This & That Thursday

Posted on September 30, 2009 by carrie

Hello?

Hi there. Just climbing out of the vortex over here. Oh, Mama…it has been some crazy days and wasted nights. I’m not really even sure where to start. Is it really Thursday? Is the weekend really only a mere day away? Heavens. If any post should be a This & That, this one definitely should be. I’ll just start the complete randomness dump of our past week now.

First month of school. First Pride assembly. And yep, the first round of Super Cougars included our Emma again. This is something I hope she does make a habit of. And it was even cooler that her BFF, Audrey, was a fellow Super Cougar as well. How very cute (and proud) are they?

So that was last week Friday morning. And in the afternoon? We visited the dentist. Where it was determined that Em’s front, teeny, tiny, little baby tooth that has been wiggly for months, (which was sitting in front of the adult teeth that are nearly grown in already) had to come out. Thankfully Daddy volunteered (or rather, did as he was strongly suggested to do) to take her in. She was amazing. Very brave. She got some nitrous gas, a shot, and they yanked the tooth out. It looks so much better and we are all a lot happier now that it is out. I have some fun photos and a little Tooth Fairy story…I’ll have to try to get that up tomorrow. She is one funny kid!

We got some comp tickets to see Snow White at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood over the weekend. (Thanks J & J!) I couldn’t believe when J. told me that he didn’t think he had ever seen the movie. But as I was watching it, there were huge chunks of it I don’t think I remember ever seeing either. It was a nice refresher at any rate, and the girls loved it. They had 3-D glasses for the one preview, and Addie decided she didn’t want to take hers off. I’m not sure how Snow White looked to her through these, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Addie also got moved up to a different class this week. It is an afternoon class, which is good for my so-not-a-morning-monkey. And it is a true pre-K class, which is good for my Addikins-who-is-going-to-be-a-real-kindergartner-next-year! And it is everyday, which is very good for my please-can-I-go-to-school-on-this-day-little-socialite.

I had to talk myself into switching her over to this class. It really kind of broke my heart – just a crack. Does she really need to go everyday? Probably not. Does she really want to go everyday? Oh. Yes! And I sat in her class for a few minutes on Monday, and honestly? I want to go to her class everyday. Her new teacher is like Mary Poppins (accent and all!). Yeah, she rocks. I get it now. And I know Ad has only had two and a half days in the new class, but I’m already noticing subtle differences. She went from paint blobs (so last week) to drawing honest-to-goodness butterflies in the past few days. I will take photos – they are most definitely discernible butterflies, you don’t even need to be told that is what they are! And pages and pages of recognizable, written Bs, their letter of the week. I’m kind of astounded and pleased with the development.

The extra two days, really only buys me an extra hour a week. I had 9 hours of alone time to fill before, and now I have 10 since Em gets out of school an hour before Addie now. But that extra “alone” time with Em has also been really, really nice. Sometimes you don’t even realize that something is missing. We get a little time to ourselves, and I can watch Em literally change back into a sweet, helpful girl. Who knew she just needed a little Mommy time, sans Addie?

I edited, laid out, and turned over my first newsletter for the PTA today, which ate up far more time than I could have ever imagined over the past two weeks. What I volunteered for was to “help with the newsletter,” since I have those kind of skills and all. What I GOT was the entire editorship of the newsletter for the year. Still not quite sure how I managed that one. But the first one is under my belt, and I expect the next ones will go a little more smoothly.

We also had our first non-official, informational meeting for our new Daisy Scout troop at our house last night. You remember the troop where we were going to “try it out” with maybe 5-6 girls? We had 12 – I think pretty interested – moms and at least 3 others who couldn’t make it. So 5 girls has turned into 15. Again, not sure how that all happened, but I expect we are going to have a very interesting year!

And I know a million other little things have happened that I’m sure would make riveting blog fodder, but I just can’t think anymore. I need to get some sleep while I can. Tomorrow is another day and more of the same. I was bummed to have missed Crafty Tuesday this week, but then I saw this quote on In My Shoes today…

The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I was off creating a harmonious home, family memories and flowing laughter. So I was being creative and crafty! And, there is always next week!

Happy Thursday!

Still here…

Posted on September 27, 2009 by carrie

I think we are all just feeling a little like this…

…overwhelmed.

We’ll be back soon.

