May Goals Revisited

Not my best month but I’m pleased.

Sort of.

Let’s take a look.

Clean off desk and keep it cleanFail – This was a pipe dream and it never had a chance of being accomplished. Anyone who has ever worked with me before knows I keep a messy desk but somehow manage to know where everything is.

Make Guest Room PillowsFail! Bought material but didn’t get any farther.

Add some Art to my BedroomFail! Thought about art for the guest room but not for mine.

Stick to Grocery BudgetCheck! I think. Is that bad? We only ate out once a week and everyone brought lunches everyday but we did go on 2 trips which meant eating out for every meal for about a total of 7 days.

Buy Environmentally Safe Snack ContainersCheck!

I ordered these snack containers and I’m really excited to start using them. I saw them over at I Heart Organizing and thought I’d give them a try since she raves about them. They are BPA free, freezer friendly, and have a twist top.

Surprise my Kids in some wayCheck! Remember the shrunken heads? Yep, that was surprise, fright, and fascination all rolled into one.

Paint Guest Bathroom WallsCheck! All done.

Paint Wall Touch Ups Around HousePartial check! One day while everyone was at school I walked around the house with our main inside paint color and touched up some spots that needed it. Unfortunately, I only had about 15 minutes to do this so I have more areas of the house to do this in before it’s considered done.

Get Estimate for Plantation Shutters for My RoomFail

Scrapbook 10 pages Check!

Add etsy game / bingo to site Check! I put my Father’s Day printable up on etsy yesterday.

Read a Parenting BookCheck!

As part of a parent ed program, our elementary brought in Marilyn Morris for a discussion on sex education. She wrote the book ABC’s of the Birds and Bees for Parents of Toddlers to Teens. I had actually heard Mrs. Morris speak about 4 years ago and enjoyed listening to her then just as I did a few months ago.

I bought her book and read it as my parenting book for the month. This book is an extremely easy read, broken down into small segments so that it’s easy to put the book down. Reading this book was comforting in a way but hugely worrying in another. I felt like there were some pat on the back moments for me as a parent but there were many more hold your breath moments. Just the facts about teenagers with STD’s are staggering.

This book does have a slant toward promoting abstinence before marriage but whatever your feelings are on that subject, you will get some good information on how to talk to your kids about sex and the potential risks associated with it today.

I also bought the teenager’s workbook that goes along with the adult’s book. I haven’t actually opened it yet but in theory a young teenager would read a few pages from the workbook and then have a discussion with a parent.

Morris is quick to note that discussing sex should not be a one time conversation with your children but an ongoing discussion starting when they are young.

This book was certainly eye opening but it did put me to sleep a few times. That’s okay because I’m sure I will read it several times again over the next couple of years.

Gather Supplies and Run 2 End of the Year PartiesCheck! As you read this I’m probably running back and worth between the 4th grade and Kinder classes trying to run 2 parties – with a 3 year old on my hip. Just a helpful shout out to all those fellow room moms out there – I feel your pain! People, if a room mom asks for your help, HELP THEM!

Fix, Paint, Hang Front Room ShelfFail. The one time I went to work on this I couldn’t. This will hopefully get done sometime soon.

Get Estimate & Order Sun Shades for Our Attic WindowsCheck! Mostly. I got two estimates for the shades, chose someone, and had to wait about 2 weeks for approval from the home owners association. Thankfully I got the green light today and will order them on Monday.

How’d you do this month?

A Suit

I need a new swim suit so today I am shopping for one with my daughter.

Why am I going shopping with her?

Because going bathing suit shopping with one child will be a lot easier than with three children.

School ends tomorrow and I must get a suit.

Can you imagine the shaningans that would go on outside of the dressing room with two boys?

It will be must easier to take only my daughter though she will be highly critical of anything that is not pink.

Crossing my fingers I find one!

Intellectual Balancing Act

Parenting can be a delicate balancing act.

