Forever Gifts

As y’all might recall, with both boys celebrating birthdays in the month before Christmas we forgo the mess of toys and give them one nice item on their birthday that we hope they will have forever.  They have received house portraits, John Derian plates, mini oil paintings, sterling silver baby cutlery, professional portraits, Sugarboo Frames and bronzed baby shoes over the years. 

This year’s gift just might be the lamest one ever... they got Irish linen monogrammed handkerchiefs.  Yes, you read that right.  My children received hankies for their birthdays. 
  

You see, Daddy-O always always always carried a hankie.  And I remember many a time when he offered it over the years – from my sticky toddler hands to a sweaty ballet performance to a tear of joy on my wedding day.  And while I certainly hope the nose blowing will be left to the kleenex, I can’t imagine raising two Southern men without a good proper hankie to tuck in their pocket on special occasions.  Besides, who am I to argue with the fabulous Rhett Butler?!?!
 

source

 
In all seriousness, they opened them, said their thank yous and proceeded to tear into the rest of their gifts from friends and family.  They know by  now to expect one strange gift on their birthdays.  One day they will thank me.  One day.
xoxo

Snow Day

We’re on our second “snow day” of the week down South.  And, sadly, this is the extent of the snow…



I’ll go ahead and state the obvious – there aren’t many snowmen being built with those ten flurries.  Rather, we’ve spent the last two days bundled up inside watching cartoons, playing games, trading football cards, sipping hot chocolate, building legos, and fighting (just keepin’ it real folks.) 



I figure this is as good a time as any to put out my annual plug for my two favorite ways to warm up on chilly days – Harney and Sons tea and the good old Cherry Pit Pac.



I am able to find two of my three favorite Harney & Sons teas at Fresh Market – Paris and Hot Cinnamon Spice.  I also adore the Wedding tea, but it has to be ordered online.  I’m trying to cut back on the sugar in my tea *gasp* but these are good enough to where I don’t miss it too too much.  Now, while I realize the cherry pit pac isn’t the most gorgeous thing in the world (hello, crazy cat lady), it is so so so wonderful to heat up in the microwave and drape over your shoulders while watching tv.  I also love to heat it and put it under the covers my bed while I brush my teeth.  Makes it so warm and cozy to climb into. 

With that, I’m off to entertain the monkeys.  They are climbing the walls… literally.
xoxo

PS. Check out the great wrapping station on Operation: Organization at 11 Magnolia Lane today!

Eight

I vividly remember the moment I fell wholly in love with John.  He was four days old, up at three a.m. and swaddled like a little burrito.  He looked straight into my eyes, and it was like he could see to my soul.  I whispered “I love you” and all was right in the world.

At eight years old he is handsome and, while his smile is not necessarily quick, it is always genuine.  He’s as smart as a whip – sometimes so much so that it scares me :-)  He’s a fierce friend, kind to all, and inclusive of everyone.  Like his momma, he has a flair for the dramatic and is as strong willed as they come.  He’s athletic and competitive, but always leaps to congratulate others.  He is strong, but sensitive and with each day he becomes more aware of his own feelings.  He is my firstborn son, a miracle, and I love him with a thousand hearts!



As y’all know, we kicked off his eighth birthday with the return of our friendly elf, Scout, and a birthday gift scavenger hunt!







We met up with friends to see the Free Birds movie.  It was silly in a matter that was extremely attractive to our group of little boys!5
 
And then we made a quick run by our favorite bakery for a box full of treats!!



With the cold rain pouring down all day, we decided to invite his little friends back over to play.  And then we headed out to his very favorite meal of all – the Japanese hibachi!!
 

Right before bed, we added his 8 year old notch to the growth chart.  My, time does fly.



It was a day filled with nothing but fun, love, laughs and sugar.  What more could an eight year old ask for?!?!
xoxo

First Reconciliation

After over a year’s worth of preparation and anticipation, John completed the sacrament of First Reconciliation last tonight. 

 

It was remarkable to stand just outside the heavy wooden of the doors of our beautiful church and quietly observe him return from the vestibule, light a candle and pray for God’s mercy and forgiveness – he seemed so grown up in those moments, yet was still filled with the wonder, innocence, and curiosity of a seven year old.

lighting his candle

 

our son in prayer – literally moved me to tears

leaving the church

 

He was a bit nervous going into the evening, but came out all smiles. 

I am so thankful for our community on nights like this – he was surrounded with friends from school, sports and the like.

We celebrated the occasion with dinner out with bestie M and her family.

