We seem to be having a string of difficult days around here...I decided we would take a couple weeks off school while we were in the process of moving my grandparents to san diego, but I think that plan backfired. It seems I do better and have more energy with a bit more structure to my day. The boys seem to handle life and each other better then too.
So today at nap I determined I would do something restorative for myself. I went back an art project that has been in progress for many moons. I can't wait to show it to you, but I can't yet. Because it's for a dear friend and she should be the first one to see it. But I like it. I think. It's always hard after the fact to evaluate one's own work. I think that must be one reason that many actors never see their own completed films. The joy is in the process of creating, being inspired and hoping to be inspiring. So, get out there and create something! Do something restorative for yourself. Your family will thank you. :)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A Quote from Elizabeth Goudge 1948
From Pilgrim's Inn (also published as Herb of Grace), the second novel in the trilogy about Damerosehay.
John Adair had little liking for the simple life; he said it was not simple, but the most damnably complicated method of wasting time that had every existed. He liked a constant supply of hot water, a refrigerator, an elevator, an electric toaster, a telephone beside his bed, central heating and electric fires, and anything whatever that reduced the time spent upon the practical side of living to a minimum and left him free to paint.
But Sally [his daughter] did not want to be set free for anything, for it was living itself that she enjoyed. She liked lighting a real fire of logs and fir cones, and toasting bread on an old-fashioned toaster. And she liked the lovely curve of an old staircase and the fun of running up and down it. And she vastly preferred writing a letter and walking with it to the post to using the telephone and hearing with horror her voice committing itself to things she would never have dreamed of doing if she'd had the time to think. "It's my stupid brain," she said to herself. "I like the leisurely things, and taking my time about them. That's partly why I like children so much, I think. They're never in a hurry to get on to something else."
John Adair had little liking for the simple life; he said it was not simple, but the most damnably complicated method of wasting time that had every existed. He liked a constant supply of hot water, a refrigerator, an elevator, an electric toaster, a telephone beside his bed, central heating and electric fires, and anything whatever that reduced the time spent upon the practical side of living to a minimum and left him free to paint.
But Sally [his daughter] did not want to be set free for anything, for it was living itself that she enjoyed. She liked lighting a real fire of logs and fir cones, and toasting bread on an old-fashioned toaster. And she liked the lovely curve of an old staircase and the fun of running up and down it. And she vastly preferred writing a letter and walking with it to the post to using the telephone and hearing with horror her voice committing itself to things she would never have dreamed of doing if she'd had the time to think. "It's my stupid brain," she said to herself. "I like the leisurely things, and taking my time about them. That's partly why I like children so much, I think. They're never in a hurry to get on to something else."
Potty Training
Okay, so I got a request to share my thoughts on potty training. Since my extensive knowledge only includes my 2 boys, please take my thoughts and use your own good sense about your own child.
First of all, please read Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Azrin COVER to COVER before attempting to train. Don't do any half-hearted attempts, the stops and starts and back and forth can be very confusing for little ones.
Second, be sure your child is ready. For my #1 boy, we waited until 3 months shy of his 3rd birthday. Many people would train much earlier, but we were unsure of his readiness and also had lots of transitions in our home which I knew would make it harder. For #2, he showed us he was ready because he started asking to use the potty like his older brother - he was about 2 1/2. Neither boy was ever dry through the night or nap in his diaper before we trained. That is listed as a readiness indicator, but was not one for us.
Next, my thoughts on the book. We followed the book very closely. We did indeed set aside a day just for this purpose. We had all the supplies, snacks, and very desirable big boys undies in the favorite characters. We DID NOT use a peeing doll. I didn't want the hassle. We used a teddy bear that we dubbed "Big Boy Bear" who had his own undies to use as a model. A note here on undies, buy them BIG. I did not do well guestimating sizes for either boy and ended up using my older son's undies with little Jack so he could easily get them up and down.
Preparations: Before the actual day, you can practice teaching your child how to lift and lower their own pants. This greatly helps the process. You can do this when dressing and undressing them- have them do it themselves. There are instructions in the book about the best way to teach them this. Once you determine your start day, you can start talking up "Potty Day!" with great excitement and build anticipating of the time your child will learn to use the big boy potty! Don't let them use it prior and keep it as a big reward.
