Day 13: Breathe, Seek, Play..Cuddles.

We had a half day of school today...tomorrow is a teacher's workday. Tonight it is a movie night and cuddles. What's important? What am I focused on? Cuddling with my sweet boys..writing can wait :) I know what is important...and my heart (and arms) are filled with it ♥

Day 12: Breathe, Seek, Play and Play some more

The boys have worked so hard on their school project...today with the weather being so nice we had a play date at our house.  They had two of their friends over and they played in the backyard, had fun on the swing set, played soccer and basketball.  They were having a blast.  It was great to see them having fun and bonding with their friends.  It was fun hanging out with the "moms" and having our "play" time too.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, and the boys actually shared how much they had memorized their speeches from their School Wax Museum of Famous Americans.  I was amazed that they nailed them...without any notes or reminders.  In just one day, of repeating their speeches they had remembered every single line!  Tonight we played Trouble.  Usually Elliott wins, every single game...even when he is far behind he seems to have the luck to win every time!  Tonight Cooper prevailed even though there were times when it was anyone's game.  They actually play with great thought, they choose another option rather than taking someone out.   If they have another move to make, they will make it and they will apologize if they have no other choice but to send you back home.  Thinking of today, how they played their "famous person" at the wax museum, then having a play date of fun, ending in a family fun night with a board game...I think it is important we take time out of our days to play, to really play.  Even if it is just for 30 minutes, whether it is with our children or finding something that we enjoy that taps into our inner child.  How important it is that we play.  And, like the speech that the boys played over and over again today at their Wax Museum, it becomes ingrained...memorized..and a part of us.  All we have to do is make the time.  Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "It is a happy talent to know how to play."  I think he is right, when is the last time you played, really played? Joined in on a game with a childlike heart....how did it make you feel inside?  Remember that feeling?  Isn't it worth repeating over and and over again until it is not just a "family fun night" but it is every night...that we take time, we make time to play.  So what if there is a mess?  Who cares if you win or lose?  The memories are in the making...enjoy every moment because there are no rewinds, only flashbacks....what do you want your flashbacks to be? Ours will have lots of PLAY in them!

Day 11: Breathe, Seek, Play....Exhale

Exhale....more like it.  Tomorrow the boys are presenting a Wax Museum Performance.  They have had a few days to research a famous American, write a narrative, and type up a book report complete with cover page and bibliography.  Yes, this is third grade.  The final project is to recite a one minute speech about the famous person you chose.  Cooper chose Thomas Jefferson and Elliott choose Paul Revere....and we are so fortunate that many of our Halloween costumes have been historical figures so we were one step ahead.  We also had a ton of books for them to find more information and we watched education videos on youtube on each of them.  Tomorrow is the big day and they will have a "button" that someone can push and they will have to recite their speech.  For Elliott this will be huge, his anxiety about standing up and speaking is through the roof. I reminded him to just take a deep breath and read slowly and clearly.  I told him about what I felt the first time I had to speak in front of class...face flushed, voice shaking and how after I started reading my paper those feelings go away.  It is nerve wracking for most to speak in public , but for Elliott it is that times a "gazillion".  For him to get into character is easy but to allow his friends to see him get into character may be another.  He has no trouble getting into costume and into character at Williamsburg.  He and Cooper will get into costume and become one with any historical reenactment.  They will recreate a reenactment with their Playmobil and are so excited to learn about history.  This school project is going to be an awesome opportunity for him to get out of his comfort zone.  I think it is a fantastic way for the kids to learn about history in a fun and creative way.  It was a fun project to work on with both the boys...I came up with a Hip Hop into History for Elliott's project..I gave him a verse and asked him what did he think.  At first he thought I was crazy, but then he said he liked it and he wanted to do more.  In the end we came up with A Hip Hop into History of Paul Revere.  Cooper debated on reciting part of the Declaration of Independence but after hearing Elliott's Rap, he decided to get in on the "rap thing".  In the end they didn't "rap" it out but said reading it was more their style.  I think they did a phenomenal job.  School projects can be hair pulling, whine inducing, head banging into the wall events for our family.  This one had moments of all three, but in the end it's a bonding experience for us all, and to see the kids light up when they are learning and when they see the final result of all their hard work...it's beyond amazing.  We are at the finish line, and all the hard work is complete, the fun Wax Museum of History will be their moment to "exhale" for a job well done!   I thought of how this all tied in with our Lent theme.  Sometimes, we are giving things or project in life that are challenges, sometimes we work hard, we get into character, we have to step outside of our comfort zone, we struggle, we do our best...and the most important part is to remember to breathe.  Whether or not it is the breath we take or the breath that we make, something as simple as taking a breath, has the power to make everything feel okay.


