How Was {School} Today?

When the kids get home from school they usually ALL have something to tell me & usually at the same time. I want to hear about it all but one at a time. I thought about it and today I'm going to try something new. . .

1- they need to pick a numbered stick/coin. . .


2- then they get time on the timer. . (Family Fun Idea & timers found at Zurcher's Party Store for $0.49)


3- but if, by chance, they do run out of something to say or need some help they can pick a question stick(the ones with the colored tip facing out of the cup).


I colored the tip of each stick and taped the question on. When they are done answering that question they put the colored side down in the cup. When all the "colored side" tips are down, you can turn them over and reuse them.


These are just a few questions I have but I'm trying to think of more. If you have any i would you to share.
1-Did you meet anyone new today?
2-What was your lunch time like?
3-Did you love the outfit you wore?
4-Name 2 fun things that happened in a class.
5-Did your teacher say something funny?
6-What was your favorite part of your lunch?
7-Did anything exciting happen on the bus?
8-What was your favorite assignment today?
9-What did you do in P.E. ?
10-What did you do in Math?
11-What did you do in Science?
12-Tell me about your favorite part of the book you are reading.
13-What did you & your friends do at recess?
14-Name 2 things you love about your school.
15-Did you help another teacher or student?
16-How do you feel you are doing in school?
17-What was your favorite part of the day?

Somedays it will be nice to ask another question like these instead of "How was School Today?"

Home again

I was gone less than a week, but it amazes me how quickly I slipped into my old family role, how well it fit around me when I stepped off the plane and caught sight of my sister Norma Jean. The time with her, my brother-in-law Pete, Allison and her new baby consumed me for five days. I didn't feel like I had ever been anywhere else.

Sisters in the Pentagon Dining Room, photo by Pete

I never feel like any time has passed when I see Norma Jean, because in my mind's eye, the person she is, her essence, is continually present in my heart, and I don't remember that we haven't seen each other for years. We take up where we left off as though it was yesterday. We laughed a lot, cried a little, and both made cooing noises over Lexie, the newest member of our family. Norma Jean is now a grandmother and I have another great-niece.

Pete and I connected in a way we haven't before, and I think airing some old resentments helped, not to mention that we all feel the number of times we will be together like this are dwindling. His COPD has advanced somewhat, and for years now he has mentioned that we might not see each other again every time we have gotten together. This time I felt he might be right, and it made every moment we were together very precious and poignant. All this going on with beautiful Lexie brand new in the world for us to enjoy and share.

When we were little, Norma Jean and I were together all the time. As we moved from place to place with our parents, the constant presence of the other helped to shield us from the changes. We were always there together. Daddy traveled a lot, but Mama didn't work outside the home and we had a family. Allison told me that today 4 out of 10 children are raised by a single mother. That is so different from the way it was when we were young.

I wrapped myself in the family feeling during the days I spent there, and I wondered several times why I didn't miss Bellingham or Smart Guy. Now I realize it was because every moment was filled with each other, not to mention the care and feeding of a two-month-old infant.

And how quickly it fell away the closer I got to home. Arriving at SeaTac at 8:00 pm, I still had to catch the 9:00 pm Airporter to Bellingham, with another couple of hours of travel ahead of me. By the time I was picked up at the Bellingham Airport by Smart Guy, I had one leg in each reality. The air of Washington State is so different from that of Washington, DC. Breathing it for half a day now has almost cleared out the DC vibes.

When I walked in the door, I felt I had arrived at home. Then I saw a note next to my iMac keyboard, and I realized that many of the things Smart Guy does for me every day become invisible and unappreciated when taken for granted. I was filled with gratitude that even while I'm not around, the computer is taken care of, the birds fed, and my plants watered. He's a keeper.
:-)

Pentagon ceremony

Other than meeting Lexie, the other reason that Norma Jean, Pete and I were all here in Alexandria with Allison was to attend the Pentagon ceremony honoring her for becoming a Lt. Colonel in the Army. She paid for my ticket here using her Alaska Airlines miles; Norma Jean and Pete drove here from Florida, and today we participated in a very moving ceremony at the Pentagon, where Allison works.

