Summer bucket list

Honestly, I have no idea where the school year went.  My daughter's Kindergarten year went by in a blur and although it makes me sad she will be starting 1st grade already, I am happy her first year went so smoothly.  I still won't forget the first day of Kindergarten. As we pulled up to the front steps, I was explaining to her where she needed to go.  She somewhat yells at me, "I know what I am doing mom!" Okaaayy. Great. She doesn't need me. As I say "I love you", she just simply slams the door in my face and runs up the front steps. I am happy I have such an independent girl, but sometimes she is just too grown up.  However, I also know that sometimes she puts on a front because she doesn't like to have people see her upset or cry. She HATES that.  So, as her mom, I know she was quite nervous. Here we are...only two weeks left of school.

With summer comes a double edge sword. I love that I will have time with her, we can sleep in, we can do fun activities.  However, it also means less of a schedule, not getting many chores done around the house, and trying to keep her occupied and my sanity intact.  So, ever since she started preschool I have come up with a summer bucket list.  The check marks on this year's list might not be as abundant as last year since the summer is now shortened, we may end up moving mid-summer, or I may find a job. Maybe my blog readers can use some of these ideas as well.

I can't say we will accomplish this entire list. Usually summer goes by so fast that it is over before I realize it.  With the new balanced calendar, the summer is now only 8 weeks long.

Along with this list we plan on spending a week at my mom and dad's house in June. We are hoping to take the train into Chicago, go to the Dunes National Lakeshore, and Amish country. In July we also hope to spend a few days at my parent's lake house.  Nothing like fishing, relaxing and spending time out on the boat.

As long as I have a plan the summer is not as chaotic as it could be.  It helps me keep calm and have structure-- which I desperately need.  Here's to another great summer ahead! I will survive!

Apologies to my mom

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  Every year I send my own mom a card.  This year, I think I will send her an apology tucked into that card. My daughter has brought so much joy to our lives, but she has also made me realize that the antics I put my mother through as a child must have worn on her nerves. I know--kids are kids.  We have all been there.  No matter what my daughter does I love her more than life itself and my own mom would say the same for me.  Most mother's say to their child at some point, "I hope you grow up to have a child just like you!"  Well, I have.  Although my daughter is more of
my husband's clone, I do see her do all the things I did as a kid.  So, to my mother this Mother's Day...I apologize for all those quirks, antics, behaviors, and screw-ups. 

I am sorry for:

• Interrupting you when you were on the phone or talking to other people.
• Any and all temper tantrums that I threw. 
• Not keeping my room clean and/or when I did clean, shoving everything in my closet and under my bed.
• Feeling it necessary to draw/write on anything but paper.  
• Tying string around my Cabbage Patch dolls necks and hanging them out of my second story bedroom window and making them dance on the driveway below.  My dolls were never the same after that. (My daughter has yet to do this, but I am certain it could happen if she is anything like me).
• Taking scissors and chopping off my bangs- which my own daughter does about 25 years later.
• Being a back-seat driver and scaring the crap out of you while driving.
• Making you repeat everything 10 times before I would finally listen--50% of the time. 
• Doing things you told me 30 seconds before NOT to do. That stubbornness is coming back to bite me in the butt.
• Complaining about eating vegetables.
• Complaining about being hot.
• Complaining about going to school.
• Complaining about having to take a bath.
• Complaining about doing homework.
• Complaining about....well, complaining about everything under the sun!
• Destroying most items I got my hands on. 
• Making you watch the same movies over and over and over and over again.
• Not giving you hugs and kisses nearly enough.
• Not saying 'thank you' enough or being appreciative enough for everything you did for me. 

 I could make this list go on for awhile. These came to mind off the top of my head.  I hope we all pay homage to our mother's this Mother's Day with something a little better than just a card.  There are a million things I could apologize for, but just as many that make me say 'thank you'.  If I start now, maybe I will have all my 'thank you's' written down by next May. 

Can I switch sides on the teeter totter?

Raise your hand if you have ever been caught up in a 'working mom versus stay at home mom' debate? I am sure most of us have been there.  I have talked with moms before who are extremely passionate on one side of the teeter totter or the other.  In my experience, all I can say is that every mom is different and all kids are different.

