Summer resolutions

I gave my last exam today. I'll grade like a mad woman for 2 or 3 days, turn my grades in, and then face a long summer of freedom--freedom from folders stuffed with ungraded papers, freedom from fussing with unfinished lesson plans, freedom from students handing me excuse after excuse for late essays and missed classes. If only teaching literature meant just teaching and none of that other business. Oh the joy that would be.

I have ambitions for the summer, of course, and I thought perhaps thinking them through here, committing them to binary code would help solidify my commitment to these ambitions. So. This summer, I hope to:

Clean out the house. Really, really clean out the house. In fact, I'm hoping to reduce our belongings by half.

Sew a lot and toy with the idea of sewing more seriously.

Be more creative with the kids. Less TV and computer, more play.

Teach Owen to swim (it's high time, I know, but the boy's a fraidy mouse).

Teach Owen to ride a two-wheeler (see excuse above).

Revive Mommy Blog Round Up

Increase my contributions to Momformation

Set up an office space for John

I should stop there before the list gets so long I run screaming away from it. I tend to overwhelm myself with ideas of how to use my free time until I'm at a loss about where to begin and end up doing nuttin'.

Happy summer (to me)!

A post a day in May

Though I am a day late, I decided to participate in Jenny's (of the lovely allsorts) Post a Day in May mainly because the button she has for participants is so pretty, I just wanted to display it on my blog.

And also because THE SPRING SEMESTER IS OVER!!! And now (well, in a few days, after the mountain o' papers is graded) I can give more attention to my beloved pasttimes. Like last summer when Mean Mommy was born and sometimes I posted twice a day and also kept up the now languishing Mommy Blog Roundup, whose abandonment causes me daily guilt and sadness. I love MBRU. I just haven't have time to maintain this blog, write for Momformation, keep up with work, laundry, diaper changing, general child rearing, and get my daily sewing fix.

Speaking of sewing, I have some gorgeous pictures to share. Both are amazing recent thrift stores finds: a vintage Singer 328K from the 1960s that works like a dream (for $10 dollars!) and an unbelievable quilt top, whose every hexagon is a beautiful piece of vintage fabric. (For more pictures of the quilt fabric, click here.)



I'm in love with both of these things. The sewing machine especially. It's such a good, sturdy machine, obviously lovingly cared for by someone for years, and I was very lucky to find it. When I sew on it, I feel giddy.

Ok, I promise, more coherent posts to come throughout the month.

Sisters

The bond between Paige and Bailey is too sweet for words. Bailey's arrival is always met by squeals, bouncing, and full-speed, charging hugs. And Bailey's patience and tenderness have reached new levels with Paige. They are 12 years apart, but sisters are sisters...no matter the age difference.