Grand Opening Giveaway

I'm moving to a new blog host! Check it out here! And in honor of the occasion, I'm giving away $100 in Wal-Mart gift cards. Head on over there and enter to win!

Before you leave though, make sure you move your bookmarks and RSS feeds over to www.citystreams.wordpress.com

Two down ... only twenty three to go!

Today was graduation day. For the second time in my teaching career, I wore a long black gown and a fake master's hood while sitting in front of 700 people and pretended to pay attention to the speakers. The best part was watching my own students achieve this huge milestone (although I've only taught about 45 seniors over the last two years) . The girl that coughed to cover her cellphone graduated, as did half of my flagline. Backstage, I was grabbing kids for hugs and wishing them success. It was definitely a starfish moment.

Hubster didn't know what I meant by a starfish moment, when we talked about this over Blizzards from DQ later this afternoon. Have you ever heard of that story? The one where a guy is standing on a beach covered with hundreds of starfish and he's throwing them back into the surf one at a time. A stranger walks up to tell him that the tide is receding and he'll never be able to save them all. The sheer number of starfish is overwhelming. The man looks at the stranger calmly, bends down to pick up another one and smoothly tosses it back in the water. "I made a difference to that one," he gently replies.

Of course, like every year, there was at least one heartbroken student who didn't make the list. I didn't see him at the ceremony, and it was very disheartening because I know he's worked really hard to graduate this year. I hope that although he didn't officially graduate, he will take the energy he's invested in the last year and apply that same attitude towards being successful in life. He has a lot of potential.

I hope I made a difference in the lives of a a few of the kids walking across the stage today. I know they've each impacted me. This year has taught me so much about teaching. I can't imagine what next year will bring!

Triumph

Would you say that Bri is laughing or crying in this picture?

This Guy's In Love With You!

In two weeks, my in-laws will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Yes, you read that right! FORTY years together. Pretty amazing, huh? Want to know the really amazing part? They are still head-over-heels in-love with each other, even after forty years. We were in the kitchen on Saturday, when Hubster's dad walked in, put his arms around his wife and said, "Girls, I hope you'll each be lucky enough to be this beautiful when you're 60 years old!" We all heartily agreed.

The three of us girls have been plotting their celebration for a few months. We thought about throwing them a huge shindig, or even inviting all the aunts, uncles and cousins and miscellaneous relatives to come PART-AY with us, but instead Hubster's parents wanted a small party with just their own kids and grandkids. Our small party filled up the whole house this weekend; to the point where there were usually three people trying to step into the same space at once.

On Saturday afternoon, we descended on visited a local park and brought ourselves a barbeque picnic dinner. My father-in-law is a professional when it comes to BBQ. After we ate, the adults polished off a scrumptious chocolate cake and the kids played on the playground. (For those of you wondering which category I fit into, the answers is ... both. I had my cake and played on the playground too!)

It was really special to be together as a family, even amid all the chaos of grandkids and strangers.
This little guy, wanted to hunt for some treasure this weekend, like his hero Indiana Jones. I wanted to make that happen so badly, but we left the GPS at home, and discovered that the park was way to full of people and way too big to comb over without some satellite navigational guidance.
Bridoodle had tons of fun watching her older cousins play. She was a champ, even though it was hot and muggy, with lots of insects buzzing around. This adorable hat was a gift from her aunt. It's reversible! The other side is just as cute, too!

Doesn't this picture just melt your heart? I could look at this picture all day! Makes me think that forty years, will be way too short, for me and Hubster. I'm so glad that I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

Flamebroiled Donuts

We went to Sunday School today with Hubster's family. His dad teaches the class, and today the lesson was on choosing to please God when it means displeasing men. Specifically, the lesson was applied to a work situation where an employee must go against his boss's wishes in order to please God. The text was taken from the book of Daniel, and it focused on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who refused to worship the statue of their boss, King Nebuchadnezzar.

Later, after Sunday School, during the offering in the service, I wrote a little note to Hubster. "Where was Daniel when his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were all thrown into the furnace?" I scribbled it quickly onto the paper, before passing it over to Hubs. He glanced at the note, pulled out his pen and immediately began writing his answer. Now, I'd puzzled over this question by myself for twenty minutes, so I was a little miffed that he knew the answer so quickly. I chalked it up to his private Christian school education and leaned over to read what he was writing. He shielded his answer with his hand as he continued and cast me a devious grin.

So I waited. Eventually, he finished chicken scratching on my church bulletin and I was allowed to read what he wrote:

"Daniel had to run down to the Krispy Kreme to get breakfast for his Sunday School class. He got back just as the fire was starting to die down."

Two points for Christian school! Does anybody else have an answer?

Bri's first taste of icecream

Update: Bri's little cup (pictured above) contained Mayfield vanilla ice cream.

"No more? Oh no!"