As we entered the Pentagon to get our Visitor badges, I took this picture of BIL Pete and sister Norma Jean holding niece Allison's Class A jacket with Major oak leaves on it. These very same insignias belonged to our father, who was a Major in the Air Force. After Allison treated us to a wonderful lunch in the Pentagon dining room, we all gathered in her office for the ceremony, which was very touching, to tell you the truth.

The colleagues that Allison works with here in the Pentagon gathered on a Friday afternoon to honor her, with perhaps 30 of us there, along with her family. I met some really wonderful people. Allison also brought Lexie, and many of the women vied with each other to hold her during the ceremony.

General Farrisee spoke to us about Allison's achievements, how she was singled out to be the only person in her specialty to receive this promotion before her peers. After the General spoke to us about why Allison stood out from the crowd, Allison had arranged for the three family members to participate in the ceremony: Norma Jean and I removed our dad's Major leaves and replaced them with the silver Lt. Colonel leaves, while her father replaced the insignia on her Army Combat Uniform (ACU) and her beret. Then General Farrisee administered the Oath of Office, and I have to say I teared up and tried hard to keep from crying.

Then Allison, the newly minted Lt. Colonel, spoke to all of us about what it means to her. After this final part of the ceremony, everyone was invited to have cake and refreshments, and we all chatted with each other. Lois, a wonderful older woman who is the primary Executive Assistant to General Farrisee, expertly calmed Lexie. Allison received a handshake from all of her peers: a receiving line, if you will.

This picture of the family was taken by one of the soldiers: me, Pete, Allison and Lexie, and Norma Jean. Although I was dubious about this ceremony, I cannot tell you how honored I felt at the end of it to have been part of it and part of this family. Many times during this afternoon, I thought of my son Chris and how he would have loved to be here, and I was proud of him once again and his service, as well as my beautiful and accomplished niece, Allison.
:-)

Who Goes First? Ideas #2

Like my other idea this tool is to help you know which child will Go First in an activity. These Wooden Sticks are a perfect addition to our container.


I covered these plain craft sticks(walmart has a big box for a great deal but so do the craft stores if you have a coupon) in some denium fabric (with mod podge of course). I used a stencil to spray paint the numbers on.


I found this tin at the second hand store and (mod podged) added some fabric for beauty & durability.


I keep all the "idea" tools in this container. Then I can alternate them.

I love having fun "Tools"!

{Lunch} Tote Holder

The girls love having cold lunch to take to school. This year (instead of using paper bags) we got some fabric lunch totes from Walmart. So they wouldn't get lost or misplaced, I decided to make this Lunch Tote Holder to hang in our Pantry.


I found a left over drawer face from the 2nd hand store.


I gathered these knobs from my mom's old dresser.


I painted, sanded the edges and drilled the holes for the knobs.


I cut and mod podged (underneath & on top)a piece of fabric for the middle inset.


Add knobs and its ready to hang.


From trash to A treasure.

Family interlude

Sometimes you need to get away just to realize how much your life has changed from what it used to be. I grew up in a large family, and I was accustomed to having lots of people around, barking dogs, people talking at the same time, and just general family chaos. I love it -- in small doses.

My life today is usually so quiet and serene, with the racket of the birds on the front porch the loudest sound I hear, mixed with the far-off sound of the train whistle and occasionally traffic sounds when the wind comes from the north. After an uneventful flight, I arrived late last night into a full house. This is my niece Allison with her new baby Lexie, who in this picture is quiet and nestled in her SwaddlePod. My sister Norma Jean and Allison gave Lexie a bath this morning, and I took some pictures.

Lexie was born six weeks early, but she is gaining weight quickly on Allison's milk. In this picture, you can see what seems to be a long-suffering baby submitting to these ministrations. She never cried at all during the bath, reminding me that my sons both hated to be submerged in water. Not so Lexie. After the bath, she was dressed up in this adorable outfit.

