Oil Cloth...Why Do I Love This Stuff??

While in Nashville for the Music City Half Marathon...we went to a little boutique in Hillsboro Village that Kate likes...Pangaea

Yep...loads of really cool stuff, like these lamps...

 

 This is also where my sudden unexplainable obsession with oil cloth began...

I have named my latest board on Pinterest...Oil Cloth Wonders  I bought this book for Nicole in Pangaea along with 3 yards of oil cloth...thinking that she might make herself a giant shopping tote that she can use to go to the farmer's market in her new neighborhood!!!

Today while out running a dozen errands I ran across this cute child-sized oil cloth (actually,it is probably more like vinyl covered fabric) apron.  This will be great for Claire who is surely going to be fingerpainting any day now ;)

 

It almost makes me want to take up sewing...ehhhh...nope...I will just wait for Nicole to get settled into that new dream house and then I will show up with some cool oil cloth and beg for a tablecloth for my sun room table!!

 

So many choices!!

A Book Can Take You Around the World!

Last week I left you with this little teaser...

It didn't dawn on me that anyone would think I was planning a world-wide trip  until Katelyn said "I am not hearing about something big on the blog am I"??

No Way...there is too much going on in the life of our family to fit that in!!

This is a trip of sorts, but much closer to home!!  So, first, a little background...
I have been "retired" from teaching for 5 years now (that is so hard for me to believe)!! I knew that I would not go back to full time teaching once I left because, while it was so rewarding and a calling, it was a never-ending-take-the-work- home-with-you career.  I was so organized while I worked that I don't think I exhaled during the school year...no, I am serious! About a year into my "retirement" I commented to Rich "How did I do all of this while working?"  to which he answered "You didn't do all of this"  :(  Okay, my family never really suffered except the part about me teaching at the school Kate and Chelsea attended. But enough history, spring forward to now...Now I am ready to do something.  After a year of reflection and prayer it became crystal clear.  Do what I love!  Isn't that the reason for the God-given gifts...to use them to help others, glorify Him, and get outside of myself???!!! 

My favorite part of teaching was the literature unit (what...they don't those anymore???)  I love books and loved exposing the kids to all of the possibilities that reading can inspire!  Soooo, I went to our local Girls Inc and talked with them about my idea of creating a library for them on site and volunteering one day a week year round to host book clubs for all of the different age groups.   I am leaving out lots of details here but let's just say that God went before me on this one and everything has fallen into place beautifully.  For the past month I have been reading children's lit again and I am loving it. I am creating a program for the summer camp (which serves approximately 200 girls) in which every girl will experience life around the world  through books (this is in keeping with the summer camp's theme).  The first and second grades will be reading folktales from around the world (Koala Lou, Tikki Tikki Tembo...)and they will be doing crafts and keeping a journal.  Third grade will be traveling about with Jack and Annie and experiencing their adventures in the Magic Tree House books. The 4th graders are going to get to know the very strong character of Pippi Longstocking and maybe we will have Pippi day with pigtails and striped socks!! I found a really cool book, The Sixty-Eight Rooms which will take the 5th graders to the Chicago Art Institute to visit the magical Thorne Rooms.  For the 6th graders and beyond it is one of my all time faves...The Thief Lord, set in Venice, Italy.

I am excited about working with kids again...I am excited that both Chelsea and Katelyn have committed to volunteering with their mom!! I am praying that God uses this opportunity to do something wonderful for everyone involved!! I will be blogging about my adventures and if I get permission will include some pictures...

Keep me in your prayers...summer camp begins June 11th!!