Blog Discoveries/Meeting Students Today
Multiple times. Plural. And while my blog-reading and blog-posting schedule will have to change a bit now that I’m back to work, I couldn’t resist subscribing to the following:
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Once I finish reading through the latest Artful Blogging, I’m sure I’ll have more blogs to recommend! I’ll also be pruning and updating my blogroll before school starts on Monday.
This afternoon our students get to visit with us in our classrooms for a short time! Yay! I’ll be taking their photos so I can make their center tags this weekend (having them for two days before school starts will also help me learn their names quickly), and getting contact/email/parent teacher conference schedules taken care of with their “special grown ups.” I’ll set out a coloring page for those students who want to take their desks and chairs for a test drive, and will be making quick observations and mental notes like the ones I mentioned here.
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Crayons! Thanks Sesame Street!
Are You Ready? Back to School…Lunchtime Tips
… because it’s just around the corner!
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If you have a kindergartner gearing up for the first day of school, it’s time to put yourself in his/her shoes in regard to LUNCH.
*Soggy sandwiches aren’t fun to eat, so try coating both pieces of bread with peanut butter with some jelly in the middle to avoid jelly-soak-through.
*Orange chips stain clothes. Yes, kids still wipe their hands all over their shirts and pants, ignoring the cute napkin you included in their lunchbox. Lunch time is social time so kids are too busy chatting, visiting, and listening in on conversations to remember the good manners you taught them.
*Those little plastic wrappers on the straws for juice boxes don’t always have a slit cut into them. Juice boxes tend to be easier to punch straws into than the pouch style drinks.
*Though teachers discourage it, food bartering/swapping still takes place at lunch or snack time. Please remember that some students have food allergies, occasionally severe. It’s important that your child knows he/she is still a good friend even though s/he won’t share peanut butter cookies (or offer “just a taste” of some other treat) with classmates.
*If your child likes to save leftovers for a snack later in the day, please practice fastening those plastic storage lids or ziploc baggies NOW, otherwise, be prepared for very messy spills and mountains of crumbs in backpacks or lunch sacks.
*If you send a thermos with lunch, make sure your child knows which way is “up” when it comes to putting the thermos back in the lunch box, otherwise s/he will be back in Leak-and-Spillsville.
*Not every classroom has a refrigerator available, so if you live in hot climate, plan on skipping the mayo and milk.
*Snack packaging (the wrappers on cookies, chips, graham crackers, trail mix, fruit snacks, etc.) isn’t always easy for little hands to open. Cut a small slit in the top of each to help ease your child’s frustration. The same goes for the tips of bananas, or the peels on oranges.
*Yes, teachers are happy to help your young ones learn how to open milk cartons and lunch wrappers, but children feel such a sense of accomplishment, independence and helpfulness when they can do it on their own and teach their friends the “tricks of the trade” as well. Small milk cartons are available at most grocery stores if your kindergartner would like to practice before school starts.
*Not every child knows that you’d rather not open a lunchbox full of wrappers, banana peels, or used juice straws at the end of every day. Additionally, kids don’t always know that you might want their plastic containers returned home! Decide and discuss which items morph from “food wrappers” or containers to disposable trash, and which don’t. You’ll keep a lot of your Tupperware collection intact if you address this sooner rather than later. Ditto for silverware!
*Make sure you write your child’s name on that lunch box or lunch sack, because there’s always at least one classmate who will have the same one, or one similar looking enough that mix-ups will occur.
*If your child will purchase lunch at school each day, make sure you find out the “routine” in advance and see if you can prepay so your child won’t panic or experience a meltdown if lunch money has been lost on the playground.
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Do you have any tips or helpful hints for lunch time? Please share by commenting!
So Often, Kids Just Get it Right: Happy 4th
Thank you, Cactus Cuties.
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Show and Share Thursday: A New Project “Before”
“Before”
I think I mentioned recently that I needed to update my recipe binder. Re-print recipes, straighten up recipe cards, and sort dinners, desserts, side dishes, breads, etc. into workable divided sections. I’m no expert on scrapbooking, nor am I looking to recreate the wheel, so I thought it might be nice to update the cover with photos, graphics, and other embellishments, trying my hand at some “altered art” that will become instantly recognizable and enjoyed by my family.
I’m still at square one. Because I have so many photos and postcards from which to choose, and of course there are sassy and humorous graphics to be found online. I know to scan the originals in so I don’t damage these, but I’m not sure if I’ll try to use them all on the cover (front and back) or one or two as the cover with the rest on divider pages:
The toddler exploring the fridge with Sister.
My grandmother and mother standing in the kitchen of the cabin on the homestead.
Daughter, many years ago, at Thanksgiving dinner.
Toddler helping me make cookies.
My favorite cake-bakers!
A postcard from Shannon.
And of course, vintage-style graphics that would be lots of fun too:
I know, I know- the one of my grandmother and mother in the kitchen would be the obvious choice for altered art, but I’d like to use several shots of family members in the kitchen.
