Turkey time

Phoebe and I made some turkeys today with some of our pumpkins we have. I had some craft feathers and felt that we glued on. Just glue the feathers on the back, we used buttons for eyes, and cut the beak and waddle out of felt. She had a great time making them. I think they would be cute centerpieces for Thanksgiving dinner.




Another idea for Thanksgiving is this turkey cheeseball I made. Use any cheeseball recipe and add feathers of cheesecubes, olives, and cherry tomatoes. Use skewers or sucker sticks to stick them on. I used pecan halves for more feathers and cut a piece from a red pepper for the mouth/beak/waddle. (Is it called a waddle? I don't know.)



My cheeseball recipe is: 2 packages of softened cream cheese, a package of shredded cheddar cheese, and a package of ranch dip mix. I usually roll it in chopped pecans.

Miserable or Joyous?

I love this quote by Haim Ginott. It is so moving to me. It applies to me as a teacher, and also as a mother.

"I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.” ~Haim Ginott

I hope and pray I'm the teacher who makes children's lives joyous (at least when they are with me). I want to inspire, humor, and heal.

I know at our home that how I react to something is how my children react to it. If I am freaked out by something, the whole house is in a frenzy. If I am in a bad mood, so is everyone else. If I am happy and joyful, so are they.

I'd much rather be joyous than miserable anyway!

My girl

Finally got Phoebe's birthday pictures back. I really love them.




She is doing well with my Mom (and Daddy) while I'm at work. She likes to go every day and says she goes "by herself". She feels like a big girl to go without Chloe and Owen. I miss her, but I'm glad she's having fun. She is always glad to see me when I get home, and I get lots of extra lovings from her. She tells me often, "You are a good girl, Mama".

I like my job, but it's busy and a lot to get used to. I'm forever tired. I enjoy my students. They are so cute. Yesterday one Kindergarten girl came back after being absent. I told her I missed her and was glad she was back. I asked if she was sick and she said, "No. I had bugs". That made my head itch the rest of the day. One day I was holding up pictures and we were naming the picture and the letter and sound it started with. One picture was a vase. I asked what it was and a boy said, "A flower holder". In one group we were working on the "th" sound. We were making a list of th words. One girl said "thong". Another asked what that was and the girl explained. The girl then said "Oh yeah. I've seen those at Walmart". All my groups are great. I have a group from every grade K-6. I run all over the school picking up my groups every 30 minutes. At least I get some exercise. Then I come home and run around. I don't sit down because I may never get back up. It's a non stop day from 5:30-9:30 or 10:00.

Last week brought the lovely swine flu to our house. Both Chloe and Phoebe had it, but are well now. Still a lingering cough and runny nose, but doing fine. Owen somehow escaped getting sick. I have a cold I can't get rid of. Danny is well so far. He's working lots of overtime, and most Saturdays. Life is busy, but we're well and happy, and that's what matters.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work I Go....

My gig is up. After being a stay-at-home Mom for eleven (!) years, I have gone back to work. I am a tutorial teacher at Chloe and Owen's school. It's pretty great to be at their school; I see them during the day, I can be involved with their school things still, I drive them to and from school, and I can have lunch with Owen sometimes (Chloe's lunch is at a different time than mine, not that she would want me to have lunch with her - that would be embarassing).

My Mom is watching Phoebe for me. I don't know who is happier, Mom or Phoebe. Phoebe was so excited to go there. Mom thanked me for letting her watch Phoebe. Danny picks her up around 1:30, so she gets to spend the rest of the day with Daddy. Chloe, Owen, and I are home from school a little after 3:00. Not bad.

I hope I can settle into a routine and not be too overwhelmed with work, school, home, and kids. I am grateful for this job, and grateful that I was able to stay home while my kids were little. Our baby days are over, so it's time. I'm sad that I can't stay home with Phoebe for as long as I did with Chloe and Owen, and I'll miss her like crazy, but in reality, 3 kids are expensive. Life is expensive. So, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go....

Hilarious Playdough

Today Phoebe and I made playdough. We made orange and green so we could make pumpkins. Then we got out the Mr. Potato head pieces to create people (or monsters as Phoebe said). She said it was "hilarious". She played for a long time and said "this is making me tired". Once she said "Do you want me to make you a flood?" (whatever that means). I said sure, and she said, "Sorry. I can't."








Here's the recipe we used that always works well:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp vegetable oil
food coloring

Mix everything except food coloring in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it holds together. Stir the whole time. When it's cool enough, knead on a floured surface. Add food coloring.

Tooth #2

Owen lost his first tooth on a Saturday, and the second tooth on the following Thursday. He looks so cute. I always thought he'd be one to freak out over losing a tooth, but he doesn't. The second one was pretty loose, then he bit into an apple and it got really loose. So, he took a tissue and pulled it out. Phoebe insists that she also has loose teeth. I think it's safe to say, the tooth fairy can take a break for awhile.

Tooth Fairy

Owen lost his first tooth on Saturday. It was an exciting day for him. There was some tooth fairy discussion. Chloe still doesn't own up to the tooth fairy not being real (Chloe lost a tooth on her birthday), Phoebe thought the tooth fairy actually pulls the tooth (to build a castle), and Owen was just wanting some loot. She flew in and left $10 (the first tooth always gets more) and some pixie dust (aka glitter). Owen wonders if he rubs the pixie dust on himself if he could fly. He also wonders how she carries the money. When Chloe lost her first tooth, the tooth fairy had no change and had to leave a twenty. The tooth fairy later suffered from inflation and the poor economy, and usually just leaves a five. I think she'll be flying in here again soon because Owen has another tooth about to fall out. Let's hope she has change when it happens.