Dashing through the snow...

So for the first time ever, the girls and I decided to make their teachers' Christmas gifts rather then purchase ready-made gifts. My original thought was that it would save money. Well....five containers of chocolate walnut chunk cookie mixes later, I can't say that I'm sold on the cost-saving factor, but I can say the experience of making those gifts with each of my girls was definitely worth it! (I'm not even talking about all of the fabulous ways we covered so many measurement and number sense objectives!) Having the opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with each of them was invaluable!

In the constant hustle and bustle of life, I often feel as if I am "dashing through snow", figuratively speaking. I rush from one meeting to the next, from one place to the next, many times without pausing to truly experience any of them. Am I a bad mother if I admit that this often includes the time I have with my girls? We have time together almost every day, but frequently my mind is elsewhere or I'm simply wiped out after the work day.

Today, getting to stand side-by-side with each of them and show them how to measure out 1/2 cup of sugar or 1/4 teaspoon of salt, this was not the case. It was so fun getting to see them feel and describe the "soft" flour, the "sticky, sticky" brown sugar, and the "crunchy" baking soda, all the while letting them scoop, measure, count, and layer the ingredients. The highlight was hearing each of them say, unbeknownst to the other, how "cool it is to make things with you, Mommy!" SO, whether it was a money-saving experience or not, it doesn't really matter. It was one of those moments of childhood every parent has been advised to cherish every one of. It was also one of those experiences that will hopefully remind me to reduce the amount of time I spend "dashing through the snow" over the next couple of weeks, and instead stop and truly cherish the time I will have to spend with my amazing daughters.

Oh, and one more thing...Emily was against making the gifts from the beginning and said we should just buy something. By the end of the afternoon, however, she was a convert and said, "I'm really glad we made these instead of buying some. I think our teachers will really like them, especially when we tell them we made them!"

the cookie mix recipe

the "almost layers" up close

the finished products!

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." 

— Mother Teresa

I am so annoyed! Who is with me?

Meetings without agendas. People who will not be quiet while a speaker is presenting. Older people who must be "in the know". A completely decorated, pre-lit tree where 2/3 of the lights quit working. Styrofoam cups with holes in them. Crumbs in the bed. Lack of organization. Expedited shipping that is one day faster than standard shipping but $10 more expensive. Ugly dolls that are insanely overpriced. Bossy people. Complaining for the sake of complaining. Excuse-making. 

Ok, I feel better....and yes, that is just from one day!

OH, and one more thing...meeting your health insurance deductible with only three weeks left in the year!

"The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances." 
— Martha Washington

Because I need one more thing!

I'm intrigued by blogs. Not really sure why, but reading what usually amounts to someone's ramblings on about any or no particular topic at all interests me. Do you suppose it is because of the conversation void that technology has created in most of our world? Is it human nature's desire to "spy" or eavesdrop on others? Who knows, but I figured it was about time I delve into this technological realm of journaling.

It's quite humorous to think that I am currently the only person who will read this, in which case is my intrigue with the blog, simply a desire to journal? Who knows - we'll see! Maybe I will share favorite quotes, or maybe I will share favorite recipes, or maybe I will even share tech tips. Whatever direction my brain leads me, my phalanges will follow! Enjoy and who knows, maybe you'll find one thing worthwhile!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain