Crafty Tuesday

Posted on December 16, 2008 by carrievoris

Well, a little birdie told me that our Christmas cards have made it to Michigan, at least, so I think it is safe to show them for today’s Crafty Tuesday.

Here is this year’s card…

(Do you see the J-O-Y?) And the inside….

So now you know the rest of the story behind the red pajama-looking outfits in all of the previously posted photos.

I’m also trying to finish up all the kidlets that I want to make for Christmas presents. So back to the sewing machine for me….what about you? Anything for CT today?

One Smart Cookie

Posted on December 15, 2008 by carrievoris

Dear Emma Grace,

It isn’t the Christmas lights causing that glow you can see surrounding our house this week, it is the beaming that can only come from the very proudest of parents.

You received your very first report card on Friday. When we had talked with your teacher last month at conferences, she had explained that we shouldn’t expect to see all “4s” and “5s” on the first report card. We are supposed to take the entire year into account, and we would see progress throughout the year as you worked against the benchmarks. Your teacher actually said, “if they had 4s and 5s on the first report card then you’d have to wonder what they were doing in kindergarten, and why they were not already in first grade.”

Um….guess what?

Yeah, you got almost all 5’s on your report card (you did get all 5s on Reading and Listening and Speaking), a 5 = Excels in grade level standards. Plus there were a couple of 5s and a few 4s in Math, a 4=Meets grade level standards. I’m afraid you may have inherited Mommy’s horrific math skills, (sorry ’bout that) but still…girl you are smart! Not that we didn’t already know that, but it is nice to have some validation.

Your teacher also wrote in the comments:

Emma is a happy and cooperative student. She is always eager to participate and perform her leadership responsibilities. Emma demonstrates good listening and organizational skills which allows her to complete her work neatly and accurately. She is a good friend to her classmates and is well liked in return.

Awww….that’s my girl!

We are so very proud of you, Peanut! I hope your thirst for knowledge continues throughout your life and you never lose that excitement for learning.

Love,
Mommy

Anticipation ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on December 14, 2008 by carrievoris

We had a lovely weekend filled with Santa visits, making gingerbread houses, shopping, and spending time with Daddy.

We are anxiously awaiting and anticipating Christmas this year. It really is amazing to experience Christmas through the eyes of your children.

Wishing you a week filled with anticipation and wonder of the season. Make sure to stop over to Tracey’s for more Best Shot Mondays, as well.

Still here….

Posted on December 12, 2008 by carrievoris

Yes, we are still here and I *think* everyone is on the mend, now. Em contracted the lovely stomach flu on Wednesday night and was out of school for the past two days. Which I must say threw a bit of a damper on my grand plans for getting a bunch of stuff done after being MIA for a few days myself. I felt so very on top of everything last week, and then along comes a teeny, tiny, minor little setback, like not being able to hold my head up for one day, and suddenly my world feels all out of whack.

Boom. Just like that.

But, who isn’t busy? Who doesn’t have a million things going on right now? So I will quit complaining now.

At any rate, we have had dance recitals and two school Christmas programs. So, I have videos! And photos! And I also bear glad tidings of the first perfect report card! It is all here. Somewhere. Scattered in the stack of mail. Spread out from one computer to another. Stuck on a memory card or three.

It will all get done. Deep breaths.

—————————————-

(Nana and Papa – you will be pleased to note that Addie upheld the fine tradition of her mother and every time she saw us point the camera at her during tonight’s school Christmas program she waved like crazy. I will get the video, and except for the curly hair, you’d swear it was me!)

Today, by the numbers

Posted on December 10, 2008 by carrievoris

10 = the number of times I have used the threat “Santa just made a check by your name” in the last 12 hours.

9 = the number of meltdown temper tantrums which directly correlates to the number of threats. (See #10 above.)

8 = the number of loads of laundry I have washed, dried, folded and put away and thought about folding and putting away.

7 = the number of outfits between two little girls. (Gee, I guess that explains #8 above, right?)

6 = the number of stamps I had to peel off and reposition on little red envelopes. (Addie was helping me label, stamp and send our Christmas cards out.)

5 = the number of different pairs of tights that have been donned on between two little girls.

4 = the number of hours spent running between my project on the computer and helping Em with her homework.

3 = the number of stores we visited trying to find a little white button-up blouse for Em. (Do they not sell cute little white blouses any longer? We went with a black turtleneck instead.)

2 = the number of “major events” attended this evening. (One dance recital and one school Christmas program.)

1 = the number of times I got sick today. (A vast improvement over yesterday’s bout with the ‘ol stomach flu, trust me!)

The best thing about today…is it is almost over.

Crafty Tuesday

Posted on December 8, 2008 by carrievoris

There has been some craftin’ going on around heeere!