Even SuperHeros Need a Rest Sometimes ~ Wordless Wednesday

Posted on September 23, 2009 by carrie

More super Wordless Wednesdays here.

Craft Tuesday

Posted on September 22, 2009 by carrie

I’m late, I’m late…for a very important crafty date!

Not really since, well, it is TUESDAY. But I’m usually more organized and have my posts ready to post first thing so our East coast friends can peruse during those sweet, quiet morning moments before all chaos hits. (Ha, I know somewhere there has to be quiet, coffee-sipping, morning moments, right?) But as you can plainly see, that didn’t happen last night. We are running around trying to play catch-up all over the place, while fighting colds, and unfortunately that did not leave much time for crafting this week.

We did deliver our birthday gift for our friend last week, and it was only two weeks late!

I think Alexander’s super-cape is actually cooler than Ad’s. The color is better, and looks “more super.” Addie’s pink is too light, almost white. But they were cute playing with them. With the fires finally (mostly) out, we can get back outside and burn off some pent up energy. I didn’t realize how much I took an hour at the park for granted until we did not have the opportunity.

I also received a special delivery. J. brought a tee home from our friend in Chicago while he was out there last week.

Addison took the photo – I told her it didn’t have to have my head, but I guess that means I don’t need 2 arms either. Ah well, this was the only one in focus. But you can see the most awesome print, how cool is that? You can wander through Marcy’s site, Formoda, for some other cool stuff.

And that’s all I’ve got this week. I need some inspiration to get me back on crafty track. Have anything?

A Peek at the Future ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on September 21, 2009 by carrie

Dear Emma Gracie –

This weekend I had a very surreal peek into the future. It was as if we had fast-forwarded a good twenty years and I got a glimpse at what kind of Mom you will become. It was exhilarating and a bit frightening all at the same time to sit and watch you practically age in front of my very own eyes.

We were watching the neighbor girls and you are completely smitten with Sydney, (which is totally understandable since at six months she is at that great, adorably sweet, and delicious age). You are just fascinated with every aspect of her, even down to the diaper changes!

“Mama, I think Sydney wants to play with this.” “Mama, Sydney likes it when I hold her like this.” “Mama….” and so it went all afternoon. Addie and Madison tried to get you to play with them but you kept telling them, “No, I want to help Mama with baby Sydney.”

When I laid her in your arms and she started to take her bottle from you, the pure joy you were radiating was unmistakable. You were positively beaming. And then you sighed, “Mama, look. I think she really likes me!”

Oh, Gracie. It is so bittersweet. On one hand I love seeing that amazing, caring side of you and it verifies my belief that you are becoming a beautiful (on the inside and out!) girl. And I have no doubt that you are going to be the absolute best mommy someday. But, it wasn’t that long ago that you were Sydney’s age. I mean it was just yesterday wasn’t it? And so my internal struggle continues. I want nothing more than you to grow up happy and healthy, but it oh sometimes it really hurts. Thankfully you are happy and healthy, so it takes a little of the sting off.

So let’s try this. You keep that enthusiasm and readiness to help – but do me a favor and stop growing up for a few years. Let Mama catch up.

I love you, my sweet Big girl.
Mommy

(I wish I had focused more on Em’s face in this photo – albeit Sydney is scrumptious, isn’t she? But I love this photo because it reminds me of my view the entire day. Em gazing adoringly at Sydney.)

Thursday This & That

Posted on September 17, 2009 by carrie

This is our first official week with everyone in school and all of the activities starting. And I’m already…tired. But I think we are in for a very fun year.

Emma is incredibly psyched that she has moved up and she is now in the 6-7 year old ballet class. And they get to wear black leotards. Just like the BIG girl ballerinas. It was the highlight of her week I think when we walked into the studio, she was beaming, grinning from ear-to-ear. The en pointe class is after Em’s and she walks out ever so slowly, gawking in obvious awe of the big girls putting their pointe shoes on. She is determined to get to dance on her toes one day.

