Life with these 3 kids

about creative writing

2010-03-11T15:58:00.000-06:00

My absolute FAVORITE thing that Natalie does at school is creative writing. They get a sheet of paper with area for a picture and a place for words underneath. They are encouraged to spell the words as good as they can, just by sounding it out. Her stories are priceless and they are the only thing I keep every single one. Here are a few of the best ones.

"Yesterday it wus my birthday. I got a hlooecitee reel sowege msheg. It was grat. I love it!" Yesterday it was my birthday. I got a hello kitty sewing machine. It was great. I love it! 3/10/10

"My teacher Ms. R came to my house. We playd Hnana Mtann. We had fun." My teacher Ms. R. came to my house. We played Hannah Montana. We had fun. 1/20/10

"I love skool. My fafrite thage is haveing fnte. My fafrit pothet is math. I have soe muth fun at skool!" I love school. My favorite thing is having friends. My favorite project is math. I have so much fun at school! 3/10/10

"Dear Ruru, I hope you have a safe mevee. I will woch you on the TV. Evreebudee like me. Duss evreebudee like you? Love, Natalie." Dear Aurora, I hope you have a safe movie. I will watch you on the TV. Everybody likes me, does everybody like you? Love, Natalie.

"Win my dad get home I giv him a hug. I love my dad and my mom! Thae are the bist peirit uv all!" When my Dad gets home I give him a hug. I love my Dad and Mom! They are the bes parents of all! 3/11/10

"I wint to the prke. I sae a applechree. I pik one off the chree. It was sweet. I mad a apple pie." I went to the park. I saw an appletree. I picked one off the tree. It was sweet. I made an apple pie. 2/10/10

about being grateful

2010-03-08T19:15:00.000-06:00

If there is one thing you read today, make it this. Ryan is a Pastor that traveled with a group of people to Kenya, he is documenting his travels as they are connecting with some of the children that are sponsored through the Compassion program. It's heart wrenching. We are so so so SO blessed to live in America.

about starting an Etsy shop!

2010-03-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

Lots and lots of things for me to catch up on, but the main thing that is happening right now (besides Brady turning FOUR last week) is that I actually opened up my Etsy shop! It's mostly blankets and things, perfect for baby showers or gifts. I am hoping to really find my niche, but for now I am putting pretty much anything in there!

Here are a few of the things I am selling :) Feel free to tell your friends! And check back often because now I am feeling the crafty fire and have lots more things in the making!

Flannel snuggle blanket with funky monkeys

A new play mat in polka dots

Barrette holders

about me, right now.

2010-02-18T12:28:00.000-06:00

overwhelmed

a tad bit jealous

sleepy

busy

AND

blessed (far too much)

happier than I may have ever been

loving my little family

loving my ever expanding circle of friends

pretty darn grateful for what I have.

about our weekend

2010-02-14T08:43:00.000-06:00

*no power for 48+ hours

*11 inches of snow

*sleepovers

*fast food

*millions of blankets

*many, many layers

*pictures to come!

about some cuteness

2010-02-09T20:41:00.001-06:00

*possibly the cutest Nat has ever looked for school, but of course she wouldn't pose for me. I love her hair in those buns, and she has a white button up under her navy cardigan*

*Brady slid this giant stack of books all the way down the hall on his belly. Cracked me up at the time, he does such goofy stuff sometimes.*

*Last week Natalie decided to use her imagination (for once! Yay!) and started playing Salon in the bathroom. She named her shop Rainbow Hair Cut. You can see her old singing toothbrush standing up near the flowers, she would turn that on for music. So clever! And the prices are great there, kisses and hugs for an original style!*

*It took her all afternoon to organize her drawer. We were both so proud!*

*Open for business!*

about complaints

2010-02-08T16:56:00.000-06:00

Lately all I find myself doing is complaining to myself. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the so called bad things going on in my life right now, but then I realize that is dumb, and my blessing always outweigh my trials. Though sometimes I may have to stretch it a bit, or at least I feel like I do. So instead of ranting about the things weighing on my mind I am determined to focus on the positive, if not for my sanity then for the sanity of those that have to listen to me.