And for those of you that would love to read the Hip Hop into History on Paul Revere and Thomas Jefferson....I proudly will share my boys hard work and creativity..who knows maybe they will create an entire series of Raps like School House Rock, and make learning fun!

Hip Hop into History Rap on Thomas Jefferson

By:  Cooper Kleckner

I’m Thomas Jefferson

You may have heard about me.

But I’ll tell you some facts

On how I made history.

I loved playing  the violin

And made lots of inventions

Graduated from William and Mary

loved reading and comprehension.

During the Revolution

Our country needed my brilliance,

So I drafted now very famous words,

Known as the Declaration of Independence.

It took me 17 days,

I wrote both day and night,

About the “pursuit of happiness”

And “unalienable rights”.

I’m Thomas Jefferson

And many years ago,

I built a house called “little mountain”

Which is known as Monticello.

I became our Third President

And much of my success,

Was the greatest land deal

Called the Louisiana Purchase.

I’m Thomas Jefferson

I left quite a legacy,

As a founding father of our country

One of the greatest leaders in history.

My Hip Hop Into History Rap about Paul Revere

By Elliott Kleckner

I’m Paul Revere

And I’m really quite famous

If it wasn’t for me

We might be speaking British.

It started in Massachusetts

Over the taxation of tea

So I got a group of boys

And threw a Boston Tea Party.

I’m Paul Revere

And if it wasn’t for me

The minutemen wouldn’t know

The Brits were coming by land or by sea.

April 18, 1775

I made it perfectly clear,

I didn’t say the British were coming,

I said the Regulars were here!

The ride was at midnight

It wasn’t a bother

I helped to save the life

Of a founding father.     

Samuel Adams

My shout was heard all over

Without even my presence,

It also saved the life

of someone who signed the Declaration of Independence.  

 John Hancok

I hope you learned something

And my message was clear

I am a United States Patriot

Paul Revere!

Day 10: Breathe, Seek, Play..... Grateful

At the beginning of this year we started a Gratitude Jar. Whenever someone feels like writing about something they are thankful for, they'd insert a folded note inside the locked jar. At the end of year we will open the jar and read the messages inside. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." -- William Arthur Ward ♥ Be sure to tell those you love how much you are thankful and grateful for them and what they mean to to you. Be sure to tell them that you love them, in a way that they really know it...so when if they were to read a message you left behind you would never question it. It would only confirm what you've known all along. That is a present that needs to be opened time and time again. To be truly grateful, and to let others know, whether it is a note in jar, a phone call, a message on a wall on facebook, letter in the mail, a smile, giving our time...There are treasures awaiting each of us in our own gratitude jar....when we read them at the end of the year we will only be reminded of what we are truly to be thankful for....go to bed tonight thinking about what are you grateful for and wake up with a grateful heart ♥