And we marked the night with these sweet ornaments from Tricia at HKL Designs.  I absolutely adore them and am so thankful to have such talented friends.

Last but not least, we recorded the sacrament in our family Bible.  John was incredibly excited to be the first one on the page :-)

Feeling mighty blessed!

xoxo

Etiquette

John has been attending an etiquette class after school for the last month or so.  I threatened to send him last year but he begged and plead and promised radical things (like to eat with a fork and wipe his mouth on a napkin) so, against my better judgment, I held off and hoped for improvement.  I will give him credit for having beautiful manners when speaking with adults and saying things like please and thank you, but the whole suppertime thing just gets worse as the days go by.  The night before the first class Honey and I reminded him that he would be attending and it was undeniably the worst tantrum I’ve seen since age three.  If you are imagining a seven year old writhing around on the kitchen floor with a flood of tears and gasps of “please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, don’t doooooooooooo this to mmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” then you are spot on.  It was ugly. 

I arrived super early to retrieve him from the first class so that the didn’t have to bear one second more of the torture than absolutely necessary.  So, imagine my supreme delight when he came bounding out with the biggest grin on his face and exclaimed “I LOVE IT!!!  Manners are SO much FUN, Mommy.”  And so it went each week as he learned about making introductions, phone etiquette, table manners and the likes!! 

The class culminated tonight with a fancy dinner at a local restaurant.  Only the littles were allowed to attend this four course extravaganza, but y’all know I couldn’t resist peeking through the plants to see what on earth was transpiring (we hung out with the baby in a different part of the restaurant).  It was positively darling to spy on their polite conversations and to witness their grown up manners.



After the dinner and as John’s teacher was gushing about what a star pupil he was,  it was like slow motion as a sudden look of horror spread across her face.  Wouldn’t you know the baby chose that precise moment to throw his head back and literally pour salt into his mouth straight from the shaker?!?!  It was all I could do to hold in snorts of laughter.  We went ahead and reserved his spot for 2016.  (As if this incident two years ago wasn’t enough to ensure his attendance.)



With that, I’m off to bed.  I thought about starting on the mounds of laundry that make it look like fourteen people live here.  But it’ll be here tomorrow.
xoxo

Flag Football, Too

Somehow in the midst of life, the PCP’s first flag football season came and went with nary a mention of it on the little blog that is supposed to serve as a our “virtual memory book”.  So here goes…




After much begging and pleading to play tackle football, we ended up compromising with flag football.  I asked around about the two sports and different programs for months prior to signing up, and was pleased when most descriptions I got of the league we chose was “soft.”  Some parents said this derisively, but to me it sounded perfect for a seven year old :-)  When we found out that one of Honey’s high school friends was coaching the team, we knew it was meant to be.  And John loved it!





His sweet friend and baseball pal played on the same team.  I love these boys!  And sitting on the sidelines is always more fun with bestie M and Coach S.









All of our fall sports wrapped up last week so we’re down to tennis once a week.  Feels like vacation… almost!
xoxo

Prayer Cards

I think I mentioned it a few weeks back, but John will complete the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion over the next eight months!  He will need to be able to say the Lord’s Prayer, Glory Be and Hail Mary by himself to the priest.  We don’t want him to be so nervous about just remembering the words that he can’t appreciate the real meaning of the sacraments.  Soooo… I made him these prayer cards to practice on his own when he has a few minutes at home or in the car or just wherever. 





I used a different color card for each prayer and also included the words for making the sign of the cross.  I broke each prayer up on to a few different cards so that he can try to say a phrase without looking and then flip the card to check his work or give him a prompt.  After they were all written, I just punched a hole in the top of each one and attached them with a binder ring.  I studied with flash cards from elementary school right through grad school so this was kind of second nature for me.  Of course, we will continue say his prayers together as a family at bedtime… and I’m hoping the baby will know these rote by the time he’s in second grade… but some independent study can’t hurt.

xoxo

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Tatertots and Jello, A Stroll Through Life, French Country Cottage, No Minimalist Here, The36th Avenue, It's Overflowing, Shine on Fridays, DIY Show Off, House of Hepworth, 52 Mantels, I Heart Nap Time, The Frugal Girls,Six Sisters Stuff, One Project Closer, Jennifer Rizzo, Le Chateau des Fleurs, Common Ground, Liz Marie Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Miss Mustard Seed, Sugar Bee Crafts, Elizabeth and Co, Rain on a Tin Roof, Coastal Charm, Uncommon Designs, Mop It Up Monday, The Tablescaper, A Lived In Home, Monday Funday, The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch, Remodelaholic, Evolution of Style

Too Good to Bury

Some things are just too good to bury in a “musings” post.  I don’t ever want to forget this conversation in Target, that came out of nowhere while I was shopping for a nice white tee to tie-dye…

"Mommy, let's just get these banana undies for daddy. I think he would be like 'who hoo I got new underwear!'"


