It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

I don't have kiddos of my own, but I did get the chanced to keep the kids I watch over a long weekend, and they have an Elf on the Shelf (named Carl) so I got to play along with all the fun I see floating around the blogs!

I finally got around to decorating my house for Christmas too!

 This is our upstairs tree, and it's a travel theme.  Since we've been dating, the hubster and I pick up an ornament from every place we visit, so that's what's on this tree, along with some fun pink and turquoise ornaments for a fun!

Last year we got a new tree for downstairs, and it's SO pretty! 

 I LOVE the berries and pinecones that are on it!

 Our kitchen table even got a mini makeover too!

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Link Parties - I don't get to all of them with each post, but you should check them out!

Sundays:  I <3 Naptime, 1+1+1=1 ( kid friendly), Little Wonders' Days (kid friendly)
Mondays : C.R.A.F.T.,Making the World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Skip To My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping It Simple, Sew Can Do, The DIY Home Sweet Home Project, Home Stories A to Z
Ninth Street Notions, Polly Want A Crafter, Ask Anna, Pinkapotamus, So Creative
Tuesdays: Today's Creative Blog, All Thingz Related, Sugar Bee Crafts,Tales of A Trophy Wife, Today's Creative Blog, Not Just A Housewife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Crayon Freckles,
Wednesdays: Fireflies & Jelly Beans, Sew Much Ado, Blue Cricket Design, Lil' Luna, Polka Dots On Parade, Free Pretty Things For You, A Little Tipsy (DIY under $5), DIY By Design, Raising 4 Princesses(kid friendly), This Chick Cooks (recipes), Lollipops (what I love), Sew Much Ado, Organize and Decorate Everything, The Girl Creative
 Thursdays: A Glimpse Inside, My Repurposed Life, Simple Home Life,
Fridays: TaterTots & Jello, Sun Scholars (kid friendly), Remodelaholic, Bacon Time, Stuff & Nonsense, At The Picket Fence
Saturdays: I Can Teach My Child (kid friendly), Be Different, Act Normal,

Today I...

"Dear World:
I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day long.. and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.
I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning...and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine.
Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Goodbye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells...and deadlines...and she'll learn to giggle...and gossip...and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy 'cross the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about those important things...like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friends is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ...which is only right. But no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time...she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group...with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud...or kiss dogs...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.
Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.
So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two brown eyes...and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well."

-Victor Bruno



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The kiddos went back to school today. While they're not mine, and they're both boys, I heard this poem on the radio today and it was very touching! I was so ready to see them back to school to restore some peacefulness and relaxation in my day, but when the baby was napping it was so quiet I didn't know what to do with myself! Hope all of you parents survived the first day back to school, and all of you teachers survived with your sanity still intact!

Terrific Tuesday

Flashback to childhood toys of mine today with the kiddos. We went digging through one of the kiddos closets and found some legos and some lincoln logs! Score!

...side note...is it just me or have legos gotten increasingly complex since I was young? There were a million pieces and like, 35 steps, to complete each little project in the booklet that came with it.

Also, the weather was super nice; especially this morning when it was still in the 80's and humidity was low! We went outside and played hopscotch (throwing in the teaching stuff there counting by 1's and 2's!),


and then we played a game that I kind of made up as we went along with a bullseye and some water guns (practicing counting by 5's and turn taking).


Oh, and then when it got too hot we brought it back new school with some Xbox360 Kinect Bowling!

Only a week and a couple days until the kiddos go back to school I can make it through...I think! :p







Linking Up to

Fun With Food

I decided to make a fun lunch for the boys today. I found this site and this site that have some great ideas, so I chose some and improvised with what we had at the house. The kiddos have lots of sensory issues, and are very limited in what they'll eat, so I'm always trying to introduce new foods and in ways that will entice them to eat.
I made a fish with mandarin oranges and blueberries,

and turned a bologna and cheese sandwich into a monkey (truthfully it was supposed to be Mater from Cars but that didn't turn out so well so I turned it into a monkey)

Unfortunately I think it was too abstract of a concept for them because when I showed it to them and asked them what it was/ what it was in the shape of/ what it looked like (believe me I asked a million ways before giving them the answer) the kiddo who got the fish just kept saying oranges, and the one with the monkey said "Oh wow!" (it got my hopes up here that he got it) then followed it with "A bologna sandwich! Thanks Jessica!"...at least I had fun making them! :D

$1 Summer Movie Express

I'm always looking for inexpensive things to do with the kiddos. This summer select Regal Theaters are playing some G and PG rated movies, and it only costs $1 (tax included)! With 2 special needs kids and a 17 month old, I'm always nervous to take the boys out to the theater because prices are RIDICULOUS around here! I can stand to loose $3 though, so we gave it a try today. We went to see Shrek Forever After and they loved it! We had to leave a little early because the baby got fussy/tired, but were able to stay for about 1 1/2 hours of it. It was fantastic! Check out here to see if there's a theater near you. There's still a couple weeks left, and they play 2 different movies on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Five Favorite Finds

Schools out for summer, and the kiddos I watch get bored SO easily, so I'm featuring five of my favorite finds for summer activities that can be done around the house. Best of all, these are all pretty much free things you probably already have!
Paddleball by Pen n' Paperflowers - this post is actually about a beautiful red themed ball they threw, but this was one of the fabulous ideas shared...a balloon, popsicle sticks, and paper plates; GENIUS!
Cardboard Creations at ikat bag - several different ideas for building things with cardboard boxes
Pudding Pops from Our Best Bites - my kiddos are allergic to nuts so we kind of picked and chose from a couple recipes, and ended up making chocolate banana ones that were really good! We also just used small plastic cups and popsicle sticks since we didn't have molds, and they turned out just fine.
Car Wash found via a news link - doesn't this look like a lot of fun!?
Spy Training found at Chicken Babies - she had a spy themed party and shared lots of fun ideas, but my favorite was definitely the "laser" obstacle course.

Have you guys found other neat things? I'd love for you to share your ideas! I love the kiddos, but with 2 six year olds with special needs and a 16 month old, I'm going to need all the help I can get!