Parenting

Repurposed Puzzle Snail Mail Letters

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It seems to me like all we ever get in the mail are bills, magazines, political propaganda (which I think is over now, thank goodness), and an occasional party invite.

In my sometimes old fashioned nostalgia I encourage our kids to send letters to friends or family.  Santanna is especially fond of making letters and pictures for her little friends.  Who does not like to receive a fun piece of mail personally addressed to them in ink??

Our friends daughter,  who I wrote about previously  who is battling brain cancer, is getting an overwhelming amount of mail, letters and packages, guess who feels a little left out/angry about not getting any mail?  Little sister Elsa.  So, her mom grudgingly asked if we could help a girl out and send some snail mail Elsa’s way.  I think we all know how hard it can be to actually ask for help when you need it right?!

This got me thinking, we needed to blow up this girls snail mail box, how many pictures was Tanna willing to color?

Then it came to me, a puzzle letter:

Here is what we did:

  1.  Went to savers (you might have one of these not being used at home as well, we recycled this one, you might be able to repurpose your own),  bought this puzzle.

2.  We put the puzzle together upside down. This is harder then you think wihtout picture clues.

3. I helped Santanna write a letter and she drew whatever and decotared whatever she wanted in Sharpie and Crayola markers.

       4.     I included instructions with the first envelope.

       5. Then we took the puzzle about, mixed it all up and I got out my postal scale for mailing packages and we weighed each one equal to/less than an ounce.  For this puzzle it was about 5 pieces per envelope.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I am so excited for her friend to get this, she is going to be thrilled, plus it gives her something to look forward too.

I think I am also going to do this when the big kids are at camp for the summer.

Back to School

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Yes school stared last week, but it feels more real today.  After all the orientations and meet the teacher and back to school happenings, last week felt more like an intro into back to school.

I am actually very sad that summer is over, we had such a fun summer, evident from my lack of blog posts ;), that it was very hard to send everyone back to school.

Today it was just Avalon and me at home for the morning, and we spent the whole morning outside, she played in her water table and the sandbox, and I cleaned out 2 flowerbeds, the garden, picked up after Farley and have the tractor sprinkler watering the almost completely dead grass.

Truth: I still miss the kids but I am LOVING being productive when they are not here.

My goal, I am sure I have posted before; for the blog is to post the completed photos of some of the projects we have introduced the beginnings of on here.  For sure the corner fireplace, and some bedrooms that we have been redecorating, also we have what I hope is going to be an awesome project for the garage to post about.

Here are the charmers that I am missing while they are at school:

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*sigh*….off to be domestically productive.

Golden 3

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Here it is the big 3, Avalon turned 3 today marking her Golden birthday.  I really have no idea what the history is for Golden Birthdays, making me think I should do a little research for my knowledge bank.

Back to the birthday girl, she is the youngest, I can’t say last it hurts to much, I would love another, our own or maybe even an adopted,  and I can’t coin her “the baby” because I have expectations for her that are the same as all the other 3.

We went for her 3 year check up today, since she has had some minor growth delays and health issues, I like to keep a record of her growth should it stall/stop again.  Great new for Avalon she is now in the 5% percentile for height and 13%!!! for weight,  considering she was totally of the charts for most of her 2nd year this is awesome!!

It was another day packed full of normal day activities , but I snuck in a city bus ride to downtown with the kids, Avalon really wanted to ride a bus, such an easy wish to grant on a birthday.

After dinner and cupcakes Solomon, Raiven and Santanna gave Avalon their gifts, it juts warms my heart how much our kids love to give to each other and the time and thought they put into their gifts.  The girls each made cards, Raiven’s was a pop out card that I know she spent a lot of time on.

So thankful to celebrate another candle on the cake for our little sprite!  You grow girl!!!

While they sleep

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I should have taken a before picture…..it was a total explosion of imaginext toys, swimsuits from the swim bag and the table was covered in schoolwork debris.  You know the kind all those amazingly “special” papers that come home by the tree load every day.

So while the little girls slept I weeded through all of it and moved the furniture around, and re-organized the “homework” table (that I blogged about here) and have made it summer ready.

