Cutting a Stack

Today I learned something that I should have known previously. I talked about my rotary cutter earlier this month here. So far I have been using it to cut through only one piece of material at a time. My mother-in-law mentioned today how nice it cuts through a stack of material. I hadn't even thought of trying this. Tonight I did. I used the rotary cutter to cut through eight layers of material. It cut through all eight like butter! I loved this tool already but now I like it even more. I can cut things out so quickly and with such accuracy. I love it!

Special Girl..Special Olympics

Today, I learned that a dear young woman, my friend's daughter, placed 1st place in the 50M Snowshoe race for the Winter Special Olympics. Now she gets to go on to compete at the state competition. I am so proud of her. I have known her since before she was born and I have babysat for her since infancy. She is a beautiful teenager and I love her dearly. I am so proud of her. Just over 2 years ago she had major back surgery and now she is competing successfully in the Special Olympics! She is an amazing girl and this is just one more way that she has amazed me.

By the way, the pictures are random photos of winter...just because.

The Other White Meat

Today I tried a new recipe for barbecued pulled pork sandwiches. The recipe called for a pork shoulder roast. I bought the wrong thing. I bought a pork should butt roast. The roast that I bought did not pull apart at all! It sat in the slow cooker all day and it was tender but it did not pull apart whatsoever. I had to cut it apart instead of it just breaking apart. A little research here and I found out that there are two different kinds of pork shoulder roasts: arm picnic and Boston blade roast. What I got was shoulder butt sausage...it was even in a casing. So, I learned a little about pork and had a yummy dinner even though I bought the wrong meat. Next time I'll get the right kind. It will be interesting to compare and see which tastes better.

Lesson Learned

You see that hand up there? I love that hand! That is the hand of my son sleeping peacefully. I have always been fascinated by his hands. They are beautiful. Chubby. Soft. So darn cute! Seeing the hands of a baby sleeping is pure peace to me. The way the fingers are curled yet slightly open is the image of pure peace to me.

Today was a traumatic day for us. I'll make a long story short because I don't want to relive it. My son took a fall, 911 was called, paramedics came to our home, vitals checked...everything looks to be fine!

Well, the picture above was taken during his first nap after the afore mentioned events. After all the chaos, peaceful slumber with those beautiful, trusting hands.

After the paramedics left, my daughter went to my in laws so I could observe him during his nap. I was so nervous. I stayed in his room with him and kept checking him NONSTOP! Standing there watching him sleep made me appreciate just how blessed I am. Perhaps the thing I learned today is more important that all the others I've written about. I appreciated my family so much more today because of the circumstances that we faced. I need to learn to have that depth of appreciation every day not just when bad things happen. I need to appreciate my family anew every day.

It Takes All Kinds

Today I learned that it takes all kinds. We watched parts of Guinness Book of World Records Top 100. It was full of really unbelievable stunts. I can't believe the things that people are willing to do for a world record. I'm sure that many who watched the show are inspired to try to attempt a record of their own. Not me! I am quite content at holding no records and just being regular old me!

I love a good sale!

Today I hit another great sale! The Teacher's Market here in town is going out of business. Two of my favorite stores closing one week apart...boo-hoo! This was a great local place for me to shop when I was teaching. Lately, it has been my supplier of art supplies for home art projects with the kiddos. I was planning on it being an excellent resource for homeschooling...if we decide to take that route. But, alas, I learned today that they are closing. So, I took advantage of the sale prices and stocked up on things that we can use now and things that we can use in the future if we homeschool. If we don't, I can always use the stuff when I return to the classroom. Above is a picture of some of the things that I bought. Some things were already put into use before I could take a picture. Ah, the joy of a sale! Over $200 worth of stuff for under $80! That makes up for my sadness over the store closing!

Great Pizza

Tonight we had pizza for dinner. We picked it up from a local pizza place that we really like. It had no red sauce on it! It was topped with olive oil, cheese, bacon, artichoke, basil, and garlic. DELICIOUS!!! We had invented this combo for our anniversary and thought it was great. The interesting part is that 5 years ago I would have never tried anything like this. I have always been a picky eater. I would always refuse to try anything out of the ordinary. Lately, I have been learning that it can be fun to try different foods. Tonight's dinner is an example of that. While we were eating it, I reflected on how amazing it was that I was eating something that I would have never even tried a few years ago. I'm learning to try new things...food wise.

