July 22, 2013

Monday Made It #4


(1)
I loved this "noise meter" from Lucky to be in First . 
I was so excited to print it and make it magnetic for my class white board.  I think it will be great to help remind the kids what kind of voice they should be using.


(2)
I made this bucket full of brain breaks for my class to pull from throughout the day.  
Everyone loves a good brain break from learning! 


(3)
A couple of friends that I used to work with wanted to get together before school started up, so I had them over for an informal get-together Saturday afternoon.  Everyone brought a little app or dessert to nibble on while we caught up. I didn't do a whole lot of party prep since it was a laid back gathering, but I did find these adorable "school paper" napkins from Target and banner from here.



I love these girls.
So glad that we had so many years working together!

July 20, 2013

Kohls Coupon Code for YOU!

Hi readers!
I hope you are having a great weekend! 

A lovely lady from Kohl's read my post about Reagan's past 4th of July outfits and she loved that I mentioned one of his Kohl's shirts! So to thank me and you for liking Kohl's, she has given me a coupon code to share with you!

Use this 10 % off blogger code at Kohls.com  - BLOGIT10 .
You can use it until September 12th.
It can also be used to stack savings with another department code.

Happy shopping!

July 19, 2013

Favorite Pins Friday

Today I'm linking up with Cara over at The First Grade Parade for her Friday Link Up- Favorite Pins!



If you follow me on Pinterest you know I am a late night Pinterest addict. I lay in bed just pinning away on my phone. Totally romantic, right? 

Here are some of my favorite funny pins from this week!

Things That Crack Me Up

This is funny because I totally threw a 1st birthday party for my dog Lily.
She even had dog-friends come as guest.

Yep. Story of my life.
I totally need to be a better friend.
If I'm not knee deep in taking care of my kids, I curl up and turn into a hermit. The last thing I want is to talk to anyone. Sorry friends.

 You have no idea how true this is. Seriously. I may be a tad bitter that your healthy and all, but I don't really want to see your food pictures.

Amen.


 How many times have I done this or seen this?! Love it.

 Haha.
Story of my life.

So true.
Even Reagan says it.


July 17, 2013

Midweek Randoms

Tonight I'm linking up with Megan for her weekly "Midweek Randoms".



I have a whole bunch of randomness floating around in my head right now... so this is perfect!
Ready. Set. Unload.

(1)
Reagan had his 4 year old check up this past week. He is 42 inches tall and weighs 42 pounds. He also bombed his vision test! Dun dun dun! We don't have vision insurance for him, so we need to look into how much that Dr. appointment is going to cost. Can you just imagine him in glasses? I'm just picturing the kid from Jerry McGuire. Did you know the human head weighs 8 pounds? I will keep you posted!

(2)
I having been working on school stuff every.single.night. I think my poor husband is dying for me to get this teacher corner moved back to the classroom and out of our dining room! Oh really hubs? You don't want sheets of laminating, sentence strips, and Popsicle sticks all over the kitchen table? I'm not going to lie. I've been in my happy place.

(3)
Because I have been working so much on school stuff, I have not done a single thing for the twins birthday party. Oh my word. I know you are shocked. I am the girl who plans birthday parties a year ahead. Time is ticking Mama. Get on that shiz! 

(4) 
I'm going to set up my classroom next week. I can't wait to get in there and get my hands dirty.  Oh ya. And my amazing family is coming to help. Yes. Even my dad took off the day to help me move in. We are cleaning out the storage unit, baby! And you know I will keep all 8 hands of ours busy.

(5)
I had a mini panic attack today that I still have 11 things left on our summer bucket list. I was staring at my planner thinking "how on earth am I going to cram all this in?" I literally had to hash it out in my mind (and with my mother) that technically summer is not over just because I am returning to work in a week! You know I hate to leave things unfinished... so we'll be working on this friends. Hopefully without sending me into cardiac arrest.

(6)
Big Brother. Are you watching? I've officially hit that point of the summer when I am obsessed. I actually woke up this morning thinking, "Yes! Big Brother is on tonight!" I know. I need a life.  And can you believe all the racial things going on this season. Aaryn is going to DIE when she sees what America thinks of her behavior! 

(7)
I finally took over the Que on our Netflix.  I seriously must have been half dead because I never thought of it before. Week after week I would cringe when another one of Nick's movies would show up. Really? There is only so much of that crap I can take. And I actually really like boy movies! Then one day it hit me - log on and add movies you want. And then move them to the top! Whoo hoo! So last weekend we watched "Safe Haven". Ha Ha. Fooled ya! And he actually watched it. Boom.

(8)
And for a totally random bullet point.  Reagan asked me if I hide my "peanuts" (aka- what he calls his penis) behind my back when I pee because he couldn't see them. I'm still rolling from that one. I mean really. This is coming from the kid who told me, "Mom- you know I'm not a girl because I don't have long hair. That's the difference!"

