PICTURES!!

Here are some from ....

September

October .... 

... and November. I'll put up the December ones too (actually the last one here is from the beginning of December). 

Love and Light, 

Karen xx 

Hello, blog land!

Hello, blog land, 

... and Happy New Year!

6 months without an update, though I thought about it many times!

Life has just been so ... BUSY. And work has been so ... STRESSFUL. And our toddler (nearly 22 months now!!) takes up most of our free time, and rightfully so!

I am really glad this year is behind us. It was such a difficult one for our poor world. To be completely honest, I am going to focus on our FAMILY in 2017 and hope for the best outside our doorstep. I have my mental and physical health to look after, both need some help this year. I'm taking lots of vitamins, trying to sleep more, trying to read more and screen less, and trying to get more active again : I finally joined a pool after 18 months without swimming. I believe I can bring George sometimes, too (just for fun, when I'm not doing lap swimming). Yay!

We are contemplating a big move this summer. Not sure where -- somewhere closer to friends and/or family. This isn't set in stone, so I won't say too much about it as we explore our options and opportunities. But I am so ready to leave Northern Virginia. It just doesn't fit us.

I am hoping to share more photos this year. Shutterfly has been just terrible and I'm still new to having a "smart" phone (no choice anymore, really), so I'm in the process of trying Snapfish, or Mixbook, which receive decent online reviews. Most of the pictures here are from this summer, and from a mini vacation we took back to the Eastern Shore for a few days. Also, I have lost about 18 pounds since the photo of me and George was taken. I did the Whole 30 for 8 weeks (starting another one tomorrow to lose a few Christmas pounds and hopefully get back to pre-baby weight, finally!).

George is doing really well. He started school (Montessori toddler program) in October and LOVES it. He is "talking" up a storm and running and pretend play is big. He loves his new play kitchen. He has just started "helping" bring his dishes to the kitchen and setting the table and washing his table after meals with a sponge. I love, love, love this age.

I guess for this next year, I would like it to be a year of ACTION. Of really, truly delving in to a few projects that I've only dreamt about before. Two big ones :: sewing and dyeing yarn!

I am always looking for ways to adapt my Montessori training to make a more flexible work schedule. So my ears are open on that one. Working in schools is just really, really hard. I don't think this will change in the near future. But I'd really like to go more into business for myself one of these days.

I am hoping for a big snowstorm soon and some cozy days at home. Looking forward to taking Heather's Hibernate course and having a SLOW winter (though I have two conferences for Montessori and I'm going to a protest in DC the day after the "inauguration" :-( :-(

I really would like to find some calming blogs from people who live simply. A lot of people aren't doing blogs anymore, I'm open to vlogs to for that reason. Feel free to share.

A picture of George in August, below. :-) He was 17 months and just started walking one month prior.

Love and light,

Karen