Mommy School Begins

I took a 3 year blogging hiatus, mostly trading facebook posts for blog posts - I dabbled in tweeting and I'm still hooked on pinterest....but the truth is, I cannot condense my daily life in a one word sentence or simple update.  

What I have to say usually translates the saying "to make a long story short" into "to make a short story long".....and so I'm back.  Blogging.  I'm not sure anyone will want to follow me or read what I have to say, but my life is a sitcom and I love every single part of the starring participants.  Sharing our daily lives and funny moments will hopefully be cherished by them one day --- during the post high school stages when I embarrass them or they don't want to hang out with their dear old mom.  

Today marks the 3rd day of Summer break.  It's the time of year where I can say I have an 8 and a 7 year old.  Later this month my 8 year old will claim 9 and I will recall those 16 hours of labor ending in a perfect little girl that changed me forever.  

My girls are only 21 months apart.  They have never known life without each other - they are the best of friends.  They also know how to irritate the crap out of each other and antagonize each other like no one else.   I, myself, did not have a sister, I now have an appreciation for those women who have 3+ girls.  While I wouldn't change having two girls for a second, let me sit back and give myself kudos for getting us to this stage - where they both love each other and no one has lost hair, broken bones or been told they "hate" each other.   I cannot say they haven't bitten each other or occasionally spit at each other or framed one another --- all of which provided teachable moments.  One thing is certain - they have each other's backs. 

Day 3 of summer vacation has brought nit-picky, antagonizing and yelling into full force.  Age and fall tonsil removal has provided younger sister to have increased volume and variation to her yelling.  The older sister has retreated back to crying and accusing me of NEVER EVER EVER listening to her and talking about how life is never fair.  I'm getting this mess in CHECK.  

Day 3 of summer break has brought on Day 1 of MOMMY school.  Stay tuned to follow my journey.  Kids need structure, and they want to learn, they want to do things and want approval....they just need the guidance --- I'm anxious to see if this little plan will provide us with our best summer yet - I will attach some of our activities, adventures and lessons learned.   

Each day will vary - today, Day 1 we already have an appointment at the doctor for a possible Swimmer's Ear.  

Day 1 I would consider a success - We agreed on a morning routine, talked about activities, and things we want to do and even did a writing assignment.  I've provided each girl with a notebook that will be used all summer.  Each girl has their own lap desk and this afternoon we are heading to the store to get supplies we may need.  

Todays writing assignment:  Write a letter to someone or Journal what you wish to do this summer - places you would like to go, friends you would like to play with, etc. 

(this was written in their notebooks) 

Reading: Each girl read for 25 minutes - the reading log I started at the back of each notebook logging the book, minutes read and author.  To encourage responsibility, each girl has their own library bag - and library card --- I purchased key fobs - library cards for each girl have holes and are attached to the fob that remains in the library bag.  Books MUST remain in the bag anytime they are not reading them.  These rules have been set due to overdue library fines and the endless hours spent in searching for misplaced books.  Kids who lose their books pay their own fines....

I want to provide meaningful information to the kids and create dialogs - things they would want to discuss further and get them thinking.  My goal is to also teach them to feel things such as appreciation and thankfulness for living the life they have.  

Today I read to them an online article from infoplease.com about School Years Around the World - we came up with some interesting facts and talked about how these school systems are different than ours.

We definitely know where we WON'T be moving! 

Facts according to K & A: 

Interesting Facts: 

• Brazil – most important meal of the day is lunch, children go home to eat with their families for a 2 hour lunch each day
• France – Days off are Wednesday and Saturdays
• Kenya – Lunch is provided at school, many children bring home their lunches to share with their families who don’t have much to eat.
•  Southern Hemisphere – ex: Australia has summer weather in December/January – this is when they take their breaks.
•  Iran – Boys and Girls are taught separately in different classrooms, aren’t mixed together until University.   Beginning at age 5, students must take an exam to advance to the next level. 

