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It's that time again....

...time for joining the Happy Family Movement in their annual Summer Bucket List challenge!  Here is where I talked about our 2012 Summer Bucket List and here is all of our completed Bucket List 2012 items!  And ever so quickly, a new year is upon us and we are ready and raring to go again!

 

Click the link above to register and join US for this year's challenge.  Friends, it's FREE.  It's FUN.  It's a great way to be accountable.  We all make or have little lists in our heads but getting them on paper is one way to start checking them off and START DOING.

Your list doesn't need to be complex.  Ours has big things (going to an Amusement park) and little things (having a squirt gun fight!).  It's just the concept and making thelist and DOING it that matters.  And the kids LOVE IT.  Bella was chomping at the bit this year to make our list.

This year I only listed about 20 things.  Sometimes if I put too many, its just overwhelming.  Sometimes we add things along the way too not even realizing they should have been "bucket list" items!  There are no rules!  It's YOUR FAMILY, YOUR LIST.  Make it simple.  Have the kids make the list or color the list or draw the list and hang it up.  When you are struggling on a day or wanting to do something -- check the list!  That thing has "saved" many of our hard days!  Other times it just gives us the burst of enthusiasm to enjoy even the hardest of days!

This year I repurposed that old yellow frame with chicken wire (last seen used for my BABYS FIRST BIRTHDAY!) I also downloaded Persnickety Prints Yellow Chalk Talk cards and printed them at home to make our summer bucket list display!  Really, REALLY easy.  I only added numbers to the cards with stickers I had and then Bella, Luke and I brainstormed and I wrote the items down.  Easy peasy.  Here is the finished look.

(super cool that today it was featured on Persnickety Prints Instagram feed! :) My first shout out!  WOOT!) And her is how a pulled back version looks.  This is in our kitchen.

Super happy with it and love that it is hung over my magnet board in the kitchen so I can add other things along the way (or photos of us completing the FUN STUFF)!

YAY!  Here's to another fun summer!  I hope you JOIN US!

Luke is "moving on..."

Lukey had his last day of Preschool yesterday and they celebrated with a program (another program this week!  Busy week!).  It is a super program (the same one as Bella had last year) and we were excited to see our handsome boy "move on."  Because the kids are a mix in ages, they don't call it a Graduation.  And, not all of the kids are going on to Kindergarten!  So a "moving on" ceremony it is! :)

We had our neighbor watch Bella and Noah so we can focus on just Lukey (and same for Bella the night beforehand) and I'm super happy we did.  We each got to love up on him and pay special attention to JUST HIM.

I took a few more photos during the production but had to stop pretty quick in because poor Lukey lost his cookies.  As we entered the church to see his performance he was gleefully waving at us and happy to watch everyone walk in.  As the audience filled up his anxiety level rose.  At first I thought he was distracted with a button on his shirt.  But soon we both realized that he was getting red in the face and upset.  He was squinting and trying not to cry.  I stood up at the side to try and get him to see me and be OK.  I gave him encouragement and thumbs up and he shook his head no. :(  A teacher came to me and kindly said "Oh no!  What do you want us to do?"  I said "If he gets more upset, pull him!"  After that I saw him start to melt so I grabbed the teacher and said take him off stage.  The minute she grabbed him he gave her the monkey hug (you know, entire arms and legs wrapped around the person) and buried his face in her shoulder.

And then I started to CRY.  And I held my baby who was anxiety ridden and shaking and sobbed.  I felt so bad for him.  I tried to get it together to help him cope and move forward.  Whispered nice things in he ears, hugged him tight and told him I loved him.  Another of his favorite teachers tried to coax him on stage and he declined.  In the end, the concert of songs finished but it was time to get a diploma.  I resorted to the old bag of parent tricks and asked him "do you remember that we have cookies and lemonade after this?"  He chipper-ed up.  I said, "If you get your diploma on stage then we'll got do that."  He wiped the eyes with the backs of his hands and stood up.  He took the teachers hand and quickly got back on stage.

His name was called.  He accepted the diploma and stood nicely for a picture.  And we breathed a sigh of relief.  Cookies and lemonade were had.  We applauded his success and told him how proud of him we were ... and WE ARE.

That wasn't anything to do with his ADHD.  That was more of a sensory issue.  And the thing is, as much as I do to prepare him and help him, sometimes you just don't know when he's going to come unglued.  And it is heartbreaking and hard and painful.  The teachers were SHOCKED to see this from him.  He does a good job holding it together at school ... and a 7pm concert performance...well, that is challenging for him.

Although I don't want Luke to suffer, it affirms that everything we are doing for him is RIGHT and NECESSARY and NEEDED and VALID.  And it confirms our decisions for him next year in our choice of schools and half day Kindergarten programs.

Lukey is moving on, and we are proud.

Wordless (who am I kidding) Wednesday

Last night, Bella (along with the other Kindergartners, First Graders and 4th graders) had a Spring Concert.  It was so CUTE and really entertaining!