Whether you are guiding your children in friendships, school, or at home, parents are always looking for this balance.

This past holiday weekend, my husband and I decided to take our family on a short “staycation” in town, visiting local attractions and spending one night in a hotel.

Our first stop was the Dallas Museum of Art – a fine institution in the art world.

There we contemplated. Observed. Pondered.

Found what the art meant to us.

We were one with the art.

At this point of our trip we were enlightened and philosophical.

And oh so bored.

We decided to change things up for our second stop.

Yes. We. Did.

We went to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum!

Want to broaden your children’s horizons and redeem yourself in their eyes as a satisfactory trip planner?

Go here. Nothing like a few shrunkin’ heads to help with that.

As our day ended my husband and I reviewed our two museum stops and felt like we had done our job as parents and found some balance for our children.

Refined and freakish all in one afternoon, in terms of parenting, you really can’t beat that.

Take Note

In April, you might remember, I had a monthly goal of ordering some personalized gifts.

One of the places I ordered gifts from was the etsy store Take Note.

I was absolutely thrilled with how they came out and wanted to share the etsy shop with you.

Jill, who runs Take Note, will work with you and send proofs to ensure you receive the color combinations and fonts you desire for your cards.

There are many different options to choose from:

I ordered 4 sets of cards and each arrived in a clear case with a ribbon around it.

I think these cards could be a wonderful gift for so many occasions – graduation gift, new baby gift, wedding shower gift, birthday gift, teacher gift, hostess gift, holiday, the list goes on.

In fact, I thought they were so wonderful I ordered a set for my family.

If you’re in need of a personalized gift for someone, make sure to check out Take Note.

Memorial Day Goal

My goal for today is the same goal I have for every national holiday.

Somehow I never accomplish it.

My goal is to not be that neighborhood idiot who goes and checks to see if they have any mail.

Every. Single. National. Holiday. I. Am. Out. There.

Once I’ve opened the mailbox, seen no mail, and remembered there should be no mail, I have to do the walk of shame back to my house, casually glancing this way and that way, hoping no one saw me this time.

Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day and hoping none of you take the walk of shame with me.

Blame it on Disney

Caroline – “Andrew wants to be a zookeeper when he gets big.”

Me – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Caroline – “A princess.”

Ugh.

After having two boys, I’m really struggling with this whole princesses thing.

And after seeing this, I don’t feel much better.

Have a great long weekend!

15 Years

15 years ago today there was a wedding…

today there is a family…

I love you Derek – thank you for always being there when I need you. You are the best dad, husband, and technical consultant 🙂 a girl could ever ask for.

Free Slurpee Day!

Today is free Slurpee day at 7-Eleven!

You can pick up a 7.11 oz drink. No purchase is necessary.

My kids are so excited I’m picking them up after school to go get one.

Walk, run, race to get one from 11 am. – 7 pm.

Prehistoric Park Videos

When my oldest was little he was fascinated by dinosaurs.

At three, he knew more information about dinosaurs than most adults.

We read so many dinosaur books, I’m fairly sure I could have become a paleontoligist with just a little field work experience.

In fact, one day while reading the newspaper I read about dinosaur tracks discovered 30 minutes from our house. I loaded up my three year old and  ten month old and we went hiking until we found them – the large group standing around them helped us find them 🙂

For Christmas that year we bought him the Prehistoric Park videos .

These are the BEST dinosaur & prehistoric animal DVD”s EVER!

The 6 DVD set  focuses on Nigel Marvin and his travels back in time to capture prehistoric animals and bring them to the future. The concept might sound quirky but these videos are fascinating. They are filled with tons of information and humor.

My 7 year old is now obsessed with these videos and requests them constantly while our three year old daughter loves them too. What about my oldest who’s now ten? Yep, he still sits down and watches them.

If you have a child who is interested in wooly mammoths, saber tooth cats, or dinosaurs you must get these videos immediately. I promise your kids will love them.