away and in the past

I've been away from my computer for most of the last few days and it felt so good.

We went camping with the boy scouts over the weekend and happily found our house in one piece once we got back. Remember last time?



I love campfires, sharing good songs, watching the kids play and the walks. The night in a tent when one has an inadequate sleeping bag is another story—specially when the rest of your family is sleeping soundly. I was glad for the kids and Mr. Z but I was beyond just cold and let's just say that I wasn't a happy camper (literally) at sunrise. However, seeing how much fun my boy scout was having with the whole experience made that quickly go away—a cup of very hot coffee helped too.

• • •

Today little C and I went on her class field trip to a one-room school house where we were treated and expected to behave as if it were 1898 (think Little House on the Prairie). We did the same with my D when he was in 1st grade and it was just as fun.

Lining up for class. Parents played the part of 17 yr old students or 'big sisters and big brothers'.







The kids practiced math on slate boards and did some penmanship exercises with a quill and ink. The latter was a bit of a challenge but they did surprisingly well.

Here's the dress and apron I made... a lot of work for one day of use, but she looked so cute. It was well worth the effort, but I still don't understand those of you that think that sewing is so relaxing and fun—phew!



The kids were thrilled to try out the hoops and sticks albeit a bit frustrated because they thought they would be easier to handle. They were told to go twice around the schoolhouse and they were completely out of breadth by the end.

We ended the day enjoying lunch (out of pails) while sitting on blankets under the clear blue sky. Perfect. I've always said it, March is my favorite time of the year.



Days like these make me want to drop all work related activities and just be a Mom. I get such a kick out of seeing what a great time the kids have and watching their innocent play and minds at work. But I also know the part of me that craves tackling my own projects can't stay dormant forever. I'm most happy when there is an ebb and flow between both worlds. Tomorrow I go back to that juggling act... and that's ok.