Follow Up Pics

These are some of the ornaments I made for Christmas this year.  I cut the letters out of contact paper with a Cricut machine.  I thought kind of cute for someone who is not crafty!

 

 

 

 

 

And this is a necklace  I made for Nana and key chains I did for my BIL's and Hubby.  Definitely new to the metal stamping!

 



 

 

 

 

I think my next project should be on how to take good blog pics....lol.   You get the just of it though, I'm sure.



My How Time Flies....

Gosh, lots has happened since my last post.  Hadn't planned on it being this long either but December has flown by.  My birthday was on the 16th, my grandmother flew in from California on the 17th, G had her school Christmas party on 18th, a field trip to sing Christmas Carols on 19th and Awards Day and Early Release for break on 20th.

Speaking of Awards, she got the Pride Award in her class, very proud of her!  And for the field trip, MeMaw Millie surprised her by going with me to see her sing. Oh and on Friday on the way home from school, she handed me her tooth that she had been fiddling with all week.  I was just not ready for that one either.   I mean that's just more proof that she is growing up so fast.

We had a wonderful Christmas with family and got way too many gifts and ate way too much food.
My house looks as if the washer and dryer exploded and Santa's sleigh wrecked!   At least there are a few more days of break to put everything away.

Hoping to get back in a routine very soon.  MeMaw Millie is here for a couple more weeks so we will enjoy time with her.


Happy New Year to you all!

Hectic AM's

Well, the week started off like a whirlwind.  It was  a typical Monday yesterday.  B refused to do anything to get ready for school.  With his eczema issues, we have a morning and night regimen.  He detests the creams and ointments and is so slippery with them when he fights me I usually lose my grip and he falls.  Then that starts a whole new reason to be upset.  To bad it doesn't count for a workout for me though.  My heart rate definitely increases.  And then this doesn't even count G's routine.  She's big enough now though she does a lot of it on her own which helps on mornings like yesterday.
George, our Elf left B an Elf Warning on his door after all the ruckus that morning.

 



Maybe the next few days won't be as eventful as yesterday.  LOL

And So The Hustle And Bustle Begins.....

Seems these days are going by faster and faster.  Thanksgiving has come and gone already.  Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.  Of course, we ate too much, as we go to three different places but wouldn't trade it for anything.

We have our Christmas tree up and our stockings are hung.  I really don't do anything outside.  Oh and George, our Elf is back with us too.  Haven't taken pictures like I should have but he's been in our tree, stuck in a lamp, swinging from the fan and then this morning he was on a shelf in the kitchen with a fruit loop necklace it appears he made..........with the LAST of the fruit loops!

Need to get the list out and start shopping but haven't made it that far yet.  Kids have mailed their letters to Santa though. I told them they could ask him for three things this year and that's what they did. 

Maybe next post I will have remembered to take pictures of George and his doings.

Truly Blessed

This week I had the chance to volunteer in Gracey's classroom and really enjoyed the time.  At first, I worried she would be too distracted and that I wouldn't be able to do it anymore but she did fine.  I explained that I was there to help her teachers get things done for the class and that I couldn't sit and talk with just her.  She seemed to understand and only asked for one hug. LOL. 

This past Tuesday was also "Take Your Parents To School Day".  I was able to stay the whole time and her Daddy surprised her by having lunch with her.  She was thrilled.

Just one more confirmation that the decision we made for me to stay home was the right one for now.  I am truly a blessed person.

Have a beautiful day!

Yay!

I enjoy doing crafts.  I never said I was good at them but I keep on finding ones to do.  I attempted a cookie sheet chalkboard.  I thought it would be easiest with the spray can kind but not so much.  I never could get it to spray an even flow.  So it went in the garbage.  But I will try again.  Don't like things to get the whoop me!

I did try my hand at the mesh wreaths.  I  found the directions on Pinterest, of course.  I changed the sizes though when I should've followed them precisely.  It did turn out okay enough for my front door and maybe the next one will make it to "gift" status.

This one you roll the pieces of mesh and secure them in the middle  with a pipe cleaner.  Then you attach it to the wire wreath frame with the same pipe cleaner.

