WW: 2019 Holiday Card {Linky}

I'm blaming my lateness with my holiday letter/photo on the fact that I got put on Jury Duty this year. It's not like it was that many days, it was actually shorter than a work day, BUT it disrupted my thoughts and my routine big time.

I thought about going with a card that was uber generic and writing that said, "I was tired this year!" Everyone always expects a lot from me in regards to to my Halloween costume and holiday card. Sometimes I am just tired. Another idea: I thought about a standard family photo, but adding some random kid from the internet to join us. I wouldn't say anything to anyone. Just let family and friends talk. Maybe I'll still use one of those ideas. By next year, you would have forgotten about this post altogether. Old ideas become fair game by then.

I moved away from postcards. Printing postcards I'd spend at least $50, if I didn't have a coupon code it would be more like $100. Photos that are the same size were $11, if I didn't have a coupon code more like $20. Then I just print a letter.

You are the first to see the holiday photo besides my coworkers and inner family that got handed one. 

What to put on a card when one child talks about space non stop, and the other one gets a Leopard Gecko: 

It took awhile to change all the blue trim in the astro suits to green. I replaced space patches to holiday patches. Sunny our Gecko is nocturnal, so I had to disrupt his sleep to get photos of him. He's slow moving in his tank, but quick moving outside his tank. I struggled to get good photos of him. 

All in all it's fun! 

Mica thinks it's stupid, BUT he thinks most of what I do is stupid. Teenagers! He asked me to print 7 photos out, for his teachers/friends. Once I got them he didn't want them. He hates mixing friends with family. They are like 2 different modes in his book. 

Isaak struggled to understand why there was nothing on the back of the photo. He's used to our postcards. Again they were way cheaper this way. 

Close-Ups:

Letter:

It's hard to top yourself when you do a lot other years. Kids become less cute, and more handsome. If you are interested, check out my other holiday cards on my pinterest board here.

Question for you: When do you drop someone from your holiday card list? 

I understand some people don't make cards. There are some people I haven't seen, for years. One I hung out with in high school all the time. I miss her, but I've reached out to her several times. Every time she's in town I never hear from her. Crickets! At this point I don't know if she wants anything to do with me. She might even see me as a stalker? I hope not! I'm wondering if it's time to cut ties...

School Started for all of Us

Back to School Night was crazy! I don't know that, that much changed from last year. It just seemed nuts! Mica's started at 3:30, Isaak's started at 5, and we didn't get done until 7.

I've never been one that gets anxiety when being around lots of people, but that night it was even a bit much for me. Imagine what it's like for someone on the spectrum!

All the Booths:

• Yearbook - Just for Isaak. I guess Mica's comes out towards the end of the year. He's never even told us about it.


• School Activity Card - We stood in line for this at both schools, not knowing if we needed one or not. Turns out we waisted our time. Mica's not going to be in a sport, and Isaak can only do intramural sports. 


• Lunch Money - We skipped all together because we do it online.


• Nurse - We skipped this too. No meds to worry about.


• Donation for PTA - Only for Isaak's school.


• Join PTA - Sorry, but working full time, and being far away we didn't do this.


• After Care - We stood in line for Mica with this. I wasn't sure if he needed it with being in Quiz Bowl. Turns out we didn't need to be there.


• Sports - Isaak did get a sheet for intramural sports. 


• Merch - We opted to skip this because we were so done by the time we got to this. Mica has some shirts from his Heath Academy that has school spirit. Maybe we'll get something later for Isaak.


• Paperwork - We had to do this with both schools. Luckily they had our info typed in, and we just had to add changes. With Mica's school I felt like after looking it over we were butting back into line. I didn't want to piss anyone off. Isaak's school sent the info home, so it was a matter of handing to someone. 


• Photos - I filled out Isaak's prior to going there, but Mica's wasn't sent home so I had to fill that one out there. Regardless there was a huge line, for school photos. Never have they ever had them on Back to School Night. I thought it was a good idea. Like the parents are there to make sure their kid doesn't look unpresentable. It was complete chaos! It added so much time to the night!


• Schedule - Also chaos, but much needed. That was the whole purpose of going there. I did think both schools could have handled it better. Where Mica goes to school they didn't have signs saying, which grades were to be picked up where. With Isaak's school they had them alphabetically, but didn't have signs saying where A- L and M-Z were. 

After all the above, then it was time to meet all the teachers.  

I for sure do like to meet them. They often times have a list of supplies to get, an overview of the course and it's great to see their faces.

They messed up Mica's schedule.   

Mica's been talking about wanting to quit playing his trumpet. I said, "Well you have two choices in school: Art or Band, which one do you want to do?" He said, "Band I guess. It's an easy A."

He never has gotten better with his trumpet. He still hits crazy notes.

When we got his schedule it had Art on it, instead of Band. I most certainly didn't change it, nor did Mica. I said, "It's up to you. Maybe it's time to switch gears." He said, "Ok I'll go with Art."

A blessing in the mess up possibly?

Mica will be the lead voice, for the morning announcements.   

He's been super excited for this all spring, and a month before school started. He's been practicing, and letting me hear the sound of his voice. He didn't start yet because there wasn't much to announce. I think the group could have welcomed students back though.

Mica's homeroom will be with his Healthcare Academy.    

It was great that some organization donated pretty high end backpacks to them! He can't carry it in school, but will certainly carry it to and from.

Isaak just started his new school.    

