Problem...

I'm having a problem. I am the yearbook coordinator for my kid's school. I knew this task would not be an easy one when I signed up to do it. But I've run into a problem already, and I would love everyone's advise.

The school's theme this year is "We Want You!" (Uncle Sam/Patriotic theme). Each time the school has a function, I take several pictures of the function, upload them onto pages for the yearbook, and then put a catchy little phrase on the top of the page (a spin off of the "We Want You!" theme). Here's an example of what I'm talking about. I had parents send in pictures of their child/children on the first day of school, I uploaded them to the yearbook, then gave it the title "We Want You To Have A Great First Day of School!" For the Fall Dance I did the same thing, with the title "We Want You To Boogie On Down!" You get the point.

Okay, so the school had College Day last week, and I'm struggling with this page. Perhaps I'm over-thinking this one, because at first I put the title "We Want You to Go to College!" on the page. Somehow, that just doesn't sound right to me. Not all children will go to college. And do we really want every child to go to college? What about trade schools and fine art schools, and entrepreneurs, and so on. I don't know... I realize that it is the hope, the dream, and the aspiration of every educator and maybe even every parent that every child go to college. But, what's realistic? See? I told you I was over-thinking this one! :-)

I'm asking for your help. What are your thoughts on this subject matter? Can you come up with a better title for me to use? What about "We Want You to Dream Big!" or "We Want You to Reach For The Stars!" Kind-of vague, I know. But is it better? Help!

Disheartening

My 8 year old's legs are now as long as mine.

My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning in here."

My mother taught me about religion.
"You'd better pray that comes out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about time travel.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me logic.
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me more logic.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me later."

My mother taught me foresight.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me irony.
"Keep crying, and I'll really give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of osmosis.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mother taught me about contortionism.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about stamina.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mother taught me about the weather.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

My mother taught me about hypocrisy.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the circle of life.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about behavior modification.
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about envy.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about anticipation.
"Just wait until we get home!"

My mother taught me about receiving.
"You are going to get it when we get home!"

My mother taught me about medical science.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My mother taught me about ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

My mother taught me humor.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me how to become an adult.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me genetics.
"You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about my roots.
"Shut that door. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me wisdom.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

My mother taught me about justice.
"One day you'll have kids of your own, and I hope they turn out just like you."

My mom sent me this, and I thought it was good for a laugh or two. Hope you enjoyed it.

Bird Watching

I went to a friend's garage sale this morning, and bought a hummingbird feeder for a whopping 50 cents. Brought it home, cleaned it up, and made some sugar water (thanks, Mom Consuelo, for the "recipe"). Hung it up outside my kitchen window and (quite foolishly) sat in my kitchen and waited. And I waited. And I waited. And then I realized it would probably take a long time for the hummingbirds to discover the feeder, and I needed to go about my day as I normally would. I went to pick the kids up after school, and when we got home I started unpacking lunch boxes. And that's when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this...

And after I screamed for the kids to all come take a look, and scared the poor little birdy away, I realized that the pictures I'd snapped were all taken without the flash. So, when the hummingbird came back (yea!), I snapped these pictures.

Who knew I'd ever get such a big kick out of bird watching?

A Real Conversation

AVERY: "Mommy, what do Police Officers do?"
ME: "Well, they keep the peace and make sure everyone is obeying the law."
AVERY: "What happens when people don't obey the law?"
ME: "Usually, the Police Officer will give the person a warning or write them a ticket. But sometimes the Police Officer has to take the person to jail."
AVERY: "So, they take care of the bad guys?"
SAMUEL: "Like Batman!"
AVERY: "NO! Like God."
ISAAC: "NO! Like Blues Clues."

Folks, I can't make this stuff up...

Labor Day

Fun and games...

Bowling, in the dark!

Boys and their toys!

Dinner with friends.

Call off the search crew! I have emerged from the closet unscathed!!!

"There is a name I love to hear.
I love to sing its worth.
It sounds like music in my ear.
The sweetest name on earth.

Oh, how I love Target.
Oh, how I love Target.
Oh, how I love Target.
Because it first loved me!"

I am an organized person. However, when I was pregnant with Isaac, my desire and ability to maintain my past level of organization in my home and personal life declined significantly. With a husband, house, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 children and a third child on the way, I simply lacked the motivation to keep it all up. Go figure!

After Isaac was born and got a little older and more independent, I vowed that 2008 was going to be the year I reclaimed an organized home and life. And then 2008 came and went.

So, I vowed that 2009 was going to be the year I reclaimed an organized home and life. But January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August all came and went, and 2009 wasn't looking too good either. That is, UNTIL last week.

I LOVE the dollar bins at Target! Why do I love them so much??? You've obviously never been to the dollar bins at Target if you have to ask. No, I love them because the dollar bins at Target have helped me finally reclaim a certain level of organization in my closet that I can be proud of. Yes folks, I have finally organized my closet (trumpets are blasting in my head)!!!