I was a teeny bit irritated whent he big 4th graders stood on risers in front of the teeny Kindergarten kids ... but caught this sweet shot of Bella through the crowd.  I love it.  No worries, the big kids sat while the little ones performed!  I have to say, the highlight of my night was the 4th graders rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer!"  It was SO COOL!  Yep, we are a progressive Catholic School who are open to all sorts of music! ;)

We celebrated with an ice cream cone afterwards!  Hard to believe soon she will be moving on to First Grade and we will have another Kindergarten kid up in this house!  

Our Future Olympian

Girlfriend "competed" in her first ever Gymnastics Mini-Olympics last weekend.  It was really awesome.  We entered the feet-smelling sweaty gymnastics gymnasium with about 1000 other parents shuffling along with video cameras, iPhones and extra long lenses for capturing every flip and pointed toe.  A kind twist fo fate that my friend Denise offered to watch the boys!  AMEN TO HER!  The event was actually enjoyable and was SAW EVERYTHING thanks to that kind gesture! (see, these Mom friends of mine teach me to be a better mom!  I didn't ask her to do it...she offered.  She knew it would be substantially better for me to enjoy Bella without worrying about the boys.  I love that.)  And sure enough.  After each event Bella scanned the audience looking for me and her Daddy!  We eagerly shot her "thumbs ups" and a vigourous wave cheering her on!

She did 4 events.  Floor exercise, vault, beam and bars.  They had a good system down rotating all of the kids in and out.  It was run in a typical gymastics fashion where many events are going simultaneously.  That took a little to get used to, but we quickly did!  Here are some photos of her doing her thing ...

And in between events there was some of this ....

And if you didn't think my baby was a peanut ... here is some proof.

Although she is on the bottom riser, she is still the littlest in the group ... but with the biggest heart and spirit.  She and I went over her floor routine 27 times on Saturday practicing to perfection.  And she did great.  She was shy and funny in front of the group.  She coyly tucked her tongue in cheek when we waved and fussed.  So so so cute.

Daddy presented her with flowers at the end and she got a trophy.  To date, the flowers are LOVINGLY CARED FOR on her dresser (girl LOVES flowers!) and the trophy gets polished daily.  For real.

Most of all, I really loved watching her.  I could hardly believe that our little peanut was out there doing this big kid stuff, and doing it well.  Olympics or not, no matter what she does, I will support her.  I will be there.  I will be cheering and I will be her biggest fan.  Of that, I am certain.

A LOT of this...

...is going on here lately.  Our skin is already kissed by the sun, the suncreen is out on a daily basis and the yard is often littered with kids colorful toys.  I love these days.

We rotate from park, to playground, to neighbors house, to driveway and always end in the bakyard.  The kids are at a great age where I can prep dinner or cook on the grill while they jump on the trampoline or play on the swingset...I can hear and see them very well doing this.  Can I just say LIFECHANGER? It sounds so silly, but it is HUGE.  While they are not of age at ALL to play alone, this is a small step that allows me a teeny bit of flexibility and allows dinner to get on the table!  WIN!

Spirits are lifted, smiles have sprouted (maybe even my own too!) and our hearts are singing a happy song once again.  Although I love the change of seasons and we truly enjoy each one to its fullest, I love the life that is reborn again each spring.  Although this year it was late, it was a WELCOME arrival.

Enjoying the small stuff.  Yep, that is US right now.

TMNT

I love a good project.  And when I do something, I just cannot go halfway! (for those hiring me for photo shoots its a WIN!  For my kids, its a WIN!)  When I'm "in," I'm all in.  And I like to surround myself with like-minded people! :)  Most of my friends are in this Type A over-achiever club of sorts.  I guess us freaks like to hang tight.

In any manner.  When Denise said that they were throwing their son a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle party I said "Oh, can I make some cookies for you?"  What was I thinking?  I'm crazy on so many levels!  Did I forget the time and labor involved in these babies?  No, I truly wanted to make them for her and him and knew it would help create the perfect party favor!  In my opinion, decorated cookies are a GREAT GIVEAWAY and can always add to the overall theme and decor!

Yesterday, in the crazy 98 degree heat, I set out to decorate 24 precious ninja turtles.  One tip I have (and it is likely already out there) is for tedious little filling parts (using the Royal Icing method with Meringue powder) I used a medicine dispenser!  I didn't want to fill the pastry bags with just a little icing and have all of that cleanup.  As I was looking around my kitchen I spied the droppers and had that AH-HA moment!

YAY me!  I was so happy with this method and it made it so simple to do and to clean up.  In addition, I also started with the orange icing...then I was able to manipulate that batch into ALL of the colors I needed for the TMNTs (orange...red...purple and blue!)  I saved bowls and time too!  In then end, I was super pleased with the little amphibians...

My purple wasn't perfect and some of the smiles weren't either but I loved how they turned out.  (FYI.  I used the Wilton candy eyes and by morning some of he dye had absorbed into them.  That bummed me out.  If I would do it over I would have used icing to do the eyes...just in case you are making turtles in your future!)

And if that wasn't enough I whipped up a few tags and bags to round the whole process out.

And into the treat sacks they went.  Done, and done.  

And just to prove to you that I surround myself with other freaks Type A gals ... here is the snack we "whipped up" for the party guests this morning!  Denise, I like how you think!

