Isaak Letters

I generally try and think of things that Aunt Angela can get for the boys that are not toys. Isaak like crafty things, so I told her he'd love some type of craft kit. The trouble is, is that most craft kits are for girls.

She ended up getting him wooden letters that spell out his name, among other things.

He was pretty particular about what he wanted to do with these letters.

• He wanted them to each have their own pattern.
• He wanted them to each be a different color. He wanted to use all the colors of paint that he has.
• He wanted each to have a different texture. 
• He wanted their edges to be black and brown. I told him, "How about we just make them one or the other?" He wanted both. I said, "Ok we can make the left sides of all the letters black, and the right sides of all the letters brown." He's one smart cookie. He said, "What about the top and bottom?" I said, "We'll make the tops of them brown, and the bottoms black."

Here's my little Picasso. No it wasn't planned to make him look like Picasso. Notice the stripped shirt? 

Source

 Isaak's the king of messy hair. He laid down to rest, and his hair was messy when he got up!

Here's his name:

• On all the letters Isaak primed the wood with gesso. 
• He got the textured materials, and laid them in the paint. 
• He helped pick out the colors, which he wanted to use them all. I talked with him about what would work, and what would not. I did paint the color gradations on. 
• At this point I thought we were done. He wanted gold to be on the letters. I showed him how to dry brush. A technique where you wet your brush, dry it off on a paper towel and paint. He painted gold on the letters. 
• Once again I thought we were done. He said, "Where's the patterns?" We set out to add patterns. He helped decide what pattern went where. He painted some glue down, while I laid them in. 
• Then he coated them with glue when it was all said and done.

 I had paper punches. We used a standard punch for this one. The silver is tin foil punches.

 S had grass. The silver is tin foil diamonds.

A had stripes of paper that Isaak cut out. The silver is tin foil squares.

 A had stripes of dental floss. The dentist would be proud! The silver is tin foil stripes.

  
K had sawdust. It was just the shavings from the pencil sharpener. The silver is a flower shaped punch that Mica had.

Now I have to decide how to hang it. Any ideas?

Help Del Monte Fresh Produce Name Their Monkey For A Chance to Win A Year Supply of Bananas

Del Monte Fresh Produce is introducing a new adorable monkey, which you will see on the Del Monte Fresh Produce website, Facebook page, and in banana packaging. He will give banana lovers tasty banana recipes, tips for staying healthy, and much more. He's cute, furry, fun and a tad mischievous. His favorite food is bananas. He's constantly jumping, swinging and running around to stay in tip top shape.

There's just one problem – this monkey needs a name. 

Help Del Monte Fresh Produce name him for a chance to win an entire year supply of Del Monte Fresh Produce bananas (the Grand Prize*) or one of 100 stuffed monkeys that will be given away randomly to Del Monte Fresh Produce Facebook fans.

To enter, go to https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteFreshProduce and click on the "Name Me. Win Me" box. This will redirect you to a page to enter your name and email in order to vote on one of five possible names. If you are already a fan of Del Monte Fresh Produce on Facebook, you must still enter to vote. If you are not currently a fan, you must "Like" Del Monte Fresh Produce to enter.

Now quit monkeying around and go to https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteFreshProduce to enter today!

•The grand Prize of a year supply of bananas will consist of 52 coupons for $2.00 each (equivalent to one bunch of bananas). That's one bunch of bananas per week for an entire year. Coupons cannot be redeemed for cash.

Disclaimer: I will receive coupons for 2 free bunches of bananas for posting this. Thank you Del Monte.

Today I Feel Like I'm Not Communicating, or People Are Not Listening to Me

This morning I start breakfast. I cooked peppers, onion and garlic in a pan with olive oil. I told Daddy to toast 2 English Muffins, spread a healthier alternative to cream cheese on them (can't remember what that stuff is called) and put the veggies on top. Then I mentioned to just toast one piece of bread for the boys and put natural peanut butter on it. I knew the boys wouldn't go for what we had. Usually I don't cater to their wants when it comes to eating, but with breakfast, I just don't want to start out the day with a fight and unhappy souls.

