Monthly Archives: November 2012

Teacher Interview – New to Etsy!

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Just stopping by here to let you know that I added a new product to the Big D & Me Etsy Shop.

The All About My Teacher Interview!

 

I had many requests from people who wanted it a form for teacher appreciation gifts, birthday celebrations, end of the year parties, and Christmas gifts.

This will be a huge hit with questions like…

My teacher has ___ drinks after school.

My teacher hates when administrators ______.

KIDDING! And before anyone slams me for being rude to teachers, I am one so I’m kidding from a knowing place (only the knowing, not the drinking).

 This form comes with:

1) an instruction sheet, detailing the different combinations which could be used for the teacher interview

2) 3 different interview forms

3) Cover sheet – completely customizable once you send me the teacher’s information.

What a great deal for only $3.25!

*Visit the Big D & Me etsy shop to pick yourself up a copy of the Teacher Interview Packet*

Easy Advent Calendar with a Paper Bag

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***I am reposting this from 2 years ago – the only change I will be making for this years advent calendar will be at the end of this post***and sadly, I have to report that there was no big Powerball win for us last night – here’s to hoping no one won!

Last year the kids and I made a paper bag Christmas tree which they partially decorated using markers. Here’s the way our advent tree works.

On December 1 they receive a paper ornament which states something we will be doing, watching, or making that deals with Christmas.

One of the boys gets to glue it onto our tree. The next day the other one gets to glue it on.

On certain days they receive their ornament before school while other days they receive their ornament after school (it depends if I have my act together or not). Here’s a picture of the finished project.

advent treeHere’s a close up of some of the ornaments. Some days they would receive one ornament while on other days they would receive a bonus one.

ornaments
There is a small part of me that cringes when these are glued onto the tree every which way. I do have to tell myself that having symmetry in this craft is not the purpose. But oh how I sometimes try to make suggestions of where the ornament could be placed.

This year I’ve made a tentative list of activities for our family. Some will change based on schedules and weather but it’s a start:

  • Wed Dec 1 – Watch The Grinch
  • Thurs Dec 2 – Make Christmas cards for grandparents
  • Fri Dec 3 – Choose Angels from Angel tree
  • Sat Dec 4- Andrew’s Christmas program
  • Sun Dec 5-Shop for Angels
  • Mon Dec 6 – Have hot chocolate & marshmallows
  • Tues Dec 7 – Watch Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
  • Wed Dec 8 – Turn in Angel gifts & get cookie at mall
  • Thurs Dec 9 – Watch Santa Claus is Coming to Town
  • Fri Dec 10- get tree?
  • Sat Dec 11-Photo with Santa at school
  • Sun Dec 12-make snow globes
  • Mon Dec 13-Assign & Hang Stockings
  • Tues Dec 14-drive around and look at lights
  • Wed Dec 15-?
  • Thurs Dec 16- Andrew’s school Christmas party
  • Fri Dec 17-Alex’s school Christmas party
  • Sat Dec 18-Frisco downtown – Santa parachutes in?
  • Sun Dec 19-wrap some presents
  • Mon Dec 20-Go see Northpark train display?
  • Tues Dec 21-Make Christmas cookies
  • Wed Dec 22-Aunt Amanda, Uncle Ryan, and Gramma & Grampa arrive
  • Thurs Dec 23-Aunt Kelly & Uncle Ben arrive
  • Fri Dec 24-go to ICE! display in Grapevine
  • Sat Dec 25 – Christmas

***Changes this year – Now 3 children will be placing ornaments on the tree *** Our activities each day has changed *** I am using large brown craft paper that I also use to wrap gifts in***

Do you have any unique ways your family celebrates the holidays?

I’ve Got the Power

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By the time you read this I just might be a millionaire.

I mean a gazillionaire!

Yep. You guessed it.

I fell into the Powerball craze.

 

 

 

 

The jackpot is currently at $500 million and it’s going to be MINE, ALL MINE!

Well, except for the part where I give a lot to charity but really most of it’s MINE!

Oh, and maybe my husbands’ too.

When we discussed going to buy a lottery ticket he said, “Sure. Go buy one.”

Which of course meant, “Buy five. It will increase our odds greatly and we will become kazillionaires. There’s a 10 in my wallet.”

I obliged and bought the tickets.

Of course, I brought along my two oldest children because this was an important life experience.

Yep, taking them down the dark and dirty road of gambling.

As we were walking into the store, Andrew said, “Let’s buy a mansion if we win.”

