Pioneer Ornaments

I got the chance to spend some time in Maddie's class today. Loved it. We made Pioneer Ornaments with loads of cinnamon and applesauce and the room smelled wonderful. Grace even came with which was nice because I needed the extra set of hands!! Really like Maddie's teacher this year which is an added bonus. We both have gluten "issues" so we can complain and compare products together. ;)

Love when I can sneak into her room for a little time to spend with just her. To see her at her desk. Interacting with her friends. Sneaking a little look at her and seeing her smile. Totally melts my heart. Love her so much and I'm trying so hard to make sure she isn't feeling left out with Grace getting to spend so much time with me during the day. I would feel left out!! So I try to make my minutes with her really count. Try to make sure I stay in her room at night a little longer to talk and rub her back. Thankfully she is content with being at school and doesn't seem to feel much of a void with Grace not being there. I'm sure she'll need therapy in about 15 years over this all, but for now everyone's hearts seem to be in the right place and that helps a lot.

Substitute

Got to hang out with Maddie and her "peeps" today, AND I got paid for it. That is what I call a win-win. Yesterday when I was up at school doing library with Maddie's class, her teacher pulled me aside and asked if I'd like to teach for her today. She had called the whole sub-list, and no one could do it. So, I am now an official sub for K-6 at their school. I had the best time today teaching all the little monkeys. They were SO well behaved. I had to show them who was the boss a few times, and lay down the heavy arm of the law, but they got it rather quickly. And I handed out suckers all day....that is a definate way to win them over. ;) I can't even begin to tell you how fun it was to look over at Maddie and wink at her or do something special only she and I got throughout the day. Eventhough I taught all my kids in PE last year, it's different only having them for an hour. Today was a full day of Maddie, and I loved it. The more I teach in classrooms, the more I think I like it and need to do it more.

We'll see what happens in the future, but my foot is in the door. And let's face it, being on the "inside" of where your children go to school is never a bad thing. That is how you learn of positions that need to be filled, teachers that are beyond amazing, and secretaries that wipe your childrens noses all day long. And secretaries truly are the backbone to any school. They are the one's that call and let you know your son has a fever, or your daughter fell off the slide and has a bloody nose. They give them the squeezes you can't give them because they are there with them. And today, I got to know that secretary a little more. And the janitor....God bless the janitors. They have one messy job. We are adjusting to being the "new" family at school, and trying to find our way.

Character Day

Grace and a bee had a run-in on the playground today...SO my child.

About a month ago, Maddie was given the assignment of picking a book from a list of the "classics". Tall tales....fairy tales, there were lots to choose from. We originally chose "Hansel and Gretel", and then I went to Barnes and Noble and read it....and decided we need to change directions. A grandma holding two children hostage in the woods and keeping one in a cage didn't seem to be quite the light fairy tale we were going for. Nevermind the ending where Gretel pushes granny into the fiery furnace and listens to her wail and scream.

Soooo, we decided to switch to "Little Red Riding Hood". Granny getting eatin' by a wolf sounded much more the route we wanted to go. ;) Poor granny's is all I have to say, they really are not well represented in fairy tales. Thankfully granny is cut out of the wolf's belly at the end and they all live "happily ever after". So, we practiced and practiced retelling the story here at home. Costume was ordered, and a cute little basket to carry her goodies in on her way to see Grandma was a must.

Today was the BIG day, and she did wonderful. She was nervous, but so was everyone else in her class. And, I think she looked pretty darn cute. We made little cookies last night to put in her basket that she could hand out after her presentation, since Granny wasn't going to be getting any!!! Such a fun day for her. We even walked in and out of every, single class from K-6th grade. She got to see her brother and sister, which she loved. My little red riding hood hit it out of the park today...not that I doubted her abilities for even a second.

Overnights and Bracelets

Madeline is having her very first overnight with a friend from school tonight. Hannah moved here this summer as well, and her and Maddie have totally hit it off. Last week Maddie reminded me that she has NEVER had a friend spend the night. :) And, she is right. I know by this age Caleb and Grace had, but Maddie just seems so little to me. Don't know why that is. Being the youngest she will always seem more little to me I guess. So, we decided tonight would be a great night to have Hannah over...and they are having too much fun. So cute. We decided to be a little crafty (you know that is a prerequisite when you come to our house!), and we made these super cute bracelets.

