drawing Tools: heart crayons

Fun little crayons in the shape of hearts. I had bought them for Valentine's Day.  These were handmade by an Etsy artist. I only wish I could remember exactly who. There are so many to choose from though, if you just go to  Etsy, you can find the ones you like.

Grandma... we miss you

Today would have been my mother's 75th birthday.
On June 4th 2010 she passed away.
It has been hard couple of weeks for myself.  Each afternoon I want to pick up the phone and tell her about our day.  She loved hearing about what silliness they had been up to. It was something I tried to do each day. It was just part of our everyday routine.

The boys were sad upon hearing the news of her death. They asked many questions and ponder the answers. William gave her one last big hug during calling hours. Landon said "We'll see her again one day in heaven mama".

She was a remarkable woman. Mother of 6 kids and Grandma to 16 grandchildren.  She was always there for us no matter what and gave her all to us. 

I feel very blessed that although she had moved away 2 years ago I had been fortunate enough to get to visit her several times.  We had just seen her 2 weeks before she died.

I know that she is at peace and is with my father. I miss her severely but know that her spirit will always be with me.

Happy Birthday Mama!

Sunday Smiles

13 years ago I married my True Companion. We were fresh out of college and just beginning our careers.

We've laughed, cried, argued, and celebrated; but most of all we have grown.

Our relationship has deepened over the years and I have seen my wonderful husband turn into an amazing father. My love for him grows stronger every day as I watch him model for our boys how to be a strong and sensitive man. Eric  has such a kind heart.

I am so very blessed to have this amazing man who supports me and encourages me in all that I do.  

He is my sunshine everyday.

E,

I love you.

Always and Forever.

Happy Anniversary.

R

this moment

I have decided to join Soule Mama this week:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

sleepless nights

I have had sleepless nights for the past few weeks.  Several reasons. 

Heat. My mom. Homeschooling.

There is just so much on my mind these days and I have a hard time shutting down. Last night I came down at 1:00 AM to sit, think,write in my journal and read. I finally went back upstairs an hour later and fell fast asleep. Then this morning while running, I had all these thoughts that I wanted to write down.  Now at the end of my day I finally have a chance to have some quite time to capture those thoughts. Will it be the same as this morning? Probably not, but I will try my best.

So my thoughts on homeschooling at the moment.

A year ago I wrote this post on how we use life as our curriculum. Since that time I have contradicted myself and tried several pre-made curriculum, and read tons of catalogs, web sites, talked to friends endlessly about what they recommend.  Only to discover that I am still wanting the freedom of choice.  To follow the boys' interest.  I still have resources that we can use but will not make a classroom out of our home.

I chose the homeschooling path because:

I wanted to be with my boys for all their moments. Both good and bad.

I wanted them to be able to learn about what interested them, not what a school district decided.

The freedom to use the whole world as our classroom.

Extended time with family: making stronger bonds with one another.

I know in my heart that they will learn just by living and experiencing our world.  Somewhere that idea became buried deep and I kept thinking there's always some better program. As I mentioned, we still will use learning resources but they will not be the driving force of our homeschooling. Instead, the boys interests will.

This summer is my time to get back into that mode of thinking: relax more, create more, explore more, listen more, laugh more, to really enjoy the boys at this moment. (it is quickly slipping away)

My job is to provide a loving, nurturing, encouraging environment for them.  I will guide them along the way, help them when they are down, and be an inspiring  model(hopefully) for them. 

We are always learning on this path of life..........

drawing tools : rock crayons

We love these crayons.  They are made from soy and are just the right size for little hands. They go on so smoothly and blend colors beautifully.  We got ours from here several years ago, but now I have been seeing them in a variety of catalogs.  Even our dog, Gritty likes them- she ate one of the red ones. We are almost ready for a few more sets so when we have friends over we can share mush easier.  Highly recommended.!

Happy Birthday!

To my best friend, always and forever, wishing you a wonderful day!

long summer days

We have been busy the past few days- enjoying the hot weather and first few days of summer. 

Eating ice cream, swimming and staying up late!

strawberries and music

Today was a beautiful day. Just the right amount of sun. We checked out new farm and did a little picking....

  

with lots of eating.

 

Not sure if it was the strawberry draw or not?

 

Afterwards we went to listen to some music.  There is this great festival going on right now near us. Each day they have free concerts with such a variety of music. Today's line up was from Africa.

 

The boys had a great time just chillin' and listening.

And so our summer has begun! 

(although not sure if there needs to be a differential from our regular scheduled lives- this is pretty much it)

the big appointment

Landon had his big dentist appointment last week to help fix his teeth. He had weak enamel- a genetic defect: which side of the family I wonder?

Everything went well, he was just a bit groggy afterwards.  He came home and took a nap. The first thing he said when he awoke was "My lip isn't funny anymore.".... the Novocaine had worn off.

Seven

Today my sweet boy turned seven.  How the years have gone by. I have so enjoyed being Will's mom. He is an amazing little man. Sweet, sensitive, fun loving and caring. Always full of energy, with a great love of sports. A wonderful imagination and a desire to learn constantly- always full of questions. 

William had our day all planned. An amusement park with water rides.

 

Home for cake

Hibachi for a family dinner.

protecting the princess

there's a dragon  in our backyard

and there is this awesome little man.......

who wouldn't feel safe?

and yes I am the princess he protects

much needed distraction

Today we headed out for the last class of the Audubon. Once again we went into the woods and looked for salamanders, which the boys just can't get enough of.  

Although they love being in the woods, I think their favorite part of the class is hanging out with their friends.

 

After a nice picnic lunch we continued our day by heading to the beach. It was a pleasant afternoon, filled with laughter and silliness which is something we needed today.

paint

We packed a lunch and headed out mid morning to paint the hot and sticky day away.  Can't really show you the pieces we chose since they are for upcoming celebrations.  I can tell you that we had such a nice time, that we want to make it a monthly event around here. Sounds good to me.

This is where we were.

drawing tools: gel crayons

Gel Crayons by Lyra

 

These are a some of our favorite drawing materials.  They roll up like a glue stick as you use them. They come in a set of 12 colors. They are made in Germany.

 

Description: Water soluble crayons that turn to watercolors with a wet brush.  Bright and brilliant colors that are incredibly smooth and soft.  Colors blend well.

The boys just love them.

Landon has filled several pages of his drawing journal  just going over  and over in one color. 

I love to using them. At the end of the day when we draw, it relaxes me as the colors glide onto the pages.


We have had two sets for almost a year and half now and are ready for more. They also come in metallic colors.

We got ours here.

I am in no way shape or form receiving any endorsements for reviewing products. Just want to share the things that we love with others.