A fantastic break

It is delightful to be back! Oh, how I have missed you and blogging! Please forgive me my long abscence. I had intended to blog more, but I really did need a break and it turned into the nicest of breaks as we spent it with my family in Maine! YES! We took a vacation, taking the children out of school for three weeks. For years my family has been advising us to consider a late summer visit. They have said things like, “You know, the end of summer is really the best time of year in Maine.” Or “Not only is it sunny and warm but also bug free in early fall.” Neither my husband nor my children had ever been there this time of year so at long last we took heed of their suggestion. We found that everything they said was true! The bad thing is that my son’s teacher made it very clear in her pre-boarding phone call to me that she didn’t think he should go.

Well, the magnificently sunny bug-free days were pure bliss and although we won’t take him out of school for three weeks again it is hard to have any regrets.

 We couldn’t have timed our vacation better as family and friends all moaned about the miserably rainy weather they had had to endure for months on end prior to our visit. We enjoyed beachcombing, swimming in Damariscotta Lake, picnics by the sea, family gatherings, etc.

The beauty of our surroundings and the quality of the time spent relaxing and visiting with our loved ones has allowed us to return filled up with good memories and joy. Hopefully these along with the stored up rays of late summer sun will sustain us through the upcoming winter.

I am already busy listing a few new items (Fru Bøler is now in the shop So sorry, she is already sold!) and looking forward to making some new things with my renewed energy and enthusiasm after my lovely break. Thank you so much to all of my wonderful buyers who have given me such great encouragement by nearly clearing out my shop before and after my break. A huge thanks to all of my faithful readers and those of you who are so kind to take the time to write me a few words so I know you have been by. It means so much to me to hear from you!

Comments

[Michele C]

So glad you're back. I missed your pretty words and photos. I wish Maine was closer to The South, so maybe I would have gotten to see you in person! -- Michele

[Julie]

Its nice to have you back! The vacation sounds nice, we are leaving in a month on ours!

[Kristin L]

Looks like a wonderful vacation. And time with family and a change of scenery can be just as enriching as school. We must all remember that there are many ways to learn besides books and the opportunity to experience two countries and cultures that your children have is very special.

[gretchen/juneatnoon]

So glad to hear you had a nice time away. We took a trip to Maine in early July of 2001, and it was foggy and not-so-nice weather the entire time. Bit of a bummer, but it was still beautiful. Everyone has told us since that late Summer/early Fall is much better. Maybe another time.... Anyway, so nice to see how it has recharged you. Looking forward to what you do next!

[kameleonquilt.wordpress.com]

So nice to read your posts again :-) Sounds like you had a great holiday. Looking forward to more of your sweet photos here :-)

[trashalou]

We took Princess Curly-Wurly and destructoBoy out of school for a week either side of the Christmas holidays to go back to Australia. Sometimes the informal learning is even more important than the school stuff whatever the teachers may think.

[Di]

Welcome back! It sounds like you have had the perfect break! I do love New England and the coast of Maine is my favourite! Have you ever read the book Frederick by Leo Lionni? It is about a little mouse who stores up memories of the warm summer whilst all his mice friends are collecting food for the winter. Once the food ends, it is Frederick's colorful thoughts of summer that see all the mice through the rest of the winter. Beautiful sentiments and beautifully illustrated.

[jodie]

It sounds wonderful , don't worry about 3 weeks out of the years and years of schooling.
It is really just a drop in the ocean.

[catherine]

Sounds like you had a nice break and I wouldn't worry about taking your son out of school. Think of it as a long field trip. We took our girls out of school for 3 weeks last year to travel to the US (We live in New Zealand) and they learnt so much that they would never have learn at school.

[Christina]

Oh, sounds like a fantastic trip. I liked school, but I still would have loved to have gotten out of three weeks of school! Especially for something like this. The second pic is perfect. Such fantastic colours and shapes. Glad your back. :)

[Jacqueline]

Yay welcome back!! I am sooo happy to see you here. :) Sounds like you had a really good break and a fantastic vacation! Loving those beautiful photos and your lovely new dolls. Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

[tracey petersen]

I'm so glad you went. Lots of important learning happens outside the classroom - sometimes teachers forget that. I bet your son learnt lots in a new environment.

[Angie]

As a teacher (now SAHM), I was always delighted (DELIGHTED) when children went on vacations- and not for the reduction in my class size :). I know they always learn so much more than they would have in my classroom, no matter what we were doing while they were gone! They will remember things from their vacations for the rest of their lives, and those days in my classroom? Maybe something, but nothing like spending time with their family and seeing a part of our wonderful world. Good for you - and no guilt! (Also glad to hear you are back, I love reading your blog!) :)

[Muriël]

I'm sure your children learned so much from being with their family in their mom's home country. You shouldn't have any regrets. Your pictures look so beautiful!

[Anja]

I'm so hapy to hear that you had a nice time.

I can't belive that your son's teacher said he should stay in school. I mean that is so not nice. I'm teacher and oh my, I never dream of saying don't go. I always let my school kids go on vacation, to spent time with their parents and relatives. First, who I'm I to decide, and second: Yes, go, have fun, explore, be with your loved ones, learn about life!

No guilt, Emily, just no guilt.

Hugs,

Anja

[rhea]

Welcome home, Emily!

It was sooo nice to meet you...

I think I need to vacay to Norway and look you up and we can craft together!

By the way, I love, love, LOVE the second picture in your post...

almost as much as I love Maine in the late Summer/early Fall.

Your parents are right!

Take care,

XO,

Rhea

[Jean C.]

Good for you! Sounds like a great time was had by all!!! Teachers mean well... but you know, taking your son out of school when he is young like this is fine.... they bounce back really fast! And you probably got some of his work b/4 you left... to keep him busy... hmmm? Anyway, what's not to like... time spent with family... as they say... "PRICELESS!" This will be something the kids and you and your hubby will remember for a long time!
Way to go Emily!

[martha brown]

I don't think you should worry about pulling your son out of school at all. I'm a teacher and I think that getting beautiful life experiences can never be recreated in the classroom. Sometimes you just have to do what feels right for you! (and, um, I pulled my 6 year old out of school for a month to travel to Nova Scotia -- and felt no guilt!)

[ingermaaike]

There you are! So glad to see you have had a wonderful time. School is just school, life experience is so much more valuable than 3 weeks of missed school. He went to see the other side of the world, and so did you all :-D
What fun!
beautiful b&w shots, hat off to you!

[baroquebabies]

Lovely photos and I'm sure your son learned a lot despite being out of school!

[Carol]

I am glad you had a wonderful vacation, and your photos are always beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Your children will always remember their vacations.

[Emily Moss]

Hi Carol,

Thank you so very much for your thougthful and very sweet comment on my
blog! I am so happy to be home after such a lovely trip and having recharged
my batteries. My parents spent a great deal of time with the children and
that gave me such a delightful breather... Children are such amazing
creatures but they seem to suck the energy out!

The happiness of my children on their vacation and they joy and relaxation
that was had by all to be in the company of so many loved ones was certainly
worth the time away from school. The neat thing is that my son who had been
struggling with his cursive writing managed to practice nearly every day and
is now really able to write it! Before vacation he insisted on writing
everything in block letters which is so slow and now he is writing cursive!
I can't help but be proud that we managed to do that. His teacher was sure
pleased too.

Well, just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed hearing from you!
Take care!
Warmest wishes from Emily

2009/9/23

[Mea]

What Beautiful pictures! I grew up in Maine and loved the reminder of how pretty it is in late summer!
-Mea