solitude

 Happy Mother's day.....
 * i took this picture of a new dahlia...

It might sound strange to be using the word solitude in a post.... a post about Mother's day. but the title says it for a reason.. I spent the day... watching my son have a day... of playdates... with older kids.. .

and trying not to worry and be a helicopter.. mom... I let him play outside.. and in others homes.. without going... I checked by phone or by peeking out the window.. but it made me nervous... I was fearful that he would hurt someones feelings, be a bully.. get hurt... go after a ball in the road... Or..... THE worst.. thought.. be kidnapped... I know I have to let him have wings... that is why.. I stayed back.. but it was hard... In between.. loads of laundry, mopping the floor... and organizing his toys... I peered thru the blinds....I love him.. and he completes who I am as a person...

Yesterday I did my first Retail shopping in over 3 year.. NOT kidding.. I buy books once in a while... or a shirt or pocketbook... if I have to go somewhere a  baby shower, friends house, or wedding... but I don't go from store to store.. and try on clothes..ever.. but my Mother is back in the state.. she was gone for 4 or so years.. and for Mother's day.. she wanted to clothes and shoe shop... I am not always the best.. to do this with..as I have no sense of fashion... ( but that is another post- entirely) but I helped her find... a great purse.. and she helped me spend money... I didn't have.. It might have been irresponsible.. but it was much needed...  So we had fun.... I mean really... I have not done that with anyone including a girl friend.. in so long... .I almost forgot how.. and I was tired... afterwards..

 I have enjoyed the look of Spring finally her in New York at our home...

 Think my cat enjoys it too..

 * I took this.. I love this tree.. a small Kobe red bud...

 My dog ... would love to come out... the front.. to see the spring.. but not without her leash....

 So my cup should be full this Mother's day.. I have my health... my son is happy... My house... is blooming with spring....
... but still I am in need of Solitude... now a few of you know.. I only work part- time.. so I have much of the day... where I can have some solitude... but I guess I mean ONE entire day.. from sunrise to sunset... in solitude.... or solitude.. where I have a bit of time.. where I don't FEEL GUILTY.. I am not cleaning... organizing... etc...
 ... I am sure many mom's look forward to just being with their children tomorrow.. and being healthy...
Other mom's wish for jewels... or breakfast in bed... some don't have a child.. but dream of it, many go through fertility testing... and much difficulty...and  some wish...to be with daughters or son's they lost... My heart goes out to them... I think of you... on this day... but a few mom's might wish.. for a day of solitude.. and I hope that doesn't make me... ungrateful... or unloving... but enjoying a few moments of solitude... is different for everyone... some want to exercise.. others like to write, blog or reflect... some like to watch the ocean... tide... I think... I like a book.. in the sun... with a big hat.. and sunblock.. on my face.. with a cool strawberry Daiquiri.

*** a neighbor let me borrow... a few books.. for my solitude... 

So tell me.. how do you enjoy precious moments of your solitude??????

Mother's and how they just need 5 minutes of peace

 Hope you get 5 minutes peace  this Mother's Day...

 So over at the Tip Junkiewww.tipjunkie.com this is what she said today.....
"I have such a passion for helping women and today is no exception. I’m featuring some crazy talented graphic designers who are so generous as to give you a taste of what they can do with FREE printables. Talk about seriously generous!
You can save these files onto your computers to use know or save for later.  I’m also giving EVERYONE a really cool gift idea for Mother’s day or actually any occasion.  {{high fives}}"

 The cool idea is....
  5 minute peace bath salts, and tags.... The recipe for the bath salts comes from www.mydeliciousambiguity.com
 The book shown here

