Summer Camp Day 9: What is the most important lesson you learned from your own mother (or other primary caretaker)? What do you imagine the name of your Grandmother’s blog would be and what would she write about?
The most important lesson I learned from my mother is how to be creative. Despite the fact I ended up in the sciences, I enjoy creating things, and I have a healthy respect for the creative process.
My mother taught me that creativity is messy. I feel that if it is not messy, it is not creative. I remember painting at our dining room table, and getting paint everywhere. I remember painting off the edge of the paper on to the table. My mother also tolerated my foray into acrylics as I got older, which were not so easy to clean up.
The creative process is generally messy, not only physically, but mentally as well. Sometimes it is good to just throw ideas out, no matter how crazy they seem. If nothing else, you voice it as an option, even if it is not viable.
My grandmother is not like my mother, at all. My husband seems to think that I am more like my grandmother in some ways. My grandmother comes from the deep south, and is an upstanding member of the DAR. (That is actually how I got in to the DAR.) She has a lot of pride, and is very concerned with how others see her. It is very difficult for her now that she is getting older, and having to be more dependent on others. My grandmother and I do not get along very well. We are very polite, but it does not seem to go beyond that. I think we both have a hard time showing our weakness to each other. Family is very important to her, and she was very excited when I had Little Guy.
I think the name of her blog would be "Family Ties." She does think family is very important, and she likes to manipulate those connections sometimes. I think she would hide a lot about herself, and only put out there what she thought would impress people. Not very nice, I know, but that has been my experience with her.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Summer Camp Day 8
Just a quick rant before I start. Feel free to skip if you do not want to read it.
Little Guy is in the process of switching from two naps to one. I usually give him one chance at a nap in the morning before I am off and running with him the rest of the morning. He can go down for a long afternoon nap, which I think is really good for him.
This morning, I went to the gym and then I left Little Guy with my mother while I ran an errand. She wanted to spend time with him. And I was only going to be gone about an hour, and then we would have lunch and take him home. That was the plan.
Unfortunately, my mother put him down for a nap while I was gone. He may have been tired, but I really wish she could have hung with it at least while I was gone. Then I could have brought him home and he could have had a nap at home. Instead he got an hour of sleep at my mother's house, and nothing else. I tried putting him down for an afternoon nap, but I only got an hour of play and fussing while I tried to get my chores done. I was not a happy camper.
The good thing is that he went down early, so Hubby and I have more time together, once I finish this blog post. And Hubby brought me wine. I think I need it tonight!
OK, rant over. Feel better now.
*********************************
Summer Camp Day 8: If you had to teach something, what would you teach? (If you DO teach, when did you discover your love for teaching/the subject?) Do you think blogs can play a role in education?
I do teach, off and on. Every now and again I will teach biology as an adjunct at the local community college, which is actually a pretty good gig. No need to deal with departmental politics. You get to teach your class and go home.
But. (You knew that was coming, didn't you?) Teaching takes a lot of time and effort. Nursing (RN not BF) is more lucrative, and I do not have to take anything home after working hours. So nursing is what I am sticking with right now.
Not sure if I am that passionate about teaching. Not like I am about being an RN. Teaching is a job, and it is sort of fun, and I am pretty good at it. I actually have a graduate degree in education, though I do not like to talk about it because I went into education because I did not have anything better to do. Probably not the best reason to enter a profession. Through my student teaching and other experiences, I also realized that I do not get along with other teachers. Maybe I am too much of a cynic. Nurses as a group are fairly cynical. Teachers can be cynical, but it is not the same as nurses. I think nurses are much darker in their cynicism, probably because they see the dark side of everything.
I do not know if blogging could play a role in education. It could help with research in higher education, as people blog their experiences and interests. It can help people expand their hobbies and interests. I have gotten good info on various subjects from blogs. I do not think that it is able to play much of a role in high school or below. (Or even in community college, for that matter.) At that level, students need to figure out how to do basic research and come up with basic info about the subject, preferably from a reliable source. It is hard to get that information from a blog.
Little Guy is in the process of switching from two naps to one. I usually give him one chance at a nap in the morning before I am off and running with him the rest of the morning. He can go down for a long afternoon nap, which I think is really good for him.
This morning, I went to the gym and then I left Little Guy with my mother while I ran an errand. She wanted to spend time with him. And I was only going to be gone about an hour, and then we would have lunch and take him home. That was the plan.
Unfortunately, my mother put him down for a nap while I was gone. He may have been tired, but I really wish she could have hung with it at least while I was gone. Then I could have brought him home and he could have had a nap at home. Instead he got an hour of sleep at my mother's house, and nothing else. I tried putting him down for an afternoon nap, but I only got an hour of play and fussing while I tried to get my chores done. I was not a happy camper.
