Summer Plans FOR ME

My friend, Franki, shared this link with me: Mom's Summer Bucket Lists. Franki and I like to joke that we are successful when we manage to put on lotion or lipstick. On the rare occasions when both occur, it is a gold star day.

The article made me realize that although I helped my kids write three things they want to make sure happen this summer, I kind of slid through without a list of my own. I say kind of, because I did make a list. Looking at it now, I realize it wasn't a list for me. It was a list for them.

I'm not a big subscriber to the do-all-kinds-of-things-for-yourself movement. I think it's important to take care of yourself, but that self-care can happen in small (and effective) doses -- like lotion and lipstick.

At the same time, I'm not a big subscriber to wear-yourself-ragged-because-you-only-take-care-of-others-and-never-yourself mentality. It's important to take care of others. We all have someone in our lives who drains energy -- every single one of us knows what this is like. We are better at caring for others when we care for ourselves too (in small and effective doses).

Currently, I'm more on the ragged and tattered side of things. This is why the idea of a Summer Bucket List resonates with me. I'm claiming today as my first official day of summer and extending the season to September 5. Typically, I start to enter "autumn" when school starts. Not this year. I'm keeping summer in my heart for the next two months.

Following the inspiration from Franki...

The top three items on my Summer Bucket List* FOR ME are:

1. {Move} Somehow with ball games and friends over and needing this and getting that, I've lost my regular and expected movement each day. I believe in movement being a lifestyle, not a regiment, and so with this item, it can be a run (and will be some days), but a walk with a friend or a bike ride or a family game of football in the yard all count. The point is I move every day. I stretch in the morning, I move during the day, and I crunch or lift or balance at night.
2. {Write} My writing life has become a mess. This once disciplined 1000 words/day girl has become a tangled mess of a writer. It is time to reclaim the space with one hour/day in order to find my footing with an evolved process and an expanded territory of topic, audience, and purpose.
3. {Preserve} When I consider what I will miss most if I don't do it this summer, preservation came to mind. I want to preserve summer through photos, scrapbook pages, and canning. I wish I could say something like, each week I'll spend three hours preserving photos, stories, or food, but I don't work this way. Rather, by the end of the summer, I'll have uploaded and printed photos for the first half of 2014, bought an album for Jay and have some scrapbook pages inside it, and replace the shelves of empty canning jars with full ones.

*Lotion and lipstick will remain indicators of gold star days!

CELEBRATE This Week: XXVIII

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! Share a link to your blog post below and/or use #celebratelu to share celebrations on Twitter.

********

{I made this image as an 8x10, so I think it will print nicely for you.}

********

This week I'm celebrating my writing process. With the training ground of 40 Stories, it shifted. It's become more about listening and less about efficiency. It's hard to let go of efficiency being my top priority.

I've realized I do a lot of crafting in my head. This surprised me at first, but it was also the basis of the one of the rules of 40 Stories -- I had to stick to the territories of adoption and faith. My brain has learned how to craft lines and phrases and to consider structures to hold these ideas.

I'm learning new systems to play with my ideas since my writing life is expanding. I'm celebrating the ability to have many different writing projects happening simultaneously. I'm trying to focus on the coolness of this and not to get bogged down by the fact that I haven't found my footing yet.

I'm toying with whether word count is a goal I want to use or if there is another way to measure my productivity and challenge myself as a writer. I'm leaning toward word count. The words are marching across my notebook and word documents.

I write because it's what I'm made to do. It's not about publication. It's not about accolades. It's about putting words on the page because it's as critical to my existence as breathing. I write because I'm created to nourish souls through words.

Today I celebrate my messy, evolving, nutty writing process because I love how it makes me into the person I am created to be.

 *******

I'm happy you are here to share your celebration too.

CELEBRATE This Week: XXII

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ruthayreswrites.com" title="Discover. Play. Build."><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhnwqk0roDgr9irdkjZGU8_snh6_pAoHaQIleMhUxlmHafXaG2osQMxA3kG4SwnuvH8FkTC1QBWv3-yKVG6hyphenhyphen6m2tVReLGMTKtDfE88XuUsprfWmAhyphenhyphen3hv2ChyOYeQwpRUr5YhZEZnGg/s200/celebrate-image.jpg" alt="Discover. Play. Build." style="border:none;" /></a></div>

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! For more information, check out the CELEBRATE This Week page. Please use #celebratelu to share.



