Grade ONE - Done!

Yup - here is proof she is done with first grade.  And to think that at the beginning of the year I didn't know how I would survive with her at school ALL DAY.  Yet, I did.  And she loved school - so much that as we walked out of the building she sniffled and said "I don't want to leave school."  I pray she always feels that way!!!

Last fall I created some forms for her to fill out to document who she was at the beginning of the year.  I then kept them hidden all school year.  You can read about it in THIS PAST POST.  We even have her hand and footprints!  The end of the year needed to be recorded as well, so I created a similar version to see how she has changed since the beginning of the year!  She LOVED doing them and comparing!!!

After school let out, Kennedy's 1st grade scrapbook club came over for our year end get together.  :)  So I didn't have her Summer Fun Box out yet!  Then she spent the night with her BFF that night...so the box was waiting for her when she returned the next day!

Her Summer Fun Box was filled with all sorts of fun things we will need to have a great time this summer!!  I also set out the framed list of Summer Fun from THIS PAST POST.  I think the box was a hit!

I can't wait to start sharing all our summer fun!!!!

Summer 2012 "Bucket List"

Tomorrow is Kennedy's last day of 1st grade!  Where did the time go?!

I am sooo excited for summer to begin so we can have tons of fun!  Last year I had a simple method for making sure we included fun things and didn't get stuck in a rut.  I made little 2x2 cards and laminated them.  I wrote a fun activity/place to visit on each one with dry erase marker.  Each week we would draw out a few squares and try to incorporate them into my week.  It worked only sometimes.  Often I didn't have the items we needed, we didn't have the time, the weather didn't cooperate, etc.  Kennedy would get super bummed when we didn't complete a square.

This year I decided to try a different approach.  I have seen tons of Summer Activity Ideas and Bucket Lists floating around cyber space.  And I decided to try my hand at making my own!  My original list of ideas was in the 90s!  Oops!  So I had to cut it down a bit!  I realize we may not complete these all but it gives us somewhere to start!

I found an awesome free summer themed digital scrapbook kit over at this site: Just Jaimee  While Jeff took the girls to the dog park this evening I played around and created our print!!!

I am having it printed at Costco in size 12x12.  It will go in a scrapbook frame and we can use a dry erase marker to cross off our activities as we go!   I am so excited to give it to her tomorrow along with her "Summer Fun Bag!"

Have a super summer!!!!

March 3rd, 2008

With the big day that is tomorrow, I was remembering what today felt like 4 years ago.  I went to my blog post from that day.  Just thought I would share it here again.  (It was when I was using Wordpress!).  Crazy how life can hit you hard out of nowhere, huh?  Little did we know what March 4th had in store....


So here is a repost of March 3rd, 2008:

So…..I just can’t shake the sickies this winter. I spent the last 4-5 days with the nasty flu. So much for last minute plans before the baby arrives!!!! But such is life, right?

Just wanted to share some layouts I was holding back. Hoping for publication but I have hit a major dry spell. So it is time to share them!

You will see I am in love with Making Memories products lately!

This one was really just for fun…lots of pink, a cute photo of my girl and lots of hand sewing!

I just had to document Kennedy’s dinner prayers. I really need to videotape it as well…she squeezes her eyes shut and whispers her prayers…beyond adorable!

These photos have been waiting to be scrapped for over a year! Finally found the perfect papers for them!!!! I am loving these circular papers!
This one was more about the song than anything. I just LOVE the song Gracie by Ben Folds. (Thanks Ryan for burning the song for me!) I cried the first time I heard it and thought of Kennedy. So everytime I sing it I change Gracie to Kenna! Just wanted to document it so I never forget!
And just a fun one with the KI Lace – yum! Kennedy LOVED hanging from this bar at the pool last year…lil dare devil!

AND……………..
I decided to do a little RAK!!!!
I was just RAK’ed twice in the past few weeks. Once by my scrappy friend (and new momma) chickypie a.k.a Emily! Thanks for the scrapping goodies Emily!!!!
And another time by the talented and super sweet Wendy Reed. I am so psyched I get one of her hand made bracelets!!! You have to check out her Etsy shop, Sweet Me Designs…she has THE cutest things! Thanks Wendy!
So, I have decided to have my own little RAK to spread the love!!!
But you have to do a little guessing first!! Since we don’t know the gender of our little baby I decided I would have you all guess the gender as well as the weight and length!! Whomever gets closest will get some fun scrappy goodness from me!
Just post your guesses for GENDER, WEIGHT, & LENGTH here! I will likely not check back in again for about a week – but I will announce the winner here on my blog!!
And I thought it might be nice of me to tell you what Kennedy was when she was born, just to play with your mind! She was 41 weeks mind you! But she was 21 inches 8lbs 5.5oz!
LET THE GUESSING BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!

Valentine's Fun

Kennedy has such a love for all holidays!  I really enjoy anticipating them right along with her!    This year I gave Kennedy & Jeff a little something thing each day leading up to Valentine's Day, starting with February 1st.  I read about the idea at mommybydaycrafterbynight.com.  I borrowed some of her ideas and added some of my own!!!  Kennedy gets into it so much!  If her new mini valentine isn't sitting out in the morning she asks where it is! 