Wishing you all a wonderful summer - The kids are on a "fun break" right now - and I think I'll sneak in a shower before we head to the doctor. 

Sticky Fingers

It's been a foolishly fast fall....I really don't know where time went or once again, how to catch everyone up on the happenings of my dynamic duo, so I will start with a breaking story... one that most moms...would most likely keep a secret, never to speak of again....but I am NOT most moms. We shall call this entry STICKY FINGERS.

THE ACCUSED
AKA: The RHW

about 35 inches tall, 45lbs

strawberry blond, green eyes

missing her two top front teeth from a runin with an entertainment center

And so, yesterday afternoon - following a long night of Pinterest (follow me!)

I decided I would recreate these fun ornaments... which of course required me to take a trip to Michael's. I had the RHW with me, we took our time, we piled things into our cart....paint, brushes, paint pens, plastic ornaments, glitter and a 4ft tall house of cardboard. You know, the usual. We approached the checkout line when I looked at my phone - I don't wear a watch. Time reads: 3:25pm. I have to pick up Kenz at 3:30 (and the other two girls we carpool with)... I make a plead to Allie to not throw a fit, but we have no alternative but to leave our cart and come back with Kenzie. I am in a stare down with a 4 year old and I am praying that the gods above grant me victory. I tell Allie, it's a game, let's play a game and see if we can hurry back before they put our cart away. I tell a sales associate, "I'll be back, I have to pick up my kid" - - which to a 17 year old I look like, "um, whackjob, you have your kid WITH you."..... but question he did not, he stood at my cart and trusted those words.....

I pick up Kenzie and drop off our friends. I tell Kenzie we are going to make amazing ornaments and all we have to do is go back and rescue our fully loaded cart. The really great thing is...neither of my children think this is ridiculous. We walk into Michael's and it is then that I learn my cart was just put back --- quite possibly because since I was late, I was at the end of the pickup line, thus increasing the time it takes from pick up time to drop off... ughhhhhh. And so, we begin the journey again through Michaels.....

glitter, paintbrushes (ooh! new colors!), ribbon (don't ask)....and of course the cardboard house to color. This allows for no one to travel by cart (remember, it's 4ft tall)...

As we walk through the aisles, I am impressed...both of my children walking freely through the aisles, nothing falling, nothing getting touched, it's glorious and may have been a first...I always have Allie captive in cart. It's safer for everyone involved...when I turn around and see my little RHW with her hands in her pockets (wearing a jumper with a front pocket)....I see her rummaging inside her pocket when I say..."UM! What is in your pocket?!?!?"

She looks at me guiltily and says, "Nothing"

I say, "SHOW IT!"

She slowly pulls out a sparkly little holiday berry.

I say, "ALLIE! Where did you GET THAT?!?!"

I asked her to put it down and after arguing with me about it's beauty and sparkle I asked if it was worth a trip to jail and gave her a brief hard knock life story.

She pouted and stomped and I headed to the checkout.

Lesson learned: Allie still needs to ride in a cart.

All hands need to be within my vision at all times. I will also be doing pocket checks before leaving every store for the next few weeks.

And for those of you wanting to see the "house" - and Allie's hidden dress pocket (it's behind the peace sign) - enJOY!

Fancy First Gradin'

Yup! Here she is - confident and READY for first grade. Kindergarten felt like she still needed me! But first grade - it's a different story - she's way cooler than I ever was, and has no hesitations. Even if she is nervous, she'd never show it. At least I still get to do her hair and pick her wardrobe, although I don't think that will last much longer. I will take what I can get. Here we are...ready for preview night - the night to check out our new school and our first-grade teacher. Mommy was a wreck - turns out we had the best teacher anyone could ever wish for in Kindergarten - Mrs. Pulsa set the bar pretty high. I think I was more nervous about checking out the new school/teacher.

