New skills

I am having so much fun! Sabbatical's are a great time to have fun as well as learn new skills and have time to explore new opportunities. Here is a rundown of my activities this past week:

Securing meaningful employment - one blog post at a time 

I haven't posted on this blog for a few days because I have been working.  No, this isn't full time employment with benefits - but it does pay a little money. I am writing blog articles for a marketing firm in Colorado. I am learning so much from the two gentlemen who are teaching me about marketing and writing content.

I also just finished another session of reviewing grants and I'm now writing a grant proposal. In addition, I have decided to do a little creative marketing for myself by developing a professional blog to hold information that highlights my work experience, portfolio samples, and accomplishments in one place without adding more words to my resume. I am also updating my website and marketing materials.

Pinterest

Yes, I succumbed to peer pressure and created a Pinterest Account.  I have had to be disciplined however because this can be addicting! I am now on my way to decorating not one but 2 dream houses and they will both need 12 sides to house all the porches I have found and fell in love with. We won't even discuss the bathrooms I have found.  Can you say MANSION?

Packer 5K Update

Right now it is 57.5 hours until I walk in my first 5K!!!!  So yes, I have been walking and sorta training, but this week between the extreme heat, rain, extra work I have remained close to home and relied on my new treadmill.

Avery

Have I told you lately that I have an extremely bright and very beautiful grandchild?  No?? At least not for a few days and I know how much you missed hearing about her.  Well this past week was no different from previous weeks.  Lots of play, many hugs and kisses, dancing and Youtube learning videos (and a few fun movies). Her new favorite activity when we are together is brushing Gaga's hair.  My brain cells have been stimulated as a result.  Not because it requires thought, but because she is still learning to brush gently.  She bangs the brush onto my head and when I quietly moan she giggles and says "Sorry Gaga" (repeatedly).

She also has a new "friend". Our neighbors had a garage sale and she investigated every toy in the free box.  What did she find at the very bottom of the box?  A plastic snake and a squishy rubber caterpillar. (pictured on the left) She fell in love immediately and carried it everywhere until her Mommy thought it was her cousins and left it in Auntie Pennies car.  I looked everywhere for that thing, and she helped!  Finally she remembered that it was in Auntie Pennie's car!  On Saturday night, she reunited with her new friend thanks to Uncle Chris.

I know I promised to post pictures of our first annual "Gaga's Summer Camp for 2.5 year old girls named Avery" and I will.  I will work on that this week - well what's left of it anyway.  Look for those tomorrow morning - or maybe on Monday because tomorrow morning I leave for GREEN BAY!!!!  Packer 5K here I come!

Creative, fun ideas for Parents, Teachers and Childcare Professionals

I just found this site and have already found ideas to use the next time Avery comes to visit.  (In about 2 hours as a matter of fact) Creative, fun ideas for Parents, Teachers and Childcare Professionals

I love watching Avery's mind at work - the expressions on her face, the way she focuses when she is drawing or coloring, the excitement she feels when she has created something all by herself - and then celebrating another moment of growth.

As a young Mom, I always wanted to spend time doing crafts with my sons.  Sometimes they were interested in the end result of what they made, most of the time they were more interested in the PROCESS - of getting messy.  The messier the better because the end result of that was a bath. (Or in some cases, praying them down with a hose outside) Boys are very different from girls. I wouldn't do crafts very often with them because I hated the clean up and didn't have quite as much patience as I do now.

As a Gramma (Gaga) I have a lot more patience and right now because of unemployment my sabbatical, I have a lot more time. And while Avery does enjoy a good bubble bath, when she gets messy it is "eeeeuuuuuu!!!! yukky!!!!!, messy!!!!!, dirty!!!!, ocky!!!!" so it is a very different experience and one that does not result in a LOT of extra clean up time.  Just a little.

I have also learned that preparation and organization is key.  Children do not have the patience for waiting while grownups get the supplies together.  Now I have a box dedicated to age appropriate craft supplies.  She is still too little to cut things by herself, but the time is coming for us to introduce safety scissors.  That is on my list for the next shopping trip but for now, Gaga does the cutting.  To alleviate a fight over discussion about who handles the big girl scissors, I have prepped ahead of time wherever possible, by cutting everything out ahead of time so that all she has to do is choose which picture/shape she wants to use in her masterpiece.

Yes, with Avery I am basically the facilitator and she is the artist.  Sometimes she wants me to "help" so we will color a picture or draw shape people together.  Most of the time however, she is exercising her independence and I will hear, "Avery do it!"

I have also learned over the years that perfection is not as important as the process of letting them learn to create and accomplish something on their own. There is plenty of time and opportunity for gentle correction and teaching along the way. The fact that they did it themselves is the end goal here and cause for celebration every time.