: As the end of dance season was drawing near, I saw that Wicked would be here in August. I thought it would be neat if the dance class got together to see this musical that all my online friends had been buzzing about. I went to the dance instructor, Mr. A and asked if he would be interested in all of us going. He seemed stoked about it and even offered to order the tickets online, and we would give him the money. Summer came and summer went. However, not without seeing Mr. A almost every single week while taking my daughter to camp. Not once was the musical mentioned, so I brought it up the last week of class. Mr. A looked at me sadly and said he was unable to...

The one thing I have learned from putting a puzzle together with my son is…I am NOT a patient person. I try to fool myself into thinking I am, but when the rubber meets the road, or in this case, when the puzzle pieces fall out of the box, I immediately feel this need to control. James is a funny kid. He’s athletic, coordinated, and I think he will even be a decent tap dancer. He always asks Caitlin or me to help him put a puzzle together, but puzzles are definitely not his thing. I am sure there are many styles of puzzle assembling. Some people may just dive right in and randomly try putting pieces together, but most people – I am sure – organize the pieces first, looking for edge pieces, then colors, then finally beginning putting the edge pieces together. My frustration comes when James doesn’t understand what I trying to show him. James, find the edge pieces. You know the ones that are straight on one side. Okay, mommy. [He then proceeds to pull out pieces randomly and tries to pla...

Most people make resolutions on January 1st. I believe teachers make them the first day of school. We promise to reach more students, use different methods, be more organized, and many of us choose a healthier way of life. The first day of school is the day I promise I will pack a lunch everyday instead of looking at the snack machine or turning to the cafeteria as a last resort which maybe low in fat but is fraught with carbs. (Fraught - I love that word. It's a Middle English word for freight.) Some years I do really well, while other years not so well. Back when I cooked everyday (when was that?) I would make enough to take some to work for lunch. When I stopped cooking, I had to start purposely packing healthy lunches. We will see what kind of lunch this year has in store for me. Another thing I have often done, in an effort for a better me, is pick up some sort of exercise routine. Many times it consisted of a gym membership that I would use for three months but give up becaus...