She has decided against playing soccer this year, which is actually a-ok with me. I would like her to try out some sports and find a team sport that she enjoys, but there is plenty of time for that. She asked if she could try gymnastics class with Addie and they are both in the same class on Saturday mornings…combined activities, yes! Only one trip and one hour to the gym, that is a-ok with me, too.
Today Em starts choir again, too. Addie is still too young – although I think she is going to be the one with some musical ability – but Em is very excited to start up. Miss Suzanne swears she can *teach* anyone some rhythm and pitch, but she clearly has never heard me sing. Ah, poor Em. Let’s hope Daddy’s musical awesomeness wears off on her, and not Mama’s tone deafness.
And tomorrow another mom and I are meeting with the Girl Scouts so we can get a Daisy troop started for our first grade class. I was a Girl Scout and still think it is a fantastic activity for girls. Plus if I can get one started maybe we will be ahead of the game when Addie is old enough. I foresee more combined activities! Double yes! And just think, pretty soon you will all have a direct line to GS cookies! Mmmm…somoas, thin mints, peanut butter patties. You are drooling at the mere mention of them, aren’t you?
Well, no wonder we are all a little tired this week. But it is already Thursday. And GOOD TV is starting up again! Survivor starts tonight. Every year I say I’m not going to watch it any more, and every year I get sucked back in. It is a guilty pleasure, though. And vegging on the sofa with J., watching TV is something I’m not giving up any time soon.
Addie and her little friend, who is over for a playdate, are finishing up their painting masterpieces, so I better go survey the mess and figure out if I have enough time for a clean-up before we pick up Em.

Hope you are all having a fantastic Thursday.

Peace. And Quiet. Very Quiet.

Posted on September 16, 2009 by carrie

Today, (finally!) Addie got to start school. She is doing M-W-F this year and is thrilled to be going to school even more than she got to last year.

We met her new teachers (one of them is her Sunday School teacher) on Monday and every 30 minutes or so since then she has asked, “On this day, do I get to go to school?” (I LOVE that she always says that, “On this day…”)

(Apparently I am in love with parentheses today, too.)
(I think that is what happens when you are giddy with a quiet house all to yourself.)
(Okay, I’ll stop now.)

So anyhow, on THIS day, was Addie’s first day. The requisite first-day-of-school-under-the-tree-photo…

And the first survey of her new classroom before kissing Mommy and Daddy goodbye and dismissing us…

What a difference a year makes! Look at her on her first day last year, she looks so little and just a “toddler!”

And now we have this gorgeous, all grown-up looking girl. There wasn’t even a discussion if Bear should accompany her to school. She is a big kid now.

No tears from anyone this year. I helped with the Parent coffee, ran to Em’s school and volunteered in her classroom and am now enjoying my own coffee and catching up on emails before I go pick Ad up. Two happy, in school girls?

A mama could get used to this.

Crafty Tuesday

Posted on September 15, 2009 by carrie

Here it is Tuesday again already. I do have lots to share since our entire last week was just one big craft project. So let’s get to it.

A few weeks ago I showed Addie some paper with cute little birdies on it and she said, “Oh! That is what I want for my birthday, Mama. Flowers and birdies.”

I gave it a few days because we have had a “theme-of-the-week” for the past few months and I figured it wouldn’t stick. But, ‘lo and behold it did indeed stick, she was adamant that she wanted flowers and birdies. She is kinda my flower child, and she really does love to bird watch so I thought, why not? Plus you all know how I feel about birdies….tweet!

The good thing about a totally non-commercialized birthday party – it.is.CHEAP! I really only bought some cool colored plates and balloons. The invites and decorations I designed and printed on my printer at home. Voila! Birthday party done.

The invite…

The signage and goody bags….

And… the cake. When I searched for “bird cakes,” I came across this one. Which Addie happened to see and of course, had to have. I read up on fondant and it didn’t sound too difficult. I made my own using this recipe. Albeit a little sticky, it wasn’t that hard to make.

Then the girls and I spent a few hours making some birdies and flowers. It was fun and they liked to help make the decorations. And then…we tasted the fondant.

Ew. I so love the look of a nice, smooth cake – but I don’t see how all that trouble can be worth it especially if everyone peels off the fondant and doesn’t eat it. So we decided not to “fondant” on the cake. Just buttercream frosting – and it was good, and looked cute and Addie LOVED her cake. So all was good.

And we had enough cake batter and flowers for cupcakes, too. Which are always a hit!

On the sewing front, I finished the Super-A cape.

Unfortunately she didn’t think it was nearly as cool as I did. But it has made an appearance or two in the past week.

And I think it may get used a little more especially since I finished her friend Alexander’s cape. Now they can be superheros together.

I also finished the birthday banner for our house. It looks suspiciously almost exactly like the one I did for my friend Jamie and her girls. And I still have enough scraps to possibly make another. So looks like someone might be getting one for a holiday gift, too!