Personally, I have been at home with my daughter for the past 6 1/2 years.  However, I was never an intentional stay-at-home mom. Never.  I fully intended on working. My mindset was,  "I spent 5 years years in college full time while working full time. Those blood, sweat and tears are NOT going to waste!"  My dilemma came when I got pregnant.  At the time I was working at a day care center as a one year-old teacher and often times as the Interim Director (nothing to do with my degree by the way).  As most moms know, the cost of day care is sky high.  If I were to return to work postpartum, I would have basically worked with nothing left of my paycheck to show for it. After our daughter was born I had a few interviews- for jobs actually related to my degree in Communications.  However, I would NEVER recommend to anyone to go on interviews immediately following childbirth. Why?  A tired, cranky yet blissful mommy going into an interview does not go over well. My mind was somewhere else. Leaving my baby for the FIRST time to go into an interview was hard. I think to the interviewer I had "I don't want to be here" written on my forehead.  One interview went great but at the end when they said "Oh, this job requires 50% travel"....I walked away defeated. How can a mom do 50% travel with a newborn?!  

My decision was in my heart all along. I admit, it was hard at first. From the time I was 15, I always had a job. I get restless. I thrive on deadlines and stress. I love adult conversation and going to lunch with co-workers.  Now I was alone during the day with the focus of my life completely shifted. Don't get me wrong- I loved it- still love it to some degree.

I was able to do what many moms crave and wish for everyday.  I have been grateful for my wonderful husband for working hard so I could stay home. Sometimes it hasn't been easy. Living on one income can be stressful. There are other frustrations that come with the good: lack of accomplishments to call your own, less adult conversation, not making money to help the family, and feeling like the house is often closing in on you.

There are perks to being a stay at home mom too (I am not solely trying to be negative in this post): beautiful weekdays spent at the park or on walks, being there for all the 'firsts', having time to teach, less stress,  consistent discipline/praise,  listening to giggles and laughs everyday, feeling like you are your own boss, and too many others to name.

However, when my only child goes off to Kindergarten, it is time to fly the coop and finally do something for myself.  That is why I named my blog "Something to Call My Own".  My daughter is my world, but I realized that I can have more in my world. I can be more than just a mom. Should we have more children (which hasn't been God's will and not an easy road), I still feel it is time for me to switch sides on the teeter totter.  On the other side of the teeter totter sits my degree...waiting patiently to be used. 

Overall, I believe there is no right or wrong.  As long as you are involved in your child's life, you put them first, you discipline, you praise, you love, and you try to be the best mom you can be, then your children will well adjusted, caring members of society.  As moms, we are in it together, not divided. 

Easter and saying goodbye to winter

This is one of my favorite times of the year...Easter and Spring. After enduring 5 inches of snow a week ago, I think we are in the clear until next winter...I hope. This is Indiana and the weather changes every 5 minutes. However, I am optimistic.  We brought our patio furniture out of the basement, put our front porch bench together, set out our flower pots, and started cleaning up our landscaping. My daffodils are in full bloom-a sure signal to the end of the dreary landscaping. My other reasons for loving spring--my birthday, Mother's Day, and our anniversary.

Honestly, I think my daughter loves Easter more than Christmas.  Her reasons? She gets to look for eggs and wear her new dress.  That means more to her than gifts at Christmas?! Awesome! We also have our traditions that I had with my mom and family and now continue with our daughter.  One of those traditions is baking sugar cookies.  Not just any sugar cookies, but rather my mom's recipe for "Fat Sugar Cookies".  Normally on blogs you will come across projects, recipes, crafts, and useful information you can share and save.  I can't do that with the recipe to these cookies. I consider it to be a secret family recipe that I will pass down to my daughter.  I am happy to make these for anyone but I keep the recipe quiet.

 Our daughter loves making these cookies so much she pretty much gathered the ingredients on the counter with little help.

 

 

Along with baking cookies our other tradition (along with most other people) is coloring eggs. Although my daughter colored Easter eggs on her visit with my mom this week, I just had to keep the tradition going with her and I as well. She certainly didn't mind doing it again!

Love the stickers that my mom found for the eggs.  That made it easy to add decor and character to our eggs and my daughter was able to easily do that on her own.  The Easter Bunny enjoyed hiding these eggs!