A short list...

1. Michigan Reading Association annual conference is happening right now. I'm loving the #MRA14 tweets. Make sure to follow (and join) the conversation!
2. Sam's first Pinewood Derby race is today. I can't wait to see how his sparkly blue car holds up in the race. He has especially enjoyed using the Dremel tool.
3. Steph won their last basketball game of the season, clenching an undefeated record.
4. Hannah competed in a band concert. She is happy to have returned to the clarinet section after a short stint in the trombone section (where she would sit close to a cute boy). Andy and I are happy she has learned an important lesson: A cute boy is never-not-ever a good basis for making a decision.
5. I started playing the guitar this week. I never thought I'd be so excited about getting calluses!

Can't wait to read your celebrations! Link-up below.

CELEBRATE This Week XVII

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ruthayreswrites.com" title="Discover. Play. Build."><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhnwqk0roDgr9irdkjZGU8_snh6_pAoHaQIleMhUxlmHafXaG2osQMxA3kG4SwnuvH8FkTC1QBWv3-yKVG6hyphenhyphen6m2tVReLGMTKtDfE88XuUsprfWmAhyphenhyphen3hv2ChyOYeQwpRUr5YhZEZnGg/s200/celebrate-image.jpg" alt="Discover. Play. Build." style="border:none;" /></a></div>

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! For more information, check out the CELEBRATE This Week page. Please use #celebratelu to share.

One.
I'm glad to understand a little more about my current writing life as I reflected on the word WRITE in this post.

Two.

{Click the link below in order to get a quality print.}

 With the snow day last week, I learned how to create chalkboard art. I've been trying to think of a way to give a gift to our community. Here it is! Simply click this link in order to get an 8x10 image. Print it and hang it (either framed or unframed) in a place you could use a reminder of the power of celebration.

Enjoy!

CELEBRATE This Week XII

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ruthayreswrites.com" title="Discover. Play. Build."><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhnwqk0roDgr9irdkjZGU8_snh6_pAoHaQIleMhUxlmHafXaG2osQMxA3kG4SwnuvH8FkTC1QBWv3-yKVG6hyphenhyphen6m2tVReLGMTKtDfE88XuUsprfWmAhyphenhyphen3hv2ChyOYeQwpRUr5YhZEZnGg/s200/celebrate-image.jpg" alt="Discover. Play. Build." style="border:none;" /></a></div>

I'm glad you are here to celebrate! For more information, check out the CELEBRATE This Week page. Please use #clebratelu to share.

Happy New Year! Here's to documenting a year of celebrations. I'm glad you're here.

One.

I'm excited to celebrate this with you. It is my favorite art I've ever made. Ever. (I don't think this is an exaggeration either.) I woke up yesterday morning with these words stirring in my soul and I couldn't shake them. So throughout the day I threw a little paint and paper and lace and glitter on a canvas and came up with art I love. 

{Dance on the Clouds. Original mixed media art. January 2013}

Two. 

 On New Year's eve, I was able to put some paint + stuff of canvases with my family as we documented our One Little Words for 2014. We were waiting for Andy to decide on his. He's never been the indecisive one before!

Three.

 During my notebook time, in the early hours of January 1, this mantra of sorts came out. I'm looking forward to living with this and refining it. Then maybe I'll make something to keep me reminded all year long.

Raw, unrefined writing straight from my notebook.

I'm looking forward to reading your celebrations. Please link-up below.

surrender (sols)

{I made this.}

Art is always good for the soul. Especially on the last official day of summer, which for me was last Sunday. I spent the afternoon playing with something new: mixed media art.

I had no plans for what I was doing.

I was a bit of a mess and a whole lot of joyful.

I trusted something was emerging one step at a time.

I liked it this way.

I've been considering this question for over a year: What is mine to do? In my car door is a scrap of cardboard with What is mine to do? written in black Sharpie marker. Each time I pull my door shut, my fingers brush the rough cardboard. When I open my computer screen, there is a digital sticky note blazing What is mine to do? On my bathroom mirror, in my journal, on the washer, What is mine to do? infiltrates my day. I've become accustom to finding moments in the day of things that are most certainly mine to do.