Now I’m off to make a few things for Em. I have been promising her some lounge pants for weeks now but they keep getting pushed to the bottom of the sewing pile. And she also wants a superhero cape. While I was wrapping Addie’s I said to J. “Em is probably going to want one of these, isn’t she?”

He just looked at me and said, “Um, have you met our girls? What do you think?”

Yeah. She has requested a Super-E in purple, please.

Ok, your turn. Show me what you got!

It takes one to know one ~ BSM

Posted on September 14, 2009 by carrie

My little bookworm. I don’t know that my love affair with books started as early as first grade, but every time I looked at Em this weekend, I was transported back to a time when I was in the middle of a good book. Impatiently rushing through the other stuff I “had” to do, so I could get back to my book. Making myself sick because I wanted to read in the car. Trying to walk, looking over the top of the book, and read at the same time.

I think I probably said “Let’s just put the book down until we get there and then you can read,” at least five different times over the past two days.

Her class has been reading the Magic Treehouse books aloud. They have a chapter or two left in the first book of the series, but Em came home and finished it on Friday. Then she started book two on Saturday, and finished it during church yesterday.

Yes, I know. Part of me wanted to tell her she needed to pay attention in church, but she is reading. READING! Full on chapter books on her own. And I’ve been kind of quizzing her along the way – she is comprehending it, too. I just can’t squelch that. Plus Sunday school starts next week, which is much easier to focus on than “Mama’s church.”

Then last night we started the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ series as our “bedtime reading.”

FINALLY! The Little House books were my all-time favorite books when I was a girl. I’ve been patiently waiting until she was ready for them. We got through a few chapters last night and when I went to wake her up this morning, she rolled over, stretched and said, “Mornin’ Mama. Tonight can we read Little House on the Prairie again?”

Yes. Yes. YES!

While I was making breakfast, she started on the third Treehouse book. At this rate I think we are going to blow through the entire public library by the time she is in 3rd grade.

My little bookworm. (Yes, I’m beaming. I could not be more proud.)

Mama? On this day am I four?

Posted on September 12, 2009 by carrie

I heard that question every morning for two whole weeks before she finally was indeed, four years old.

And then the day I finally got to say “Yes, THIS day you are four,” she kind of slept in. I had to practically sit on Emmy to keep her from going to wake Ad up, she was so excited.

Addie finally sprung out of bed, threw on the dress she had picked out three days prior for her birthday, and clamored downstairs to get the day started.

First stop – she “hugged” her pinata to check if Mama had filled it with candy. I had, and she could barely lift it.

Next, she checked out her chalk-card in the courtyard.

And then we opened some presents! I think one of her favorites was a pettiskirt that I had bought for her almost 2 months ago. It went on straight-away.

We got Em off to school, and Daddy off to work and then we went to finish up last minute party preparations. And had a little birthday lunch – noodles at Corner Bakery – Addie’s choice, of course. (If I had known we were going to try to do a little self-portrait, I might have put a spot of makeup on. And a different lens on my camera. Next time…)

Then Em came home from school and we waited for the bounce house to be assembled.

And waited for our guests to arrive.

We were ready.

Finally the guests came, and we jumped…with the pettiskirt, of course! It did not leave her body and looked gorgeous bouncing around all day.

Even when the bouncing turned into tackling.

We discovered Daddy’s hidden talent of making balloon animals. He figured it out, kinda on the fly, and then all the kids waited in line for a balloon creation.

We did a little craft, the kids all decorated their own frames to take home.

We ate some pizza.

We waited patiently for Daddy to get the pinata hung up.

And, after all the kids had a whack at the pinata, Addie took a second shot at it. With a little help from Daddy (and some strategically placed cuts), Addie finally freed all of the candy.

And on top of all that sugar, we needed just a little bit more. Time for cake.

Hey, that’s me in a photo! Thanks to my friend, Kristen for the photo, and J. for the video.

Can I have one more cupcake, Mama?

Overall? I think we did ok.

Addie told me when I was tucking her in, “Today was my best birthday ever, Mama.” I know she really only remembers two, maybe three, birthdays – so that isn’t saying much. And it is a lot of work and effort, but I think I’m going to strive to hear her say that every single year.

It is so worth it.

BarelyControlledChaos

Chaos Controlled.Barely.

Monthly Archives: September 2009