The good thing is that he went down early, so Hubby and I have more time together, once I finish this blog post. And Hubby brought me wine. I think I need it tonight!
OK, rant over. Feel better now.
*********************************
Summer Camp Day 8: If you had to teach something, what would you teach? (If you DO teach, when did you discover your love for teaching/the subject?) Do you think blogs can play a role in education?
I do teach, off and on. Every now and again I will teach biology as an adjunct at the local community college, which is actually a pretty good gig. No need to deal with departmental politics. You get to teach your class and go home.
But. (You knew that was coming, didn't you?) Teaching takes a lot of time and effort. Nursing (RN not BF) is more lucrative, and I do not have to take anything home after working hours. So nursing is what I am sticking with right now.
Not sure if I am that passionate about teaching. Not like I am about being an RN. Teaching is a job, and it is sort of fun, and I am pretty good at it. I actually have a graduate degree in education, though I do not like to talk about it because I went into education because I did not have anything better to do. Probably not the best reason to enter a profession. Through my student teaching and other experiences, I also realized that I do not get along with other teachers. Maybe I am too much of a cynic. Nurses as a group are fairly cynical. Teachers can be cynical, but it is not the same as nurses. I think nurses are much darker in their cynicism, probably because they see the dark side of everything.
I do not know if blogging could play a role in education. It could help with research in higher education, as people blog their experiences and interests. It can help people expand their hobbies and interests. I have gotten good info on various subjects from blogs. I do not think that it is able to play much of a role in high school or below. (Or even in community college, for that matter.) At that level, students need to figure out how to do basic research and come up with basic info about the subject, preferably from a reliable source. It is hard to get that information from a blog.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Summer Camp Day 6 and 7
I actually started this yesterday, but did not manage to finish it. So I am including Day 7 so that I stay caught up.
Day 6 of Summer Camp: When was the last time you tried something new? What was it and what was the result? Have you ever done something just so that you could blog about it?
A few new things I have done recently:
I joined a mother's group. So far, I like it. I do not feel too different, and the women are really nice.
I opened an etsy shop. That remains to be seen. I have listed things, but nothing has sold, yet.
I am trying behavior modification to lose weight. That also remains to be seen. I had one good week, and one bad week. I hope it works over the long term.
That is all I can think of right now. I think there is so much that changes with the little one, that I do not want to do a whole lot that is new and different.
I have not really done anything just to blog about it. I may have thought about blogging about something I am doing, but I do things because I want to.
Day 7: What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Do you read food blogs or would you ever consider writing one?
I watch food TV, instead. Not sure why. Probably because I would want to follow a local food blogger so that I could try some of the ingredients or foods they would highlight.
Day 6 of Summer Camp: When was the last time you tried something new? What was it and what was the result? Have you ever done something just so that you could blog about it?
A few new things I have done recently:
I joined a mother's group. So far, I like it. I do not feel too different, and the women are really nice.
I opened an etsy shop. That remains to be seen. I have listed things, but nothing has sold, yet.
I am trying behavior modification to lose weight. That also remains to be seen. I had one good week, and one bad week. I hope it works over the long term.
That is all I can think of right now. I think there is so much that changes with the little one, that I do not want to do a whole lot that is new and different.
I have not really done anything just to blog about it. I may have thought about blogging about something I am doing, but I do things because I want to.
Day 7: What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Do you read food blogs or would you ever consider writing one?
I watch food TV, instead. Not sure why. Probably because I would want to follow a local food blogger so that I could try some of the ingredients or foods they would highlight.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Touchy-feely Tuesday and Summer Camp Day 5
Little Guy slept through the entire night last night. What a gift! I honestly think my body does not know what to do with all of that sleep!
Behavior mod took a detour last weekend. Well, it was 4th of July, so it was a holiday weekend, and I was sick and sleep deprived. Eventually, I just gave up, as it took too much energy, and I was more concerned with surviving. I will get back to it this week. I feel so much better when I do.
Hoping to get to the gym this morning, and then I have a dentist appointment. Sigh.
Really ought to do some bill paying today. It will not take long, and I think Little Guy may actually be asleep for a nap this morning. Better take advantage of that!
Summer Camp prompt for today is : What do you prefer to do on your birthday?
I like to go out to a really nice dinner for my birthday. Without the little one!
Behavior mod took a detour last weekend. Well, it was 4th of July, so it was a holiday weekend, and I was sick and sleep deprived. Eventually, I just gave up, as it took too much energy, and I was more concerned with surviving. I will get back to it this week. I feel so much better when I do.