Day 9: Breathe, Seek, Play....Ordinary Days

Today was a perfectly ordinary day.  Sure, it could have been less dreary with the all day rain but I am grateful for "ordinary" days.  The get up in the morning with no schedule, no set plans, just to hang out with your family and be together.  Grateful for sitting around the breakfast table and sharing in morning conversations, the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch...Moments of out of the ordinary, like holding our pet frog and having him urinating on my sweater (because this is what it is like in our house, anything can happen)  An afternoon spent sorting through pictures, working on school projects, haircuts, watching a late afternoon basketball game.  Then ordering a fabulous dinner to celebrate a special birthday.  Ending the night watching a movie, cuddled on the couch with my little men.  Grateful for these ordinary moments.  I was sitting down to write this and head off to bed when "the Vow" came on.  And I'll end with this quote:

 The thing is each one of us,

is the sum total of every moment 

that we ever experience, 

with all the people we've ever known.

And it's these moments 

that become our history.

Like our own personal of 

greatest hits of memories.

We play and replay in our minds, 

over and over again.

 Life's all about moments,

 of impact 

and how they changes our lives forever. 

But what if one day you could no longer remember any of them? 

- Leo

Some of the best days, are spent like this....I'd be perfectly happy if the rest of my days are as "ordinary" as this one. 

Day 8: Breathe, Seek, Play.....Dance.

Tonight my boys went to their very first (of many) school dances. It was given by the Student Government for 3rd-5th graders. Cooper wanted to go right away, he felt it was an honor to represent the Student Government. Elliott, on the other hand, had no interest whatsoever in going to the dance. I thought how could I make this experience fun for both of them and get Elliott to want to go (which would be a great social outing for him). We are blessed to live in a neighborhood where they have been in class with many of our neighbors, and through the years we've enjoyed hanging out altogether at many events. I suggested a dinner (pizza party) before and ice cream after the dance, something the kids could all meet up and go as a group and make the dance even more fun. All of the parents agreed and we reserved a room at Pizza Inn and invited others to join. The big day was here, and the boys actually were excited and looked forward to dressing up and going to see everyone. Elliott looked forward to hanging out, he still insisted he was not going to dance. Cooper said he was not going to dance either but he was excited to see his friends. We all met at the restaurant, the kids at one table and the adults at another. The kids laughter and conversations were nonstop for the hour and half we were there. It was one of those moments were for a second you look over and watch them enjoying their big moment, and in another moment you are thinking...how did they grow up so fast. There they all sat, dressed up sitting there together having a dinner and enjoying each others company. We were having so much fun that we were all late to the dance! When we pulled up to the school the boys were jumping out and running off to the dance. Even Elliott was excited to get inside, and I had to get them to pause (with help from their PE teacher) so I could grab a quick snapshot. Off they disappeared into the school and towards the gymnasium blaring music. Wow, this was a moment. One I didn't think would come for years (like middle school) but here it was, the first of many moments that are milestones for both us as parents and for them as young men. The time seemed to stand still for just a few minutes when we got home and then before we knew it, we were on our way to pick them back up. And in that time, I felt how fast this all was happening. Just yesterday they were my babies, and I held them both in my arms...and now they are off at their first dance. I wondered if they would dance, since they both lack any sort of rhythm (I told the girls to help them out if they tried to do the Cupid Shuffle and didn't know their right from their left). I wondered if they'd try to dance or mimic their friends dance moves as best they could. As much as I wanted to be a fly on the wall at the dance, what I really wanted was to find a pause button, I want to make these moments last. I want to freeze these moments and hold onto them, they are growing up so fast. It is bittersweet to watch them grow and learn; the holding on and letting go...you don't realize how fast it all is going until these moments give you a moment to pause, and you catch your breath. The boys enjoyed a wonderful time with their friends at the dinner, at the dance and at the ice cream social....I am so thankful and blessed we were there for part of their special moment. In the end, Elliott was glad that he went, and they both said that they danced ♥ I hope they will always remember this moment, and I hope "they never loose their sense of wonder and when they get the choice to sit it out or dance...I hope they dance".

