A little Christmas Magic

Okay so it is December again and that means, Christmas is coming!  Woohoo! Such an exciting time of year. For parents with toddlers it can mean added chaos, to the already chaotic day.  If you haven't put up your Christmas tree and are wondering how your child will react and if your tree will survive, here are a few tips to help you along the way!

At this time last year our son was running, climbing and mega-curious, we had debated whether to put up a tree of any kind, and finally decided on a little 2 footer...behind plexiglass.  Yes, you read correctly, we put our tree behind plexiglass. For Finn, it was perfect he could ooh and ahhh over it without breaking ornaments or knocking over the tree. We referred to it as our Christmas No-Touch Museum. 

This year is quite different.  He now knows what Christmas is, and has been saying, "Christmas is coming" since he noticed all the Christmas hoopla on display in the stores.  We have been reading "The Grinch" for months (since July, because Christmas essentially starts in July right?) and when we get to the Whos in Who-ville gathered around the tree he sings, "Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze! Welcome Christmas, Come this way!"  So again the discussion began on what to do as far as a Christmas tree.  We decided he would have his own "fake" tree in his playroom, that would have colorful ornaments with a "Who-ville" theme.  My favorite find in this was what we now call "Who-sie Doo-sies", these slinky like ornaments that boing and bounce, and look like a colorful spiral spring.  Now we put this tree up several weeks ago, as a test to see what he would do with the ornaments (all plastic, child-friendly, of course!).  At first, he just was fascinated by it all, but like most children, he quickly began testing them. Pulling them off, moving them here and there.  So after careful consideration we decided that we could get a real tree this year, but that we would not use any "real" ornaments.

This year, our tree is filled with origami paper cranes, glittered pine cones and old-fashioned Christmas garland of popcorn and cranberries. What was great about this is he helped with all of it.  It began with going to pick out our tree at Clark Farm, we had a blast running through the trees and playing hide and seek and then finding "our tree".  When we got home, he enjoyed watching through the window as Kyle trimmed the tree to fit in the tree stand.  Once it was inside we strung the lights and showed him you have to water it.  Then began the fun of stringing our old-fashioned garland. This was so much fun, because Finn enjoyed eating the "pop pop" as I strung the popcorn and cranberries.  He enjoyed telling his dad, how messy mom is with the popcorn.  He watched me fold the paper cranes and string them to be hung on the tree.  He loves making them fly by blowing on them.  The glittery pine cones were fun too, we collected them from a tree in our yard and glittered them with glitter glue.  Now our tree is looking quite festive and every day Finn looks at the tree with amazement.

So here are the tips:

1-Discuss what level of curiosity your child(ren) are at and use that as your marker.
2-Connect to their world...let them have a part of the decorating.
3-Store-bought decorations should be things that can take a beating and survive...plastic and felt are my suggestions here.
4-Handmade...have fun, remember to let the child's creativity unleash...don't push them to be perfect, ...remember the magic of the holiday!
5-And sing along with your little who(s), "Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze! Welcome Christmas! Come this Way!"

Have fun making your Christmas mean so much more!!!

Move aside Ylvis, I'm feeling Eddie Vedder

I have anticipated Pearl Jam's new album, Lightning Bolt for several months now and I can say that it was well worth the wait.  I fell in love with Pearl Jam as a teenager, when music kept me grounded and allowed me to realize that all the feelings I was dealing with were okay.  Not normal, but okay.  Because why be normal? and what is normal? 

My high school friends, Dustin Rawlins and Kyle Bullock (now my husband and best friend), used to have a joke, "Are you feeling Eddie Vedder?", as a teenager you are always coping with hormonal shifts and just the plain awkwardness of high school, pinning Eddie Vedder in place of better always made me smile and put me into the mood to throw on PJ's debut album of the time, Ten.  And I couldn't tell you how influential the "grunge" movement was on my generation.  How many countless weekends I would watch the movie Singles just so I could get small glimpses of the cameo appearances by Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Eddie Vedder, as members of Matt Dillon's character, Cliff's band, Citizen Dick.  And then of course, the other grunge figure of the time that also made an appearance in this film, was Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. Needless to say, I feel like I time warped back to that era when I fell in love with "grunge" music.

