summer

Home Stretch for This School Year

It’s official. I turned in re-enrollment forms for both of my school age kiddos. SJ will be going into 1st grade and Z is going into 3rd. I’m really excited about this next milestone for these two.

Not a lot will change for SJ because her school uses a montesorri type format. So she will be in the same classroom with a lot of the same students next year, except now she won’t be the youngest. You would think this would be an easy transition (for me), but I get anxious almost every year.

The schedule is the same for SJ which means she spends about half of her time doing academics and the other half is speech and language. This year I felt great about that because even her hearing peers were only doing half day kindergarten anyway, but in 1st grade I have to worry about her getting a “full day” of curriculum in half the time. I worry so much about her being behind. I practically had to have a voluntary intervention at the parent teacher meeting last week.

Thankfully we have the most amazing team of teachers, directors, even the audiologist was in there at one point. They all encouraged me by answering my questions and telling me what an incredible job SJ is doing. They also reminded me to remember how far she has come and she really has! I feel 100% better after going to this meeting and now I am ready for next school year. I make it sound like I am the one going to school. I know I’m not, but I might as well be. We’re in this together!

Z is going to be switching classes for the first time when he starts back up in the fall. He said he is a little apprehensive about that, but I know he’ll be fine. I am beyond excited that he gets to be at this school for the 4th year (new building, but same school by the way). I love his school so much and we weren’t sure if we were going to be moving, but we’re not. We are staying in our rental home another year. After that we’ll try to become home owners again and we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

The funny thing is, even though I don’t have to worry about Z falling behind I worry about him being challenged. With Z he has shown a lot of signs of being at the top of his class and he’s really great with technology and math. He wants to be an inventor and I want him to be able to do that. How do I harness his abilities without being pushy or overbearing? I know I sound like such a worry-wart, but I prefer the term over-thinker. The other day he had to remind me that college is still 10 years away. I am that mom.

Regardless of my tendency to fret I can assure you that these aren’t thoughts that constantly pervade my mind. With 4 kids I don’t have time to obsess. I am all about kids being kids and learning trough play, yada, yada, yada. I think all moms want their kids to succeed and reach their fullest potential. That’s what it boils down to.

I am genuinely excited about wrapping up another successful school year. The last day of school for both Z and SJ is exactly 5 weeks away!

Look out summer, here we come.

By Natalie|2016-04-21T11:45:28+00:00April 21, 2016|Schooling|1 Comment

Look Back and Laugh 002 {Switching Seasonal Clothes}

Sorry I’ve been so absent lately. My website is still down way too often and so for those not on Facebook you may think I have abandoned ship, but this is not so! Please don’t give up on me. As for today’s link up, this isn’t an embarrassing moment, but it is a funny exaggeration so that’s why I am posting it for today’s Look Back and Laugh. Maybe some of you will relate.

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Now that we finally have some spring weather it’s time to pack up the sweaters and bring out the shorts. This is always a big task to tackle, but this is the first time I have done it with 4 children. And let me tell you, it is a NIGHTMARE!

I have been working on it for daaaaays. Maybe there are people that have containers and storage for all this, or their closets are big enough to fit winter and summer clothing year round. None of this is the case for me. We have hobbit closets and live by the philosophy if it wasn’t worn by 8 different children then someone didn’t get their money’s worth. So clothing rotation in our home is an art form and one that I have yet to master.

One problem is how to group things. There is the obvious grouping by size and season, but we have up to size 10 and both genders. If I had a bin for each size, gender, and season we would have forty bins of clothes. So I try to scale down as I go through everything.

Let’s start with the first son. I have to decide if it’s something that will fit him next year. If yes, I put it in the size “8ish” winter pile. If not then it is either a future dust rag, donation, or I hang onto it for when the next son is in size 6 or 7.

