Outdoor Education Day

For Abby's last day of school, the third grade participated in Outdoor Education Day in the afternoon.  Lily and I went in to help.  They did several activities, including making plastic bag ice cream (We did it every spring when I used to teach), a watermelon seed spitting contest (sounds more fun than it was-no watermelon eating, just seeds), rocket launching (awe.some.), and kickball.

Our first station was ice cream.  It's a fun project, if you use enough ice, which we didn't.  At first.  It sounded like no one there had ever done that project before, so Abby's teacher was very defeated when it wasn't working, so I suggested adding a bunch more ice (They only used about a cup of ice), and reshaking their baggies.  Voila!  Ice cream!!!

Here the kids are eating their plastic baggy ice cream

Next, they shot off rockets they made last week.  It was a COOL project.  I'm still not sure how the whole thing works.  There was a plastic pop bottle half full with water.  It connected to a device made of PVC, and they used a bicycle pump to pump air into it.  The kids pulled a string to launch it, but I know there was more to it than that.

 Here's Abby's:

They culminated the hot day with Just Dance on the projector in their cool classroom.  They do this every Friday and the kids LOVE it.  Obviously, there are no controllers, just a youtube video, and they dance along.  Even Lily joined in.

Summer List and Journals

This week, I started telling the girls to begin thinking about what they wanted to put on their Summer List.  I had seen some ideas on Pinterest (of course!).  I didn't want to use whole lists from Pinterest, but they were good for getting us thinking.

Last night, I had them get some paper and pencils and we brainstormed ideas.  Then, this morning, I took the lists and made it "pretty."  I took a picture of it after I finished it and posted it, so many of you have already seen it.

But, it turns out I forgot something...

I pinned something on Pinterest earlier this year that I want to try this summer, and I had forgotten to put it on the list.  I haven't told the girls about it yet, but I think they are going to like it.  The idea is Summer Journals.  Click here to read about how one mom did it.  

I will using her blog as a guide to get started and then I think it will take off on its own. 

Today Lily and I ran to the store to buy basic notebooks and it's killing her that I won't tell her why yet.  I'm waiting to get labels on them, and I want to explain to both the girls at the same time.  This is the first summer that she is reading, so she will be able to do this also, on a much more basic level.  Though I think we will draw in them too.  

The girls still have "quiet time" most afternoons for at least an hour.  They don't usually sleep (though the can), but they have to be quiet in their rooms, and that will be a good time to do notebooks.  I'm actually pretty excited about this.

As a elementary teacher, I also know it can only be a good thing for their reading and writing.  So, I'm encouraging you to do it too.  Kids who write are better readers and kids who read are better writers.  Okay, off my soapbox.  (Sorry, literacy is a passion.)

Some observations about kids and change and moving, a year later

We have been in our new house just 12 months now, and Abby is wrapping up her first year at her new school, and I have learned a few things about my children, and maybe (?) kids, in general, with how this whole change and moving things went.

I should say that we only moved 10 minutes away, but did have to move elementary schools because of the way the boundary lines are drawn.  Same school district, different elementary.  Abby was able to see some of her old friends, and still does.

The beginning of the year was hard.  She did great academically.  Socially, she had a hard time.  And, she is a happy little girl who always has lots of friends.  Friends have NEVER been a problem.  At her parent/teacher conference after 9 weeks of school (in October), her teacher told us she was just starting to see the "spark" of Abby that we had told her about.  9 weeks!  And, I would say on the friend thing, it took longer than that to not want to go back to her old school.  Now, as in May, she says that she would miss her school if she left.  That's the whole school year.

This picture is from the second week of school (August) when I was so worried about her not playing with anyone at recess that I went in to have lunch with her.  Things are so much better now.  Earlier this month she had her first sleepover with girls from her class.  That was a big step.

Also, a funny story about Lily's little mind.  This spring, we drove past our old house, and she had no idea which house it was.  I had to tell her.  She recognized the front of the neighborhood, but not the house.  When I told her I found that insane, she replied, "Well, it's been a year!"  

So, if you worry about your child missing the actual (physical) house, don't.  :)  

And, I guess school just works itself out.  Not much you can do except pray, and be involved at school.  Volunteer.  Check in with the teacher.  Ask lots of questions.  Make your child talk to you.  At least that's what I did.

We're looking forward to summer now, but not dreading next year!

Ultimate S'mores-You must try!

We have been sucking the life out of our Memorial Day weekend.  It's been fabulous.  