Including, but not limited to, having two healthy children, Keith having a job that puts food on the table, a warm and cozy roof over our heads, two working cars, family that loves me, friends that love me (or at least put up with me), and the gospel to keep me grounded and keep things in perspective. And still important, though significantly less serious, chocolate chip cookies and milk to munch on, Internet to inspire and distract me, lots and lots of socks to keep my feet warm, plenty of blankets and pillows to snuggle up with when I don't feel like getting out of bed, and TV to keep me company when the house feels very lonely, but being around real live people doesn't seem appealing.

about keeping it real

2010-01-28T10:17:00.000-06:00

I realize that with all these projects I post that it must seem like I craft all the time, which I sort of do, but not every waking moment! I just have a few things going for me. Firstly my kids are old enough that they play on their own a lot of the time, of course if Brady comes out and says, "Mommy I want you to play with me" I drop everything and go. But I honestly don't like to interrupt him when he is being creative because then he looks to me to run the game, and I don't want to hamper his little ideas!

Secondly the house has a nice enough set up that I can start something, walk away to change laundry or make lunch or wipe a bum, and come right back to it. Though that leads to my house looking a little, shall we say, CRAZY, for most of the time. Especially when I am knee deep in a new quilt. I will admit, I LOVE a neat house. Too much clutter and I tend to go from 0-60 in terms of sanity. I took a few pics this morning to show what the house looks like when I am working. Please excuse the gloomy day lighting.

To the right: sewing maching pulled out so I can watch TV with Keith and sew at the same time after the kids are in bed, ironing board and iron pulled out for easy access (currently home to yesterdays's lego creations), folded quilt needing to be shipped, unfolded quilt leftover from snuggling, dishes left on the table from breakfast, toy remnants from last nights adventures strung about the room, and grocery bags needing to be folded and packed away. Oh, and don't forget three balloon pumps for Keith's Deacons to blow use to set up for the Valentine's dance.

To the left: My snuggle quilt waiting to be basted and sewn, fabric scrap basket pulled down and strewn about in the search for cute things to be made into fabric flowers and such, laundry basket of clean and ready to put away clothes, bag of a bajillion balloons awaiting the pumps, and multiple piles of fabric for various projects in the works.

In a word, a giant MESS! It only stays like this for a day or so before I go crazy and can't take it anymore. But this way there are no grand illusions of perfection over here. Sewing this much takes a toll on the house, but I am always sure to put down the fabric, step away and take care of business as needed. I think that's the most important part, and the fact that my kids go to be so dang early (have I mentioned that? I have? Ah well, it's because I love it so! Is that bad?).

Now excuse me while I go clean. Haha, no really. Must. clean. now.

about some pictures

2010-01-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Right now I am sewing every free minute. It's fun, I have lots of projects lined up, and since I have decided to steer this blog in a different direction (more creativity and more kids, less randomness) here are a few pics from the last few days.

This is my stack of fabrics I just picked up for a quilt a long I am doing. It's for a special someone and I just know she will love it, I guess this is kind of a sneak peek for her!

Yesterday was so lovely, but I had so much laundry to do that I set the kids up outside with crafting supplies and a picnic blanket. It's nice that we live in a quiet neighborhood where I feel safe enough to let the kids outside without me. Of course the front door and window are wide open so I can see and hear them, but I think they like the sense of freedom to really be out there alone.

Last week while Keith was at work and scouts I put together this BIG quilt for him as a surprise. We each have our own special blankets on our bed and Keith has been sleeping with a fleece one that generates LOTS of static, especially in this cold weather. Needless to say it was time for a new blanket and I had gotten my hands on this awesome bright fabric and couldn't wait to put some of it to good use. I have officially decided I like to tie my quilts, they are so much more flimsy and cuddly when tied.

