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Journaling According To A Six Year Old

Brooke Long — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:32:07 +0000

This morning my daughter and I were having a discussion about journals. She was asking what they are. ”Are the homework journals mom?” My son has a journal for his homework that he has to keep, so naturally she thinks they are for that.

I told her that they can be for homework, personal secrets and thoughts, drawings, you can keep a plant journal, a weather journal…the list goes on and on. Just pick a topic and start writing – that’s all it is.

Or is it?

“Can’t I do anything I want in my journal? Write about whatever I want? Draw? Write on any page?” And that is exactly what she proceeded to do. She flipped to a random page (why start on the first page?) and she started drawing.

As I was watching her I realized that she is correct. I think the reason that I have started and stopped so many journals is that I tried to keep each one about a specific topic. I also started on the first page, went to the second page and so on and so on. Who says that I had to? Who says that I couldn’t draw? Who says that I could not just pick any random page to write on?

Her very simple, honest question made me realize that journals are whatever you want them to be. I think that’s what makes them interesting and a place where beautiful ideas lay…

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. Her newest business venture is Cataluña Designs – unique beaded hair accessories and jewelry- has been around since January 2010 and has been a great adventure.
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The CRAZY Month!

Brooke Long — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:11:26 +0000

This happens every year…May. Well obviously May comes every year – but it always happens this month every year. The crazy schedule. Remember last week I talked about it taking a village? Well I was right. It does. And it does because of months like this. The regular activities take a lot of time but then you add those special extras.

Soccer tournaments
TKD Testing
Dance rehersals and recitals
Birthday parties
Mother’s Day
Track and Field days at school
and of course, the last days of school.

My husband and I spend from 3:30pm on cramming dinner down our kids throats and getting homework completed because then we are off. We have things every night that we need to go to – and sometimes we have to volunteer too.

I have to say that I am looking forward to summer because of the calm it will bring.

But not until July – June is crazy too!

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. Her newest business venture is Cataluña Designs – unique beaded hair accessories and jewelry- has been around since January 2010 and has been a great adventure.
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It Really DOES Take A Village

Brooke Long — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:44:40 +0000

School is finally wrapping up – you would think that things would be getting easier, smoother, ready for the lazy days of summer.

WRONG!

Life is so much busier. It is lightening up during the school hours – but once school lets out and the kids come home, the chaos begins. First it starts with a strange weather system. I know that it is spring and we get all kinds of weather. But to have a mini tornado every day (Monday through Friday) in my kitchen is just odd. Annoying is actually a better word.

Then the dog has to be walked, piano practiced, TKD and maybe soccer practiced (those only take 5-10 minutes, but it turns into 30 minutes with the way they move). Let’s not forget that they have homework too! All this takes us till about 4:30. Then we have to have an VERY early dinner because (depending on the night) we have dance, TKD, soccer, choir, girl scouts, cub scouts or piano. Do you think they are involved in too many activities?

Many nights my husband is out of town and I have multiple things to go to at the same time. Some (very few) are actually things that I need to be at. When I have a night where we are all running, I count my blessings that I have such great friends or parents that are on my kiddos teams/activities that are willing to help.

Everyone seems to be totally understanding that you just can’t get it all done. And we as parents need to understand that sometimes we need the help. After all – that’s what friends are for, and what life should be about…

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. Her newest business venture is Cataluña Designs – unique beaded hair accessories and jewelry- has been around since January 2010 and has been a great adventure.

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How Do You Push Yourself?

Brooke Long — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:28:17 +0000

Lately I have been all about working out. A year ago I was going to the gym 2 days per week. For the last 6 months it has been 3 days per week (sometimes 2). But lately I have been going 4 days per week and I am even thinking about adding more.

So what changed? I have never been addicted to working out – it was just something that I did to get a little more in shape. 3 months ago I joined a bootcamp class. At the beginning I was AWFUL, but I have improved tremendously in that time. I have gone through days when I just wanted to quit – days I was just sick of it. Lately, however, I have been in the mood to really try harder, to push myself and try new things. Last weekend I participated in my gym’s Alpha Showdown. It was only 30 minutes but towel pushes, farmer’s carries, snatches, cleans, power ropes, running killers and a run to finish it all was (for lack of a better word) a KILLER! But I did it and that is what matters.

This weekend I am participating in a Warrior Dash in Arizona. I can’t even tell you how excited I am – and crazy! It has been so fun to try new things and push myself physically. You see, I am not the toughest girl at all – or graceful or strong and I do not like to run. So doing a bootcamp, the challenge and the Warrior Dash are a HUGE deal for me.

(As I write this it is before the Warrior Dash. But as you READ this it has already happened…so now I will give you an update!)

That's me crawling through the mud!

UPDATE: It is over and sooooo much fun! It was easier than I thought (the obstacles) but the running was awful. I was about 50% in my age bracket – so I will take that. The next one is in June in MN that I want to run. And after that we want to try Rugged Maniac! I am just crazy!

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. Her newest business venture is Cataluña Designs – unique beaded hair accessories and jewelry- has been around since January 2010 and has been a great adventure.
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Are We Moving?

Brooke Long — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:21:49 +0000

As many of you know, my husband had a job he was interviewing for. I talked a little about it and the effects on my business a few weeks ago Moving and Keeping Your Home Business. It was over a TWO MONTH wait to hear the answer, but it finally came. He did not get the job. This was after they told him a month into our wait that it would be him. They have a little explaining to do.

So now my husband is angry, upset, annoyed and…angry! He wants to know why, what happened that they changed their minds, why the whole thing was handled so poorly and…what’s next. You see they have mentioned that they want to keep him badly and that there are other options for him. But what are the options? They are really great at making plans, but not telling the affected person what the plan is.

The whole thing has been nothing but a huge annoyance in our lives and it still goes on. Now we are waiting to have a few of these questions answered. And in the meantime my kitchen awaits redecoration, the floors are screaming for new carpeting and the backyard – well that’s just a mess. So the kitchen, the floors, the backyard and I will all have to wait.

Hello Limbo? It’s me again.

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. Her newest business venture is Cataluña Designs – unique beaded hair accessories and jewelry- has been around since January 2010 and has been a great adventure.
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