Ash of All Trades

My kids are on year round school which means we have 3 separate breaks (we call them Fall, Spring, Summer) rather than one long summer vacation.  Each time we are off track we make a "fun list" of the activities we want to do! Some breaks we have a huge list with activities for every day.  Other times just a handful of really cool things we want to do so that we can leave some spare time open for some spontaneous things.  (I am not spontaneous so we are working on increasing my ability to cope with spontaneity). Here is our Summer Fun List: Swim Lessons Knott's Berry Farm Backyard Camping Individual Movie Nights (each of our girls will stay up late 1 night with mom and dad) Go to the Beach Play date with Good Friends Summer Reading Program at both libraries Go to an Angel's Baseball Game Go Kayaking Make Hygiene Kits for the Homeless Sister's Sleepover (the girls sleep in sleeping bags or on the trundles together) Aquarelle Paintings   Make Ste...

While talking with some friends about playing outside with our kids it dawned on me that kids today don't really play our front.  Some do - a lot.  The vast majority however don't play out front and in the area I grew up in there aren't really backyards to play in. These friends were a bit shocked that I let my girls play out front.  And then I said the magic words: "Yea they play in the street all the time!"  That blew their socks off. Our culture right now is one of caution, anxiety, and fear.  Should we eat organic or ingest chemicals, should we watch T.V. or not, which baby lotions are safe, should kids play on monkey bars they might break their arms.  I am grateful for this information era and all that we know because of course I want my kids to live long healthy lives.  Yet I feel burdened by the weight of all the "what ifs". So yes I let my kids play outside and feel safe doing so.  I am always out there with them and they wear helmet...

This weekend was Memorial Day weekend.  To many people this means parties, barbecue, family, maybe a beach trip or a vacation.  All of these things are good, joyous even.  However, this weekend is not about the start of summer, good weather, or even time with family.  This weekend is time to reflect on life, liberty, freedom, happiness, and so much more.  Sure parties, vacations, and family time are all related to those things but why do we have these things?  How are we free?  We are free in large part due to the sacrifice of our military past and present.  Technically to those who died for our liberty, peace, and freedom. Our Girl Scout troops gathered this weekend to place flags on every grave in our local National Cemetery.  Joining them (or rather we joined) over 1,000 people honored the sacrifice and strife these people went through for themselves and for us.  The sight of a National Cemetery covered in American flags is profound...