Sisterly Love - These two are nothing if not adorable. Yes, as a mom of two girls, I feel as though it is my DUTY to dress them cute. This is my contribution to the world - two nicely dressed girls. It's that or I am reliving my childhood through them. Either way, they love to dress "fancy" - and again, I'll take what I can get. These skirts were made by Creative Bee - check out her awesome creations - at affordable prices.

Her very first DESK! ;) I don't even think Christmas morning created a smile this wide! For added cuteness - I really love the top teeth gap. ;)

Here is Kenzie's teacher, Mrs. Bohman. Isn't she the cutest first grade teacher ever?

Thanks to our friend Jenna - she suggested a yearly picture by the sign - to watch them grow. Go Mustangs!

Tomorrow is the very first day. I am more nervous about drop off/pick up lines than I am for Kenzie. She is ready to go! As for me, another year home with the RHW and carting her to speech/preschool.

Wishing all of you and your kids a GREAT school year!

Slip N Slide

What you see above would be a lid to a long storage bin. Can you think of other uses? Well, think no further because last week while I was responding to a client email within my "office" - I hear my oldest yell out, "Mom! You have gotta get down here...there is water everywhere!" ....apparently, the RHW decided to create a slip n slide out of the lid....I came down to her covered in water from skidding across the lid like a pro.

And of course in the MIDST of this drama, Mackenzie, my oldest (and more responsible of the two) had a mosquito bite growing faster than I could say "HOLY CATS!" I quickly said, "ALLIE! Change your clothes and we are going to the doctor!".....

Pictured below is what her outfit of choice entailed. This is also exactly when I told my husband about the slip n slide - here is Pete asking her what she was doing. I, too, often get this scolded look from him. Hmmmmmmm....

And for those of you wondering what happened with the mosquito bite - Kenzie is fine, but not without a real scare. The swelling was hot to the touch and had grown considerably in size. Because of her history of infection, they did treat her with antibiotic.

So, moral of the story --- there really isn't any....well, except tell your kids slip n slides are outdoor toys - not to be created on top of a wood floor. :)

Wrap Warp

So, it's summer and every touristy place you find will offer to do a hair wrap for your little girl - often charging upward of $20-$30. Thankfully, I honed my skills as a hair wrapper during my high school years which obviously granted me the title of "BEST BABYSITTER EVERRRRR!"

Fast forward a decade and a half - my two darlings are old enough to sit long enough to enjoy the benefits of my hair wrapping skills - not without whining or "are you DONE yet?"

- Note: I highly suggest swapping children for this activity - find a neighbor with a daughter and swap. Research (personal research done by me) has proven your daughter is LESS likely to whine, fidget or complain if your neighbor is wrapping her hair. I call this entry the Wrap Warp because it does take a bit of time and patience, one would wish time would warp quickly ahead, but the truth is, to ensure a tight well wrapped look, you can't rush it.

What you need:

Embroidery Floss (Michael's carries colors for .35 each)

(I recommend choosing 4 colors)

Scissors

Beads - Optional

Measure about 3x the length of hair. Cut each color to this length.

1. Select a small amount of hair from desired wrap spot. Wrap ribbon around this piece of hair - not a knot, just tie it once. Don't be discouraged if this slips. It will for the first few wraps, you can easily slide this up to the scalp as you gain further wrapping.

Choose your first color - wrap around the hair and other colors - Wrap as long as you wish. Pictured I wrapped around 12-15 wraps. When you are ready to begin a new color simply begin wrapping in the same style with the next color. Continue pattern. As you begin to grow the wrap, remember to wrap tightly and slide the wrap upward - the beginning knot should now be more secure.

At this step the whining will begin. At this stage I encourage distraction. Offer coloring, turn on a movie, do all that you can to distract hair wrap candidate.

What happens if I run out of Embroidery floss!?!?!? No fear, I have figured out a brilliant solution to this. Simply add colors one at a time as needed. Simply tie a knot at the bottom where you have left off and continue wrapping. Again, wrap hair and remaining colors within the wrap.

