thoughts from the deep recesses

Sometimes you have to deal with stuff much larger than you think you're capable of dealing with Sometimes you start from the bottom of the heap. You just have to work harder to get to the top.  Use the skills you've been taught.  Sometimes you're gonna look a little silly doing what you know is right. Keep on keepin' on. Always look 'em right in the eye... You can do it. Even when you really feel like quitting. If you're on top, you still need to work hard so you can stay on top. People are always watching you. (E's had the same coach for five years. He's been watching and encouraging him the WHOLE time. If nothing changes, he will have this same coach when he gets to high school. Cool.) Somtimes you get hurt. (And you mom will always wish she could rescue you. But she won't, because you have to figure out how to get out of painful situations by yourself sometimes.) Sometimes you have to dig really deep...

So I find myself getting to the end of every Monday and dreading the fact that I'm supposed to have a "Creativity Monday" post. That most certainly was not my intent when I began the series... and definitely doesn't inspire much in the way of the soul-feeding I was aiming for when I declared Mondays a day for creative pursuits. As I was thinking this through in the midst of insomnia in the wee hours this morning, I've decided to suspend (or postpone, or cancel, or quit - OUCH !) Creativity Mondays for now. There's a big part of me that suffers embarrassment over that... I hate to be seen as a quitter. I take a lot of pride in being a goal-setter/achiever. But the older I get, the more I also strive to be good at taking care of myself. And if something has become a strain or drudgery that is completely within my control to stop, I feel an obligation to myself to end the misery. This forces me to ponder a bit why I've changed so much in the last two...

Don't those crocus just make you exceedingly happy? They sure do me... there's some color outside my door!!! St. Patricks day dinner: Pumpkin bread french toast, sausages and green apple sodas for the kiddos. Weird. But yummy. Love the action in the bottom left corner of this picture... Asia grabbing his french toast. Kyler had his first timed run for track on Wednesday - they call them the Tiger Relays - and it serves as a sort of qualifying/placement run. He's running the 1600 meter (1 mile) race again. He finished on Wednesday with a time of 4:54, which was his PR (personal record) at the end of last year's track season. REALLY, really proud of  him. The Variety Show for Ethan's school is next week... he and his little friend Bridger put together a choreographed light saber fight/dance that is hilarious. I've been involved in the variety show since Kyler was in second grade... it's one of my VERY favorite parental involvements. Sad that next year will...

I'm a sucker for a dollar bin... whether it's at Target, or JoAnn's, or a whole pickin' store of dollar buys like Dollar Tree - I love seeing what I can find. These sweet felt shamrocks were in the dollar bin at JoAnn's awhile back. I love seasonal decorations - I grew up with a mom who always changed decorations according to the upcoming holiday... including a candy dish full of pretty seasonal candy with a lid that she would tape shut so we couldn't eat the candy! I have lots of Easter decor... but have never had anything to decorate with for St. Patrick's Day. Now I do. This was a SUPER quick, easy project. I simply punched some holes in the shamrocks, made some pleated rosettes and strung it all together with some brads and ribbon. It makes me happy.

This girl needed braces. And this girl does not... (Congrats, beautiful girl... your teeth are lovely.)

They're done! I finally had time today to sit down and finish the first of two sets of class samples for my fundraising card classes. Come join me on Tuesday, April 5th, or Thursday, April 7th at 6:00 pm to make these ten cards - suggested donation for the class is $25.00 - and ALL proceeds go towards our trip to Sierra Leone. I only have ten kits (meaning ten spots!) available for this class. Space reserved on a first come, first served basis. You may purchase a kit only if you are unable to attend the class - just let me know that you will just be buying the kit. Classes will be at my home. I'm so excited to teach a class again - it's been almost two years since Apropos closed - and I haven't taught anything since then... and I'm excited to be able to use this arena to raise money for our trip. I'll be scheduling another class for early May with a whole different set of papers and embellishments - watch for those cards to be posted soon! Let me kno...

No Creativity Monday this week... it was laundry and cleaning Monday instead and I just didn't have the energy at the end of the day to be creative. Sorry! I'll pick it up next week! Savannah had her 8th grade visit to the high school last week... yikes! I can't possibly be old enough to have two high schoolers, can I? Ready or not, here we are... she's all registered for her freshman classes. Crazy. She's counting down the days... only one more week and then her braces come off after two and a half years. She's already had almost all of them removed - only the front four teeth still have anything one them... next Tuesday they'll remove the rest and give her her retainer. She's beside herself. I led my first Saturday meetings last weekend. I LOVE doing two back-to-back meetings... if I have to drive there, I'd just as soon get two meetings done. Had over 130 people attend the two meetings and sold over $1500 in product. Yay! Kyler started track p...