Thoughts on nighttime: I really think that the back and forth between diapers and undies is very confusing for little bodies so we did not start potty training until we were prepared to deal with a few nights of wet sheets. Once we had "Potty Day!" we did not use diapers or pullups ever again. Not going backwards. That can really extend the process which is frustrating for everyone.
On Potty Day, I really did follow the dialogue given in the book. I even had the book open because I would forget what to say. "How in the heck can I talk about going potty all day?" but you can! :) The main difference is that we chose to pretend the stuffed bear was going pee instead of using a peeing doll. (If you have girls, the peeing doll might be a big thrill, not so much in this house of boys.)
Potty Chair? We used a little potty for Boy #1 and had him empty it when it was only pee. That lasted a couple weeks until we were going on vacation and weren't going to bring a little potty on the airplane. With Boy #2, we never used the little potty, never even showed it to him. Much easier to be familiar with a big potty right away. We taught him how to use his hands to balance to keep him from falling in.
Stand up or Sit for boys? We chose to teach the boys sitting down because sometimes they poop even when they didn't think they had to go poop. once they get the hang of it, then we moved to standing up.
This method was very successful for us. Boy #1 had a few accidents at night (he woke up crying because he didn't understand why he was wet and wasn't all the way awake) for about 2 weeks or so. Also a few day time accidents for the first week or so. Then we was done! Boy #2 was even more successful. He had daytime accidents for 1 week or so and NO nighttime accidents! That was such a surprise to us, but what a wonderful blessing.
The only thing that drives me a bit crazy still is that Boy #2, Jack, can't figure out how to go potty and leave his pants on so he needs help untangling them every time. We are working on it slowly and getting there everyday.
Hope this is helpful! Blessings to your potty training adventures!
First of all, please read Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Azrin COVER to COVER before attempting to train. Don't do any half-hearted attempts, the stops and starts and back and forth can be very confusing for little ones.
Second, be sure your child is ready. For my #1 boy, we waited until 3 months shy of his 3rd birthday. Many people would train much earlier, but we were unsure of his readiness and also had lots of transitions in our home which I knew would make it harder. For #2, he showed us he was ready because he started asking to use the potty like his older brother - he was about 2 1/2. Neither boy was ever dry through the night or nap in his diaper before we trained. That is listed as a readiness indicator, but was not one for us.
Next, my thoughts on the book. We followed the book very closely. We did indeed set aside a day just for this purpose. We had all the supplies, snacks, and very desirable big boys undies in the favorite characters. We DID NOT use a peeing doll. I didn't want the hassle. We used a teddy bear that we dubbed "Big Boy Bear" who had his own undies to use as a model. A note here on undies, buy them BIG. I did not do well guestimating sizes for either boy and ended up using my older son's undies with little Jack so he could easily get them up and down.
Preparations: Before the actual day, you can practice teaching your child how to lift and lower their own pants. This greatly helps the process. You can do this when dressing and undressing them- have them do it themselves. There are instructions in the book about the best way to teach them this. Once you determine your start day, you can start talking up "Potty Day!" with great excitement and build anticipating of the time your child will learn to use the big boy potty! Don't let them use it prior and keep it as a big reward.
Thoughts on nighttime: I really think that the back and forth between diapers and undies is very confusing for little bodies so we did not start potty training until we were prepared to deal with a few nights of wet sheets. Once we had "Potty Day!" we did not use diapers or pullups ever again. Not going backwards. That can really extend the process which is frustrating for everyone.
On Potty Day, I really did follow the dialogue given in the book. I even had the book open because I would forget what to say. "How in the heck can I talk about going potty all day?" but you can! :) The main difference is that we chose to pretend the stuffed bear was going pee instead of using a peeing doll. (If you have girls, the peeing doll might be a big thrill, not so much in this house of boys.)
Potty Chair? We used a little potty for Boy #1 and had him empty it when it was only pee. That lasted a couple weeks until we were going on vacation and weren't going to bring a little potty on the airplane. With Boy #2, we never used the little potty, never even showed it to him. Much easier to be familiar with a big potty right away. We taught him how to use his hands to balance to keep him from falling in.
