Ten reasons to take a break!

I recently had an amazing experience! A dear friend who frequently watches the girls for us when we have stuff asked the Admiral and I if she could have the girls on a weekend when we did not have anything planned. I had to think about that... "what?" Her reply " You need time together. Just the two of you." Me- "ok..." Then we went on to pick a weekend. What was originally a weekend turned into " bring them down Wednesday night... Send schoolwork I'll handle it." What a blessing! Then the Admiral decided he was taking Thursday and Friday off work. Wahoo!

A friend asked so what are you doing fun with all this time? No Plans. None. Just being together. It was sweet. We talked and talked and talked. We played and were silly. We folded laundry and watched movies. We visited with friends. This break from being Mom and, for him, from work was wonderfully rejuvenating. So Here it is my top ten reasons to take a break and BE together with your spouse.

#10. Dinner Out... and lunch. In fact, I didn't cook for 5 days. We ate out, or ate leftovers from going out or at at a friends house. This may sound spendy and impractical. However I am back at life feeling revived and excited about cooking for my family.

#9. Shopping together. We shopped for food, a car, new glasses for me, some clothes, shoes, crafty stuff, etc. Some were things we had put off  to do together. Let's face it you don't shop for a car without your spouse. Some things were just spur of the moment because we had no time constraints.

#8. Time to visit friends. We have 2 couples we have been trying to connect with for a while. We shared a meal with both of them! No worries about getting home to the sitter or feeling rushed. Just relaxing, grownup conversation.

#7. No need to hire a Sitter. We shopped. We dillydallied. We more or less ignored the clock.

#6. No bedtime and No Alarm clock. ( well on Sunday we used the alarm ;) ) Sometimes being without schedule can really throw off your system. This time, I felt refreshed. Refreshed that it was ok to stay up watching a movie til way after midnight. I had no guilt when we snuggled til almost noon on Saturday. Bliss.

#5. "Stay-cation". We didn't go anywhere special. We didn't spend months planning this. We lived our life. We still went to worship team rehearsal. We still met the financial planner, etc. But we were hand in hand for four solid days. No pressure, just time together. We chose to be intentional about not ending up on our respective laptops puttering around near each other. We chose to be together.

#4. Cuddle time, intimacy. So often it feels like we shoe horn in time to be intimate. I think this season of life can be that way. After all there are only so many hours when little ones are sleeping and we aren't. This break gave us a chance to be without those restraints.

#3. Flirting. This goes with #4 My hubby is so cute! We do flirt when the girls are around but carefully, more restrained. How fun to let loose and enjoy each other!

#2. Talking. We didn't just inform each other. We TALKED. We discussed, we batted ideas around, we shared concerns and worries. Talking when we were rested and relaxed. Sharing our hearts with each other. This happens regularly, yet we tend to squeeze discussions in between the stuff of living. It was great happiness to be able to talk whenever.

#1. Hand in hand, heart to heart for 4 days.

So there you have it friends. Take a break, renew your relationship, and over all, HAVE FUN!

Top Ten Tuesdays is now hosted at Many Little Blessings. Head over there and check it out.

Homeschooling Thoughts

The adventure of homeschooling has been a blast. I am so glad that we decided to school our girls at home. Here are my top ten reasons for loving homeschooling

#10. Choice of subject material. I control what we learn and if we want to learn about wolves... we can. My girls have lots of interests beyond the three "R"s. This allows us the privilege of going deeper when their interest flares.

#9. Getting along. I was concerned about sibling bickering and Mama being totally unable cope. However that hasn't been an issue. I am amazed. We have some bickering but nothing I cannot handle. I believe that the girls get along better now than they ever did when they were in a traditional school. My theory on this is that they get the best part of each other's day. They play and carry on in the morning when they are fresh. We do school. Then about the time we are all sick of each other it is time for independent work. Has anyone else experienced this? Before when they did a whole day of school and came home they were tired cranky, and no mood to be gentle with sister. This is one of the biggest positives I have observed.

#8. Fun Field trips. So far this school year we have visited the 18th century twice. We have gone to Science Central ( A children's science center in our town.) Taken zoo expeditions. Traveled to KY to visit my sister. While there we went to the Lexington Explorium, Camp Nelson - Civil War Supply depot and training station for the union, and High Bridge KY  where the railway crosses the Kentucky River 700 + feet in the air. On the way home we stopped at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton Ohio! All these adventure are learning and growing school days. Loving this.

#7. Baking, Cooking, & Cleaning all include lessons. Working school into life is so great! My girls are learning to do laundry, cook, and knit.

#6. Sewing! I am teaching the girls to sew. It is so exciting to watch them create.

#5. Creativity. This journey is challenging me to meet my girls were they are and that means exercising my own creativity to solve the problems of making them understand new concepts like the 9 times table. What an adventure!

#4. Sports... Well this is not in full swing yet. But we are working on it. We have started soccer through the Y. We are also looking some other athletic outlets. This was something we never made time for before. Swimming is next :) !

#3. Contentedness. Prior to embarking on our homeschooling adventure I was sort of all over the place. Taking on this project or that one, generally over committing myself to lots of things. As our fall progressed I began to resent the things I had committed to that pulled me away from my kids. I spent some long prayerful nights and let some things go. Things that were dear to me, it was hard, very hard and yet... Amazement! I am loving my life. I love schooling my girls.

#2. Flexibility! Occasionally the Admiral and I both end up on worship team at the same time. This is no longer a problem because the girls can just go with us and sleep a little later the next day. Also when something comes up during the week that needs doing we can do them and fit school around these extra jobs. I do try to maintain a schedule for our schoolwork. But I am thankful for the flexibility when I need it.

#1. Sleeping In. Enough said. ;)


This is my shot at a top ten tuesday. Check out ohamanda she does one every week! http://ohamanda.com/2012/02/06/seo-how-i-write-a-blog-post-part-5-top-ten-tuesday-style/

Caite

Too much time at the Coffee Shop

          Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists

           Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I have decided to jump on the band wagon of Top Ten Tuesdays. There are lots of get to know you style listings and I want to do a few. These will show up on random Tuesdays.  I've included a link to the originator of this program. Some weeks I will follow their prompts and other times I will do my own thing. So here goes:

Top ten signs You have spent TOO much time at the Coffee Shop

#10. You are talking faster (way faster) than normal and making very little sense.

#9. When You have met all the people who posted business cards on the bulletin board.

#8.  You have updated your facebook status more than 4 times since morning.

#7. The barista doesn't wait for you to order he just starts making your usual.

#6. The barista by passes you for the person in line behind you because he knows you haven't made up your mind yet.

#5. Other patrons avoid "your table".

#4. You have more than 5 tabs or windows open on the laptop.

#3. You briefcase smells like coffee

#2. You and your partners have been nicknamed "The View" by the baristas.

#1. The fact that all of the above is My Reality.

There you are my top ten tuesday.

Now "back to work, Back to WORK!" (Gru - Despicable Me)