What I Learned on my Summer Vacation
As a teacher, I prize my summer vacation. My school year is kind of crazy and I have little spare time, so the summer is always my fun, project-filled, relaxing time. I cherish it. I lurve it. It makes the rest of the year that much better.
So, as my summer vacation draws to a close (planning meetings start Monday; first class next Thursday - gasp!), I am reflecting on what I learned during this summer's time off. Also, this seemed like a good thing to do because I am in today with a sick kid and I have no idea when naptime will end. Here goes.
1. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes, it rains.
I started the summer all excited about starting to exercise again after breaking my leg in February. See posts here and here where I explain all that. I was feeling good. I was truckin' along.
Then my knee stopped working.
As it turns out, so far, it's nothing major, which is good. But to say that I was disappointed in not being able to finish out some projects that required heavy lifting or not walking the dogs or exercising would be an understatement. I was seriously bummed.
But I've learned that, sometimes, you have to rest. Sometimes your body tells you quietly, and sometimes it yells, "WTF are you doing?? STOP IT NOW." So, you slow down, you rest, you recuperate. Sometimes you get that rainy day and all you can do is sit inside and read a book and that's ok. It's ok to rest. It's ok to give yourself a break. I'm not good at it, but I'm learning that it's necessary sometimes.
2. Appreciate the big mondo things in your life.
I cannot begin to express how excited I am about getting a new kitchen. We have (well, I have) dreamed about this for nine years. I have cut out pictures that inspired me. I pinned things on Pinterest. I saved paint chips and tile samples and fabric swatches.
And now it's becoming a reality. As we speak, the cabinets are going in and the kitchen is taking shape. I cannot wait. I so appreciate the hugeness of this because (a) we waited so long and saved for it; and (b) it is such a big deal for us. It is going to change the way we live, honestly. I know that sounds dumb, but it is a wonderful thing to not have to dig through an overcrowded cabinet to find spaghetti (yes, as I write this, I am thinking this is such a First World Problem and I am so grateful that these are the problems we have) or for my kids to find and get their own snacks. It is going to be wonderful not to cut my finger on the peeling cabinet laminate. It is going to be wonderful not to have a white laminate countertop that stains when anything is spilled on it. It is going to be wonderful to have two ovens to make cookies or Thanksgiving dinner or whatever in. It's just going to be awesome all around. And I appreciate every morsel of it.
3. Appreciate the little things in your life, too, because they are really big things.
During the summer, when I'm not racing around from activity to activity like during the school year, everything moves a little slower and I see and appreciate things I might not see in the whirlwind of our lives during the year. For example, during the summer, I have more time to cook and try new things...and I've noticed that both kids, but especially D, are expanding their palates. They have eaten eggplant and cauliflower and cucumbers and black olives and things that I never thought they'd touch with a ten-foot fork. I've also appreciated (and rolled on the floor laughing about) M's amazing sense of humor - she is wise beyond her years. D is developing into a big kid - he's 7 1/2 - and trying to figure out who he is since he's not a little boo anymore. It's fun watching them grow more into themselves, and it's more apparent when life is moving at summer's pace.
And I appreciate all the little nuggets of kindness that everyone has shown to me during injury and during successes - they keep me going and make me smile.
4. It takes time, but it's important to find your passion.
I remember, at the beginning of the summer, I found out about this conference in Atlanta, the Haven Conference, that was for DIYers and bloggers. I emailed my friend Cynthia, who is also a DIYer and a blogger, and asked if I should go. She said she would go if she were here, so I decided to follow her advice and my gut feeling, found a ticket, and went.
It was one of the best decisions I've made. I learned so much, both about DIY projects and about blogging. I met amazing people. I got some seriously cool swag - I've already used my paintbrush from Purdy, my stain marker from Minwax (saved me when I scratched the floors in D's room during the big Duke transformation!), and my Frogtape. It was a great experience. I've used so much I learned there - I am so glad that I decided to go.
Going to the conference reminded me that we have to follow the passions we have in life...that sometimes you have to just up and do something because it sounds fun. You never know what you'll get out of it. What was so interesting to me about that conference and what I took from it was that I could merge two things I love to do - writing and DIYing - into one. Now I have this blog and I love writing it. And I love that you like reading it, and I thank you for that. I would never, in a million years, have guessed that I would have 3,200-plus page views as of today, and I am so grateful for each of them. I love doing what I'm doing and I appreciate that you want to read about it.
So now I go back to my day job, which, perhaps not coincidentally, is also about writing. A week from Thursday, I meet my new first-year law students and start their year of learning legal analysis, writing, research, and advocacy. I love that job, too, and I love that it gives me a summer like this one.
I will keep blogging during the school year, although about more than just DIY projects. As my blog states, this blog is about my life and the things I'm doing to improve it, so that will include DIY projects, but also menus and stories about how I balance things, about my family, about cooking and weekly menus, and about the general nuttiness at Dogs Don't Eat Pizza HQ.
