Okay. Okay. I'm back. I promise!

Well, I’ve been obviously absent for the past, oh, four months. In my own defense, I've been student teaching.

If you’ve never student taught, you have no idea. I was told when I began that I should expect 60-70 hour weeks. Pfft. That would have been easy.

My average week day:

6:15: wake up. Blindly grope my way to the coffee maker. Drink as caffeine as possible. Quickly. Stumble into shower. Steam grit and sleep from my eyes.

7:15: wake up children. Stumble to coffee maker once again. Work on hair, finding socks, signing that one homework assignment. Remind husbandy face of the day’s events and chores (because I sure didn’t have time to do them!) and rush around printing/preparing my own lesson items for the day.

7:45: kiss kids and husbandy face goodbye and rush out the door to school.

8:00-3:40 teaching. Planning hour usually spent talking with cooperating teacher and/or teaching in another classroom. Lunch hour spent with my “lunch bunch” of students who hang out everyday and inadvertently remind me why being a teenager was fun/horrible/shocking.

3:40-4:30: School ends. Get as much actual work  such as lesson planning, grading, grade entering, prep for next day, etc. as possible. Rush to pick up kiddos from day care since husband has gone to work.

4:45-5: Get home, sit for 3 blessed minutes to check email/texts/phone calls that I couldn’t answer during the day.

5-6: Do Lily’s homework with her. Keep Sage from realizing her world domination and/or destruction intentions. Hopefully have the energy to make dinner from the non-existent groceries in the house (seriously, never let your husband shop because you end up with frozen burritos, capri suns, and pretzels). If not, the pizza guy knows your order by your phone number.

6-8: Bed, bath, play time to help my children remember that I am supposed to be raising them. Ignore the piles of work still waiting to be done.

8:01-10:45: Lesson plan, write 97 page paper (which I got a 100% on, woot!) and pretend to learn Spanish.  Husband comes home. Tries not to feel ignored as I keep telling him “just a minute” when he wants to tell me about his day.

11:30-2:30: Husbandy face finally falls asleep and I get back to work. Creating lesson materials, planning, grading, updating class website (I did blog, just not here!), or reviewing material I need to teach. Occasionally just stressing out and pulling out hair while also searching TPTs for a lesson plan.

2:30 ish: (yes, that's AM) finally just give up and force myself to go to bed. Sit awake for at least half an hour contemplating all the things I didn’t get done or forgot to do.

Weekends were more of the same – just a few more hours playing with my kids and maybe mad dash rushing to the grocery store.  For those of you that think teachers have a cake job, I don’t know if we can be friends anymore. Student teaching is worse because you don’t have the materials. You’re doing all the work from scratch. Whew.

I think I might get some sleep over the summer, but since I jumped right into sub jobs and working a second job as well, it’s probably a good thing my mom bought me dark circle repair makeup. HA.

I sound like I’m complaining and let me be clear, I’m not. I absolutely loved teaching. Even when I hated it. Sometimes, the kids would irritate me with their whining or I’d be really tired and the thought of working on my feet and running from one place to the other all day seemed like too. Freaking. Much. But I did it, and I did it WELL.

And the best news of my long time absence?

I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(breathe) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have officially graduated with not one, but TWO degrees. Two bachelors degrees. Two pieces of paper I can hang on the wall and admire. Two tassels to hang from my mortar board as I walked across the stage. I’m officially a teacher and a historian. I did it. 

So now that the dust and papers have cleared, I’m back! I missed crocheting and blogging and being a mom. I am so excited to have the summer to do all of these things and make a plan for grad school. (I’m insane, I know). I received a full scholarship for graduate school and will be also working as an assistant teacher for gen-ed history courses. 

I’m excited to talk to all of you again! Thanks for waiting for me!

Dealing with back-to-school stress.

Most of you have heard me talk about my daughter, Lily. She's the one who says stuff like, "Mom, I love you, but we've GOT to talk about this cake I'm designing." This girl picked me flowers as she pranced home from school today. She doesn't mind playing superhero in public. Just the other day she and I had a conversation where she explained to me that there are only seven albino zebras in the world. She knew that because she reads the Nat Geo Kids magazine from cover to cover every month. My newly minted third grader (small heart clutch here) has just completed her second week in school. Usually, back to school means a few tears here and there as she adjusts to the new schedule. This year though... this year has been the worst yet.