Stand up or Sit for boys? We chose to teach the boys sitting down because sometimes they poop even when they didn't think they had to go poop. once they get the hang of it, then we moved to standing up.
This method was very successful for us. Boy #1 had a few accidents at night (he woke up crying because he didn't understand why he was wet and wasn't all the way awake) for about 2 weeks or so. Also a few day time accidents for the first week or so. Then we was done! Boy #2 was even more successful. He had daytime accidents for 1 week or so and NO nighttime accidents! That was such a surprise to us, but what a wonderful blessing.
The only thing that drives me a bit crazy still is that Boy #2, Jack, can't figure out how to go potty and leave his pants on so he needs help untangling them every time. We are working on it slowly and getting there everyday.
Hope this is helpful! Blessings to your potty training adventures!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Great Homeschool Moment
So, today we were talking about the way artists render water in their art. We've been reading "The Story of Ping" with Five in a Row and talking about the way the illustrator used wavy lines to indicate water. I got a book called "Water Through the Eyes of Artists" from the library. (out of print, wish I could get my hands on it!). It is several paintings from different artists that show a wide variety of ways to paint water. When we got to the painting shown in the middle photo, Josh said, "I like that one. Wait! Wait, Mommy. I have to get something!" And went running around the house. He finally located what he wanted, a book we own called "The Lion and The Little Red Bird." He opened to the page shown in the bottom photo and said that the painting had reminded him of this page in his book. Amazing. A connection. Completely unforced, came spontaneously and naturally. Confirmation that this is indeed the right choice for our family.
Fun Family Craft
I made our silly family based on a craft from Martha Stewart. They are aluminum roof flashing with paint, scraps of fabric and photocopied heads. Creativity is a great outlet and refreshing for me. When I get down in the Mommy Dumps, I try to force myself into the garage and my little craft corner to do something. I often have more than one thing started, so I can just jump in. Often I am too tired to do it and too tired to be creative, but if I can just get myself started, then I usually am rejuvenated and refreshed. Usually I do this during nap time, but now that the boys are older and can play together, I can work a bit when they are up and around. I think it's a great example to them too, so I try not to feel guilty for having mommy time in the middle of the day.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Elizabeth Goudge
I have discovered a new author, thanks to Sarah Clarkson (see Itinerant Idealist blog link). Goudge's wonderful, vivid language is thrilling to read. I have only read one but can't wait to get my hands on the rest of hers!! Old books like these are so superior to most of what's out there now. Happy Reading!
http://www.elizabethgoudge.com/biblio.html
http://www.elizabethgoudge.com/biblio.html
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Chores for 5-year olds?
I need ideas for chores for 5-year-olds. Right now, Josh feeds the dog, helps unload the dishwasher and helps fold the laundry.
He has become fascinated with legos and would like to get some more sets so we told him he could earn the money by doing extra chores. Of course, he is thrilled but I can't think of enough appropriate things... Today he washed the insides and outsides of the downstairs windows. Other ideas, Moms?
He has become fascinated with legos and would like to get some more sets so we told him he could earn the money by doing extra chores. Of course, he is thrilled but I can't think of enough appropriate things... Today he washed the insides and outsides of the downstairs windows. Other ideas, Moms?
Jer 6:16
This is my new favorite verse.
"Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls."
It's such a nice reminder to me that women have been homemakers, homeschoolers, wives and mothers for thousands of years. Sometimes less is more. (Now, don't think I have any plans to give up my dishwasher or clothes washer - because I don't!). But sometimes, we can choose the "ancient path," for instance, giving away some of the huge kitchen appliances that we rarely use that take up precious space. For me, that was an electric wok and a steamer. I also moved the other hardly used appliances (that my husband isn't yet willing to part with) up high so that I can utilize the space that I can reach.
"Stand at the crossroads and look." Before making decisions, pause and think, What would God have me do here? What is best for my family, my energy level, my sanity?
"Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls."
