Father’s Day printables are flying around blogland but I decided to create my own.
Alex and Andrew filled out their “All About My Dad” forms and will give them to Derek on Father’s Day along with a story they are writing.
I wrote down Andrew’s answers for him.
If you’d like a copy of the Father’s Day printable please visit my etsy shop.
Thank you.
How are you celebrating those special dads in your life?
For Andrew’s Lego party we created large wooden character boards.
During the party we took pictures of each guest behind the boards. When Andrew sent a thank you card in the mail, each guest also received a photo of himself as a Lego mini figure.
Below you can see Andrew is “Jay” from the Lego Ninjago sets.
On the back side of the boards are different characters I painted for our Halloween party. Since we already had the boards cut, it was a simple tracing and painting process to complete this set.
Below – “Penguin” from Batman Lego sets
Steps to Create Lego Party Boards:
1) cut board into desired size
2) use a tracer to copy image directly onto board
3) cut out head section
4) paint
5) cut large blocks for legs so the structure will stand up.
“Batman and Robin” mini figures
Below: The large board slides into the ground blocks in order for the structure to stand.
In case you missed it, we also played Lego Bingo – go here for a copy.
One more Lego party post coming soon!
I opened our junk drawer for the last time today.
Well, at least until it gets cluttered again but let’s focus on the now.
Here’s the before:
I cut up cereal boxes, granola boxes, and used an old thank you card box to organize the drawer contents. I could have gone to a store and bought fancy containers but I wanted to complete this project immediately. The pens are now housed in a Rice Krispie box.
The After:
So, do you have a junk drawer? Go ahead and clean it out. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face
Right before Andrew turned 6 he discovered he had a loose tooth.
He was obsessed with everyone else in his class losing their teeth. Everyday he would come home with an update and his desperation was clear.
“Nicholas has lost two teeth.”…..”Everett has a loose tooth and he already lost one.”…….. “Mavi lost a tooth last week and she’s only 5. I’m almost 6 and haven’t lost one.”
Roughly five times a day we would receive updates on his loose tooth.
“Still wiggly” ….”not out yet”……. “I can move it with my tongue”
I was ready to yank the tooth out but he refused all offers of help. Even when he stubbornly went to school with a kleenex stuck to his bleeding tooth he still refused assistance.
The morning after the kleenex incident Andrew came running downstairs. “I lost my tooth! I lost my tooth!”
Where is it?
“I don’t know?”
We searched his bed high and low and never discovered the tooth. We determined he must have swallowed it while sleeping. When told the tooth was gone, a look of horror came over Andrew’s face. You could see the wheels turning in his head, “I have waited almost 6 years to lose a tooth, earn some cash, and now I’ve lost it all.”
So…he wrote a note, with some help, to the tooth fairy. He put it under his pillow and prayed for her sympathy.
Turns out the tooth fairy provides generously despite the lack of a tooth. He found $2 and a new book under his pillow the next morning.
As I sit here writing this post there’s a good chance I won’t be able to get out of my chair when I’m done. You see, I tried a new exercise class today.
The new class I took today was completely different from my typical exercise routine. And when I say completely different, I mean COMPLETELY different.
For me, exercise has always been something that is fast, involves sweating, and has a time component.
My friend Liza invited me to her Yin Yoga class in the Mind Body Studio.
Just the words, “Mind Body Studio,” make my eyes roll.
But I tried to be open about the entire thing. After all, anything to help me get to my goal is worth a try.
Liza teaches the class so she gave me a synopsis of it. “The concept is to stretch your connective tissue by holding stretches for 4 minutes. In turn, the connective tissue responds by growing back longer and juicier giving more fluidity in the joints, more range of motion, more comfort in your body, and less injuries.”
Um, that’s nice but where is the part that says I will be able to fit into my shorts by June?
She also mentioned, “No experience is necessary. It has an awesome benefit of really grounding you and melting stress.”
Grounding me? I don’t know about this. It’s already sounding a little hare krishna-ish to me.
