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Just stepped in from ‘Graduation Night’ at San Mateo Parents Nursery School.(SMPNS). As I am writing those words, my eyes are filled with tears – tears of an ending of a beautiful part of my life, mixed with the understanding that every end is a new beginning. The Nursery school has been a second home for me and my family for the last 3 years, and now is the time to say goodbye since Maya is off to kindergarten next year! (Darn, she grew way too fast!)
SMPNS is a magical school where kids learn how to be good people, as many of them said “I learned how to make friends”, and where parents learn how to be better people AND better parents.
I can not say enough about this school, its community and its teachers who are at the heart of this amazing organization.
Few weeks ago, the families who leave the school were asked to answer this question: What did you learn at Nursery School?
I wanted to share with you what I wrote:
“What did I learn at Nursery School?
Oh my gosh! Only 7 short lines to write it all? This is not gona work, I will have to type it up, this way I will have more space! YES!
To me, SMPNS is much more than a nursery school; it is a parenthood, friendship and community school, and it is also helps us keep our kids happy!
Since moving from Israel, I have never felt so connected to any community, until we joined SMPNS. Our school is a wonderful community of beautiful people and I will be always grateful for what me and my family learned from the teachers, the parents and the cute children!
I have learned so much, and this would be only a short version of my original list…
1. To make Play dough
2. There is no such thing as garbage, just art materials.
3. To solve conflicts with my words
4. To grow patience
5. To be creative with problem solving
6. That ‘it is what it is’
7. To live every moment fully
8. To love people for who they are, no matter their age and where they come from
9. That it takes team work to make the school work
10. To show and tell
11. To not be afraid of being me
12. To share my gifts
13. To be a much better mom
14. To follow my instincts
15. And more and more
This has been an amazing time in my life and in my family life. I will always be grateful and remember everything I have learned here, those are really lessons about life and for life.
With all my heart (and tears), Love, Relli “
SMPNS is my home, and it will always be my home. Home is where you feel belong, where your heart expends and you let the love flow into it with ease. This is how I know I belong. This is how I know it is home forever.
On December 14, 2007 I wrote my article “what’s in your cake’.
Yesterday, while giving my first public speaking presentation, I got to experience the joy of actually giving what I have to the world.
This is what I wrote in December:
“Our job is to offer it (our gift) to others and let them choose. Your job is to be happy to just offer your cake, and know that you are serving yourself by doing so. You can not control if others will try it (which you are almost screaming to them: “eat it!”), maybe they will, maybe they won’t, BUT this is not up to you.”
My presentation topic was ‘Focus In – 3 simple principles to achieve more success in your life by looking inside out’.
I was sharing what I learned in my life journey, about how I was lost with no focus to how I found my passion with flowers and Personal development. It was a wonderful feeling of giving, and it was even better because there was someone to receive.
I offered my cake, I offered it from my heart, and it was accepted with joy. I feel humbled yet excited to keep going and share my gift!
I challenge you to share your gift – give it to the world and you will never look back again!
To life and great cakes, Relli
Just got this from Joe Vitale and wanted to share:
The Animal Rescue Site is cool. You go there, click ”fund food for animals” and food will be donated to feed neglected and abused animals. It takes less than a minute (about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box ‘fund food for animals’ for free. This doesn’t cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here’s the web site. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ Please tell others about this, too. Thank you
It is easy, I just did it!
I just came back from Belmont Senior center, after I taught a floral design class to five amazing women who came to learn something new about flowers.
Flowers are my love and my joy (http://www.rellisflowers.com/ ) so I’ve decided to give back and teach. A year ago, I tought an art class for 1st to 3rd grades kids, and I learned that this was no fun for me! Beside the fact that my own children were complaining I do not help them in the class, I was more the policemen than the teacher….. So, I have decided to move to the other side of the spectrum – seniors 🙂
When I came into the room, there was no one, but slowly the people came and it was a great feeling to know that someone wants to learn something new from ME!
After chatting a bit, I learned that one of my students is…… 101 years old ! this is amazing that at 101 she is still up and going to learn something new. It was such and inspiration for me to see this amazing women planning a design and enjoying it. what a gift of life 🙂
“Life is a series of delicious moments” Ester Hicks.
I was teaching how to make a twig structure, inspired by European floral deign, using recycle materials. We had tons of fun doing so, and it was great to see how each of them took it to a different direction, creating something totally different.