Catch Up

Gracey's class had  a Fall Festival  in their classroom last week.  I was responsible for the treat bags.  I went to my favorite place....Smart Start of Pender County and  and made die cut pumpkins, got black and yellow bags and the ribbon.  I think they were cute, even if I made them.  I put a lil bit of candy but not much.  Mainly it had different kinds of stickers, spider or bug rings, gum and a Trick or Treat word search.

 

 

 

This is pictures of Braxton doing his "project" as he says. It's from  Family Fun Magazine September 2013 issue.  He sat doing this while I fixed supper one night.  Now he does this "fine motor fun" when Sissy is doing her homework.

Been A While

Gosh, time flies by so fast.  I thought being at home I would stay on top of things more but boy was I wrong.  I make lists and lose them, so I make more lists. Then I find the original list and it's totally different than the second and well you get the idea.  Vicious cycle.  But I do enjoy being at home with the kids.  We do art, play games, do homework, color, write, etc.  So what if the floor doesn't get swept everyday, we are making memories and I am so thankful for that.

Gracey's fall break is over and she is back to school.  This is first full week back so I hope we quickly get back into our routine.  She was ready to go back and so excited to get to see her classmates again.  I am thankful she likes school and hope it stays that way.

Fall break kept us busy and now having issues with Internet at home, so I have not posted regularly but hope to get back to it. I'm actually at the library doing this post.  Beginning to work on Christmas gifts and crafts and hope to post some pics soon. That is the ones I can post without giving the present away.  Wouldn't that be something?

This is a beautiful day.  Think I will go home and open some windows and enjoy it.  Fresh air might put some pep in my step today.

A Little of This and a Little of That

Well, I had so many things planned for our Fall Break.  We are a week into it and haven't accomplished much at all.  Funny how that works.

 We already had a yard sale planned for last weekend and the kids went to their MeMaws so they didn't have to rise and shine so early.  Then Gracey got to go to Nana's to help plant flowers and such, which worked out really well since Braxton woke up that morning with a tummy bug.  All is well now and they are both at home, enjoying their time.

Gracey has lots of schoolwork to work on during her break.  It's hard to believe she is reading already.  Time just goes so fast.  Braxton learns so much from her too.  He has to take a turn practicing his sight words too.  She whispers the answers and he repeats.  It's cute plus it's just an extra practice run for Gracey.

It's Homecoming this Sunday at church and I haven't a clue what to food to take.  It will probably change two or three times between now and Sunday morning.  We are also starting to plan our Children's Christmas program.  It's such a blessing to work with the children and to see their love for Jesus.

We continue to use our Chore Charts and it is working really well.   The after school questions of course are on hold until school starts back. I am currently working on Meal Plans.  I feel like I cook the same things over and over.  Been searching Pinterest for some new ideas and hope to incorporated them into our meals. 

Been seeing  lots of fall ideas online and hope to get to try some over our break.  If that does happen, will gladly post some pics!

Get The Coversation Started

Everyday when I pick up my daughter and or son, I ask the same hum drum questions.  "How was your day?  What did you do?". Braxton's response is "Good".  Gracey's is: "we played and ate.".  I was looking on Pinterest and saw a post on  the blog How Does She? with just the solution. What made it even better was that it was a  "free printable" ! Thank you  How Does She?

 

 

This is a great way to find out how their day was and get detailed answers. 

 

I don't have a picture of mine but I used a plastic mayonnaise jar and painted the lid red. In fact, I think the lid could use a couple more coats.  I had the questions laminated at our local Smart Start so they would maybe last longer.

Oven Door...just in case you need a laugh

Not many things leave me speechless.  In fact, I talk ALOT.

 Let me just tell you how my Sunday evening went.  Sunday evenings go fast with trying to prepare for school the rest of the week.  I'm usually running round getting kids bathed, fed, read to and in bed.
 Ok, let's go back to the fed part.  We decided on something simple and light since we had eaten all afternoon at Nana's.  Grits, eggs and cinnamon toast.  Easy enough.  Broiler on, check.  Move top rack up, here's the problem.  I try to open door to do this simple task.  It won't open.  Okay, I lift up, push down.  Nope it still won't open.  I see a light, that is not on, but says door lock.  Okay, so I've never noticed this but it's a good feature to have I think.  I have tried everything but pulling stove out and unplugging.  I've held the buttons, turned it on and off and all.  I still cannot get the door to open.  I just don't understand it.