However, I've been thinking perhaps there are many answers to this question. In the moments of the day and also in the dreams of  a life.

This summer, from all aspects of my life (Christ-follower, momma, friend, adoption advocate, abolitionist, writer, teacher, reader, speaker), I've been nudged by someone to dream a little. To think outside of the box. To go beyond the planned. To imagine possibilities.

I never would have guessed building a little mixed media art canvas might be the way I'd see a bit of light illuminating a hidden path. Maybe, just maybe, mine to do is something unexpected.

I have no plans for where I'm headed.

I'm a bit of a mess and a whole lot of joyful.

I'm trusting in a God way bigger than me, for something emerging one step at a time.

And I like it this way.

I think the word for this feeling is surrender.

Click on the image to join the
Slice of Life Challenge or to
read other slices.

a gift from sam

It's not even my birthday, and I received a present tonight. You know it's going to be great when an almost toothless seven year old grins and giggles and keeps his hands behind his back, even though he's squirming so much there's a pretty good chance that you see behind his back before the reveal. Only I didn't peek. I like surprises.

"I made you something," he says. I try not to focus on the askew tooth that needed pulled three days ago, but he likes it hanging on by threads. "I know you like my animals, but I was thinking about you when I was walking in line today and decided to make you something extra special."

He could have stopped there. My heart had already melted. He was thinking about me at school today. "Are you ready?"

I smile, nod, smile. "I can't wait," I say.

"I know," he confirms, "This is really good. So...here you go!"

He holds out a homemade giant yellow pencil. I smile, because it is a pretty great gift. I didn't realize it was about to get better.

A gift from Sam.

"I know sometimes it's hard to write and I thought this would make it easier."

He turns it over. "And I put your name on the back. I don't want anyone to take it. I think this is going to be a magic pencil. It's the kind that gets writers on lists."

I take the pencil, revering it the way fine art ought to be revered. "What kind of list?" I ask.

"Ohhh, you know, like the ones with gold medal stickers on the covers and those lists that mean everybody wants to read your book."

I laugh.  Oh those lists. This kid dreams big."Wow, this is some gift. I can't believe you made it for me. Thank you."

He hugs me. "I love you, Mom. I'm glad you write."

You know, this is one more reason to keep writing, even on the days when it doesn't seem to matter. It's a reminder that it does matter, not because of the "lists" -- I don't write for them, anyway -- but because it matters to him that I write and maybe, someday he will write too. And little by little the stories (mine, his, theirs, yours) will pile up and together they will change the world.

Join us at Two Writing Teachers
to read more Slice of Life stories this month.

us -- an introduction

Adoption. Faith. Family. These are the topics I feel led to write about this month. It's pushing me very far beyond my comfort zone. Since I'm sharing pieces of my heart, I thought perhaps I should introduce those who inspire me to celebrate the moments. I asked them each to draw a self-portrait. (Of course, Andy refused to draw...but he did color. Don't tell the kids, though, because I insisted they each make their own!)

 Andy and I have been married for nearly 13 years. He's worked at the same company, a sawmill, for 20 years...beginning as an after school job when he was in high school. He gets to work inside and outside, a combination of desk work and hands-on work. Andy and I met on a blind date and I was never (not-ever) going to marry that Ayres' boy. He was too wild.

After much waiting, we finally brought home our first child. Through a domestic adoption, we adopted Sam at birth. He was born in Ohio. Although he was the first of our children, he is the youngest of the four. He is a first grader and loves: skateboarding, building (with Legos, dominoes, tinker toys, train tracks, Lincoln Logs, or anything else he can get his hands on!), soccer and baseball, video games, writing, and books. He is an avid reader and averages at least 4 chapter books -- cover to cover each week, in addition he reads articles in train magazines, picture books, and a variety of nonfiction texts. Sam's word for 2013 is faith.

When Sam was two, we adopted our daughters, Hannah and Stephanie. Hannah was six when she came home and is currently 11. She is in 5th grade. Hannah loves horses, art, crafts, and sewing. She can make practically anything out of duck tape. When Hannah grows up she wants to be a teacher. She loves to read ("Romance is my favorite," she admits with a blush). Hannah's word for 2013 is confidence. 