 There's some new policies in place at her school and others which will be more strictly enforced. For instance, the tardy rule states that students must be standing with their classmates by the time the bell rings to be escorted inside. You're not in line, regardless of bell, you're tardy. Last year, Lily walked in, went to her room, and sat down. Tardies mean you go to the office and get a red slip to take to your teacher. The behavior plan has gone school wide and it's complicated. I'm all for color charts, since I'm about 7 months away from being a teacher. Really, though? SEVEN different colors? Isn't that a little much? I'm not really complaining, just concerned at some of the things other moms are saying.

Lily already has three tardies. She stops to talk to the crossing guard every morning after. She walks to the door while looking at whatever catches her fancy. She very nearly meanders her way to class. It's not because she doesn't like school. It's because she's easily fascinated by the world. Lily came home earlier this week in tears. Not just a few minutes and then the upset was forgotten. She was sobbing. "Mom, everything's different and I don't know how to do the right things. It's all so different, even the kid who bullied me last year doesn't bully me anymore."

Oh that broke my heart. If Lily is upset that she's not getting bullied, I know this is serious. How do you handle your child's pain? How do I teach her how to be responsible, to realize that change is inevitable, without making it sound like I'm mad at her for struggling?

"Mom, I'm so overwhelmed. I just want to cry."
"I don't want to be tardy, I just want to be absent."
"School isn't fun anymore."

The last one, more than anything else, worries me. It's kept me tossing and turning at night. I absolutely love learning. I love nerding out on how the world works. I like being able to answer random trivia questions. I love being in the classroom and I have a slight obsession with school supplies. I am 28 years old, and I still get a thrill when I see I got an A on a paper or a test. It's not the grade, it's the satisfaction that I've done well and I've achieved a new level of knowledge. I want all of this and more for my daughter. I have buckets full of pride that I'm considered a good student. If nothing else, I want my legacy to her to be that love of all the things there are to learn in the world.

She's arguing with teachers. She's crumpling her homework. She yells at her sister. She yells at me. She's pushing limits. While it is easy to get frustrated at first and angry at her, I can't. I can see the pattern. She doesn't feel any control. She's hurting.

I'm probably blowing this whole thing out of proportion. What mama doesn't do that when her kid is hurting? I've been at a loss as to how to help her avoid that anger and frustration so that she can get back to enjoying school. I tell her that it will be okay and she'll get the new schedule down. I tell her that the new color system gives her more chances to be good instead of bad. I tell her that she's a smarty pants and that she should be proud of herself. I tell her that third graders have more responsibility than second graders, which is cool because that means they get to do fun, new things. I tell her not to worry.

I have asked other parents for advice and read various articles on the internet. I've thought about the strategies I've learned for teaching when I have my own classroom. I've gathered a  few ideas on how to help Lily get back to her normal, happy self. Some are to spark her curiosity and get her excited about learning new things. Others are geared towards shifting schedules and setting a new routine.

1) I am going to take her to our local museum. She loves that place.
2) I'm going to find some cool science experiment we can do at home. I'm thinking rubber eggs or maybe even rainbow daisies. She'd get a kick out of flowers turning colors.
3) I'm going to get adjust bed time and wake up time. We'll leave 10 minutes earlier in the morning so she doesn't get another tardy.
4) We'll go pick out a new book.
5) I will talk to her teacher and her counselor and her principal if I have to so they are aware of the stress the environment at school is causing my child.
6) We'll take a break before doing homework. In the past, we always do homework right after school. I'm thinking she needs the break. It may not work out, but we'll try.
7) I'm going to revise and update our rewards and behavior rules at home. We have had the same ones on the fridge for a year now. It's time for something fresh.
8) I'm going to give her more choices. Even if it's just what we have for dinner or what song we should listen to on the stereo, I'm giving her the opportunity to feel like she has control.

Any other suggestions? I would love to hear your own experiences and how you've handled your child's stress. I don't think there can ever be enough good, heartfelt advice when it comes to making your babies happy. Thanks for struggling through this with me. For those of you who have offered advice, thank you. Sometimes parents need reminders that they're doing the best they can.

Random Roundup: Yarn + Biology = Win.

This version of Random Roundup is brought to you by my ecology textbook. I get the feeling it's going to be quite the carbuncle. Lots and lots of studying for that class. For your mini-science lesson today, ecology is a part of biology. Biology studies life and how organisms are formed. Ecology studies how organisms interact with their environment. In case you weren't aware, I'm kind of a biology geek. I adore learning about all the different types of life we can encounter on our pretty planet. I shoot right past adoration and into delighted tremors and squeaks when yarn and biology are combined. Talk about some "lively" crochet fun!! (Nudge, nudge...get it? Biology is the study of life, so "lively" crochet? Eh? Eh?)