It's such a nice reminder to me that women have been homemakers, homeschoolers, wives and mothers for thousands of years. Sometimes less is more. (Now, don't think I have any plans to give up my dishwasher or clothes washer - because I don't!). But sometimes, we can choose the "ancient path," for instance, giving away some of the huge kitchen appliances that we rarely use that take up precious space. For me, that was an electric wok and a steamer. I also moved the other hardly used appliances (that my husband isn't yet willing to part with) up high so that I can utilize the space that I can reach.
"Stand at the crossroads and look." Before making decisions, pause and think, What would God have me do here? What is best for my family, my energy level, my sanity?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Family Team
So yesterday was a hard day. Jack was throwing the never-ending tantrums, mostly related to not wanting to get re-dressed after going potty. A necessary skill to one's life, so we keep working on it. In the morning I had prayed with the kids that God would make us a great team. I think we had about 3 hours of mostly continual tantrums and discipline.
So, it was somewhat miraculous when later that afternoon, I had one of those, "oh my goodness, God totally answered that prayer" moments. We were outside, kids were playing while I was working in the garden a bit, trimming the flowers and watering. Then, Jack wanted to "help Mommy water? can I mommy can I?" so I let him. Then, I asked Josh to use his little wagon to take my trimmings to the trash can. He happily agreed and took about 5 loads of hydrangea blossoms to the trash. And I went on clipping. Then I looked around and realized that we were indeed working as a team. Everyone was involved, having fun, being together, serving. It was a great moment.
So be encouraged! Your hard Mommy work will pay off, bit by bit, as you watch your kids grow in responsibility and attitude and love for God.
So, it was somewhat miraculous when later that afternoon, I had one of those, "oh my goodness, God totally answered that prayer" moments. We were outside, kids were playing while I was working in the garden a bit, trimming the flowers and watering. Then, Jack wanted to "help Mommy water? can I mommy can I?" so I let him. Then, I asked Josh to use his little wagon to take my trimmings to the trash can. He happily agreed and took about 5 loads of hydrangea blossoms to the trash. And I went on clipping. Then I looked around and realized that we were indeed working as a team. Everyone was involved, having fun, being together, serving. It was a great moment.
So be encouraged! Your hard Mommy work will pay off, bit by bit, as you watch your kids grow in responsibility and attitude and love for God.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
This Should Make You Laugh
So today I was wearing a tank top/sports bra to work out in. One of those things I would never wear out of the house.
Jack came over when I was sitting down and pointed to my tummy. "Yat's your tummy." and then he said, "and yat's your utter tummy." Nice. My muffin top is now two tummies.
:)
Jack came over when I was sitting down and pointed to my tummy. "Yat's your tummy." and then he said, "and yat's your utter tummy." Nice. My muffin top is now two tummies.
:)
Friday, July 11, 2008
Prov 11:25b
"He who waters will be watered himself."
This is such a great verse and encouraging to those of us that are pouring into our husbands and kids. It's an assurance that we will get "watered" by the One who holds Life.
This is such a great verse and encouraging to those of us that are pouring into our husbands and kids. It's an assurance that we will get "watered" by the One who holds Life.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Quote from book: Endangered Minds
"How can children bombarded from birth by noise, frenetic schedules, and the helter-skelter caretaking of a fast-paced adult world learn to analyze, reflect, ponder? How can they use quiet inner conversation to build personal realities, sharpen and extend their visual reasoning?"
I want to create a haven where there is time for reflecting and pondering. Lots of quiet in both time and space. In both physical surroundings and time schedule (or lack thereof). It's a constant battle in busy southern California, but it's a battle I am committed to fighting.
I want to create a haven where there is time for reflecting and pondering. Lots of quiet in both time and space. In both physical surroundings and time schedule (or lack thereof). It's a constant battle in busy southern California, but it's a battle I am committed to fighting.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
First Day of School
We had a great first day of school today. Josh enjoyed our reading, vocabulary time, playing with new magnetic letters and magnet board- and so did Jack! We also did some cutting practice while Jack played outside. They both had a lovely morning. As did I. After Jack was in bed, Josh and I did his reading lesson and some more reading.
Great Verse
I was praying about "understanding my human limits" (something Nora suggested I try to get a grasp on) and I found this verse... very applicable to me and my life. I need to know my limits and what I can reasonable do and feel in a day. and not "busy myself in vain." New Living says "all our busy rushing ends in nothing." Isn't THAT the truth???!!