(9)
Reagan starts back up in preschool next week. 
Pre-K here we come!

(10)
Which also means the twins start day care next week.
Oh my word. Someone else holding my sweet babies all day? Bring on the tears. Oh. And bring on the germs. Ick. 

July 16, 2013

The Twins 9 month Update

The twins are 9 months!
So much has changed since last month.
Let's see if I can do a good recap.


Food:
We've continued to make baby food this past month but have also introduced pouches for when we are out and about : Yogurt, puffs, cheerios, mangos, avocados, pumpkin and broccoli. 
You've also started experimenting with finger foods such as cut up strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pancakes, and bread.  You are doing pretty well with the sippy cups of water but I think you enjoy throwing them off the high chair more than anything. You are still drinking about 25 ounces in your bottles a day. At 8 months you were still having a combination of breast milk and formula.

Clothes:
You wore a combination of sizes.  You've worn but 3-6 and 6-9 months. Hudson still fits and wears 0-3 shorts if I don't have anything in the right color/size. He has such a small bottom half!

Diapers:
You are both still wearing size 2 diapers.

Other fun tidbits from the past month:
You both crawl everywhere! So we put up "baby jail" to keep you in a certain area and keep you safe.  As the month went on, we have started to let you guys just crawl everywhere...but for when I need to do something, I keep you in the pen.  You both got your first two teeth this past month.  First trip to the splash pad, You both started sitting up unassisted.  You both started pulling yourself up on everything and standing.  You spent a week in a "day care setting" while I taught VBS.  There were only 2 other babies besides you in the church nursery, but I think it was good for you to not have me all the time.  You both sat in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time and sat in a shopping cart for the first time. I ordered the amber teething necklaces because I was so nervous about teething.  We wore them religiously for the first few weeks.  Hudson had a horrible teething experience so we kept his on to see if it helped any (and I think maybe it is?!) but we took off Harper's because I don't think it made a difference with her.

Dr. Appointment info:
At your 9 month Dr. appointment all looked well.  You are measuring on the small side but overall the Dr. wasn't concerned.  She suggested we add more healthy fats to your diet to get your weight up but she wasn't overly worried because you are both so strong. No shots this visit for you, just a toe prick to check for anemia - and all looked good!



Dear Harper,
My sweet, sweet, Harper. 
You are my little princess.  You can be so darn serious when you aren't sure about something.  You study everything.  We laugh at how funny it is to give you and Hudson both the same toy.  You hold it up and examine every part of it with your fingers. Whereas your brother pounds it on the ground and yells. You have discovered waving this past month and you get the biggest smile on when you wave to things and people.  You are so cautious when you crawl.  You take little crawls and sit in a doorway looking around before you enter. You love water!  You get so excited for bath time and even gave me a heart attack when you managed to flip out of your bath chair and into the tub full of water.  When you are in the pool, you love to dunk your head. You discovered how to pull yourself up on things this month but again- much more cautious than your brother.  You get a little anxious when you can't figure out how to get down. You caught your first tummy bug this past month and threw up! :(  You have started really "talking" and you say "Dada" and "My Dada" a ton. I try and try to get you to say "Mama" but you just respond, "Dada" with a huge smile. I think you know what you're doing! I just love the way you "coo" and make the best sighing sounds.  Such a little girl. Everyone who sees you in public comments on how you are the most beautiful baby girl. :)


Your hair is still slow to grow in but the color seems to be a medium brown.  Your eyes are still a very dark blue and your lashes are long and dark.  We had no idea you were teething! You were such a champ. Literally we looked in your mouth one day and saw your two bottom teeth were in! So different than your brother! 


You weigh 16 pounds 15 ounces which puts you in the 12th percentile.  So, you have gained 2 pounds in 3 months.  You dropped 4 percentiles in weight.  You are 27 inches which puts you in the 24th percentile.  You gained almost 2 inches but your percentile dropped 26 percentiles. Your head circumference is in the 13th percentile.

I seriously don't think I could love you any more Harper Grace.
You are my sweet little angel.


Dear Hudson,
My happy, wild, little man.
If I have any gray hairs, you are the reason why.
You are a complete wild man.  When you want to be snuggled, you hold on like a little monkey and fit so perfectly in my arms.  But when you want down, boy, you really want down.  You will squirm until you are free to crawl and move.  Diaper changing, getting dressed, and getting you zipped into your sleep sack seriously makes me work up a sweat.  You HATE being held down.  It takes you less than a second to flip over and try to crawl away. You are fearless. You crawl super fast and pull yourself up on everything. When you pull yourself up and can't figure out how to get down- no worries- you just let go and free fall. What on earth. Give me a heart attack why don't you!?! I can't count how many times you have fallen or smacked right into something.  You love to walk around the baby jail holding on to the gate and yelling for us to rescue you. You love to bang toys - especially on your sister.  Whenever we hear her crying we can almost bet that you are holding her down and hitting her with a toy. Hence why we have two baby jails set up. You often need to be separated. You are just like me when you get tired.  You play with your hair and try to yank it out.  You love Yo Gabba Gabba.  A commercial randomly came on and you started clapping and squealing.  We have found the key to your happiness. Whenever you are mad or sad we pop in the DVD and you clap, smile, and dance. It's the best. I need a video ASAP. Even though you are a wild man most of the time, when you get into water you completely chill out.  You are like Mr. Joe Cool and just soak it all in. You don't say any words like Harper yet, but you scream and holler enough for the both of you.  You sound like a monkey hollering from the trees. My little Tarzan! 