Adorable?  YES!  And that concludes this edition of "over-achiever moms!"  Happy Wednesday!

My Village.

"They say..." it takes a village.  I'm not sure who "they" are but I'm telling you what, "they" are right.  It does take a village to raise a child/family.  I'm so thankful for my village.  At first I used to think "whaa booey, I don't have family close, so I don't have a village."  And boy was I wrong.  True that there aren't many extra arms around to help and no one to cover for me at school pick-up and dates night cost a bundle in babysitters.  But those are just pesky details.  The good stuff...the stuff where I really learn how to be a good mama?  That comes from my village.

And today I want to THANK my village.

My Grandma, for teaching me acceptance of circumstances and to accept others.  I've NEVER felt judgement from her.  Not for my choices, not for others choices.  So is so accepting.  What a wonderful thing and a wonderful trait to pass on to my own children.

My Mom, for showing me and modeling for me how STRONG a family is.  How they are ALWAYS there for you and won't TURN their back on you.  Down in the trenches or the cherry on top, family is there and they are LOYAL and STRONG.

My Aunt Sally for showing me honor.  Honoring our history, honoring each other as we are, honoring tradition and honoring legacy.  I think that is a really neat thing.

My Aunt Cordi for modeling JOY and laughter.  Never a dull moment when she is around ... or a witty joke.  I love that.

Melissa, the first friend of mine to have a baby.  Who bravely let me fly in and visit her when sweet Mallory was a mere 3 weeks old.  She taught me how the moment your child is born, your heart triples in size. (in her case, its about to QUADruple!)

Ashley, who shared the journey with me and we became mother's together, a mere two weeks apart.  We fumbled through those baby days together and have every single day since then.  She's taught me to be a better KINDER and GENTLER mother.  For that, I am grateful.

For Julie, who taught me to take time to snuggle my babies.  To lap them up with every fiber of my soul.  I'm so grateful I took that lesson from her before Noah was born.  It's a gem.

For our birth mothers who taught me the TRUE MEANING of being brave and selfless.

To Melanie who taught me that cyber-friendships are possible and WONDERFUL.  She is the best encourager I've ever met.  Thank you for that.  It has taught me to be more encouraging in my "real life!"

Denise, my friend of friends and friend "soul mate!"  We are walking such a similar path in life and sharing in that journey makes it SO MUCH BETTER.  She has taught me the depth of love I have for my babies showed me that being protective of them is so important.

I'm super grateful to have my Mother-in-Law in my village.  She has walked the walk long before me.  She raised boys that have become incredible men and obviously, I am eternally grateful for that.  She also ran a tight ship and I have definitely learned the value in that for my own little brood.

I know I am forgetting people.  It is not purposeful.  It is because the sun is shining and I want to get out there and soak it in with my family.  But today wasn't complete without publically thanking my village.  Without you, I'd be half the mother I am today.  I am eternally grateful.  Happy Mother's Day to my village.

Sara Smile.

On February 15th as I sat in the waiting room in between the times I was going in for my skin cancer surgery I was quietly contemplating (read madly texting family and wiping away tears) about how to "close" my face.  Would I have the surgeon that day finish up the procedure or would I return in a few days for a different surgeon to do it?  I mulled over this decision and worried and wondered and really asked questions.  I was worried about my smile.  I didn't want to lose my smile.

Then the song Sara Smile came on from Hall and Oates.

 

I took it as a sign.  As a girl growing up family would sing the song to me and I'm sure any little girl born in the 70s growing up in the 80s named Sara ... likely KNEW of that song.  OH and don't forget Jefferson Starship song Sara either.  Classic "Sara" songs in my house.  There may or may NOT have been a Graduation photo reel produced to this song. (thanks Dad! And if you converted that one from VHS to DVD we should load it to YouTube or Vimeo and I'll share it ... so everyone can have a good laugh!)

Back to the story.  I heard the song Sara Smile and it confirmed my decision to stay there and complete the surgery.  I felt confident in the decision.  And that day I left looking like this...then a few days later that ...

And it wasn't long after that subconsciously (or sometimes even consciously) I began hiding my face and smiling less.  Soon I was hiding more behind kids and smiling less ...

The surgeon did an awesome job.  I really think so and believe that.  Everyone tells me it looks great and is healing so well.  I'm smart enough to know that it will take time, and that in 6 months to a year it will look even better.

But somehow even know that...I've been smiling less.

When I look in the mirror, all I see is this ugly scar.  If I don't have make up on its really obvious and if I do have make up on it looks a little better.  But still, its all I see.  And it does make me feel yucky.  I keep trying and knowing it will get better and move forward.  But the other day I posted a photo and again, wasn't smiling.

And my mama "yelled" at me and told me to smile.  And my dad told me I was more beautiful than ever.  And my husband last night told me that he thinks I look like Kaley Couco and that when he sees me it's like HER.  And since I like her and think she is adorable, I think its a compliment.  And then he said ... "except for she doesn't have this awesome scar on her face."  He sees past the scar and still sees me.  I guess I'm still just seeing the scar, and not looking past it.

So, I'm going to try and bring back the smile.  The Sara Smile.  Thanks for listening friends.