8:52 {a change in thoughts}

For the 8th Monday in 2014 we have this quote to picture...

"We cannot solve problems with the same thinking that created the problem. We must change the way we think. -Mary Marx ... adaptation from Einstein"

If you were to take a look into my brain what you would see is both dark and light, clear and fuzzy, organized and messy chaos, surface-y and deep, positive and negative and yet fantasy and realism.  Metacognition is basically thinking about thinking and or awareness of one's own thinking processes.  In order to change anything we have to understand how we ended up with the results that we got.  Many of my "problems" are created with various factors contributing to them, but one common factor in almost all of my "problems" is time.

This is just as much a picture of a clock as....

this is.  One chaotic and one clear. 

 Sometimes I live my life in color coordinated organization, without problems....

and other times I live my life in utter chaos...

it just so happens I am moving next weekend, so I don't see the stacked clothing as a problem at this time.  My original problem was that I started feeling that I had no time and that I have to pack and load a U-haul truck on my own (psst... I'm used to doing everything by myself and alone).  And then I thought, and thought, and thought, and realized that I was creating a problem with my thinking.  There are people you can hire to load the U-haul truck.  So U-haul truck/trainer rented, and movers organized to meet me March 1, 2014 at 11 a.m. to load the truck for me.  What a wonderful thing to change your thinking.

Head on over to Maaret to see how she problem solves

Snow Day

It's extremely rare that our school district calls school off.  However, this year alone there has been five days called off due to inclement weather.  The first four were due to subzero temperature that were considered to be unhealthy for anyone to be out in.  Today however, we started with a two hour delay that turned into a cancelled school day, as our transportation system (the buses) couldn't get out.  I've heard that the roads are treacherous, so inside I stay with my little love, and take the opportunity to take pictures.

I have absolutely loved my morning.  Nadia and I made our way out into the snow, only to find she couldn't make it to her favorite pooping spot.  Being so little and so white has it's disadvantages when it snows so much.  Nadia loved that I was home this morning so we could cuddle on the chair while I drank my morning 'joe' (our weekend morning tradition).  

Here are a few pictures from our second outing into the snow... 

Nadia insisted that she write the picture captions.

I'm easily lost in snow.

Bet you can't find me now!

I found a path... maybe it leads to my spot.

Ah... this path doesn't go to my tree!!  I'll sink if I go into the snow bank.  My mom should have put my winter coat on me.

I HATE these boots, but apparently they are good for keeping track of me.

When we got back inside my mom still wouldn't put her camera down!  I asked her what was most important, that darned camera or me.  This is what she took and what I had to say about it....

Seriously!  I didn't like going out into the snow and now you insist on harassing me with your camera?  All because you have the day off!  Please stop shooting me with that thing.

Mom you are so embarrassing.  I just read your post above and you told everyone that I had a favorite pooping spot!??
  I refuse to look at you ever again.

FINE!  When I get bigger and you get littler, I'm going to tell all your embarrassing stories and take one million thousand pictures of you.  Then I will post them to the doggie-net.

Anyone want a human?  Mine's up for the taking...

pa-sghetti

I was working with a four year old, teaching her the correct placement of her tongue while making the /s/ sound within /s/ blended phonemes.  I gave her this sentence to say.  "I eat spaghetti and meatballs".  She looked at me and said, "Well, I only eat pa-sghetti.  I don't eat pa-sghetti with meatbulbs"!

you are a GIANT

The "booger" story child, a little later into her speech session had this conversation with me...

Later in the session as she was talking about “bunny” (her stuffed rabbit) I asked her, “(student name), can I hold your bunny?” To which she responded, “Yes, but DON’T touch him! He’s a little wild today. He wants to jump away because you are a GIANT to him and he doesn’t know what you are going to do with him. So be VERY careful with him.”

boogers

As I walked to the speech room with a four year old  student, she cleared her throat, and I said, “Oh (student name). It sounds like you have a frog in your throat.” To which she replied, “No! That is not a FROG! That is a booger. Boogers are not frogs. Frogs sound like this ‘ribbit, ribbit, ribbit’ and a booger sounds like this {she cleared her throat}. “ After a few moments she looked at me and said, “Well maybe boogers sound a little like frogs.”

7:52 {color of its birthplace}

Whatever comes from the heart carries the heat and color of its birthplace.

-Oliver Wendall Holmes Sr.

I have a boyfriend who gives me flowers.  Each delivery has come with a message from his heart.

Red being the traditional color to portray 'love'.

It has been said that all flowers have specific meanings which symbolized feeling.  When giving flowers one should search your heart and consider the flower meaning because some flowers are meant for true love, gratitude, friendship, and goodbye.  I have not received goodbye flowers, yet.  :)  

What color comes from your heart? 

Connecting up to Maaret this week.

6:52 {after a storm}

After a storm comes a calm.

-Matthew Henry

I fully admit, I'm a crazy dog lady (CDL).  This post contains more "Nadia" pictures.  More than perhaps a non-dog owner, or one who is unfamiliar with Nadia can handle.  Regardless she is my most often shot photog subject.  She's always available to step in as my model for each shoot, or maybe that is because she is my white shadow.  One will never know :)

While Nadia is a great dog, she is still a preschooler going into her teen years; and frequently needs reminders on how to have good manners.  For example, not jumping on guests, not pulling her leash and so forth.  She recently has been involved in a manners class one time per week.  It can be a stormy lesson when dogs who haven't socialized as puppies are there to learn.  Nadia like any preschooler in an unfamiliar environment is on edge, looking up at mom with those precious eyes that say, "Just take me home and cuddle me. NOW!!"  She is also involved in a social group called, "Pint Sized Pooches".  This is a social group in which Humans with pooches under 15 pounds meet up and let their dogs socialize together.  This can also be a stormy event depending on what dogs show up. 

The following are pictures of the calm after the storm of events.  They make my heart swell with love for her (something I didn't ever think was possible).

After the first Manner Class. "All I can do is hug my 'Ducky'.  I'm so tired, mom."-Nadia

"Ok, mom, Pint Sized Pooches was fun; but I'm tired!" -Nadia

"I think I can keep my eyelids up...maybe not." -Nadia

While I love Nadia's storm of activities that she does through the week, and her stormy run through the apartment right before she falls asleep each night; I'm thankful for her calm moments.  It is during these times that I can concentrate fully on my studies and get my writing completed for each class and/or for work.

Head on over to see the 'calms' in Maaret's life.

5:52 {mistake...discover}

Probably he who never made a mistake, never made a discovery.

-Samuel Smiles

It's Sunday at 8:21 p.m. (as you can see), and:

I just realized that I still hadn't taken my P52 picture for the week.  :(

Mistake: Forgetting about P52 this week.

Discovery: Time management isn't my skill.  Oh wait... I knew that I just relearn it every time I have too much to do.

Today was filled with reading and writing a 12 page paper (which isn't completed yet) which is due by midnight tomorrow.  As well as another 3 pager due tonight at midnight that was just submitted.  

On a side note, in addition to being a therapist, I also work as an innovation coach.  One thing that constantly drives innovation is... you guessed it, mistakes or failures- which lead to AH HA! moments.

I'm linking up to Maaret this month!

p.s. I look forward to each and every post Maaret makes.  She's one of the most creative individuals I know!