I need to comment on something else. I have a wonderful hubby. The pizza place is across the street from one of our favorite coffee houses. He came home not only with the pizza but with a big o' Mocha!!! He also knew that our daughter probably wouldn't like the pizza, so he stopped and picked her up her own special meal too!!! He made THREE stops all to make the ladies in his life happy. Thanks, Honey! We love you.

Three Snow Bears

Today I learned how much a child can enjoy a simple gift. My daughter received a copy of Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett for Christmas. With it she was given a Folkmanis Polar Bear finger puppet. She loves having the book read aloud to her and making the puppet move along with the baby bear in the story. We have read the book many times in the short time she has had it. It is an Arctic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One of her favorite parts is where Aloo-ki, the main character, is found in the bed of the baby bear. She LOVES the furry blanket that is illustrated in the book. She talks about how comfy and cuddly it looks. The other day she declared, “We should get a blankie like that!” How could I resist?!?!? A couple of days effort, some flannel from the fabric sale last week, and some left-over fake fur (flower girl dresses from our wedding 9 years ago!)…furry blankie for a special little Eskimo! She loves it and cuddled up in it for her nap today.

Women's Republican Organization

Tonight our State Representative asked if I would be willing to help with a new venture. I learned that there are some local women who are interested in starting a county-wide Republican women's organization. I think that this is a fabulous idea! I am normally not an advocate of having a special organization for women. I think that it is generally not necessary. I think that all too often it is disgruntled women who want to show the men that they can do it better. I firmly believe that if women are disgruntled, they need to get involved and be a part of making things better. I am involved in politics. I do so not to prove myself as a female. I do so because in America I can. There are no limits to what I can do as a woman. For Pete's sake, we have a woman running for president...it's about time! I do so because I want to see change. I don't want to sit back and let others decide my future. I want to be a part of those decisions.

So, then, why do I think that a county-wide Republican woman's organization is a good idea? Simply put...to dispel the myth of who Republicans are. Tonight I sat at a meeting as the only female elected to a county-wide executive committee. I sat there in a room full of middle aged, white men. They myth is that if you are anything other than that, you must be a democrat. A county-wide women organization would be a place to raise awareness in our community that you don't have to be a middle-aged, white, male to be a Republican. I am tired of people being shocked that I am a Republican. Simply because I am young and female doesn't mean that I have to be liberal. Simply because I was a member of a union doesn't mean that I can't support the non-union candidate. It is time that people stop making assumptions. Perhaps this organization could help.

I'm not sure what part, if any, I will have in this. However, I hope that it actually function in a useful way. In my head, it seems like a good idea. I hope that it's not a disappointment as much of politics is.

Ticker Tape and Wooden Needles

I picked up some Moda Dea Ticker Tape yarn at the fabric store closing sale that I hit last week. I had looked at the yarn many times before and I was fascinated by it but I never had the guts to try it. It is fairly expensive for a small ball of yarn and I had no idea what it could be used for. But find it for less than a dollar a ball made it worth trying.

It's hard to describe the ticker tape. It's yarn but it looks a lot like ribbon with a little stretch to it. It comes in beautiful colors. Here's what the ball looks like...

Since I was trying to learn something new, I figured that I would try using wooden needles. I have an old pair that was my grandmother's. Since I had never used wooden ones, I thought I would give it a try.

I liked using them. They felt nice in my hands...a warmer and more natural feeling. However, I had a little trouble with the yarn catching on them and not sliding as well as I would like it to. I don't know if that's due to using wooden needles, using ticker tape yarn or the fact that the needles are pretty old. Ah well, I'm enjoying it none the less!

Here's what the stitches look like with straight knitting...

I only started knitting to see how the yarn looked and to try the wooden needles. So I cast on 10 stitches and I was only going to stitch a few inches and then rip it all out. But, I like how it looks. It is the perfect width and color for a scarf or belt. So, now I have over a foot knitted and I'll post pictures when it is done!