Lexie was born with a birthmark on her forehead which gets quite red and pronounced when she's been crying, but the doctors say it should fade before her second birthday. She is a beautiful child and it's sure been nice getting to know her. And being submerged in this family interlude. More to come.
:-)

Back to School Binders

Now that school is back in for our children I wanted to stay organized with all the important papers that I receive from the kids' teachers. So I decided to put them in a trusty School Binder.


Inside: I got the dividers that have pockets for extra space. I'm going to love knowing schedules, phone numbers, email addresses, lists of what I've given them & anything else that pertains to that teacher for that child.

Simple but so effective!

Leaving on a jet plane

Alexandra Petra Stewart

Today I'm going to travel from the West Coast to the East Coast to meet this gorgeous young lady, Lexie, born June 18, 2010 to my niece Allison. My sister Norma Jean and BIL Pete (the grandparents) are already there; it's at least their second time to meet her.

I'll be taking my laptop and hopefully I'll be able to put up a post or two during my trip, but I'm not sure whether things will work as advertised, ya know.

In any event, I'll be back home on Monday, August 30, and if you don't see me visiting your sites and leaving my usual comments, that's why.

Fortunately for the birds, Smart Guy is taking over their care and feeding while I'm gone. It's interesting to realize how much of a job it is. I don't want any little fledglings to miss their breakfast just because I'm elsewhere!

For those of you who follow Jan Mader (Ignite to Write), she's home from the hospital after her surgery. I'm also holding Robynn in my thoughts as she goes under the knife. She promises to share all the gory details on her blog in the future. Until later...
:-)

Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth

Think skydivers are crazy?

Gladys Roy & Ivan Unger, c. 1927, photographer unidentified

Yeah, many of you guys think we skydivers are crazy, but look at this picture! These two may be tethered to the plane (or maybe not!), but neither of them is wearing a parachute, and they did this all for the photo op, or maybe they were paid for it. But I'd guess it was just for the thrill of it, or maybe in response to a challenge. The picture is pretty darned spectacular, though. The whole sport of wing walking began in 1918 when a guy named Ormer Locklear wowed a group of spectators by climbing out on the wing of his plane in flight, which caused others to try to outdo him.

I remember years ago hearing about the first woman to jump from an airplane, and it turns out she had a whole lot of history before that happened. Tiny Broadwick made the first freefall jump by anyone, ever. She had been making static-line jumps from balloons for years. The story is here, from that link to Parachute History:

In 1914 Broadwick gave the first demonstration of a parachute jump to the US government. The first four jumps were static line jumps. On the fourth jump the static line tangled with the aircraft so on the fifth jump she decided to not use the static line. She cut the static line so that it was long enough for her to pull the parachute pack open after she was clear of the airplane. This was the first premeditated FREEFALL jump by anyone.

 Tiny was called that because she was just a little over 4 feet tall and weighed 85 pounds. At the age of fifteen, she started jumping from balloons hanging on what looked like a swing. She was not wearing any type of harness, just sitting there during the ascent. Originally from North Carolina, she settled in Southern California later in life, and her history was totally unknown until a skydiver (Dave Burt) tracked her down and started taking her around to local drop zones and adventure clubs. Smart Guy met her several times, and he said it was truly amazing to see these big burly skydivers standing around listening to this little old lady tell stories of derring-do that made their jaws drop. Her parachutes have been donated to the Smithsonian, and in 2003 the North Carolina Historical Society dedicated a marker to her memory.

Maybe when I retire from skydiving altogether I can take up tennis.
:-)

Fogeys in the Fog

Last year, when I went on this hike with the Senior Trailblazers, it was sunny with views. (That link shows you what we didn't see today.) Here's Norm, one of nineteen Seniors who headed up to Skyline Divide on a day that was projected to be cloudy and maybe even rain in the morning, with partial clearing in the afternoon.