Day 7: Breathe, Seek, Play...Spilled Milk

Well, ok it wasn't spilled milk. It was more like broken glass. Garage Glass Window - 1 Cooper - 0 This wasn't the first time our garage door glass was broken, first it was Elliott with a basketball...today it was Cooper with a tennis ball. I found out how to replace the glass the first time on youtube with a how to video. I discovered this after calling after hour glass repairmen to do the work (with no answer). The first time the glass was broken it was on a weekend and we couldn't leave a big gaping hole in our garage that anyone could crawl through, and the dog could escape. After watching the video, I felt confident I could take on the job. I have tools and I am not afraid to use them. I measured the glass and removed the shards of broken glass, then I removed the wooden frame. A quick trip to Lowe's to get a "Glass Cutter" to provide me with a replacement and the repair was on! It was a simple repair, but one in which the boys could see that I could fix something that was broken. It was something they come to expect, that I, as their mommy can fix anything that is broken. I thought about it a lot today as this was the second time our garage glass was broken. Am I doing them justice in fixing everything that has been broken? They have brought me countless toys, stuffed animals, books, etc that needed repair...and I have managed to fix each an every one. But it gave me pause today to think, will they assume everything that breaks can be put back together? Sometimes in life, there are things that are broken that cannot be fixed. No matter how many times you apply super glue the cracks are too much to sustain repair. I think that it applies to my Lent...I focused on fixing the repair, I enjoyed replacing the glass and showing my boys I was more than capable...but did I really make their lives by doing this? There is something to be said for the broken pieces and what we learn from the. I think had it not been for the broken glass I would have had them help, rather than observe the repair process. I think there is an important lesson for us to learn with our "broken glass" that sometimes there are things that no time, no words, no tools, no amount of super glue can fix. It reminds me of the quote "sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." There are so many things that will break throughout our lifetime...hearts, dishes, waves, your car, records and even glass....I think what is important is how we fit the pieces back together and repair them as best we can, even when they fall apart.  I think if we look close enough, even the broken pieces the cracks left behind will either allow light to shine in or out....I choose to believe that faith and hope are more powerful than any superglue.

We're all like glow sticks, no matter how much we're bent and broken our light still shines

Day Six: Breathe, Seek, Play.....WRITE

"Trout wondered what a child who was just learning to read would make of a message like that. The child would suppose that the message was terrifically important, since somebody had gone to the trouble of writing it in letters so big. And then, pretending to be a child at roadside, he read the message on the side of another truck. This was it...." ~ Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions ♥ I Love this quote...write what is important to you, keep a journal...what is your message, your story? I am not always good about keeping up with my online blog but I love to journal and in a way Facebook "updates" have been a form of a "Dear Diary" where we share EVERYTHING, the good the bad...sometimes way too much. Now it is in a time line format so that others can read and see what you were going through....and I am thankful for it. Sometime I will look back on the time line to a year ago and see what was going on in my life, what did I think was important then. It helps me to see how far I've come, in ways that I've grown, and things that I want to focus on more. I am living my story and I am going to challenge myself to write more, to focus on what is important. What I write may not always be someone's cup of tea, but it is mine and I am enjoying each and every sip ♥

~ Breathe, Seek, Play ~ Questions to ask to Simplify, Focus and Enjoy your life!

