Celebrate: sorted into Hufflepuff

At first glance it may seem as a strange thing to celebrate: being sorted to Hufflepuff by a computer quiz. For me it is a big thing, especially when I discovered that all my three daughters got the same result. Silly and trivial as it may seem, answering questions about the type of magic you'd like to learn or potions you'd prefer to drink, the message matters to me. We made similar choices. And my girls agreed that the test showed that they value what I have taught them - kindness, fairness, and hard work. The test reminded us how much Harry Potter books spelled our lives in the past. Best of all the test gave us all a good laugh on Friday evening.  Having all my daughters at home after several weeks made the home warmer, cozier and happier. Being together is the best magic.

Thank you for your invitation to celebrate, Ruth Ayres.

A sweet slice for Saturday morning

Day 19 of March Slice of Life Story Challenge

 Whipping eggs with sugar, stirring in flour and cocoa, chopping pecans and chocolate, mixing, tasting, wiping some chocolate powder from his chin - my hubby makes a delicious sight to watch when he bakes. 

Since both of our baking princesses moved out, and the evening baking sessions became rarity, my hubby grabs for a whisk and spatula himself. 

On Thursday evening, when I was out enjoying a ballet, he and my youngest messed around in the kitchen to bake chocolate-pecan brownies with chocolate frosting. This was for us only to see, because yesterday evening Mimm, a backpack over her shoulders, a sleeping bag and a pillow tucked into a bag in her left hand, carried the collaborative sweet result to a sleep over at school.

Not a bite left at home, my hubby decided to fix the mistake. 

Not hard for you to guess what I had for breakfast this Saturday morning.

Have a sweet Saturday!

happy mom moment

When my daughter is on the dance floor, I have eyes only for her. Graceful and beautiful, magnificent and powerful - her dance takes my breath away.

Yesterday my daughter participated in the Estonian Championship in Standard dances. My hubby, my youngest daughter, my sis and I had come to support her.  The semi-final of Youth 2 had 10 couples. Since she has danced with her new partner only for seven months, we didn't know what to expect. We rejoiced when they got to the finals.

Three hours to wait before the finals. We watched other semi-finals: the little kids, juniors, seniors, youth, adults. Slow waltz, tango, Vienna waltz, foxtrot, quickstep. Again, and again and again. The music is loud, mixed with the clapping and cheering. The light and the colors, the movement can make the head spin. Sitting for hours on a bench during a dance competition tests patience and tortures the body. The whole event is a mixture of high positive emotions and the wish to escape.

When my daughter was back on the dance floor with five other couples for the five final dances, every fiber of my body is filled with hope and worry and admiration. Mostly admiration. Dance is a sport. Hours and hours of practice, sweat and pain, to leave an impression of flying to the music. Five short dances doesn't seem like much, but it takes a lot of strength and stamina. And when the dances are over, the couples smile and bow, walk off the floor, reach for the water bottles, wipe sweat from their necks and breathe deeply. They have done their best and now all is left is to wait for the results.

When all finals are over, everyone awaits for the award ceremony.
The six finalist couples march to the floor. The hosts start announcing the results from the sixth place.
I can feel my heart pounding, I am ready for her to be the sixth but hope for better. The sixth place was not her, the fifth place was not her. My heart speeds up and smile spreads. She has already done way better than she hoped for. Fourth place. Not her. Third place - her name is announced. She and her partner beam with happiness.
My daughter and her partner won bronze medals in Estonian Championship U21 group for Standard Dances. My heart waltzes.

With a different partner she got a fourth place two years ago, and then they won the championship in 10-dances. They danced for one more year and then her partner decided to stop dancing Standard and focus on Latin only. For more than half a year my daughter was without partner. She could have stopped. She did not give up. She did not stop dancing. My daughter has impressed me over and over with her determination and dedication.

A cup of tea for my daughter

Would you like a cup of tea?

A little red teapot. A blend of rose hip, raspberry, hibiscus, orange and coconut. Hot water. Two white cups with butterfly designs. A spoonful of honey.

Stir. Memories.  Dreams. Hopes. Happiness.

Slowing down time. Relaxing. Together.

Moment. Now.

Smile.

What matters the most?

Day 5 of March Slice of Life Story Challenge

Hot water slowly filled my teacup. A middle school history teacher, a young man, was heating up his lasagna in the microwave. An upper school English teacher, a woman not much older than me, had already sat down at a table to eat her lentil soup. The "so-much-to-do-so-little-time" ticking on the back of my head I was ready to leave the teacher lounge as soon as my cup was full, and return to my classroom to continue writing assessment comments. I took a few steps towards the door when I changed my mind to stay for a short chat. I hardly ever see these teachers. Both of them joined our staff last August.