More on the Unknown Uncle

I went over to my parents house and we dug through some papers that had been filed away. We found out that this great uncle I learned about yesterday did in fact exist. His name way Eddie and he was the third child of my Great Grandparents. He was the first child born to them in America after they immigrated here from Russia. The records that we read through indicate that he lived to be 9 months old and died of the "summer complaint." I googled "summer complaint" and found that this is a term for a sickness that effects infants and toddlers in which they get horrible diarrhea during the summer months. The description of it is pretty pathetic. More information is here.
It breaks my heart to picture my great grandparents with their dying son. Here they were, starting off in a new country with eager anticipation as they ventured into this new land. I imagine the joy they felt to have been blessed with a third child...a child born American. Then, to spend 9 months with their son, playing with him, hugging him, kissing his chubby cheeks. Then, for all of that to be devastated by his death and to endure such a tragic loss in an unfamiliar land far from all that they once knew. To bury your child...there are no words.... As I look at my own 7 month old son, I just can't even allow myself to imagine how horrific that would be!
Yet, the history brings me joy, for the next child born was my grandmother! She was such a kind, loving, and passionate woman. Now that I know the story of my Great Uncle Eddie, I think that it helps me understand my grandmother better. Being born after such a loss, gave her a unique place in the family. Perhaps she was hugged a little tighter and appreciated a little more because she certainly showered us grandchildren with great love!
Finally, the history we dug through revealed that my cousin has the same birthday as my daughter. I don't know how we missed that but we did. Same birthday...29 years apart!

Unknown Uncle

Today, I attended the funeral of my great Aunt Margaret. She was 89 years old and the younger sister of my grandmother. At the funeral, the eulogy mentioned her siblings and it listed a brother that I didn't know existed. My parents and my father's sister were surprised by this as well. They had never heard of this long lost uncle. Apparently he died as a child. The eulogy listed him as John. However, the only surviving sibling, my great Aunt Lenore, said that he died before she was born and that she believed his name to be Eddie. So today I learned a little about some forgotten family history and I gained the desire to dig deeper into this and find out more. I'll update later if I get more info.

Teddy Bears

Today I learned that fire departments and paramedics will take donations of teddy bears. They use these to give to children that they encounter during an emergency to calm their fears. I learned this because a friend of mine had a birthday party for her daughter. She was turning one year old. since we are just off the heels of Christmas, the little on has received tons of gifts. So, the guests were asked to bring a teddy to share with charity. Great fun and a great cause too!

Yellow Butter

My husband taught me today that butter is yellow because it contains Vitamin A. He heard this on a TV show and thought it was pretty interesting. I looked it up and he is right. The cows eat grass that contains beta carotene and precursers to Vitamin A and that comes out in the color of their butter. Grazing cows get more sun and produce more Vitamin A. Herds of cows that are raised in shade do not have this exposure to the sun and Vitamin A is added at the processing plant. More info can be found here.

There you go...a bit of useless, yet interesting information!

Buttons

Today we hit a sale at JOANN Fabrics. Our local store is going out of business. This is very sad news, but 70% off is making up for it! We picked up a bunch of buttons and my daughter and I learned that sorting buttons is great fun.

I learned about a great sale and she learned about sorting and colors…we both win!

Topstitching

Today I learned how to top stitch. Last week when my daughter was playing with her little friends who came for a visit, they decided to have a picnic. One of them saw my red and white checkered towel hanging in the kitchen and thought that it would make a great picnic blanket. All three little ones squeezed onto that one dish towel for their little picnic. I decided that we needed a play picnic blanket. I picked up some checkered fabric and sew two pieces together inside out. Even after ironing, the edges were still pretty poofy and the square of fabric kept losing it's shape. My mother-in-law suggested that I top stitch the edges and it worked beautifully. It now holds its shape and lays fairly flat. This afternoon, a wonderful pretend picnic was had! Now I plan to use the scraps to make napkins to match.

2 Moms

Today I learned about a website called http://www.2moms.com/. I learned about it through a mentor mom at our church MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers) group. There is a lot of really great information on the site...you can even purchase one of their tour buses. Heaven only knows why one would want to purchase a big purple bus!!! Anyways, the best thing is a calendar titled, Praying Daily for Your Children. It has a character trait, sample prayer, and a scripture for each day of the month. I taped mine to the inside of my bathroom mirror medicine cabinet. I figure I go in there at least twice a day to brush my teeth. That means twice a day I will be reminded to pray for my kiddos...beyond praying for boo-boos and meals. Today's prayer is for peace. "Father , let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace." The scripture is Romans 14:19. Quick yet meaningful...I like that!

Noah's Wife

My daughter received a Noah's Ark play set as a gift from a friend for Christmas. In addition to having two of all the animals, there are two people...Noah and his wife. While playing with it today, she held up the woman figure and asked what her name was. I was stumped. I looked in the Bible, I looked in the book Who's Who in the Bible, and I called my Dad who's a pastor. It's confirmed...Noah's wife doesn't have a recorded name! I didn't know that! So, I learned a very simple thing today...Noah's wife had no name.