Find the original picture here.

1) This first project isn't crochet (gasp!!!!) which I'm willing to overlook because it. is. so. cool. Fungi is my favorite Kingdom, after all. Leigh at BromeLeighad is knitting a different species of mushroom for each week of the year. Her series, 52 forms of fungi, is full of beautiful pictures and nerdy fun. I will be impatiently awaiting each week's installment. It almost makes me want to learn to knit. Almost.

Find the original picture here!

2) Who loves a virus? I do! I do! What's my favorite? This little guy. He's a bacteriophage. Crocheted by Oh Look, It's a Rabbit!, this idea opens up millions of microscopic crochet plushy possibilities.

You can find this picture here!

3) ELINart's etsy shop is full of fuzzy, moldy goodness. She crochets bacteria, lichen, and mold onto all sorts of fun things. I really love this "Moldy Madness" brooch. She's also done petri dish colonies in crochet. So fun!

Original picture here.

 4) Are you in need of a study buddy for your anatomy lessons? Shanell Papp at Bawdy has created that special someone for you! Her crocheted anatomically correct skeleton is sure to help you learn all of the human body's systems. I love the fuzzy green yarn used for the large intestine. Kind of gross in an awesome way. She's got some great pictures of her skeleton on display as well as the organs in jars. Check it out!

Original photo here

5) Last, but surely not least, is the Crochet Coral Reef by Christine Wertheim and Margaret Wertheim of the Institute For Figuring. In honor of the Great Barrier Reef, this project has grown from a coffee table sized reef into several sub-reefs! When I first saw the picture, I didn't realize I was looking at crochet. I would really recommend reading this article if you are a crochet nut, it has some awesome info on hyperbolic crochet, a technique I want to learn more about! You also need to see the rest of the pictures. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.There's information on how to start your own satellite reef...anyone wanna crochet some coral with me????

That's it for this week! I hope this has got your creative brain mojo brewing! How fun would it be to crochet some of these projects? Any biology related items you'd like to see yarn form? I have attempted a human heart before, but for some reason never finished. I may just have to try it again someday! Even though history is my one true love, teaching science would be too much fun because I could fill up my classroom with crocheted fetal pigs and other icky fun. 

(Insert evil genius laughter here.)

I missed you. (heart hug)

So..... school kicked my butt this semester.

When I wasn't falling asleep at my computer in the middle of watching online lecture videos, I was living at the library trying to write papers or read. I'm lucky I have a husband who can raise my children for me... because that's what happened.

That's only about 3/4 of my school books. I had six other books for Anatomy and Physiology alone. Oi vey. Totally random selection, right? Plants, Marie Antoinette, and Ireland. With a bit of U.S. history thrown in. That's where my focus was... all over the place. Overall, it was an awesome semester. Exhausting, anxiety riddled, and sleepless, but awesome. Here's why:

1) I joined two honor societies: one for education and one for history. I am now an officer for the history honor's society and I will be presenting my research at a regional conference next spring. I will also be submitting a paper to a national competition for undergraduate research. Whoa.

2) I fell in love with my professor. Not in a creepy, stalker, icky way. I had one professor for two classes which meant I was seeing him four days a week. He had the best personality and experiences. I could and did talk to this guy for hours. He has become an amazing role model to me and really boosted my confidence about myself and my academics. It's because of him that I will be looking at Master's degrees in history rather than education and presenting my research. If I can ever become half the teacher he is, I'll be full of win. (stopping with teh fangirl)

3) I got to listen to real life Holocaust survivors speak about their experiences. Amazing.

4) I won a wicked cool zombie poster during Zombie Apocalypse week. Best. school. event. ever.

5) I found out that I am running out of financial aid and don't have enough money to finish school (enter breakdown and emotional angst here.) I applied for and received a $3000 scholarship to help pay for school. I'm waiting to hear back on a few others.

6) I was invited to attend a Professional Achievement Evening with my peers and professors in the College of Education and listened to some pretty impressive people speak. (This is where I was awarded my scholarship.)

7) I got to see some amazing friends graduate this semester. I'll miss them, but I can't wait to go visit their classrooms or help them sneak into classes on campus because they miss me.