Psa 39:4 - 6
"LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
Psa 39:4 - 6
"LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
Monday, July 7, 2008
Writing
I forgot to mention that I submitted by first article/story to a magazine today! Feels so awkward and scary, but I am glad I followed through. We shall see what happens!
Tomorrow's the Day!
Well, tomorrow is the big day we launch into this homeschooling adventure! I am super excited, nervous, anxious, a bit fearful, but mostly just happy about it. Once I get a functioning scanner, I will post some more info on what exactly we are doing. The gist is that we are doing: Five in a Row (starting with Mike Mulligan and then Katy), Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, a nature journal sporadically, a century book sporadically and as many art projects as I can stand! We are reading the Vos Child's Story Bible for Bible time and will do memory verses weekly or so. I am hoping to slide in some low-key great artists and musicians occasionally as well. Seems like a lot, but really it'll just be the Five in a Row and Reading Lessons 4 times per week with the other stuff throw in during the afternoons. This week and next we have swimming lessons, so we probably won't even add any afternoon things until August. Off on a great journey!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Great Email
This is from a dear friend in reply to my email of being overwhelmed last week. I think she's right on.
I wrote:
Having an overwhelmed day. Feeling nervous about starting school next week even though we’re “just” doing pre-k type stuff. Feeling inadequate esp. when compared to my teacher trained elem school friends. Feel insecure. Feel like I have to keep busy busy and feeling frantic though there isn’t really that much new stuff to do. Wanting to go through my house head to toe and get rid of more stuff – I don’t want to keep getting “stuff” and always have to be managing the “stuff.” Too tired and emotionally drained to have anything left for my poor husband and feeling bad about that on the one hand and “oh well. Too bad for him” on the other. Going to try to sit still and journal at nap time today… have such a need for constant productivity. Need for worth I think, but don’t really understand why. Trying to figure it out with my counselor. Unable to sit still. Feel like “if I can just…” in so many areas that the house would be under better control, but I know it’s not really true- at least not all the time. Lack of patience with my two year old. Tantrums are so draining.
My friend's reply:
I'm right there with you. I've had so many days like that. I have to believe that it's Satan. He doesn't want us at home. He doesn't want us to homeschool and he doesn't want us to have good marriages. I wish I had some great advice but lately I've found that all I can do is just lay it all before God and ask Him to help me and take over where I can't complete things.
I wrote:
Having an overwhelmed day. Feeling nervous about starting school next week even though we’re “just” doing pre-k type stuff. Feeling inadequate esp. when compared to my teacher trained elem school friends. Feel insecure. Feel like I have to keep busy busy and feeling frantic though there isn’t really that much new stuff to do. Wanting to go through my house head to toe and get rid of more stuff – I don’t want to keep getting “stuff” and always have to be managing the “stuff.” Too tired and emotionally drained to have anything left for my poor husband and feeling bad about that on the one hand and “oh well. Too bad for him” on the other. Going to try to sit still and journal at nap time today… have such a need for constant productivity. Need for worth I think, but don’t really understand why. Trying to figure it out with my counselor. Unable to sit still. Feel like “if I can just…” in so many areas that the house would be under better control, but I know it’s not really true- at least not all the time. Lack of patience with my two year old. Tantrums are so draining.
My friend's reply:
I'm right there with you. I've had so many days like that. I have to believe that it's Satan. He doesn't want us at home. He doesn't want us to homeschool and he doesn't want us to have good marriages. I wish I had some great advice but lately I've found that all I can do is just lay it all before God and ask Him to help me and take over where I can't complete things.
You've always been such a successful and way-above-average person. It's hard to see a dirty toilet and mounds of dishes. Then see the reading lesson that you were supposed to finish 3 days ago still sitting on the "to-do" pile.