"Are you coming to the school's 20th anniversary staff dinner tonight?" I asked them

"I will," responded the English teacher with a smile, "I haven't been feeling well, but I think that I'll take a nap after school and then I'll be ok."

"I won't," said the History teacher, "I will be with my family."

He has a one-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. I remembered that his wife had a minor surgery recently and I heard his mother-in-law was visiting for a week. 

20th anniversary dinner sounds important but I knew this young man had made a right decision. In a long run the food in a fancy restaurant meant nothing compared to what the man had chosen. 

He knew what was essential in his life, what was important, and what mattered the most. I respect and admire him for that.

My kids are older. My youngest daughter is eleven. Two older daughters go to university already and have moved out of home. For me going to the dinner was an opportunity to relax and chat with dear colleagues, some with whom I have worked together for 17 years. When I arrived home late in the evening my family, my older ones both also at home, greeted me cheerfully.

Today is Saturday. As a teacher I could fill all hours with planning new units or lessons; assessing student learning; writing planners, comments, emails, or self-study; reflecting on my teaching and interactions; reading PD books. On Saturday I try to stay away form anything school related and be with my family. We haven't made plans yet. So anything is possible. No need for grand and glorious. I would be happy to be at home listening to the chitter-chatter of girls, playing some board games, eating pizza. I am happy that everyone is at home.

Celebrate

Thank you, Ruth, for the invitation to celebrate.

Getting ideas from:

26 Things Every Person Should Do For Themselves At Least Once A Year

26. Maybe on your birthday, make it a point to review your year. Make time to pore over and reflect on everything thats happened —journals, photos, videos, posts on social media — all the parts that combine to show you how far you’ve come. Celebrate your progress and note where you still need work. It’s a beautiful thing to be self-aware enough to take your past and present into account when considering the future.

A teacher could follow this advice three times a year - on a birthday, end of a calendar year, end of the school year.

I spent some time last week reading my blog and looking at photos. I already wrote one little reflection. Without hesitation I can admit 2015 was an awesome and colorful year.  Some of it never changes - school time spinning fast, with me looking for small and sweet moments to fight stress; the summer and breaks moving in slow motion, I often lost in books. This year brought interesting people, places and events to my life. My heart spills with gratitude. I grew immensely professionally (things I am proud of list.)  After all the busy and exciting I love staying home, quietly, with my family around me, just being. Now that both older girls have moved out it doesn't happen often that everyone is at home. The best part of this week was spending the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my parents and sis and her family at my mom's place, with good food and talking, and then returning home and waking up in the middle of the night feeling happy that my three daughters and my hubby were peacefully sleeping. The protected precious moments at home allow me to venture out, take risks, push myself to grow.
I am still figuring out how to combine the professional and home life, the serious/credible me with the one taking pictures of butterflies, the me wishing to reach out with the me wishing to hide, the real with the virtual. I do not yet have a clear idea of what I wish the next year to be like. I know only one thing for sure - I want everyone to be healthy.

Reflection in photos:

favorite nature photos 2015 (photos only)

moments 2015 (photos only)

The winter will pass, the summer will return and butterflies will fly again.

Celebrate: family

My dad (81) and mom (69). They look beautiful. They have been married for 48 years.

This Monday we had a spur of a moment family photo shoot. We had no time for hairdo or makeup or pretty clothes. Nor did we hire an official photographer. We invited our cousins and their kids who where in the countryside for a group photo. It was just us and a simple camera. 

Having all of the family together (mom-dad, my sis and I, and our hubbies and kids) in a small house during the summer can sometimes be annoying. We all have our different expectations, needs, routines, habits, and tolerance for messiness and noise. The clashing differences cause tension. Talking about problems or feelings is not in our family culture. We talk about practical matters, or about random things. We sometimes grumble and mumble. We all occasionally want to run off to be alone. We handle our feelings quietly. When the cloudy moment passes, we make sure the meal is ready, dishes washed, vegetables weeded, floors cleaned, another load of laundry hanging on the clothesline; we sit outside and plan when to start sauna, what should be on the grocery list and what to cook for dinner; we bring up memories, describe what we have done or seen, share news, laugh, wonder what others relatives are doing. We listen to each other, help when needed, and let everyone do what they do the best. 

When the moments get heated, I think about the families who never visit each other, or for years don't talk, or where old generation has passed away, or parents are divorced, or children have moved far-far away,  and I am so thankful to have my family together. The summer is short and once the work starts we won't see each other often. It doesn't matter that we aren't feely-touchy, having heart-to-heart conversations, or verbally expressing our affection. I know that we care deeply about each other and show it in our quiet way through every-day actions. Love isn't always in words, sometimes it is in the pancakes or in the clean pillow case or in a recommended book or in the helping hand or in the family pictures taken on a random sunny day.