Luckily he loves it. The back is a super soft flannel. He has to be careful or I may steal it back, I really love this blanket!

about me right now

2010-01-21T16:43:00.000-06:00

Getting to know you...getting to know aaaaaalll about you (or me actually)...

1. Favorite food of the moment: Costco berries. Cheap and super delicious. Oh, and I am constantly craving Chik fil-A chicken nuggets, though I don't eat those as often as I would like.

2. Things I watch first on my DVR: Bones new and old, How I met your Mother, and Vampire Diaries (don't judge).

3. Favorite accent color: Yellow. It goes well with all my aqua/teal/brown stuff, and it just makes me so happy to see a pop of yellow here and there!

4. Reading: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Keith got it for me for Christmas and I am trying to get started on it, should be good once I can get my brain back into a semi-thinking mode. I have been reading too much fluff!

5. Loving: this mild weather! I would love to live in a place where the weather never gets colder than 60 or hotter than 80, it's just magical here right now!

6. Running: a sweatshop in my home! So far this month I have completed 3 quilts from start to finish and tonight after the kids are in bed I will probably start on a fourth. I also just got some new material (JoAnn's just restocked their shelves, SUCH cute stuff there right now!) for a girly play mat for a friend.

7. Favorite songs on the radio: Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, What do you want from me by Adam Lambert, I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas (that one just doesn't get old).

8. Very happy about: Feeling good in my skin, and knowing that I AM a good Mom, even if I yell sometimes and even if I probably get a little too excited about my kids 6:30 bedtime. Yes, SIX THIRTY! (It keeps getting earlier!)

9. Also loving: the regularity of our days. We have somewhat of a routine going now, and it helps me with my stress levels. It's nice that Keith gets home semi-early most nights, and I seem to be much more productive now that Brady is in school twice a week.

10. Putting off: doing the mountain of laundry that is threatening to take over my bedroom. I think I will make some peanut butter cookies instead!

about my thrifting finds

2010-01-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

It's still too cold for some serious garaging yet, but Friday Brady and I had 40 minutes to kill after helping at Nat's school before we could head back there and pick her up. There is a place off Arkansas just west of Roosevelt called The Estate Warehouse, and I like to pop in there every once in awhile to see what they might have. Friday when we drove up this baby was smack in the front of their warehouse section and it just spoke to me. I knew that if it was clean and the price was right she was coming home. It was both of those things, and I was over the moon!

We just had my parents in town and Keith and I were talking about our seating, or lack thereof, and we added a chair to my list of things to hunt for. It's like it was meant to be. The chair is seriously like new, a good maker, super comfy and an easy enough design that I can slip cover it when the country blue plaid starts to irritate me. But for now we just love our giant chair! Hopefully as the weather starts to warm up I will be able to share more of my good deals, but hopefull I can also inspire some of you to get out there and get hunting! You never know what you will find!

Oh, and there's a little sneak peak for Lori of a certain quilt that may or may not be FINISHED and in the mail SOON!!

about Natalie

2010-01-17T16:08:00.000-06:00

She's such a funny little girl I just had to share. Right now her neck hurts so she is walking around holding a tissue on it. Oh, and her two top front teeth are loose. Be prepared for some serious cuteness from her here in a week or so. I am already giddy with anticipation of what she is gonna look like!

Here she is all dressed for time warp day at school. No poodle skirt, but I still thought she was adorable.

All dressed up for mis-match day. It was fun to mix patterns, I think her clothes look pretty darn cute like this!

And for those who haven't seen it, here is her Kindergarten school picture. So perfectly Natalie! Haha!

about life and general randomness (and a very long post)

2010-01-14T08:24:00.004-06:00

Right now life is good, very good, TOO good. You know that feeling you get when everything is going just swell, but you have a niggling sensation in the back of your mind that something craptastic is gonna happen soon? Well, I have that sensation, but so far I have been able to push it deep into my brain and not worry about it! Which makes for pretty smooth sailing.