 By this time, I am laughing.  I'm also looking around expecting someone to holler "Smile, you're on candid camera!".  We baked brownies the day before with no problems. Needless to say, we didn't eat cinnamon toast.  I still don't get it.  I kept getting up and checking the oven door the rest of the evening just to see if it would open.  I know it's going to be some kind of something that is so simple it will make me feel extremely dumb. 

I sure hope this is not a sign of how this week will be. 

Corn Pickin'

The kids were so excited to help their Daddy and Pa Pa pick corn last week.  Dropped one off on the way by after school and then had to get lil man and take him back out there.  He wouldn't have Sissy pickin' and not him. 

It's hard to describe the feeling I get watching them.  Maybe it's silly to some but it just thrills my heart.  Farmers are special people.

Every corn and bean field we pass, the kids declare it's their Pa Pa's field.  I try to explain that it's not but they will get it when they are older.  I am just amazed that the 2 year old tells me what's planted in the fields.

The New Chore Chart

Gracey has had  a  Routine Chart hanging in her bathroom since she was little.  I had pictures of things laminated and taped to a poster.  We've updated it as time has gone by and added things for Braxton too.  But lately, they have neglected to do the things they are supposed do everyday like pick up the toys and  take their dirty clothes to the laundry room so I am trying a new chore chart.

I've saved mayo jars, jelly jars and spaghetti sauce jars thinking I would find something to use them for besides the DYI laundry powder and dishwasher powder.  Here it is:

It's nothing fancy but it seemed to excite them when I explained it last night.  I cut out bright colored circles from card stock and glued on the lids.

 

Then I found paper to put on the front and I just put their name on it.

 



 

 

As you can see, Braxton loves John Deer Green and Yellow or Construction theme Black and Yellow.  Gracey is all Pink...for today anyway.

 

For the tickets, I just cut strips of green and pink paper.  I didn't write anything on them and the kids were excited with just a ticket.

 

I had a school chart from the Dollar bins at Target and put just a few chores that they can do on it.

 

 

 

 

So they will get a ticket for each of the chores they complete.  We will tally up at the end of the week for a special prize, trip to the library or  maybe even a trip to the park.  I try not to use candy or food as a prize for these types of charts because I don't want food to be a "reward".

 

It's pretty plain and simple but last night they were really excited about it.  We shall see if it is that way today. 

 



 



TV Time

So this week my daughter had made some not so good choices and we took her TV time away.  Her TV time has always been limited anyway but if allowed I think she would watch all day. I read in Parent Magazine awhile back to give your child seven tickets at the beginning of the week.  Each ticket is good for one hour of TV time.  So they have to choose how to spend it for the entire week.  I changed it around some to work for us.  Most any show she  watches is 1/2 hour, so each one of her circles  are  good for 1/2 hour TV time.

I already had a piece of construction paper laminated at our local Smart Start.  I cut circles out and wrote on each one.  I also had (from Smart Start) some leftover Velcro so that's how they are attached to the construction paper. I put it on the wall under our House Rules.   The plan is Sunday night she gets the circles in an envelope to spend for the week.  I have explained to her that she has to choose all her TV time wisely as this includes any TV she may watch at her Me Maw's and Nana's house.  We shall see how this goes.  It seems like a good plan to me.  Does anyone else have other suggestions for TV time?

I should've accomplished a lot  today but don't think that I have.  I try to get the main cleaning done while both kids are in school but today has been one of those days that I started a lot of things but only completed a few.  We just had a yard sale last weekend and some of the left over boxes are back in my kitchen (in hopes for another yard sale in near future).  Ballet starts up tomorrow for my daughter and her shoes are out on the table and leotards are strewn on her bed for her to try on.  A little late if they do not fit but my thinking was not organized earlier in the week when we went to purchase new shoes.  I did get the kitchen floor steam mopped (yay!) and the dishwasher loaded.  Laundry is an everyday thing around this house so I don't even count it anymore.  One of the kids rooms did get a little attention...long enough to put the toys up and make the bed.  Oh and I made it to our local Smart Start for some "transportation pictures" for my son's room. So now that I think about it, maybe I did get more done than I thought.  Anyway, it is time to head to the pick up line and hear about my "redneck princess' " day.