I’ve been up to my eyeballs in modge podge, fabric, gorilla glue & paper here lately working on craft/scrappy/decor/sewing projects.  I’m on the mad dash to get most of them done before leaving for KS in 2 weeks. 

Here’s a before pic of one project…it’s a drawer utensil divider thingy.  Mine will not be used in a drawer & is NOT this color anymore…

After pic to come soon.  VERY soon!! Like tomorrow night if all goes well! :)

We were getting a late start this AM.  Leaving the house to run errands & get groceries at 11:30 am was not my plan.  They were hungry & it was actually Isaac’s nap time. Which really has nothing to do with this post except to display my poor planning…I guess. :)

As we pulled out of our section of the neighborhood Aidan announces he needed to pray to God. He was “reading” an Oriental Trading magazine…which makes me wonder what in.the.world. what sparked the need to pray?!?

I told him “honey we can pray to God anytime about anything.  He likes it when we talk to Him.” I was instructed to cover my ears & did so as best I could while driving!! When he was done he said “i prayed for God to help me poop & help me learn”. I think it went something like “our father who fart in heaven”…or maybe not…my ears were covered after all. I then prayed up a quick shout out that God would wait to answer Aidan’s prayer until we were home!!

The day of shopping lead us to each & every bathroom of Sears, Panda Express, JoAnn Fabrics (x2), Bashas & Walmart.  Bathroom trips alone added what seemed like hours to our day. Emma voted Bashas to be the “stinkiest”. FYI.

Luckily God listened to mommy & finally answered with what is the agonizing 15 min. of begging him to “shoot it out”- the moment we got home.  I wonder at what point he will learn that holding it makes it worse.  Poor lil guy!

Fast forward 3 hours through playing, swimming & dinner to about 8 pm.  Isaac went pee-pee on the potty chair.   I resumed cleaning up dinner to have him come in saying “oooh poo, *pointing toward dining room* “ooooOOOH pooooo”.  I  go in and find he had taken the potty down (from where Matt had cleaned it) pooped in it & then came and told me.

While we were cheering for him (& getting his spree cause we’re all about bribery) he handed me my camera…so what’s a mama to do, but snap…

All this to say…I have to spend the day begging my 4 year old to go.  My not yet 2 year old goes on his own and comes to tell me. Craziness I tell ya!?!?!?!

Yet this mama is SUPER excited that we could be looking at our last…say…6 months of diapers!!! Yee haw!!!  What could I ever do with that extra $50?? :)

My nasty AZ ,dried up, flip flop wearing, feet have an idea…

Our neighbor friends invited us over Monday evening for Smores using their fire pit. MMMmmm good times, good friends & good smores!! Also helps me mark one more thing off the Summer Fun Checklist!!

The group (minus the mommies).

They almost look scared to start eating…silly kids.

They were some BIG…no HUGE marshamellows!!!

They finally got brave & gave ‘em a try!!  Emma enjoyed hers, but Aidan quickly gave up smore eating b/c it would get him…dirty…WHAT?!?!  So like any good mommy I ate the remaining smore as to not let it go to waste. ;)

Isaac preferred his ingredients separate!! :)  All his chocolate & massive marshamellow ended up covered in dirt, sand & grass!! :)

Thanks to great neighbors & playmates for the kiddos!!

I love me a good list.  I function off lists.  Lists on paper, list on my phone, long term lists, short lists…LISTS!!!  AH the feeling of crossing an item off!! Yippie!! I may or may not be known to write something down just completed so it can be marked off to experience the rush…but I digress from my post. Focus.

I found a neat idea on line to ensure a summer full of fun. So my list began.  Some ideas from the blog post I found, some things I wanted to do with the kids, and a few things I knew we were going to do (hehehe) & maybe even a thing or two we had just done!! (hahaha)

So far the list has kept me focused on spending time with the kids & making their summer memorable aaaand maybe a time or two it’s driven me NUTSO b/c Emma has deemed herself “keeper (& nagger) of the list”. :)

We made homemade pizza on the last day of school, went to the zoo Tuesday with our neighbor friends, had a Freddy’s picnic the 1st Friday out of school, had root beer floats tonight & Matt, Emma & Aidan had “yummy” easy bake confections on Monday (below).

*Disclaimer we are also participating in laundry conservation or so it appears as my children are neked in most photos taken in the home?!?!??!!