Now with that out of the way, Lightning Bolt is a must-have album, it showcases such a plethora of American music.  The album starts out heavy, full grunge, think of Motorhead's Ace of Spades (I think of playing Tony Hawk's ProSkater  Video Game), with songs, Getaway, Mind Your Manners and My Father's Son.  The album then shifts into classic PJ anthem style, by this I mean when Vedder becomes a pseudo-preacher with his baritone vocals, working their way up to an angelic whisper and back down again sharing with you a story in an earthy tone.  Track 9, Let the Records Play, is my personal favorite, a southern blues rock ballad, it reminds me of so many great musicians, from Son House to Jack White, with an essence of Shania Twain (yes, I said it, you will hear it too, just wait). The album winds down with more subdued songs, Sleeping by Myself, Yellow Moon and Future Days, perfect for unwinding at the end of the night.  As I said, the album is reminiscent of so much American rooted music (including Neil Young), as you listen you will be like wait, who is that, and quickly what you think you hear, transcends into something new and fresh, but keeps up with that original grunge sound you fell in love with, while showcasing the deep roots of American music .  And you know it rocks, if my two year old son, Finn, asks "Mommy music on?", when we travel in the car.  As soon as it starts, he is sitting there from his backseat just rocking to the beat.  Maybe it is how many times I listened to Pearl Jam's rendition of Crazy Mary from their Red Rocks concerts on cd while he was in utero, but either way, I think he is a fan!

So whether you are a Pearl Jam fan or need a gift idea for someone, I highly recommend Lightning Bolt, because when you need to feel a little Vedder, or a throwback to the 90s, this is well-suited for you (just look at the album cover, the soundwaves are projected to the masses).  The only other thing that would make it better, is if Pearl Jam is added to the 2014 Firefly lineup (Red Frog if you wanna keep this fan happy, you know what to do)!!!

The Power of Surrounding Yourself with Learners and Creative Minds

So as many of you know I  recently started a Master of Arts in Education program and so you can only imagine what I am immersing myself in.  But I must say I am always pleasantly surprised at what I had been holding off from for so long. You see, we often are afraid of the things that challenge us, I decided that I wasn't going to let that get in my way anymore. Instead I decided let me face the challenge and go forth, the outcomes are always worth it and when you face the challenge, accept it and jump in you find a power within yourself. 

By immersing myself in this challenge, I have rediscovered what I love about education- the power of learners grasping for knowledge and getting creative.  I am currently taking two courses: Curriculum Building and Learning Theory. I am well aware of the fact that not everyone within in a classroom is ready to learn the knowledge of that class.  So I hope that I can keep motivated, stay connected, and keep renewing my thrive to learn and share it.  So far, I have taken many trips down memory lane, exploring my past schooling, how was I taught, what worked for me, what didn't work, what kept me engaged...it has really made me start thinking that all of us are pretty complex creatures and we all do things a little differently. I know that ultimately the learner must be engaged in the subject and the teacher has to find a way to get the student engaged. So as the student, this is what I am currently doing, engaging the subject and engaging the teacher.

So as I take these classes I also try to keep engaged beyond what I am learning in the classroom. I try to look around at my world, what is going on...I turn to TED talks.  Recently I shared a link on facebook about the Bee Bummer, which I really feel is crucial to our future.  If I was in a classroom I would make sure to share this talk with my students, regardless if I wasn't teaching science, because this problem goes further and transcends many subjects, such as, agricultural, sustainability, food sources, population, etc.  As a teacher you have to find a way to connect this topic to your subject area. Today, my co-worker shared with me a link about phonebloks, this is a invention currently, that has not been picked up, but in an age where technology is constantly being changed every moment, this seems like the way to go for smartphones. I am hoping that by sharing this link about phonebloks on my Instagram and hashtagging #shouldbeatedtalk and #tedtalk that it will actually make it to a TEDtalk and actually make it possible to own. If you have never watched a TED talk I encourage you to get connected and search for one on You Tube...they are pretty amazing and really get you thinking beyond our current political spectrum which seems so bogged down on blaming the opposite sides of the aisle instead of actually working.  What I am saying is don't get discouraged in our future, don't give up, get connected to what is out there working for the greater good of mankind.  Let's get educated, get connected and get our creative minds connected.

I will try to check in with you when I can, for now, I just wanted you to know where I was, what I am working towards...this is a journey..."the obstacle is the path"-Pirsig.