I finally figured out the number one reason why I don't blog as much anymore. I don't like what blogger does to my pictures, when they upload they are all out of order and weird, and it takes so much time to get them the way I want them that I just skip it! I really need to start posting more, but I just love having illustrations!

Natalie taught herself how to tie her own shoes yesterday, her method is a little wackadoo, but it gets the job done. I am so proud of her, every day I ask her how her day at school was, and the other day she said, "they are all good days now Mom!" Whew! It took her a little longer than I hoped, but she has finally settled down into her new school, and made some good friends, and is learning so much it astounds me! It's funny when I look at her, I see a mini me. It's actually more scary than funny, but I have to remind myself to laugh at her rather than yell at her, and it makes life much more bearable.

Brady turns 4 in one month. I am seriously not ready for that. He will always be my baby, and though I need to treat him like a big boy more often, I think he knows that in my heart he will always be my baby boy. For the last 2 weeks he has woken up dry every morning. Of course this coincides with me purchasing some cloth diapers for him to wear to bed, so sadly they are unnecessary now, but I will just put them in my growing drawer of baby things and hope that one day I have another little bottom that needs them!

Yesterday the plan for the day was to lay around and be lazy. I asked Brady what he wanted to do and he said, "play some games, do some puzzles, have some cuddle time, watch a movie wif ya, and that's it!" Uh, yeah. I love that kid so much!

Oh, and the sewing. I am seriously running my own sweat shop over here! I am cranking out a quilt for my Step mom and have 5 more waiting in the wings. Not to mention skirts, coasters, and other odds and ends I want to try my hand on. It helps me that the kids go to bed so early, I am able to get a few solid hours of sewing done each night (if I don't sneak off to bed to watch Bones instead). Also since the kids love to color and craft I am able to find time during the day to be with them, but also creating! I do love that we are a crafting family.

I guess I should update about the big man too. Keith is working hard as normal, loving on his PS3, praying that the Cowboys will win the next game (and the next and the next!!), and taking care of us. We have really settled into a routine that has made it possible for us to have more time together and it has been really nice. Some of my most favorite times of the day are when I have dragged my sewing machine into the living room and I watch Keith play his game while we chat and I sew. Or we snuggle up and watch Bones (best. show. ever.). I have gotten to really rediscover why he became my best friend all those years ago, and it feels wonderful!

Wow, obviously I have a lot of pent up writing and blathering to do! This became much longer than I intended. And I really do want to start doing shorter more frequent posts. If I get the energy I may even post pictures later today!

about some quilting

2010-01-07T10:29:00.002-06:00

Or how I spent my winter vacation. I finished 2 and a half quilts before the kids went back to school on Monday. Of course the two were already quilt tops waiting to be made into blankets, but still, they are done! This green one I did from scratch starting Christmas break, it's for a friend and her new wee bundle of joy. The color is a little skewed in the pics because I took them in the morning dark light of winter, but I assure you. It's cute!

I love the pieced back! It's like two quilts in one. Plus it helps use up all the extra yardage I end up with since I never buy specific amounts.

I have had this purple quilt and back sewn for ages, and so finally I turned it into a blanket. I made this with no one specific in mind, I just fell in love with the material. It's the second quilt top I made since I really started up with sewing, and it kinda shows in the workmanship (meaning the squares don't all line up), but I think the material overshadows any imperfections. Plus it was made with love!

And I love the back! I used green thread to quilt it, so it's a very nice contrast, the pictures don't really do the color justice, the purple is much more deep.

about some resolutions

2009-12-31T09:28:00.003-06:00

1. Fall in love with my blog again. I have taken a break for far too long. Too many memories have not been documented, and it's time to start fresh. Beginning with regular posts and a nice new look...soon.

2. Try and live by my "word of the year". Savor. I want to really take in every little moment and not let any of them slip by without my notice. too often I find myself rushing to get to the next day, the next, the next. This year I want to slow down and savor every waking minute!

