My Heart Hurts

I've been silent for a while, & I'd be lying if I said it had everything to do with the start of a new & busy semester.  That is certainly part of my preoccupation, but there are other things that are causing me to struggle. 


I fully intended to write a post on my 2011 word of the year, 

~Release~

but as I introduce you to my word of the year, I can already say that it's been more of a stretch than I had ever anticipated.  When I chose "Release" I had specific things in mind of which I knew I had to let go.  However, I've been asked to release things already that I never thought I would have to say good-bye to.  And it hurts.  I thought these were good things, & maybe in some situations they are, but at least for a time... I have to release them.

Even when it breaks my heart.

A non-related, heart~happy moment.

____________________

Letting go of certainties.....

......grieving the loss.....

......releasing.....

~::Counting the Multitude of Gifts::~

|a peek into the manger. . . dare I behold?

|new perspectives on Christmas

|22 years of life

|42 facebook birthday wishes

|new life

|terrycloth sleepers

|baby coos

|piano & guitar improv

|cookie dough

|melty, spreadable chips

|a silent night

|chocolate drizzle

|my toast to 2011, given 3 minutes before midnight

|"happy birthday baby girl!" text buzzed in 15 seconds before the ball dropped in Times Square

|my virgin appletini with sugar crystals on the rim

|a Light burst forth in the darkness

:::

Tiny Talk Tuesday :: Christmas Edition

I've been blessed with some work hours at the daycare center over this Christmas break.  Next week I work every day for 8 hours!  Last week I worked 3:00 to close, & during those times I gleaned two little Christmas~themed tiny talk nuggets to share.

Here's a picture of the featured gals {taken last summer}:

Too bad they lack so much in cuteness & personality {sarcasm}! ;-)

Miss polka dots on the left was so excited about making pretend gingerbread men in our class after reading The Gingerbread Man.  She later related how she decorated her craft, and apparently not understanding her explanation, one of my co~workers asked, "What is it that you  made?"

"A chickenbread man!" she replied excitedly.  

Go ahead & say "chickenbread man" out loud; it does sound quite like "gingerbread man"!


Miss baby blues on the right has been featured on Tiny Talk Tuesday several times before & maybe some other blog posts too, but I can't really post her picture AND use the alias that I've given her {because then certain events that I've related before will start getting matched with images of certain children, & I'm not comfortable with that.}  

Anyways, as this little one was opening a mini gift bag that was given to her by a classmate, she pulled out two candy canes & exclaimed with glee, "Look!  TWO candy lands!"

Link up & share some tiny talk at Not Before 7!

I have an itchhhhhhh!!!

... to work on my blog!  New posts & new design are long time in coming!
  I have to finish up a few final assignments for
Monday, & then I'll be done for this semester.
I am in serious need of a BREAK!
I've found that many bloggers say that they'll be taking
some time off writing over the Christmas season,
but blogging is my leisure time, so I'm hoping to be back more frequently
in this little tiny corner of the web in a few days.
Hey, I can still spend time with family
& friends, bake cookies, go Christmas shopping,
AND enjoy time online, right?? : )
Additionally, I want to jump in {or maybe start from the beginning}
with Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree devotional for advent.

At any rate, I'll be back soon!  Until then, eat a cookie for me & sing a Christmas carol!

A Proverb

 "The rich & the poor have this in common: . . .

. . .The LORD made them both."

~Proverbs 22:2 {New Living Translation}

On Roots & Wings

My heart and my wings scream city skylines, subways, rowhouses, inner city teacher, & urban nomad of the downtown fast~paced & gentrified.  Yet, there is no doubting the bit of mountain & farm country blood that flows through my veins, diluted by time & experience.

At my mom's mother's home, she sees me open my red paisley messenger bag & remove my lap top, set up my materials & settle in with my companion through many nights of tireless work~ a companion monitor~faced and garbed with keyboard & touch pad.  

"You gonna study?  I guess you probably want online, don't you?"

"You all don't have online?" I ask, already knowing, eyes round in mock shock.

"No, the only line we have is the clothes line out back.  And it's in full service." 

Some Tiny Talk Soundbytes

 Earlier this month with one of my four year~old Pre~Ks

Three year~old Cheerleader half runs, half waddles down the playground sidewalk.

"Cheerleader, is your ankle okay?  You're limping a little bit."

"Yeah, I was just....*gets distracted*...umm, what was I talking about?"

"You were telling me what happened to your ankle."

"Yeah, I just hurt it at home when I fell off the jumpoline." 

::  ::  ::  ::  ::  ::

While enjoying free play in the pretend kitchen area of the classroom, two year~old Santa's Helper puts a tiny pretend piece of bread on the floor & exclaims, "Look!!  It's MANNA!!"

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

I give my two year~old cousin a Melissa & Doug Cupcake Set so that she can pretend to bake & decorate cupcakes.  We play this together at the kitchen table.
After Elizabeth finishes decorating a cupcake, she says, "Here, let me put its pants on," as she slips a paper liner on the cupcake's bottom.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::





Tiny Talk to share?  Head over to Not Before 7!