Someone whispers, "She's having a mid-life crisis." I say, "No I am pursuing my dreams, which means accepting the challenges"

So I have been recently reading Willie Nelson's memoir, "Roll me up and smoke me when I die, musings from the road," and it really is helping me keep my perspective on life.  In the introduction, it talks about Nelson's advice on songwriting and he says, "I will never say anything to discourage a songwriter, but if you are a real songwriter, nothing I could say would discourage you, anyhow. If my opinion could change your mind about being a songwriter, then you really weren't a songwriter to begin with and I would have done you a favor by making you look for a different career.  If a real songwriter happened to hear that I didn't like his work, he would say, 'What the hell does Willie Nelson know? Fuck Willie Nelson" (ix, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Willie Nelson). So as some of you know, I recently took my Praxis I test, which I fretted about and studied for and yes, to my surprise passed.  All of my cheerleaders knew I would pass it, but I doubted myself, as I always do, mostly I think because we all have a fear of failure.  I knew that if I failed it I could take the test again, but if I had it would have caused doubt within myself.  So passing it of course has just further encouraged me and the path that lies ahead...Needless to say, I am determined.

So Monday, August 26th, I begin working towards my Masters in Education.  I will take this on, while being a wife, a mother, working my full-time job, as well as, starting yet another endeavor.  One of the presents that I received on my birthday was discovering that I had been accepted into a Grad Assistantship position with the English department at Wesley College.  I am super excited about this position, as it means I get to work with professors that I admire and have been mentors to me since my undergrad work. 

I must say it now, loud and clear, I could not do any of this, without the support system of my family.  First I must thank my husband, Kyle who has supported me in every dream that I ever wanted to pursue and is my biggest cheerleader.  Secondly a huge shout out to my mother, who helps take care of my son, Finn during the week, so that I can go to work.  She is an amazing human being and the strongest woman I know, I love you, mom!!! Third (and like Third Man Records, always groovin' along with us), my in-laws, Anita and Rod, for being our sounding board when we need someone to listen or reaffirm our thoughts, for helping with Finn, and for seriously just making music with us or rockin' out to music.  Rachel and Jeremy, for meeting up for cousin play dates at impromptu times and supporting our dreams.  Next let me thank the rest of our extended families both sides, too many of you to mention, you know who you are, whether its sending us happy hump day notes on Facebook, random text messages of encouragement, liking our photos, posts or blogs, we welcome all of your love. Ah, and then there are our friends, again too many to mention, you know who you are,...you may not know how you help us, for some its knowing that you are thinking of us (keeping us in your thoughts and knowing you love us is a good feeling).  Friends seriously cover so much, but I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you. Special shout out to my friend, Emma who lives on the other side of the world, because oceans and continents have never separated her support for me (and her family's support for me)!  So thank you all!

I just celebrated a birthday this past week, and I must say, that every year just gets better and better.  I am pursuing these dreams, in the words of Joseph Campbell, "following my bliss," even if that means slaying some dragons along the way!  How I love the feeling of defeating those dragons, in the words of Robert Pirsig, "the obstacle is the path." 

Finn playing the Ukulele

My husband and my son gave me my first ukulele for my birthday this year.  Some of you may think this is an odd present, but for those who know my love of music you will understand that it is very special.  I haven't had an opportunity yet, to write a blog post about the ukulele's appearances on stage at Firefly. Some of you may have seen my pic of Amanda Palmer, who is infamous for playing the ukulele, but after our amazing moment in the tent with Amanda Palmer and Sabrina the volunteer who played Gotye....Kyle and I grabbed our beer from the brewery and headed to the main stage to catch LP. As we made our way, the sky opened up and we were caught in the downpour, we didn't care we went with it. LP thought these Firefly fans were awesome for standing and toughing it out...but the treat we got was seeing yet, another ukulele player.  So you see, this ukulele present is something that is magical, because Kyle has always listened to me, that weekend I talked about how the men were the headliners, but the women were the ones who really rocked Firefly this year (and how awesome was the ukulele). So this year, as I take on this new adventure, when I feel overwhelmed or stressed, guess what I am going to be working on, oh yeah, strumming on my ukulele (and maybe teaching Finn his first musical instrument, because he thinks my present is his, but it's okay).

So if you don't see as many blog posts don't fret...I am still here, I am still creatively embracing life and pursuing dreams.  And you may get more recipes from me during this time, as I have many started in drafts, just haven't gotten them posted. You may also just get posts of photos, because I take tons of them, but bare with me as I follow my bliss and slay some dragons. And in the words of Joe Dirt, "Life's a garden, dig it!"