Hey there! Did you know…

Did you know that I have another blog? I’m transitioning my chatter about writing and books over to my book blog.  I would love to connect with you there, if you’re interested in books (instead of the homeschooling and gardening and daily life that I share here.)

I’m also posting more photos on Instagram (link in the sidebar), or @momco3, and I’m sharing medical articles and thoughts on Twitter @AnnDominguezMD.

And just because we both know there’s not time to do it all, I’d love your thoughts on “work-life balance.” I shared mine here, on my other blog.

An Award! Who Knew?

Ruth at Pulchra Doctrina nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award.  What a surprise!  It was such a surprise that I totally dropped my end of the award and just remembered it last week as I was reading her blog.

So without further ado, I would like to pass the honor on to some of my favorite blogs.

The rules for accepting this award are:

• Thank the award giver(s) and link back to them in your post
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Pass this award along to bloggers you read and admire
• Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award (I felt really shy about this part!)

So here are seven things you may not know about me:

1. I prefer dark chocolate.
2. Sometimes I talk in my sleep.
3. When I was completely overwhelmed with graduating from college (packing up my apartment, hosting my family, saying good-bye to my friends…) I made a dress.  When I was overwhelmed planning my first trip to Haiti, I coped with it by sewing a skirt.  Do I sense a (not-so-healthy) pattern here?  And what will I sew when I have 36 hours till I fly to Thailand and don’t have anything packed?
4. One of my favorite books is Crime and Punishment.
5. I hate chain letters.  And some part of this award felt like a chain letter, though I was honored to receive it.
6. I can’t do the Rubik’s Cube.
7. I love to eat breakfast but hate to make it.

So, in no particular order, here are the blogs I nominate (ones I read, enjoy, and find very versatile!):

• Homemaking Through the Church Year
• With Great Joy
• Janet Reid, Literary Agent
• Pulchra Doctrina (am I allowed to nominate her, or are there no tag-backs?)
• an undercurrent of hostility
• La Strada Tostada
• our curious home
• Lazy Homesteader
• Like Mother, Like Daughter
• Handmade Homeschool

Go check them out.  And thanks, Pulchra Doctrina!

Advent Carnival

Don’t forget to stop by Kerry’s place to read more Advent meditations.  She’s hosting a weekly Nativity Carnival from Advent through Epiphany.  Lots of good stuff the past few weeks, and I’m looking forward to seeing what is posted this week.

I’m going to take the rest of the week off for a little break.  Blessings to you all!

So many blogs, so little time

I just wanted to ask if any of you are interested in a Nativity Carnival– something akin to the Advent Carnival A Ten O’Clock Scholar and At a Hen’s Pace hosted last year– over Advent/Christmas/Epiphany.  Kerry’s imagining a Mr Linky-type event where you can add your own posts.  If so, please go on over to A Ten O’clock Scholar and let her know.

Also, Like Mother Like Daughter is hosting a giveaway of some beautiful Christmas cards from Minted.  I’m so nice I told you about it thus diminishing my own chances– so don’t be surprised if I don’t win and you’re stuck receiving our badly xeroxed (or HP’d) letter again this year.

And tomorrow night my 1000th post giveaway closes, so don’t forget to enter.

Apologies

If you read this through Google Reader or another automatic feed, you may suddenly find 42 posts in your “unread” pile.  This seems to have happened when I converted categories to tags.  Unless I can figure out how to fix it, it may continue to happen as I add tags to very old posts for ease of finding them later.  Sorry.

Don’t forget to enter my 1000th post contest— entries close Thursday night at 11 p.m. (your time).

1000th Post Contest

Hey, friends!  Guess what?  This is my 1000th post (since June 2006).

To celebrate, I thought I’d have a little contest.

See this beautiful hardwood cutting board?

My friend who is an artist in wood made several as a fund-raiser for his son’s school.  This one is mine, but I am giving away an equally beautiful hand-made artisan cutting board to the lucky winner of my contest.

To enter, go to the comments section and tell me what kind of posts you’d like to see in the future over here at Learning As We Go.

Entries close onThursday October 27th at 11 p.m., and I’ll announce the randomly chosen a winner on the 28th.

And thank you for walking this journey with me!

Back in the game

Hey, first I want to point you to my sidebar, where I just figured out how to add back my blogroll.  (I’d been missing it since the switch over to WordPress.)  There’s some good stuff over there!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

On my way home from Chicago, my back went out.  It’s such an old-fashioned phrase, but it really sums up what it feels like.

I missed work.  My parents came for three days to be with the children.  Sam rearranged meetings and worked an abbreviated schedule.  My friend Lori drove the carpool.  My friend Renee brought us dinner.  All the while, I laid flat on my back in bed and prayed this would end quickly.

The view from my bed:

This happens to me periodically.  The last time was in 2009, so I can’t really complain.  But it makes me appreciate all the folks who come to my aid.  And it makes me realize all the little things that don’t seem like much as I do them (you know: doing laundry and making bread and yogurt and emptying the trash and making meals and driving kids here and there and vacuuming…) add up to a lot.  Maybe I need to cut back on some of it.  Maybe I need to teach the kids to do more of it.  And for sure, I need to pray more for those around me who suffer this way on a daily basis… and need to be stepping up to bringing them dinner, vacuuming now and then, and volunteering to help with their carpools.  Back to margin.

From the Book of Common Prayer:

This is another day, O Lord.  I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it will be.  If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely.  If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly.  If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.  And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.  Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus.  Amen.

Homeschool Carnival

My friend Christine is hosting the Homeschool Carnival this week!

I can’t wait to have recess and go read a few of the articles!

Five Years

I began this blog five years ago.

It has always been a place for me to share what we do all day long.  When my kids were all very small, that task– speaking aloud into the forest– was part of keeping me sane.  My husband worked crazy hours, and I had a six year-old and two toddlers.  A good part of the time, I thought I was going crazy, and I think more than one of my family members agreed.

Five years later, I have a little more evidence (in the form of children who can read, write and do arithmetic) that this homeschooling journey was not a bad choice.  I’m down to one preschooler, and my oldest is eleven.  And this virtual space has remained a blessing: mostly because of your comments.

So thank you for visiting and for coming back.  I’m getting close to 1000 posts, and I think that will call for some sort of celebration– any suggestions?

Did you find me?

Peek-a-boo!  Here I am!

Welcome to Learning as We Go at WordPress!  I’m still settling in here, so excuse the dust.

I’m just coming back from a blogging break, so I feel a little bit like I went on vacation and then moved.  Oh wait– I did.  All my categories seem to be mislabeled, so if you can’t find something you know I’ve posted in the past, check back again in a few weeks and we’ll see if it turns up.