I did an initial walk by of the studio, casually strolling by and trying to peek into the room without being obvious. (Don’t judge, you know you case out new joints too). The lights were off and I could see three people sitting on the ground.
The second trip by I took a deep breath and opened the door. I made a deal with myself though. If there was any humming or chanting I could be out of there before you can say, “Dalai Lama.”
The studio was dark except for a closet light. I quickly found a space towards the back of the room and gathered the necessary equipment. I had 2 mats, a foam roller, and 2 blocks of foam. I was just sure Liza would distribute the stop watches when she arrived.
Class started by Liza guiding us into a stretch which had the lower half of my legs lying on the floor while I held the rest of my body up on the foam blocks. Initially, I felt awkward and out of place. A few moves later though and I was feeling fairly confident I would be able to finish the class.
I was holding my own and quite proud of myself when I noticed Elastigirl. She was practically performing a Cirque de Soleil number next to me as I was struggling to touch my toes. Liza noticed Elastigirl too and gave her more challenging stretches that would have put me in traction.
Throughout the class, Liza would direct us to, “appreciate your body.” Holding a stretch for four minutes certainly gave me enough time to be thankful for my strength.
As I was holding one of my stretches I noticed I was the only one not wearing spandex. I don’t know about you but if I’m supposed to be appreciating my body I certainly don’t think being in a jump suit of spandex and standing in front of a 4 way mirror is the way to do it. My baggy shorts and t-shirt let me appreciate my body just fine.
As the class came to a close, Liza asked everyone to lay on the ground, close their eyes, and breath for five minutes. “Connect with your body.”
I kept my eyes closed for approximately 20 seconds because frankly I had been connecting with my body for the last seventy minutes and really wanted something to eat. As I peeked around the room the other class participants somehow managed to keep their eyes closed.
All in all, the class was a good experience for me. I tried something new and was pretty successful. I think I may go again next week….that is if I can get out of my chair.
14 years ago today I said, “I do.”
I was pretty naive at 23 and thought I got a wonderful husband on that rainy May day.
What I didn’t realize is how much more I got.
I got someone willing to hold me when I cry.
I got someone who gets my humor (even if it’s the same joke ten years later).
I got someone who will stand by my side.
I got someone who always does the right thing (sometimes a little difficult for this pedal to the metal gal).
I got someone who challenges me in the pool and out.
I got someone who can take my vision and turn it into reality.
I got someone is who my computer genius (who stays remarkably calm when telling me “it’s control z” for the tenth time).
I got someone who loves me in the morning and at night.
I got someone who is an amazing father.
I got my best friend.
Thank you for helping me create our family.
Derek, I love you forever and ever…no matter what!
For Andrew’s 6th birthday party we had wonderful plans…
Early May is typically hot in Texas so we planned on taking the kids to the park to use water balloons and play.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Except…that it turned out to be forty degrees outside and raining.
Therefore, the night before the party, Derek and I scrambled for new inside activities.
One of the activities we decided on was Lego Bingo. Derek created the board template and I inserted the Lego mini figures.
The game was actually a huge hit with the kids. The winner of each game received 2 silly bands while everyone else received one.
The Game includes: 9 different bingo boards & 42 call cards (Cuts these cards apart and use to call out mini figures)
If you would like a copy of the Lego bingo here it is – Lego-Bingo.
If you decide to print, please consider becoming a follower of Big D & Me.
I’ll share more of the party soon – check back for more Lego party ideas!
A few weeks ago Oprah had a show featuring women rockers
Caroline danced along with every set but particularly enjoyed Joan Jett
Miley Cyrus sang with Joan Jett but I made sure to tell Caroline to ignore her
Go ahead and rock out
Last week we looked at summer dresses for us. This week it’s all about little girls and their swimsuits. Take a look at these adorable options. I choose all one pieces because something about little bitty girls in bikinis creeps me out . Of course, some of the bikinis I’ve seen teenagers wear creep me out even more.
Can’t wait until summer when those chunky thighs are hanging out of their suits!
Just to be clear, I’m talking about little kid thighs, not my own.
