Quote #14.

Sorry. Just wasn't inspired yesterday. ;) Here's this week's quote:

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. –William Butler Yeats

This is a quote I’ve used before. I’ve given it to teachers and homeschooling friends. I plan to frame it for our own home. Basically, I just love it. It’s so very true and such a simple way to think about education. In my own homeschooling efforts, I know that I sometimes struggle with this…particular as my boys are still young. In part, I do think that my job right now is to “fill the pail” with information. I know, too, though, that the more important job is to inspire…to help them fall in love with learning. So, while I’ll continue to expose them to plenty of information, I’ll do my best to remember that simple exposure isn’t enough. Helping them to be excited by the information is much more powerful.

Colorado weather.

Yesterday, it was about 80 degrees and sunny. The boys had a water fight in the front yard. They had a blast. (Nathan did not. It was also windy.) Today, this is what I saw when I looked in the back yard:

Yes. Two of them are shirtless. It's what they do. They were also barefoot until I made them put Crocs on. Boys.

A few more shots...

Noah tried to start a snowball fight (which I thought ironic given yesterday's activity) but the other two were too cold by that point. ;) Asher did, though, venture down the snow covered slide (having run back inside to grab a shirt at least). And, I have no idea why, but Micah felt it necessary to cover his eyes while trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Weird.

Answers...

Well, no one got it completely right. :) Many who emailed me thought I was pulling a fast one and that all of them were true. Even my husband thought I was cheating. :) Here, so you know, are the answers...

1. I purchased songs from iTunes for the first time ever earlier this week. TRUE. Amazingly, yes, I'd never done that before. I finally broke down and nabbed some tunes for my new morning running dealio since my iPhone isn't as cool as newer iPhones that can run Pandora at the same time as doing other things. ;)

2. Yesterday, I overheard these words, "You really need to work on your Chewbacca sound."Really. TRUE. Yup, Noah said this to Micah. You'd think they'd have the sounds down, but you'd be wrong apparently. Light sabers and other sound effects, though, are totally nailed. 

3. I went running this morning. TRUE! Yippee for me! I'm using the Couch to 5K plan right now to help my completely-not-used-to-running self ease into the process. So far, I really like the program and found an app for my iphone that tracks all that and tells me when to run and walk. Excellent.

4. Micah asked me to email Lego to find out if you need to go to college in order to be a Lego designer. TRUE. Cute little boy that he is, Micah really did ask me this. I searched around online and discovered a number of examples of people employed by Lego as designers that did not go to college. Micah is stoked.

5. The boys were using their Nerf guns to shoot their Lego minifigures much of yesterday afternoon. TRUE. Enough said.

6. I strongly dislike getting massages. TRUE. I know this makes me weird but I honestly just don't like massages. I'm way, way ticklish. Ask my husband, I don't even like for him to give me a massage. :)

7. I already have a number of things for the boys' Easter baskets but nothing to send with them for lunch on Monday (to Options). TRUE. Guess I'll be heading to the grocery store soon...

8. I actually managed to scrapbook a few layouts last month but haven't gotten around to photographing them to share. FALSE. Ah. This is the one that sounds like it might be true but sadly just isn't. I haven't scrapbooked in ages. Sorry. 

9. Micah's kindergarten alphabet words of late were Xavier (his middle name...handy like that, eh?) and Yoda. He made a finger puppet Yoda to take with him to Options that day. (We'd finished reading "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" just before.) TRUE. ;)

10. I get cold often and easily...to the point that I sit on a heating pad when at my computer and have an electric blanket on my bed still. TRUE. Don't laugh at me. 

11. I'm sadly addicted to Angry Birds on my iPhone. FALSE. I *did* recently download the game on my phone but have yet to actually play it. The boys, on the other hand, are a different story. I think Micah was telling me that he's already made it to the final level.

12. Last night, I finished printing off all of the invites and such for my baby brother's wedding this summer. FALSE. Sorry, Joe. This one's not true. But I really *am* going to print them today (or tomorrow)! Honest! :)

The end. 