We quickly separated into a few separate groups, as our usual pacesetter, Al, wasn't with us today. Here's the lead group as I began to fall back and slow down, since the hike begins quite uphill right away. The temperature was wonderful, cool with no sun, but I still couldn't keep up with the leaders. The fog would begin to lift and then fill in again, but we were hopeful that we would have at least a few peeks at the view before lunch. It was not to be.

At noon, as we settled in for lunch, the fog came and went without giving us the slightest hint of the major mountains very nearby. The good part is that a very slight breeze kept the bugs at bay while we ate, and we saw a couple of marmots on the hillside. We enjoyed a stimulating conversation about new local eating places and the benefits of different camera equipment, but we didn't stay for long. It began to feel a little cold: the mist, the breeze, the temperature of 53 degrees.

Since Al wasn't with us, we decided to throw all our garbage down the ravine. He's a stickler for staying on the trail and carrying out our trash. This is for you, Al, to show you why we need you to keep us honest! (We didn't really, but it made for a great picture!)

We moseyed slowly back down the trail, having covered a little more than seven miles and a little more than 2,000 feet in elevation gain and loss before reaching our cars. I stopped several times to take pictures of the flowers, most of which I won't post here. (You can see them on that Trailblazers link on the right-hand side of my blog.)

Without the view, but with exercise, conversation with some cool people, and a chance to take these pictures, I was happy when I reached the trailhead and the cars. However, in the immortal way of the Universe, by the time we were ready to head back, the skies began to clear. This picture was taken on our way back down to the main road:

I'm sure that the hikers coming up the trail as we were heading down got to see some incredible views (which I was hoping for), but nevertheless I had another great day with my hiking buddies, got some fantastic pictures, and am feeling renewed, content, and happy. I hope you are, too.
:-)

Busy With Projects... Always

My kids are back to school... all 4 of them!! I have until noon ALONE now. This is a new chapter for me! But my time alone is not for relaxing... I am a project person. I've been spending my mornings cleaning, running errands, and doing projects.

Right now I am working on my church assignment, putting together Emergency Preparedness Binders for my entire ward (for about 160 families). This has been a HUGE project!! I can't wait to get these binders done, and my deadline is next Wednesday.

Also, I've been working on a denim quilt for a long time. I've been collecting all of our old, worn out jeans for years; and I've spent time here and there cutting them apart and storing them in my craft closet. Yesterday I decided to get them out and see if I felt motivated to sew a little. It's going to be awesome when it's all done! It's going to be our picnic blanket. Have any of you made a denim quilt before? I can't believe how easy it is! The cutting is the tedious part. Sewing the pieces together has been the fun part so far! You just match up pieces that look good together and that fit. I've been using all different sizes of squares and rectangles. I've had to trim some of them, but that's quick and easy.

I can't wait to be done with this project too. I will show it off after it's all done!!

Winter's Bone

Tonight my friend Judy and I went to the local art venue to see Winter's Bone, a movie set in the Ozarks and adapted from Daniel Woodrell's novel by the same name. He has coined the phrase "country noir" to describe his rather dark crime novels set in the south.

It was riveting, and if you get a chance to see it and can handle some pretty strong stuff, the performance by Jennifer Lawrence is simply amazing. She plays Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old who is raising her two younger siblings and caring for her mentally absent mother. You find out that her father is a meth dealer and has put up their house as collateral to bail himself out of jail. He disappears soon after, and she needs to find him or all of them will be thrown out. I found that Rotten Tomatoes (my favorite place to find reviews) gives it a 95% freshness rating. (The link takes you to the review page.) A review by Michael Smith in World Scene sums it up well:

The character that Lawrence creates, fearless and full of moxie, is nothing less than a heroine. Some people live in the middle of nowhere to do things they don't want people to see; reports of rural crime and meth labs fill newspaper pages. But the real stories are those like Ree's, of a selfless young woman fighting for nothing less than the survival of herself and three other family members who may or may not break free of the area's cycle of drugs and violence.

