Lessons Learned – Feel free!
The title of todays post comes from a funny moment at my daughter’s “end of Primary School” party at our house last week.
- I had just warned our 4 year old that it was almost his bedtime, then invited the girls to “feel free to help yourself to more food”. My 4 year old asked for more food too but as he was just recovering from a vomiting bug I suggested that maybe that would not be a good idea and it was now his bedtime. He wailed, at the top of his voice “But I want to FEEL FREE TOO!”
- When you get a new laptop it is amazing how quickly everything works! It won’t take long before I bog it down with photos and digital scrapbooking goodies, but right now it works like a dream.
Handmade gifts are always appreciated by teachers, and I quite enjoyed using my glue gun again to make the pencil vases.
Next lesson – remember to wear sun glasses when surrounded by lots of emotional 11 year old girls saying goodbye on their last day of school – it helps hide some of your own emotion. I had no sunglasses, so I kept my camera in front of my face a lot!
New family games/traditions can be created when you least expect it. We were exploring the “wee shell beach” as we call it, near our holiday cottage, and were clambering over the rocks. Our eldest daughter climbed down to the edge of a large rock pool and my husband could not resist throwing a stone to land near her, causing a big enough splash to catch her. Soon the whole family joined in with the “Stone our sister” game – it probably lasted half an hour, and she took it all in good humour, declining to move away.
Every day since there has been requests to return to the “scene of the crime” and throw stones at/near her again!
- Those UV sunsuits are STILL brilliant – all my kids have had them, and with this current unusually warm and sunny weather, it is great not having to cover quite as much of my son’s skin with high-factor sun screen. He has a typically irish complexion with red hair, pale skin and freckles and burns very easily. Personally though I recommend the two-piece variety as opposed to the all-in-one. Makes life easier for all concerned 🙂
When you take the kids to the beach on a lovely warm summer’s evening for icecream, it is pointless trying to stop them getting too wet…. I gave up and let them get on with it!
If you take your camera with you everywhere, and take lots of photos, eventually you will get a half-decent photo of the family.
For more great lessons, visit Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife. Lots of lovely bloggers take part, sharing their lessons each week.
Until the next time, take care.
I’m glad your little guy is feeling better. I agree last days are always tough on the moms. Yeah for the new laptop too!
“But I want to FEEL FREE TOO!” — LOL!!!
Stopping by to say welcome to the SITS community!
your blog is beautiful.
and it’s so great to meet someone else from europe 😉
it does seem kind of silly to try to keep sand and water off of kids at the beach…I never understand when I see parents like that.
Why would you even bring them to the beach?
I have seen quite a few kids with those type of bathing suits. It seems like with your son’s fair skin this would be a good thing for him.
New laptop — how FUN!!!!
And your beach photos are making me VERY EXCITED about my trip! Guess I should get packing, huh?
love the “stone our sister” photo’s! and I feel your love about your new laptop…believe me it doesn’t take long at all to bog it down 🙁
I love what you said about needing your sunglasses! I get weepy at the drop of a hat so I would have been in trouble too. 🙂
You take beautiful photos. And as a teacher, kudos for the home made gifts. Very thoughtful.
Beautiful pictures! And I think they were wonderful lessons learned. And I’m loving the pencil vases! Too cute.
Hugs.
Kim
I love your pictures!
Stopping by from SITS to say welcome to our wonderful SITStahood!
Dawn
Beautiful pictures! Love that last one especially!
I adore the colored pencil vases!! What a wonderful idea!
Love all the pictures. Especially the splashing rocks by your DD one! Stopping by from SITS to say hi & welcome you go the gang! Have a great day.
What a great post!
It’s my first time here! Coming by from SITS with a big HELLO & Welcome!
ooo, new computer, fun stuff. I love the pencil holders.
great photos of your family.
Just came by from SITS to say I hope you will have a beautiful day..
I “feel free to” way too often! Perhaps that explains my expanding waistline and bulging hips.
P.S. I think your photos are beautiful!
Double P.S. The pencil vase is absolutely enticing!
Triple P.S. Some of the best family moments & photos happen when we least expect them!
Hi JanMary!
Thanks for visiting Scrapbook Ideas, it was so nice to see you again :). I love your teacher gifts – great idea and so pretty!! I will have to try them sometime (any excuse to get out the ‘ol glue gun LOL)! Sorry I haven’t been very active online, I have a lot going on this summer – pregnancy, family moving into town, sickness, all on top of the usual summer craziness :)!
Glad to see things are well with you and the family – love the photos as usual!
{hugs}
Jess
I enjoyed your post and pictures! Cute teacher gift idea!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m visiting from Amanda’s. Have a great day!
Bethany
Aww – hope he feels better so he can feel free too!
Hope you feel better knowing that dreaming about blogging sort of goes with the territory. ;)Thanks for stopping by my blog.
ahhh i love your photo serie !!! wonderful!!! congrats to the new computer …
Nicole
What a sweet family you have. And your pictures are AWESOME!!
Thanks so much for visiting me today! =)
I love the speed of brand new computers too!
You take wonderful pictures, I especially loved the series of your daughter on the rocks! 🙂
Saw you over at Amanda’s blog and wanted to stop by and say hi. Such great beach photos! This was so fun to read. 🙂
Oh, I want to feel free, too!!!!!
Have you ever played the game “Two Truths and a Lie”? It’s an ice-breaker to get to know people in which you tell people two things about you that are true, and one that isn’t. And they have to guess which thing is the lie – always leads to fun conversations as the stories are revealed.
Anyway, I’m thinking now your daughter has a great truth that will sound like the lie:
My mother stood by taking pictures while my father and brothers were stoning me! LOL
those are some great lessons. I really liked the photos of your daughter and the splashing. very nice.
stopped by from SITS to welcome you and say hello.
Feel free, get wet, eat ice cream. cry over goodbyes – life is a beautiful thing. The feel free just cracked me up – I’ll be repeating that story!
You have a beautiful family. I’m so happy that I found your blog through Julia’s party!
Happy Weekend,
Isa
congrats to your new laptop!
Your family shot is so beautiful and also your other pictures at the sea!