Our Christmas Card

This Christmas was as hectic as ever. Possibly more so, since my daughter "gets it" for the first time. Last year, she knew what presents were, but this year - there was a wish list. Her list was simple. A bike. A big girl bike. Santa always delivers, doesn't he? Santa brought my son a new laptop, too.

Yes, Santa is very good to my kids. I think Santa knew I was also feeling very grateful - even more than usual - that my kids are healthy.

The Sandy Hook travesty took a toll on more than just my husband and myself. You assume that parents are horrified. But my son was very distraught, too. Enough that his teacher called to let me know how upset he was. More than the rest of his classmates - at how senseless and unexplainable it all was.

He has little empathy for his little sister, but when it comes to the world - he wants to fix it. He cried and told me that he wanted to invent a time machine to go back to Thursday and warn everyone - to stop it from happening. Not that he wanted "someone" to do that - he wanted to do it himself. That's a lot of weight on a little man's shoulders.

I received the Christmas cards I ordered 2 days after - and all I could think about was how one of those mothers may have gotten their Christmas cards that day, too. With photos of their child smiling.

I planned on starting to address my cards that morning, but found myself reading news articles and crying instead. For several hours I thought that sending Christmas cards seemed so trivial and insignificant. But then I realized that I love receiving them and seeing all the beautiful faces of my family, friends - and more than anything the children. So I got my act together and mailed them in case someone else was having a rough day and my children's faces can brighten it just a little.

From my family to yours... a belated, but heartfelt... Merry Christmas!!! 

And Warmest Wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Please note: These images are from Tiny Prints, Inc.

Our Thankful Tree

In my never-ending battle to raise my children to be upstanding citizens of the world, I was inspired by other blogs I had seen to start a new tradition in the month of November.

Our Thankful Tree...

I had cut down a few birch branches that were breaking from an especially windy storm we had in October. Up until very recently, the leaves stayed fairy intact.

This week, however, they were falling like crazy. I got a little annoyed with picking them up constantly before the dog would eat them. When they would fall, I would just put them in the bottle for later.

I printed up tags and cut them out {and used a decorative punch on the corners}. They say "I'm thankful for..." I started in a print font since my daughter is just learning her letters, and then realized my son is learning {and surprisingly loving} to write in cursive. So I added another version with cursive - and got extra creative with the next version - I added a bokeh overlay. It looks so pretty and soft.

The thoughts we each write on the tags can be very meaningful. For example:

I'm thankful for...
"... the saleswoman today who reminded me of something my grandma would say to me." {She has passed away, and it was such a bright moment in my day to hear her words.}

"... everyone helping to feed Molly." - that's from my husband regarding the dog duties.

"... us having enough money so I can play hockey." ~from my son {he plays semi-travel - apparently, our comments about not taking it for granted are sinking in}

Or somewhat simple and even silly at times, such as:

I'm thankful for...
"... my sweet baby girl" ~ I also did "... my wonderful son"
"... goggles" ~ 3 year old - she tends to wear them around the house, to the store, and every now and then in the pool :)
"... ice cream" ~ BOTH kids - and who am I kidding? - me, too

I don't want my kids {or husband} to think it has to be profound each time. We should be thankful for everyday things, as well.

I have put all the extra tags in a vintage silver sugar cup. I punch holes and hang them with twine when we are done. 

I think I mentioned once before that I wanted to make my own velvety pumpkins this year. Well, I did it! ONE! One lonely pumpkin! :) But he's awfully cute, don't you think? Real stem again and a real dried leaf. 

As I said, I was inspired by many different blogs, but the most recent post that spurred me to action was Jones Design Company. 

So to all of those wonderful blogs and to all of my wonderful readers, I would like to say...

I have added an image below with the tags I used for our Thankful Tree. If you click on the image it should appear larger and can be printed or downloaded. 

To you and yours from me and mine...

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Atkinson Drive, Be Different Act Normal, Between Naps of the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Ginger Snap Crafts, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, The Nature of Grace, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stone Gable, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Timewashed, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, ...

2012 Election Resources for Kids

This is somewhat of a mommy post. But if you don't follow politics closely, like myself, then it can be pretty handy for adults, too. :)

Recently, my son came home saying that he is "So voting for Romney." And, "Romney crushed Obama last night," even though he didn't know the debate was on TV.

To be perfectly clear - my son had no idea who Romney was before going to school that day. He was parroting his classmates. Every child in his class is adamant that they are voting for Romney. I found this humorous and disturbing at the same time. Not for his choice, I respect everyone's rights.

But my son was {although not yet voting age, he's 8!} informing me that his vote was purely to fit in with the majority. I asked him what Romney stood for, and he asked me if it was an acronym. Aaaah!

I realized that I couldn't just talk the talk. And if I was going to walk the walk, he was taking this stroll with me. If he is ready to vote without knowing the issues, I figured this provided a very teachable moment.

So, off I went on a wild goose chase on Google to find the right information for my child in terms he could understand - and information displayed in ways to not bore him to pieces.

And just in case you feel like you want to force this family fun on your own children, here is what I have discovered as decent resources for kids on the 2012 Presidential Election.

One of the first resources I found was from FamilyEducation.com. They offer biographies on each candidate as well as a section called "Where Obama and Romney Stand on the Issues". Each issue is displayed separately. Good information is provided, but there are a lot of distractions on the website. So I printed the pages with the issues and I am going to cut and glue them onto construction paper for my son to read. Less distraction means more absorbing the information.

Nick.com has a very comprehensive program running called Kids Pick the President. There are lots of factual information, but if your child needs media to learn - this is your winner. Just purely because they will watch it and hopefully not tune out. They keep it paced at a rate to not lose kids. Most likely the best visual example to share with your kids is a 22 minute video on The Issues. 

For printable material, I really liked this free downloadable packet Elections A to Z Unit Study from TheHomeschoolMom.com :

It contains 14 pages including Crossword Puzzle and Election Word Search that would challenge older elementary school kids. Don't worry, moms, it also includes the answer keys. :)

The Election Trivia for Kids from Ooph.com has 11 questions {and 1 bonus question} with answers on election trivia. This could be interesting test to see my son's before and after knowledge of this election.

The poster How to Become President of the United States above is from Publications.USA.gov

Again, another great visual for children, this time depicting what it takes to become the president.

Scholastic.com has a countdown until the election, maps, interactive games, etc. There are a lot of polls, but I didn't find much information describing the issues. Still, it is a good resource for kids.

I don't want our learning about the election to be all work and no play. This free printable packet from blog.worldlabel.com is ah-may-zing! It just makes the election seem fun and far less boring! :)

My daughter will enjoy the stickers in the printable packet {who doesn't love stickers?} - but she won't have a clue what it's all about. So, we will read an old favorite of my son's, Duck for President by Betsy Lewin. I think it's pretty entertaining, even for a 3 years old. 

That wraps up my list of resources. Please let me know if you find any useful or if you have more you think I missed! Are you excited for the elections? Or dreading them? How about your kids?

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Be Different Act Normal,Between Naps on the Porch, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, The Chicken Chick, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Embracing Change, Faded Charm, Family Every After, The Farmhouse Porch, Finding Fabulous, Fine Craft Guild, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Fresh Eggs Daily, Ginger Snap Crafts, Happy Hour Projects, High Heels and Grills, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, Hubby Made Me, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Little Becky Homecky, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Project Inspire, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Rooted in Thyme, Savvy Southern Style, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stuff and Nonsense, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Tip Junkie, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, Western Warmth ...

Back to School Chalkboard

Both my babies will be at school 5 days a week this year. Granted the little one will just be half day - but 5 days! Wow! It will be an adjustment. But I'm looking forward to all the projects I might get half done. :)

If you don't want to read the mommy part of this post, just scroll down. :)

I am anxious for the school year to start. Good anxious and bad.

Both kids are starting new schools. It was the plan earlier this year to have them both under one roof. Yeah! But plans change. Boo! It is for the best of my oldest, but it is going to be a logistical nightmare for me. But it's not about me. So I will deal with it.

And for the first time my son might feel "normal" instead of always being singled out as the smartest. I am anxious because I am not sure if he will excel or feel panicked that he doesn't know every answer before the question is asked. He doesn't know what it is like to work for his grades. School has always come too easily for him. To the point of excruciating boredom this past year. Hence, the change in venue.

Anywho - I digress - I have had school on the brain, and not just shopping for supplies. {That I have always loved. New notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons... the possibilities were so infinite to my young imagination.} I am worrying for them about making friends, fitting in, adjusting to new schools, teachers and kids.

So, I wanted them to see my "excitement". The hopeful kind - not the anxious side. I want them (or at least the 8 year old) to feel that overwhelming sense of endless opportunities for something new to happen.

It can take a while to come up with a vignette that I like. Here is my progress as I worked through it...

Back to School Chalkboard

I drew a banner and apples on the chalkboard and then added a few apples in the empty space. Then I added a ruler at the bottom.

cake plate with apples in bell jar

Thought I would add some apples in a bell jar {aka cloche. I usually prefer the french versions of words and phrases, but I really like "bell jar" - could you tell?} This didn't make my final cut, though.

I came up with 2 printables since I wasn't sure where my vision would wind up...

Rainbow chevron with quote printable and tiny bell jar with apple and rainbow liner. 

Again, these did not make the final cut, but I think the rainbow version is very fun! I have to give credit for the background to Doodle Craft { http://doodlecraft.blogspot.com/2012/07/16-new-colors-chevron-background.html } The print was big and the apple and bell jar were tiny - just didn't work.

Neutral printable: has crumpled paper bag and banner with white quote.

I had come up with a second version for the quote. A neutral version with a crumpled paper bag (reminded me of a kraft lunch bag) with a neutral chevron banner and white quote.

Update: I have both printables available for FREE here. :)

The quote I chose was by Dr. Seuss from Oh, The Places You'll Go. It's a popular book to quote, but most people use a different line from the book. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose...."

But I really think this part rings clear for my son. My 3 year old couldn't care less about this yet :)

“So be sure when you step, 

Step with care and great tact. 

And remember that life's 

A Great Balancing Act. 

And will you succeed? 

Yes! You will, indeed! 

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) 

Kid, you'll move mountains.”

My 8 year old is big on percentages. If you ask him a question, such as, "How are you today?" he will answer something along the lines, "87% good, 13% not so good." And I really love the message that there is a small chance for bumpy roads ahead, but in the end - great things can be accomplished.

So, then I added my neutral printable and a plant in a rustic bucket. Next I switched the apples to a pedestal vase instead of the bell jar. Not happy with my haphazard plant, I switched it again.

I removed the plant and added a vintage, folding ruler. Now I was starting to get somewhere.

Now we're talking! I added one of my favorite finds, a vintage globe with the perfect faded patina. 

Back to School Chalkboard with globe, ruler, quote and apples.

This was the keeper!

Let me know if you would have done something different! I am sleep-deprived and this was as creative as the juices would flow this naptime. :)

Sometimes I link up with the following fabulous linky parties: The 36th Avenue, A Ruffled Nest, At the Picket Fence, Be Different Act Normal,Beyond the Picket Fence, Blissful & Domestic, Bowdabra Blog, Cheerios and Lattes, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Country Momma Cooks, Crystal & Co (The Mommy Club), The Dedicated House, DIY Show Off, Elizabeth & Co., Faded Charm, Family Every After, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Free Pretty Things!, French Country Cottage, Ginger Snap Crafts, Home stories AtoZ, House of Hepworths, I Heart Naptime, Lil' Luna, Ladybird Ln, Mandatory Mooch, Milk & Cuddles, Mod Vintage Life, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Nap Time Crafters, The Nature of Grace, Nifty Thrifty Things, Not Just a Housewife, One More Time, Primp Your Stuff, Redoux, Shabby Art Boutique, Simple Home Life, Six Sisters' Stuff, Someday Crafts, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots and Jello, Twigg Studios, Uncommon Designs, Under the Table & Dreaming, The Vintage Farmhouse, ...

Mommy post

I know the other moms feel me here...

The words "enough already", which fly out of my mouth often around this house to the sibling rivalry. Rivalry sounds kind of medieval to me, which suits its purpose in that phrase just fine. Sometimes my two children are downright cruel to each other. Very primal, even. To find whatever is near them to use as a weapon. That's straight out of gladiator days.

I feel like nothing I say ever sinks in to my children's heads. I preach {and yes, try my best to practice} being sweet and gentle hundreds of times a day. It never seems to get through.

Then out of the blue, something happens...

My daughter, 3 years old and full of spit and vinegar, found a wasp in the family room this morning. She said, "Momma, I need something to pick it up." So I handed her a paper towel. 

She caught it! Without harming the poor little guy.

She proceeded to gently (not an word in her vocabulary or demeanor) pick it up and said, "I need to put him outside."

Watching the wasp escape to the bushes.

This same little girl of mine pulls the dog's tail in glee, and tells her, "I'm gonna poke your eye"...! She is ruthless to her big brother. She scares me with how developed her sense of humor and deception are at only three years old.

This transaction with the wasp lasted all of 2 minutes. But just that simple gesture she made, that was enough for me to realize that something, SOMETHING, is being absorbed into her little mind about being kind to others. I couldn't be more proud. And neither could she. ♥

So proud of herself!
{Yes, the hair in her eyes drives me crazy, too.}

Risky Business

On Fridays, I participate in a Five Minute blogging/writing challenge hosted by Gypsy Mama. The rules are simple.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday Word: Risk


Start.

Risk. My first thought is "a leap of faith." Second thought makes me know that's not the case. Risk involves danger.
My son has been having a strangely hard year. Too hard. Because school is too easy. He was tested and is considered of gifted intelligence. In fact, his IQ would have been higher had he not been so concerned with perfectionism. Ugh. How did we make this child?
Unfortunately, the school districts don't have gifted programs until 4th grade. And then it is just an hour or two a week. "Enrichment" is better description of the program until middle school. We are concerned that his frustration and boredom will actually start causing him more problems socially, academically.
So, the next step was looking at gifted schools. We found one that I think would be a great fit. The only concerns I have are related to the enrollment numbers. It's hard to find the perfect school. One with enough kids to know they can have some social experience and not too many so they can excel to their potential. This school has only 8 other children enrolled for his grade next year. His public school (which is actually a very highly ranked school) has 120. In his grade alone. The gifted school has about 120 in PreK-8th grade!
Ok, so we can get past that. Now the big one. The RISK.
The school is so small it does not have a nurse on staff. My son has life-threatening allergies. He has to have an Epi Pen nearby. We have never had to use it. Ever. But that is a big risk. Who would administer the shot if the situation presented itself?
Risk. I am not sure it's a risk I can take. But at what risk to his livelihood? His potential?

Finish.

~my little guy with the science eye~

5 Minute Friday: Expectations

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back to here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

5 Minute Friday: Expectations


Start.

My expectations for this summer are changing daily. First, I signed my 3 year old up for summer school, but they didn't have enough enrollment. So, she is only going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I tried to get her signed up for Occupational Therapy, but there aren't any openings currently. I had planned on trying to do something special on every Friday. Like go to the museum or arboretum. Unfortunately, real life smacked me in the face.

My son, he has certain expectations for the summer, too. He wants to play with friends as often as possible. And when they aren't available (which is always), his remaining choice is to play Wii or his Nintendo 3DS. I limit his video gaming to 30 minutes a day, which he thinks is cruel and unusual punishment.

My daughter's expectations are to harass her big brother as much as humanly possible now that he is home 24/7. She wants to be him. He wants to be alone. Story of most siblings.

My two children are not exactly compatible right now. Their age difference makes life challenging. My son is 8 and my daughter is 3. She wants to be 8, going on 21.

So we are all trying to adjust our expectations. And I am trying to remember to breathe.

Stop. {Below added after 5 minutes.}

What I wish my kids looked like...

What they usually look like instead...

~All images can be found with original links on my Pinterest boards.~