Bake Shoppe Wrap Up

After the girls decorated their cakes, they got to decorate sugar cookies too.  Then we went on to lunch, gifts and cake..... in that order.  While the girls we eating, one of my many sweet mom friends helped to put all of the cakes in labeled bakery boxes so each little baker could take home her masterpiece.

All of the girls were so proud of their creations!

 

I love my little baker!  Her party was as much fun as it was cute, she had a blast and so did all of her little girlfriends!

So.......I'm working......kinda

Pardon the brief pause in the normal blog action.........this post is about me!

No, not kinda, I am working.  This summer I completed the application for employment with my kid's school district, went downtown and got finger printed,  attended a orientation/training, waited a few weeks and voila.....just like that I am a substitute teacher.  I can sub at any of the many schools in our district however I only want to sub at the kids school.  I figured I could sub one day or two a week.  It would keep me busy and would bring home a little extra money.  Well the kids have been in school for all of 9 days and I have worked 4 and am scheduled to work tomorrow as well as I have dates already booked in September.  See it turns out that all of the hours I put in on the PTO has helped to make me "known" among the teachers and therefor a "highly requested substitute teacher."  They have been emailing me and texting me to see if I can work. I love it!  And my kids love it!  They love me being up there.  They love coming to find my room after school.  And they get a kick out of hearing kids they don't know call me "Mrs. Lucas" as well as give me hugs.   Truth be told I've been married for 10 years and I have heard my last name more in the last 5 days than I have in all 10 years.

My school day ends as soon as the last child leaves the room  That does not hold true for the teachers.  They have hard jobs and most take their work home with them.  I am happy to be doing this part time and I always have and will continue to have the utmost respect for all teachers.

Ok, back to the blogging about the kids.........I felt the need to put this out there as an excuse for my tardy blog posts.

Emerson's Bake Shoppe

It's getting more and more difficult to come up with creative birthday party ideas for Em.  This year we decided on "cake decorating" themed party, complete with hats and aprons.  In theory it seemed simple and super cute.  Just a few girls, some plain cakes to decorate and maybe some personalized chefs hats.  Anyone that knows me or has been reading this blog long enough knows that "simple" and "birthday party" are three words I never use in the same sentence.  I started prepping for this celebration months ago.  I bought hats when they went on sale at Hobby Lobby, same with the aprons, then I made each girl a cake plate to decorate their cake on because each little baker had to have a cake pedastool.  I personalized each hat with the girl's name on them. Then I needed cake boxes for each girl too.   And the list went on....and on.

 

The fruits of my labor........

 

 

The cake plates came out cute......not bad for a $1 glass candlestick holder from Dollar Tree spray painted white and glued to a $1 plate.

Then there were the hats, ready to be adorned with floweres made out of cupcake liners.

The girls enjoyed the flower making process and proudly displayed them on their little hats.

Ready to get started........

 

 

So much FUN.  The mommies had just as much fun as the little cake decorators!

 

 

My heart!

 

 

Could she be any cuter in this little hat?!?

 

You know me.......I took lots of pictures. 

 

To be continued!

BTS 2012

This year I have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener!  WOW!!!  Two kids in school, all day......

This is a big year for punkin.  She is in all day kinder.

 

This is lunch box number 2.  The first one I bought her was pink with a cute glitter heart on it.  As soon as she saw it, she teared up.  When I asked her what was wrong, she said she "really wanted a Justin Bieber lunch box from Target."  So off to Target I went to purchase the LAST Beiber lunchbox on the shelf.

My big third grader is so sweet.  He walks Emmy in and he picks up her up in the afternoons to walk out the back entrance to my car.  And she is so proud to be in the same school as her big brother.

She's really 5!!!

Time really does fly by and you really can't stop it.  Really?!?  Seems like I just wrote this post, or that one.  I often feel like I just had this little girl and honestly cannot believe she is 5!  Em's birthday fell on a Wednesday and her birthday party wasn't till Saturday.  I wanted her birthday morning to be special.  I think I succeeded!

She woke up to a brand new pink and purple bicycle surrounded by pink and purple balloons in the living room. 

Mom and Dad got her all the accessories a girl could need for a new bike, a light up floral basket, a super loud bell and of course a fancy helmet.

After Em put on her new outift from Grandma we headed out to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

We couldn't celeberate without Savannah!

Happy 5th birthday punkin!

One way to guarantee some rain.......

"Severe drought," "Mandatory Water Restrictions," "Wildfires,"  these have been the buzz phrases around this part of Oklahoma for the last 30 days.  Well Sunday Paul decided to wash my car.......and we all know that is the best way to make it rain.  He spent a good hour and a half cleaning out the inside......I'm talking using a q-tip to the air vents and putting a nice coat of Armor All everywhere inside.  Then he spent another hour on the outside. Never mind the water restrictions, I just knew the city was going to come by and hand him a $240 fine. 