Boy Trouble

Baby *Bri has three older cousins and we're in the middle of a wild family visit. Tonight, her oldest cousin *Indiana Jones (6 years old) played a little joke on his younger brother, *Percy (2 years old). After all four kiddos had been put to bed, Indy decided it would be funny to make Percy wet his pants. So he stuck a sippy cup down his brother's pajama pants while Percy was standing in the pack n' play. All of the adults were downstairs talking about boring things while this occurred.

Indy's excited squeals of laughter, instantly brought his Daddy running up to the kids' room. He frantically called his wife to come upstairs and survey the damage. Percy's sheets were soaked and his pants were dripping wet. Both boys just thought this was hilarious! Of course, with three play pens in use around this zoo house, there's a shortage of clean sheets immediately available. The adults downstairs exchanged worried glances, as we listened to the scene unfolding.

My sister-in-law sleuthed out that the sippy cup had caused the accident, but could not find it in the play yard. We were relieved to hear her laughter, echoing down the hallway, when she finally discovered the Holy Grail tucked in Percy's PJ's! "How did Percy's cup get down his pants?" she giggled from the doorway. Little Indy just flashed her a sly grin.

It seems that the kiddos are on a constant crusade for fun around here. It's an adventure just to be around them!



PS: * In case you haven't noticed, I don't do real names on this site. My sister-in-law would never let her husband name her child Indiana Jones. Or Hans Solo. Or Darth Vader. Although, my brother-in-law just might have asked her at one point or another. He is a big fan of George Lucas.

Who Am I Kidding?

If I convinced you that I am miserable with my new mini-van, then I apologize for my crazy whining. The truth is, that Hubster and I are always jockeying for who gets to hang on to these! That clicker opens the trunk and the side door! And it's way too much fun to cruise around as a family together. We went out to dinner tonight to celebrate. Bri sipped her sippy cup while we chowed down. Fun times!

Desire and Disappointment

Over the past few weeks, I've been learning a lesson, the hard way. I've been learning about contentment, and how I should be content as Paul says, "in any situation." You see, if you'd asked me back at Christmas, or even a month ago, if I was content with our car situation, the answer would have been a big NO! I've been itching for a mini-van for the last year. In fact, last summer, right about this time of year, I was starting to pester my dear Hubster about our inadequate vehicle situation.

Our tiny two seater pick-up truck won't hold both of us and the baby. And our Ford Focus, was a tight squeeze when we put the infant carrier inside. In my mind, it was obvious that we needed an SUV or a mini-van.

Things just never seemed to work out, so we waited on the Lord to provide us with a new vehicle in His timing. His timing came out of nowhere, from behind and without any warning we were left without a family car. We went through all of the stages of grief quickly and then again slowly. The past two weeks have been more stressful and more draining than anything else I can remember. But all of a sudden, I find myself perfectly content with the Focus. It was a great little car and I miss it terribly. I feel so bad for all the times that I complained about its flaws.

I miss the fabulous gas mileage that it had, and the cheapness of the windshield when it had a crack in it. I miss the way it vibrated like a Japanese massage chair when I drove around town. I miss the pre-set radio stations that were carefully programmed for both trips and day to day driving. I miss the security of knowing that it was a reliable vehicle that wouldn't leave us hanging out in the wind.

As a teacher, however, I can tell that I haven't fully brought this lesson home, yet. We purchased a mini-van yesterday. And now, with my desire fulfilled, I find myself still yearning for the car that I had. I know that if I had sold the Focus, instead of having it snatched out from under me, I would be in the same situation, but I would have a different attitude. It's sort of like the difference between getting knocked up by accident and finding out you are pregnant when you were trying to have a baby.

I have to say, that I don't like the accidental version very much at all!

New Trick

Not so sure about this sippy cup thing!

Getting a handle on the subject.

Close up!

Deep thoughts: It's like a toy that has food inside!

What happens when it's empty, Mama?

Well, now that we're covered in apple juice, it's time to take a bath!

Can we do this again tomorrow?

How to put together flower bouquets

Every once in awhile, an occasion calls for bouquets of flowers. The ability to whip one up for yourself comes in handy for showers, graduations, weddings and times when you need to give lots of people a nice gift. Everyone loves flowers! Recently, I needed to give a nice gift to more than ten people, and since we are el brokeo, I decided to make bouquets. I ended up making fifteen bouquets ( 12 friends + 1 extra for the person I always forget + 2 for daycare workers).

Grand total: $55.00

Materials needed: Flowers, ribbon, empty trash can, wire, two pairs of scissors, cups, ice, paper towels and cooler.

Before you get started on your flowers, you want to prepare your cooler. That's how you'll be transferring your bouquets to the big wide world!


The second thing you want to do, is sort your flowers by color and cut the stems under running water. You want to cut your stems pretty short. The bouquets should only barely stick out of the cups, otherwise you won't be able to put the lid on the cooler!


