Warm welcomes

Our two oldest children are in elementary school. I like to think this is my forte because I have a degree in Elementary Education. In reality it is a double edged sword. I can be extremely critical of any teacher that my children have. It is awful. I am at my worst on the first day of school and open houses. The first day of school this year I was pleasantly suprised. I have this thing about being friendly and welcoming to the students and their family on these days. If, on the first day of school, you leave your door locked waiting for the bell to ring before you let the kids in, I completely seethe inside. Especially since where we live it is hot and almost 100 degrees.

This year my son's classroom door was open and his teacher warmly welcomed all the kids and parents. I almost cried tears of joy. My daughter's class was locked but her teacher was outside talking with the parents and students when they walked up to the door. Making sure to not only address my daughter but me and my other kids. I thanked her and my daughter all of a sudden felt at ease. It was the first time I went home on the first day of school without any trepidation. Kudo's to Mrs A. and Mrs E.

Open house is this week at the kiddos school. My daughter's was last night and it went great. The teacher was organized and professiona with a warm and inviting classroom. I for once didn't have a critical thought. No easy feat. Tonight is my son's open house. His is a little trickier because he is well advanced academically compared to his peers. Dh asked to come to the open house which means he is also concerned. Since it is an open house we will be able to get a feel for her classroom and her teaching style, and set up a possible time to meet up to talk about ds and our concerns. But for some reason I am nervous. I am hoping the critic will stay off my shoulder and I come away with warm and fuzzy thoughts.

Starting from scratch.

I am going to try one more time to get this blog to move at an interesting pace. I am still way to random to keep my thoughts organized and on task. So stay tuned...Who knows what thoughts will come rambling out of my head.

Me

I was thinking I haven't shared a whole lot about me. I am a stay at home mom. Some days I am successful at it and other days not so much. There are lots of times where I want to pull all my hair out and there are times I want a grown up job with fantastic shoes. But for the most part I really enjoy it. I have 3 kids. 1 girl 2 boys, pics of them are burried in a post below and they are pretty darn cute if I do say so.

I am interested in interior design, photography, sewing, fashion, travel, and cooking. At any given time, if I am not helping/playing with the kids or cleaning up messes, I am immersed in one of the above. I am shy. I love a corny joke. I can't dance (but I don't let it stop me). I love my husband. I can be indecisive and stubborn. I have a tendancy to be un-organized, scatter brained and an all around mess.

Struggles with possesions.

Does your family give you their unwanted items? Stuff that they don't want anymore but have some sort of sentimental attachmnent to? Everytime my parents or Grandma M visit they bring along a car load of stuff and happily put it in my garage with a smile and why they thought I should have it. Now that I am trying to organize our house I am going through these mountains of boxes and have just now realized that not all this stuff is mine.

Your thinking how bad could it really be? Lets talk Christmas decorations. A couple weeks ago I attacked the garage with relish sorting boxes and organizing them into piles. Gardening equipment here, kids outside toys here, outgrown clothes here, Holiday decorations here, etc. Imagine my suprise when I counted Christmas decorations boxes and it was 17. Now I love Christmas just as much as the next guy but 17 big boxes worth? Looking through the boxes I became overwhelmed. What was I supposed to do with all of it? Some of it was stuff I had bought, some was things I remembered from my youth, some was just stuff. So I boxed it all back up and shut the garage. Because that is waht I do when I get overwhelmed, it was either that or throw myself down on the pavement in fustrated tears. I have now since edited the vast amount down to 8 boxes. The other 9 boxes are sitting patiently waiting for a new home. Along with some other cast off's.

Updating and changing directions

I haven't kept up with this blog as much as I had hoped. I think it is cause I am too random and lets face it erratic. I have decided that I am just going to type my thoughts and ideas with abandomment.

Welcome to the new Notion's & Novelites, pull up a comfy chair and refreshment. I hope to hear from you in the future.

Pandora's box or boxes in my case.

Howdy. We have been living in our new house for a month. I had the silly idea we would have an organized and easy move. Nope. We have moved countless times and while none of them were ever easy, I can honestly say this was our least organized and most messy move.

Even a month later, partly out of procrastination, I have a garage and spare room full of stuff to go through. We have alot of things that has been sitting in boxes for over 4 years. Just waiting for me to open and wonder aloud "Why did I keep this again?" It is like we have opened Pandora's box. Within our forgotten stuff I have seen it all: greed, vanity, slander, lies, envy, pining—and hope.

So my friends, I am back & I have missed you.

Wishing everyone a Wonderful 2008

There is something about the week right after Christmas and in between the New Year that causes a odd combination of sentimentality and letting go within me. Oddly enough, the timing of my annual reflective week ties into having to put my blog on hiatus. I will be without a computer until we move into the new house. Once we move in and I get the boxes unpacked (sometime around March give or take) I can start posting and writing again with my original intention. Ideas on making our personal house a home.

*********** Until then here is wishing everyone a Happy New Year ***********