Oh. And I actually did manage to at least *attempt* an April Fools prank yesterday. Nathan decided to work from home, which really meant from another location but at least still in Fort Collins. The boys and I went to Party City and bought a dozen helium filled balloons, a bag of normal balloons and a balloon pump. We sat in the parking lot and blew up as many as we could. (Noah and I used our lungs, Micah used the pump, and Asher supervised.) Then we stealthily drove to where Nathan was. Because his car was parked right near the window, I snuck into it and moved it to a spot further back in the parking lot, right next to our van. The boys and I proceeded to transfer all the balloons and were just getting ready to blow up a few more to finish filling the car. 

But. Then Nathan walked up. Turns out that he was ready for a break and had decided to relocate. Talk about bad timing! Poo. Here's what we'd managed:

On the plus side, we'd managed to completely freak him out by moving the car in the first place. And, did I mention that we filled some of the balloons with confetti? Hee hee. ;)

Every three years?

Sigh. I always have such good *intentions* to do something awesome for April Fools. Honest. But, I haven't managed to actually pull any good pranks for awhile now. In lieu of that, how about resurrecting something I did three years ago? Here's a list of random things. Most are true. Guess which three aren't. :)

1. I purchased songs from iTunes for the first time ever earlier this week.

2. Yesterday, I overheard these words, "You really need to work on your Chewbacca sound." Really.

3. I went running this morning.

4. Micah asked me to email Lego to find out if you need to go to college in order to be a Lego designer.

5. The boys were using their Nerf guns to shoot their Lego minifigures much of yesterday afternoon.

6. I strongly dislike getting massages.

7. I already have a number of things for the boys' Easter baskets but nothing to send with them for lunch on Monday (to Options).

8. I actually managed to scrapbook a few layouts last month but haven't gotten around to photographing them to share.

9. Micah's kindergarten alphabet words of late were Xavier (his middle name...handy like that, eh?) and Yoda. He made a finger puppet Yoda to take with him to Options that day. (We'd finished reading "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" just before.)

10. I get cold often and easily...to the point that I sit on a heating pad when at my computer and have an electric blanket on my bed still.

11. I'm sadly addicted to Angry Birds on my iPhone.

12. Last night, I finished printing off all of the invites and such for my baby brother's wedding this summer.

Okay. Guess which three aren't true. Go!

I'll be back with the answers tomorrow. And, I know I didn't get around to more posting this week like I'd promised. I'm thinking I'm going to start reviewing some curriculum programs soon, though, so stay tuned!

Oh. And if you have any really good (but not too mean) April Fools pranks to share, I'm all ears!! (Even if I can't manage it this year, maybe if I start now I'll actually manage it for next year, lol!)

Quote #13.

Happy Monday to you! (And happy birthday to my baby brother!) Here we go:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. –Aristotle

I found this quote in a book I’ve been reading. It’s perfect. I know that oftentimes the word “habit” evokes negative feelings…thoughts of “bad” habits that people want to break. Right now, though, for me, the word “habit” is definitely a positive. It's something that I want to establish as part of my life. Something that if I repeatedly do it, will become second nature. Something I’m working on and striving toward.

Remember that “habit” tin I started? Well, I’m happy to report that it’s going well. (In all honesty, it started out pretty slow but I’ve caught up, lol.) I’m right on track and have even taken the giant (for me) step of taking up running. See? Here are my new shoes:

Aren't they cute? ;)

Once upon a time (like way back in middle school), I ran. I did cross country and the distances in track. Not well. ;) I’ve not run since then, unless you count chasing boys. Deep breath. On Saturday, I took these new shoes out for the very first time. I didn’t die, so I suppose I’ll keep at it…slowly. I mention it all here for accountability purposes and to make it more "real." (And so that those of you who see me in person will understand if you see me limping around some days, LOL!) Wish me luck!

PS I’ve been awesomely inspired by this particular blog post and the links included. Enjoy! 

PPS In other news, we're on our "off" week of homeschooling here, so I've got plenty to say/share...just give me a day or two to get my ducks in a row... ;)