Kindergarten class photo and updates

It has been a while since I have posted about my family. I have been utilizing my time wisely. It has been amazing having a good portion of the day to myself and I make every minute count. A lot of people assume I have all of this "extra time" with everyone at school and work. The truth is, I have been working harder and time seems to slip away each day. By the time I think I am making a dent in my to-do list, school pick-up time creeps up and my day goes into the next phase of busyness. I always wish I could have about 2 more hours each afternoon. 

William has been loving school. He leaps out of bed each morning without me having to wake him up and he is always very enthusiastic about it being a school day. It has gotten to a point that he arrives to the car in the afternoon in tears. He cries because he is not ready for the school day to end. Here I was thinking that it would be a long and hectic day for him. I was so wrong! 

They took school pictures a few weeks ago and although I am not a fan of them, his came out so cute! I can't believe he smiled nicely. I have the hardest time these days getting him to cooperate for photos. I volunteered on picture day and it was fun getting back into the swing of being involved in elementary school. William's class is the absolute sweetest. The class consists of 6 boys and 14 girls. It is so cute seeing William with his friends and it was a long time coming. His teacher says that he has a lot of friends and everyone enjoys being around him. We are so glad that he has no issues adjusting socially. He loves being around the other kids and has really gotten into the whole school routine. Around school he is known as having the best smile. It's wonderful having such a happy and content kid. His sisters were the same way.

I am thrilled that I am the classroom mom. I love helping out with anything I can. I really look forward to all of the fun activities, field trips and connecting with other parents this school year. It feels like the time is already going by so quickly.

How is the school year going so far for your children?

Kindergarten update: William loves school!

We are into our second week of the school year and so far, so good! William walked into the school last week with the biggest smile on his face and was full of excitement to be in big boy's school. We were lucky to have met his teacher and teaching assistant a couple weeks before school at kindergarten camp. I really think the camp was a great benefit to help break him into being in school. He goes to bed without argument and wakes up on his own. It's nice to have a 5 year old boy wake up each morning fully rested and excited to start his day. We have a very simple routine in the morning and he has already gotten into the groove of things. We walk him into school each morning and let him lead us to his classroom. He knows how to get there but being a curious little boy, he gets a little sidetracked sometimes. Daddy insists that he needs to prove he can get to his class on his own before he is allowed to go into the school by himself. I don't have a problem with that. It's nice walking into the school each morning and seeing all of the warm smiles and welcoming good morning greetings from the staff and other parents.

I have gotten positive feedback from his teacher and look forward to keeping close communication throughout the school year. We are so lucky to have such wonderful educators. Of course I have signed up to volunteer to help out with pretty much everything! I did so much when the girls were in elementary school and got to see what an asset parental participation is to not only the student, but also to the teacher and other students. My first volunteer job will be picture day next week and I am really looking forward to it! It's a good way for me to get to know some of William's classmates.

When I pick William up each afternoon, I ask him what the best part of his day was. He always starts off with, "We went to the playground two times!". He hasn't learned all of his classmates' names quite yet, but knows his main teachers and some of the related arts teacher's names. He just loves P.E.. His coach is the same one that his sisters had throughout the elementary years. It has been wonderful seeing a lot of familiar faces at the same school I spent countless hours in. We feel like William is going to thrive in kindergarten and the rest of his elementary school career. Oh, by the way, I did NOT cry on the first day of school! I didn't even have any anxiety or fear. I guess I feel like he is right where he belongs. I look forward to sharing more about his kindergarten adventures. Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday First day of kindergarten

Start school the "write" way with BIC back-to-school product line-up (Giveaway) CLOSED

Contest Closed. Winner is Help! Mama Remote...

It's back-to-school time all over the country. We have been preparing for weeks as the kids head back next week. I was so lucky to receive the entire back-to-school line-up of products from BIC. Having one in high school and two in college (husband included), it is important to have good quality writing tools for the tremendous amount of writing they all do. BIC has so many choices for every one of your writing needs. Below are details about each product as well as my personal thoughts. 