3. Fall in love with ME again. Lately I have been feeling increasingly happy with who I am, and I want to keep that trend going. I want to love the person I am, and though it takes work, it's worth it.

4. Keep up the crafting and thrifting mojo. It's something I love and I would love to see my talents flourish. So often I get in the mood for something and then grow tired and move onto the next project. This time I want it to stick!

5. Don't take anything for granted. Much easier said than done, but I feel it's so important to constantly be reminded of how blessed I am to know the people I do, have the family I have, and be in the place that I am!

Don't you just love a new year, and a fresh start? I do!

Happy Birthday!

2009-12-12T10:06:00.002-06:00

My Dad turns 60 today! He has lived so many amazing adventures and is going to have so many more. I am so proud to be his daughter, he has taught me so much. I just wanted to let him know how much I love him, how grateful I am for everything. I couldn't have asked for a better Dad or a better Papa for my children! We love you so much!

A glimpse...

2009-12-11T10:47:00.002-06:00

..into the crafting madness that is my brain. This is what my craft area REALLY looks like, when it's not all cleaned up for friends! Haha! In these pictures I count no less than 9 projects I am currently working on. Christmas presents for family, presents for Natalie's class, baby presents. It's pure craziness! And super fun!

What's keeping you occupied this holiday season?

I ♥ December...

2009-12-02T07:49:00.003-06:00

...because it is so jam packed with festivities. Tons of birthdays, anniversaries and of course the main event, Christmas! Which means lots of family celebrations and get togethers.

...because now I get to see how fun Christmastime can be for kids from the other side of it. I love watching my kids get so excited about every little thing.

...because it's C-O-L-D, and I love to be cold! We may even get to have a (gas) fire in our fireplace soon! And it's even sleet/snowing today!

...because all that cold gives me an excuse to stay in, be warm, drink WAY too much hot cocoa and be lazy!

...because when I get tired of being lazy I can always find a million and one things to occupy my time to get ready for Christmas.

...because my house is more decorated and cozy than any other time of year. If I could I would have a pine tree in my living room year round!

...because it's easier to remember what the purpose of life is. There are opportunities to serve and make other people happy every where you look.

..because I always just feel happier in December, and this year is no exception. I am trying so hard not to let anything get me down, and it's a very nice feeling!

Growing up!

2009-11-14T15:42:00.002-06:00

My Natalie is growing up so fast! The other night she came to us and said "Oh! My tooth is loose!" and sure enough it was AND the new tooth was starting to come in. Today at lunch her tooth popped out! Of course we can owe it to the constant wiggling Nat has been doing. She was working that thing good!

The other day she asked me to braid her hair so that it could be curly so that she could be Hannah Montana at school. I obliged and the results were so cute and puffy. Her hair look crazy at first but as it tamed it was adorable! I love my growing girl. She seriously brings so much joy and light into our family!

sigh

2009-11-12T19:01:00.002-06:00

I really do want to keep writing on this dang blog. I just can't give it up, but for some reason it's been so hard to find the time to sit and yak about my days. I guess because right now they are all semi-similar. Though I know little things happen each day that are special and different, it's hard to put those things down on paper.

Like Natalie wanting to be Hannah Montana for school so we braided the heck out of her hair last night and sent her to school with the cutest crimpy mane. She was adorable, and it made me love her that much more and also see that she is growing up so big!

And Brady laughing at himself so hard that he couldn't stop and then all of us were laughing and watching this laughing maniac stand there and grin and giggle and just be merry. He is the happiest kid sometimes, the rest of the time he is a ball full of screaming. In any case I just can't seem to get enough of him, and he knows it. He has become completely aware of my love affair with his little piggies and thighs, and I probably need to hide it better before I scar him for life!

And me being addicted, I mean ADDICTED to garaging and thrifting. I can't stop going and looking, even if I don't get anything, I still love the hunt! Though my stash of 50 cent onesies is growing exponentially and not a baby in site! Though I am quite prepared for any unexpected showers I need to attend. Well, in theory I can gift them, I don't know if I will be able to let them go since they are all stripey, and I am a sucker for all things stripey on little chubby babies!