I remember seeing something like this last year, but never got around to making them. Aren't they too fun?! Three items - dental floss, pumpkins, and ribbon. I told the girls we could eat them during their movie tonight, which I'm sure will put them into sugar overload. So thankful Maddie is making friends and adjusting. We prayed all summer for one friend that would come along side her, and be a friend. Hannah has become that friend for Maddie and vice versa. I love answered prayers. :)

Missing Teeth

Why is when your child looses both front teeth they age 5 years? I'm coming to grips with the fact that our youngest has officially lost her front teeth, which equals...she is growing up. Sigh. I know she has to, and I am ready for her to, it just stinks. Maybe it's because she lost both teeth within 2 days, and I had zero time to get used to her with one missing tooth. We went from all teeth to no teeth in less than 48 hours. She is beyond excited to have them missing. And leading her class in missing teeth this year. Does it get any better than that?!?! So we are now getting used to our little "whistler" who makes this cute little whistle noise when she talks. That's a lot of space to have in the front of your mouth. :) It's too cute, and I am loving it, and making her talk all the time so I can take full advantage of it. Our little "whistler" is growing...I think I need a puppy. ;)

The bad thing about making something cute for school is everyone wants you to make more!! So we whipped out another two dozen "brownie burgers" for the teacher luncheon today. I am officially over them. Time to move on to something else.

It Was A Good Day

When your day ends with a lifesize bucket of Tootsie-Rolls in your lap...you know it's been a good one. Add to that a movie to watch WHILE eating the tootsie-rolls, and well...you get the point. Maddie has been my car buddy for the summer. C and G have been doing some tutoring during the week which means that leaves a lot of time for the two of us to hang-out. Totally reminds me of the days before she started school. She has been my grocery shopping, Target, Sam's Club, and Bed Bath and Beyond buddy this summer. Most days we just chill at Barnes and Noble because they have free air conditioning, and it beats hanging in the car. Lots of reading time and coffee time. A win/win for everyone. Today is our last tutoring session for the summer, which means it's the last time Mads and I get to chill for the afternoon. And, I have something special up my sleeve..........

Lunch with Daddy

This week has been a little rough on Maddie. Having to watch your siblings get to attend a super-fun camp can be tough. Especially when they have HUGE, colorful bouncy houses and every water game imaginable going strong when we pull in the parking lot to drop them off. Seriously. I know I am not the only mom pulling out after drop-off with a crying child. And I think that is why the donut shop down the street from camp has gotten a little more traffic lately. Maddie almost made the cut-off for camp, and I am secretly glad she didn't. I think I would have a hard time letting her run off into a sea of children and not be fearful she would get squashed by some pre-teen going mach 5 down the waterslide. It was hard enough letting Grace go and not worrying whether she will have someone to sit by at lunch, or that the girls in her group will be nice. And if anyone is mean, I want names and descriptions please. :) Letting go really stinks sometimes.

-

So, Maddie and I have had some quality time together this week, and I'm making my week with only 1 child r-e-a-l-l-y productive. We placed an S.O.S call to daddy today to meet him for lunch at his work. Maddie had fun getting ready, and picking out the perfect dress to wear for our lunch with daddy. Nevermind the fact that the town he works in only has about 4 restaurants to choose from, and usually revolve around fried chicken and red beans and rice. She ate watermelon until I thought she was going to be sick, and had the best time. And, more importantly, it helped take her mind off all the bouncy house/water slide/water shooting canons she is being tortured with on a daily basis.

Life as Usual

We are attempting to adjust to our new normal. New rooms, new friends, new church, new grocery stores, new doctors, and the list goes on. So far we seem to be doing pretty well. But it's sights like this that make all things seem somewhat normal again. It's mowing the grass and it's hanging out and playing while daddy does yard work. Getting back into the routine of things we used to do in Indiana.....like mowing the grass. So, last night when I looked out the window and saw this...I had to grab the camera and capture it. This shows me contentment for Maddie. Doing things we used to do. Chillin' with daddy on the tractor and waving at me. She is the one who doesn't do so good with change, and moving is a whole lot of change rolled into one big nasty ball. So, last night she was one happy girl...which in turn made me one happy momma.