Summer!!!!!!

So...Summer is finally here. The sun is hot, the breeze is warm and my petunias are drooping. I was thinking to myself how much I miss the days of planning activities with my children to keep boredom at bay during these glorious days. One of our favorites was going to Cranbrook for a fun class on solving a murder. We had a great time. What do you do to keep the kids off the couch, the computer and to keep their minds active? Studies show that students lose so much during the summer months...this is why the first six weeks of school are spent in review!
Why not check out our schedule of workshops and give your kids a step up for the new school year. What a terrific idea to have them ready to use those planners the day they get them!!!
Also, don't forget our offer of a free workshop...invite 10 or more kids over and we will come to you to present a workshop!! Your child's workshop will be free! I would invite the moms too and have a nice visit while the kids are occupied and learning..but that is just me!!!

Digging into my own tool box

I was reminded this week that we are all life long learners...or we should be anyway!
I love to write...I love the idea of painting a word picture, of expressing my ideas and sharing them with other people. I also know that I don't work well under pressure! Earlier this week I found out a few things about myself (the hard way) regarding writing and pressure. I need to take my time when I write...I do a horrible job when I am faced with a short deadline. I make foolish errors, my proofreading stinks and the quality of my "product" suffers. So...I dusted off my tool box and pulled out two tools...the tool of "adequate time" i.e.; giving myself enough time to do a good job. The other tool was the "knowing my limitations" tool. This tool is the one that lets me say..."I need to use my time wisely and not be rushed"...or the consequence will be sloppy copy.
SchoolTools101 teaches both of these skills...I teach both these skills!! This week I didn't use my own lessons and I suffered.
What did I learn this week, you may ask? I learned to allow sufficient time for my work to shine and not to be afraid to say "I need more time to do a great job".
Allow your children to acquire these tools...sign them up for a workshop (we have some great ones coming up in the next few weeks!!)and then allow them to assemble their own toolboxes. By giving your children the correct tools, the room to goof, the comfort of your understanding and encouragement they will all become master craftspeople.
A side note...I was supposed to write this last night...I did and it wasn't very good. So...I took a deep breath, put it aside and got up early this morning ready to write. Proving that if you give yourself enough time to do a great job you also give yourself time to "take your time". Now this "assignment" is crossed off my planner and I can go to the Farmer's Market with a clear head!!
Summer is a wonderful time to reinforce skills...sign up today for a workshop!

Summertime!!!!

Well, here it is June 3rd and I am already in a summer frame of mind ;-) It is a little bit harder to get going and get things done and a whole lot easier to linger on the front porch with a book and my lemonade! Summer is a great time to have fun learning new things. Take the time to check out your local library...the libraries always have wonderful summer reading programs along with activities. Our local library has a teen and adult summer program as well..how cool is that??? I already have my reading log and plan on getting a few prizes. Both of my kids are going to take the henna tatoo class, for example. Summer time is also travel time...why don't you check and see if your family has a trip planned this summer; if you do gather some information ahead of time so you can suggest some cool sightseeing trips! Keep a trip journal as well. The zoo has super programs, many of them are free!!
Have a great summer but fill it with learning...it will give you lots of things to write about when your teacher asks you to do the annual "What did you do this summer?" report come September!!!
If you have any good ideas for summer fun let us know...