Oh, and I get headaches probably 4 times a week. They start behind my left eye, work down to the base of my head and neck then down into my stomach and make me nauseous. It's loads of fun. On the nights I don't get the headaches the kids and I have been going straight out to play after getting Natalie from school. Some nights we don't even make it inside until Daddy comes home. Those are the best afternoons. Relaxing and fun and QUIET. I do love reading outside. I am currently reading Wicked, and I kinda like it! It was strange at first, but it's much better now.

Hmmmm...what other randomness can I write about? Keith is getting geared up for a quick little visit from his cousin, Lincoln, whom I have never met, but am very excited to finally meet! He and Keith were best friends as children and still talk pretty regularly on the phone. Keith also gets to go to his brother, Ryan's, graduation in December. Which means he gets to go to Oregon and we have to stay here. Bleh. If only we had a teleportation machine, and it was free.

Oh, I am excited for Christmas. Maybe I can start posting about my decorations or something. I am itching to get them out! As it is I am trying my hand at "decorating" for Fall. The house looks a bit more fall-like and it is fun to have a home to spruce up rather than an apartment.

All in all life is swell. We are happy and rolling along at a (too)brisk pace. Thanksgiving is coming and the menu is being ironed out. I have decided to make an army's worth of food for the four of us. We would love to have guests, but I don't think anyone is available! Nothing like the holidays to make you miss your family!

Wow, this got really long, really fast. Oh well! How's that for an update! Next on my list is to prettify my blog. The header is really bugging me, but I haven't gotten around to putting photoshop on the new computer. Anywho, yeah. If you made it through all that Kudos to you!

First days of the new schools

2009-11-04T16:10:00.001-06:00

Weekend Roundup

2009-11-01T18:39:00.003-06:00

So, I didn't take a SINGLE picture this weekend. I know, it's a tragedy! But, I will plop those kids into their costumes (Brady was a Jedi, and Natalie was Cinderella) tomorrow and take some pictures. In 15 years no one will know they weren't taken ON Halloween!

We had a rather mellow holiday weekend. Thursday night was Natalie's school trunk or treat. It was nice to go and support her school and she got to see her friends and teachers, and it was just some good SHORT trick or treating fun. Nothing grand, but not horrible either.

Friday Natalie had her assessment at the new school. Basically we went in, the Kinder teacher came and took her back to the classroom and while Brady and I waited she had Natalie take some of the tests and things they had done that day in her class. Natalie passed them all, only missing a few of the phonics questions which are things she has never even heard of. So, way to go Nat! She is all approved to go there, and we are just finalizing the last details and she will start some time this week. THANK GOODNESS they had some uniform pieces that had been donated by another family and the secretary gave them to me for FREE. Woot! That saved me 100 bucks! So all I need for Nat are a few shirts and one more pair of pants. Not bad, very doable.

Friday night we crashed our old wards Trunk or Treat. A friend from our current ward was there and said she was there with her family, what was my excuse. I realized that since we have no "family" those friends that we made in 1st ward ARE our family. Keith and I are pretty outgoing once you get to know us, but it takes awhile, and four years in the same place can really make you feel like you are home. I do so love that ward!

Saturday started just like every other weekend. Garaging. Haha, I am so addicted I can't miss a week. BUT, this week I made a believer out of Keith. We got a 200 dollar child sized computer desk from Wild Zoo for 5 dollars. FIVE. DOLLARS. I couldn't believe it. SUCH a steal, and the desk is awesome. The kids love it. It is the perfect place for Brady to do playdoh and paints and such while I am sewing. Before he had to work at the kitchen table which meant that I was in the kitchen with him and not accomplishing anything. So it's a win win! Yay for steals. I also got some vintage sheets to add to my growing collection.