BIC Tech 2-in-1 Stylus and Pen:
I really like this a lot. It is perfect to attach to my tablet so that I have a 2-in-1 option especially when I am on the go! The pen writes smoothly and the stylus glides across the touch screen easily. My daughters had to fight me on this one. I won though! This innovative product is available in a one-pack with a SRP of $4.99, and a two-pack with a SRP of $7.97.

BIC Automatic Mechanical Pencil:
The BIC Automatic Mechanical Pencil makes it easy to retract and protect lead with just one click of the clip at the top of the barrel, which means no more broken lead at the bottom of your new backpack!

This innovative and refillable mechanical pencil offers a modern look with a clear barrel and colorful accents, as well as a textured grip zone for comfortable and controlled writing. Perfect for standardized tests with its number two lead, the BIC Automatic Mechanical Pencil is available in 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm lead sizes and has a suggested retail price (SRP) of $3.29 for a one-pack and $5.99 for a two-pack.

Both of my daughter use them and really prefer the mechanical pencil over the traditional wooden pencil. It is a must-have for them!

BIC For Her Gel and Marker Pens:
BIC for Her Gel and Marker pens offer beautifully smooth writing that will pass any test!

• BIC for Her Gel pens have stylish accents and a beautifully designed barrel, a contoured rubber grip for comfortable writing and a floral design embossed on the tip of the pen to help her express her style.  Available in a 0.7 mm medium point in blue, black, and new pink and purple inks, BIC For Her Gel pens have a SRP of $4.69 for a two-pack. Me and my teens LOVE these! They write so smoothly and we love the very girly look of it.

• BIC for Her Marker pens feature black, pink and purple inks for precise and creative writing. With its pearlescent designed barrel and sleek metal clip, the BIC for Her Marker pen is the perfect writing instrument to help her express her style. BIC for Her Marker pens have a SRP of $4.69 for a three-pack. My high school daughter snatched these up because she said they are perfect for precise details for her honors art class projects.

BIC Brite Liner Highlighter Tape:
BIC Brite Liner tape is re-inventing the way we highlight! This fluorescent tape adds vibrant highlights without bleeding through paper.  It also erases easily, making it convenient to use on textbooks. Available in the most popular highlighter colors, fluorescent pink or yellow, the BIC Brite Liner Highlighter Tape has a SRP of $2.29 for a one-pack and $4.59 for a two-pack.Our entire family was impressed with this. It's nice to not have your highlighting destroy your actual writing. Very cool item!

BIC Round Stic Grip:
One of the favorite back-to-school standbys has a new look, and is now offered with pink, purple, turquoise and lime green fashion inks!  Perfect for everyday writing, the BIC Round Stic Grip pen is offered in both fine and medium points and has eight unique ink colors to choose from, which are indicated by the color of the pen’s cap and grip. With a SRP of $2.19 for an eight-pack, the BIC Round Stic Grip pen provides comfortable writing at an exceptional value.

BIC Z4+ Roller:
BIC Z4+ Roller pen also has a new look, offered in black, blue and assorted ink colors in .7mm fine point.  Look for the neon ink colors, which provide smooth writing and a visible ink supply. These roller pens are amazing! I love the assortment of colors we all like to write in our planners in a different color per subject/topic/category.

Fun and fashionable, the BIC Z4+ roller pens offer a unique style and precise writing. These are perfect for my husband. He has always been a big fan of fine and smooth pens. BIC Z4+ Roller has a SRP of $8.29 for a four-pack and a SRP of $9.45 for a neon ink five-pack.

Confession: My family had a nerd moment when we laid our eyes on these fabulous writing tools! 

We really love all of the products overall. I can't even pick a favorite! I think the most impressive part is the pricing. Writing utensils can be very expensive and I feel like BIC's prices are reasonable for the great quality you get. You can't go wrong with that! 