Day Five: Breathe, Seek, Play....Unwritten

I have been on a crusade, if you will, to have No Book Left Behind.  At my children's Elementary School they were told that they couldn't read books below their grade level and month equivalent.  I was horrified that an educator or staff member would say such a thing.  I began to investigate, ask questions....and learn more than I wanted to about the Accelerated Reading (AR) program.  It is a wonderful program but not without its faults.  There were pro's and con's to what it had to offer.  I have two children who LOVE to read, one very gifted and one on the spectrum.  Too vastly different styles and skill levels...but one common denominator, if you will, they enjoy reading.  I have been on a "No Book Left Behind" campaign at our school for a month.  Many moms have discussed it, but no one wants to be the "that" mom who speaks up and opens the discussion with members at our school. Sure, we are all busy...our kids are succeeding in school...there are things that we all overlook, but for me this was not one of them.  I met with school officials and staff and voiced my concerns on Facebook.  Surprisingly, I found that many have waged their own battles over reading levels and have had issues with AR in one form or another.  I sought to find a common ground, one in which my children could read ALL books...to read books they enjoy, to take away the "points" and reward the children with the wonderment of where the words they read were taking them.  It is still a work in progress but one that I am very happy to report that our school is offering a "Free Choice" to the AR program.  It's not a written policy (yet) but one in which a child that has reached their AR goal can read any book in the library.  I am hoping that our school will adopt it, adjust the Reading Levels to students Zone of Proximal Development test scores and make it their policy to read books within their testing score level and higher if warranted vs. having their choices limited to books that are based upon their grade level and month equivalent . I would love nothing more than to see our school take the initiative to make reading fun again and maybe more kids will put down their gadgets and pick up a book! A policy which the students no longer focus on the points (and only read a book because of a point value) and focus on a variety of reading levels to expose students to books they would miss out on and they genuinely want to read. This is something I seek, and not only advocate for my child but for every student at our school.  Que the Reading Rainbow theme song! 

One might ask, how does this tie into Breathe, Seek, Play...the theme of this years Lent for me?  Of course, we wall care about our children, and their academic success...everyone from parents, to educators, to staff at the schools, etc care about and focus on the children that they come in contact with.  But how it all ties in relates to a quote by an unknown source I stumbled upon (or better yet was led to)  Here it is: 

"Our life is one open book full of pages...we laugh, we cry, we smile, we stumble, we stand, we fail, we succeed....every chapter defines who we really are" 

So what is it that you are passionate about?  What would you do if you knew you could not fail?  Is there something that you wish was different, but yet you kept silent?  Is there something you've put off doing thinking you will have time later to finish? Are there things you wish would change but do not want to look in the mirror?  

My boys are working on a "wax museum" project where they have to write and recite a report an autobiography of a famous American.  They have to research their subject; birth date, birth place, childhood history, how they impacted or influenced history on your life, etc. If someone was writing a book about your life, what would be your story? With a musical lyric I'll end on this note..."today is where your book begins...the rest is still unwritten."

Just Breathe ~ Breathe, Seek, Play

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Some say "You will find as you look back upon your life, that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." Today, I am sifting through and sorting through lots of precious memories...photographs that bring so many emotions, they make me laugh, cry, recall feelings...snap shots taken from my heart...some in focus, some are a blur, pictures of special events or every day life.....there are days in your life you will recall in great detail...and then there are moments where you wish you had an actual snapshot to hold onto, where there is none. Reminds me of one of my favorite photography quotes "Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow. - Imogen Cunningham ~ Breathe, Seek, Play ♥ Happy Tuesday!

Day Four: Breathe, Seek, Play.....Captured Moments

Today is a special day, it's the day my daddy was born.  I went through photographs and posted some from his childhood up to some of more recent ones.  There were a couple I took of him at the beach this year that just made me smile.  It's as if you can hear his laughter in the picture.  I can remember the moment of watching him playing on the beach with my boys and one photograph is capable of capturing so much more than we realize.  There was the picture of my parents kissing and Elliott covering his eyes as if to say "ewwww they are kissing" as his fingers haphazardly covered his eyes with his fingers spreading just enough that he could peer between them and still see them kissing.  This is what I am determined to focus on...just like Elliott was peering through his fingers, he didn't want to miss one single moment...even if he was saying "ewwww" and giggling the entire time.