FCC

Our local babywearing group has started a new thing where you are asked to try a new carry for a week to try new ways of carrying and to see how you like it. I decided to try an easy wrap to begin with. I have been doing a Front Wrap Cross Carry. This week I learned how to do a Front Cross Carry. This carry is much quicker than the FWCC. It is also more "poppable" meaning that it is a much easier carry for being able to quickly "pop" the baby in and out. Definitely a great carry for running errands were you would be getting in and out of the car. The wrap would stay on you and the baby could be "popped" in and out as you moved back and forth between car seat and errand running. However, I am glad that the first carry that I learned was the FWCC. It is a great carry for an infant. To me, it felt more snug and supportive for an infant who doesn't yet have neck and back support. I am glad that the babywearing group has encouraged me to move away from my comfort zone and try new things! Yeah!

This evening, I had the opportunity to show a mom of a one month old how to babywear. She had called me and asked me if I could show her what I have been using to carry my baby. She had seen him wrapped previously. I was able to show/teach her how to use a sling, mei tai, pikkilo, and a wrap. She seemed to really see the benefits of babywearing and even borrowed some of my stuff. What great fun to take what I have learned and share it with someone else! I also realized that less than one year ago, I would have had no idea how to use any of those. Thanks to a great friend, I now not only know how to use them, I am comfortable enough to share the knowledge with others!

By the way, isn't that a cute little cowlick my little guy has going on? Gotta love the wispy swirls of new hair!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Today, I learned how to make homemade chicken noodle soup in a crock pot. It's something that I had wanted to try for a while and finally did it today. I love using the crock pot. The best part...I put all the ingredients in the crock pot at 8:30 in the morning and didn't touch it until I added the noodles just before dinner. It was quite yummy! We really enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again. Here is the link to the recipe I used. I didn't add onions because I don't like them and peas because the other two don't like them. I skipped the parsley because we didn't have any. I added poultry seasoning instead. Another recipe that I would like to try is for Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Perhaps next time.

Rotary Tool

For Christmas, I received a Rotary Tool, Self-healing Mat, and straight edge ruler from my mother-in-law. I have been trying to learn how to sew and when she asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told her that I need tools to help me sew better. She has been quilting the last few years and has done some really great quilts. So, I trusted that she knew what I needed more than I did.

Well, today I actually learned how to use all three tools together. I had played around with the tools a bit but didn't really get anywhere. So, today I read the instructions and actually tried to cut some straight shapes. I used some scrap Cars fabric that she had given me to cut out some pieces. It was so easy to use! I immediately wanted to make a quilt. So, I decided that my first quilting project will be an I-spy mini quilt. My daughter loves the movie, Cars. She also really enjoys I-spy books. So, this will be a perfect gift for her.

Here's what it should look like when finished...

Through trial and error, I learned a lot. Now I just have to learn how to put it together!

Yamo

Today I visited a dear friend at her home for a play date with our kiddos. She is a very experienced babywearer and has helped me tremendously in this department. Every new carrier that I try is through her. She is so knowledgeable in this area that she started a babywearing group for our county. Her commitment to teaching others this art is commendable.

Well, today while at her house she brought out a Yamo carrier from Israel. Her mother actually brought it to her from a visit to Israel. I have to say, it was quite comfortable. It is a lot like the Pikkolo carrier that I received for Christmas. It takes a little tweaking to figure out a new carrier and my friend was right there offering the support and teaching that I needed. I tried doing a front carry as well as a back carry. Both were quite comfy. It was a great experience. The Yamo was very comfortable for me and it must have been for my little boy because he promptly fell asleep and took quite a great nap while sleeping on my back in the Yamo.

Sprinkles

Last night, my husband took our daughter out for a Daddy/Daughter date. They went to Culver's and had a fantastic time. When asked if she was ready to leave and head back home, she replied, "Not yet, Daddy, I just wanna stay here and talk to you a bit longer." I can't believe it! When I heard that, my heart just swelled!!! I love that little girl so much!

Anyways, while they were there, she charmed one of the workers and he sent her home with a container of sprinkles since they are her favorite ice cream topping. So, the little girl ate a lot of sprinkles! This leads me to explain what I learned today... I learned that blue sprinkles in a three year old's digestive system are quite interesting. I learned that blue sprinkles create interesting bowel movements. Who would think that blue could turn green but it does?!?!? I'm talking bright green like the color of grass!!! See, you learn something new everyday, don't ya?

