Party of Five

I know I just wrote in my last post that I wasn't big on doing the "Mom Blog" thing. (Nothing wrong with those blogs...I follow a few of them myself, and they're written by incredibly talented women.) Well guess who's about to have a Mom moment. Consider that your warning. Today was the day I had been waiting for...for years! Last year was a teaser. Sending my youngest off to preschool was an amazing moment for me and my sanity, but it was only a short 2 1/2 hours later when his bus would return him home. I loved seeing him come home of course, but the whole year was just a tease as to what would be...what WOULD be - THIS YEAR! Happy First Day of School! My day began an hour earlier than last year. My oldest is now in a different school, has to catch a bus, and therefore needs to be ready to go an hour earlier. I'm considering my options of letting him make his own lunch and I'll sleep in for that hour. I didn't really think that I would walk ...

I've lost something...my focus? My "mojo"? (I'm not sure I even know what that is!) My Muse? Do I even have a muse? Ugh...whatever it is...I've lost it. I enjoy writing and the outlet that it gives me. I won't make the mistake of assuming I'm any good at it, but I do know basic rules of grammar, I'm a fairly good speller, and I can put a sentence together fairly well. So yeah, (yes) I guess I'd like to think I'm capable of writing. I live with 3 little people who will do or say something new & funny. Every. Single. Day. But I don't necessarily want to become a "mom blogger". Let's face it - sometimes what I think is funny and cute just doesn't appeal to non-family members. (Sometimes, it doesn't even appeal to actual family members!) I also love writing about my family's history as I research and discover it. I've been attempting to bring life to my ancestors for some time now. It...

Do you have a shopping list like this in your house? 36- #2 pencils 3 pair of scissors 14 glue sticks 5 boxes of tissues 3 highlighters 4 composition notebooks 6 dry erase markers 3 pink erasers 2 boxes of 24 crayons 2 boxes of washable markers USB flash drive 5 binders 3 packages of dividers 9 folders 4 pkgs of filler paper writing pens colored pencils 3 hole zipper pouch 2 supply boxes single subject notebook 12-inch metric ruler post it notes art cover up The USB flash drive was my first dose of reality that we're not just in elementary school any longer. My oldest heads off to middle school in a few weeks, and wow! What a difference in the school supply list! But really, how exciting is this time of year? I love it. I love back to school shopping just as much now as I did when I was a kid! I really do enjoy all the new notebooks, boxes of crayons and sharpening pencils for the very first time.... I also love knowing that very soon...30 days to be exact...all 3 of my children wi...

Split-rail fencing on a Gettysburg battlefield

It's right here in front of me and it's a good thing. Actually it's a great thing. Inspiring...encouraging...And it's right here in front of me. I have a new camera that takes amazing photos. It does it...not me. I can zoom in on my kids' faces, or a particular flower bloom - the camera will focus, the shutter will release and I have an incredible photo. But it's other times, when I'm trying to take a picture from off in the distance...a landscape...Sometimes I'll look into the distance, and I can't find what it is that I'm aiming towards. It was like that today. Standing at the edge of a forest. A mass of trees in front of me. I knew the photo was there right in front of my face but I couldn't find my focal point. And then...it became clear. Right in front of me, I could look up and see. My green eyes staring up into a field of blue ... and it was exactly what I knew it would be. The perfect moment. My camera didn't capture ...

No, not necessarily one of my "Favorite Things", but goodness!! How I am learning to appreciate beauty in a very different way!!

This particular post will probably go entirely too long. Consider yourself warned. In fact there is nothing informative or probably even at all entertaining about what you are about to read. It is simply a way for me to vent and release over the craziness that took over my life for nearly 36 hours. Tuesday morning I woke up and did the usual thing - getting the kids ready for school and out the door. As soon as the last one was on the bus, I thought it would be a good day for my newly formed Timmy's habit , so I grabbed a book and headed out. Yes, it was a delight as usual, but after a bit, it became busy, hustled, and bustled and I knew it was time to come home. As I was soon to find out...that was my last calming moment for many hours to come. I arrived home, ready to tackle my June Cleaver-esque tasks of the day. But before long, hubby showed up at home with a request to run his cell phone up to the Verizon store as it appeared to have "died" for no reason. Off ...