VT Vacations

So, I have been asked after my vacation: "Why do you like Vermont so much? Is there anything to do?"

Well, vacation for me is about NOT doing in a way. It is about enjoying family and having a sense of calm. It is about not having a schedule and just having fun! There are so many things that we all enjoy about Vermont. The kids love going to Hackett's Orchard. Great play stuff and great cider and cider donuts!






I love all the farm fresh veggies at the farmer's market, which is held 2 times a week. My favorite sellers, Christine and Adam and their 2 girls Sadie and Delia, own Blue Heron Farm. They are a family that is making their living off the land. I am jealous on so many levels and have so much respect for them! I love knowing who picked the veggies I am serving!




I so enjoy the lack of traffic that is VT. I read in Vermont Life Magazine that VT has the highest number of unpaved roads per capita out of any state. That might not be good for some, but for me, I can dig it!

I like that people are creative and do things out of joy. The sense of sharing and friendliness is way different than what I am used to here in the ATL. Neighbors help neighbors. People are always out and about, but not in cars. They are out biking, walking, on the lake, hiking and enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer. There is a true sense that people actually enjoy things without being plugged in! These couple of pictures show the love of outdoors in VT. I have no idea how many birdhouses have been hung, but I think every year, the number grows. There is a land trust that bought a huge farm that was for sale and is retaining it for green space. They have put in a walking/horse riding/biking trail so people can enjoy it. The kids loved this close and fun walk in the woods!









But alas, all vacations end. My dreams of moving to the place where I so love to vacation are met with harsh realities. It is more expensive to live in Vermont. We have that whole pesky business thing that allows me to travel to VT every summer and return to that sense of calm I so love. And then there is that white stuff that arrives in October or November and stays until April. Yep.....SNOW!

The Gym

So, it took me far too long, but I finally joined a gym and have been watching the old diet. I have a long way to go, and this I realize. What amazes me is that some people do not realize that their fitness level and goals will take time and decide to show up at the gym dressed like they actually have something to show off. Trust me, no one wants to see your ass cheeks and butt dimples!! A compression fit workout top DOES NOT hide your 3 rolls. A workout bra goes UNDER a shirt, not alone. While I praise others for coming to the realization I did:

That my fat ass needs to get back in shape!

I want to tell them that showing off the lack of progress is a turn-off for other members trying to make strides. The gym sells shirts in all sizes: Buy one! Walmart sells workout shorts that cover not only ass cheeks, but also legs: Buy some! Then, when you get that body you are working towards, do as you please (within reason) and tell your success story to the media!

The Birthday Issue AGAIN!!

So, I have decided to overcome my fear of a party and have one for the girl with just 4 friends (since she is turning 4). I am NOT about being able to do the whole theme and tying things together, so I am doing it at a pottery place. The kids will get to pick what to paint, get a smock I am going to put an applique initial on, do the painting, and have cake and snacks. Simple no frills.





Beyond that, just the kids and I will be in VT for her actual birthday. We will celebrate as a family before Dad has to leave a couple days before the actual day to cover a vacation. Gifts are a huge issue this year. She actually wants things this year, but none of them are things I think are appropriate or I am willing to buy for her (prior post about Disney will explain that). She wants Barbies. She is turning 4 and Barbies are not age appropriate. She wants Princess stuff. Again the f'er Walt Disney and his empire! I ordered her a Ballet 13" doll that I can make clothes for and is bigger so she can hopefully dress her. Plus, she has hair that can be fixed different ways. We also got her a book about ballet. We are also going to sign her up for ballet once it is offered at school. I hope she doesn't hate me when she is older, because I have no clue about this stuff!