If it's any comfort... I did a HORRIBLE job with my son's school this year. He hardly got anything from me the entire 4 months that we had our foster child. It seemed like we always had to go to the dentist or doctor or grocery store and we were never "home" to homeschool. I just gave him an informal standardized test for first grade and he scored at the very top in all categories. I know that was God. It couldn't be the sorry performance I put in. I know that God is honoring our effort to follow His plan for us. Then it has become painfully obvious that our second son has learning problems. Two days ago this same son read a BOB book with 3 letter words. It was AWESOME and I had to hold back the tears so that he didn't think I'd totally lost it.
This is a war we are in but we don't have to worry about the outcome. God has already claimed the victory. There will be lots of pain. There will be tons of knocks to our self-worth and confidence. Just when we think we've relaxed and found a peaceful groove and routine, something else will come up.
Do you have a cleaning lady? Most homeschool moms I know say that they have very messy houses and they all have cleaning ladies too. We really can't afford it but we're going to anyway for my sanity, you know?
Yesterday, I went to a friend's house from church to return baby stuff she left me borrow. She is very rich and she lives in a huge mansion. The house has all handcrafted wood and marble. She has her own "school room" to homeschool her 4 kids. It's awesome. She has a cleaning lady 2 times per week. Must be nice, right? Well, I arrived much earlier than I thought and she wasn't home yet but her teenage daughter was. The house was a wreck! There were papers all over the floor. There were dirty dishes all over the fancy kitchen. It might sound mean but it made me feel so good. It made me feel like all the money in the world won't change my situation. I am going to make a big effort to quit beating myself up and just try to roll with life.
I heard a speaker say this one time and it has always stuck with me... If Jesus walked into your house right this very minute, what would he be impressed by? Would he care about the dust on the shelves? Would he care that your children are safe and feel loved? Would he care that there is a block of moldy cheese in the refrigerator drawer? I'm pretty sure that I know what He would care about and I'm just shooting for those things, you know?
I love you so much. I also admire you. You are doing God's work. He has given you a precious ministry to your family and you have "done well good and faithful servant." Know that you are deeply loved and revered and that there are a ton of us moms battling this out right along side you. (If you meet someone who seems like they've got it all together, they usually don't.) Things are usually so icky that they've learned how to cover it all up so that they don't have to face it or let anyone else see it. Don't listen to people who think that there is a way to "have it all" clean house, happy kids, brilliant kids, happy husband, skinny body, - it's a lie! We all fall short of perfect and all we can do is try to bring honor and glory to God every day. You have done that and you have shown others how to do that.
I love you, girl.
Take care.
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog, a place of encouragement for moms as well as a place for me to share the tidbits I am learning along my journey. Come and be encouraged!
Today is actually a grumpy day for me, but this is energizing. I am too tired for my brain to work right or to adequately love my family. So I sent them away. :)
Not really, but my husband did offer to take the kids to fly kites (and didn't even ask me to go along, praise the Lord!) and I readily agreed that it was a good idea. Sometimes I feel bad needing so much time to myself, but I know that as a low-energy and somewhat introverted person, I need a lot of down time to maintain some semblance of balance. Nora (my dear therapist, I imagine you'll be hearing lots of tidbits that came from her) helped me to understand that I am either full-steam ahead or crashed. Nothing half done, or even done in a calm matter. Must be efficient, must be productive. I haven't figured out WHY I am like that yet, but I am ssssllllooowwwwwly learning how to do things 85% instead of 110%.
Happy 5th of July, it's my dear sister's bday today. Happy Bday, Sis!
Today is actually a grumpy day for me, but this is energizing. I am too tired for my brain to work right or to adequately love my family. So I sent them away. :)
Not really, but my husband did offer to take the kids to fly kites (and didn't even ask me to go along, praise the Lord!) and I readily agreed that it was a good idea. Sometimes I feel bad needing so much time to myself, but I know that as a low-energy and somewhat introverted person, I need a lot of down time to maintain some semblance of balance. Nora (my dear therapist, I imagine you'll be hearing lots of tidbits that came from her) helped me to understand that I am either full-steam ahead or crashed. Nothing half done, or even done in a calm matter. Must be efficient, must be productive. I haven't figured out WHY I am like that yet, but I am ssssllllooowwwwwly learning how to do things 85% instead of 110%.
Happy 5th of July, it's my dear sister's bday today. Happy Bday, Sis!
