So I just read my last post and it started out the same way this post will. I'm so busy and have no time to post to my blog! So, rather than complain about all the excitement in my life, I should share it, right? Here we go:
The last you heard from me, my husband was going out of town and I was concerned about my ability to parent solo. FYI: The girls and I made it through the week alive and no one was hurt. Looks like I can do it on my own if need be.
Last week my co-workers and I got together for our annual staff retreat. As a member of the professional development committee at work (yes, you may be entering into an episode of the office) my co-members and I planned a nice day discovering our strengths through a StrengthsQuest assessment and visiting Evergreen Retirment community.
As part of the visit to Evergreen, we scheduled a lovely session with a laughter coach where we did outrageously silly excercises which forced us to laugh until we cried. Or at least I did. Picture a group of 25 plus professionals walking up to each other, shaking hands and exclaiming, "Aloha ha ha ha ha!" Apparently your body cannot tell the difference between a real laugh and a forced one. Inevitably the latter resulted in the former. We learned more than we cared to know about laughter, completed several more exercises and continued to talk about the experience for the rest of the day.
Our staff retreat is something we do each summer to gear up for the academic year (if you don't know, I work as a marketing manager for Reeve Memorial Union at UW Oshkosh) and set some expectations and goals for our overall mission. Extremely productive.
Speaking of productivity, contrary to what my older sister, Liz, thinks, my personal life has been getting pretty productive as well. Almost a year into our new house and it's starting to feel pulled together and more like a home to us. Despite our busy work schedules we've been able to take the girls to the park and the library. Sam just loves to read books - which makes my heart croon like a happy bird. We go to the library at least once a week where Sam periodically makes new friends and rearranges the shelves so that the books are in absolutely no order whatsoever - some days I see the librarian cringe behind her glasses as we loudly walk through the door and make our presence known to the entire children's section. On our last library excursion, Claire and I were playing with the puzzles, Rob was looking up a couple of books at the computer and Sam was by a section taking each book off the shelf, looking at the cover and then proudly announcing that each character in the picture had rectal flatulence. "This ladybug is not happy because she has rectal flatulence!"
This, of course, had Rob and I rolling on the floor laughing. One of her favorite books right now at home is called Walter the Farting Dog. At one point in the story it does discuss the unfortunate condition and refers to it as yes, rectal flatulence. It's quite humorous if you like that sort of thing which Sam clearly does. We like to be supportive that way.
So, the next time you make your way into Barnes & Noble or any other bookstore of your choices, check out Walter the Farting Dog and think of my little Sam exercising her new-found vocabulary.
The last you heard from me, my husband was going out of town and I was concerned about my ability to parent solo. FYI: The girls and I made it through the week alive and no one was hurt. Looks like I can do it on my own if need be.
Last week my co-workers and I got together for our annual staff retreat. As a member of the professional development committee at work (yes, you may be entering into an episode of the office) my co-members and I planned a nice day discovering our strengths through a StrengthsQuest assessment and visiting Evergreen Retirment community.
As part of the visit to Evergreen, we scheduled a lovely session with a laughter coach where we did outrageously silly excercises which forced us to laugh until we cried. Or at least I did. Picture a group of 25 plus professionals walking up to each other, shaking hands and exclaiming, "Aloha ha ha ha ha!" Apparently your body cannot tell the difference between a real laugh and a forced one. Inevitably the latter resulted in the former. We learned more than we cared to know about laughter, completed several more exercises and continued to talk about the experience for the rest of the day.
Our staff retreat is something we do each summer to gear up for the academic year (if you don't know, I work as a marketing manager for Reeve Memorial Union at UW Oshkosh) and set some expectations and goals for our overall mission. Extremely productive.
Speaking of productivity, contrary to what my older sister, Liz, thinks, my personal life has been getting pretty productive as well. Almost a year into our new house and it's starting to feel pulled together and more like a home to us. Despite our busy work schedules we've been able to take the girls to the park and the library. Sam just loves to read books - which makes my heart croon like a happy bird. We go to the library at least once a week where Sam periodically makes new friends and rearranges the shelves so that the books are in absolutely no order whatsoever - some days I see the librarian cringe behind her glasses as we loudly walk through the door and make our presence known to the entire children's section. On our last library excursion, Claire and I were playing with the puzzles, Rob was looking up a couple of books at the computer and Sam was by a section taking each book off the shelf, looking at the cover and then proudly announcing that each character in the picture had rectal flatulence. "This ladybug is not happy because she has rectal flatulence!"
This, of course, had Rob and I rolling on the floor laughing. One of her favorite books right now at home is called Walter the Farting Dog. At one point in the story it does discuss the unfortunate condition and refers to it as yes, rectal flatulence. It's quite humorous if you like that sort of thing which Sam clearly does. We like to be supportive that way.
So, the next time you make your way into Barnes & Noble or any other bookstore of your choices, check out Walter the Farting Dog and think of my little Sam exercising her new-found vocabulary.
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