I celebrate my wonderful family. 

 With my sis. (I'm on the left)

Here are some cool pics my sis took:

Read and share celebrations at Ruth Ayres' blog

Celebrate this week: graduation

The highlight of this week, and I would say the highlight of this year, is my second daughter Kerstin's high school graduation. 

Fly high, the doors are open, the world is full of opportunities - these words were almost in every speech I heard at my daughter's graduation. I am pretty sure something similar was said to me when I graduated 25 years ago, and to my first daughter who graduated a year ago. I really don't remember. 

The strange thing is that the high school graduation time is the one time when you feel you are accomplished and super smart and you own the world. You can celebrate through the night with all your energy.

Then you set on a new journey and you discover that you don't know much at all and the learning has barely begun. The number of choices and decisions, the amount of work, the duties and responsibilities suddenly grow. It may become scary. But when you can keep the awe, the joy and the appreciation, when you nurture the positive relationships around you, when you remember to be kind to yourself and others, when you discover your passion and figure out how to contribute to the world, everything is going to work out more than fine. 

If I had given this speech, Kerstin would have listened with polite silence, nodded, and then went off living her life as she sees right, making her own choices as she has done since her childhood. 

It was her choice to switch schools at seventh grade to a more rigorous school, which she graduated yesterday with silver medal. It has been her choice to explore chemistry and programming in more depth, taking part in state competitions, and based on her results she already has been accepted to the top university in Estonia. With quiet determination, self-confidence, and dedication Kerstin has already proven to be a successful learner and a strong personality. She is ready to leave home.

I don't want to let go but I have to. 

The end of one significant journey is at the same time the beginning of real life. Now is the time to figure out who she is and how she is going to create her life. 

With the power of mother's love I wish her the best. 

Day 22: capturing gratitude, spring poem

Read more slices at Two Writing Teachers

Serendipity,

Precious moment,

Rejuvenating light

Illuminating

Noteworthy newborn,

Gentle early bloom.

Day 16: my daughters; book spine poems

Read more slices at Two Writing Teachers

My daughters

The Oldest

This is My Daughter

The Book Thief

Fangirl

Heir of Fire

Daring Greatly

Champion

The Middle Daughter:

This is My Daughter

Quiet

Makin' numbers

Energy and Reactions

The Story of Chocolate

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

The Youngest:

This is My Daughter

The Dreamer

Mosaic of Thought

Creativity

The Child of Wonder

Book Spine poem 2014

Book Spine Poem 2013

Book Spine Poem 2012

Book Spine Poem 2011

Week in the Life: Sunday

Ali Edwards invited people to participate in a photo project Week In The Life. I am glad I experimented with photographing and recorded my ordinary life.

I like when the counters are clean and light pours in.

Some counters will never be completely empty.

We had a rather unusual Sunday. Usually we stay at home on Sunday. This Sunday Tarmo, Mimm and I got dressed up and went to see "The Phantom of the Opera."

My family breathed in relief when they heard that the project was over. No more fear of getting caught on pictures and no more worry about the sanity of mom taking pictures of odd things around the home.

My sis sent me a link to "Beginners guide to taking pictures." Maybe by next year I actually know what I am doing before I click on the camera buttons.

Week in the Life: Saturday

Saturday - slow and warm, staying at home, letting the time flow, smiling, chatting, playing - an enjoyable day. I usually include some work and writing to the day. I try to update my classroom blog and Celebrate posts in the morning, letting the rest of the day focus on the family. I didn't take many pictures.  Let it be the few then.

 I love when we can pull the curtains away and let the light pour in.

Mimm was willing to pose to me. Hurray! She returned from a friend's birthday with a phoenix painted on her face.

My sister wondered whether I would include in my post that we spent 45 minutes on a phone. I reverted to my bedroom, spoke to my sister and then called my friend and read on I-Pad and wrote in my journal.

 I experimented with taking a self-portrait. Looks like the camera is the main character.

With a nine-year-old in a family you can bet on some crazy ideas.

What fun it was for Mimm to go through the maze. What fun it was to watch.

Mimm practiced two songs for an upcoming musical.


I wish I had pictures of the family playing board games and having lunch together, and two oldest girls baking at night. This is what our Saturdays are often about.

Thoughts:

• some memories will be best stored in the heart not in pictures
• not captured on the pics are the conversations and feelings that fill the space around and inside us
• the story we tell matters the most to us not to anyone else