an early morning and quiet at home

Last night there were 2 pairs of shoes lined up beneath the old school desk that sits in our kitchen.  I walked by many times and was awestruck by 2 sets of shoes instead of the single pair set out on school mornings. 

Yes, this year 2 of them will go and 2 of us will stay.  

For some reason this time feels vastly different.  

Sending my first off to kindergarten didn't feel nearly this final or hard.  Perhaps it is because my second is so young or maybe it is just a major milestone that pulls at my heartstrings because it marks the swift passage of time.  Either way, these little sentimental moments and milestones force me to pause and remember how precious the time with my children is to me.

With her hand in Daddy's and her sisters behind, she marched up to school with a cheerful but slightly hesitant demeanor this morning.

She enjoyed having the entire family along for the start of a new day at school.

Her big sister was an amazing helper and encouraging presence as she talked her sister through all the day's events.

 I am delighted they will be together and have each other.

With these 2 gone, it has been very quiet around the house.  The quiet is sometimes soothing and other times eerie and unsettling.  The little tats, sweet imaginations and sisterly play were missed but we look forward to many afternoons with these wonderful sisters!

little lunch notes

via

It is fun to leave a little note in the lunchbox especially on the first few days of school.  I assume my little ones enjoy reading a note from home during their lunch time.  I think the act of writing a note does as much for me as it does for the little recipients reading it.  It soothes a Momma's soul and is a small way I can feel like I am a part of their day away. 

 Anyway, with school in full swing tomorrow, I though I'd share some of my favorite lunch box notes!

I love these because they include nice happy thoughts.

via Sarah Jane Studios

via Sarah Jane Studios

little conversations with her teacher

She waited patiently for her new teacher to call. Calmly playing Legos by the window, she asked, "when will my teacher call?" "We have been waiting for a long time." Time ticked ever-so-slowly as we checked many times to be sure the ringer was on.  She methodically built little Lego villages for all her princesses and their forest animals and set them up on the counter to be sure they weren't torn down by her little sister.

Finally the phone rang and she ran to answer.  All I heard was, "yea" a few times, followed by a few self-corrections of, "yes."  She looked up at me and said, "two-0-five."  "Momma, 205." "We need to go to 205!"  She waited for me to write the room number down before she continued her conversation with her new teacher.

After that, she explained to her teacher that she no longer had brown hair because it was changing to black.  I was a bit puzzled by this comment because we don't usually discuss the color of her hair.  

Then, it was my turn to talk as she excitedly handed the phone over to me and skipped around the kitchen island.  

She is excited and happy about a new beginning at a new school!  Whew!

I am too!

Three cheers for a great new year to come!  

Hot air on a summer morning

There is a wonderful hot air balloon festival that takes place at the break of dawn each year at the beginning of August.  Many balloons from around our area take flight over the lakes and greet the morning sun.  A few years back, it seemed like we were some of the only spectators that drug their kids out of bed on an early summer morning to see the majesty of balloon flight.  This year, there were do many people. Although, we definitely liked being some of the only spectators a few years back, it is always magical watching a majestic balloon take flight in the orange morning sun.

little pot of summer

When all three were up before the sun today, I resisted the urge to turn the tv on to entertain them for a few minutes while I gathered myself for the day.  Instead, we walked.  We walked all over the neighborhood before all the neighbors were awake.  We saw the morning sun peek over the trees and felt the cool morning breeze.  We took the long way around in search of the last few wildflowers.  They filled their fists with bright summer color.  

We talked and enjoyed the quiet morning time together.  We found a little pot of summertime to adorn our kitchen table and ignite their imaginations too.

Frozen fun

This kid, like most, is all into Frozen fun.  She pretends daily that she is Elsa building her ice castle and singing her troubles away.  All she wished for for her birthday was a homemade Elsa dress from her grandmother.  Thankfully her grandmother was very happy to grant her 5-year-old wish.

When it was time to plan a little birthday celebration for her younger sister, she thought a Frozen theme might be fun.  So, we put our heads together and attempted lots of Frozen fun for her sister and cousins.

Ice crystals were added to our favorite muffins that were renamed Elsa's Ice Cakes.

The kids had fun making Olaf the snowman with marshmallows and pretzels.

 

We froze little toys in water in bundt cake pans.  The toys had to be rescued from the ice with spray bottles of warm water.

Snowballs covered the yard in the form of white practice golf and baseballs.

The table decorations also included a large light blue vase filled with snowballs, a smaller white vase filled with twigs, a few turquoise mason jars with tea lights in the bottom and an old snowflake-like doily that was made by great-grandmother.

At the end of the night we "toasted Oalf the snowman" with s'mores by the fire.

Our menu consisted of:

Sven's Smokehouse Sliders (mini burgers)

Olaf Arms (pretzels)

Anna's Summer Salad (fresh fruit and veggie kabobs)

Melted Snowflakes (water)

Melted Olaf Salad (homemade coleslaw with shredded carrots)

Elsa's Ice Cakes

It was a fun celebration that challenged the minds of my kids to think outside the canned Disney box.  We had fun creating a Frozen party for the little sis.

Momma's Summer Treats

Summertime wreaks havoc on any sort of healthy eating at our house.  Having kids at home snacking and eating out much more than usual seems to completely corrupt any sort of healthy eating I try to commit to.  There are a few little staples that help keep me (and the rest of us) on track, sort of.

1. GoodPop - these awesome popsicles are made from 100% natural ingredients and have very little sugar.  They are only 90 calories each.  I have only tried the Banana Cinnamon variety but find that it is the perfect treat in the middle of the afternoon when I crave sweets and the kids are knee deep in snacks.

2. La Criox Sparkling water - this stuff is wonderful to beat the summertime Coke cravings.  These sparkling waters have a hint of flavor and just the right amount of fizz to satisfy and quench the need for a soda.  They are no calories and contain no artificial sweeteners.

3.  Hummus & Oikos Greek Yogurt Dill Dip - these wonderful dips help ensure I eat some veggies.  The dill dip is made from Greek yogurt and has very few calories.  The hummus is a nice change when the dill dip gets old.  Either way, a plate full of fresh veggies go fast with these dips around!

4. Julio's Mild Salsa - nothing beats Julio's salsa in my opinion.  It is wonderful with chips but for a healthier option, use it on scrambled eggs or on a breakfast taco.  It is perfect with chicken in the crock-pot to make crock-pot chicken tacos.

5. Frozen peas - these delectable little gems are perfect little snacking treats for everyone.  They are sweet icy treat when frozen.  It is a great way to sneak in a few extra greens for the kids.

Do you have any favorite summertime treats?  Please share!