It was interesting to see how the designs were different –
the colorful lady, chose to use colorful ribbons, purple decorative wire mixing it all up!
The serious lady – was not really taking any risks, following traditional design style.
I had a lot of fun doing it, I felt humble that 5 people came to learn from me, and wanted me to come back for another class! This is fun.
at the end of the session I was so mad at myself for not taking pictures, but here I go, another lesson to learn and change.
To flowers, Relli
Grumpy?
Do you have these moments that you get out of bed so grumpy you do not want to see anyone around you?
This was my morning!
After I woke up at night to change my daughter cloths (who is insisting to sleep with no diaper…), an hour fight with my body and mind to go back to sleep, it was no wonder I got up on my left side.
So, this morning was not the best morning around the house,especially with my daughter who has the ability to get ready in such a slow pace, slower than a turtle walk 😉 .I was cranky, just waiting for everybody to get out of the house so I can COMM down.
Now, the house is quiet and I am thinking about great ways for me to get over my crankiness, moving to greatness rather that crankiness.
When I am in this mood, I know that surrounding myself with positive people and positive information, makes a HUGE different. Right now I am listening to http://www.hayhouse.com/ live radio. This is a great way to listen to different coaches moving you back into what is really important, helping you refocus on the beauty in this world, focusing on the moment.
Sometime, I know that I need ‘the boot’ to get back into reality and realize how much I have.
So now, after few minutes of quiet and good karma, I am back again, relaxed.
Changing habits and letting go of fear are some of the hardest activities for people to accomplish. I can tell you about myself, that I am working on changing my habit of misplacing things and have a messy house. This is a HUGE thing for me to change, and although I am making great effort to be more organized, this is a hard!
But what if this change would not be so hard? What if I can do it in a way that I will not even feel I am creating a change?
Few weeks ago, while googling, I stumble across a SIMPLE yet amazing book called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.
This book is all about small, small, actually TINY steps you can take towards your goal and by doing so you are breaking through your fears. The origins of this philosophy are from Japan and are the base to many successful businesses and systems in the world. If you remember TQM (Total Quality Management) system, it is based on the same principles.
Let me give you an example – I would like exercise more. I find it to be very challenging to get myself to actually do it. If you tell me now to make time for 30 min walk a day I will look at you and say “I can’t fit it in to my day, it is crazy as it is!”.
With the Kaizen way, I will take small steps, which often look so silly, towards that goal.
So this is what I am going to do – Starting May 15th 2008 I will march for 1 min a day while I’m cooking (I can do that! I spend a lot of time in the kitchen!). After a week, I might add another minute, so total 2 minute a day. You might think this is so stupid and not benefiting but you would be surprised to see how quickly I loose the resistance and learn to do it.
This is the whole point – break through your habits in such small steps, that you don’t feel it’s a burden or a problem to accomplish those activists
I am so fascinated by this concept, that I will keep learning and sharing with you my Kaizen experience.
So, what is your next TINY step you will take to move forward towards your next major goal?
Last week, at the Spaghetti feed, my son was preforming creating amazing animal balloons. after his performance, which was a great success, the kids ran after him asking him to make them their own balloon. This was a totally new experience for him, but I think he really enjoyed the attention and also the feeling of making someone else happy! The last part was always my favorite , but I will admit that the attention is kind of fun too 😉
After the big performance, some of the parents approached me and told me:” you son is so creative, and they are both so good with young children, they should be thinking to do it as a business! ”
When we came home I talked to my kids about it, and thus the idea of having a business for them came about. The boys are SOOOO excited about it and you can see the $ sign on my oldest eyes… we will have to work on how much to charge 😉
the big question I have for myself and my family is: what is a good time to start a business for kids?
As a mom, I want my kids to learn responsibility about life, helping people, have fun and also learn about money and make some. On the other hand I know that having a business is a lot of responsibility. The question that comes up is:
is it a good idea for the boys to start their own business at 9 years old? is is too early or it is just the pace of life these days?
One way to solve (or maybe just postpone it a bit) is to have them try it out first. They can volunteer their time and talents at some parties, and we can see and learn how it goes. If they like it – Great, if they are not sure, so maybe its better to wait a bit longer.
I would love to hear from you how you feel about this subject, and share with me your experience.
To life!
Relli Siege 