Back to school

My son starts school tomorrow. He is a sophomore in high school so this is not a new phenomenon but I will miss our summer together. I like the lack of schedules, the lack of watches on wrists and just knowing he is safe.

Tomorrow things change. He is out of the home and into school. Parents used to await this eagerly. Let the teachers watch them for a while. Today things are different. We worry about shooting in schools, drugs, teachers having sex with students. School is no longer a safe haven for our children. I am sure perception is much worse than reality but does that really make one feel better?

Tomorrow I will see him off and I hope his teachers, admin., coaches and other students treat him with respect and care as I expect him to treat them. If you fell your child is a danger to himself or others please get him/her help. Do not send them to school and rely on professional there to help them. They are overburdened as it is.

Tomorrow I will have a smile on my face and wish my son a great day at school but inside I will worry. That’s okay that’s what moms do.

Young men or Big boys?

Well my nineteen year old, "not sure what I am doing next semester," has just bounced his first check - that I know of. He says it is impossible he has been putting in money from his paycheck every week. "That bank is wrong!", he says. So I ask "Are you sure you are putting money in your checking account and not your savings account?" "Yes mom I always check checking on the deposit slip."

Ok so he checks the checking box on the slip but puts in the savings account number. Couldn't someone have caught this once and let him know? Argh. He is nineteen, he should be able to do this, but, as I said, is he a young man or a big boy?

Please visit my shop at http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com for fun dorm furnishings for those children (young men and women) returning or starting college. Good Luck.

Online friends versus offline friends

Do you think online friends are just as fulfilling as offline friends you can actually see and do things with? Can you really get to know someone over the computer? Will they really be there for you in times of crisis, times of celebration? The best of both worlds would be to have both I imagine but in this world of technology we live in there isn't enough time in the day to email and see people.
What are your views? Do you tell your online friends think you would never tell your offline friends and vice versa? Have you made lasting friendships online? Let us know. Thanks.

Glad to be back home

Well our family trip to Niagara Falls was really nice. My nineteen year old was awed by everything and my fifteen year old was not impressed with anything (at least he would not admit to it). This is my third trip to the falls and it is still overwhelming to see the amount of water that rushes over the side of those cliffs.
We did the Maid of the Mist Boat trip and we were so wet it was almost too much. We couldn't even open our eyes to see the falls sometimes but it really does give you perspective as to the pressure of that water. My sneakers are still drying out. I recommend crocs if you do this trip. :)
One day we drove into Niagara on the Lake, a small city about 20 minutes away from the falls. It was like something out of a movie script. The houses along the way were gorgeous, the vineyards lovely, the downtown was fashionable but quaint and there was a peach festival going on. What more could one ask for?
The next day we left for a trip to the Thousand Islands which was a 5 hour drive from Niagara. I expected a hotel on the lake where we could rent canoes and swim. In reality we got a best western on the main stretch of road with a tiny room, tiny trampoline, small outdoor pool - getting the picture? I did ask for a larger room and they were accomodating. Then the rain came in and we didn't really get to do much in the area. The scenery on the way there and the way out was worth the trip though.
Yesterday we made our 8 hour trip back home, stopping at mom's for dinner and now I am glad to be home and out of a car.
The boys were well behaved for the most part. Problem lies in the fact that the older son is more adventurous then the younger and gets disappointed when he doesn't join him on rides or swim outside while it's raining. Oh well, we can't have it perfect can we?
If you plan a trip to the Falls, take an afternoon to visit Niagara on the Lake, you won't regret it.
Craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

I must be crazy or just a mom

First of all let me say I have two sons, 19 and 15. I forget sometimes that they are no longer 9 and 5 and I get these ideas in my head of doing things together as a "happy" family. I start imagining the perfect vacation we can have together so I begin making plans. I tell my husband the plans and he says "do we have to take 'them'? I can't believe he would consider not taking my wonderful little boys. He starts telling me it is an 8 hour car ride, do I really want to be in the car with them for 8 hours each way. Well, of course, I want to be with my boys for that time. They grow up so quickly after all.
Tomorrow our journey starts. I have a house/dog sitter, our id's, my husband is all packed. Now I will not be packed until the last minute because I cannot believe we are doing this again. Everytime we drive a long distance with the kids we all end up angry with each other. What was I thinking?
Once we get to our destination, will they want to sightsee? No they want to play video games in the hotel room. Their favorite part of any trip is the hotel room. At least now they are old enough to leave in the room so my husband and I can roam if we want to.
I just want to fill their heads with happy memories of family vacations. Am I being pollyannish? Maybe but they are my boys and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Wish us luck. Will report back how it went on Tuesday.
Have a happy weekend.
Don't forget to shop on website http://craftsfromtheheart.etsy.com

I am on trunkt

I am so excited that my handmade pillows have been accepted to appear on the website trunkt.org. It is a juried site that produces minimags and catalogs to potential commercial buyers.
I feel like it gives me a legitimacy that I questioned when starting online sales.

It is hard to judge when creating an object how others will feel about it. You may think wow this came out pretty well but it will just sit in your shop. Other times you will sell things that may not necessarily be your own style and get wonderful feedback.

I think it is true that we are our own worst critics. Even with my 98 sales on etsy and my acceptance on trunkt there is still that little girl in me that says it is all a fluke. Although, you know that voice is not as loud as it used to be.