8) I got a 101% in two classes. I got a perfect score on my final in another class. My final paper in yet another class is being considered for publication.

That's my roundup. I didn't get all A's this semester. I got a B in Anatomy and Physiology which I am completely ecstatic about because the class average was a low C. That class was tough. Uber tough.

I'm excited to remember that I have a blog. I'm even more excited to post on it. I found myself missing this little corner of the interwebz. Now that I have time to breathe (not even kidding) I've already started baking and crafting and getting my kids to do fun things with me. I can't wait to drive you all crazy with my on-going-on's. ;)

Talk soon!!!

Pixie Dust is MAGICAL.

Has no one ever crocheted with the coolest yarn in the world? Seriously?

I have searched and searched for crochet patterns with this amazing Pixie Dust Yarn by Knit Collage. Found zip. Nada. Zero. 

So I'm working on it myself. Playing. Un-doing and re-doing. The goal is a scarf, because that's about all I have enough for, and I am super thankful for that much! (For those of you who are friends of mine on FB, you know how excited I was.) I told my husband he was going to have a hard time topping my Grandmother in terms of birthday gifts. He just looked at my pretty diamond ring that was last year's Valentine's gift and lifted an eyebrow. 

I love all the little poms and the glitter and the giant size of this stuff. I can't wait to crochet my sparkly, funky scarf. LOVE it. Would it be totally ridiculous to spend the $250 required to make myself a blanket?

There is a blanket done by the amazing group at Purl Bee. Can you tell I've fallen in lust with this yarn? I'll post pictures when I get my pretty mango scarf done... and keep you updated on whether or not I can convince my husband that $250 isn't really too much to spend on yarn.... 

(yeah right, not in this lifetime....)

I have an idea now sizzling in my brain to finger knit a bunch of yarn into some lovely, ginormous yarn to turn into something fun. I'm curious to see how much yarn it would take to make giant yarn... I feel another tutorial coming on.... after I play a bit. I'm trying to get Lily excited about finger knitting to get a little help, but that's not working out. Can't get that little lady's nose out of a book these days (says the mother who never has a book more than two feet away from her).

School is seriously getting in the way of my love affair with yarn! Although, it's SO much fun. I'm currently lost in Irish and American protest songs, the life and times of Marie Antoinette, and why the camas bulb went the wayside to the potato in Idaho. LOVE my research.  This week I'm also spending time at the middle school helping with a pig dissection. Gah! Excitement! Gross, gooey, excitement!

School post. You knew it was coming.

Ugh. Not another school post.

I know, but it's already consuming my world. CONSUMING, I tell you.

However, as a status update:

I have a professor with an Irish accent who referenced Fight Club, gave us the history of Guinness (for those of you who know what that is), threatened to yell at us in two languages (Irish and French), and complimented my dreads all on the first (technically, two because I have two classes) day. I think I like this guy. I was worried about tuning out what he was saying because I have a slight obsession with an Irish accent, but so far, he's so damn interesting, I'm scribbling like a mad woman to get all the info down.

I'm also learning anatomy and physiology this semester. Bones, blood, body parts. Yippeee!!!! No... really, it's exciting. I'm a multi-focused geek, don't you know.

I still have one class to have a "first day" in, and that's going to be intense because I have to write a publish-worthy research paper on ....something. Gotta figure that part out. Any ideas? Hey, I can dream, right?

All in all, it sounds like another semester-o-crazy and hard work, but I bet it will be too much fun. Ireland, the French Revolution, naming all the bones in the body... I can do this.

In other news, Sage turns ONE tomorrow.  Sappy, teary eyed mom post to follow. I've got an amazing opportunity to do a cake smash photography session with a local photographer next week, so we'll see if I have some pictures to share.

Back to homework....

Hello, stranger.

Well, I feel like I should be grinning sheepishly.

October flew to November which sprinted towards Christmas and smacked right into the new year. Talk about time getting away from me right?

I would say that my new year's resolution is to blog more, but that seems cheeseball to me. So I'll just say, I hope I get more time to be around here more throughout the new year. ;)

Decemeber was one crazy month with Christmas. I handmade almost all of the gifts I gave away. I made 10 scarves, 12 dishclothes, 6 dish scrubbers, 2 baby toys.... I lost count. This was all done in a mad dash rush over the last two weeks before Christmas while I was also battling finals... go me!

Also, 4.0 GPA, who rocks it? Yes, that's right. I do.