I have taken an insurmountable amount of pictures, film, digital and on video.  It is a daunting task but one that I am throwing myself into until I get it done.  These pictures, these moments...some filed in a folder on my computer and on my external hard drive; some in boxes, some tucked in files of years that have been waiting to be put in albums.  I have put the project off long enough. It wasn't until one of Jonathan's distant relative had passed away and we inherited a box of nostalgia that I realized more than ever how important it was to do this.  His Great Uncle Bob and Great Aunt Alva had a scrapbook of their lives before they were married, bridal showers cards and gifts, mementos of their wedding, letters and pictures...priceless moments.  Each one documented and displayed, then stored away, who knows when it was last looked at....and there were a few albums of old pictures, with writings under each one, telling a story of what was going on.  It was his story,  her story, their story..and it was beautiful to turn each page and watch it unfold.  Then there were a few boxes of pictures, no rhyme or reason, some with no story to tell....just all kept together in a shoe box or envelope as if that held the memories they entailed.  There were letters to fellow soldiers, and files of events that he had experienced in World War II.  Those were filed in a filing folder and neatly kept together, the folder worn from repeated use and additional storage that it seemed to undertake with each new letter.  There were pictures that we'd look at and wonder what was the story behind this picture...what were they feeling, what had just happened...and sometimes wondering where were they taken.  I knew at this moment, I could no longer put off getting all the pictures I could into albums..in some sort of order, marking as many dates, or ages of the boys as I could.  I plan to include little snippets or notes of what was going on, to help tell the story or what was going on so that when future generations get a box of nostalgia hopefully they will appreciate them as much as we did when we found the old scrapbook and marked photo album.

It is something to focus on...something to seek.  When we look back on old pictures, old memories...what do we see, what do we choose to focus on and hold onto?   How do we want to leave it for our future generations, what stories do we want to pass on and keep alive?  Because too often the elders pass away all to quickly and with them vast stories and memories that were attached to their pictures go with them.  And what is left is a shoe box filled with scattered pictures held together with a rubberband that contains priceless treasured memories...and you cannot unlock the them if you do not have the key.  I want to get my photos and home movies in order, I want to leave a key behind.  I want my boys and future grandchildren and great grandchildren to have that key to unlock the memories and cherish the stories that have been passed down for generations.  I hope they will treasure them as much I do and that they realize that they are so much more than just picture album....they are moments in time, they unlock memories and tell a story with each turn of their page....their story comes to life.  Some say a picture is worth a thousand words....to me they are worth even more.

Breathe, Seek, Play and enjoy the burned biscuits

Burned Biscuits - A lesson we all should learn.

When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!
All my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing...never made a face nor uttered a word about it!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said, "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides--a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"
As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people.
I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today...that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket--keep it in your own."
So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.
And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life--I just did!
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil--it has no point"

Breathe , Seek, Play....Lent

It's not about what you give up over Lent...it's about what you discover ♥ Breathe, Seek, Play