See that’s the other problem, just because something says it’s one size it doesn’t always fit that way so you may have everything from a 6 to a 9 in a closet at one time. Then you have things that you want to pass on or give back to a specific family. That’s another pile. There are always a couple items that look like they need to go through the wash once more before being packed up, so you’ve gotta throw those in a pile. Or maybe it’s something you feel is valuable enough to sell. Start a pile for that too. Do this four times over and you have 23 piles and house that looks like an episode of Hoarders Buried Alive.

I do realize in hindsight that there is no 5T or 6T, but after going through so many toddler clothes I got carried away with the T.

Then heaven forbid your child realize you are getting rid of one of their prized possessions. Oh it’s all over! Go ahead and bring in a professional counselor for this part. Yesterday SJ wanted to know what the letters on the trash bag spelled and I told her it said “Donation” and she gave me a quizzical look. Donation? What is donation? She asked. I dodged the question. We’ll talk about it later.

Then Z saw a pair of jogging pants in the trash pile and he freaked out on me. I told him they are a size six and too small, but he began to protest.

Z: That’s just a label mom. They still fit me.

Mom: They have holes in them. They are going in the trash”

Dad: You could cut them and make them into shorts.

Mom: He has plenty of shorts! You stay out of this.

This conversation went on for a long time and I kid you not he wore them to school today. Sigh.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I am just as much a culprit when it comes to clothing attachment issues. I see a vest that Z wore for Easter of ’09 and I react like my 13 year old dog is being euthanized.

It’s all just too much. I mean, I understand why we have clothes I guess, but sometimes I wonder if they are overrated. Maybe unisex rompers will become a thing. Until then I better get back to sorting or it will be winter again before I finish.

By Natalie|2016-04-19T11:28:57+00:00April 19, 2016|Laughter|1 Comment

A Homemade Birthday

I wasn’t going to do anything major this year for Z’s birthday because of the baby on the way and all that. So I kept his party pretty low key… kind of. I mean, I didn’t have a theme so that should be proof that I did use some restraint! I did however get a bit crafty with certain aspects of the party and I think it went really well. Z was so happy and his reaction to all of the surprises that I made for him was totally worth the effort!

He said his favorite part was the piñata.

This is the third Piñata I have made for his birthday and it was pretty simple because it was just a box made to look like a Minecraft Creeper. Everything in Minecraft is made up of pixels so cutting tissue paper out in squares may have been tedious, but the design was very basic.

Everyone got a turn to whack and smack the creeper with a plastic bat.

Even after all the candy flew out they continued to play with it and the boys got to be boys as they tore the Minecraft enemy to bits. They made it look so fun I thought I might need to take up piñata fighting as a hobby.

The funny thing is all of my “art work” for the party are things that are meant to be devoured or destroyed, but I don’t mind. I prefer to get a picture before hand, but I am totally cool with how temporary it all is. The memories are what last.

Z also had a big cake with Mario popping out of the top.

I cheated with this cake because I bought the chocolate fudge cake pre made from Kroger and then just made a confetti bunt cake and stacked it on top. I covered the whole thing with store bought chocolate frosting and stuck Mario in the middle of the bundt cake. It was far from pretty or perfect, but Z loved it. The kids ate the bundt cake in a matter of minutes and our family has been snacking on the leftover fudge cake which everyone agrees is capital D-licious. I definitely considered this cake a success!

Lastly, Z really loves fruit pizza and we have had some fun creations in the past, so I knew I wanted celebrate this occasion by making one of his favorite characters out of fruit.

Emmet from the Lego movie was a natural choice. Z loves Legos and it’s kind of like the Minecraft character because when you are working with things made from cubes (or Lego bricks in this case) the shapes are way easier to replicate than with something found in nature. The fruit pizza was not only super fun to make and to surprise Z with, but it really is so yummy! Seriously, everyone always goes on and on about how amazing these simple sugar cookie fruit creations taste. I have the recipe here.

So that was pretty much the party other than lots of food and 14 children ages 1-8 running around slipping and sliding for two hours. It was a perfectly chaotic, wild, and messy time. I love having some family traditions like these. Casual, frugal, homemade fun. Next up Ezie’s birthday!

