End of the Year Teacher Gift Ideas

This afternoon I realized that tomorrow is Ellie's last day of school and I needed to get something for her three preschool teachers. So I turned to the Internet and found this great website: http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/holidays/giftsforteachers.htm. I used the idea of buying some inexpensive pots and plants, letting Ellie decorate the pots, and making a sign for them. I made the sign on the computer, added the stamp, colored in the stamp with markers, clear contact papered the sign, stuck it to a Popsicle stick, and added the ribbon. I think they turned out really cute. Ellie is so excited for tomorrow. She's eager to give her teachers their gifts and she gets to take her tricycle to school for a tricycle rodeo/tricycle car wash. She keeps climbing in the van or waiting by the garage door asking me if it's time for school yet. She had me put the trike in the van this afternoon so we wouldn't forget it.




Tomorrow afternoon is Mikayla's 1st Grade Music Program. I will videotape it for sure, especially because Nate now has strep throat. I'm praying that the girls can stay healthy and not get it. I'm going crazy with the Lysol even though if they will come down with it, they've probably already been exposed.

Mikayla and I are excited for our first monthly mother/daughter sleepover Friday night. We'll probably do our nails, watch a movie, and talk. My goal is to really use these sleepovers once a month to develop a stronger relationship and communication before the preteen years hit us. Likewise, Nate will begin father/daughter date nights. In a few weeks he'll take Kayla to a Rochester Honkers baseball game and dinner.

Catching Up

Well, RICK, I guess you're right, it has been awhile since my last posting so I'll try to catch up here typing with the one good hand.

Tomorrow I get my stitches out and the splint off. I know from taking the splint off to shower that that hand is very weak and still pretty painful when moved slightly. I forgot to mention that when Mikayla saw where the holes are in my hand she said, "It's kind of like Jesus, but your a girl. You're like Mrs. Jesus!" I'm hoping that a few weeks longer of healing should do the trick as I am eager to get back to so many things I enjoy and miss--oh yeah and income-that would also be nice.

Here is a random picture I took this week. I walked into the guest room and found this scene. Mikayla told me it was a secret nursery. Pretty cute. I was just telling Nate that our girls don't play with dolls much.


Our deck was completed finally today. We went with cedar all the way except the Menards UltraDeck for the floor and steps. I'm eager to find an affordable table to go with the chairs my sister gave us. Finding just a small table is kind of hard.




We have a few "pets." Mikayla took a Community Education butterfly class and brought home two caterpillars. We watched them make their chrysalis' and they have both emerged this week. Their names are Bedra Munch and Princess Munch. A few days after we had the caterpillars, Ellie brought a goldfish home from school. We had to go to the pet store to get a container to keep it in. I thought I'd get another goldfish since hers probably wouldn't last that long. Did you know that each goldfish requires a gallon of water? We ended up getting a beta fish for Mikayla. Ellie's died in a couple of days.

Here is a picture of Bluena-Mikayla's fish.


Here is a picture of where our butterflies live. Mikayla and Nate made this.


Stay cool in this heat. The girls had a blast with the sprinkler under the trampoline this weekend. I wish I could have joined them!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day came and I was still taking some pain killers from this carpel tunnel surgery. I am so blessed to have had my mother-in-law come up during the first 24 hours of the surgery and early this week. It was also awesome to have my mom come up over the weekend and celebrate Mother's Day with me. It was nice enough to watch the girls on the trampoline. (They somehow convinced mom to join them!) You can see Nate mowing the lawn in the background. We also got to plant a plant that Mikayla bought for me at school and a bean that Ellie's been growing.





I'm longing for some nice weather again. I am still waiting for our deck work to begin. Also I haven't been feeling well and am running a slight temp. Yet life doesn't slow down, especially if your a mommy. However, feeling blah doesn't begin to compare to what so many others I know right now are facing: cancer, recovering from a car accident, major surgeries, etc. I haven't had a deep spiritual thought in awhile, but it occurred to me last night...It is obvious that we live in a fallen, imperfect world. Our bodies will fail us at some point, the question is when and do we have the grace, faith, and support we need to cope. It is like our life is all about climbing to the mountain summit. Some of us have to climb harder, enduring the elements the closer we get. Although that climb is so much harder, we are even closer to seeing His face and catching a glimpse of His blinding light that enfolds us.

My thoughts and prayers are with you Janel, Cassie, Eddie, and Joyce. Hang in there!

Ellie and I Hanging Out

Ellie and I were just passing the time this afternoon before we picked up Mikayla. I was trying to get some things done around the house like cleaning and ironing before my wrist surgery. At one point I walked into my bedroom to find Ellie really concentrating on trying to put my bra on. Too cute. I decided we should spend some time outside playing. With all the wind today, Ellie had a blast flying her Dollar Store kite. It is so beat up, we really need to buy a nice kite. After she played for awhile, she and I checked out our garden. She "pet" our pathetic looking corn stalk and said, "It's going to grow some beautiful corn flowers."

I got some cute pictures of her today.

Beauty Salon

The girls and I painted our nails all the same last night and felt like taking a picture. I love having girls!

"All for one, one for all"

Hat #2 and Mikayla's Field Trip

I finished Mikayla's hat. Thanks Maureen for helping me with the flower and I love the idea of adding a button for the flower center. As soon as I recover from my wrist surgery, I want my own hat. I've always hated my winter hat so I'm excited.



Mikayla had the stupidest field trip on Friday that I helped to chaperon. It was a city Arbor day celebration. I didn't think it had much for the kids (which there were thousands of kids from schools all over town). The only thing interesting was a man making balloon animals. The poor man got bombarded by all of the kids. He was dripping sweat, people were pushing in from all directions. Kayla's class waiting in the pushing crowd for an entire hour (not exaggerating!) They got their balloons in time to get back on the bus. During the bus ride, several of the balloon animals popped. We got a free tree out of the whole thing and I have no place to plant it. Being in the rain and shoving crowds, Kayla was sick all weekend and is hopefully on the mend today. Perfect timing because Ellie woke up with whatever Kayla had. My life is never boring.





I'm taking some time from triathlon training to work with my exercise buddy, Jen, to develop our own fitness boot camp. This seems to be a very popular thing out there. There are at least three here in Rochester that meets in parking lots and playgrounds in the early am hours. You pay a lot of money and hopefully get in shape. We are just using an article I've saved from Prevention Magazine ( http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/find-a-workout/walk-off-2-sizes-in-6-weeks/article/01a6e7a35fd43210VgnVCM10000030281eac) a long time ago and we're tweaking it. I've gone from endurance cardio training for triathlons to full body toning and am feeling muscles I never knew I had. I'm excited about it though and hope it will be the jump start my body needs to loose those last 10 pounds.