So far he hasn't gotten lost. That was something I was worried about. He is like me, not great with directions. Not too long ago he went to the bathroom in a store. I stayed where I was, and he was escorted over by a store employee, and his eyes were flooded with tears. His middle school had a big addition, and one spot is really odd - you have to walk through the library to get to another wing.

His week has mostly been filled with rules and procedures.

We are excited that he has Piano as a class. He has Strings before fall break, and Art after fall break.

There are no official sports, but he can get into intramural sports.

Isaak did decide he wanted to eat breakfast at school, but quickly learned that it wasn't enough food. He's a slow eater, so it's good he has a little at home and a little at school. I do have to watch his carb intake. He wants the good stuff at each place.

I have three classes this semester. 

Art Media Techniques, Color and Design Theory and Design and Layout. I teach two Design and Layout classes - one in third year/first semester, and the other in first year/second semester.

I love my third year class. It's the best I've ever had. First year, it's too early to tell yet. One girl is super social with the guys, and has ventured into second year a lot. The rest are fairly quiet.

Traffic has picked up. We have construction right by our house. It has to be done, but it adds to the congestion.

Have kids started school by you? Do you have a lot of construction by your house?

What Are Some of Your #easter #basket Ideas?

Scavenger Hunt

Every year I put together a Scavenger Hunt for Easter. We start at the coffee table, and they get a prize and a clue egg. It might say something like, "Where food is cooked you'll find 5 eggs each and the next clue egg."

They run off to look in the stove, or microwave, but there may be 5 eggs each and the clue egg in the pots and pans area instead. The next clue might say something like, "Rub a dub dub there's 14 eggs in the _____ + a clue egg."

They run off to look in the tub.

I hid eggs in the oddest spots. There's a lot of thinking that's involved. At each spot I try and keep  same colored eggs.

Mica caught me once. I bounced up, and opened and shut the front door. I said, "Mica! You just missed the Easter Bunny. He bounced off down the street! Look he left a huge mess in the kitchen!" I didn't finish my Scavenger Hunt that year. He thought it was so neat he almost caught the Easter Bunny.

When he asked all about Santa Claus I had to come clean because he just had too many questions that year. I told him about the Easter Bunny too. He believed me about Santa, but was surprised there's no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy. He didn't believe in a man, but believed in a bunny and fairy! Ha!

What do/did you give to your kids for Easter? 

Usually I try and give them some kind of building thing, like a Lego set and a movie.

Shirts:

I got these shirts (mostly on sale) at Earthbound Trading Company.

2 totally different styles for Isaak:

Mica's obsessed with all things space. The boy watches YouTube videos on scientists talking about space.

This shirt was from Earthbound Trading Company:

This shirt was from Kohl's:

They are getting shorts with them too. I didn't think I'd shoot a photo of those.

Snacks:

The boys eat non stop, so I thought I'd get them some snacks. Annie's makes bunny crackers, so it's perfect for Easter time!

Books or Movies:

I know I'll probably hear something negative about this, but they are getting books instead of movies this year. Mica asked for The Iron Trial and Isaak's all about the Horizon series. He has yet to read this one.

What's Easter without candy?

I wish their favorites were the same things. They'll both eat really anything, but they each gravitate to certain things more than others.

Mica likes jelly beans the most. Isaak likes Peeps a lot. Travis and I could go for anything chocolate, or Reese's. I picked up Jordan Almonds because we all like them.

Clean Up!

One of the clues will be about cleaning. The Easter Bunny really wants them to clean! We don't need a lot of supplies. This should help them.

Since Mica LOVES Quiz Bowl at school, he should get into these Quiz Master games by Goliath.

Isaak has this horrible habit of taking the erasers off the backs of pencils. I'm putting these erasers in some of their plastic eggs.

Other Easter Ideas for Older Kids:

-Money
-Silly Putty
-Slime
-Silly String
-Yo-Yos
-Fidget Toys
-Rubiks Cube
-Wallets or Purses
-Hats

I thought about getting Isaak a felting set, but that so wouldn't be Mica's thing. Of course there's unique things, for different kids.

Do you get excited for Easter?

Disclaimer: I got the Goliath games and erasers awhile back from the companies. I reviewed them already. If you'd like to get the erasers you can get them here. If you'd like to get the Quiz Master Games get them here and here. The rest of the stuff in this post I bought. All opinions are my own.

WW: Wintertime Blues {Linky}

I think about this totally at the wrong time - I need to bump up the Vitamin D! I've been feeling so blah!

The kids have had 5 snow days. I had to look up the number because I lost track!

The latest snow was the worst - 10" on top of snow that was already on the ground. I don't know about everyone else, but we're out of room to put it. Our driveway is in a hole with walls on each side.

Before the big snow...my husband's sculpture looked like this:

Right before it got dark! Everything was really quite!

Two days after the big snowfall, it took me 45 minutes to get home from work. It usually takes me 11 minutes. The streets were and are horrible. It's been a long time, since we've gotten that much snow. When the plows were out, it was in the thick of it. The wind was blowing everywhere. They have to try and clear the streets because some people like doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and so on have to go to work. The snow just drifted everywhere. The temperature dropped, so no salt was working. Everything was turning to ice. Downtown has 1 lane roads; when they usually have 2. Cars were stuck here and there all over.

Watch your step, black ice!

I have never worn my rain boots more than I have this year. This kind of ice is fun to step on.

Ice is hanging from my front porch. When I drive I hear crackling and shattering noises. It's not glass! Ice is falling to the ground. I literally have carcicles.

Ice or claws?

Has it snowed where you live? I know we're not alone. My friends in Missouri have gotten it too!