I put paper in each bin, one bin is lined and one is plain.  I was thinking some of those little hangs that fasten with tags would be perfect, but since I did not have any I just used a good old rock from the landscaping.

And while I was out there I cut these to bring a little more outdoors in.

So much better!  I can be such a better mom and give them more of my time with clean organized spaces. Think I can finish the house before all 4 of the kids are home for summer starting Friday?

Happy Brithday Girl!

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Raiven turns 8 today, she is so excited, and told us she is not so worried about what her presents are but how happy she is to be a year older. I am glad that she is taking what we are attempting to teach her to heart, and I know she is aware of how important it is to be thankful, but come on, after soccer practice tomorrow, I hope she feels giddy about opening her presents, and that she enjoys the thought that her brother, sisters and Jon and I put into picking out gifts for her.

It seems like a year can change so much in a child’s life, her big teeth have changed her smile into a beautiful pre teen smile. She is a sensitive girl ( she gets that from me) but has a spit fire need to play hard and is not afraid to get dirty, She plays with the boys at school but also has lots of girl friends. She has a tender heart and takes kids under her wing. A boy joined her second grade class this year sometime in late September and really felt out of the loop, Raiven friended  him and his mom was telling me the other day how Raiven has really been a great friend to her son. She just has this caring personality and an innate sense to be a helper. Raiven loves to read and enjoys her math homework. She laughs and giggles easily (she gets this from Jon).

Happy Birthday Raiven So! I hope 8 is another wonderful year for you!!

County Fair Submissions

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We do not belong to 4H, nor or we farmers in the sense that we rely on our bounty for profit.  However, we are a creative bunch that likes to get our hands dirty in the earth and create projects, and what better way to celebrate these than to participate in the county fair.

I know we all have memories from childhood, the midway rides the animals, and cotton candy on a stick.  I just love the fair, I am a cowgirl at  heart.  Every year we take the kids to look at the animals and get a milkshake from the diary trailer.

Now that the kids are a little older we have started a new tradition of entering projects garden grown goodies.

The 3 older kids entered their Lego projects and were given participation ribbons.

Santanna’s Project and her ribbon.

Raiven’s project and her ribbon.

The little girls also entered onions and kohlrabis:

Santanna’s first place kohlrabis.

Avalon’s 3rd place red onions.

Solomon entered red mulberry jam and won first place.  I am so proud of him, he spend at lest 4 hours harvesting the berries from a tree in my mom’s back yard, then he rinsed them, took the stems, off and followed a no cook freezer jam recipe.

I entered the growth chart into an adult woodworking hobby category, I was very pleased to receive a second place ribbon.

The kids take from this experience a pride in participation.  They were very gracious about each others winnings and were already buzzing about what to make next year, taking inspiration from so many wonderful other projects on display.

We did also earn $4.50 in prize money, just enough for one more milkshake…or Tom Thumb donuts….mmmmmm, fair food!

It is such fun participating in the fair and it always seem to come and go so quickly.  Can’t wait until next year!!

Great Summer Read for the Whole Family

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Raiven received this book for her 7th birthday.  We just finished reading “Callie Vee”,the night before school let out for the summer.  However, this would be a terrific summer read out loud book for the whole family. And perhaps inspire some to get their own “notebooks”.

Summary of the book : Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.

Each chapter in this book has an except for Darwin’s Evolution of Species book, the vocabulary in this book is phenomenal, it has some words that even I had to look up and I feel my vocab is adequate.  My son who is 8 and daughter who is 7, listened intently every night to the chapter we would read.  Even the 1 and 3-year-old listened some nights.

This book really brings to light how far women have come in earning rights and respect in many male predominant fields.  Callie Vee wants to be a scientist and go to the University, her mother wants her to be a domesticated women, typical of this time.  Callie has 6 brothers, so she feels the pressure of her mothers desire.

Her Grandfather is an open-minded, mad scientist of sorts, the relationship that builds between them is empowering and inspiring.

Our family fell into many conversations at the dinner table regarding the topics in this book as well as timeline and historical achievements in women’s lib, and how amazing science and nature are.   Read and enjoy, and feel free to add your thoughts on this book.