I am thrilled to be able to give away one set of the BIC back-to-school line-up to one lucky reader. Enter below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on August 26, 2013. One winner will be selected at random and contacted by email to claim prize. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received items from BIC for review purposes. All opinions are my own and no additional compensation was received.  

Smart tips to get your little one prepped for kindergarten

Tomorrow marks the first day of August and this means back-to-school month for many of us. Being a stay-at-home mom to a rising kindergarten student means getting my little one ready for a whole new world. Since William has never attended pre-school or been enrolled in any programs that are in a group setting, it will be a big adjustment phase for him (and me). It also dawned on me that there are plenty of things he is not used to besides being around other kids. I have been trying to remember the kindergarten days when the girls were in it. One thing that really stuck out to me was the use of hand sanitizer. Being at home most of the time, there has been no need for it. I purchased a bottle and have been teaching William why he will have to use it in school. Of course, I have had to be harder on him with potty practices. He still has never been into a public restroom on his own so I am still VERY a bit nervous about that one. 

Another important thing is his sleep schedule. We started putting him to bed at 8:00 each night and wake him up about 6:45. He had such a tough time getting up this morning so I think we will move his bedtime starting next week to 7:30. A lot of kids don't get enough sleep at night so we want to make sure to not interrupt his sleep schedule as much as we can, even on weekends. Once he wakes up in the morning, we go through the full morning routine of washing, brushing, breakfast and getting dressed. So far so good. 

I recall when the girls were in kindergarten, that they had lunch as early as 10:30 AM. What I do is prepare Will's lunch early in the morning between getting him fed and dressed. I pack his lunchbox as I would for school so he can get in the habit of opening it, eating/drinking and packing up in a short time. When they are that young it can take longer to get situated and they have a very limited time to eat. It's funny, I make him line up like they would at school and he calls me "teacher". It has been going very well and I feel confident that he will make it through lunchtime with ease.

Each morning I have specific practice worksheets, coloring pages and other things that are kindergarten-based to get his mind focused on academics. I even teach him how to raise his hand and not speak until I acknowledge him. It has been really good having his big sisters at home to help out with training him for school.  I have him enrolled in "kinderbee" camp from August 6-8 for him to be screened for placement as well as for him to get a chance to preview what big boy school is like.

He officially starts kindergarten on August 21st. William is so enthusiastic about school and we are all so excited for him.

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. I tell myself that each day :)

New Post-It Mobile keeps you organized, on-the-go!

Being a homemaking, mother of 3 keeps me on-the-go at all times. Now that I think about it, my entire family is always scattered all over the place... school, work, college, activities, travel and more. We try our best to stay as organized as possible. When the school year started, I purchased planners for all of us. I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to scheduling, labeling and sorting things. I was thrilled when I received the entire line of Post-It Mobile products to review. Post-It really came up with some neat ideas for busy people like myself. I was really impressed with the selection and the versatility behind this line.

Post-it Mobile products are designed be attached to items you carry like notebooks, binders, laptops, book bags, cases and more. I love that I can attach tabs to my planner so that I can keep track of the most important tasks by color. 

All you do it peel off the backing from the sticky surface. I added these cute tabs on the back of my planner so I always have them on hand when I take it to-go in my purse. 

My husband loves the convenience of having Post-It notes and tabs that are attach to his book bag for when he goes to his night college class. He gets a lot of use out of them with those enormous books he studies from!

One of my favorites is the assorted tabs and notes that fit into binders. I have this one in my family bill binder and if I need to take the binder in the carpool line to do some quick updates, I have my Post-It Mobile items already in there! Oh and even better for the carpool line, they have a clip-on portable Post-It note holder that attaches to your visor. Oh man, I just had a nerd moment!

Check out this neat highlighter with tabs and pen in one! It clips onto most anything and would be especially good at the office. It is even great for students since it can easily be attached to a lanyard.