As always, thanks for stopping by.
So, as my summer vacation draws to a close (planning meetings start Monday; first class next Thursday - gasp!), I am reflecting on what I learned during this summer's time off. Also, this seemed like a good thing to do because I am in today with a sick kid and I have no idea when naptime will end. Here goes.
1. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes, it rains.
I started the summer all excited about starting to exercise again after breaking my leg in February. See posts here and here where I explain all that. I was feeling good. I was truckin' along.
Then my knee stopped working.
As it turns out, so far, it's nothing major, which is good. But to say that I was disappointed in not being able to finish out some projects that required heavy lifting or not walking the dogs or exercising would be an understatement. I was seriously bummed.
But I've learned that, sometimes, you have to rest. Sometimes your body tells you quietly, and sometimes it yells, "WTF are you doing?? STOP IT NOW." So, you slow down, you rest, you recuperate. Sometimes you get that rainy day and all you can do is sit inside and read a book and that's ok. It's ok to rest. It's ok to give yourself a break. I'm not good at it, but I'm learning that it's necessary sometimes.
2. Appreciate the big mondo things in your life.
I cannot begin to express how excited I am about getting a new kitchen. We have (well, I have) dreamed about this for nine years. I have cut out pictures that inspired me. I pinned things on Pinterest. I saved paint chips and tile samples and fabric swatches.
And now it's becoming a reality. As we speak, the cabinets are going in and the kitchen is taking shape. I cannot wait. I so appreciate the hugeness of this because (a) we waited so long and saved for it; and (b) it is such a big deal for us. It is going to change the way we live, honestly. I know that sounds dumb, but it is a wonderful thing to not have to dig through an overcrowded cabinet to find spaghetti (yes, as I write this, I am thinking this is such a First World Problem and I am so grateful that these are the problems we have) or for my kids to find and get their own snacks. It is going to be wonderful not to cut my finger on the peeling cabinet laminate. It is going to be wonderful not to have a white laminate countertop that stains when anything is spilled on it. It is going to be wonderful to have two ovens to make cookies or Thanksgiving dinner or whatever in. It's just going to be awesome all around. And I appreciate every morsel of it.
3. Appreciate the little things in your life, too, because they are really big things.
During the summer, when I'm not racing around from activity to activity like during the school year, everything moves a little slower and I see and appreciate things I might not see in the whirlwind of our lives during the year. For example, during the summer, I have more time to cook and try new things...and I've noticed that both kids, but especially D, are expanding their palates. They have eaten eggplant and cauliflower and cucumbers and black olives and things that I never thought they'd touch with a ten-foot fork. I've also appreciated (and rolled on the floor laughing about) M's amazing sense of humor - she is wise beyond her years. D is developing into a big kid - he's 7 1/2 - and trying to figure out who he is since he's not a little boo anymore. It's fun watching them grow more into themselves, and it's more apparent when life is moving at summer's pace.
And I appreciate all the little nuggets of kindness that everyone has shown to me during injury and during successes - they keep me going and make me smile.
4. It takes time, but it's important to find your passion.
I remember, at the beginning of the summer, I found out about this conference in Atlanta, the Haven Conference, that was for DIYers and bloggers. I emailed my friend Cynthia, who is also a DIYer and a blogger, and asked if I should go. She said she would go if she were here, so I decided to follow her advice and my gut feeling, found a ticket, and went.
It was one of the best decisions I've made. I learned so much, both about DIY projects and about blogging. I met amazing people. I got some seriously cool swag - I've already used my paintbrush from Purdy, my stain marker from Minwax (saved me when I scratched the floors in D's room during the big Duke transformation!), and my Frogtape. It was a great experience. I've used so much I learned there - I am so glad that I decided to go.
Going to the conference reminded me that we have to follow the passions we have in life...that sometimes you have to just up and do something because it sounds fun. You never know what you'll get out of it. What was so interesting to me about that conference and what I took from it was that I could merge two things I love to do - writing and DIYing - into one. Now I have this blog and I love writing it. And I love that you like reading it, and I thank you for that. I would never, in a million years, have guessed that I would have 3,200-plus page views as of today, and I am so grateful for each of them. I love doing what I'm doing and I appreciate that you want to read about it.
So now I go back to my day job, which, perhaps not coincidentally, is also about writing. A week from Thursday, I meet my new first-year law students and start their year of learning legal analysis, writing, research, and advocacy. I love that job, too, and I love that it gives me a summer like this one.
I will keep blogging during the school year, although about more than just DIY projects. As my blog states, this blog is about my life and the things I'm doing to improve it, so that will include DIY projects, but also menus and stories about how I balance things, about my family, about cooking and weekly menus, and about the general nuttiness at Dogs Don't Eat Pizza HQ.
As always, thanks for stopping by.
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