Remembering A Wrinkle In Time

It was a dark and stormy night.

It’s a legendary line that has been used in books since 1830. But for me I associate that line with what was one of my favorite books in childhood.

I was in the 4^th grade the first time I read those words in the opening paragraph of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.  It’s the first book in her famous science fiction series and was published in 1962. I was 9 years old when the first time I was instantly drawn into the world of Meg Murray. Maybe it was because we shared the same name. Or maybe because I felt like a misfit a lot of time, the same as Meg. Maybe I adored this book because it was about time and space and things I loved. And maybe, just maybe, I loved it simply because for once I was reading an adventure sci-fi book where the lead character, was a girl.

Whatever the reason, in those first few pages I was drawn into a world that would forever change my life.

Visiting Santa

My memories of going to see Santa when I was a kid pretty much all revolve around one place, the mall. Growing up here in the Tri-Valley there was pretty much one place to see Santa (and pretty much the only place to do your shopping as well) and that was Stoneridge Mall. My memories of Santa’s Village right there in the middle of the mall are of the beautiful Santa’s Village full of mechanical reindeer, elves and Santa’s cottage. And so much fluffy white fake snow it could make you go blind of your stared too long. And of course very long lines that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Everything a trip to see Santa is supposed to be.

Early Signs of Fall

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Last night I went grocery shopping, alone. Since summer vacation began in June there have been very few times that I have been out running errands alone and it was a nice break. I listened to what I wanted to, had the music up as loud as I wanted and was able to walk around the grocery store leisurely perusing my shopping list and going at my own pace. It was nice. I know, the things that we enjoy as adults are pretty simple.

Friday Round-Up

What a busy week! I was lucky enough to have my niece and brother come visit for a few days which led to some fun days in the sun and some very tired kiddos. But I managed to get some work done also and since I’m making a real effort to start posting regularly on my blog again, I’m going back to doing my Friday Round-up of places I was writing this week!

Over at Life360:

• Monday : I was chatting about watching my kids as they continue Learning to Be Smart
• Wednesday: It’s rare that I give in and openly talk about the fluff kids television I enjoy watching so enjoy this post, Disney Channel Confessions
• Friday: Is your child a late talker? Here’s why it’s no big deal. Late Talkers Are No Problems 

Over on SheHeroes:

• Tuesday: An interesting story about gender lessons at the circus in Sometimes It’s The Little Things.
• Friday: Exciting news from the U.K. about gender messages in the media! Britain Holds L’Oreal Accountable 

Have a great weekend!

Chris Isaak Beneath the Stars at Wente

Believe it or not my very first concert was The Monkees and Weird Al Yankovic. I know, kind of weird, except I’ll put good money on the fact that at least a few of you will read this and say “Me too!” Because it was a pretty popular tour that year. I was in the third grade and a pretty avid Monkees fan (thanks Nick ay Night) so when they came around my parents took us. This would be the beginning of a very passionate and life-long love for live music.

Wise Words for Wednesday

 

All religions will pass, but this will remain: simply sitting in a chair and looking in the distance. ~V.V. Rozanov

 

 

Tips on Taking Time For Yourself Each Day, Even When There’s None to Spare

Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.

As a mom it’s not always easy to find time for yourself. And often when you do it somehow feels like it’s at the expense of someone else in the family. But as research and personal experience shows, taking a little time for you is VITAL to be a good parent, a healthy person and just plain happier.

Even with my kids in school (one only in school for a couple of hours at that) I still struggle to find time for myself that doesn’t involve cleaning or working. But lately I’ve been working hard at making it happen, and I’m starting to get better at it.

Here are a few things you can find a little time to yourself even when you don’t have any to spare.

• Garden – OK so gardening can be a bit of work in the beginning but once it’s going strong the actual “gardening’ part can be very therapeutic. Weeding, watering and harvesting have been soul-soothing activities for thousands of years. When the weather is right you can let the kids loose in the yard while you get some earthy time in the dirt.
• Read – Most schools ask that your kids read 15 to 20 minutes a day, each day. At our school we actually have to sign a sheet that the child did read for that period of time. Instead of nagging your child from the kitchen, sit down and read a book or magazine of your own. This will help encourage your child to work on their reading and give you 15 minutes of quiet reading time.
• Early to Bed Early to Rise – Make it a point to get up 15 to 30 minutes early than the rest of your house. Read, do some yoga or just enjoy a quiet cup of coffee before the chaos of the morning starts. And set a decent and early bedtime for your kdis and stick to it. Then use that time to unwind from the day, catch up on Facebook, go to sleep early or simply watch a little TV with your spouse.

These things may not seem like much but incorporating them into your daily routine can do wonders for your stress level, your health and even your ability to be a good mom.
Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

The Challenger

When I think back on my third grade teacher I remember a smile always on her face and a twinkle in her eye. Even as third graders we knew that she loved being a teacher and loved being there with us. She was kind and sweet and excited about teaching. That may have been why she was over the moon when NASA announced that they’d be sending a school teacher into space where she would be teaching lessons live the space shuttle. It was a big deal and all of us kids were pretty excited, but no one was more excited than our teacher.

Not So Wordless Wednesday

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth. ~Chinese Proverb

 

 

Winter: Just the Way I Like It

One of my goals for 2011 is to get back into taking part in the fun writing workshop over at one of my favorite blogs, Mama’s Losin It! by taking part of her weekly writing prompts. This week  I made the obvious choice and decided to write “A photo journal entry…show us what winter looks like in your town”. *snicker*

It’s mean, I know. I say that because winter is a little… well different here. Not that we don’t have really cold weather, we do. And not that we don’t see a little snow on the local hilltops once or twice a year, cause that usually happens too. But here we also have this kind of weather during the winter months,