Last night, we had a cookout, complete with our first official firepit and s'mores of the summer.

yummmmm...

While we were at the grocery store shopping for supplies, we decided to try a new idea and go for an "Ultimate" S'more.  We usually buy just marshmallows and fudge stripe cookies.  The cookies already have chocolate on them, so you don't have to buy separate graham crackers and chocolate.  So easy.  I can't thank our friends Lauren and Lacie enough for teaching us that trick.

So, as for our "fancy" s'mores... we bought a back of York Peppermint Patties (a snack pack with 8), graham crackers, and marshmallows.  Then, we put them together, wrapped them in foil,

and put them on the grill for 5-10 minutes.  

They. were. heaven.  

Everything melted way more than if we had roasted the marshmallows over the firepit, and the Yorks got all melty and yummy.  Even those who weren't convinced that the peppermint was the way to go, loved them.

Next?  Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

Then, we let the kids go to town on our the standard roasted marshmallow-cookie s'mores.  

Fun times.

Emi-Jay Inspired Hair Ties

A couple weeks ago, I bought the girls some Emi Jay hair ties from GMA's Deals and Steals (apparently they are VERY in with celebrities).  They are generally pretty expensive, but the deal was for a little container a bunch of their new skinny creaseless hair ties and 2 headbands.  The girls have some similar ones that they got for Christmas and the pop of color is fun.  They have to still have an elastic under them to hold up their fine hair, but the color is still fun.  I actually really like the 2 headbands that were included.

Anyway, long story short, I decided to buy some elastic and make some of them for much cheaper.  I googled hints ("how to make emi jay hair ties") and what kind of elastic to buy.  I found several tutorials.  Here is one I liked.  So I ordered some fold over elastic, and it arrived today!  I bought it in a multi-pack on Etsy at a shop that specializes in it. They even had polka dot styles!

It's pretty easy.  You cut it to length.  Run the end through the flame of a lighter (being very careful) to seal the cut edge, and knot it.  Easy peasy.  Go make yourselves some.

Enough with the end of school year projects!

Last week, I posted on Facebook that for the first time ever, we forgot to do Abby's homework.  Twice.  In one week.

I've become THAT mom.  That end-of-year mom.  I guess it took her getting to third grade?  Last year, Jen Hatmaker (a Christian blogger/author/speaker I like) posted this (Worst End of School Year Mom Ever) and I laughed along, though I wasn't that mom.  It got shared so much and went so viral, she was on the Today show.  This year, I relate.  Then, I saw this (Parents at the End of the School Year vs the End).

So, this week is my hell.  Next week is the last week of school for Abby and this is Lily's last week of preschool.  So, preschool can't just have a last day and say "Hurrah!"  They have to have a celebration and for the first time this year, they have to decorate a box to race around in at the celebration.  Really?  So, now, we're painting and cutting up boxes and prepping for the race.  Sigh.

In addition to this, Abby's grade level is doing a big mini-ecomony project.  Every student has to come up with a good to sell, market it, create a commercial, and next week they'll have their "sales."

We came up with, what I thought at the time, was a great and original idea.  I still think that is the case.  I'm just not sure I realized the work involved on my part.  She's making bird seed molds (that hold together with unflavored gelatin).  They are cool, but to make a lot is time consuming.  We're using a silicon mold, but we still only can make 6 at a time and the sale is for her whole grade level, which is 4 classes.  I'm still not sure how many we should make.  That whole supply and demand thing.  There is bird seed everywhere!  Plus, I'm doing more of it than I'd like.

(on my dining room table)

(in my freezer)

 (more in my freezer)

Isn't the end of the year, supposed to be the easy time?  Winter would have been a nice time to do this, when we were snowed in, with nothing else to do.  I just scheduled swim lessons yesterday and our summer is shaping up to stay busy.  I guess that's a good thing too.  

I'd really just rather just nap.  (here's a picture the girls snapped of me with my Milo).

Another gymnastics season in the books...

This morning was Abby's Championships for this season of gymnastics!   She had a great competition, but if you'll bear with me, I'd like to give you a little background that I haven't shared before...

This has been an interesting year of gymnastics for her.  She repeated her level this year to try to really perfect her necessary skills needed, specifically her nemesis:  uneven bars.  There were some ways that this year was fun.  She worked with a very small group of girls that were also repeating (small group equals getting to know each other well!), but in some ways it was tough because they were all a couple of years younger than her because many of her friends moved up a level.  Uneven bars have continued to be really hard for her, but she seems to pull it out at most meets and complete her skills.  At our last meet, however, she had a really rough time and it was one of her worst meets.  She left not feeling good, and not liking being on competitive team at all.  -ready to quit for next year.