One day…not including normal household chores…

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breakfast, coffee, school, flowers, doughnuts, Dr. appointment, sports store, grocery store, home, lunch, stories, shower, school, ice cream, home, snack, baseball game, baseball game, dinner, baths, stories, download pictures, back to bed, ……glass of wine!!

It was the last day of school and really quite a perfect day cool and perfect weather to watch the kids play ball in a hoodie and jeans.  No pictures, just a sampling of a day in the life….

Easy, Beautiful, Inexpensive Teacher Gift

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In the words of a dear teacher friend, “please no more coffee mugs…they are great….I love coffee…not that much”. So I asked her what she would really want from her  students as a thank you.

Gift cards to places like Barnes and Noble, this way she can buy books that she can add to her classroom. Also teachers like to read adult non-curriculum books during their break.

Gift cards, to places like Panera or other little shops so she can pick out a fun treat during the summer. Pick one out to a fun boutique in your town, does not have to be much even $10.00 is a treat.

Movie passes so she can see a movie during the summer.

A bottle of wine, or other spirit, perhaps a parent should bring this in, yes teachers like to relax a bit too.

A hanging plant or potted plant that she can put outside to bloom all summer, or get really crafty and put together a small container herb garden.

So here is what we did, we went to Savers’….of course, to buy a vase. There is almost a whole aisle full of flower vases that are donated, the budget 99cents. Whatever one they wanted.

Next stop, Trader Joes’, LOVE this place and their flowers are amazing. $7.99 for each bouquet.

We cleaned the sticker off the bottom of the vase, the kids all trimmed the flowers to fit their vases:

I helped Tanna with her cards…she hepled cut them out;

Solomon went out to the yard and got some Hosta flowers to fill his vase in a bit:

Then they made their own cards, this is truly the sweetest part. I think flowers brighten everyone’s day, I know they will be enjoyed for a bit, and not left on a shelf, and totally not included the paper we had here for the cards, 99 cents for the vase $7.99 for flowers plus a little for the taxman = $9.70….handmade card = priceless…of course.

My son can sew….so?

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 Anyone who has the privilege of playing the role of parent has at some time, I am sure of this, wondered what the impact of a hobby,  friendship, activity, preference..insert any other I may have missed, will have on their child.  I think often this is related more to boys than girls.  A girl who likes to play rough with the boys is assertive, who like to use tools in the garage a future independent woman.  But, what about the boy who chooses books instead of football?  Or,  will play baby dolls and house with his sisters.  Is he gay? Soft? Weak?  There are seemingly such positive connotations to the “tomboy” and not so positive connotations tagged to the opposite.

I have known moms who state that their husbands would never allow their boys to play with dolls, or dress up.  I am thankful that  I have a husband who has always encouraged the excitement of youth and creativity alongside me,  and never let the opinions of what might be deemed a “norm” break the spirit of any of our children. He is also very eager to show the girls how to use any tool in the garage.  I know that to some it may seem silly that this topic even has to be discussed, I agree, but we cannot pretend that norms are not still ever present, especially as parents.  

There is no gender balance in our house, the girls outnumber 4 to 2, however  that is where is ends.  Our oldest daughter Raiven just last week had her first sleep over away from our house, her friend was a boy, I never thought twice about saying yes,  I will reassess when she hits double digits! After my initial answer, I then felt the norms of society creep into the peripherals of my thoughts and wondered if this was “okay”.  Luckily the mom of this boy was equally fantastic, she of course had invited R and we talked about what this means and if there was any harm in this sleepover.  Now as a grown tomboy I have never thought that friends should be of same gender and that some friendships can be truly platonic .  So R had a sleepover and had a fantastic time and has found a great friend, who can match her speed and enthusiasm. Who cares if he is a boy.

On the flipside,  last weekend I sat down with a pile of felted wool sweaters from Savers, and was planning what fantastic homemade projects I could make from them, when Solomon asked if he could make something. Included in the task was sewing. By hand.  With a needle and thread.  Solomon spent most of his Saturday between reading  the book of the day cutting, sewing and embroidering his very own felted wool glasses case.  I have no worry that this will make him anything more than a well rounded young man. 

Today is Sunday there are football play offs, Raiven has her Steelers shirt on and will be actively routing.  Solomon will be reading, he has no interest.

I could not be more proud!! 

Solomon's glasses case.