Some Changes are a comin'

I've made a decision over the last few weeks about my internet time.  After I returned to work fulltime in January, I noticed a real struggle to keep my time balanced.  Seems that if you add 36 hours to your weekly schedule you have to give some things up!  Who knew!?!  Hehe!

Anyway, a couple of the changes I am making are relating to my online time.  Most of my readers know that Tallyscrapper.com has been a huge and important part of my life for the last two years.  A week after discovering my brother had a brain tumor, I found the perfect means of escape in this lovely community of hard core scrappers.  What I loved the most about Tally is that the members there were REAL scrappers.  The kind that love scrapbooking because of the actual scrapbook pages, not because of fame or fortune or just buying stuff (although Lord knows we do plenty of that too!)  I have never felt so at home anywhere else...in my life!  That is saying something!

About a year ago I decided to scale back my involvement there by removing myself from the staff.  After nine months of that I realized that I just kept my involvement at the same level and wasn't getting the benefits of being part of the team, so I tried out for the temporary team again, and was honored to be chosen again.  My three months on the temp team end in a few days.  I have found that Tally is not something I can do part way.  I found myself involved beyond the expectations of the site owner, and the other staff.  I found myself wanting to have a bigger and bigger role on the site.  And I found that my family was annoyed by just how little time they were getting with me between working fulltime and Tally.  Well, I need the money, so I'm afraid my online time is what is going to have to give.

I will be stepping back from Tally for at least the time being.  I will seriously miss those that I have come to love through that wonderful, supportive place.  I am very thankful to the staff for what they have done for me over the years.  

I will of course continue to scrapbook, but will be posting my pages here instead of there.  I will still be on facebook, as it is a great way to settle down for the night.  I will still have email and a telephone.

I'm sure my heart will hurt a little bit as I miss this community that has been part of my everyday for over 700 days.

Off Celebrating the Life of Jack Hastings Today

We are having a family day today, see you all tomorrow.

On Mondays we Cooperate

At the beginning of September, Julie, one of the brilliant moms of the homeschooled kids we hang out with, suggested we swap kids for class a few hours on Mondays.  Myself and one other mom were in on the conversation, which began in summer, and we faltered our way through the first few sessions, mainly relying on Julie to take the brunt of the classes.  By late Fall we were more settled in, and by mid-winter we had attracted the attention of some of the other homeschool families in our playgroup.  We are now six families and eight kids strong.  Scott and I have been teaching about nature writing, through the window of searching in nature for signs of Spring.  Our first session was held in a snowbank in Moir Park, all of us huddled around a fire roasting marshmellows.  We followed up last week with a muddilicious day on the marsh, and coats were optional.  So good to see the progression of the weather.  We finish up in a week, back at Moir Park, encouraging this bunch of ruffians, and Lauren, to do some writing of their own.

The biggest change I've seen in going from four kids to eight is that three of the new four are OLDER.  This means both that they have new and interesting things to offer the class, and also that hormones are raging.  So soon.  So we now will be adding in learning how to deal with that as we prepare for our next outing!

He's Moved on Down the Road

We had such an enjoyable time with this little guy, Wednesday during the day, Thursday and Friday overnights.  

Well, except between 4-8pm, that was kinda rough, but he's so cute its totally okay!  I drove him over to his grandma and grandpa yesterday afternoon and now they are cooing over him in church.

It was so cute seeing him watch Andrew play and talking to him.

Cuz Broz

These two.  When they get together, they just...work!  They disappear and we hardly get to see them.  I love what amazing men they are both growing into.  So fun to watch, even from the sidelines!

New Work

The first one is a page for my Boston album which I am working on again.  I did a page for a challenge about the time spent at her house and then realized I wanted to do a companion page about her.

I love doing series photos and these in the second page are Andrew on Jesse's pogo stick.  Shortly after these photos were taken, Andrew decided that after four months of saving up for a WII, he was going to take half his saved money ($150) and spent it on toys instead.  Scott and I were understandably happy about that!  One of the toys he picked was his very own pogo stick and then he special ordered a discontinued lego set that he has been wanting for a year.  We've dodged the video game bullet for another year, and are so proud that he made the decision.  

Homeschooling Scrapbooks and such

Developing review and analysis skills is one of the things that throws Andrew.  In his mind at this stage of development, a class he takes is just that, read the title of the class, and move on!  It is hard for him to explain what he learned and what he liked and didn't like about a particular schooling subject or project.

Thanks to my fellow homeschool mom Julie, we work on these skills using scrapbook pages.  He pulls together photos that represent something we have done recently in homeschool and then he needs to write down something he liked or something he learned.  As a writer, his rudimentary skills at this point are a bit tough for me, I know he has so much more inside him, but it is good for me to learn more patience.

I am very proud of his efforts, and although his writing is still rough, I think he's starting to understand what we are looking for better.

Above are some of his recent pages.