Now I have 10 days until school starts again, and I plan on being a craft-o-crazy mama for most of it. I am all about crochet lately. I think I've settled on it being my favorite...for at least the next little while. I'm blowing up Pinterest with crochet pins, but it's probably better than all that bacteria and virus pinning I was doing for awhile there right? ;)

I have a big project in the works, and a few little ones that I've completed that I would love to show you! I'll see what I can do about being more blog friendly!

I'm going to stand outside. If anyone asks, just say I'm outstanding.

I think that is my best FB status ever. Just sayin'.

It has once again been WEEKS since I've played on my bloggity blog. I have been super productive though! If you count school work and making sure my kids have clean laundry (mine is another story). I have had some wonderful firsts recently in regards to my teaching internship:

I decorated a classroom with awesome blossom pictures cells and made bulletin boards with GIANT MICROBES. If you need to ever get me a present, just get me some of these adorable little guys. Seriously, too cute! I think my favorite was the little sperm with a bow on it's head. It and the egg are magnetic so they stick together. HAHAHA.

We're starting a new unit on bacteria and cells and viruses and body systems and and and... it's all very exciting to me.

I wrote my first test. It's printed and waiting in a pretty stapled stack waiting to be groaned over this week. It's kind of hard. I'm not going to lie. If I was a student, I'd be a bit freaked. I found that realization invigorating and made myself slightly giddy. Those kids learn quick though, I'm sure it will work out just fine. I'm also proud that it doesn't have one single multiple choice, essay, or true/false question on it. I'm breaking test boundaries here, yo.

My house is a mess. My husband has come to terms with the fact that my absent minded noises count for conversation after the kids go to bed because that's when I'm doing homework. I can't step out of the house without makeup for fear someone could get lost in the dark circles that have taken up permanent residence under my eyes. I don't care. It's all worth it. I am having so much fun even as I am drowning under school obligations. This is seriously the craziest, but best semester ever.

Are ya'll sick of hearing me talk about school yet?

While I'm thinking about it, I want to post this fantastic picture of my girls. Auntie Alli sent it to me after she edited it and played with the colors. I am so going to have to think of ways to terrify teenage boy children later on.

Lily's birthday is coming up this Saturday. Eight years old. EIGHT FREAKING YEARS OLD. How does that happen? Can I send in some form to somewhere requesting that my children don't grow up so fast? She doesn't really want a party, she wants to go to the Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. So we'll do that and have a cupcake party afterwards somewhere. I asked her if she wanted to invite some friends from dance or school and she said, "Nope, I will be just happy spending the day with my family." Awwww.

Well, hopefully it won't be another several weeks before I get back to blog land. I have a few recipes to post because the food that is made in my house is delicious and I want to share it with you all. Not bragging or anything... ;)

Oh and P.S... Not only did I get sick, everyone but Lily got sick. It was like the plague had descended upon my household. Wishful thinking didn't work!

Free time? Can I has it?

Today is one of those days where I want to fall down  and beg for mercy. 

Baby Sage is sickly. I blame the nasty air we've had all week. Listening to her sleep (in my arms, because she won't/can't/doesn't wanna sleep anywhere else) is like listening to an orchestra of pigs. Snort, snuffle, Snort...

Lily's asking me every five minutes what she can do but turns down every suggestion I've given her. Color? Nope. Do workbook pages (for which she gets tootsie rolls)? Nope. Clean? Heck no. Play dress up? No, Mom. I did that yesssstttereeerrrrday.

Is it bedtime yet?

Along with whiny, needy, children I've done laundry, cleaned the living room (why bother? It's already trashed again...), made baby food, made veggie soup, and have been mentally willing myself to not be sick. 

I can feel it in my nose and throat, but I'm not getting sick. My body weeps with aches and pains, but I'm not getting sick. I want to sleep for 100 years, but I'm not getting sick. If I say it enough times and take enough vitamin C, it might end up being true. 

I have been piled on with homework and responsibility type stuffs for the past three weeks. It is one damn thing after another. It's been super fun, don't get me wrong. I love being in the classroom with my cute little rabbit seventh graders. I am fascinated and mildly terrified by the video lectures I'm watching for Microbiology. I'm just freaking tired. 

Whiney whine whine. Blah blah blah. Listening to my mental grumpy self is making me sick. (but I'm not getting sick!)

I want three things right now. 1) For Jamba Juice to deliever. 2) My homework to magically complete itself and transfer any needed info into my brain. 3) For it to be bedtime. Is it bedtime yet?