And no, “who hoo” is not a typo.  That’s just how he says it.  And no, no, no, I’m not going to tell if they went in the basket.  I mean, some things have to remain private around these parts :-)
xoxo

Dressing Southern Tots {eBay Sale}

After my original Dressing Southern Tots post, I received quite a few emails asking how, if and when I sell our outgrown clothes.  Well, I have been selling them twice a year (spring and fall) on eBay since Whit was one, and have just listed a new slew of clothes out there.  Some are new, many are like new, and some have been well loved but still have life left in them.  I start all of my auctions at $0.99 and I do combine shipping.  Most of them are size 3/4 but there are a few larger and smaller sprinkled in.  Auctions will start ending Monday 9/16.

 

 

I haven’t been able to figure out a good way to give you a link to all of my items.  Here’s a surefire way to find them:

1. Go to www.eBay.com and click on Advanced next to the blue Search button in the upper right corner.

2. Under Items in the left hand menu, click By Seller.

3. My Seller ID is ratsisters.

 

Feel free to message me through eBay if you have questions about a particular item.

xoxo

Great Books for Boys {43 Reader Recommended Series}

John is an extremely capable reader and we struggle with finding "just right" books (content and level wise) for him.  Add to the mix that he doesn't even like reading (or so he claims) and we've been in quite a pickle.  You see, Honey and I are both avid readers and would love to see our boys follow suit... not to mention I would really love to see him sit down and read for the required time each night without badgering and cajoling.  At the beginning of summer, I reached out for recommendations on great books for boys and I have made it my MISSION in second grade to help show the boy how intriguing and entertaining and wonderful reading can be!

To that end, I have compiled all of your comments and emails with some of our own favorites in the master list below.  I even looked up appropriate grade levels (per amazon) as I was going along because there were some that wasn't familiar with but didn't want to forget down the road.  I printed my list and we keep it in our library bag for quick reference.

Grade	Series	Author
1st - 4th	Andrew Lost	JC Greenburg
3rd - 6th	Animal Stories	Thornton Burgess
1st - 4th	A-Z Mysteries	Ron Roy
2nd - 5th	Bailey School Kids	Marcia Thornton
1st - 4th	Ballpark Mysteries	David Kelly
5th +	Baseball Card Adventures	Dan Gutman
2nd - 5th	Boxcar Children	Gertrude Warner
2nd +	Captain Underpants	Dav Pilkey
2nd +	Choose Your Own Adventure	RA Montgomery
2nd +	Diary of a Wimpy Kid	Jeff Kinney
1st - 4th	Dragon Slayer’s Academy	Kate McMullan
2nd +	Encyclopedia Brown	Donald Sobol
1st - 5th	Flat Stanley	Jeff Brown
2nd +	Fudge	Judy Blume
2nd - 5th	Geronimo Stilton	Geronimo Stilton
3rd +	Hardy Boys	Franklin Dixon
4th +	Harry Potter	JK Rowling
2nd - 4th	Horrible Harry	Suzy Kline
3rd - 7th	Humphrey the Hamster	Betty G Birney
2nd - 5th	I Survived	Lauren Tarshis
1st - 4th	Junie B. Jones	Barbara Park
3rd - 7th	Little House on the Prairie	Laura Ingalls Wilder
3rd - 7th	Magic Tree House	Mary Pope Osborne
1st - 4th	Marvin Redpost	Louis Sachar
3rd - 7th	Million Dollar	Dan Gutman
2nd +	My Father's Dragon	Ruth Stiles Gannett
1st - 5th	My Weird School	Dan Gutman
1st - 4th	Pee Wee Scouts	Judy Delton
3rd - 7th	Ralph S. Mouse	Beverly Cleary
3rd - 7th	Ramona	Beverly Cleary
K - 3rd	Ready Freddy	Abby Klein
3rd - 7th	Redwall	Brian Jacques
3rd - 7th	Shadow Children
3rd +	The Chronicles of Narnia	CS Lewis
3rd - 7th	The Enormous Egg	Oliver Butterworth
1st - 5th	The Invisible Inkling	Emily Jenkins
2nd - 5th	The Littles	Jon Peterson
3rd - 7th	The Mysterious Benedict Society	Trenton Lee Stewart
K - 3rd	The Prince of the Pond	Donna Jo Napoli
2nd - 4th	Time Warp Trio	Jon Scieszka
2nd - 5th	Toys Go Out	Emily Jenkins
3rd - 7th	Wayside School	Louis Sachar
2nd - 6th	Zack Files	Dan Greenburg