(I’m sure he totally meant, let’s buy a house for someone else…yadda …yadda…yaddda)

At that, Alex, my oldest, said, “Andrew, we’re not going to buy a new house. Mom and Dad just refinanced the house and that was a lot of paperwork. They aren’t going to want to do that again. You have to think of something different you want.”

Practical. That will be good when we are BAZILLIONAIRES!

So, if I don’t post tomorrow I’m probably in Tahitit in the celebrity suite at the finest hotel there having a massage (contemplating how I will help the less fortunate, obviously).

Oh. And if you win? I’m totally your best friend, right?

Our Thanksgiving Break

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Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, and fun.

We had all of that.

Plus a whole lot of vomit.

Yes, family, food, fun, and vomit – all parts of our Thanksgiving celebration.

And unlike many of you who only had three days of family time, our family was lucky enough to have 9 days off together.

Yes, nine days of being together (sleeping in the same room allowed for a quick response time)

Nine days of food (aka Gatorade and Saltines).

Nine days of fun (My entire next paycheck is headed to Redbox).

Nine days of being thankful for our washer and dryer (vomit, enough said).

And while I am thankful for that time spent with my family, I am hoping the 12 days of Christmas turns out differently.

Don’t You Just Love…

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When you take your family to the zoo, don’t you just love…

waking up extra early to take the dog for a walk….

packing a bag full of snacks…

driving over an hour to get there…

waiting while the attendants can’t find your preordered tickets…

walking for miles and miles…

convincing a child to sit in the stroller…

arguing with other children that they are too big to sit in the stroller…

repeatedly explaining as to why ice cream was not going to be purchased at 10am…

faking a cheery attitude at the thought of spending more time at the meerkat window…

And finally, don’t you just love when you place your child in their seat after spending all day at the zoo and they tell you their favorite animal today were the geese.

New Shoes for Winter

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After looking at my beat up TOMS, my winter staple last year, and our approaching cold weather (50 degrees!), I decided I needs some new shoes.

I tried on several pairs of boots but finally decided they just weren’t for me.

I mean, it just doesn’t get cold enough here for me to really need them.

So instead I bought these…

and these but in GRAY – not blue.

And in one of the many ironic moments of my life…Roughly one hour after I returned from buying these new shoes I caught our dog eating my TOMS.

October Gaols Reviewed

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In addition to a busy and eventful October, I started a new part time job. Therefore, all of my October goals were not completed.

Add 1 item to etsy shop – Fail!

Touch Up Paint Downstairs – Check!  Walked around the house one day with a can of paint.

Scrapbook 10 pages – Fail!

Make / Find Containers for Boys’ Room – Check! I found some containers at IKEA which seem to work. Now they have a place to keep pencils, glue sticks, colored pencils, markers, and crayons on their desk.

Complete Making 3 Halloween Costumes – Check! Army Man, Wonder Woman, and Dumbledore were happy with their costumes!.

Host Halloween Party – Check!

Finish Christmas Shopping for 5 people on My List – Fail!

Fix Up Backyard, If Only for A Few Days for the Party – Check! We bought a set of table and chairs for outside, added some flowers, and filled up the holes in the back yard which the dog had dug. It was glorious for four days – that’s until Sophie came back from the kennel and dug all the holes again. Ugh!

 How was your October?

One of Those Moments

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Sometimes in life you just have those days.

And then, sometimes you just have those moments.

I had one of those moments today as I was grocery shopping.

Instead of getting in and out of the store quickly I was having to coax my three year old along.

“Come on please.”

“Please don’t touch that.”

“Let’s walk a little faster so we can go home.”

Everyone knows the drill.

When we arrived at the milk section I noticed organic milk was on sale for $2.69 a gallon, half the cost it normally is.

Thrilled, I started grabbing gallons of milk and putting them in my cart.

I turned to look at Caroline and saw her grabbing glass plates off of a display.

“Please put those down..”

“Caroline, please put those down.”

My back was holding open the refrigerator door, my right arm was holding some milk, while I tried to reach for another gallon, all the while watching my daughter.

And then the milk dropped.

On. the ground.

All. over. Kroger.

In. front. of. five. people.

Who. acted. as. if.

They. would. never. ever.

Do. that.

“You should really find someone to clean that up.”

“Oooooooooooo.”

“Oh, my.”

Combined with, “Mommy, the milk is all over the floor,” and, “It’s going ev-we-where.”

Yes it is.

It was all over the floor and all over me.

My jeans were soaking from my calf down while my new sandals were swimming in milk.

I found someone to clean up the mess, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WOULD HELP, and walked across the store to grab the onion I had forgotten, trying to act dignified as I left wet footprints in my path.

And I thought, this is just one of those moments.

 At least it wasn’t one of those days.