Summer Projects

I'm so excited that summer is here I can hardly stand it!  I have a huge list of summer projects I want to tackle....probably too many to actually accomplish, but I'll give it my best shot!  I have been so inspired by all the great photos on Pinterest, and by all the cool ideas I see on the blogs that I follow.  I can only hope that my attempts turn out to be as fabulous as the inspirations!  Here's my list:

Paint the front door and the mailbox.  I'm going with black....wish me luck!

Mulch and rock all the flower beds that surround my yard. This may not sound like a big deal, but if you've seen my yard you know what a huge job this will be.  We are talking the equivalent of 100 bags of mulch and probably 20 bags of rock.....it's nuts!

Put together Katie's summer fun party!!

Revamping the laundry/craft room.....can't wait!

30 days of Pinterest.   I had the idea a while back to blog about 30 days full of Pinterest ideas.  All of our meals would be from Pinterest, my outfits would be inspired by pics on Pinterest, and I would complete a craft/DIY/tutorial found on Pinterest.  I'm hoping to start this project on June 1st, but I've got alot of work to do before then to prepare.  I'm hoping to make my full list this weekend!  Above are a few of the ideas I had.

Take a four day class to recertify so I can keep my teaching job, touch up paint around the house, clean out the closets, and reorganize the pantry.
That's my list for June....July is full of traveling and swimming!!!

Crafting Saturday!

Yesterday was one of my favorite kinds of Saturdays....a crafting day with my girlie!  I set out early to get all the supplies.  My crafting assistant was a little on the sleepy side so she rested while I did the buying (that's my specialty:) Since I had been completely overwhelmed with end of the school year stuff last week I skipped right over Teacher Appreciation week and felt just awful!  Katie made a cute little poem for her teacher, but they've done so much for her this year I really wanted to do more.  I found the perfect idea on Pinterest.  You can see the original idea at Simply Selta.  This is how ours turned out.

We opted for scrapbook paper for the label instead of an invitation.  We included two sodas instead of one, and we were lucky enough to find color coordinated Orbits gum and Ghirardelli chocolates.  We add a Cold Stone Creamery gift card to ensure it was a real summer treat.  We were so proud of our handy work that we moved right on to her invitations for her Summer Fun Party. 

We found these cute little printables on Pinterest.  You can get them at Eat Drink Chic  They are supposed to be used for a concentration game, but they made adorable invitations to her party.  Since they were small we had to use two.  We wrote Summer Fun Party on one and then the date and times on the other.  We put them in a bright yellow envelope and delivered them.  She is so excited for the party on Saturday....can't wait to hear the giggles!

Last we created gifts for my students.  I saw these on Pinterest and thought they were perfect for summer.....and inexpensive.  The original idea came from Teaching My Friends I was able to find the straws at Target (12 for $3) and the Kool-Aid was on sale for $0.24 a piece! That's right...24 gifts for less than $9!!!

I wanted cuter labels for mine and was lucky enough to find these from  A Cupcake for the Teacher.  I can't wait to surprise my students on the last day of school. 

I am also planning to include this sweet little letter from First Grade Factory

Three more school days until summer vacation and my summer craft list just keeps growing and growing!!!

The End

I totally love the last weeks of school!!! (said with a Valley Girl accent :)  It's crazy, hectic, and exhausting, but it's also easy, familiar, and comfortable.  We all know each other so well.  I hardly have to give any directions at all and everyone knows what to do (they're not doing it because it's the last weeks of school and they're super duper excited about summer....but they know what to do).  The kids know where everything is in the room.  They are the best helpers at the end of the year.  They know what needs to be done and just take care of it.

We are sort of like a family.  They argue and bicker like siblings.  I nag and get frustrated like a parent.  They share their stories and have something exciting to tell me every morning.  I dearly love them and hope they go on to enjoy a successful future.

It's true that you remember them always.  We were looking through some old binder books we'd made in years past and my current students were showing me their favorite pages, and I missed everyone of those kiddos I'd had in the past.  Looking at their old handwriting, 4th grade pictures, and silly stories made me a little sad.  I miss them when they're gone and I have nothing but hope for the very best for each and every one of them!!

Yes, sometimes they drive me absolutely crazy and I can't wait until the end of the school day when I can send them home, but I dearly love them and will truly miss them next year!!

Sweet Moments

I've been lucky to have the opportunity to have an intimate conversation with both of my children in the last week!  When my kiddos were tiny I dreamed of days when they would ask my opinion, seek my advice, or just need me to listen.  It's never been as lovely as I pictured in my head, but there have been a few treasured moments.  This week held two.