Maybe in the next week or so, if I bust my bummy and get some extra homework done, I'll have a few free nights to go to sleep before midnight. This is the goal, since I'm not getting sick.

Send happy, germ free thoughts my way. Puhhhlleeeassssse?

First day of school...again.

Today was the start of Lily's year as a second grader. Apparently, that is so much more older than a first grader. Second graders such as my daughter do not need parental help to find their classroom or be shown where to line up because, "I know where to go, Mom!" Second graders are such old hats at this school thing dontcha' know.


I also had my first day of school. Well, I'd already been in school a week, but this semester, I'm spending some time in the field in a 7th grade science class! I get to go practically every day and work on my teacher look. It is such fun. I'm totally in love with everything I'm doing.

I have to tell you, when you get up on the first day to read the syllabus to a room of about 25 kids, it's mildly terrifying. Even more so when you haven't done it before. They can smell fear. You have to take a minute to squash down all the big, giant butterflies doing the rumba in your stomach and then get to work and put on your big girl teacher pants and go with it or lose face and look like an idiot. Kids can smell idiots too, I'm telling ya.

I got to see the inside of my first faculty room and that was weird too. I had to shift from student to teacher mode so I would quit looking over my shoulder like I was going to get kicked out of the room and put in detention. Ha!

Tomorrow we're doing our first science lab. Gummy worms are involved. I swear, this will never get old for me and I'm so busy, but it's worth it. It feels absolutely wonderful to know deep in my center that I'm doing the right thing and I'm on the right path. It's taken long enough to get here!

My other classes this semester are pretty dang fun too. Last night for Botany, I got to jump in the college SUV and go on a field trip. Field trips are just as cool when you're an adult. We collected plants and took them back to be pressed. I'm totally geekballs over this because I used to love pressing flowers as a kid. There was one plant that was a vine called Virgin's Bower that had seeds that looked like Truffla trees from the Lorax. Totally wicked cool. Every person I rode to the field trip with was in the teacher program. Guess what we chatted about for 40 minutes?

I miss doing crafty things. I know I haven't posted any beautimus creations in awhile. I'm hoping that things will even out and slow down a bit so I can do something fun. I have a couple projects that I'm dying to finish. I don't think Nic misses the craft mess though...

School!

I had my first faculty meeting yesterday.

I got to see the inside of my first teacher's lounge.

I am going to be assisting in teaching a fiesty group of 7th grade science students.

In my other classes, I get to make a pressed plant collection, learn how about all the state standards for teaching, play with microbes, and write an autobiography of how I learned to read.

All in all, I think this semester is going to be fantastic! Yay!

TP Teacher Cards

Hurray! I got the thank you cards for Lily's teachers done. It took until 3:39 AM, but whew. Deadline met. If you have seen any of the toilet paper roll craftiness going on, you'll recognize the inspiration for these cards.

It took me about two and a half toilet paper rolls to do this. My husband suffers silently and just smiles and nods when I ask him to do random things like not throw empty tp rolls away. I'm a lucky gal.  I decided to make four cards, one for each of the teachers who have been fantastic in working with Lily this year. I did one flower with five and the rest with six petals. Six looked better to me and fuller.

I folded the roll flat and tried to cut the strips evenly, but it was late and I was working around a baby who wouldn't sleep. So  then I just tried to match skinny and not so skinny strips. I ran a glue stick along the edges of the side I was gluing down to attach them to the pretty paper I had picked out. Still with me? That sounds kind of confusing so if you look at the next picture, it will hopefully make more sense. I coyldn't get a clear picture of where I was putting glue on the tp pieces.

The petals were by no means even. Deadline, remember? So I let the flowers dry to the paper and cut them out. This was actually the tedious part because it can get a bit awkward. Best advice I can give you is go slow and prepare to bend your scissor hand funny.

If you look in the picture, you can see the ragged edges of the paper. I trimmed these as best I could. It was about 1:30 AM at this point, so my eyes were probably not the best. I really wish the paper would show up better, it's really quite pretty. I have this neat glitter spray that I sprayed the back of each card and the center of each flower. The spray was something I found on clearance at Michael's, and have never found again, which is kind of a bummer.

I glued the flowers to the cards I had on hand. They were not folded cards, more like post cards. To cover up my uneven centers and to make the flowers look more finished, I spent half an hour looking for buttons. When that didn't work, I looked for flat beads. After striking out with that as well, I had an idea that ended up working out.