Hoping to get to the gym this morning, and then I have a dentist appointment. Sigh.
Really ought to do some bill paying today. It will not take long, and I think Little Guy may actually be asleep for a nap this morning. Better take advantage of that!
Summer Camp prompt for today is : What do you prefer to do on your birthday?
I like to go out to a really nice dinner for my birthday. Without the little one!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Summer Camp: Day 4
I was about ready to scream this morning. Baby would not go to sleep! Every time we tried to put him down, he did everything but sleep. It was very frustrating.
Summer Camp day 4: What has most surprised you about being an adult? What have you learned about yourself through blogging?
Summer Camp day 4: What has most surprised you about being an adult? What have you learned about yourself through blogging?
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Summer camp: Day 2 and 3
Because I did not post yesterday, I am trying to play catch up today.
Day 2: What were you like in high school? What extracurricular activities did you take part in? Did you consider yourself a writer?
I think I was fairly average in high school. I never hung out with the "cool" kids, and did not even try out for cheerleading. (And I always thought that the cheerleading team was a bit of a popularity contest anyway.) I usually sat in the back of the classroom with the slackers and would let others copy my notes. I usually had the assignment done, anyway, so it was no big deal to me. Never made honor roll, but never got a grade below a C. Nothing to make me stand out from the crowd. I did just enough work to get through.
I think I was a bit of a geek back then. I was on the flag team, so I usually hung out with band people. I actually enjoyed Shakespeare. I remember going to one of our high school productions of a Shakespeare play, and I think I was one of the only people in the audience who laughed at the appropriate times. My papers were typed out on an early toshiba and printed out on a dot matrix printer. (Am I dating myself now?) I enjoyed hanging out in my room and listening to music. I really enjoyed my tape collection.
I was also active in my church youth group. I did not want to lead anything at school, but I did take a leadership role in my church youth group. It was a great group and I enjoyed being with the people in the group. I think I preferred being a leader of a small group over a large group.
That is not to say I did not get into my fair share of trouble. I remember having at least one party while I parents were out of town. I also usually hung out with druggies on the weekend, though I did not actually do any. Um, really. They used me for my car, I used them for access to alcohol. It was all good, yo. They did not pressure me to do anything.
Overall, an average high school experience, I think. I cannot say that high school was the best years of my life, but they certainly were not the worst. Not all the memorable, really.
I did not consider myself a writer in high school. I actually still do not consider myself a writer, despite the fact I blog regularly. In high school I did have a journal, and I wrote in it intermittently. But it was not something I enjoyed. It was more an emotional outlet. I was more into reading, hanging out with friends, and listening to music.
**************************************
Day 3: What are your guilty pleasures.
Chocolate and wine.
Though wine is more medicinal, and almost good for you now. But I love a really nice red. Hubby and I watched James May's Road Trip, where May and Oz Clarke drive through Europe and America and drink wine. In watching that show, Hubby realized how much of a wine snob I am. I am not quite at Oz Clarke's level, but I know enough to pick a decent wine off the wine list. (I am also enough of a snob that if the wine list is too pedestrian, I will not even order wine. I usually have something better at home!)
Chocolate may be a true guilty pleasure for me. I love chocolate, and it seems that I cannot get enough! At least dark chocolate is good for you, in moderation. I almost never turn down an opportunity to eat chocolate.
Day 2: What were you like in high school? What extracurricular activities did you take part in? Did you consider yourself a writer?
I think I was fairly average in high school. I never hung out with the "cool" kids, and did not even try out for cheerleading. (And I always thought that the cheerleading team was a bit of a popularity contest anyway.) I usually sat in the back of the classroom with the slackers and would let others copy my notes. I usually had the assignment done, anyway, so it was no big deal to me. Never made honor roll, but never got a grade below a C. Nothing to make me stand out from the crowd. I did just enough work to get through.
I think I was a bit of a geek back then. I was on the flag team, so I usually hung out with band people. I actually enjoyed Shakespeare. I remember going to one of our high school productions of a Shakespeare play, and I think I was one of the only people in the audience who laughed at the appropriate times. My papers were typed out on an early toshiba and printed out on a dot matrix printer. (Am I dating myself now?) I enjoyed hanging out in my room and listening to music. I really enjoyed my tape collection.
I was also active in my church youth group. I did not want to lead anything at school, but I did take a leadership role in my church youth group. It was a great group and I enjoyed being with the people in the group. I think I preferred being a leader of a small group over a large group.
