A Royal "Princess Party" R.S.V.P

We were recently invited to a Princess Party. The invitation is a pink and white crown cut out with the following invitation:

"By Royal Order

You are cordially imvited to

The celebration of 

Princess Friend

Third Birthday

Saturday, September 12th 2015

2:00-4:00 pm

Address included"

Did you know that all invitations from her royal majesty are actually Orders. Orders which we mere day to day people need to obey! I of course googled a proper response to the queens invitation. 

This great website has more details: http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/royal-family/communicating-queen/invitations-and-queen

Our reply:

Sir and Lady Our Names and Lady Baby girl present their compliments to the Mater of Household and have the honour to obey Her Majesty, Princess Piper's command, and will partake in festivities on September 12th at 2.00 o'clock

My baby girl is already planning her outfit, a tiara and tutu skirt. We arent encouraging full on princess dresses yet. Perhaps Ill remake her baptismal gown into a ceeam color skirt for her? She has many pretty dresses, I think I'd rather wncourage her to wear "real" clothes. I do t want the schmata Princess dresses we see eventually falling apart, torn, ripped, etc. Our kids pretwnd play &  dress up often, and I really don't think she's missing out in any way. I can't wait ro get some inspiration from the kids in attendance.

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 

Poem: Husbands Love; "You have given me wings"

Husband's Love

Today you told me you loved me so much,

That you don't even know,

You couldn't place why that was,

But a few ideas you wanted to show:

What a good job I've done with the boys, or maybe tending to you?

As for the house cleaning, not so much,

But we agree it's kept tidy too.

We laugh, often and sometimes hard,

It can even lead to tears,

And if we're feeling somewhat jarred,

other times we share our deepest fears.

But today, you realized what it is, 

that feeling that brings you Close to me,

It's not the kids, house or jokes,

it's just letting you be free! 

The story behind the poem:

I had supported my husband through college as his "editor" on his various papers. This continued into his first and second jobs in administration. Then I supported him when he joined a principal training program and was gone 5 times over the course of a year to visit other school districts nationwide. 

He said one night I had "given him his wings" to be free to pursue his career. And I was happy to help.

by: Areyousureaboutthatblog Author
Not Authorized for Reproduction Without Permission

Make Mistakes. Breath, Reflect. and Laugh.Out.Loud

Poem: Decorating with Things I Find

Yes, my kids fall asleep in the car when we drive back from an activity or errand. So I would let them sleep. They loved it. My grandma would ALWAYS COMPLAIN, how uncomfortable, how miserable for the kids. Move them to their bed.

As a kid who grew up on the road I loved sleeping in the car. I still do. The movement and motion of the road makes a great napping. So I wouldn't transfer the kids, unless I had to. And in time I discovered driving around and letting the kids sleep was not uncomfortable, miserable, or making them unhappy.

When driving around I saw first hand the first world benefit we have, and our neighbors, where having an excess of items and being able to throw good, quality things away.

No photos here... just some thoughts on the trash.

POEM // DECORATING WITH THINGS I FIND

I Listed things I found,
In the neighborhood when driving around.
My kids would nap in the car,
Why should I wake their dreams from afar.

An antique table, who's trim can be fixed in a breeze,
a little glue could allow this table to hold my keys. 

An entire play lot for my kids,
a slide, a hut and tunnel in it.

Kitchen chairs made of solid wood,
found by my uncle in the hood.

Even a pair of jeans once owned,
were thrown out, forgotten, alone.

Dumpster diving is a skill,
one that I do not do well.

However this excess that we have,
throw it out, by a new one instead.

Plastic is cheap, a small price to pay,
for the convenience of instant replacement to stay.

The value of quality, workmanship and expertise,
I feel is lost. But not in my home,
not to be tossed.

Out out out in the cold.
A new couch, a rug, a lamp,
from the home.

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make mistakes, breathe and laugh.out.loud!

Addressing Parental Concerns, Knowledge is Power. Communication is the Key

It takes a lot of courage in today's world to be brutally honest. To basically expose the raw, true feelings you have will open you up to commentary, more so then ever with social media! And to go even further, and "open up" in your own community, your back yard, to possible even further potential commentary from your fellow neighbor, that takes courage.

Opening up from the heart, and sharing your perspective can create a fury of negative comments. Add the factor of a special needs kid, and you can hear a wide variety of comments, as I have thru the years - in both private, catholic and public school arenas. When my younger son was in a class with a special needs boy, a big comment was about "inclusion" or "why are my kids exposed to special needs?"

I was very moved to receive this GREAT letter from a parent (name excluded) of a Down Syndrome boy in our Kindergarten class. My younger son has provided a lot of information about this in hos daily report" after school. How the day went, What we learned, and play time with new friemd. He has also learned about Down's in class, but it was so refreshing to get a letter addressing parental questions and concerns - directly. Parent to parent... BRAVO!


Addressing Parental Concerns, Knowledge is Power, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

Sometimes there isn't enough communication about the important stuff and supporting our special needs community. I did email the mom "kudos" on her really well written letter addressing curiosity and questions. I just had to share...

If you are reading this post, please post a comment below on what you liked - or didn't  - about this read. Does the topic interest you and you want to know more? Submit a question and I am happy to tackle it.

I do feel that's it's often unfortunate that these letters even have to go out, however Downs Syndrome and special needs situations are beyond the experience (and therefore the understanding) or many families. However, even with out the knowledge, empathy should always be present.

All you need to do is say "Hello." If you can't say hi, at least smile in their direction. Don't exclude a special needs kid because of how they look or talk, that is a CHILD who wants compassion as much as "normal" looking kids do.