Em has had a few serious homework/craft projects for school. Ones that require trips to the craft store to get glitter glue and jingle bells.

And when you are in the same aisle as the pom-poms, you have to know you aren’t leaving without a package of those for another little someone.

And then Wendy called and invited us over for a Girls Crafty Day, and we made some serious ornaments.

Most of these were actually Wendy’s creations (except the 2 over on the right of the picture, those were crafted by the two cuties pictured!) Most of our creations from today are going to be given as gifts, so we can only tease you with a sampling.

It was such a fun, fun day. Thanks, Winnie!

And finally, my new obsession… (which was born out of my other new obsession – trolling around and browsing etsy shops) the craft of the season. Hopefully every kid in my life will be getting one of these for Christmas.
I present the kidlet.

HOW cute are they? Just little bags to hold books, animals, stuff. You can hang them on hooks or on a doorknob. As our lovely model is showing here.

We made this one for Addie’s little friend, Madison who turned 3 on Sunday. Put a cute little book inside, a card in the front pocket and voila! Gift! Cute! Fun!

So I’m off to cut out about 10 more kidlets to work on before Christmas. Want to guess what you’ll be seeing next week?
What about anyone else? Got some fun stuff to share?

Crammin’ it in ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on December 7, 2008 by carrievoris

Our weekend started off with a lovely Saturday bagel date. We fueled up our tummies with bagels and our minds with all of the day’s news.

And then? Well…I’m not really sure where the rest of the weekend went.

I guess it could have been lost somewhere along the way while we:
-Did some Christmas and birthday shopping.
-Grabbed some party supplies for Em’s soccer party.
-Bought our Christmas tree.
-Did a little real “work.”
-Cleaned the house up for the imminent party.
-Printed and hung some photos on the wall that has been pretty much bare for 2 years.
-Addressed and sent 75+ Christmas cards.
-And then decorated the other Christmas tree.

And that was the first half of the weekend.

Today, we managed to:
-Clean the house again (How – in less than 24 hours, how could it possibly get messy again?)
-Sing at church (well, Em and the Gospel cherubs sang – I just helped with the robing and de-robing)
-Celebrate our little friend’s 3rd birthday (complete with a bouncehouse!)
-And throw an end of the season party for the WonderGirls at our house. (Little hint – don’t even bother to clean your house – and certainly not twice! – when you are going have 11 kids running through your house with pizza and cupcakes!)

Exhausted. And other than the two photos here, I hardly took any photos.

But, J. took a bunch at the party for me and got this one which is my absolute favorite. The girls, giddy after some chocolate cupcakes, showing off their trophies. So it is a J.’s Best Shot Monday today.

Kids Say Some Funny Stuff ~ Bathroom Edition

Posted on December 5, 2008 by carrievoris

This Friday’s edition of funny stuff is brought to you by none other than little Miss Addison, and it is filled with good ‘ol bathroom humor. I will never understand why kids think “poop” and all things bathroom related are funny, but anyhow…

A: Mama! I went potty, can you help me put my dress back on? (Yes, we are still with the “naked thing” when she goes potty.)
M: Yep. Come here.
A: I went #1 AND #2, and #3!

(Jamie’s contribution to their education while I was away on my weekend = what “#1” and “#2” mean. I can just see him standing outside of the public girl’s bathroom trying to explain that one.)

M: Um…ok. What is #3?
(Emma is cracking up and then Addie starts in and they can barely explain #3 to me.)
A: Emma and I says that #3 is when you have to go – Whew! That is stinky – CLOSE THE DOOR, stinky!

Uh huh. So #3 has been introduced into the household and it is in heavy rotation. Because you know, it is just so, so funny!

———————

And this morning Addie was helping me in the bathroom and I asked her to get me a new roll of toilet paper. She opened up this tiny little drawer that we never use but I could hear something rolling around in there.

A: Oh! Toilet paper can’t fit in that drawer, Mama! (As she shuts the drawer)
M: No, but what is in there, Ad?
A: (Opens it back up and peers in) Just some big straws, Mama.
M: Straws? (Racking my brain to figure out how straws got into the bathroom.)

So I checked the drawer myself. They were not straws. They were…uh, feminine products. Definitely not straws. But I think I’m just going to let her think they are straws for a bit longer – I am so not ready for that conversation.

Cheeky monkey.

Together ~ Theme Thursday

Posted on December 4, 2008 by carrievoris

We merely “live” all week for the promise of the weekend. Those glorious two days when Daddy will be home and we can all be together.

Now that the holidays have hit and our weekends (and all the days in between) have become so frantic and filled, it is so very important to kick back and just enjoy being. Together.

And just to prove to J. that I am not part-vampire, I turned the remote over to him and came out from behind the camera. It isn’t a fantastic shot, but it is my favorite shot of us all hanging together.