The rest of Saturday was spent all together as a family. After lunch we dumped out all of the candy the kids had so far collected on a towel in the living room and we all went to town. They had previously picked out a few favorite pieces and those I saved for later in the week. The kids ate until they were full, we ate SO MUCH, and the rest we threw out. It was actually kind of liberating to throw out all the candy that otherwise I would have been munching on all month long. The kids were kind of sniffly so we decided to nix traditional trick or treating, which I kind of regret now, but it ended up being a nice slow evening. Natalie made us all crowns, Brady played letter tiles and puzzles, Keith had a football game on, and I sewed (shocker, right?). I love evenings like that, where we are all together, but kind of doing our own thing. Very nice.

I am glad the weekend is over. This week will prove to be a crazy one I am sure. Nat starts her new school sometime this week, I think Wednesday. Brady is starting preschool on Tuesday, and just other general errands that I have been putting off. I can't wait to get started!

Waiting

2009-10-29T12:07:00.003-05:00

When I was pregnant with Natalie there was a girl in my ward that had been trying to get pregnant for a long time. She was very bitter about it, and made it so that anyone that DID get pregnant would feel so uncomfortable around her, and almost guilty for being pregnant! I vowed that if I was in that situation I would NEVER be that way.

Fast forward five years and now it's my turn on the other side. As I see woman after woman, friend after friend announce their pregnancy I have kept my smile. I am truly so happy for them, all of them, and there are MANY, so many it's crazy. But, I am truly happy for them. I know that my time will come, and that even though I wish my time would have been 6 months ago, that if I am patient, one day, we will be blessed with that little spirit that I know has been waiting to join our family.

Until then I sew, and sew and sew and sew, lots of precious baby things to share with all these expectant mothers. And maybe I squirrel away a few precious baby things for us too, just in case.

Pros and Cons

2009-10-27T21:03:00.002-05:00

So last year when Natalie was in preschool we learned about this amazing charter school that our friends were taking their kids to. I read all about it here, and it has been called one of the best, or even THE best school in Arlington. Very good academically, and just seems to be an amazing school. The only problem is that you have to apply and then they choose who gets in by a random drawing. So unless you are crazy lucky you will end up on the waiting list. Which we did. Natalie was number 38, which when you consider the waiting list was over 125+ kids, isn't bad. I started her at her current school knowing that we MAY get that call that says an spot has opened up and would we like to transfer her.

Today I got the call. There is a spot and we have 24 hours to say if we want it, we then have to get her assessed to make sure she is up to the level of the Kindergarten classes (they don't want her TOO far behind), and then after assessment we have 48 hours to decide if we want the spot.

At first I was hesitant because I know Natalie LOVES her teachers, and has made some really good friends, in fact, so have I! You get to know the other Mommies as you stand around waiting for the kids to be let out of school. But, at the beginning of the school year I was praying for this. And so our decision quickly turned to, OF COURSE! Then I thought about what we would have to buy to send her there....uniforms.

A quick browse of the schools website showed what the dress code is. Each child must have the required clothes and they MUST come from one specific store. And OF COURSE that store charges more for a child's shirt than I even pay for my OWN clothes! AAAHH! Blouses for 13.50, jumpers for 45, slacks for 25, shorts for 33! I mean COME ON! How can they charge that much for a uniform, AND it's polyester for goodness sakes! GROSS!

*sigh*

At least we are learning the sacrifices parents have to make to give their kids a good education! And I was so excited to shop around town and really find CUTE pieces that would fit the dress code for a good price. Now I have to make myself sick spending a fortune on clothes. But, it's worth it in the end, right? Right.

I think...

Paper boxes

2009-10-20T17:40:00.004-05:00

One of the things we learned at Super Saturday was how to make paper boxes. I fell in instant love with them, because 1) they are easy, 2) they are free, and 3) they are cute!

I whipped some up Sunday morning for my ladies that I visit teach, stuffed them with some of my precious saved tissue paper from Anthropologie packages, a little wax paper and some cookies. Instant handmade, heartfelt gift! Don't be surprised if one day you receive some sort of gift from me wrapped in this way!