Now as we approach warmer weather, it is that time of year again when I start to make a Summer Bucket List. I hope to post that soon. Summer will be here way too fast and keeping an active 6 year old girl busy is quite a challenge.

Spring Break!

I can't believe it is Spring Break already.  Even harder to believe is that summer vacation starts in 8 short weeks. I think my disbelief is due to the 5 inches of snow we received on March 24-25th.  Now that our school system is on a balanced calendar, we have two weeks for Spring Break. Unfortunately, we started off our two weeks off with a visit to the doctor. My daughter was once again sick- this time with a stomach bug.  Thankfully, she recovered just in time for our departure to Illinois to visit a cousin and great aunt.

I have to brag.  I think I have the greatest child in the world when it comes to traveling. Since she was born she has learned to sit a car for 4-5 hours while we drive to and from my parent's for visits.  We don't have a t.v. in the car either.  She simply colors, reads, and plays her IPod or DS.  I can't say she doesn't voice her concern about being in the car for long stretches.  This trip she drew this:

However, she giggled as she drew the picture. She never outwardly complains nor does she cry. 

The greatest aspect of our trip--getting to spend time with my mom's cousin and my great aunt that I have only seen a handful of times in my life. There is nothing like family and the fights and differences that I see tearing families apart these days only make me appreciate my extended family even more. We had a girls day out and got to enjoy my new passion: visiting wineries. I have to say Southern Illinois has some good ones.
 

The other thing I love about family who share my passion for family history---I get to rummage through old trunks full of old family items.  My allergies certainly didn't like it; however, the best part is that my 6 year old daughter shares my passion for history and she loved seeing everything just as much as I did.

Now, as the second week of Spring Break is winding down, I am alone. I gave my daughter and my mom a great gift--time alone. With my parent's living 4 hours away, my mom and dad have never had extended time alone with my daughter.  So, this week after returning from Illinois my mom took my daughter back home with her for the rest of Spring Break.  I can't even fathom the amount of fun they are having.  I have realized in the last year that you have to seize every opportunity to be with the ones you love.  Going to Illinois for me and sending my daughter off for a week with my mom is all so priceless.  I hope to seize more opportunities...because some day those moments won't be there. 

Snow Day!

Watching our backyard with snow and the creek never gets old.

Snow days are not common place around here. Yes, we do get snow every winter, but not nearly as much as I experienced as a kid. I grew up near Lake Michigan and learned to live with lake effect snow. As a kid, school was never cancelled unless we had at least 6-8 inches of snow. Now that we live 4 1/2 hours south of where I grew up, only two inches is cause for school to be cancelled.  Last year we had zero snow days.  This year we have had two. Finding things to do on snow days is difficult when it blindsides you. This time around I knew the night before and planned a few things for us to do throughout the day.  However, I also realized I better start planning now for the summer.  My daughter is so full of energy that if I do not have endless things to do this summer, I will certainly go crazy. In a future post I will try and have a 'Summer To Do' list.

Yesterday we made the best of the snow.  After my daughter helped me shovel the driveway (which my husband got out of because he got stuck out of town due to the snow) we had some fun...........

My daughter's cozy set-up in the living for snow day...complete with Rexy and Frosty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with Barbie's on the desk.

She always enjoys decorating T-shirts. Thankfully I still had one on hand for snow day.

Sun catcher type paper that always looks so cool in the window.

Decorated some eggs for Easter decor. Look at the yellow one---my daughter drew the top half  and I drew the bottom. She gave me an 'F+'  but yet I got  0/0.  She loves grading everything these days and just laughs when she gives me a bad grade.

My passion has taken a backseat to life

Life has been chaotic around here lately.  As I organized folders on my computer I came across some photos I took this past fall. I think that was close to the last time I even picked up my camera.  Then again, I let photography go by the way side every year about this time because I am more of a nature photographer. Let's face it--dreary days, brown grass, no leaves, no flowers equals no inspiration for photos. Here are some of my photos from October that will hopefully get me pumped up for spring peeking around the corner.

My mom has such creativity in her yard. Definitely my favorite place to shoot!

Captured this on the railing of our deck.

The sun glimmering through the trees at some nature paths near our home were beautiful.

Again..I just love my parent's new home. Talk about inspiration!