Any suggestions or ideas? And yes, I’ll be posting the “after” results when I’m done.
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* sfgirlbybay has me wondering what the heck a Gocco is?
* Kelli has very cute (and very simple to make) St. Patrick’s Day cards posted.
* Howcast.com’s crafting videos will probably challenge my YouTube addiction each time insomnia hits me.
* Guest-Blogger Amber has posted a cute and relatively easy egg decorating idea at Scribbit.
* And I’ve recently discovered Kelli over at There Is No Place Like Home, who hosts “Show and Tell Friday,” (this week she features her Princess Diana books and a beautiful ring) providing links to other blog sites that want to participate.
I must have goofed this week, but hopefully I’ll get the Mr. Linky situation figured out so I can participate with her in the weeks to come- check her out!
The Mom Thing
I’ve been doing “the mom thing” today. All day.
I’m going on a trip on Friday- a*four day* trip- back to Oz to see friends, their new babies, and do some treasure hunting. Yes, only four days. Get there on Friday afternoon, and leave around Monday, lunchtime. But to visit Oz, I am leaving my dear husband, my thirteen year old daughter, my toddler son, and my cat here in the Bordertown. For four days. Without moi. So the “mom thing” that I’ve been doing has included:
~anticipating any and all grocery needs/emergencies/cravings
~ shopping for said groceries
~making sure the laundry is done
~making sure Daughter puts all of her school and social activities on the calendar
~making sure Daddy knows to *check the calendar* in case he has to pick her up from school (and he WILL have to)
~ watering the plants
~ and any other housecleaning-type-jobs that I just won’t feel good about leaving undone before leaving.
So when do I pack? When do I figure out what toiletries to take, clothes, shoes, etc? Eh, the night before. Packing doesn’t stress me out- I’ve told friends I’m not a “panic packer.” If I forget something, I know how to stop at a store to correct the situation. No, what to wear, what to bring, how much room I’ll have to bring stuff home…these things don’t bother me.
Imagining the state of disarray the house will be in upon my return…THAT bothers me. While secretly grateful that my husband will have a smidgen of a taste of what I’ve done for years while he’s been TDY or deployed, I still know Daughter will end up taking up the slack. A lot of it. The toddler has entered a Destructo-Mode recently, requiring much more hands-on time, and exponentially more clean-up time, and the cat has begun to feel more comfortable expressing her displeasure with the boy whenever he chases her under the beds or couches. I fear the phone calls I’m going to receive. I’ve had nightmares for the last two nights in a row. I know, I’m over-reacting, but hey, it’s “the mom thing.”
More “mom thing” related documentation:
Daughter’s Valentine Treat Bags are almost done (just need cookies and the pecan/rolo/pretzel nummies added, then bows tied on), as are her cards:
Cookies? What cookies? Oh yeah, I need to make cookies! Red and pink sugar was added later:
While cleaning out the fridge, I found a lone pie dough roll…oh darn, I guess that means I’ll just *have* to make date and marmalade pastries:
For a pick-me-up, I enjoyed a snack, er, “taste test” of the cookies:
…and then right as I was wandering back toward Worrysville, darling husband appeared with these:
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t worry about him, the kids, and the cat…
Maybe.
Up Too Early…Again
Tick, tock, the toddler’s clock…
doesn’t match my own…
(Wall art found here)
Awake at three-thirty, thirsty. Awake again at four-thirty, wet. Five-thirty he snuck into our bedroom while I was preparing coffee (I thought I had locked the door so husband could sleep in) flipped the lights on and shouted “Daddy, wake UP!” Sigh. I turned off the light, LOCKED the door, and escorted Mr. Assertive-Way-Too-Early back to the living room. “Dodgers, Mommy!” Duck Dodgers. The t.v. goes on, I make “bunny milk,” and the toddler is happy, and more importantly, quiet again.
Ohhhhhh, Daddy and Sister are going to have an interesting time when I’m out of town next weekend.
Yes, I’m traveling back to Oz to see friends and to wander through some of my favorite antique mall/stores. Without the family. A little break for me provided by my wonderful Valentine.
Abilene’s Downtown Antique Mall
…and whatever places are open on Sunday in Paxico...
I’ll be on the lookout for game pieces (Scrabble, etc., for crafting), copper pots, watering cans, or other containers, Russian lacquer, salt cellars, Mar-Crest (though it’s heavy and weighs a TON), old books, and whatever other treasures strike my fancy or bring back good memories.
As a person who doesn’t travel on her own too often, I’ll just say that now, at age thirty-eight, it is certainly nice to know that feeling alone and being independent are *not* one and the same.