Day Three: Breathe, Seek, Play.....Winter Wonderland

Today's forecast had a chance of snow which quickly changed to a slight accumulation...and then a winter storm advisory. The flakes started to fall steadily just after 3PM. We sat down to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and some chocolate chip cookies under the Christmas Tree...yes you read that correctly...our Christmas Tree. No sooner had we begun to enjoy our cocoa and eat our cookies while chatting about books the boys were reading when we looked out the window and saw it was beginning to snow. I don't know who was more excited me, or the boys. We ran from window to window watching the "snowmageddon". We do not typically get snow here in Eastern NC and when we do, we enjoy it, for tomorrow it will be a memory. The flakes were falling so fast that it was hard to capture pictures on my cell phone, but soon the wet flakes began to form and the accumulation began. Picture after picture, I began to post. Snow fall in our front yard, back yard...a snap shot of our house, the boys having a snow ball fight, catching snowflakes on their tongue and one of our Christmas tree illuminated on the inside of our house in our front living room and another of us watching the snow falling outside with the tree softly glowing in the corner of the room. Many comments, raised eyebrows...did I really still have my tree up? Yes, we do...Are we crazy...perhaps...but those very questions created this post....Why do we have a Christmas Tree up and it is February 16th? What is this all about? Well, last year we left it up because we were going to get a family photo under it...We always take one in January after the holiday hustle and bustle and then take it down just before the Super Bowl..but then one thing after another and no picture months later....then it was almost time to go to the beach for the summer and we thought...why not...my grandmother would leave hers up year 'round so we decided at that point (Mid May) to leave it up in her honor...and you know what...she was a genius! The boys love it, they call it the "Christmas Room" now, it's in our formal living room and we use that room for playing board games and reading books...I think my Grandma Cooper would be very proud and happy seeing our tree lit this evening as it was snowing outside. We even joked that we were the only ones in our neighborhood with a tree still up and how many families probably wished they could turn on their Christmas trees tonight with the snow falling gently to the ground. How magical it looked to see it glowing from the window while we walked down our street, how warm it's lights lit up the room while we enjoyed our hot cocoa and cookies. Christmas can live in your heart all year long...so why not live in a room in your house as well? Filing this moment under Breathe, Seek and Play....for it encompasses all three...the simplicity of keeping a tree up for next year, the focus on the magical wonderment that it instills in the child in all of us , the enjoyment it provides reminds us that it's not just a season...it's all year round. So yes, we have a Christmas Tree still up in our house...because the spirit lives in all of us...and what may have started out as my Grandmothers tradition of making things easier each year by leaving her tree up became a tradition to remind us to be childlike at heart...to keep the spirit all year in our hearts and in our homes ♥

Day Two of Breathe, Seek, Play: Chocolates

Life is like a box of chocolates....or in this case chocolate covered strawberries.  Yesterday while making a couple dozen of so of chocolate covered strawberries, I realized this really does parallel my life and life in general.  I thought I had all the ingredients, and just as I was about to embark on melting the chocolate, I realized I didn't have one key ingredient.  So off to the store I went.  Flash forward 15 minutes later and I was melting chocolate.  It takes 15 second intervals to melt the chocolate and the crisco butter together.  The timing has to be slow or else you risk scorching the chocolate...and as much as I love chocolate, I don't know anyone who enjoys the taste of it burnt.  The comes the time consuming task of dipping each strawberry, covering all sides and gingerly laying it onto the wax paper covered cookie sheet to cool.  This time I opted to try something new, adding sprinkles, which was a learning experience of it's own.  The timing of the sprinkles, do I try it when the chocolate is warm, or slightly cool?  Then, I tried melting vanilla morsels and realized that it seemed to harden faster than its chocolate counterparts.  Next, I attempted to drizzle a unique design of vanilla swirls over the chocolates....and had to figure out how to keep the white chocolate from hardening once inside the condiment container.    It was a process, a sweet one indeed.  There were messes, and mishaps (strawberry caps cannot often endure the weight of dipping into chocolate if you are twisting them side to side). In the end, I ended up with two very beautiful trays of chocolate covered strawberries that looked every bit as good as they tasted.  Then there was the mess, chocolate once it has hardened is not as welcomed as the sight of the wonderful "yumminess" it produces.  For two cookie sheets covered with a wonderful spread of goodies, I had a countertop covered with a mess to show for it. Then there is the product itself...delectable strawberries encased in mouth watering semi sweet confection that melts if left out for too long, it needs just the right temperature to harden and will soften if left out too long. One cannot resist from just biting down in one mouthful and enjoying it because it looks so good.  But then you realize that if you just take a bite and enjoy and savor every bit of the flavor the second bite is even better than the first.  They are so good you want to eat an entire plate, but know that if you did you'd live to regret it.  But you also learn that even as good as these treats are, they will not last forever, and after two days the chocolate looses its battle with the strawberry and the strawberry's juice will try to escape.  So, life is a lot like a box of chocolates...just as Forrest Gump's mamma told him...."you never know what you are going to get".  And after yesterday, it really stuck with me, that life is really like like the chocolate covered strawberries  I made yesterday.  You know what you want out of life, but even the best laid plans come up short (or short of ingredients).  So you try something new, or for the first time....you have trials that pop up, you find ways to adapt and survive.  There are messes to be cleaned up, things that go wrong, unexpected delights when things work out. There are wonderful new discoveries and questions as to why somethings worked and other things did not.  There is attention to detail, making sure you do as much as you can so that things aren't neglected, handling things with care because you realize how fragile each moment is.  There is an issue of timing, planning and coordinating, rearranging and calculating. There will be thoughts of how can I do this better or what can I do different, how can I improve this when I try the next time.   In the end you create something beautiful, but no one really knows all the work and all that went on in making it, they just see and experience the beautiful result. You realize that even when things look so good on the outside that too much of a good thing all at one time can be overwhelming.  You begin to take your time and enjoying it bit by bit (or in this case bite by bite) for you know that at any point it will be gone, sooner than we'd like.  You realize that the joy through all of this and more is when others experience and share in what you are making....the life you are living.  It is sweet, it is messy, is a trial and error, sometimes "do over"-best laid plans-missing a few ingredients...but it is your life to enjoy one delicious bite at a time...and to every season there is a purpose, for me it's time to Simplify, Focus and en"Joy"....or better known as Breathe, Seek, and Play!