Post-It even has attach & go pockets that fit on your laptop or the back of your tablet or planner to hold important things like business cards, documents and more. The whole family fought over picked out what they needed the most and I can see them being a great benefit for our busy lives. It's also a great way for me to use the color-coded tabs for my blog post scheduling and giveaways.

You can find out more about Post-It Mobile and Post-It products on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I really love their Pinterest page for all the great ideas on organization. You have to check them out!

I received free products samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own as always. 

Getting ready for kindergarten

The time has come. It was 5 years in the making. Kindergarten registration is here. Today kicked off the start of Expanded Choice applications in our School District. If you want your child in either a Magnet program or to attend a school you are not zoned for, you must complete an online application. Although we live so close the the elementary school that I would like William to attend, we are not zoned for it. I had to fill out Choice applications back when the girls were Will's age. We want him to go to the same school his sisters went to. Me and my husband laugh at how we are starting all over again!

William is so excited and seems ready for school. I know he will do well socially but I still have my mom worries. With William being the last baby, he has been very babied and I take full responsibility for that. I can't help wanting to do everything for him. He's my baby! I know that I have learn to let go. I have to let him become more independent. I think about things like; will he be able to wipe his nose properly if he sneezes? Will he be able to clean his bottom properly if he goes to the bathroom? Will he eat his lunch? I have so many things going through my head! I have vowed to work diligently with him to get him well prepared for kindergarten. I guess all I can do is know that it will all work out. I was frantic when the girls were starting school too. It sure will be strange when he is gone all day and I will be home with just the dog. I know myself though, I will do what I did with the girls. I will volunteer every single day a few times a week. I am looking forward to all the fun things involved in kindergarten :)

William's preschool updates

We are in the thick of things around here. Getting William prepared for school takes a great part of the day and sometimes I am ready to give up. He has become obsessed with the idea of going to kindergarten and asks me fifty million times a day if it is time to start yet. It gets tiring, but I guess it's good that he has such an interest in school, having a teacher and making friends. Speaking of friends, I remember about 2 years ago William was very anti-social when it came to being around other children. I was so afraid that he would never like kids his age!

Times have changed and he has become very social. Most people consider home schooled children to be less social but that is not the case here. William is very friendly and loves to be around other children. We went to Monkey Joe's the other day and there was a little boy around his age that was playing alone. William went up to him and introduced himself by saying "Hello, my name is William" and he gave the boy a handshake! The little boy was very shy but eventually warmed up and played with William. His mother was so grateful that William made her son feel comfortable in the environment. She was also very amazed when she found out that William was only four. She said that he was mature beyond his years. I do get that a lot from people. William is very mature and disciplined for his age (and gender). We are so proud of how well he is developing in all areas and can't wait for school to start next year. I think he will do just fine!

Wordless Wednesday | The home school student

Dollar General/Procter & Gamble "Every Day Heroes"

Giveaway Closed. Winner is eclairre, congratulations!

Throughout the month of September, Dollar General® is teaming up with Procter & Gamble® to celebrate schools and honor teachers during its year-long “Every Day Heroes” campaign. Now, you can honor schools in your community. Dollar General is offering the opportunity to win money for your school through its “Write to Win” sweepstakes. Customers ages 21 and over may visit the Dollar General site to submit a brief essay about why their school deserves to win. Three essays will be selected and the winning schools mentioned in those essays will win $10,000 each. I have many friends in the education field who would love a chance to win $10,000! I urge you to participate or pass along the word to anyone you know who would like a chance to win for a great cause.

Procter & Gamble is providing a prize pack for one lucky Momfiles reader to win. This prize includes a sample of Tide PODS, Prilosec OTC, Cascade Action Pacs, Ultra Downy Scope Outlast mouthwash, a Dollar General cosmetic bag and a Dollar General reusable sandwich container. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 18, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

 Procter & Gamble is providing me with a prize pack as well as one for the winner. No other compensation was received. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

Scotch-Brite Botanical Disinfecting Wipes for back-to-school

It's back-to-school time and this means new clothes, school supplies, books and of course, all those pesky germs. I think almost every school year from kindergarten all the way to middle school, one of my girls got sick during the first week back.