I won't share any details since the conversations were private and personal to my little peeps, but I will say that last week Jacob had a teenage.  I was blown away when he asked my opinion on what he should do about it.  I was thrilled, and excited that he felt comfortable enough to ask me, but I was also terrified that I would say the wrong thing.  I think I said the right things....I think I helped....and I hope, with all my heart, that my reaction was exactly what he was looking for and that he feels like he can come to me again whenever he needs me!

(This feels like yesterday....where did the time go?)

Last night Katie was having some friend issues.  As all women know....being a girl is hard!  How is it that my precious little 11 year old already carries the guilt of making her friends happy.  She was a confused and mixed up mess.....after lots of tears by her, some heart felt words from me, some talking through the situation and figuring out the real problem, and a few really great hugs.....we worked it all out!  A lemon bar and some braiding of wet hair just before bed sealed the deal that all was well again in my sweet babies life.  I will cherish every moment that her and I have sitting on her bed talking things out.  I have a feeling with her tender heart we will have many more opportunities to talk about the importance of Katie, and how loving your friends is great, but loving yourself is far more important!!!

Top 10

Since there are only 10 and a half days of school left I thought it would be appropriate to write the top 10 things I'm looking forward to over summer vacation.  Here goes.....

10. Getting more than 20 minutes for lunch. 

9. Being able to enjoy Aggieville without the students.

8. Buying groceries at 9 a.m. on a week day morning when the grocery store is nearly empty.

7. Home decorating projects.

6. Daily walks with Charlie and morning runs alone!

5. Several days on Grand Lake boating, canoeing, and soaking up the sun!

4. Spending some relaxing days in Colorado with my parents, savoring the mountain views.

3. Evenings on the deck while my kiddos chase the dog on the lawn or play ladder ball.

2. Reading, reading, and more reading!

1. Sunning pool side while my girlie and her friends laugh and play!

Wow, that was super duper easy.  I probably could've done a Top 100......here's to summer!!!

Cha Ching!

That's the sound I hear every time I pay for something.  I have a very negative relationship with money.  I'm not sure where it came from, but it's there and I really need to change it.  My ever present thought....."There's not enough money!!!!" (said in a panic/terrified voice....sorta like a horror movie). And honestly people, by "ever present" I mean constantly!  This negative thought cannot be good for me.

Even when we have enough, the bills are paid, the kids are clothed, the refrigerator is full of groceries, I'm still thinking it.  I have had some rocky points in my adult life when there hasn't been enough.  Times when it looked very bleak for us, and I thought we wouldn't make it.  But, now that things are good and we are doing well, I still have these panicked thoughts.  Sometimes they even wake me in the middle of the night.  Is it fear of going back to that time?  Is it the pressure of being the only money maker in our home?  Is it the knowing we will never live in abundance (I'm a teacher remember....that's not the field for abundance)?  Whatever the cause it's got to stop.

I have started rereading You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.  I'm trying to change my thinking patterns and incorporate positive affirmations.  My first affirmation is going to be about money.  I'm also hoping to change up our budge and try the envelope method.  My thought is that if I have a better handle on our money, then maybe I won't worry about it as much.  My little family is so fortunate to be rich in so many ways....why can't I apply that wealthy feeling to the actual financial part of my life????

My affirmation for the next to weeks: "I prosper wherever I am."

Marjory the Trash Heap was in town

The problem with not blogging for more than a week is that when you finally do, you are consumed with the desire to make it amazing.  I mean, it's been a week, shouldn't I have something super, duper, triple scooper astounding, gold star worthy, to write about?  Not the case here.  The reason for my week long departure from the blogging world is......life!  That's right peeps, it completely and totally took over the past two weeks.  I truly could not find one second to collect my thoughts into a rational or sane blog post.

With the 14 hour work days during sale week, and the duties of being a mom when I got home, my brain was simply mush. This past week was full of teaching, additional dance practices, dress rehearsal, dance recital, basketball training, buying groceries, running errands (that didn't get done when I was working long days),  cleaning, and trying to make some sense of the disaster are that my home had become while I was away.

We survived though.....we made it through the two hardest weeks this year has dealt us so far.  I certainly wish I could say we sailed through them without a hitch, that we crossed the finish line with our heads held high, but that is not the case.  By the middle of last week my attitude had become plain ol' ugly!  It was like I was looking at myself from the outside and seeing this nasty monster.  I would make horrible comments, and fill my head with the most negative thoughts, and well.....I resembled Marjory the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock....remember her!  I tried to stop the thoughts and things I said as I recognized them, but for the life of me I just couldn't find my happy.  It wasn't until yesterday that happiness finally decided to show up.

I may have been a miserable mess to live with this past week, but one positive thing did come out of it, I was able to recognize and try to correct my poor attitude.  That is something I have not always been able to do.  I could roll down the window on the drive home for lunch and force myself to be in the moment and enjoy the air and the music.  I would've completely disregarded this in the past.  So while I was not at my best, it's nice to see that I've made progress in my happiness journey!