That is not to say I did not get into my fair share of trouble. I remember having at least one party while I parents were out of town. I also usually hung out with druggies on the weekend, though I did not actually do any. Um, really. They used me for my car, I used them for access to alcohol. It was all good, yo. They did not pressure me to do anything.
Overall, an average high school experience, I think. I cannot say that high school was the best years of my life, but they certainly were not the worst. Not all the memorable, really.
I did not consider myself a writer in high school. I actually still do not consider myself a writer, despite the fact I blog regularly. In high school I did have a journal, and I wrote in it intermittently. But it was not something I enjoyed. It was more an emotional outlet. I was more into reading, hanging out with friends, and listening to music.
**************************************
Day 3: What are your guilty pleasures.
Chocolate and wine.
Though wine is more medicinal, and almost good for you now. But I love a really nice red. Hubby and I watched James May's Road Trip, where May and Oz Clarke drive through Europe and America and drink wine. In watching that show, Hubby realized how much of a wine snob I am. I am not quite at Oz Clarke's level, but I know enough to pick a decent wine off the wine list. (I am also enough of a snob that if the wine list is too pedestrian, I will not even order wine. I usually have something better at home!)
Chocolate may be a true guilty pleasure for me. I love chocolate, and it seems that I cannot get enough! At least dark chocolate is good for you, in moderation. I almost never turn down an opportunity to eat chocolate.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Off to Camp!
Calliope over at Creating Motherhood is hosting Blog Juice, a summer camp for bloggers!
I still remember all the great times I had at summer camp, in between all the bug bites and wildlife. (I still remember being freaked out by a black rat snake. That thing was huge!) I also wanted to get motivated to post more, and this seemed like fun to me.
Today's post is on my blogging space.
I actually spend a lot of time in this chair. Thank goodness it is very comfortable! I got the glider when Little Guy was born, and I continue to spend a lot of time in it.
(Um, yes, we still breastfeed, but only at night. That is sort of where the bop.py lives.)
The chair is positioned in front of the front door, and angled so that it has a good view of Little Guy's play area. It is right next to the couch, and more often than not, there is a dog sitting on that end of the couch.
The chair has pockets where I can keep random stuff. TV remotes, nail files, pens, paper, and whatever else I throw in there. The ottoman rocks with the glider. The ottoman is actually a favorite plaything for Little Guy. He likes to take the cushion off the glider and try to stand up on it. It is a favorite game of his.
The quilt was made by a friend of mine when Little Guy was born, and it is full of bright colors. The patterned pieces have pictures of Clifford the big red dog and colorful cats. Little Guy likes to point out the dogs and cats to me sometimes.
Behind the chair is an ottoman which has a pile of fleece blankets. One of our dogs likes to eat her dog biscuits off that ottoman, so we cannot really move it. (Not that we spoil our dogs, or anything!)
Most of my blogging is done while Little Guy naps. He commands all attention when he is awake, so it is impossible for me to even finish a thought. Nap times are wonderfully quiet and peaceful and allow me space to be a little contemplative, which helps me focus on my writing.
Contemplative time done, time to do some chores before the Little Guy wakes up!
I still remember all the great times I had at summer camp, in between all the bug bites and wildlife. (I still remember being freaked out by a black rat snake. That thing was huge!) I also wanted to get motivated to post more, and this seemed like fun to me.
Today's post is on my blogging space.
I actually spend a lot of time in this chair. Thank goodness it is very comfortable! I got the glider when Little Guy was born, and I continue to spend a lot of time in it.
(Um, yes, we still breastfeed, but only at night. That is sort of where the bop.py lives.)
The chair is positioned in front of the front door, and angled so that it has a good view of Little Guy's play area. It is right next to the couch, and more often than not, there is a dog sitting on that end of the couch.
The chair has pockets where I can keep random stuff. TV remotes, nail files, pens, paper, and whatever else I throw in there. The ottoman rocks with the glider. The ottoman is actually a favorite plaything for Little Guy. He likes to take the cushion off the glider and try to stand up on it. It is a favorite game of his.
The quilt was made by a friend of mine when Little Guy was born, and it is full of bright colors. The patterned pieces have pictures of Clifford the big red dog and colorful cats. Little Guy likes to point out the dogs and cats to me sometimes.
Behind the chair is an ottoman which has a pile of fleece blankets. One of our dogs likes to eat her dog biscuits off that ottoman, so we cannot really move it. (Not that we spoil our dogs, or anything!)
Most of my blogging is done while Little Guy naps. He commands all attention when he is awake, so it is impossible for me to even finish a thought. Nap times are wonderfully quiet and peaceful and allow me space to be a little contemplative, which helps me focus on my writing.
Contemplative time done, time to do some chores before the Little Guy wakes up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)