This year, I will be sending the teachers things like Kleenex and Scotch-Brite Botanical Disinfecting Wipes. These wipes kill 99.9% of household germs and can be used around kids, pets and food. They leave no residue, don't require rinsing and are made from botanically pure plant extracts. It's nice to be able to breathe easily while you clean.

You can find these wipes at most Walmart stores and other retailers as well. They are priced at around $2.99 for 35 wipes and $4.99 for 75 wipes. I did see them last week at Walmart for $1.97 for the 35 count. I bought one for my husband to keep in his desk in the event someone uses his phone or computer. You can't beat one step sanitizing. These are so convenient and I am sure your child's teachers would appreciate them in the classroom!

Stay connected with Scotch-Brite via the web, Facebook and Twitter to learn about new products and special offers. Also be sure to grab a coupon here to help you stock up.

I hope your kids have a great new school year with fewer illnesses!

I received a product sample for review and all thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

Back to School Basics: Is a Tablet Necessary?

I wanted to share some interesting information with you all from Andrea Eldridge, on the subject of if your child can benefit from a tablet for school use.

As parents everywhere prepare to send sons and daughters back to school, they want to arm them with the best possible resources. For many families, computers or tech gadgets are alongside clothes, pens and paper on the list of purchases to budget for. As tablets grow in popularity, you may be wondering if your student would benefit from having an iPad or inexpensive back to school tablets like a Kindle Fire, Google Nexus or Barnes and Noble Nook in their book bag.

As I’ve explored in previous articles, tablets can play a role in our children’s education. Studies have shown that playing certain educational games can improve test scores. Access to the internet (when in range of a wireless signal) can give your student instant answers to any of her queries, or make quick work of finding ideas for a science project. Office-style programs, while limited, can even provide the ability to write reports or create presentations and email them to her teacher.

However, the overall value of a low-end tablet to pre-college level students is limited and handing your child unfettered access to the internet is a dangerous proposition. The portability of tablets makes it all too easy for Jr. to head off to his room to research that paper, only to end up somewhere you’d rather he didn’t explore on the internet. A common area computer allows you to more easily monitor his activity or better yet, install parental control software to set some limits. Parental controls on tablets are minimal, typically restricting access to certain apps, but not limiting exposure online.

It’s difficult to use a tablet for the kind of school work your pre-college age child will be focused on. Most teachers won’t allow the tablet to be used in-class, and even if they are permitted your child won’t likely have access to WiFi. While the starting price is low (beginning at around $200 for the Fire, Nexus or Nook), you’ll have to add on a Bluetooth keyboard for typing papers and a sturdy case to minimize the risk of damage from bumps and drops. Printing is a challenge and while the programs available to integrate with Word, Excel and Powerpoint give you basic document and presentation production capability, many are limited in their function, particularly when you aren’t in range of a WiFi network. For a tablet running Android, you’ll be best served by investing $20 in Quickoffice HD Pro while iPad users can install Pages, Numbers or Keynote depending on the functionality needed (iTunes app store, $9.99 each).

When it comes to your college-age student on the other hand, there may be some definite advantages to adding a tablet to their arsenal. Using a stylus with certain note taking applications converts handwritten notes to searchable text, while drawings become images that can be inserted into future reports and projects. Their ultra-portability makes them the ideal addition to a backpack and professors typically don’t limit their use in the classroom. Spring for a pricier iPad and your co-ed can utilize iTunes U, the “world’s largest online catalog of free education content from leading institutions”. Even if their specific lessons aren’t posted through the app, they can access virtual lectures, videos and books from the leading minds in education at Stanford, Yale, MIT and many more.