This first one is actually just for Jeff.  I got this cute tak3-out box at Michael's.  I used a Martha Stewart tutorial to make felt fortune cookies.  I then put in 10 "fortunes" which are actually 10 reasons why I love him!!! 

This was actually just a fun snack Kennedy and I made!  Crazy enough, I never got a picture of the final project! Sad, because they were so pretty!  We took them to our Super Bowl Party. I found the tutorial at prudentbaby.com

 

This was part of our dinner one evening.  Usually we just cut a circle and put an egg in the middle.  But today I made it a heart!

Another mini valentine!  I made Rice Krispie treats and formed them into balls. I was going to do hearts but was too lazy!  Then Kennedy's were dipped in pink and Jeff's in red!

And another mini Valentine!  

Valentine's Decor

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought I would share what we have up around the house! I had fun creating most of it myself!

This heart wreath is probably my favorite.  There are multiple tutorials floating around Pinterest and I wanted to give it a try. It was supah easy!!!

This garland was also very easy! I used my new Martha Stewart heart punch with some yummy My Mind's Eye papers.  Then I strung them together with embroidery floss and hung it on the old window.

I used the same method as the heart to make these "puffs."  The candle holders were actually from a thrift store and really yucky looking.  I just painted them white!

This is our mantel right now....very simple and plain.  The print on the left can be found at one of my favorite blogs: eighteen25 . This old window is one I found while out junking with my friend Janet!  It had broken panes so I took out all the glass, sanded a lot and painted it white.  Then I backed it with some burlap!

Hope to be back soon with some other Valentine things we have been doing!!!

Polar Express Party

 As I said in one of my last posts, we have been doing MANY fun things found on Pinterest.  When the idea to host a Polar Express Party popped into my head, I had only given myself less than 2 weeks to pull it off.  So I went straight to Pinterest and searched for fun stuff!  If you want to see my Pinterest board about Polar Express, you can find it HERE.:

As with any shindig or holiday, Kennedy wanted to help "decorate." So we had 4 signs to make sure everyone knew they were at the correct place and that they could find the basement theater.  :) Love that girl.

Being that I am who I am, we just HAD to do a craft. Well, not just one craft....THREE crafts.  Yup.  TEN kids on my kitchen floor with paint, glue, buttons....FUN I tell ya! Thank goodness for my mom friends that get their hands dirty and helped out!

Poor Quinn....she wishes she could make a craft too...

It doesn't look too bad afterward, right?!  I just put a vinyl tablecloth down and taped it in place.  It is so nice to just roll up the mess and toss it when they are finished.

These were 2 of the crafts.  Each child was a given a bag as they entered the house.  It contained all the items they needed for the crafts, plus their Golden Ticket and a Silver Bell just like from Santa's sleigh and the movie.  For the first craft, each kid got a bulb ornament.  I had previously written their name and 2011 on the bottom.  I then put brown paint on a plate and walked around so each child could dip their thumb in it.  They stamped their thumb on the ornament once or twice (or ten+ times!) and we let it dry.  While they watched the movie I drew in eyes, antlers and painted red Rudolph noses on each.  The popsicle tree took the most time. Kennedy and I pre-painted the sticks and I cut them to the correct lengths. I basically showed them a model and said "Figure it out - make a tree and decorate it!"  It was funny to see them try to put the pieces together and then glue them.  Decorating is always a blast, too!

This was the last craft.  Each child got a rectangular piece of foam.  I drew what was supposed to be a Christmas light wire on each piece.  On a plate, I had poured various colors of paint.  I walked around and let the kids dip their thumbs in the paint of their choice and press their thumbs to make the lights.  

Aren't my sweeties cute in their matching jammies?!  You know you must wear jammies to a Polar Express Party!  They wear them in the movie!!!

Next up....SNACK TIME! 
I made some homemade hot cocoa in the crock pot...not so good.  But we still had a hot cocoa bar with yummies to put in the cocoa.  I made a cookie dough dip from Pinterest...yuck.  But the kids loved the marshmallow pops, the oranges, the snack mix and eating marshmallows plain.  After the snacks it was movie time!!!  I was so tired by then I forgot to take photos of them actually watching the movie!  Oh well!


And I can't forget! I had printed out a game for the kids to take home and play with their families but I had run out of time to laminate them. Yes. I own a laminating machine.  Go ahead. Call me a dork.  Anyway, my dear mommy friend Janet laminated them while I finished their Rudolph ornaments.  Phew!  That party was a lot of work!  But totally worth it all. And  Kennedy wants to do it all over again next December!  Will it be a new tradition?  Check back next December to find out!

A Little Holiday Sewing

We had a super fun "Holiday Event" a week ago!  (more to come on the details soon!)  The adults had ugly Christmas sweaters and shirts to wear.  But the poor kiddos had nothing. So I whipped up some cute little shirts for them!!  If I had more time I would have listed some in my Etsy store! Next year, right?!

This one was for our buddy Micah!  He liked it so much he has requested I make him one with a penguin now!!

This was for our man Nate!   I just love that green polka dot fabric!

 And of course this one is for my big girl, Kennedy!   I have a strange obsession with ribbon so this was totally fun to make!!!!

More info on our "Holiday Event" and photos of the kids in their shirts will be coming soon!!!