How Facebook Really is Just Rolling with the Times

A friend on facebook had a status that I commented on. My own comment got me thinking, so I did a Google search of my Grandpa, Dr. Otto D. Sahler. I was surprised by some on the findings Google returned. The most surprising was a newspaper article from The Kingston Daily Freeman from Jan. 2, 1952. It was like an older version of facebook. Here is the reporting from the paper:

"The Rev. Wm. Sahler who has
resided for a number of years at
Penny Farms, Fla . which is the
residence of retired ministers, was
stricken a short time ago. Dr.
Otto Sahler, his son of Cooperstown,
accompanied by Karl Sahler
of Baskin Ridge, N J . and
William Sahler of Freehold. N J .
immediately motored to Florida
to be with their father. After due
consultation. Dr. Otto Sahler decided
to bring his father back by
t r a i n to Newark where he was
hospitalized.
Miss Almsra Sahler. who is
spending some time with Mr and
Mrs. Ferris Turner at Accord, left
to spend a few days with Mr and
Mrs. William Sahler at Freehold.
N. J., and to be with the Rev
William Sahler who is ill in
Newark. "

My husband often makes fun of the time I spend on facebook. This little 3 minute research project proved one thing to me: It is human nature to be a nebshit and want to keep up with what everyone else is up to! My time on facebook is no different than reading the paper 59 years ago!

Against It

I don't know why. I have no true reason or rational. But, I am anti-Disney. Yes, I said it: I do not like Disney! Yes, we own Disney movies and I enjoy them, but beyond that, Disney annoys me. Maybe it is the Princess aspect that has my daughter wanting nothing but pink and nothing but a Punzle dress for her Birthday (which she won't be getting, because I refuse to buy it). I mean really, she is beautiful and a princess without some frilly junky dress. I made her a Princess dress for 1/2 the price Disney charges for the ones they sell that are itchy and poorly made. Maybe it is the fact that I vow to die having never been to DisneyWorld. It is just a huge money making mess that plays on people's desire to live out a movie at a huge cost! Maybe it is the fact that the name just adds $$$$ to cheaply made toys. I mean really, $10.97 for an all plastic Lightening McQueen car that is made in China. Walt Disney, congrats on the empire you have amassed, but know that I am fighting tooth and nail to not add my $$$ to your bank account! I would rather spend my $$$ buying toys and items that actually educate my children and don't have self-esteem side effects.

Really?!?!

Pre-K Graduation: Every bone in me is so against this. I will not keep my kids from participating, but I WILL NOT make a big deal of it. To me, it is not an accomplishment to be truly celebrated. Here in GA, there is a thing called lottery funded GA Pre-K. They have faced the usual budget shortfalls and cuts have been made in these tough economic times. With these issues at hand, the GA lottery funded pre-k that a friend's daughter went to, rented a local theater to hold this graduation ceremony in. Really!?!? And most of them that I know of have kids in caps and gowns! REALLY?!?! PEOPLE, it is PRE-SCHOOL!!! High School graduation is 13 years in the making. Pre-school (for some to most kids) is A YEAR long social immersion with some learning thrown in. It is a prep step to get a kid ready for the 13 years ahead.

Hardcore

So, yesterday when I was leaving a Birthday party, another Mom coming in with her kids said in passing (as I was wrangling my two to the car), "Wow, you are a hardcore Mom". I wasn't sure what that meant. Did she mean that I am, ALL MOM? Did she mean that I am a NO FUNNY BUSINESS MOM? What did she mean? I have been thinking about it since yesterday and let me say, that since the husband is in PA visiting his Dad and Uncle, I have a lot of time to kill. I think I have pinned what she meant by Hardcore Mom!!

My Mothering Philosophy:

I am here to love my kids, but to teach them right from wrong.
I am here to love my kids, but not do everything for them, because after all, at some point, they will enter this BIG world by themselves!
I am here to love my kids, but even at 2 & 3, they are old enough to clear their plates and cups after meals. The girl at 3 has 2 jobs each day: set the table and let the dog up in the morning.
I am here to love my kids, but they are KIDS and they do not run this house. The adults here run the house and they follow the rules and guidelines we set so they are safe and kind to others.
I am here to love my kids, but Mom can't fix everything. I give kisses and hugs and try to fix booboo's, but sometimes, a point comes where it is time to get over a booboo and move on.
I am here to love my kids, but toys, clothes, movies, special treats, and always getting things is not a show of love. You can try to buy love, but it is a feeling and feelings CANNOT be bought. They are shown and earned!
I am here to love my kids, but I am not here to be their best friend. I am their Mother!
MOST OF ALL, I AM HERE TO LOVE MY KIDS!