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gym teacher

A few months ago while sitting in at my computer in what must have been some happy and generous mood, I got an email looking for gym teachers for Friday's during the winter for area home school families. And I happily replied, "I'm in!"

I haven't quite figured out what I was thinking in that moment because on the whole, for what I would consider the entirety of my life, I hated gym. I was a pansy at the flexed arm hang. I never learned how to do a cart wheel. I scheduled band lessons right in the middle of swimming days so it "wouldn't make sense for me to get in the water..." I skipped nearly three weeks of first hour during the basketball unit in 9th grade claiming I had monthly cramps. Monthly, as in three-fourths of the month-ly.

To be fair, there were some high points to gym though. Like every halloween when our elementary gym was turned into a big maze made out of tumbling mats standing on their ends. That was epic. Or when I got first place in the frisbee throw in our 3rd grade olympics. Or when I won the entire bracket of foosball with the future varsity soccer captain as my partner. Or when we had free time in swimming and I made up synchronized swim routines with my friend Jenny. That basically sums up my athletic life story.

Anyway, the email came, I signed my pregnant self up, with one-year-old in tow, and Friday was our first day. And I realized my goal was to make sure this was an awesome experience for kids, and to pull from my incredible repertoire of camp games. And to get to use my new parachute.

So we showed up on Friday, and it was a blast. I have the little kids, and it's awesome. After about 45 minutes of organized activities a little girl asked if we could play princesses and a boy said he wanted to play skywalkers and so we ran all over the field and played princesses finding safety in the soccer nets from the shooting skywalkers.

That's my kind of gym class.

tea parties and corn dogs

After hosting this tea party it dawned on me that a very real dream of mine would be to host children's tea parties. Kids could come dressed fancy or as princesses and kings and I'd serve the food. It's such a great way to teach manners, patience, please and thank you. I'm envisioning this dream up in the play loft of the barn, set at a long table, pennants and lights hanging from the ceiling. And serving fancy finger foods, as well as corn dogs with heart shaped ketchup.

So if any aunts are reading this, don't get rid of your tea sets. Or fancy hats and gloves. Or colored glass. Or pretty linens. I'll put all of it to good use one day!

storm door sledding

In case you were having a down day, these kids should help turn it around. They are very ready for snow, though I think these pictures prove they don't actually need the snow at all...or even a hill!

felt christmas lights

Back in October I came across a picture of felt christmas lights. They stopped me in my tracks, I thought they were so adorable! And lucky for me, the very next day my mom was coming over with my partners-in-crime-crafty-nieces for MEA break. So we left the little kids home with mom and I took Mara and Sonna to JoAnns to pick out our felt. We didn't have instructions but talked through all the things we'd need and when we got back the girls got busy! They each did a different stitch and I think they're both adorable.
And now, a month later, they have made many more lights... so many that Mara is planning to string hers around her bedroom, and Sonna under her bunk bed. I have all the stuff to make my own, but you'd be surprised how little crafting time I have these days! This just may not be my season for crafty projects. Thank goodness I have my nieces!