Comments

I totally need to take a chapter out of your book. You are completely right, it's not like they will starve if I don't have extras of everything.

I'm sure with time I'll get it all figured out. For now, I'm happy to try to manage just my family's food.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see which child is the most challenging. Granted, I had enough to ensure that at least one or two of them will have me pulling my hair out.

I think that Cecelia might be my most challenging as she is like me in alot of ways. We tend to knock horns often about some of the same issues I remember struggling with when I was little. I was not a picnic when I got to my teenage years, but I've learned :)

Actually, it was just so much fun to explore the skyways and dine in different restaurants. I realized, however, that we wake up WAY too early for downtowners :) No one is up at 6am, but I am!

The room service was amazing. I got my first pedicure...

It was just wonderful to be together :)

Yes, the elephant in the room.... money :) haha ;)

I know that of course dreams for our children must coincide with reality. I admire those who can enroll their children in several activities, but I also know that true learning is within the play that our society seems to schedule our children away from. In addition, I'm not leaving their education simply to the public school system. I will teach them in my own way, in my own time. When we went to the art-museum I was stunned to find that they viewed the experience as extremely exciting! Who would have thought :) I guess, it's more about exposure and opportunity. If the opportunity is not necessarily there per the money required, there is always ways around this. On Sunday afternoon, Bella and I sat down to work on a big art-piece that I was constructing. She got her hands dirty with me and we sat on the ground in the living room as we worked together to get the first-portion of the piece done. We talk about art alot more than we talk about music in our family. However, my in-laws are BIG music people. I have been given the "you shoulds" till the cows come home on the importance of music. However, I'm not willing to sacrifice everything for them to become star pianists. If I do go down a music route, it will be a cost-effective venture.

I completely agree. There is a different element that the arts invoke as it is personal expression and creativity honed into a skill. For now, I simply keep encouraging the girls in all of their excitements and give them the necessary tools to create and achieve within the art-world. I'm just wondering how to allow them to excel in these areas without feeling like we have to try everything in order to find some deep passion.

I agree with you that passion and excellence is achieved when a person has discovered something that connects with them and/or they are talented in it... but I wonder how much of this is cultivated. After all, I'm in this family where they push their kids to excellence... sometimes I wonder if the hap-hazzard version of "trying things out" until something fits is less productive than choosing something. In addition, is there a reason why excellence is important in one area? I'm just fumbling around figuring out what it means and how exaclty to go about it... or even if it is necessary. What do you gain from exceling in the arts?

thanks Anne :)

Sometimes I lose sight of the fact that I need to care for myself. I had a long conversation with my mil the other day and felt so much better... but she did say : "take care of yourself first". I'm doing my best today...

They left yesterday and I managed to move all the rooms around so that everyone has their own room. We woke up late this morning and I am happy to announce that we all feel much better.