I found shoe racks for $2.50 each. And I found bags that are supposed to go underneath the bed, but I'm using them in the top of my closet, also for $2.50 each. And they're cute! :-) That's what I'm talking about here!

My closet... It's in the shape of an "L." Now, I truly do not mean to offend anyone here. But you know a man designed this closet, because no woman in her right mind would ever do such a thing. Shortly after we bought this house, my closet became a thorn in my side. I hated my closet. And so I did what any woman in the same position would do... I started avoiding it. But last week I finally felt strong enough to confront the closet with the help of my dear friend, Target. I decided that my closet was not going to have power over me anymore. Okay, so perhaps words alone are simply not enough to help you truly understand why I am so excited about this. So, I very reluctantly show you this "Before" picture. And let me just say, I am not showing you the back of the closet, intentionally. Sorry folks... I will share some things, but that was just too bad. I can not display here the horror that was the back of my closet. So, I will show you this "Before" picture of the front of my closet, because I feel that showing it to you all will somehow allow me to let go of this tremendous burden I've been carrying around for oh, 4 years now, give or take a few months, here and there...

Before...
Processing... Processing... Processing...

And After...

Shoes are actually in shoe racks...

Wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper are actually organized, in cute "under-bed" bags on the closet shelves...

Books are actually on the book shelf...
Purses are actually off the floor, hanging on this cute mirror with hooks that I got at a Mommy Swap...
Accessories are actually "accessorized" in this cute organizer... Yeah, it was $2.50 at Target!

Incidentally, the back of my closet IS actually good for something else, other than a place to throw things that have nowhere else to go in my home. It makes for a great place to hide when you're playing Hide-n-Seek with Mommy.

Now, go get organized! I'm outta here!!! :-)

This Plate

I made this plate last year in my Mothers of Preschooler (MOPS) group. I like this plate a lot. Let me tell you why... It was super easy to make, I get tons of compliments on it, and I've taken the idea and given plates like it to several people as gifts. Basically, all you need is a plate (it can be made of any material), 1 can of black chalkboard paint (you can find it at any arts-n-crafts store like Micheal's), and a foam paint brush. Some of the women in my MOPS group painted their entire plate, leaving no outside border. But I left a border on my plate because I thought it was pretty. So, you paint whatever area you want covered in the chalkboard paint, let it dry, then put on a second coat and let it dry. And boom, you're done! You have an adorable chalkboard plate. Oh, and some of the ladies in my MOPS group hot-glued a piece of ribbon to the back of their plates, so that they could hang it somewhere. But I bought the stand so that I could move it around and put it on my kitchen table, sideboard, or kitchen counter top. I got the stand from Target for around $10.

Okay, so I took this idea and expanded upon it. I found some really lovely plates at Michael's and used them as place cards for our guests at Avery's birthday tea party. She and I made the plates together and when the party was over, we gave the plates as gifts to our guests (Grandmothers, Aunts, etc.). They were a big hit, if I do say so myself. And then, because I had all that chalkboard paint left over, Avery, Samuel and I went to Target (have I mentioned that I love Target?) and found some really cute melamine platters. Then we made teacher appreciation gifts out of them. Samuel and Avery gave the platters to their teachers for Teacher Appreciation week last May, and I was so thrilled to see that both of their teachers from last year have their chalkboard platters hanging in their classrooms this year. On the platters, in chalk we wrote, "Welcome to _______'s (teacher's name) Classroom." And we put a piece of ribbon on their platters so that they could hang them up.

So, you might be asking yourself what you use a chalkboard plate for exactly? Well, I started using my plate at home to write little notes to the kids and to Hector on (saves paper!). I also used it when we were preparing to go on our summer vacation, as a countdown clock. Each morning we'd erase the number of days until our vacation, and write in the new number. The kids had a lot of fun with that. We also did a countdown clock on the plate for the first day of school, but the kids weren't too thrilled about that countdown. :-) And on their first day of school when they woke up and came to the table for breakfast, I had written, "This is your first day of 1st and 2nd grade. Make it a great day!" When they came home from school, I had written on the plate, "Was it a great day?" And then on the second day of school when they came home, I had written, "Was the 2nd day even better than the 1st?" By the third day of school, when they came home and saw a new note on the plate that said, "Woo Hoo! We start Choir & Missions at church tonight!" they started expecting a new note on the plate each afternoon. And so, I've kept it up, and now I've started using this plate as a daily conversation starter/daily affirmation plate with my kids. And they really do love it! Each afternoon they can't wait to see what the plate says. I've asked them what the best part of their day was, who they sat next too during lunch, to tell me 1 new thing they learned at school, etc. I really do like this plate!

It's the little things...

...that make me happy these days. Like Isaac going pee pee on the potty 3 times today. Yep, it looks like he's on the road to becoming potty trained. And well, that just makes me happy. :-)