Optional - add beads... These lil' buggers are feisty - they fall off if not knotted tight enough. The openings within the beads pictured have a large opening, make sure to wrap wide enough to ensure they don't slip off. Tie knot at the end. ;)

All done! ;) Hair wrap will last as long as you wish to keep in the hair...you can bathe with it, swim, and go about your daily routine.

And that's a WRAP! ;)

Just Bleachy.....

As a mom of two little girls we are always looking for things to wear, do, craft and experiment. Today, was unlike no other - but today, we had a playdate with our neighbor, Chloe. Yesterday, Kenzie came home after her playdate at Chloe's with pink/blue hair with glitter and came home raving about how Chloe's house is better than ours and she has so much more to do. That's all I needed to send me into mad mommy surfing the net for something original for us to do - you know, to make my Kenz proud of her old mom... and remind her I can do cool just as well as Chloe's mom. --- after reading up and watching a few youtube videos I decided we would make bleach t-shirts. :)

After posting a few pics today I had some other moms asking how to do this - it was quite simple, fun for the kids and inexpensive.

Here is what you will need:

T Shirt - I recommend choosing a dark vibrant color (blue, red, hot pink, etc)

*I purchased shirts at Target $4 on sale this week - Cherokee brand

Bleach

Water

Squirt Bottle (mix 1/2 part bleach to 1/2 part water)

Stencils (I used fonts I liked on my computer in a large size to create initials and cut out flowers - I used a heavy cardstock) -

Lay shirt flat *unwashed* - I precut out stencils for the girls, older kids may want to do this for themselves or create their own patterns/look. I used basic scrapbook adhesive to adhere stencils to the shirts.

My "studio" - backyard - I placed shirts over garbage bags! Squirt bleach/water on shirt -I've read many ways to do this - you can squirt upward and let the drops fall into a pattern, or you can squirt directly onto the shirt. Doing this the first time I have learned that less maybe more. Next round I think I may be a bit more creative with the bleach process....

Allie's shirt - left side - just after adding bleach - Right side - about an hour later!

Mackenzie's shirt - left side - just after adding bleach - Right side - about an hour later!

The finished product - Mackenzie and Chloe - Shirts were washed in cold

Allie's Finished shirt

And just as I am about to publish this post Mackenzie came upstairs and said to me, "Mom! Wasn't today fun!?!?" -----Yup! This mom is still COOL!

Six

6.29.05 ...A day that is etched into my heart forever. It was the day I became a mom. Everything before that day was a different life, a different me. June 29 is not only my baby's birthday, it's a day that forever changed me. She is the best of me, and the worst of me and a lot of my husband - both good and bad! ;) How can I be so lucky?

My Beautiful Blond, Blue Eyed Girl - She's 6 years old. What do you get a little girl who doesn't ask for much? You give her a surprise that she'd never expect. We bought her a DS. Even though many of her friends have them, she's never asked for one, never said "I NEED this" or "that" - Kenzie is quite simple and very content. So, to see her reaction when opening her gift - it made my heart melt (behind the lens of course)...

The mere joy of a birthday cake and being sung to by family is something Kenzie enjoys every year. This smile, is one that tells me, Pete and I have done something right. She is so appreciative and aware of those that love her, and in recent years, while those people have dwindled, she's come to learn the ones who really matter - and that friends, can too, be family. Here, she is smiling in such delight as we sing an off key rendition of Happy Birthday. May she always continue to bring this warmth to others...I find her innocence and love to be contagious.

And it wouldn't be a special day if it wasn't shared with her favorite loving lil' sister and sidekick-If I left this world tomorrow, I know that together, these two could get through anything. The love of a sister is a bond I never experienced first hand, but what "joy" I find in watching it as a the mommy of two sisters. I am so very lucky!

Mommy Loves you, Sweet Kenzie-Bear - You were my wish come true when I wished on a wishing star....and that star has been blazing and lighting up my night sky ever since. Thank you for your sweet heart.