 
I sure hope I can report back with good news by the end of the year.  Happy reading, y'all!
xoxo

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Tatertots and Jello, A Stroll Through Life, French Country Cottage, No Minimalist Here, The36th Avenue, It's Overflowing, Shine on Fridays, DIY Show Off, House of Hepworth, 52 Mantels, I Heart Nap Time, The Frugal Girls,Six Sisters Stuff, One Project Closer, Jennifer Rizzo, Le Chateau des Fleurs, Common Ground, Liz Marie Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Miss Mustard Seed, Sugar Bee Crafts, Elizabeth and Co, Rain on a Tin Roof, Coastal Charm, Uncommon Designs, Mop It Up Monday, The Tablescaper, A Lived In Home, Monday Funday, The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch, Remodelaholic, Evolution of Style

The Easiest Summer Bucket List Ever

So, we have a little tradition around these parts to sit down as a family at summer’s start and dream up all sorts of FUN goings and doings to while away the break.  Last year we had this cute list, and the year before we had an A to Z Kindergarten Countdown.  As for 2013, well, we broke out the post-its and markers and went to town on what might be the easiest (to construct) summer bucket list ever (note: easy does not translate to cute in this case.)





We adhered them right to the play room door so that they can be observed, pondered and discussed about one gazillion times per day.  And when we’re done (or at least started), they move to the other playroom “summer fun done” door.



Our lists runs the gamut of time and money… ranging from the Disney Cruise (done!) and White Water (dream big, kids) to getting a library card, hanging at the pool and playing on the i-phone.  No idea was a bad idea at our brainstorming session so if they said it I wrote it.



It seems I’d best get off the computer and put the little monsters to bed.  I mean, they didn’t put “stay up until all hours of the night while running around with diapers on our heads” on the list for crying out loud.



For those of you wondering, YES, the baby still wears diapers at night.  He’s impossible on that front.  But otherwise just as good as gold.  (Cue: Mother snickering.)
xoxo

Junior Chess Champion

If y’all recall, the PCP chose chess as his one after school extra curricular activity this year.  When his “rookie” semester wrapped up, he was over the moon with his 3rd place tournament trophy.  But, he had laid eye on some massive awards and was stricken with serious trophy envy.  He asked me how he could get one and, seeing as he out-plays me nine times out of ten, I didn’t have any concrete pointers for him other than to try harder, practice and challenge some of the best players to learn from them.  Well gals, I nearly fell out of my chair when they called his name and announced 1st –2nd Grade Junior Chess CHAMPION!!!!! 



*squeals with delight and wells with tears* 

He set his sights on it and he did it. 

That’s my boy!
xoxo

Field Day + Marathon 2013

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the school year – Field Day and the annual Marathon!  I was up at the crack of dawn for my volunteer shift at the hockey station (of all things).  It took me approximately one class through to figure out how to properly manage eighteen groups of twenty-something stick-wielding overly-excited kindergarteners and first graders.  Whew!  Every time I step foot in that school I am 1) struck by complete awe and admiration for those that devote their lives to teaching and 2) reassured that I wouldn’t last a day in their shoes.  Anyhoo… the PCP and his class had a boat load of fun making their way through the stations!

After a pit stop at home for lunch and to pick up Honey (he took the day off), we headed back to the school for the annual end of school year Marathon!  I substituted his standard pretzel rod snack for something more spirited.  It is pictured with the sweet pom-pom he bought me yesterday at Economics Day so that I could “cheer him on at his marathon and baseball games and whenever [he does] something really good…which is pretty much every day.”  (in the child’s own words)

 

The fastest boy and girl runners from each class participate in the races.  It’s really quite an honor to run and so much fun!  The music blares and every single student in the school lines the track to cheer on their friends, classmates and siblings.  John represented his class again this year and brought home the third place trophy.  We couldn’t have been prouder!!

By the time we got home, it was time to load up for our next to last swimming lesson of the year (can I get a hallelujah?).  The baby just graduated to the next level up and swam clear across the pool in his new class.  And for the second time today I thought I’d burst from happiness!!

We’re headed to scout a baseball game tonight – we play whoever wins this one in our next tournament game.  The boys have been begging and pleading to do this and we finally caved.  I suggested perhaps a dinner out instead and was met with blank stares.  So… it’s off to baseball we go!

xoxo