Do you Etsy?

No, I haven't just crawled out from under a rock, but I finally had a ton of curiosity and interest to check out Etsy. I've ordered a few gifts recently and found a few must haves for future gifts from the sight. I hope I love them. A couple of gifts had to be mailed directly to the recipient; which makes me a little nervous as I don't get to check them out before hand. I've heard very good feedback and I am amazed at the talent in this world.

So, do you Etsy? And if so, what have you purchased? What can I not live without?

An End in Sight

In September I started back to school to get my Masters of Education. I jumped in... I had thought about it for years and realized that there was 'no time like the present', so off I jumped. It's been a complete whirlwind. I've managed pretty well, so far (of course there are times when I really should just check into a hotel and save my family from my insanity... like right now trying to write my action research prelim paper) but I was frustrated as I wasn't really sure of my plan.

• Which classes do I need to take?
• When will I take them?
• How will these classes fit into my personal life? (I'm a mom first!)

Today I made my way onto campus. I love being on campus. I wish I could take classes on campus instead of on-line, but that does not logistically work with three kids, many sports, a traveling husband, etc, etc, etc. I was overjoyed when I stepped back onto the familiar ground. The cherry blossoms were just as I remembered. The old brick building with ivy cleaning to the sides. The campus is changing. It is expanding. There are new buildings in progress, a new library in the works and a sports complex, I believe. What a transformation. I have so many happy memories and now I making new memories. I was able to connect with old friends and make new contacts. It was a great morning... now I must do my homework!

Tie-DyeFun

To celebrate 'Rainbow' week at school we tackled tie-dying with 5 year olds! I must admit, that I have been humbled. To prepare for this... my anxiety was peeked.... How will I tie-dye with 5 years olds and have it be successful and have them not go home blue?!?!?! Well, my friends... 5 year olds are incredible. Besides the, "Is it my turn yet?" every 5 minutes, they followed directions, had fun and experimented. I was overjoyed when they experienced for themselves EVERYTHING that we had been talking about with colors. Red and Yellow really do make orange, Yellow and Blue really do make green, etc. Exciting stuff in my class.

If YOU are a tie-dyer and happen to see this post... help me... when I rinsed all of the shirts the colors were clear and the whites were white. After drying the shirts, the whites are dingy. How can I improve upon my process? Please share!

Introducing the new baby at the zoo!

I couldn't resist sharing a couple of photos with you...

New to me

I am branching out... reading and trying to figure it all out. I have had this book sitting in my reading basket for quite some time. This morning, in the quiet and cold, I snuggled in and began to read. So far, it is enjoyable to me. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts as I make my way through it.

It's Fall

and I love it! Amber, gold, chartreuse ... beautiful colors of fall. The air is crisp, the afternoons are pleasant and we are all happy.

We enjoyed reading this book last night as a family. Have you read it? So much fun... even the boys came over to listen to the story. Enjoy...

Headed Back

It's been a goal of mine for a long time. I started researching my options last fall and in the last 7 days I've worked frantically to make it happen... I'm going back to school to get my M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading emphasis! I'm so excited. I've gone back to Concordia University where I did my undergraduate work. It feels so right. I will take most of my classes on line as I have the 3 little guys, but the campus isn't far from me (25 minutes) so I can be there whenever I'd like. My adviser is one of my old professors. I loved reconnecting with her over the telephone. Here I go... back to school.