This didn't really come as a surprise because we've been debating what to do next year for months.  We know that gymnastics is something that Abby likes, but she isn't going to be an elite gymnast.  She is a hard worker, but she's doing it for FUN.  That all said, moving to 8 and 12 hours of practice a week just isn't something we're willing to do as a family.  There are too many other things for a 8-9 year old girl to do other than gymnastics (family, school, homework, church, friends, other sports, etc.) Not to mention, that is how you  make a little girl like Abby hate gymnastics, and that's not why we're doing it.

The first practice after that bad meet I mentioned?  Her coach approached me about a new competitive team they are creating that they think will be a good fit for Ab.  Instead of compulsory routines, it will be optionals, or what USAGym calls Xcel (Bronze level).  I researched, Matt and I talked, I met with the Head Coach.  -and we're in.  Abby is sooooo excited!  She has a renewed excitement for next year and we feel like it is an answered prayer.  The practices aren't going to be insanely long (only 4 hours a week) and she'll be with girls her age.

Sooooo, fast forward to today.  This was her last meet before her new team.  And it went awesome.  She did great.  Last year, she placed last or almost last for everything.  Not this year!

(They place you only with girls in your age group)
 (Abby's in the white jacket- she's the only one from our team in this age group)

9th on Vault

 7th on Uneven Bars!!!!!

(Abby and I kept eye contact while they were calling all the place before they got to her, and her eyes got bigger and bigger every time it wasn't her.  She thought she'd be last place!  I cried.)

8th on Balance Beam

6 on Floor Exercise

8th All Around (all four scores added up)

My gymnast

Mom's Night Out

I got to see Mom's Night Out as a little Mother's Day surprise yesterday.  It was the perfect Mother's Day movie, and I thought I'd share the trailer of it.  Enjoy!

My first pillowcase dresses!

I posted a while back on Facebook that I wanted to learn how to make a pillowcase dress.  I'd seen pillowcase dresses online at Hanna Andersson, a company that makes darling kids' clothes, for up to $28 a piece.  I KNOW that they aren't that hard to make, and I am fairly proficient at sewing, I just needed a tutorial or some size recommendations for my girls.  

Here's the $28 one I was trying to mimic:

I put together some of the recommendations and tutorials I found myself, and went fabric shopping.  I found some batik and tie-dye type fabric that cute and put both dresses together in a couple hours.  The ironing took the longest.

The girls love them and both wore them to church today and looked super cute.  I'm happy with how they turned out and we talked about maybe making another set, but maybe they can help pick out the fabric this time around.  :)

Pretty girls!

The girls and I have been reading some classics...

A while back, I posted that the girls and I were reading our way through a couple of the Chronicles of Narnia books (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The Magician's Nephew).  We decided to take a little break from the series and try some new books.  Here  is what we've been reading with some recommendations...

The next book we tried was A Wrinkle in Time.  The reason we chose this one is kind of funny.  One of my girls' favorite contemporary series is "Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls" by Meg Cabot.  We get the audiobooks and listen to them in the car.  The main character is in fourth grade and I have to admit, even Matt and I don't mind listening to them (unlike some audiobooks).  In one of the books, Allie talks quite a bit about her favorite book, which is A Wrinkle in Time, so of course we had to check it out.  

I actually had never read this, even though it's a "classic."  I will say, Lily was not old enough for it.  She had a hard time paying attention to it.  I would say ideal age for reading this (aloud or otherwise) is probably 9+ due to text structure and such.  Good book but a little complex.  They enjoyed and it and remember key points but I would wait next time.

After such a heavy book, I needed something light and short.  I pulled Sarah, Plain and Tall and Skylark (the sequel) out of my old teaching stuff.  They are super short, but still chapter books.  They take place in what I call "Little House on the Prairie" times.  The girls liked them.

I'd really like to show them the Hallmark movie but don't know how to get my hands on it.  

Last night we started a new book and have read 2 chapters... so far it's a hit.  We will not be doing anything with the movie as it's not anything like the book.  We'll just be enjoying the book.

All of these are Newbury Medal or Honor books, which just happens to be a coincidence, but it's kind of nice to introduce the girls to some classics.  They read contemporary stuff on their own.

Are your kids reading anything good?