Daddy does the same things with their toast as our English muffins. I'm thinking, "Oh well." They bitched complained, but ate it. I heard, "Veggies for breakfast? This isn't breakfast food!" I want to start eating veggies more often for breakfast! 

Last night Daddy and I talked once again about signing Isaak up for another preschool, he'd be going to 2 then. It would take some weight off my parents one day a week, the second preschool isn't that expensive, Isaak dislikes when he doesn't have preschool (he loves it), Daddy mentioned that he'd love to have some more time to himself and we had to make a decision because spring session is starting now.

Daddy goes to turn in paper work this morning. He enrolls him for fall. I'm thinking, "Ok." I guess no one gets more break for the spring. We do save money. I wouldn't of had him hurry to turn in the paper work if he was registering him for fall.

I get to work and my boss comes to get my adapter to plug into the big projector. Someone's wasn't working. I told him where it was at. I mentioned that I put it in there because another teacher and I both use it in that room.

He comes back once to tell me to get it back when lecture time was over. He comes back again to tell me, "Never mind I'll get it." He comes back a third time to say, "The guy needs it still, you don't use it do you?" I said, "Um...ya I use it. That is why you gave it to me in the first place." :) I wasn't mad at all. I was just confused that he was confused.

I had to type up a schedule for classes that the students have this year. I've told them many times that I'd like to be called, "Alissa Apel." The school always says, "No you have to have Mrs. Apel." They have, "Ms. Apel" down. I guess I'm not married. SURPRISE! Sarcasm!

I do think it's all together stupid that females are called, "Mrs. Ms. and Miss." when males only go by "Mr." Our country is confusing.

Another teacher has her full name. Every college I've went to calls their art instructors by their first name, sometimes we called our fine art instructors by their last name. The thing is, is sometimes in college there are students older than the teacher. It's a little odd for those students to call me, "Mrs. Apel." I've gotten used to it, but other instructors go by their first name. I find it so inconsistent, it makes me feel old and I'd like to be called what I want to be called. Am I silly? I suppose at this point it doesn't matter. I mean my fist name is Alissa and my last name is Apel. After teaching for years Mrs. Apel has stuck. I'm used to now.

I was just told that I won't be getting one of my books for one of my classes that starts this week. 

Luckily it's not a reading book. It's a visual source book. It would have been nice to know this last week; as opposed to this week. I think this is a common college thing that happens. 

To end on a positive note: It's like Christmas around here. All of first year gets their new MacBook Pro's, the latest Adobe Software, Microsoft Software, web programs, bags and flash drives. 

Strong Willed Son

• Isaak is only two and a half. 
• He's now says, "I Isaak Jaxon Apel Mommy!" 
• When he's talking to Daddy, and I answer, Isaak says, "No Mommy I talking to Daddy!" 
• There's been a few times lately where he's sitting on the toilet doing his duty. We go into clean him up, and there is a mound of toilet paper in the toilet. Do I train him to wipe now? Is he still too young and not coordinated for that yet? He is clean, but there's enough toilet paper in the toilet to clog it up!

I Have a Son Named Two

• Every time I ask Isaak what his name is? He replies, "I two." Months ago when he started this I said back in a joking way, "You're two?" We both laughed, and the process continued.
• I didn't think this would stick. He still replies when I ask him this question, "I two." 
• I've heard him say his name. When he sees his photo, or image in the mirror he says, "Isaak."
• I've even heard him say, "Isaak Jaxon." 
• But he never say's, "Isaak Jaxon" when asked what his name is. It's always, "I two." As in, "I'm two years old."

I Have a Son Named Two

• I asked Isaak, "What's your name?"
• He replied, "Two."
• I said, "No, your name is Isaak Jaxon Apel."
• He said, "No, I Two."
• I said, "No, silly you are two years old, and your name is Isaak Jaxon Apel."
• I asked again, "Isaak, what is your name?"
• He again replied with, "I Two."