When you sort your flowers, you'll need lots of glasses and vases. If you think you have enough containers, then double it and you'll probably have just enough. I also sorted the filler greenery into a separate vase. (By the way, vase rhymes with case. Not cause.)



Mix the flower food from the little packets with water in a pitcher and pour them into the cups. But only fill them halfway.



Next you need a workspace! You want to unroll all of the ribbon on your reel and divide it evenly before you begin. You'll need about three feet of ribbon for a 5-6 flower bouquet. Use your ugliest ribbon (and ugliest flowers) to make a mock bouquet first.


You also need a designated trash can, just for stems and plastic. That's where you'll pop the thorns off, too. Most importantly, use a fresh pair of sharp scissors (I used kitchen shears) to cut your ribbon. If you use the stem scissors on the ribbon, you'll get green stains and little tears, all along your ribbon. Personally, I prefer wire edged ribbon, but you can use anything as long as it's at least an inch thick.

Pick out the flowers you want to use in your bouquet and one or two small pieces from your filler vase. Put them together into a comfortable feeling bouquet and cut the stems to approximately the same length.

The next thing you want to do is to twist a little bit of wire right beneath the flower heads to hold them in place. Then tie your ribbon in a half knot at the base of your bouquet. There should be lots of stem showing. You want to cris-cross the ribbon and wrap it behind the bouquet. Like so.


When you reach the wire, tie the ribbon into a simple knot or bow, so that no wire is showing. Then stick it in the cooler and start on the next one. It will probably take about 45 min - 1 hour longer than you expect so budget lots of extra time! Otherwise you'll be scrambling to get ready. Like I was.

This is what you should see when you're finished. Make sure you bring lots of paper towels with you, because the flowers will be sopping wet when you take them out of the cooler.

Eight Months Young

My little Bridoodle is growing up so fast! I can't believe that she's almost a year old. She's at my favorite baby age, right now. I want to videotape every moment, because I know it's about to fly away. So here are 8 special things to remember for her 8 month birthday.

1. She is just starting to grasp the concept of a sippy cup (pun intended). Today, she drank apple juice almost by herself. She holds one side of the sippy cup and I pick up the other side. It has taken a lot of practice, so far. We practice at the end of the meal, when she isn't starving, because I don't want her to get too frustrated. Even still, she cries for me to pick up the sippy cup for her, and I have to wait for her to try for herself.

2. Moving is the new thing at daycare. All the other kids are doing it! So she's starting to scoot around on her tummy a little bit. She can't go too far without getting tired, but she wants to move around so bad! It's really precious when she scrunches up her legs and her face at the same time. She looks so determined to crawl.

3. She loves to say "Dada!" but she doesn't quite know what it means. And when we say it back, she will repeat it with a big smile on her face. She can't wait to have a conversation. I think she's going to be a big talker, pretty soon.

4. On the changing table, squirming is the new thing. She wants to look behind her and she wants to throw her feet off of the side of the table. I learned a trick from my sister-in-law a couple of years ago when Bri's cousin Matt was going through this. We take the lid off of the wipe box and she plays with it while I change her. You just have to make sure there aren't any flecks of poo on there because all toys go into Bri's mouth. Yuck!

5. The girl knows no fear and no limit to her reach. She will throw all of her weight into getting what she wants, so you have to be careful not to let her dive out of your arms when you hold her. So far, we've caught her every time. Although, she has come a little too close to the floor for my comfort. Yesterday, in the bathroom, I caught her in mid-air after she tried to reach out for her bath toys.

6. One of her favorite new tricks is the lap stand. If you hold her up to your eye level, then she will support most of her weight, while standing on your lap. This results in a very happy squeal of laughter and usually some dancing. She loves to stand up!

7. Bath time is play time! She loves her bath toys. Someone got us a Baby Einstein book that floats and she loves to chew on it after I read it to her. She loves it when her Daddy sings the rubber ducky song. She gets all excited and starts splashing around. Her favorite toys, by far, have to be the stackable rubber boxes that my mom got for her. They squirt water or when empty, float around. She loves to try to catch them and gum them up. (Yes, we're still teething! There will be a huge press release when that first tooth cracks through.)



8. She loves to eat ... eat ... eat! Applesauce and bananas. And peas and squash and carrots. And oatmeal or rice cereal. She loves to sit in her high chair because she knows that food is on the way! While she waits for her food, she tries to grab the cherries that I painted on the high chair. It makes me feel like such a great artist! She eats three meals of solid food each day and also takes three bottles of milk and lately we've added sippy cups of juice to the mix too! She's getting to be a chunky monkey.

When we first had Bri, life became so hard, even though she was really an easy baby. It made me wonder why people are crazy enough to have more than one child. But as she grows up (and I forget those awful first few weeks), I've started to hunger for more children. She makes my heart swell like the Grinch's heart at the end of my favorite Dr. Seuss book. With so much love for someone so tiny, how can you not want to have more kids?