I was fascinated by the actress playing Ree and found that she just had her twentieth birthday and has starred in several other parts already. I found a really good interview with her on Black Book, with a title I couldn't resist: Jennifer Lawrence dishes on 'Winter's Bone' and stripping for Esquire. The film won the Grand Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and when she was asked (in the article) how she felt when she heard about the win, she said,

I just started bawling. I had such an ‘actress’ moment. I was there for the premiere of the movie, but then I went home. My mom was looking at it online, and then I started hearing Parker Posey describing the movie, and I just bawled. And then Lauren Sweetser, who plays Gail in the movie—we became real-life best friends on the set and have been ever since—we called each other and just started screaming.

She also said one of the reasons she had a racy photo shoot with Esquire is that she doesn't want to get typecast as the girl from "Winter's Bone." She wants to actually wear makeup in a movie and show that she can also portray a sexy woman. And from this picture, I'd say she should have no problem doing that.

If you get a chance to see the movie, it's worth it, although country noir is not easy fare, by any means. It is not my favorite genre. However, I got to experience this life and forgot I was even watching a movie, I was so engrossed. I'd also be interested to know what you thought of it.
:-)

{Bedtime} Passes

Now that school has started we are back to doing all the routines. This is one of our families "must do". {Plus it keeps mom sane!}

I started this tradition about 1 1/2 years ago for Bedtime and it has worked like a charm. Each night our children have the opportunity to use their Bedtime Pass. After we tuck them in for the night it never fails, there's always one last thing they have to do. {I read that many children do this and need this opportunity}.

The pass can be used to get a drink, tell us something, a trip to the bathroom or whatever they need to do. But they only have 1/2 hour to use it. [I try not to limit the "going potty" trips because I don't want them to feel like they have to "hold it" all night long.]


I copied the free pattern (you leave an opening or not depending on the type of door knob you have)& traced it onto beadboard to cut out with my scroll saw. If you don't have a saw, they have many of these wooden door hangers at the dollar store or craft store.


I used acrylic paint for the little grooves. Then sanded it and sprayed it with clear protective spray.


I put the wording in vinyl but you could easily use stickers or rub-ons.


Embellish with ribbon and a letter accent.


Hang on the back of the door when not in use. (They bring it to me when they use it and I return it when I go to bed).


Just another great parent tool!

Getting Those Kids To Sleep!

Do you have a hard time getting your children to sleep at night? Do YOU have a hard time falling asleep at night? Do you suddenly feel wound up and ready to ??[clean]?? once you've got the kids down for the night and finally have time to yourself? Or maybe you have so much on your mind that you can't seem to shut it off when you lay down to bed?

I can say a big YES to all of these questions!!

Well, I recently learned about something that could help...

Our bodies naturally produce Melatonin in our brains to let us know we are getting tired at the end of the day, and that it's time for bed. Some people may not produce enough, especially those with a little bit of anxiety (like myself and 2 of my 4 children). Or ADHD children (or you) that cannot seem to turn off your many racing thoughts at night.

We can supplement (ourselves or our kids) with this natural stuff at bedtime. I just bought some and am here to tell you that it WORKS!! Yay! With school already started for my kids, and the sun still not setting until after 9 PM, this stuff is heaven-sent for us!

With school starting soon, if not already for you, I thought that today I would share my new-found knowledge with you. Be sure to check with your doctor, of course, if you are a little apprehensive. But I tell ya what... If there is no other reason for Benedril, this natural Melatonin supplement is a great way to help move the sleepy process along, and get you and your children a good night's sleep!

*Update 8/18/10: I guess I should have told you where to find this stuff. I got my 8oz. bottle at Fred Myer in Meridian, ID [on sale] for $7.99 (normally $10). But I found that Walmart carries it too, and their prices look a lot better than Freddy's...

Interesting... I wonder how many of our LOCAL readers went to Walmart after this post, because they were COMPLETELY OUT of Melatonin when I was there this evening!! {{wink}}