Oh.......I forgot to mention he had some help.  This little cutie worked her patootie off .

I love these two rainmakers!

5 Days of BLISS

Back in June we went to the DFW area to see Paul's parents and some friends.  Anne asked if she could have Tyson for a few days to come visit this summer.   I thought it would be fine but I thought we should include Em too.  BOY am I glad we did!  Those two had the best time at Anne and Jim's.  And Paul and I had the best time just being Jill and Paul, not Mommy and Daddy.

They went everywhere and did everything imaginable.  Nobody really wanted to come home.  Before I start with the pictures (courtesy of Anne and Jim, Jim put them on a thumb drive for us to see) I should say it started out a little rough.  The night before we agreed to meet them halfway for the big drop off, I spent quite a bit of time packing the kids up.  I took LOTS of time to plan all of Em's outfits, carefully accessorizing each one with proper bows or hair clips and of course the right shoes.  I'm pretty sure I had at least 5 pairs for her.  I even went as far as to place each complete outfit into a one gallon zip lock baggie labeled with the day or event on it.  I wanted to make it as easy as possible for Anne to get her dressed.  Not that I have control issues or anything.  It was all for simplicity.  Tyson was easy.....5 pairs of workout shorts, 5 tee shirts and I threw in one collared shirt for good measure, 1 Texas rangers hat and 1 OU visor ( he informed me he would not be combing his hair).  Anyway.....the kids put together their own "carry on" bags, complete with lovee bunny, "Grace,  Princess Merida and Tyson had his "guys."  They were ready. 
We met Anne and Jim at the Cracker Barrel in Gainsville.  After a nutritious lunch of pancakes the kids were ready to head to Texas with Grandma and Grandpa.  We had parked right next to them to make it easy to transfer the bags and booster seats.  Long story slightly shorter........when Paul asked me, "hey where's Em's bag?"  My heart sank because I knew it was right where I had left it..........on the floor in her room open with 5 one gallon Sharpe labeled zip lock baggies sticking out.  That's right folks I HAD FORGOTTEN HER BAG.  Seriously?!?  We have taken MANY road trips, family vacations, long weekends and I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN A BAG.........EVER......till Saturday, August 4 2012.  While I stood there trying to blink as if it wasn't really happening and surely Paul was just overlooking the pink and purple luggage in the back of my car Anne and Jim were trying to calm me down and assure me that it was "going to be ok."  Was I seriously about to leave my baby for 5 days with just the clothes on her back, the tennis shoes on her feet and one lovee bunny?  Anne and Jim told us it was fine and they would by her some clothes on their way in to town.  But it wasn't just outfits, she needed EVERYTHING.  Shorts, shirts, jammies, panties, swim suit, toothbrush, socks, flip flops, hair thingies.  We kissed the kids goodbye and Tyson calmly said to me, "don't worry Mom, I'll help them shop.  I know what you like."  Love him!

Ok, back to the kids fun filled adventures with Grandma and Grandpa.  Enough with my issues.  Pictures courtesy of Grandpa Jim and outfits courtesy of Grandma Anne.

First stop after shopping for Em was the pool.  My little fishes had to show off their mad water skills.

  Sunday was Circus Day.  The kids were thrilled.  Tyson had been to the circus when he was four but Em had never been and she didn't know what to expect.  Leah and Luke came too.  The kids were pumped to hang out with their cousins.  Unfortunately Paige was sick and couldn't join them.

When we talked to the kids that night they couldn't stop talking about how "cool" the circus was.

Em even got to go to every little girls dream store and pick out her birthday present.  The American Girl Doll Store.  She LOVED it!

Grace got a new outfit and some bathing gear.  But shhhh, it's a surprise.  She can't open it till her party.  Em wants to go back soon.

 I heard these two did some serious work on a giant grilled cheese from Five Guys!

After the circus Tyson was really impressed with the guy walking on stilts.  So what does every Grandpa do for their grandson who was intrigued with the stilts?  Well........he builds him his own pair.  Jim and Tyson built a pair of stilts and Tyson absolutely loved walking in them.

Somehow it has become a tradition to just end every night there with a fire in the fire pit and s'mores.

The spent an afternoon at the Museum of Natural Science and History.  I think this might have been a favorite.  They talked quite a bit about this place.  And from the looks of these faces I think they loved it.

What a way to wrap up their summer vacation.  There was also a couple of afternoon movies and lots of eating out thrown in there along with a mani/pedi for Em. The kids had a blast and cannot wait to go back.  They have informed me they are going back for a "whole week" next time.  Better rest up Grandma and Grandpa!