I've made plenty of mistakes in the special needs arena (like telling a new mom of a Down's baby that she looked great {having lost all the pregnancy weight}, she replied Honestly: it was due the depression she was coping with and sitting crying on the shower floor - insert foot in my mouth!), but I correct my own ignorance, learn from experiences, and most importantly try to exemplify good, true, loving behavior for my kids to observe. Like simply saying "hello!"

(As for all those complaints, it's often what those yelling the loudest don't see. A little kid, who is just a little different. Who hugs, smiles and can share just like their kids. . . It may take them a little longer, or they may be shy at first. But the real problem here is not the special needs child, the real problem is us parents, who can't see beyond their illness/disability. My kids luckily just see their friend!)

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BLOG

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make Mistakes. Breathe, reflect. And Laugh.Out.Loud.

Intellectual Isolation, and Stay at Home Mom Boredom Syndrome

Time flies. I empathize with moms I see, because I remember.

As I once posted in a poem, I'm not one of the stay at home mom's who likes to gossip. I don't share my private family details just to fill the time and talk about something, anything, while waiting to pick up my kids at school. I "don't cackle with the hens."

How can I keep to myself and NOT seem like a prude? Or worse, a snob! I am not, really. I just don't idle chit-chat. I like to talk about travel, politics, humor, books, kids activities, abilities, current events, cooking and meal planning... I like talking about subjects that take more than 5 minutes. And no - I do not like to gossip. Period.

Well, being so reclusive in my younger years as a new mom had an unexpected side effect.

NEW UPDATE >>> 
Learn About our new You Tube Channel at the end of this blog. 

See It Live >>>  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Of course I talk to people, I say hello, talk about perhaps a recent activity, or place we visited or ran into someone at. But I don't stand around talking about the teachers, the kids, or the issues. That's the kind of "gossip" I don't partake in, unless its with my grandmother or my mom - just a little.

I always say hello to my neighbors and smile, but I don't stop to chat, instead I keep walking. Some conversation have turned and when they do it's about so and so and when they did such and such.... I don't want to hear the gossip of this teacher or that. And frankly it isn't any of our (or my) business! 

And so with this non-gossipy, don't wanna chit-chat about nothing approach to life causes an unusual side effect.

Intellectual Isolation and Stay at Home Mom Boredom Syndrome

The stay at home mom syndrome many of us feel. This Isolation from other adults, from the mental stimulation we get when we "work" with others or "on the job." This mental or Intellectual Isolation causes a sadness sometimes, a lack of motivation, and even irritation. 

My kids in the distance. Picnic Lunch. A large open space feeling of Isolation.

But this can be overcome.

I know my staying home with the kids is drawing to a close. When my baby girl starts school I am going back to work, and I am ready for that. I enjoy working, I enjoy being engaged and making a difference. I also like spending time with adults and having a higher level thinking process and conversation. As a result of knowing things will change, I treasure this time, yes even when I feel blah, because I know it isn't forever!!! I will be on a new path within two years or so.

Okay, I'm also an optimist. So when I do have a project, or a craft, task or mission I enjoy the work. I don't complain about the task with my kid/s. When I made the school musical costumes a mom from the previous year STILL complained to me about how hard it was, so time consuming, "I know what your going thru she said."  No, no you don't! I FELT INSPIRED, Motivated, thrilled to be "working" in the theatre (my passion). The kids we're so responsive to my help. They would get one piece of their costume and were transformed in their performance on stage. Knowing that the kids totally appreciated my work, and watching the leads "become their character" as they wore those costumes I Made - was a powerful feeling! I was proud, pleased with my work (yet, of course still critical on how I could've done this or that detail even better if I had more time). No worries because I will have another chance with the next show.

If you are reading this post, please post a comment below on what you liked - or didn't  - about this read. Does the topic interest you and you want to know more? Submit a question and I am happy to tackle it.

When I lack adult conversation and spend my whole day with kids, my brain seems to function at a lower level. I find myself loosing words and not able to find that one specific descriptive word and find myself explaining things instead. When writing this blog, I stepped away to make coffee when trying to remember the word "analysis." [I do blog to keep my brain engaged in higher level order thinking an to help me process my day/s so it's not all one big blur.]

Surprisingly, on some days the craftiness seems to bubble over where I am finding inspiration often for crafts. Perhaps this is how my brain stays engaged?  By finding ways to push itself, resulting in creativity?

I watch documentaries and have stuck with my commitment to read my National Geographic magazine every month. I try to read the books on my reading list... But that isn't as easy. I cant get my brain to get into the book. For some reason I can't focus in as well as  I used too.

During the day, while I am cooking lunch or dinner, I find myself binge watching shows on Netflix. Afterwards I will read a few bloggers analysis online about the episode and then I think thru my perspective. I think this "mental exercise" also keeps my brain stimulated.

What crap nonsense is that? Binge watching and later "thinking about" the characters or plot is improving or challenging my brain?? I don't know this for a fact, but I do find myself being more creative with little problems throughout the day after this "think about it" exercise. I have found myself staying calmer with the kids, addressing their needs and answering them with appropriate problem solving techniques. Forget about it when it comes to my crafts, I have become super crafty with quick inspirations and ideas flooding my brain! 

I didn't blog about making our school musicals costumes, but in 12 days I was amazed at the quality of costumes I made --- with no former experience! Unless you count my kids halloween costumes thru the years! 100 kids dressed, and fit to their characters, and more then just colorful t-shirts. Yaay! I can only assume that trying to remain intellectually stimulated helped the fire of creativity!

Originally Posted in 2012.

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BLOG

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud.