14 - Michigan

A few weeks ago we headed up to the keweenaw to Eagle harbor.  We said goodbye to my grandpa and enjoyed family time.  My kids got to experience it for the first time.  The magic is still there.  

First day of kindergarten (22)

This guy started Kindergarten the other day.  And he LOVES it.  He also loves riding the bus. He’s already made several new friends.  

Below is the letter I wrote him on his first day.

Today’s your first day of Kindergarten.  You have been looking forward to it like someone might look forward to a trip to an amusement park.  You think of Kindergarten as a magical place.  And you know what?  It is.  It’s a magical place of learning.

You will learn so many things there.  I hope you can read at the end of the year but if not it’s not the end of the world (you know I didn’t really read until the 4^th grade).   I also hope you develop a love of math.  I always loved math as a kid because it was so logical, and it came so easy to me.  You already are a big lover of all things science and investigative and I hope you explore that further in school.  

At the meet the teacher event you told Mrs B. you were the “Idea Man” in preschool.  Which is soooo true.  You are a leader and full of ideas and hope this year is full of experiences where this skill can blossom.  Just remember to include all the kids in your ideas expand those ideas so their ideas can blend with yours to make great big ideas.

My real mom advice is simple:  Give and show love.  Try and try again.  Mostly be yourself.  You got this.

Love Mommy

9 -on The Potty Train

Finally!!  She’s on what she calls the Potty Train.  After several failed attempts in getting her to potty train.  She finally there aside from an occasional accident. She’s been actually doing really well overnight I think we will phase out overnight diapers soon too.  Huzzah.  

I literally have no secrets, bribes didn’t work on her, nor did rewards, or praise, or just going every 30 minutes.  The promise of preschool at an actual school did entice her but I am not really sure that did it either.  Anyhow good job Thea lady you did it.

48 - Find ginger with Kathleen

Kathleen has a goal for the year to have all the ginger.  So when I made my list I included her goal on my list.  I tasted a bunch of NASTY ginger things at her house this year are literally disgusting.  I feel like ginger is probably supposed to be a costar not a star.  

Anyone when we were shopping this past week for my birthday we found some ginger things for her quest.  This you don’t have to eat and the smell is not overwhelming.   We found these taper candles and this soap.  

16 -Cat Quilt

This so far is my only finish for 2019 and it’s not really a big one.  I made these cats as part of a quilt along challenge.  One i actually won a prize for.  I think the cats are super fun.  The purple one is my favorite.  I quilted this as quilt as you go using thread that matched the color of the cat although you can’t tell in the photo.  The quilt as you go made it possible to do more intricate quilting and i will likely do this again on another quilt soon.  The cats all have white whiskers.  

It’s backed in a fabric I bought like 10 years ago for another quilt, the blocks are joined with fabric and the binding I pulled together from scraps that I have cut in 3 inch strips.  

I love how it turned out.  It is such a fun quilt so colorful.  I sent it off to JJ who is going to make it a wall hanging.  

More Summer Bucket List

We’ve been busy with our summer bucket list.  We hit up two parades, Brooks birthday, moms birthday, Jones birthday, the new pool opened, the drive in movies, three band concerts, made jam, spring street treats, picked strawberries and more I am sure.  We still have several we need to cross off though and good month and a half left of summer to do it.

20 Celebrate Jones’s birthday

For Jones’s birthday he wanted a Debit card and Nerf gun party.  I went with the Nerf guns and just got him gift cards for his presents rather than throw a gift card party.  I got all the kids Nerf guns and bought a bazillion bullets and we made stations to play in the backyard.  Thank goodness it stopped raining and the yard was only half mush so we could still have the party at the house.  

The nerf gun war was much fun and we also did slip and slide.  I made a target cake but could only find one cake pan so I went with a rectangle layer underneath.  The cake turned out okay but my kids thought it was amazing so that’s what counts.  

It was a good time.  Thanks to everyone who came.

Happy Birthday Jones!

Happy 5th birthday!  You are my sweet, smart, clever, handsome boy, who’s passionate about science, nature, swimming and candy.  You are the idea man, a great friend and constant questioner.  You have a sharp memory but cannot remember where you put that “shoe/ball glove/cup/wallet” you had ten seconds ago.  Happy birthday i love you so!  

PS I had a much longer post written out but it disappeared so here’s the Instagram short version. 

9 - Index Card a Day

Last year I saw someone’s index card a day challenge it was Amazing (sadly I don’t even know who’s it was to share) but after seeing it I was like I want to do this next year.  And so June 1 I started I didn’t have any index cards readily available so I decided to use the various “junk” I had saved up from January’s Junk journaling that I only ever collected supplies for.  

So far it’s been fun but I am wondering if I will finish this project.  Jones is also very interested in them I had them laid out the other day and it inspired him to make his own collage, and now in the morning he checks to see what i made.  Anyhow here are my first 5.

June 1 collaged envelope

June 2 collaged project life card

June 3 postit + packaging from something

June 4 collage with packaging (this one has me totally excited for goggly eyes so look out for more goggly eyes.)

June 5 another collaged envelope.

32 - Theas Recital

Thea has her first dance recital over the weekend she LOVED it.  During dress rehearsal she didn’t really dance just seemed caught in the spotlights shining on her.  But when the actual recital came she enjoyed herself so much. She wasn’t the worlds best tap dancer but three year olds tap dancing is so darling.  She really also enjoyed watching the other girls dance.  She asked to take hip hop next year although I think you have to be 5 to take hip hop.