is about an elephant mom named Mrs. Large and she is determined to have just five minutes' peace from the mess and confusion of her beloved children. She fixes herself a tray, runs a tub of lovely warm water, fills it with bubble bath, and hopes for those precious moments alone before facing the day's activities. . However, while the text is simplistic enough for primary readers, the humorous depiction of a beleaguered mother is adult-oriented. Some children may wonder why Mrs. Large wants to get away from her children. Nevertheless, a hearty chuckle can be has by any mother reading this on mother's day or even the day after.
 If you find the book or order it on Amazon you may want to look for the other 2 in the series~All in One Piece also by Jill Murphy and A piece of Cake by Jill Murphy all are very funny for MOMS and children. In the movie All in One Piece - It has a funny part about a set of watercolors, so sometimes we frame a watercolor picture made by their child and we do a print onto a piece of fabric. ( can't tell you why we do that) You have to read the book to find out.
In my classroom I have a mother's day tea every year and one year I had a Spa themed mothers day tea, and the name was 5 minutes of peace...Below is a bit of what we did at that tea...
  We decorated the room with flowers made from paper, the children made there mom collages made from wadded up tissue paper, we then taught them how to give a back rub and they meet there mom in the hall and welcome them to the Mother's day tea or spa or what ever you call your event and they lead them to there seat, help them put on there pin or corsage and then they get a back rub. I play quiet music and tape pictures of them getting this special service. Ahead of time I asked the kids to answer the following questions and we put them in a jar the child made for there mom and they are asked to read a few out loud to us... Very funny especially one year I had a child tell me that my daddy calls my mom pain in the ass- I said- being sure I couldn't write that down, No her other name---the child thought and said, "MOMMY."" very funny. I did tell the mom the true story later. She laughed thank goodness
. What's your mom's name?
2. What does she do?
3. How old is she?
4. How does daddy call mom?
5. What is her favorite color?
6. What is her favorite food?
7. What is her favorite movie?
8. How many brothers and sisters does she have?
9. Where does she like to take you for fun?
10. What message do you want to send her for mother's day?
 I usually have the kids make bath salts in class then I go to the 1.00 store and get a lufa and a rubber ducky that I give to the mother's as a favor, at the end of the event.
 We work hard to get things ready and all the children prepare a tray of the following:
 1) bottom of gift box to be painted and modpoged with magazine pictures and their own photograph; 2)we will make bubble bath from a recipe and pour into plastic bottles; 3)we will make a cake and slice and wrap pieces; 4)we will include a teabag; and 5)we will "write" a front page story about ourselves to represent the newspaper. Finally, 6)a small rubber duck is included.
The children will assemble their trays and present them to their moms after we read the book as a class. Some years the children have made books for their moms and depending on if your school is public or private you can have the bookmark say : "My peace I give to you." John 14:27.

---

Brewing your own root beer

 Happy Mothers' day...
So it's Mother's day weekend and you might wish that you could stay in a hotel and curl up with a book and take a soaking hot tub soak, OH wait,that is my wish. Anyway, I love my son but just one day out of the year I would love to be alone in a hotel, with books, sushi and a hot tub. I am serious. I do enjoy doing things with him and he is always on the go today we....played in the outdoor water table...

 then last week we worked on making root beer,
it takes  a few weeks to be read to drink. Finally last night it was ready and we had root beer floats.
He was in a Pre-K program but now we are home 
until my new job starts and his Kindergarten starts in
September.  He is always on the go...

If you would like to make root beer  here is the directions:
You can find the kits on line...
it comes with 2oz bottle of  root beer extract
1 pkg of champagne yeast (  never heard of this kind till now)
1 funnel
4 blank soda labels ( you can name your soda anything you want)
You need to save 2 two liter plastic soda bottles with screw caps or 4 1 liter plastic bottles.
You will need 2 cups of sugar and a large cooking pot to hold a gallon of liquid
step one clean the bottles thoroughly, then in a small bowl dissolve no more than 1/4 teaspoon of yest in warm (98)degrees water - stir and  let stand a few minutes. While yeast is dissolving proceed to step 3.
step3 Shake bottle of extract well. In a clean pot containing one gallon of warm tap water add two cups of sugar and ONE tablespoon of extract. stir till sugar is dissolved.
step 4 Now add the dissolved yeast to the sugar and water mixture and stir thoroughly. You may taste the mixture and adjust the sugar if you like a sweeter soda.
step 5 Using the funnel, fill the soda bottles to within 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top. Seal tightly with the well washed bottle caps. Be sure to screw the caps on firmly, remember that bottles not sealed well will loose pressure and taste flat or sour.
step6 make a nice label for you soda. markers crayons
Put a date on your soda when you bottled and when it's ready to drink which is 10 days from bottling.
step 7 lay your bottles on their sides to check for leaks. Leave in a warm place ( 72-75) degrees for 3 to 5 days/ Move to a cool dark place ( 60 or so degrees) for a week to 10 days
*****Yeast are microscopic plants with the ability to reproduce quickly and turn sugar into carbon dioxide, it is the carbon dioxide gas that gives soda its fizz, too much yeast and you will wind up with too much foam or worst burst bottles and a big MESS!! use fresh yeast.
 SO if you are going to be alone on Mother's day, with your grown children or with your young children enjoy the day. If your mother has passed, sit down and have a cup of tea and think of the ways she raised you and how she kept you busy and organized. If your seeing your own mother today .. Tell her 3 things you remember from your childhood that she was a big part of? a fun trip, a party, a lesson she taught you???
Enjoy the beauty of the day.. either way...
I doubt I will be eating sushi with a few new books in a hotel but I can dream...

  and on Monday he will be keeping me busy with his ladybug adventure... we went  on line to insect lore and ordered our own ladybug larva... so the adventure with a boy and his mom continues....