I'm a weirdo.....I know!

Okay, now I'm going to admit being a weirdo! I love to volunteer!

This week, I resumed volunteering where my sons have gone to school. It is something I have done for the last 11 years! Yeah, that is a long time. However, it is something that I truly enjoy!

I think I'm lucky to be able to volunteer. I love working with children and helping, in some small way, to "plant a seed" in their minds. The "seed" could be knowledge, curiosity, caring, encouragement, creativity, or any number of other things!

I have tried, this year, to consolidate my volunteering. Instead of running back and forth several times a week to school, I am going in on one day. In the morning, on my day of volunteering, I am leading a book club for first graders! It is the third year I have done this activity for the same teacher! I love it! The first graders are the "higher level readers" in this particular classroom, so I just get to work on fluency and comprehension. Most of them do a really good job reading, already. As I said, I feel really fortunate to be able to lead this book club! I enjoy picking out the book for each week and seeing the students enjoy the story, as well as the time we spend together.

Then, in the afternoon, I will be facilitating a writer's circle for a third grade classroom. This is new for me! It will be a welcome challenge. I like to write! Unfortunately, I've started a number of articles, stories, lesson plans, and few are continued to their end. It will be a challenge to guide some "budding" writers, especially when they are still learning writing conventions and finding their voice. Yet, I am still very much looking forward to this!

It may be that my love of reading ignites my interest in writing. I do know that the more I read, the more I am stimulated to write. In the first week of my writers circle, that is the one thing I tried to impress upon my group of third graders, great writers read a lot!

So, I came home late last week exhilarated!!! I am fortunate to be a volunteer and fortunate to be able to volunteer to do something I love! Thank you to my childrens' teachers, past and present, for allowing me to contribute! I encourage you all to try and volunteer. Pick an activity you love or a cause your are passionate about; you're sure to love being a volunteer, too!

Thanks for visiting my blog today! Have a great week!

~Carol~

Homecoming.............A time to remember!

Usually, I am a person that lives in the present and looks to the future. I am also very goal oriented. It is rare for me to look back, for I am always moving forward. However, this weekend presented a rare occasion to do just that! It was Homecoming Weekend for our local High School. What a busy weekend it was, too!

It all starts with the prep, earlier in the week; the floats are being built at the various schools, including the elementary schools, the band is practicing for the parade and field show during half time at the football game, special t-shirts are ordered, dates are made, corsages are ordered and the whole community seems to get in the festive Homecoming mood.

What really helped this year was the weather! It was about 85 degrees here in Western Wisconsin! What a gorgeous fall day we had! In fact, the entire weekend was sunny and down right HOT!

I wasn't going to the parade this year, as I had seen it before and didn't feel I needed to see it again. BUT, my middle child joined the choir this year and it was his first chance to walk in the parade AND my high schooler was marching with the band! So, at the last minute, I decided to go. I had errands to run and decided that my kids are only young once and I should enjoy seeing them participate in school activities. I'm glad I went. I enjoyed it and got some great pictures.

Friday night proceeded with the festivities of the game, half time show, and dance! Many milestones were being past this weekend........My son had a "real" date and since he recently got his driver's license was able to pick her up and go to the dance; without a chauffeur! I missed out on pictures of course, but in the digital age; we had these by Saturday afternoon from his "group of friends".

This was all fun and exciting but the biggest impetus for me to look back this weekend was that the high school year books were distributed. Last night, I finally got a chance to sit down and look at a modern day year book, in full color, no less! What a great keepsake! And after carefully looking at the 2010 yearbook; out came all four of mine! I won't tell you the years.....but high school was many, many years ago for me! I had a great time reading the notes from former friends, remembering little things that I had since forgotten in my forward moving life, and thinking about "way back when".

As I said, I don't do it often, but I did look back last night! It was fun. I was able to share some of the pictures and stories from my high school days with my high schooler. He might have a better idea of who I am and who I was! It is readily evident that I was teased a lot and had fun in band.....just like him! So, although I don't look back often, I am sure glad I did on this Homecoming Weekend 2010!

Have a great Sunday~

Carol

Remembering The Fun of Marching Band!

Good Sunday Morning!

Well, I have to admit that this week I am having a little trouble deciding what to write about! The ideas are certainly flowing! I need to complete Part II of my What's the story.....Behind my Viking Goddess line of Jewelry. I would also like to give you a "snapshot" of what September has been like for my shop success! But, I have finally decided to write about Remembering the Fun of Marching Band!

My high schooler is in marching band. This past week they had three parades to march in, locally. The week started last Sunday with a fairly long parade in a nearby town in Minnesota that celebrates the apple season. I had agreed to march along side as a water-helper (basically, a chaperone). It had been my first parade in over 30 years! You see, I also was a band nerd! Wow, did the memories start flooding back! The beat, the music, the moves in the street, the crowds.....it is exciting! And I have to admit, it filled me with pride!

Marching band is such a fun activity for our high school youth! Music can be such a wonderful part of life, well beyond high school. These teenagers commit to memorizing many pieces of music, giving up a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, being representative to their respective schools and communities, and showing up early for school several days a week to practice! It is to be commended! Often, it is not. In my opinion, not enough praise is given to our musical youth! But, I don't want to beat that drum today!

Today, is just to say; I remember the fun of marching band! It is great to see my child participate in an activity I once enjoyed so very much! The week of hard work was capped off yesterday by having our band "win" the parade judging for the third year in a row! Way to go! And thanks for letting some of your band parents participate! And remember!

Take Care and Thanks for stopping by!

Carol