BEE book, things to do, and other randomness

 What is Random Tuesday? Check out the UnMom...

So I can't find my son's BEE book. That is the "Bring Everything Everyday" book that is pretty much the most important thing in his backpack. Notes to teacher, daily schedule... And the worst part? I lost it. I took it out to fill with snacks and books for his day at the Farmer's Market with me. I took out the Holy Grail of teacher/parent communication that has his little homework calendar and important numbers and alphabet practice sheets... I took it out, put it on the floor in some random spot by some toys, came home that afternoon from the market, and it is nowhere to be seen.  I asked the husband, and he can't remember seeing it.

Ugh.

So now I have officially put the first black spot on Johnny's academic career. I wrote a note to teacher, and offered to come in and wash her chalkboards if I can get a new one...

I need to finish cleaning my craft room. I have an entire room devoted to craftage, yet I still am dragging my goods downstairs to the kitchen.  Mostly because my craft room is a mess. And the TV lives down here, and how can I watch Supernatural while I craft if there is no tv?

Oh, that reminds me - I need to go to the library and get the next disks on DVD...

I have a day of bobbin winding, bread making, and sewing planned. I have one more Farmer's Market, then that season is over, and a few crafty shows right after that, so I need to do some serious restocking of goods. Halloween is fast approaching, and I have about 487 ideas of spooky things to make, but by the time I actually make them, it will be past the witching hour.   Being a crafty vendor/artisan is confusing, seasonally speaking. You have to be at least 6 months ahead of your seasons... Crap! That means I should really be making stockings and other wintry goodies...

I should be making Halloween costumes, but Johnny said he wants to dress up "just as a boy." Easy enough, yes, but I have a sneaking suspicion that when Halloween is here, he is going to want to actually be something other than "just a boy" and I will have no time to create it, and whatever it is will be sold out....

Ok, all done being random... although writing this feels natural, which is kind of scary because of the random way my mind actually works... I should see what time the library opens. Of course my plates on the van are expired (since 2009) and I am starting to get paranoid I am going to get pulled over (again).

But that is another random story for another day...

Flowers, some little boys, and the guilt of motherhood

A pretty glorious morning :) My little blog helpers are checking out the new laptop. Like the flowers?  One of the farmers at the market gave them to me on Sunday. Aren't they amazing? They fit perfect my old sap bucket/rusty pail and I love how they look. It is nice to have a pretty spot to blog - even if I have ten little fingers wanting to "help" me type.

Speaking of my little helpers...

The countdown begins... My little munchkin butts are heading to school next week. They have been in preschool, so this isn't like the first time they will be going to "school," but for some reason, because they are five and starting the full day thing, I am wigging just a smidge.  Mikey is headed to the full-day Autism program, and Johnny is going to the Young 5s at the elementary school. The Young 5 program is like  kindergarten, (in my day, I guess it would be the equivalent to what the school called Primary class. Since my boys were born in July, they are considered young, so Johnny was able to get a spot in this program). They were in the same building last year, but now the teachers tell me Johnny is ready to leave the special ed building and head into the land of elementary. Which is a good thing. Right?

 But now he is going to a "bigger" school, with lunch menus and lots of kids and bus stops... At his old building, I knew just about all the teachers, his class was small, I packed his little snack, the bus had like four kids on it and the bus driver would help get the boys to their seats, and Mikey was in the classroom next door... It felt homey and small.  Now they will be riding different buses, not to mention going to different buildings.  They never were in the same class - Mikey's autism is more pronounced than Johnny's - but I was comforted by the fact that they were right next to each other.  Next fall, most likely they will be in the same building. It will be a different building for both of them, but they will be together.

Mikey also has a new teacher this year. He has had the same lovely teacher for the last two years, and this year, his last at the special ed building, is with a new teacher. Luckily, I know her and she is a sweetie, but she is new to Mikey.  Mikey has a hard time with change, and I sometimes so do I. I get comfortable and like routine just like my Mikey.

And now here comes the other side of this whole back-to-school event. In some ways, while I am wigging out and feeling like my babies are getting too old, too fast, I am also soooo ready for them to be in school.  I am with these little guys pretty much every minute every day. So the idea of some alone time sounds so good - and makes me feel like a big fat mean shmuck for wanting that time. I am nervous about them being at school, excited and apprehensive, sad and at the same time guilty.

Being a mom is complicated.

Getting my School Times Mojo on...

What a week! A flurry of cardmaking, back to school preparation, and trying to steal a few moments of summer before they are gone. I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait for school to start. I love my boys. I super do. But...

Oh. My. Goodness.

Having two four year olds is, um, tiring. Especially when their favorite activities include running, jumping, running, jumping, and running.

The school themed card (can you tell I have school on the brain?) used the sketch by Mary, and it turned out even cuter than I planned. I just love sketches... and I love that this card is perfect for the SimonSaysStamp challenge!

Ingredients

Paper: Basic Grey, MyMindsEye, Foof-a-La, DCwV, Graphic45, Little Yellow Bicycle

Embellishments: Gold brad, teastained ruler ribbon

Ink: colorbox and Ranger

Sketch: MojoMary

"Back to School"... Mojo100

This week at Mojo Monday there is a celebration for hitting 100! If you haven't been to this blog and you like to craft, you need to hop over there. The sketches are amazing, and the cards created by their design team are fabulous inspiration. I know that sometimes I feel like I have lost, well, my crafty mojo, and a sketch perks me right up! I haven't made this many cards in my life, and I am loving it!

The card for the Day 1 of Mojo100 challenge is a back to school card. I was planning on making a back to school scrapbook layout for eBay, and thought it would be fun to make a coordinating 5x7 card. I am luuurving how this turned out :) (that was for you, Saucy :) )

Ingredients

Paper: Basic Grey, Graphic 45, MyMindsEye, Crate Paper

Embellishments: Chipboard, ruler ribbon that I teastained

Ink and Paint

Here is the Back To School Layout I plan on listing on eBay. Both pages are 12x12, and I paper pieced the schoolhouse, tree, landscaping... I don't think there are any "store-bought" embellishments here. Well, I guess the vintage scrabble tiles? I didn't carve those out of wood - I used pieces from an old scrabble game :) Anyhooo, this layout has lots of room for photos, and those scrabble letters are attached to a pull-out tag. I plan to list it tonight, so keep a look out.

So long, Summer...

With summer winding down, I start to feel like I am "nesting." I want to organize the whole house, put the summer clothes to the back of the closet, and start looking for good soup recipes... Maybe because I am such a nerd, or because I was an English teacher, I love this time of year. Nothing makes me happier than a cup full of super sharp pencils and a stack of clean, white paper. I love school supplies! New notebooks and clean slates, a time for fresh starts and tidy backpacks. Ah... September is just around the corner, and with it the promising potential of fall, where fresh starts are like a shiny clean blackboard.


Sometimes I miss my blackboard.


Maybe I will work on some "Back to School" layouts this week. Sharpen my pencils and such.

I haven't totally dismissed summer, however. I just completed, and listed on eBay, two layouts. One is a wedding themed page, perfect for that "first page" in an album. I wanted to keep it simple, so that when photos are placed on the mats, they will be real showstoppers! I love making my little churches. For some reason, I like the brown shingles best...
The other is a sweet reminder of summer - fresh lemonade and sweet fruit, relaxing on those long hot days... Every once in a while, I get motivated to make a little fuzzy bear. My bears are a bit old fashioned, but they make me happy! :)

Well, I am off to find some fresh pencils and a clean, new notebook...