Schooling Outside the Box

Chelsea and I have a plan for this new

school year.  It involves a field trip per

week.  Not just random field trips, mind you.

We are going to visit cafe's and eateries 

all over our area.  

You see, it is Chelsea's dream to open a 

Cafe' one day.  I can think of no better way

to do research and plan than to go to see 

what others have done.  Perhaps we will work

up the nerve to speak with the owners.

We will have a list of questions prepared 

in case it is convenient.

In any case, Chelsea will have a notebook

and pen, with an assignment of writing down

the top three and bottom three observations 

at each establishment.

I know that she is serious as her first notebook

is getting to be full of lists of coffee drinks and 

baked goods she wants to offer.  Next on her 

agenda is to work to develop her own recipes for

each of these items.  She wants to be as original 

as is possible.  

I think this is lining up to be a very fun

and tasty school year at Hospitality Lane!

Working Together

This past week has been wonderful.

I have seen such growth in Jonathan and Chelsea.

You see, we had several large projects that 

needed to be completed.  Warren and Mikey 

are at work all day so that left Chelsea, Jonathan

and me to get them done.

It has been a blessing to work together.

To strategize.

To implement.

And occasionally to rethink.

We have made lists.

We have delegated.

And then we have flown by 

the seats of our pants when

things didn't work out as we had 

pictured them.

It has been good to leave a lot of 

the planning in the kids' hands to 

let them work through the process.

They have come through very well.

We are pleased.

This did not used to come 

easily to me.

I am the type that would

rather do it myself.

However,

the kids are earning my

trust each and every day.

Are you raising young people who 

are able to troubleshoot, process and plan?

We don't do them favors by hand holding them

past a certain point.

My philosophy is to give them enough 

freedom to prove themselves but to 

be available to help 

whenever and however they ask for it.

This is all a part of the learning 

process.  They are not going to 

get it perfectly right every time

but we should see 

progress.