One last thing, my little girl is growing up. She always wanted to have "frinkles" on her ice cream. "Frinkles" no longer exist. My little girl wants sprinkles. I sure do miss "frinkles!"

How electric guitars work

This evening we watched a TV show that we have never seen before. I think it may be a new show. It is on the Discovery Channel...the channel we watch most. The show was called Some Assembly Required. The show took you through the Gibson Guitar factory. It was really interesting. You saw the whole process of making a guitar from a pile of wood to a finished guitar. I obviously learned a lot from the show but the big thing that I learned was that there are magnets inside of electric guitars and the vibrations of the strings is picked up by the magnets.
OK, it's late at night and I am having a difficult time explaining this. I'll try again tomorrow. Perhaps I need to learn even more about this.

Update with pictures: French Press

Here's the pictures of how we made the French Press Cappuccino:

First, we ground whole beans that my parents brought us from Hawaii. You don't grind them too fine or they will get caught in the filter at a later point in the process.

Next we placed the grounds in the boden french press.

Next, we added boiling water to the grounds and stired it around a bit. Then, we let it sit for about four minutes.

Mmmm, just looking at the picture, I can smell it!

Next, we put the lid on and pressed down the filter. This separates the grounds from the coffee.

The last step is the step where my husband stops. He drinks his coffee straight, dark, and strong.

I on the other hand like froo-froo drinks. So, next, I added Vanilla Syrup to mine. This is the step that makes it so-o-o yummy!

This next step is great too! I took warm milk and placed it in the manual milk frother. Then, the plunger froths the milk. I like lots of froth, so I was really working this step!

Finally, spoon/pour the froth over the coffee/vanilla mixture and ENJOY!

Oooh la latte!!!

(I know, I know it's not a latte but I couldn't resist saying that!)

Enough Kids!

Today I learned that I don't want four kids! I babysat a friends two kids along with my two...pretty crazy. I always said that I wanted four kids but I learned today that I was wrong. Oh, was I wrong!

Today's craziness revolved around the fact that the kids are a 4 year old boy, my 3 year old daughter, a 2 year old boy , and my 7 month old son. If I were to have four kids they would be spaced farther apart. The other problem was breastfeeding. It is simply impossible to keep track of three little ones while having the fourth one attached to you for a feeding. It was mighty distracting for him too. Eating is not nearly as fun as watching what the others are doing...but he tried to do both...ouch for me!

My husband always said that he wanted two kids. Today, I think he is right!

French Press Cappuccino

Mmmmmm...Cappuccino! Today I learned how to make cappuccino with a French Press. It was so yummy and delicious! I had given my husband a bodum Cappuccino for Two set years ago. He has used it a few times but I was unimpressed with what he made. I don't like straight coffee. Over the past few years, I have gotten pretty good at making coffee drinks that I like from home. My favorites are mochas and cappuccinos. So, at my husband's suggestion, we decided to pull out the French Press this evening and give it a go. I must say, I am very impressed! I hope that it wasn't just beginner's luck, but it tasted so-o-o-o good. I must try it again soon and see if I can replicate tonight's yumminess.

I am working on the laptop tonight but I did take pictures. I will post those when I am back on the home PC.

Here's more info on the bodum company.

Oak

Today we had a visit from my in-laws. It was a nice time and I did indeed learn something. My Father-in-law is an avid woodworker. He is very talented and has made some very beautiful pieces. My husband enjoys woodworking as well. He doesn't have the experience that his father does but he is very talented as well. It must be in the genes.

My father-in-law was looking at the play kitchen that my husband made for our children. Conversation turned to how to tell the difference between different types of wood. I learned that one way to tell the difference between White Oak and Red Oak is to try to blow through the grain of the wood. Red oak will allow the air to pass through it but the White Oak will not. My husband and I tried it and sure enough, it's true. Picture how funny we looked with pieces of oak in our mouth trying to see if we could blow through it!!!

I looked online for an explanation and discovered that Red Oak has no blocking Tyloses therefore the air can pass through. If you place one end of a piece of Red Oak in water and blow on the other end of it you will see bubbles in the water. I also learned that this test is not completely reliable because Red Oak that is grown under stress will not blow bubbles.