Barnes and Noble Magic
I’m still smiling from an encounter that occurred yesterday afternoon. Daughter and I went to the Science Fair to retrieve her board and reports (she got second place, not bad for a district/city this size!), and she asked if we could go to Barnes and Noble so she could buy a book she wanted with one of her holiday gift cards. Friends know that twisting my arm to go to B&N is not a difficult task, so before we knew it, there we were, inhaling the Starbucks coffee aroma as we walked through the book aisles.
Our toddler is at that “change diaper, Mommy, ucky” stage, so potty-training is right around the corner. Since our other children are ages seventeen, sixteen, and thirteen, any and all potty books have gone the way of all good things, passed on to other friends and family or sold at a yard sale years ago. Consequently, I made a beeline to the childrens’ book section while Daughter headed straight for young adults’. After looking through the selections available without finding what I was hoping for, I headed to magazines, Daughter on my heels (she found the last copy of Hacking Harvard), to see if the British versions of some of my favorite magazines were available.
The home decor/design/crafting magazine aisle was packed for some reason, and I found myself on the far left of the stands, just waiting for an opening. Scanning through the group of customers, searching for a way in, I saw a woman, magazines in hand, on the far right of the magazine stands, also looking for entry. After several customers looked right at me, then went back to flipping through their magazine without scooting an inch, I continued to stand my ground, as did the lady at the opposite end of the stands. Finally, people shifted and then left the area completely, so Right-Side-Lady and I made our way in. I quickly found the magazines (too many!) I was hoping to, while Right-Side-Lady replaced some of the magazines she had been looking through. She seemed worried about crossing my line of sight, so I laughed and told her “no, you’re fine” and she told me she forgot where she had found one magazine in particular as she wanted to put it back in its proper place. We continued with some small conversation, finding relief in communicating with another apparently rare, polite person. She asked where I found Country Living, so I grabbed a copy for her, and we chatted on. She mentioned she was just looking for color inspiration, at which point I mentioned that I had run across a blog that had linked to Pantone, which had recently published a “fashion color report” that provided color samples for the home decor and fashion we’d be seeing this year. Right-Side-Lady introduced herself as Rosie, and told me she was a weaver and spinner- I had noticed she was wearing the most wonderful shawl/wrap- and we continued on with some chit chat, very relaxed and pleasant. Before she left she gave me her card, invited me to her workshop and made it clear that it would be for a visit, not for shopping.
Shannon is visiting at the end of the month, so I was thrilled to email her yesterday with the B&N story to ask if she’d like me to contact Rosie and set up a time we could visit. Affirmative! So this morning, I found the Pantone color reports online, and printed out the Spring 2008 and Fall 2008 color palettes to mail to Rosie (apparently she’s not online) along with a card asking when a good date during Shannon’s visit would be to come out to her workshop. Looms, weaving, textiles, color… it all sounds wonderful and as charming an experience as meeting Rosie was yesterday.
Rosie left B&N before we did. Even though my arms were full of magazines, Daughter and I decided to look through Valentine cards and stationery, and we eventually wandered toward the craft and hobby section. And there it was:
You *make* them! Fairy Tale Dress-Up Day will never be the same again. My poor family. My poor colleagues. My students are going to LOVE this (and my friends are laughing their tushes off, I’m sure!).
Just Helping Mommy
My darling daughter (pink/maroon shirt) has a winter break science assignment that is due in three days when classes resume. Yesterday she enlisted the help of one of her friends to help her measure the height of bounce between four different size-and-weight balls. Four different balls bounced from four different heights each, with me acting as photo-documenter. 
I didn’t know I had a photo assistant:
Starting Young
After reading “Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success,” (NY Times) this is the scene I was greeted with when I checked on my son:
According to author Alan Finder, “organizational tutors” are cropping up all over the place because “boys seem generally to have more difficulty getting organized and multitasking than girls do.” The tutors help boys sort through their messy backpacks, explain and require the use of binders with divider tabs separated by subject, and often spend more time teaching the merits of cleaning out desks, bookbags, and coat or pant pockets than they do on tutoring lessons for school subjects.
In our home, places for things and everything-in-its-place are the norm by necessity 1) because we’re* forgetful klutzes who will stub toes, break nails and use non-kindergarten-vocabulary as we dig through piles trying to find that one receipt or cd, and 2) because we relocate so often that we’re intimately aware of what we own, why we use it, and how often it is used. One can only pack and unpack one’s dishes so many times before it really becomes an activity that can be performed on autopilot. Our son’s room (believe it or not) is actually organized too, into tubs of blocks, tubs of stuffed animals, tubs of cars and trucks, and play areas away from where he sleeps.
Apparently right now it’s just more FUN to dump all the tubs out in the middle of the floor and have a smorgasbord of creative possibilities through which to swim. Never fear, I’ll keep an eye on his backpack (once I find it) and even help him dig through it regularly.
* Okay, so I’m the klutz.
Mission Organization from Scholastic
Organization and Time Management Strategies from Schwab Learning
Toddler and Teen United
…to decorate sugar cookies of course!
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