Day One Breathe, Seek, Play: Dolci Vita

Day One of Breathe, Seek, Play: The theme for Valentine's Day was Dolci Vita...the sweet life. This morning I made heart shaped cinnabons. The boys faces were so thrilled as they inhaled three of them before going to school. I knew they would be on a sugar high and it wasn't a typical breakfast, so exceptions were made for this particularly sweet day. They received a gift of a communication journal with a sweet letter from both of us (to replace the composition notebook we've been using). I loved watching their eyes light up as they read their letters. This afternoon I made some very scrumptious desserts, chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate filled dessert cups. The boys were drooling and kept wanting to try one before dinner :) Grandma stopped by and brought them gift cards and they showed her their journals; she also wrote a sweet note in each one to them :) We surprised them with a new set of books and gift cards to Barnes and Nobles...right away they wanted to go read them ♥ For dinner, I fixed Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice and veggies. Elliott said at dinner "I wish every dinner could be like this one, and every day could be like this one" then he paused and said "except today could have been sunnier". Made me smile, who need diamonds when you have precious moments like this :) Tonight we read their first Valentines Books....Both were board books and played music when they opened (one still actually works, the other needs batteries) but it was sweet nostalgia, especially the one with the boys picture inside it. Yes, I think Elliott is right....we need more days like today...the Dolci Vita from beginning to end ♥ How sweet it is!

Breathe, Seek, Play: A Seek Moment

This afternoon while in Hallmark, I saw this adorable Wizard of Oz plaque....perfect to go with the mindset of Simplify, Focus and En"Joy".....this is something to seek and to keep focus on when we are on our path <3 It's not all about the Yellow Brick Road...I am so blessed to be walking with some pretty amazing peeps along the way <3

Simplify, Focus, En"Joy" aka Breathe, Seek, Play

Last year, we spent 40 amazing days of Lent practicing Random Acts of Kindness...and the experience was transforming, we continued throughout the year and even thought about doing it again...So this year we will incorporate it on our next journey, during Lent we will once again not be tradition in sacrifice but go wholeheartedly with spirit in what we are calling Simplify, Focus, En"Joy" (it's our Eat, Pray, Love "Lent" version) Over the next 40 days we will seek ways to simplify our lives, focus on what is really important, and discover the joys along the way. Last night, we put down all electronics, turned off the tv and had a random family fun night....pulled out the board games and Elliott said "this was the most fun I had all day" and thus the idea for Lent was born, it's time to for us to Simplify, Focus, En"Joy"! ♥ (I jokingly think another name of this idea could be Breathe, Seek, Play....most of the daily blogs will center around one of them)