May
16
2011
16
2011
All The Wonderful Things
Filed under: Daily Life, Life in Longmont, Unschooling
Life has been full and wonderful…and I wanted to share some of our most recent fun with you! This weekend Bella took a tree climbing class (part of the Longmont Parks and Rec Program) and she had SO much fun. This isn’t your regular ‘ol “tree climbing” though…
Once you get your harness on, you use your arms to pull yourself all the way to the top of the tree and then you release the knot to come back down.
She was a natural…and loved every moment. Matt is even talking about getting our own tree climbing gear.
On a rainy day this week, we met our unschooling group at Bounce Town! It’s a big warehouse with 6 large bounce houses in it for the kids to go wild. I like to crawl in there with them and bounce bounce bounce, but it doesn’t take long before I get sick and dizzy!
I’m getting to know some really fun local mamas…it’s so nice to build a connection here.
Another day, while we were cleaning up a bouquet of purple irises on the table, we decided to see if we could dye paper with them! They were wilting and we were going to throw them away…but instead, we threw them into the Vita-Mix with a little water and soaked our paper in it.
It turned out to be a beautiful shade of blue/violet. We had some good discussions about how people used to use plants, seeds, and flowers to make dyes all the time (and still do). I told Bella that’s how they did it in the “olden days”, and she said, “…you mean like in 1984?”. Oh my.
Bella has been asking to set up a lemonade stand…so on the first sunny day this week, we brought out all the supplies and set up shop. She did well…but she did have to pay her “employees” their wages, so her profit was a little down. 
She was still happy with her results…she has such an entrepreneurial spirit!
Yesterday morning we decided to scope out a new breakfast spot in town and we settled on Two Dog Diner. It’s a sweet little cafe tucked away in the Prospect area of Longmont. They have Bhakti chai there (which I am quite obsessed with right now) and even veggie sausage! We enjoyed some sweet family time together and we will definitely be going back!
Other activities from this weekend: I painted our TV-less corner and have a few little decorations in it. It’s not quite done, but I will share it with you when it is! I picked up the supplies to paint our bedroom (finally!!). I’m SO excited to start it. Bella had a sleepover last night at her friend’s house, which went splendidly. Today we enjoyed meeting with our house church family and had a relaxing afternoon.
We’re looking forward to another lovely week.
Monday and Tuesday we’re *hoping* to paint and hang curtains in our bedroom. We’re having guests over for tacos on Wed. night. Thursday is Bella’s last day of Raccoon Clan for the season and there will be a family potluck out on the land. Right after that we will leave for Iowa and drive back for my Grandma’s estate sale. If you recall, she died just a few days before Lucy was born and I wasn’t able to attend her funeral or have closure…so I am looking forward to getting back there. My entire family will be there, as well as Matt’s parents who are driving down to see us. We’ll be there through Sunday.
Whew! Life speeds by so fast…I have to remind myself to stay in the moment so often! I love taking time throughout the day to stop and really WATCH the girls faces and see what they are feeling. I also like to list all the things I am grateful for in that particular day…and that helps me too.
How do you stay “present” and in the moment when life is rushing by? I would love to hear your thoughts…
Posted by Sara @ 12:04 am | Leave a Comment
16
2011
Love all the activities your family is experiencing. We, too, are traveling to the midwest to attend a memorial service for my mil who passed this past Feb. Closure is important. As far as staying in the moment… I’m working on this as well. So far, it involves forced focus. All the best.
16
2011
“Dizzy and sick” from bouncing? Girlfriend? Do you have some news to share?
16
2011
Ha ha …no ma’am
Just getting old!! 
16
2011
I could think of two things that bring me right back into the moment: By appreciating the taste of a melting block of dark chocolate in my mouth. And by melting into one of my hubby’s super hugs!
Love the lemonade stand
16
2011
I can stop mentally and cherish the moment quite easily – smelling a flower, following the Mounted Guards for a few blocks, discussing current affairs with my young teenagers – but I’m useless at storing the memory of these moments away! How do I do that?
16
2011
I agree…it’s so hard to remember!! That’s why I blog
I’m not into scrapbooking, but I take LOTS of photos and those take me right back to the moment.
16
2011
Oh so hard to be in the moment when life is rushing! but in some days I am starting my maternity leave. That will help a lot! be more at home, with my two year old girl, waiting for this sunny baby to come into our family. Writing to my kids about life, and simple things and moments in some so precious ricycled notebooks I bought at a fair. Taking photos. Trying to really see into my girl`s eyes and intop my husband´s eyes. loving!
Sara Ilove your family and blog!!!!!!! thank you for being there!
16
2011
your family is just too adorable.
i’d have to say that i stay present through creativity. whether it be painting, sewing, art journaling…so long as i’m in that “moment”, i can slow down enough to really see my life as it is.
16
2011
“In 1984…” *snort*
I love how you used those flowers!
As for staying present, taking photos (which you obviously already do, and brilliantly) really helps. Also spending time with people.
16
2011
If you like Southern food you might want to try Leenie’s Cafe…good people there, I miss the place.
If I find myself getting too far _out_ of the moment, my cats usually wind up bringing me back — they’re very good at demanding LOVE RIGHT NOW MOM when I’m off elsewhere thinking about whatever.
16
2011
Just laughing at “1984″!! That’s awesome!! LOL
16
2011
We’re also SO SO SO busy this time of year and it’s easy for me to spend too much time focusing on what’s to come (and what do I need to do to get ready for it) rather than “what’s happening right now??”. Five Senses Grounding is a great tool for me. Take a moment as many times a day as you can remember to do it and notice what each of your senses is aware of in that moment. (ie: I’m tasting my gum, I see the tree outside my window, I’m hearing my neighbor’s kids…etc….) Good tool!
16
2011
Ooh, I’d forgotten about the Five Senses Grounding, thank you Rachel!
16
2011
the dizzy and sick comment stood out to me too. what is it about getting old that causes that? i remember spending around and around and around when i was a little kid and it never phased me. now, the silliest little amusement park rides can make me sick. it’s the pits gettin’ old
16
2011
Routines and creating our own family traditions. I find doing the same thing the same way over and over again monotonous, but then I look at life through my 3 kids eyes and appreciate life. Library every single Tuesday followed by a an apple juice box, snack sized bag of Cheetos, and 3 read aloud stories on the same cafe couch or bench on their patio same as last week and same as next week too. Every single Father’s day we go to the sames zoo to feed the giraffes, every Christmas Eve we bake peanut butter cookies to share, etc. Life keeps on repeating itself but the kids find comfort in it. The stories change, new giraffes are born, different people and new friends eat our peanut butter cookies. Those traditions are important and keep us in the moment.
18
2011
in answer to your question…i would have to say its in the little things, like going for a walk on a glorious sunny day despite stacks of dishes and boxes to be unpacked…getting down on your knees, looking your child in the eyes, and really listening and answering their questions…that kind of thing. because it does go so fast…hope you enjoy time with your family. i have family in iowa too and its beautiful there this time of year!
18
2011
When u r unschooling ,do u go by a ciricullum. If not are they tested to see what level they are?
23
2011
That Two Dog Diner sounds lovely. I wish we had a good vegetarian restaurant in our town. I’m missing the one we had in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was a bit of a drive but completely worth it!
25
2011
Tree climbing… Awesome! That looks fun!! -Kristopher and Josiah
25
2011
so much wonderfulness! Layla has been asking to make a lemonade stand as well. She even had me sew her a felt flag for it. That tree climbing experience looks like such a fun time!
9
2011
Oh.my.goodness. I want to go tree climbing like that really bad now! FUN!