To get all the bang for our buck with our zoo membership we made a 2nd trip to the Phoenix zoo Tuesday, this time with our neighbors.  It was one of the only double digit temperature days in the forecast so jumped at the chance to go before the triple digit melting temperatures hit.

Aidan & “S” planning out the route on the train.

We had visitors for our lunch…Mommy, Daddy & baby ducks!! So Cute! Isaac loved watching the giraffes!! 

  

The zoo has two water play/splash pad  areas & the kids LOVED playing in them!

   

They don’t think any zoo trip is complete without a snow cone! :)  

urr…chillin’ by the rubbermaid container?!?!

Isaac spends most of his time when everyone is swimming throwing things in the water and reaching over the edge of the pool trying to get them out.  So one afternoon I decided to try a container of water for him to splash in.

Based on past history he loves all dishes/containers of water.  Dog dish, toilet, sink, bathtub, shower, etc so I knew it would work!!  Of course the next day Aidan had to have his own bigger container…to which Isaac joined him.

  

Being silly…

  

The $100 question is why can they get along while in a container together, yet can’t get along while having the whole house to roam????

Emma had so much fun & learned so much in 1st grade.  A grade level near & dear to my teaching heart.  Having been a teacher I began this year with the notion that I knew what her 1st grade teacher should be like. Boy did this mama learn a valuable lesson!!

When preparing to move here I prayed that she would get a teacher that was extra special to her & thus assist her with the huge transition of moving away from all things familiar. When we arrived & met Mrs.. “B” I was so relieved.  She was that oh so typical early elementary teacher.  Grandma like, cAute classroom, folders of information for parents, schedules & lists of rules, curriculum, etc. She was SO speaking MY language!! Emma loved her too.  We did NOT however love the 42 kids in her class!!!  By the end of the first week it was announced that a teacher was being moved down from SIXTH…as in 6th…as in almost middle school….grade to split the 1st grade class.

To be brutally honest one look at Mr.. “D” & I was unsure.  He wasn’t the “vision” I had for her teacher.  His classroom was NOT the colorful, cutsie Carson Dellousa decor I love & am familiar with.  There was little to NO communication.  Vast differences in our teaching methods & the teaching method between he & Mrs.. “B”.  There was even body language in how the other teachers treated him that stood out to me.  I was uneasy.  An open house to meet him helped some.  First parent teacher conferences helped a bit more…when he referred to Emma as “precocious”.  The EXACT word her Gma uses to describe her…I walked away from that with my eyes more open & my “vision” began to change.

The truth was he loves kids.  He relates to each individual child & knows their learning styles & personality quarks.   He seemed to have a connection with each kid.  He brought humor & fun to the classroom in his own way.  Each child held a job in the classroom that was specific to the child’s “gift”.

So lesson learned in 1st grade…by Mommy. It’s not in the colorful decorations, seasonal bulletin boards & detailed communication. It might be those exact things we (teachers) busy ourselves with that actually take away from time that should be spent connecting with our students. As we build that connection with students so grows their desire to absorb & learn the lessons we teachers present.

Not once all year did Emma complain about going to school.  She left each day with a smile & jumped in the vehicle at the end of each day grinning ear to ear.  Matt & I did have our share of irritation when being told frequently “but Mr. D said ____”. :)  Even in Kindergarten when she knew her teacher from our church & had a very BFF in her class she whined about going to school each day. I even worried in late Oct. when our neighbor girl she quickly attached to moved back to TX that she would begin grumbling about school…but she didn’t.

She loved to tell about the stories he shared about his travels.  She got a kick out of all the things he taught them that even 6th graders didn’t know!! :)  She had a very tender & softened heart about him being a widow.  She on several occasions talked about how lonely he must be b/c his wife died “sick like when your hair falls out”.  Just hearing the way she said it made me want to tear up!

I have a feeling each teacher from here on will be compared to Mr. “D”.  He retired after this year.  He had reached the age  & said it was either time to draw retirement, SS & state pension or pay into it.  I pray he enjoys each day of his retirement with all the things he loves.

Our last day of school was spent playing at the park and having our traditional 1st/last day of school meal.  Like (here her first day of Kind. & I failed to document the homemade pizza the last day of Kind. & 1st day of 1st grade…crazy move got me distracted)

My Lil’ Chef Extraordinaires-

Isaac adding sauce.  Emma & Aidan eating spreading cheese.

  

Cheese & Pepperoni & BBQ Chicken. Ready to bake.

   Ready to eat!!!

Can’t wait to see what 2nd grade has in store for Emma & preschool for Aidan!!