By Natalie|2015-09-08T22:06:07+00:00September 8, 2015|Crafts, Creativity, Parties, Projects, Uncategorized|2 Comments

Fruity Fun Ice Drink

I have definitely been in back-to-school mode, and I’m the first to admit that fall is my favorite season. However, the weather is still warm, we have a pool party to go to tonight, and summer isn’t over yet. So let’s SQUEEZE some last minute fun out of what we have left of this season. This is a very simple way to jazz up your drinks in a sweet and tropical way.

Really all you need is some frozen fruit and beverage o choice. You can make your own lemonade if you choose.

I am pregnant and sadly also anemic, which causes me to crave ice in a MAJOR way, but by adding fruit to the ice it infuses a bit of nutrients to my habit.

The kids love to help with this recipe including squeezing the lemons. When children are involved in cooking and creating healthy things it makes them more inclined to want to try it rather than just going for the junk food.

All I have are these cutesy Ikea molds, this project would be a little easier with just a standard ice tray, but any ice tray will work. If the fruit is frozen and the ice cubes are small it will only take a couple hours to freeze and then you can distribute it into the glasses.

We love lemonade here and I use a really low sugar recipe. Or if there is no time our own juicing we just buy Simply Lemonade and dilute half with water. So it’s more of a lemon flavored water, but it’s still so yummy and less sugar!

You could use any kind of tropical drink including something carbonated. The fruity ice is so flavorful though you don’t need to go overboard with whatever concoction you choose.

The kids and I love this drink and it would be perfect for a pool party. Or you could do strawberries and blueberries for 4th of July, or just the strawberry heart ice for Valentine’s day. It’s so festive the fruity ice makes any occasion a little more fun!

I hope everyone is enjoying what’s left of summer! What’s your favorite summer time drink?

By Natalie|2015-08-14T08:58:29+00:00August 14, 2015|Creativity, Parties|10 Comments

Where I’ve Been

You know something is going on when I come up on the one week mark of no blog posts. My excuse this time is a really happy one! We had the opportunity to go to visit friends in Northern Michigan and it didn’t take much convincing for us to pack up and take off. Our summer has been busy to say the least. SJ was in therapy the whole time, J had school and was leading worship on Sundays, and now school is about to start full time for the kids. So it might have been a bit of a whirl wind, but we were able to manage a weekend getaway.

Z was with his grandparents the past two times that we’ve visited Lake Huron so this was his first time to experience it all. It was nice to be together as a family even if there were times we wanted to disown each other. It wouldn’t be a vacation without some sibling rivalry and maybe a broken bone right? We don’t know if Z broke his wrist or not, but we probably going to bring him in tomorrow to have some X-rays done. He seems okay for now, but I just want to make sure everything heals properly if there is any severe damage. It was a playground injury by the way. He was doing some stunts on the monkey bars at the beach.

Anyway, enough story time. We really did have a great trip let’s move on to the photos.

SJ was the first one out of the car to run over to the beach the moment we arrived and then she was the first one in the water when we got our suits on. She was so sad when the weekend was over!

This is my best friend Mels. Her family has a beachside cafe in East Tawas Michigan. If you are ever even remotely close to the area you have to check out A Different Blend. Tell them Messy Mom sent you.

And while I am suggesting coffee shops she is also the creative genius behind The Lighthouse Coffee Bar in South Dallas where J and I ministered for a long time. Although they are on opposite ends of the country you will find a lot of similarities between the two menus because Mels created most of the drinks and dishes. I’ve included all the links for you guys. You’re welcome.

During our two and a half days in Michigan we pretty much spent the entire time at the beach and then grilled out at night. The weather was a little bit nippy at times, but it was pleasant most of the time. I am just thrilled that it wasn’t raining and it was windy enough to get to see all the kite boarders and wind surfers doing their tricks. That’s what those things are in the background.

I did my share of swimming, tubing, and sand castles, but most of the time I was the resident lounger.

When the little ones got tired they knew where to come.

