Looking for Color and Giving

Can you believe the year is over? I can't! This week I've gone through such a wide range of emotion.

In the midst of it all my little family took a trip to Nature Realm that is part of Summit Country Metro Parks. The Visitor Center is perfect for young kids--hands on stuff. A naturalist even shared a Fox Snake with Sam. (I stood back--not a big snake fan-understatement.)



While at Nature Realm I was struck by how colorless, gray, and bland the snow covered, barren landscape looked with just a passing glance, but what incredible colors were a gentle gift to anyone who took a little extra time to look. The subtle horizon color when I looked at the tree at the top of this post. And these few stragglers looked like nothing but twisted brown on a little bush, but what surprising colors were there when a flash was added.

This made me think about how often I spend the winter from this point on rushing by and only seeing the gray. I wonder what I will find if I take a little time and shine my own light on the world around me.

In an attempt to shine my own little light, I have joined the 29 Day Giving Challenge. I've written about book 29 Gifts by Cami Walker here and here. I'm looking forward to keeping you updated on what this means for me and the impact of intentionally recognizing giving.

So as we say good bye to 2010, what are your plans for the new year?

Word For The New Year

Drum roll, please. . .

my word for 2011 is BRAVE!

I've already started by finding this definition:

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

And here are a few thoughtful quotes

• A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.
  Mohandas Gandhi


• Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.
  Alan Alda


• Fortune and love favor the brave.
  Ovid

So I'm feeling really enthusiastic and a little shy about my new word. I think it's all about taking action--whether the action is waiting or leaping in a new direction. I think it's all about letting go of fear. (I wish someone sold cans of "Fear-B-Gone!") I'm pulling myself out of the "I'm the only one" bubble by planning a Brave Women's Breakfast--more about this soon.

I also think the time is right for my little brave teacher e-zine to get off the ground, and I have lots more ideas for brave teachers--more about all of this will be forthcoming.

Inspired by Christmas

Lots of years I arrive at this point, and I feel like all my creative juices have been spent on Christmas stuff. This year is different. Here are some of the things that have left me very inspired this season:

• Holiday lights through the eyes of a child
• Time in the Hopeful World Class--POWER-FULL
• Berry Christmas Granola
• Elmo slippers being a most loved gift
• Heifer Project being the best gift I honored people in giving
• Our little family's new tradition: A birthday party for Jesus
• Reminiscing by making (and eating) my mom's fudge and fruitcake recipes
• Planning the first Brave Women's Breakfast
• Watching Santa Claus is Coming To Town and Frosty
• Having a little boy who hearts snowmen in a BIG way!

What is inspiring you today?

Simply Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone simply Merry Christmas!

There were lots of internal and external forces that tried to pull us into more complicated holidays, but for the most part we have resisted. This has given us so much more joy.

What did you do or leave undone to find joy this season?

Christmas Vacation, Here I Am!

My highlight since I last wrote was going to look at lights to celebrate the Winter Solstice with my little family. There is nothing like driving around in the dark at 6 p.m. with an almost 2 year old in the back seat shouting, "More lights! More lights!"



I made it! Winter break is here. It's hard to believe that it's Christmas Eve Eve. Since I last blogged I've made it through Christmas with my family, lots of my little family spending extra time with my husband's family, wrapping up the short by challenging week at school, and just trying to be gentle with myself and others.

While not everything is wrapped and ready I'm in a surprisingly good space with myself. I believe this is in large part due to the class I've been taking. (You can find out more by looking at Jen Lemen's blog on November 19.) It's been so much about waiting and patience. The power of this is just beginning to seep in and cause a shift. Without forcing or pushing or manipulating anything I'm more calm than ever.

Yesterday just as I packed up my bags and fed the fish I got to enjoy yoga nidra. I left so relaxed I didn't even feel like I had capped the Christmas volcano with my students for the past 3 days!

What are you doing to be gentle with yourself?

Recommending: Make Your Own Little Book

So I was frantically looking for a wallet I haven't used for a couple months when I came across this little book that I made. Looking at it was like a hug from an old friend--so comfortable and familiar. I realized I missed it and needed it. So today instead of recommending a book I'm recommending that you make your own little book.

This book is just a cute little spiral thing--nothing fancy. While it would be cool to have a super clever hand sewn book, I like the simplicity of this one. I didn't need to wait for the right time to assemble it. It has a couple dozen affirmations that I found over the course of a couple months. There was a point in time when I read the entire thing every day

I think this type of book makes a great gift. Either for yourself or someone else. I'm thinking quotes would also be lovely in this type of book. Do you have other ideas?

Tips and Tricks: Math Facts

Kids hate to learn math facts. The age of memorization is passed. They don't even know their home phone numbers--it's in their cell phone. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.

So here's my trick (which a stole and then made my own):

CHALLENGE CLUBS! We do Challenge Clubs on Fridays, and they take less than 10 minutes start to finish. Kids are very motivated by them, but I can't explain why. I have a folder full of 100 basic fact problems for each operation. Everyone follows my order (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed extra challenge) and my procedure (4 minutes to complete 100 facts correctly.) At the end of 4 minutes I ask for people who have joined the addition challenge club, and so on down the line. Last year you got to sign a poster when you joined the club. This year I take your photo with your paper to hang on the door to our room, and I say, "Welcome to the Club!"

It feels competitive and elite, but it's simple. I like it because it's very cost effective, and students are mostly self-motivated on this one.