 Finally, many college-level courses expect work to be submitted electronically which is far easier for a tablet user to accommodate than the printouts and tangible paperwork expected of younger students. The “WiFi everywhere” atmosphere at most college campuses also leads tablet users to be more productive than when they’re unable to access the internet. While it would take some getting used to and some working around its limitations, a college student with a Bluetooth keyboard, office-style productivity suite and cloud-based backup and syncing service could definitely benefit from having a tablet at their fingertips. Some may even be able to get by without a laptop or PC.

So what do you think? Are you sending your kids to school with a tablet? 


About the Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, an on-site computer and laptop repair service for consumers and businesses. Andrea is the writer of two weekly columns, Computer Nerds On Call a nationally syndicated column for Scripps-Howard News Service, and Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She regularly appears on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, and CNN on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning Arizona and MORE Good Day Portland, offering viewers easy tips on technology, Internet lifestyle, and gadgets. Andrea recently has begun working with Demand Media to produce content for eHow.com and has written a book for them Smartphone 101: Integrating Your iPhone Into a Windows World.

On-the-Go with D.O. Field Day

**Contest Closed** 

Winner is Lala! Congratulations!!

Hey guys! You might recall a post I wrote a few weeks back introducing you to David Oliver. If you are not familiar with who he is, you can check out the post here.

I wanted to let you all know that Coke is teaming up with the U.S. Olympic Hurdler David Oliver, to bring a deserving school a field day to celebrate togetherness and physical activity. Parents and students will be brought together with fun events such as an egg toss to sack races—with David cheering you on every step of the way! How cool is that? Can you imagine how crazy all the kids, parents and school staff would go?! Take a peek at the short video clip here.

There is an amazing Sweepstakes promotion being featured on the My Coke Rewards site where you can enter your MCR points to gain entries for your school to get the fun Field Day with David Oliver.  Schools will receive 1 Sweepstakes entry for every 3 Points. The Points used to enter the School into the Sweepstakes will be donated to the School's account. Non-registered Schools that receive entries but fail to register for the program before the conclusion of the Promotion Period will not be eligible to win a prize in this Sweepstakes. To enter on behalf of a School, during the Promotion Period (ends 8/21) visitwww.mycokerewards.com/fieldday and follow the links and instructions to log in to your My Coke Rewards Account, if you already have one. If you are not yet a My Coke Rewards member, follow the onscreen directions to become one. Then, follow the links and instructions to enter the School of your choice into the David Oliver Sweepstakes. It is very easy to sign up and even easier to donate points. I had about 85 points in my account and donated them all to my kids' school. 

Guess what? My Coke Rewards would like to fly out one very lucky Momfiles reader and a guest to go attend the field day event at the winning school {valued at approximately $2000}! This means you get to experience the field day with David and the kids, and do an in-person interview! Are you all excited? I know I am! 

To enter (Mandatory) answer the question in the Rafflecopter widget. Once you do that, you can unlock additional entry methods. a Rafflecopter giveaway



This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 12, 2012. Please follow all rules or your entries will be disqualified. Be sure to leave an email address in the event you win, I need a way to contact you. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or prize will be awarded to an alternate winner. Momfiles in not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am receiving compensation for promoting this Sweepstakes. All opinions are always 100% mine. 

Get to Know Olympic Hopeful David Oliver

Hey guys! I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to an athlete named David Oliver. Many of you might already know who he is or have at least heard of him. David Oliver is a USA Track & Field athlete (in hurdles) with many championships, awards and honors under his belt. Some of those athletic achievements include being a three-time USA Outdoor Champion, two-time NCAA All-American, 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist and several other awards and honors. You can take a peek at his specific rankings and events here. It's quite impressive!

He will be leading a spectacular group of American hurdlers in the 2012 Olympic year. He is hoping to pull from the momentum he had in 2010 since he has been fighting through injuries in 2011. I am quite sure that through determination, hard work and a positive mindset, he will be amazing!

