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Month in Review and June Goals

visited 20 states (8.88%)
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I usually write out my goals and tape them to the kitchen wall. This month I didn’t, and I think my goals suffered a little as a result. I do have a lovely line-up of guest bloggers for my geography feature, and I’m very excited about that! If you would like to participate and we haven’t connected yet, just email mamasmilesblog at gmail dot com. I also made a button for this feature, thanks to my three lovely globe-holding models, which you can see on my left sidebar! Be sure to check out Elisa’s feature Thursday!

Playing outside was not terribly successful. Daily highs were in the low fifties until last Tuesday evening, when it suddenly became warm and muggy. Friday temperatures climbed to 94 degrees, leading Emma to declare that she does NOT like summer. Not a good sign, given that summer has yet to officially begin! I did keep the kids outside for hours on end on the nice days! We need to get a wading pool (unachieved May goal) to keep the kids outside more in warmer temperatures!

Our garden is looking quite nice, in spite of my inexperience. I think the abundance of rain followed by decent sunshine deserves the credit. I built two raised garden beds, and the kids and I planted seeds, which appear to have sprouted in somewhat random places. I think that is mostly due to the kids’ help, combined with some pretty high winds the day or two after some of the surface seeds were planted. The strawberries we planted last year have the biggest leaves I ever saw, along with a few (also large) blossoms – so hopefully we get some berries from them as well!

This is the (very wrinkled) skirt I am attempting to copy:

skirt I am attempting to copy

I picked it up for 7GBP at a sale when we were living in Cambridge, barely out of graduate school. I liked it so well back then that I nearly bought two, but our massive student loans held me back. I love it because it’s long enough for 5’8” me, fitted at the top, and with a flared skirt for chasing even the swiftest children when they take off without warning… Plus, the French seams on the outside look cool. Of course, said French seams are giving me a bit of a headache when it comes to copying the design (I don’t want to take it apart), so it’s a work in progress that will have to continue next month, but I’ll figure it out.

June is starting off very differently in our home. I’m taking off for to visit a sister who would greatly appreciate a visit from family right now. It’s my first time ever away from the kids, and making it happen has been a family-wide project. Members of my family are providing plane tickets, a car, and help with my children, and Mike has agreed to be the lone parent for a few days. I’ll take off Wednesday afternoon and get back late Sunday, and while there will be scheduled posts here, I probably won’t be online much for the duration of the trip. It’s my first time ever leaving the kids overnight, and the last time I traveled alone was for PhD field research in 2004. Renting a car for the first time should be considerably easier than navigating Bosnia and Herzegovina on public transportation with very broken Serbo-Croatian!

Goals for June:

  • Have a wonderful visit with my sister. Target Area: gratitude
  • Celebrate our 10-year (!) wedding anniversary Target Area: gratitude
  • Make end-of-year gifts for Johnny’s teachers (have a great idea? Please share!) Target Area: gratitude
  • Write a summer bucket list. Target Area: education, peace, and health
  • Finish copying my skirt. Target Area: education
  • Get a wading pool! Target Area: peace and health
  • Donate to our local food pantry. Target Area: gratitude and generosity
  • Keep our garden alive. Target Area: education and health

Are you making goals for June? I’d love for you to link up and share!

monthly goals at mama smiles

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

15 thoughts on “Month in Review and June Goals”

  1. I hope you have a great trip. Happy Anniversary!

    The skirt looks nice, but I can see how those seams would be a total pain! Good luck.

  2. Ooh, I can’t wait to know how Mike deals with being a lone parent! I wish all of you happy times and safe return home.

  3. It’s interesting to see all the places you have visited. I see no visits to Australia – yet :)

    Today marked our first day of winter and I have just put my cherubs to bed in their new flanelette PJ’s.

    We had a clip on our news last night about the high temeratures in Chicago (I think it was). I’m with Emma, I’m not a fan of hot and muggy, but your idea of a wading pool sounds like the way to go.

    I want to get a wading pool because of this human bubble I saw here:
    http://onecharmingparty.com/2011/05/27/human-bubble/

    Wishing you a safe and enjoyable trip.

    1. I would love to visit Australia, someday!

      Most of those countries are places my parents lived for work, plus a few we drove to in order to visit. And I went to Turkey as a high school trip. It has been neat seeing several parts of the world.

      That human bubble is an excellent use of a wading pool – and a great way to clean it, too!

  4. I hope you get your skirt made! I’ll be looking forward to seeing a picture of it.

    I hope your trip is a safe and happy one, and that all is well with your sister. Praying your family is safe while you are away and you are all safely together at the end of your trip.

  5. Yay! I love anniversaries! We’re working on our feature and hope to get it to you soon. I haven’t forgotten!

  6. Enjoy your trip! I’ve seen some cute ideas for teachers on One Pretty Thing.

    What’s giving you trouble on the skirt?

    1. I’ll check out one pretty thing – thanks!

      The skirt is half laziness half seam allowance confusion. And I’m a little confused as to how to lay the pieces out and where the grain line should be. Basically I need a quiet afternoon to figure it out, and that just hasn’t happened yet.

  7. Elisa | blissfulE

    Now that was thinking ahead, to buy an awesome skirt with built-in ability to chase swift children.

    How exciting about your garden. Hopefully your kids will be all about the watering, even while you’re gone, and you won’t kill all your lovely plants like I did mine!

    Sounds like this trip will be an adventure for you. Imagine actually relaxing on an airplane… :)

    And finally, hurrah for June anniversaries! :) :)

    1. Happy Anniversary to you in June also!

      I nearly killed my plants yesterday – forgot to water them in 94 degree heat!

  8. One of the students in our preschool class made clipboards for the teacher and aide as an end of year gift. Her mom bought clipboards and then the little girl decorated them with “school-themed” stickers (letters, numbers, etc). It was really cute and since the teachers need a clipboard to sign the kids in and out every day, it seemed fairly practical.

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