Stephanie was four when she came home. Now she is nine and has started to "hand-down" her jeans to me. She loves sports, playing hard, and puzzles. Steph has red hair and the stereotypical personality that comes with it. She believes it takes pink and sparkles to be considered fully dressed. Stephanie is in third grade. Her latest read was Because of Mr. Terupt and she deemed it the best book ever. Currently she is reading the first Harry Potter book at the recommendation of Jordan. Her word for the year is thankful.

Jordan is the latest addition to the Ayres' family. He joined us on January 23, 2013. Jordan is seven and in second grade. As his self-portrait portrays he does have big, beautiful brown eyes and a great sense of humor. (He thinks the blue spiked hair is funny since in real life it is black with tight curls.) Jordan is athletic and has a kind heart. He loves food, especially chips and dessert. Like all of the Ayres, he is an avid reader. He is currently loving Harry Potter and is considering a Harry Potter birthday party later this month. 

Our family was built in an unconventional way, and yet we were made perfectly for one another. It's a family of bold personality, lots of laughter, and a bit of wild. Apparently I was wrong all of those years ago. Andy wasn't too wild...I just wasn't crazy enough. Thankfully time changes things.

1 of 52 Saturdays 2013

I have a set of three little 6 x 6 albums. They've been around for years. They are the new home for 52 Saturdays 2013. I'm looking forward to seeing what will develop as the year goes on. I love how this project seems manageable  I've been jealous of those who can pull off Project Life each year. This feels like a miniature version. A tiny layout. Once a week. I can do that! In addition, I'm planning to use Instagram to capture the images. You can follow me @ruth_ayres.

ivy + bean take care of the babysitter: videos

This week I'd like to share a couple of videos with you. First is a must see book trailer for the series. It is perfect to show in classrooms to help get readers excited about Ivy + Bean.

The next two are longer, but I find them interesting because they are interviews with Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. Any time I can pick up interesting bits about writers or illustrators, I think it is a good use of time.

This week Chronicle Books is giving away Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter.

And three sets of mini notes.

Just leave a comment on this post before Sunday night. I'll post giveaway recipients  on Sunday before I go to bed. If you receive a giveaway, your name will be placed in the grand prize drawing.

Don't forget to check out these other blogs:

The Children's Book Review

Coquette Maman

The Family That Reads Together

In the Pages

Kid Lit Frenzy

Media Darlings

One Page to the Next

The O.W.L.

The O.W.L. for YA

Roundtable Reviews for Kids

Sharpread

There's A Book

 Van Meter Library Voice

 Watch. Connect. Read.

the secret

I'm glad you liked my list on Tuesday. Several people commented on the graphic nature of it. I love to make things look cool. This is true in my notebooks too. I'm always looking for the opportunity to make things look more appealing. It's a big part of my creative process in many aspects of my life (presenting, blogging, cooking, scrapbooking, writing).

Many of you wondered how I did it. Thank you for the compliment and for asking.

Usually I use Photoshop Elements 9.0. I've been using PSE for, oh...I don't know, maybe five years and am on my third version. I'm the lucky girl whose parents buy it for her birthday. In order to learn to use the program I took an online course with Jessica Sprague. I would highly recommend taking a course if you are new to PSE and want to learn how it to use it.

For the list last Tuesday I used PSE, however, I could have also used MS Word to create the list. It would have been simple to create, but there would have been a few more steps in getting it to an image file to post to my blog. By using text boxes and a variety of fonts, though, I could have easily created the list.

Like many scrapbookers, I have lots of supplies. Since I am both a traditional paper scrapper and a digital scrapper, I have many digi supplies. So when I make a quick list or image for the blog, I tap into my "stash." These can be found for free (if you have the time to dig around the internet) or purchased in digi stores. Jessica Sprague has a store, as does Designer Digitals. The label and stitching were purchased at Designer Digitals. I could have also added them into a document on Word. (Or into PowerPoint presentations, which I often do to add a more graphic feel to them.)

Finally I love fonts. I'm particular about the fonts I chose to download, but I have hundreds that I've added to my computers. I keep to the free fonts and typically download from Dafont.com. (If you're unsure how to install a font, just do a quick Google search and you'll find easy to follow directions.)

So there are some of my secrets behind the list. If you have more questions, let me know. I'll try to answer them or send you a link of someone who already has shared the answer.