It was a quick turn around, but worth the drive for the adventures we had and the memories we made.

Hopefully we’ll get to return soon.

By Natalie|2015-08-10T19:58:19+00:00August 10, 2015|My Life|4 Comments

Free Donuts!?

I have been working hard to cut back sugar for our family this year. Each month another sweet treat is eliminated from the menu in our home and will no longer be restocked, but one thing I don’t think I will ever make completely off limits is donuts.

Did you know that National Donut Day is TOMORROW!? I didn’t, but it turns out it’s a thing.

Be sure to stop by your local Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts to get a free donut Friday June 5th!

I know that Dunkin’ Donuts will require a drink purchase, but they have excellent coffee. I will be ordering my favorite, which is the cool and sweet Iced Caramel Latte with Whipped cream.

There is a party in my tummy. So yummy. So yummy…

Speaking of parties, a lot of the party ideas that we implemented SJ’s 4th birthday would be perfect for donut day or a variety of occasions.

Check out the party post HERE to see how my DIY donut invitations, donut hole fruit kabobs, and donut piñata turned out.

You can also head over to my donut party pinterest board for even Donut fun like:

Donuts for elves (they are actually cheerios). So cute!

Or stamping colorful thumbprints for donut sprinkles.

“If You Give a Dog a Donut” might be fun reading material for your kids this weekend.

There are so many possibilities! I realize we have a health epidimec in our society so maybe I shouldn’t be promoting a day that celebrates what is possibly the least nutritious snack of all time disguised as a breakfast food. But there are actually a lot of alternative recipes out there for vegan, gluten free, paleo, and keto donuts. Because regardless of your dietary needs I think every one deserves something sweet from time to time, “donut you think? “

Do you have a favorite donut?

By Natalie|2015-06-04T09:28:33+00:00June 4, 2015|Crafts, Creativity, Frugal Living, Parties|5 Comments

Fun For the Fourth
Gallery
Fun For the Fourth

My Life, Uncategorized

Fun For the Fourth

Keeping with my summer progress reports I am delighted to share that we had an exciting week full of family, fireworks, fun, and festivities. Here were the boredom busters for last week.

1. Family

This week was FULL of family. We visited my aunt that lives out in the country at the beginning of the week.

We also spent a good deal of time with the cousins that live about an hour from us so that was a real treat.

Lastly, we had family, including J’s parents, come from Texas.

2. Games

Amongst all of socializing and stimuli the kids have had this past week there were some quieter moments tucked in there as well. One night we just hung out and played games. Classic children games like the one that spins around a bunch fish opening and closing their mouths while you try to catch them, or dilapidated game of candy land where every single card has been bent, bitten, or torn, but you can still make where you are supposed to move your gingerbread man so that’s all that matters. The adults even played one of my favorite card games called Hand and Foot. My team won by the way. Just sayin’.

3. Water Table

There are a few different places I have been to that offer these water stations where the kids wear little aprons to keep dry while their hands get to splash, pour, and play in the water. This particular water table is at the Cincinnati Children’s museum and it’s a hit every time!

4. Camping

Because the grandparents came in their new RV they rented a camp site to stay at while in the area.

Z and SJ got to spend the night with them and we had campfire where we roasted hot dogs and smores, we hiked and saw wildlife. We did all the fun stuff that comes with camping minus sleeping without electricity.

5. Fireworks

We had a BLAST at the church’s 4th of July party.

The fireworks were great, but it doesn’t have to be an activity limited to the 4th. One of the things that’s great about this season is that you can easily find sparklers and poppers for sale and use them for entertainment throughout the summer. That’s what we’ve done.

6. Beach

We spent a lot of time at East Fork beach which is where the family was camping. It wasn’t the pretty blue water with gorgeous white sand, but it was still an enjoyable and relaxing time for sure.

I am pleased with how the summer is starting to pick up the pace and I can’t wait for what comes next.

By Natalie|2015-05-19T20:13:25+00:00July 8, 2014|My Life, Uncategorized|1 Comment