Your hair has gotten so long, thick, and soooo blonde.  Your eyes are still really light blue. When your bottom two teeth came in you were in so much pain.  You drooled like crazy and woke up crying for like a week straight.  


You weigh 17 pounds 8 ounces which puts you in the 5th percentile.  So just like Sissy, you have gained 2 pounds in 3 months.  You dropped 4 percentiles.  You gained an inch in length and are 27 1/2 inches long.  You are in the 18th percentile in length. For head circumference you are in the 4th percentile. 

My little Huddy Buddy. You are such a spit fire.
 I love your personality and could just eat you up with a spoon. 
PS. I'm totally ok with the fact that you are a huge Mama's Boy. :)

July 15, 2013

Monday Made It #3


I've been working on lots of new things for my classroom this week and I'm excited to link up and share for Monday Made It with Fourth Grade Frolics.



(1)


I just LOVED this idea from Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics and knew I needed it in my classroom as well. You can get your copy here. Basically all kids will start off in the homework club and if they don't bring in or complete their homework, their number will be removed. Anyone still "in the club" on Friday will get a sticker , pencil, or some little treat at the end of the week. (Haven't decided what this will be yet!)

(2)


I love the Dr. Jean cds in my classroom, especially "Kiss Your Brain". When the kids are doing something especially smart, I will often say "Kiss Your Brain". I saw this idea on Pinterest and knew I had to make a Kiss Your Brain jar full of Hershey kisses! You can get your copy of the printable from Rock & Teach here.

(3)



I've seen this idea all over Pinterest and blogland and loved it.  I knew I wanted to make a little organizer for my classroom as well.  I used scrapbook paper to line the drawers to match my classroom theme/colors.

(4)


I made a little mirror to hang by my sink area in the classroom.  I found a pretty ugly/cheap magnetic mirror and covered it with adorable tape.  I added a ribbon and some stickers to match the room as well.  I think it will be a cute little addition and hopefully make the kids smile! 

(5)


One of Reagan's books from the library this week was called "Library Mouse". It is so adorable.  And would be a great addition to your classroom.  Its all about how anyone can be an author. I definitely need to get a copy for my classroom!  Anyways, the mouse ends up making a little mirror to show the kids in the library that they can be the author too.  I thought I'd make a mirror that says "Meet the Author" for my writing station.

(6)


I've always used "pick me sticks" in my classroom but decided to "cutesy" them up this year with apple cut outs that match my theme. 

(7)


I always take pictures of my first graders on the first day of school.  I found this adorable free printable from here .  I thought it would be a great little photo prop for my kiddos.

(8)


As you may remember, I am going to incorporate whole brain teaching ideas into my classroom this year.  One of the ideas is to have the scoreboard to track class behavior and choices.  You can read more about it here.  I loved the idea of having a "traveling chart" to take with me when I move throughout the room.  I can easily add points this way.  I found the perfect color white board from Walmart and added some matching tape to jazz it up.  I also added matching apples for the happy and sad faces.

July 14, 2013

New Dance Studio in Scottsdale!

Hi everyone!
I have something exciting to share with my local Arizona followers!

One of my sweet friends Jenni that I met through my Mothers of Multiples group is opening her own dance studio here in Scottsdale. She is seriously the sweetest and has so much experience.  I can't wait for Harper to get a little older to sign her up for dance here! 

Here is a little bit about Jenni and the studio.

*******

If you want to get your kids involved in dance or haven't been happy with the studio that you are at, come check out Dancers Domain.  Owner Jenni Hall has been teaching for over 13 years and has run competitive programs in the valley for 6 years.  It has been Jenni's vision to create a dance studio that not only builds a dancer's technique and style, but also works on the dancer's overall confidence in and out of the studio.

The staff will nurture each dancer's passion for the art while providing a safe environment for personal growth.  It is their goal to not only build strong dancers, but strong men and women.

The grand opening is THIS SATURDAY, July 20th from 12-3.
This is a great opportunity to meet the staff and see the facility.
There will be food, drinks, giveaways, and raffle prizes.


The studio is located at 13610 N. Scottsdale Road. Ste.20. Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Or visit the website www.dancerdomainaz.com

*******

Best of luck to Jenni and Dancers Domain!