Hooray for Friday...

The weather here has been beautiful all week. The perfect spring weather. Not too cool not too warm. The lilacs and apple trees are blooming. There are lots of apple trees in our neighborhood but the neighbors kitty-corner across the street from us have the most beautiful tree I've ever seen. It's stunning and this picture really doesn't do it justice but I had to share it with you. Friday is quickly becoming one of my favorite days of the week. Mostly because I know that the next day I will have some parenting help! But I also look forward to the family activities we have planned. For us this weekend it will be my Mom's graduation on Saturday and then leaving for vacation on Sunday! So today will be busy day of laundry and cleaning and getting things ready for packing!

We are taking a trip to South Dakota and Montana. Rapid City and Bozeman specifically. My grandparents and some aunts and uncles and cousins live in Rapid City. I have not seen my grandparents out there for sixteen years so we decided to drive through there on the way to Montana this year. It's also the first big road trip we've taken with Owen. So we've tried to gather some fun stuff for him to do in the car and of course videos to watch! We also plan to stop at some sights along the way.

Maureen posed a good question on the blog thread at 2P's the other day and I've been thinking about it but hadn't written about it. She asked "why is creativity important?" I think when was younger I had a pretty narrowly defined idea of what it meant to be creative. Specifically art. And within that what was good creativity. As I've gotten older I've discovered or realized that creativity is very broad and can encompass a vast array of ideas and activities. Simply using ones imagination in creating something. Not just art. Food, clothing, automobiles, new plants and vaccines. Creativity applies to all kinds of industries. Science, manufacturing, technology. It's not just reserved for the arts. When I was teaching I always tried to foster some creativity in my students and help them to understand that creativity didn't just apply to art but everything. It can be a way of living and seeing and doing. And especially a way of thinking.