Besides being an incredible athlete, he also helps inner-city children through his organization called SUB 13. In October of 2011, David and his SUB 13 organization hosted their annual speed and agility camp in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. The kids went through a series of drills focused at helping them improve their performance. You can check out the full photo album of the event on the Facebook page. Imagine how cool that would be to get training from such a popular athlete? I know it had to be a big boost for those kids to learn from someone that took time out of his busy schedule to work with them. I have always respected athletes that give back to their community in such a big way.

You can check David Oliver out on Facebook and Twitter as well as his official site.

 

Psst.... stay tuned to find out how you can get a chance to meet David Oliver in person and help your child's school with Coca-Cola. I promise you that you won't want to miss out on that!

Wordless Wednesday {Art}

I just had to share Brie's work that she created in her art class at school. Brie says that this is a girl who is depressed because her secrets got out. This is a really big piece so I might have to end up getting it custom framed. We love it!

Those are locks and keys in the tree. Cool huh?

Nerds make my day!

I was driving Chardie and Brie to school this morning like I always do. Wednesdays are my favorite because they have late start. This means a little extra sleep and a more relaxed morning. Even before the girls get in the car they start up with all sorts of chatter, jokes and foolishness. Of course being the awesome mom I am, I fully participate in the shenanigans! I laugh myself almost to tears most mornings. This morning the topic was science classes. Chardie had to double up on sciences since she could not fit Biology in her schedule freshman year. So this means both Chardie and Brie take Biology, same teacher but different periods. Brie told Chardie she wishes they could have been in the same class so that they could work on projects together. This is where I intervened. I told them that I know their projects would be the best of the best because of how much they put into every part of it... research, proper grammar, neatness... They both agreed and then made a confession. They said that when they do projects with other students they redo a lot of it. Brie says she saves all the work in her thumb drive and offers to print the project out for the group. What she really does is fix everything that was wrong or correct typos. Both girls admitted that if it was up to them that they would do the whole project themselves so they can get an excellent grade. I tell you what, those girls amaze and inspire me. They care so much about their school work and strive to be the best. Makes me proud. Makes me want to do even better. Most people think I am nuts for driving the kids to school and picking them up since the bus stop is right in front of our house. It costs me a small fortune in gas each week. I don't care. What I get out of our morning conversations in the car is priceless!

Update on the girls

Last week was a busy week. The girls completed volleyball tryouts and they both made the team. Chardie will be on Varsity and Brie will play JV and will also get to join in on Varsity practice as well as get a little play time if they need her. They are both pretty happy and are excited about the season. They also picked up their schedules and got all the classes they needed. Remember in past posts how happy I was to finally have both girls in one place so I don't have to be scattered around all over town? Well they will be going to the same school and will playing the same sport except their schedules are very different. One has early bird and the other doesn't. One will have early dismissal second semester and the other one doesn't. So, you know what this means.... yep, scattered around again. We came up with a solution for mornings though. I will take them at the 2 different times for a couple weeks until Brie becomes comfortable with her new school and then she will get dropped off early with her sister. She will be able to go to the library at that time. It still freaks me out that both my girls are in high school! As far as afternoons go I still have about 4 months before that happens. I am looking forward to the girls going back to school in a week so I can focus more on teaching little Will his school lessons at home.

Has school started back in your city yet? Are you prepared?

The finished teacher gifts

I spent the morning baking up these lovely little mini-loaves of blueberry crumb cake for the girls' teachers. By the way, the cake tastes even better the next day! I wrapped each cake (once cooled) in plastic wrap before putting them in the cello-bags. Brie chose the color and although it does not match the tags she did not seem to mind. Actually the whole family thinks it looks cute this way. The girls wrote their own personal message in the cards.



We even stuck a plastic knife in the bag just in case the teacher wanted a little snack. I sure hope they like them.


I can't believe this is the last week of school. I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend.