Show and Tell - Mind Scribbler

It's Wednesday. It's show and tell day, the day of the week where we share interesting snippets from our collective lifes both to amuse and to learn more about each other.

This blog has been strangely silent as of late, an unexpected side effect of my recent, albeit, early dowslide into 'the lead up to Emma's birthday'.

So, a big thank you to Kristin for sending me this award, not only because it ends my unintended silence here and inspired me to post a few more recent pics of our summer experience, but because it celebrates one of the things I am currently grieving most. On Sept 1st I will walk back into a classroom and commence teaching. My magical year of writing is over. I'm sad. So, thanks for recognizing this part of me that has been rejuvinated. To be clear, I'll still write - I'll just have to carry my super cool, retro hand-held recorder with me all the time so when inspiration strikes and I am in the middle of teaching a lesson about something preschoolish I can put the topic, and perhaps the first few lines into my magic inspiration box.

Behold -- said magic inspiration box procured for pennies on the dollar at a...you guess it...yard sale when the seller couldn't guarantee if it worked. It does. Well.

So, my challenge is to embrace what is left of the summer while trudging through this nasty grief haze I'm in. My strategy? A scrapbook, of course. But not just any scrapbook. Inspired by my good friend I am doing a 'day-to-day month of August' scrapbook. This serves two purposes.

1. I am constantly distracted (read: not allowed to fall into a thousand pieces) throughout the day by remembering that I am supposed to be remembering my camera and snapping photos of our daily events.

2. When complete, the book will serve as a concrete reminder that even though I felt like my heart was being squished by a bulldozer - again, I managed to create opportunities for my children to enjoy their last month of summer. And, I might add, looked like I was too.

And so...a brief snippit of the scrapbook in the making

Aug 1 - At the lake

Aug. 2nd - Me, signing Amazing Grace at church as my Summer music offering.

Aug 3rd - Off to play tennis!

Aug 4th - An improptu lunch out with Auntie Erika and the girls' Great-Godmother Karen and Great-Godfather Paul!

Aug 5th - Rocking out Gymnastics / Dance Class

See, doesn't look like I'm in total control? That's what I do. When I feel out of control -- I take complete control.

What is the rest of the class showing and telling?