I took my roll of never-ending hemp and coiled it, making a perfect center. I closed the coils with a dab of glue and then used as much glue as needed to glue them down to the center of the flower. To keep in with the hemp theme, I glued a hemp stem and leaf on each card too. I feel pretty proud of myself that my crafty skills were still working on so little brain power. I wish I would have had more time to tint the edges of the card or sewn borders, but there's always a next time!

After another mad dash search for my brown marker to write the message, I gave up and settled for a turquoise crayola marker. Again, not my best work, but the space was small and I didn't have enough stickers for four cards. I really, really need to invest in some alphabet stamps. (Note to self, don't let Lily use them and I might actually keep the whole alphabet intact.) I wrote a personalized note to each of the four teachers, stuffed the cards into their envelopes and then realized I wanted a gift for Lily's main teacher.

I found a huckleberry soy candle in a mason jar that I wrapped with ribbon and called it good. Just as I settled down, the baby woke up again. Haha, the life of a mother who has a crafty obsession. Now I'm off to make my living room NOT look like a bunch of drunken elves had a paper cutting party in it last night. I love that these cards are made from something that would just end up trash. I can always get behind using household items to make something pretty. 

T-minus two hours and forty-five minutes until school's out....I wonder how long before I hear, "I'm BORED Mom!!"

I have linked this post to...

The best intentions...

... always seem to get hit with a semi-truck.

I have had one heck of a week.

Our doggie is out of the woods concerning his eye, but there's still about a 30% chance we may end up with a one-eyed pirate dog. I spend more time giving that dog medication than I'd like to admit. Not to mention we found a needle in his leg that was a catheter that was supposed to have been taken out from his surgery on APRIL 30th. Yeah, I was not amused. Luckily, the vet's office was pretty on the ball and helped us out so that I didn't have to go crazy Jessi on them.

Next, we have Lily's last week of school. Tomorrow, my baby is done with the first grade. I swear it feels like I was wondering how the hell it was only September just a few weeks ago, but time flies. She's had pajama day, hat day, field day, water day, talent shows... man. It's hard to keep up with the end of school year madness. We've also enrolled her in tumbling and a ballet class for summer. I'm really excited about that because I really don't want a couch potato zombie child for the summer.

We also have the pleasure of Nic's mother coming to visit this weekend! Which means a crazy mad dash of house cleaning and organizing. She hasn't come to visit since Sagey Poo was born, so I'm excited to see her. I've lucked out and gotten an awesome mother-in-law. My sister is also coming home (YAY!) and so this weekend is going to be full of happy, family chaos.

Cleaning with a carbuncle that is otherwise called Sage makes for some interesting chore time by the way. It's quite funny to try and fold laundry when the baby in your lap keeps trying to eat it. I tried giving her a toy to chew on to distract her, but she's too smart for that. She wants to chew and slobber on whatever Mama has in hand.

I haven't finished teacher thank you cards, my rag quilt, or any of the other fun stuff I was planning for this week. Go figure. I should hopefully have some time tonight to get those cards done because, hey, last day of school tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Three things...

Number One:

I would like it stated for the record that when I get a sunburn, I expect it to be on a hot, sunny day. Not when I have been standing out in the wind and cold for 5 hours.

Yesterday was Water Festival at the park and I volunteered to help, along with a few other students, to do one of the stations. We were a big giant plant and students got necklaces to turn them into "water molecules" to go through the process of photosynthesis and other watery fun in a plant. It was a blast and so clever. Haha. There was over 19 schools of fifth graders that came through and for those freezy five hours I repeated over and over, "Welcome to the CHLOROPLAST! This is where photosynthesis happens...." and so on. They say teaching is the best way to learn and I know for sure that's true because I have the photosynthesis process burned  into my brain forever.

Number Two:

The front cover of this month's Time magazine really bugs me.

I saw this yesterday and it's been stirring in my mind ever since. I can't say that the idea of extended breast feeding is wrong. I have to figure that it happens enough in other cultures that it must have some merit. For me and my kids it wouldn't work. I would be too weirded out. If the child is old enough to drink from a cup and I was that serious about it, I'd give them breast milk in a cup. I absolutely love nursing baby Sage. It's our time to snuggle and coo at each other and bond. I could not do that if she was 3 years old. I would feel awkward. What really makes me mad about this cover is that the mother and child don't seem to have any connection in the picture. They're not embracing in any way or even looking at one another. This picture is for shock value and I think the magazine should feel shameful when the article is supposedly about attachment parenting. I also can't help but feel mad at the mother. Her poor son is never going to get away from that image. He's 3 years old for god's sake. He doesn't have any idea of the consequences of the idea that he will now and forever be known as "the boy on that magazine cover."

