I'm happy to share that our house is put back together again and back on the market! It's been a busy patch friends, living in a construction zone in our house and working through negotiations on the duplex. Have I told you the funny story of our house situation? Ages ago, when we both taught full-time, we bought a fixer-upper 1920 duplex. We rented one side and lived in the other while we fixed it up. Then, after we (mainly Cory) put in new kitchens, new bathrooms, new ceilings, a fence, a deck, a shed, a brick porch and landscaping- whew!- the house next door went on the market. With a second baby in my belly we were enchanted with its big back-yard (for the city) and larger rooms. So we bought it and turned the duplex into a full-time rental. They're both on the market now and I actually need to go get our house ready for a showing this afternoon. But I wanted to stop in first and share a few pictures from our weekend's May Day festivities. We're involved with a lovely Waldorf group and this was our first Waldorf festival. It was also my first May Day ever, which was a lot of fun!

Some days she dresses herself completely. Other days she struggles getting her undies on without help. Some days she just wants to do her own thing, and other days she can't be more than two steps away from Mama. This is the see-saw of independence lately with my three and a half year old. Some days Isia is interested in testing her wings- and other days she's very firmly rooted in the ground. It's been a learning process for us both, one that I'm still learning to accommodate. Because it's so easy for me to quickly turn something she does a few times into an Expectation for the future. Which I don't think is always fair. Yes, it makes my life easier if Isia is able to put on her shoes by herself. But on the days she doesn't want to, I need to remember that she's still little. I forget this sometimes. That some days she just needs to be little- sitting in Mama's lap getting that extra love and help. And we can all use help sometimes, right? Because that's how we nurture these little hearts into helpful ones, by helping them first.

There was a lovely discussion in the Creative Kids Community this week centered around the question,  "What does raising a creative kid mean to you?" And I've sat here for five minutes, looking at that question and trying to find the words again for what it means to me. Problem-solving, independent thinking, repurposing, and observant were all words that came up in the discussion. And I agree with those, but I still felt there was something more. Creativity, I believe, is more than sketching in a notebook or dragging a paint-loaded brush across a page. It's a way of looking at the world, looking at ourselves, and opening ourselves up to the potential that lies in both. Yes, sketching & painting are wonderful expressions of creativity- ones that we enjoy very much- but so is planning a meal, examining the many folds of a new blossom, or bringing about social change. All of these are creative exercises. I've realized that I might not be raising artists, that our kids may not grow up to pursue art as a career like their Mama. But I do hope that our art-filled life will help foster their creativity and give them the strength to go where it leads them. And this is, in my humble opinion, exactly why we need to keep arts & music in schools. Not to form every student into an artist or musician, but to unlock their creative potential so they can take away a different view of the world. That's what I hope my former students found in my art classroom, and that's what I hope our children find in our home.

This middle of the week finds me...


...sparing you pictures of ripped out tub tiles and gaping holes in our kitchen ceiling.

...anticipating some up-coming appointments that should leave them fixed once more.

...enjoying the lull of house showings in the meantime. It's nice to have a bit of a lived-in house again!

...appreciating my extra help these days- he wields a mean vacuum (wink).

...seeking to stay creative- and present- during this busy house-selling season.

...benefiting from some timely advice in our G+ Creative Kids Community. Leaving art materials out has not only helped the littles initiate creative time for themselves, but inspired me too.

...starting with just crayons and paper for now, perfect for toddler drawing- and throwing...