Just because I was curious I looked up the word "tyloses." It means "a bubblelike formation in the cavity of tracheids or vessels in the wood of trees, consisting of protoplasm intruded from adjacent parenchyma cells." Thanks dictionary.com.

And because I am proud, here are pictures of the play kitchen that my husband made...

Without dishes...

With Dishes...

Isn't it beautiful?!?!? I am so proud of all the work that he put into this!

Posting Pictures

Today I learned how to post pictures. Here is one of my latest favorites...

Nothing like seeing toddler footprints traversing freshly fallen snow!

Iowa Caucus

Today was the Iowa Caucus. Obama is the projected Democrat winner (no surprise) and Huckabee is the Republican winner (big surprise). Not being from Iowa, I have very little knowledge of how a caucus works. I know that I learned about it in previous political science classes but I decided that today I would dig deeper into it and really try to understand the whole caucus process. I found a pretty good interactive explanation on cnn.com. Here's the link... http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/03/iowa.caucuses.101/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

The Republican process is pretty close to what I am used to in our primary elections. However, the Democratic process is completely different. I cannot imagine literally having to stand up and move to a designated section of the room to vote for my candidate. No privacy!!! I can't believe that. I wonder how many people stay home because they are too embarrassed to publicly support a candidate. I just can't imagine voting in a way that makes your vote one that everyone gets to see. That's just nuts! Today I am glad that I don't live in Iowa!

So, while I knew a little about the Caucus process before today, it was nice to dive a little deeper into it to learn even more.

By the way, as you can see by the CNN link above, today I also learned how to insert a link into a post.

Learning to blog

Today, I learned how to add a title to this blog. See it up there at the top of the page? Isn't it lovely? I sat down and tried to navigate though the blogs options. I figured out how to put the title in pretty easily. I added a link on the sidebar of what I've learned so far. I need to work on what to do with that though. If I keep this up and post daily, that list is gonna get pretty long. I was hoping that the link would connect to a separate page that held the list but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I guess that's something to learn for another day!

New Year...New Things to Learn

So, 2008 is here! Resolutions are on every one's mind. They are on mine as well. What should I resolve to do this year? I could lose that weight that I put on with my second child. I could exercise more...scratch that, I could exercise, period! I could, I could, I could...

As I have thought about what I would like to change in 2008, I reflected on where my life is at right now. I am very happy with my life. I am a stay-at-home mom to two wonderful children. I am married to a wonderful man. I have a solid Faith that directs my life. So, what can I resolve for 2008? During the past 3 1/2 years, my life has changed a lot. Being a parent has changed my life dramatically. Most of the changes are the greatest things that have ever happened to me. I can't believe how I have grown as a person through watching my children's lives unfold before my eyes! I am so blessed to be a part of their journey! They bring such joy to my life.

But, I asked myself, what do I miss from my life before children? I miss the spontaneous dates with my husband without having to find a babysitter first. I miss sleeping uninterrupted through the night. I miss grocery shopping by myself. Yes, I miss those things but I wouldn't trade spontaneous dates for giggling and playing together as a family of four. Watching my husband interact with our children with such love is better than any date could ever be. I wouldn't trade my sleep for cuddling with my baby boy for his middle of the night feedings or cuddling with my daughter because something scared her in the night. Ah, and grocery shopping by myself, remind me of that in 20 years when the kids are out of the house. Hopefully then I'll be missing the days of longer grocery trips.

BUT, there is one thing that I really miss. I have spent the majority of my life in learning institutions. There was grade school and high school, then college, and after a break, graduate school. Then, while I was working, there were the inservices and seminars. Before children, I was able to pick up a book to learn something. Not so easy nowadays. While I don't miss the daily grind of going to school, I do miss the feeling of accomplishment of intentionally learning something new. I think that being a stay-at-home mom has taught me so much more than those other institutions ever could. The things that I learn are not in a textbook. They are not intentional. They are, for the most part, accidental learning experiences of daily life. So, I would like to document my learning. In learning institutions, learning is document all the time...note taking, quizzes, reports, TESTS!!! So, no tests for me. Just a little blog to write down what I learn and when I feel like daily life is leaving me a little brain dead, I'll check back here and see that I really am making progress.

As a teacher, I always told my kids to learn something new every day. So in 2008, I resolve to learn something new every day. This blog will be the story of my journey.

So, it's day 1 and what did I learn? I learned how to start a blog! Hurray for me!!!