 Perhaps it's important. People will be talking about it. And by talking about it, they'll be looking into attachment parenting and other positive, alternative ways to raise their children. There are better ways to raise our kids than is the societal norm these days. I like the ideas of parents actually raising and nurturing their children. I may not ascribe to all of them, but I do have to admit I agree with many of them. I don't see how this cover will be positive in the long run though.

Number Three:

The latest Lilyisms.....

Lily told her grandmother that she didn't want to grow up because kids get to eat whatever they want. She went on to explain that adults can't do that because the food would go straight to their hips.

Lily brought me home a planted sunflower as a Mother's Day project they did at school.
Lily: Mom, I planted you this but it's not growing yet. It makes me sad because I gave it all the love I could. That is how plants grow: water, sunshine, and love. I guess it needs both of us to love it.

Awwwwwww......

Wahooo!

Engage my happy dance, I am done with finals!!!!

I am so. tired. of. studying.

I am two finals away from freedom. Two finals away from the pile of crafty projects I have spinning around in my head. Two finals away from playing with my girls. Two finals away from cleaning my wreck of a house. (I really need to figure out a better system than relying completely on the husband for the last two weeks of school.) Two finals away from having a snuggly movie night with my hubs without guilt. Two finals.

I had a final today and it went... well let's just refer to what the hubs said to me earlier today. "It's good to get bad grades once in awhile...it shows your teachers you know more of the alphabet than the letter A." Har. Har. Har. I was so stressed out and mad at myself. I think I'll have my first C in a class since going back to school. That's a big deal when you're an OCD nerdy school lover.

New baby, school, and regular life all rolled into one is freaking hard. Sometimes I just want to throw my books and color coded binders across the room and/or set them on fire. I thought a semester pregnant was hard. Pffft. I'd take morning sickness during Biology Lab anytime over trying to teach myself Chemistry on 2 hours of sleep with a screaming baby. It's not just the lack of sleep and the waiting until last minute to turn in every assignment. It's the mom-guilt that I'm not focusing on the girls. Lily needs just as much one on one time as the baby. It's been hard to have to say that I can't play because I have homework or to plead in my head for the baby to go to sleep so I can meet an assignment deadline. I'm not going to school this summer and I am so happy. There's lots of plans and fun brewing and I can't wait.

I'm sure come July or so I'll be screaming for school again. I can't stay away from it too long, I love it dearly even though I bitch about it a lot.

So tomorrow bright and early at 7:30 AM (I still say that's psychological warfare) I'm off to do final one of two. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, I will be home free. And I must say, I've never been so perfectly ready to fail a final in my life!

Jubilant Jessi: Take Two

So.... I dropped off the face of the Earth.

So much in fact, that I've been sitting here for a good 45 minutes trying to figure out a blog name only to remember I had one. Then I had to remember how to log into it. So now that I'm all set up and ready to go again....

 Hi. :)

As a way to reintroduce myself, here are a few of my newest loves...

1) my lovely daughters. Yes, daughters as in plural. I have two of them now. A fact which makes me super smiley on a daily basis. Wait, make that a minute basis. Or maybe not, since it doesn't really make sense. My two beautiful flower girls, growing like crazy. I am constantly tickled by the things that comes out of Lily's mouth and I go gooey inside when baby Sage coos at me. I am under the impression now that I want a houseful of children and the Husband is enamored like I am so he thinks its a great idea. We'll see.

2) my addiction known as Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is... go there now. Take a bathroom break and grab some snacks first because you won't be moving away from the computer for awhile I apologize for causing the hiccups in your social life that will result, but you'll have an amazing imaginary house, tons of recipes you might just try, and more crafty inspiration than you will ever know what to do with.

3) May 5th. Random? Yes. The last day of Spring semester? Kaaa-Ching! No more school until August. This is most excellent. I will have all summer to play with my new sewing machine, the blank journal I have, the creative ideas collected on the above mentioned addiction. So. exciting. I will get a read a book. A book I want to read. Woot!

So stay tuned, I'll have lots of time on my hands this summer and I'm sure I'll be spending a bit of it here in my little slice of bloggy land. And now, I'm off to go study chemistry. Blech. I can't put it off any longer, the final is Wednesday. Wish me luck!