In Which "I'm So Tired of Being Nice"

Another momma said this to me today, and I just wanted to hug her.  It's exhausting to be nice.  It's especially exhausting the more involved you get.  Today a teacher snapped at me about something PTA-related so badly that when I walked away, a 2nd teacher was relating the story to a 3rd.

Seriously.

And the worst part is, most of the time people get mad and nasty about things that don't matter.  I'm guilty to, I totally am, but really, are you going to care in 3 years that we changed the way we do Bingo cards? (Or honestly, are you going to care in 1 week?)

I guess I need to add Luke 6:27-36 to the list of things I have not yet mastered.  I've gotten a lot better.  19 year old me would tear the heads off some of these people, but even the fact that I let it continue to bother me and talk about it afterwards means I can do better.

 ²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

   ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

In Which We Consider Schooling

I've been struggling lately with the school that we send Riley to.  Not really his school in particular, but the concept of what public school has become.

The problem here, is that I have never been one to "accept things as they are" and be happy.  I want better for my child.  I don't like Math Investigations and feel like it's wasting his time.  I don't like touchy-feely educationalist movements and the lack of accountability they allow (for teachers, students, and parents alike). And honestly, I volunteer in the school.  I don't like how much of my kid's day is wasted time.  I went to school in the same county we now live in, and I feel like I got a good education, or at least that's what I've always said.  I loved school.  Or, rather, I loved the idea of school.  I loved going somewhere that I was going to learn be better than everyone else.  I actually rather hated "school".  I hated the group work where I was inevitably paired with the "problem" kids so that I could help out by teaching them and getting them to do their work.  I hated people's questions.  I hated listening to people read aloud in 4th and 5th grade who clearly hadn't mastered it.  I really REALLY wanted to learn! I was curious! High School was fantastic, because I could take AP and Humanities classes and do clubs and projects and extra work in subjects that interested me, but before that, really, when I think about it and I'm honest, I really only liked school because my teachers kept telling me how smart I was.

I'm very externally motivated.  It's a problem.

So now when I hear my kid complaining about many of the same issues, I want to fix it.  We've looked at public magnet schools and applied for 1 spot in 2nd Grade that there are 80 some applications for.  (Dear School System: If there are so many parents desperately seeking something else for their children, why, praytell, don't we apply the same concepts to all of our schools?) We've checked private schools, but hubby is uncomfortable with both the price and conservatism.  So, we've moved on to homeschooling.

Homeschooling makes me nervous.  I don't want my kids to be "unsocialized" and I don't know if I can be "on" all day every day for them.  But, at the same time, I feel like me caring so very much would help me get through it.  Plus, our area has numerous cooperatives and support groups in place.  It looks like there isn't a day without a field trip, class, or playgroup. In Middle School, our kids could take 2 classes from the public school in addition to their homeschool curriculum.  They can play sports and attend church, just like the very socialized and educated homeschoolers I've met in my search.

I'm still not sure what we'll end up doing.  I want to believe in public education, I really do.  But looking at the scores internationally, our experience personally, and what I feel children are capable of learning, right now, I just can't.  So, do I stay in and fight tooth and nail to fix it? (Note that parents at our school face signs that say "It's after 8:35 parents may not enter educational hallways" despite the fact that our school board policy is that parents are welcome anytime in classrooms to volunteer or observe) Or do I opt to take another path for our family and give my children the type of educational experience I wish I could have had?

I'll take prayers for discernment, because I really don't know how to make this choice.

In Which Savannah Demonstrates Understanding of Post-Presidency Life

Savannah: "Here Grammy, have some money"
Grammy: "Savannah, don't give your money away! Do you know what this is?"
S: "Nope"
G: "This is a one dollar bill! Do you know whose picture is on there?"
S:"Nope"
G: "It's George Washington"
S: "Well then we should give it back to George Washington"
G: "Sweetheart, George Washington used to be President, but he's dead now"
S: "Then we should give to to Barack Obama.  He can give it to George Washington when he's done being president."

In Which We Make More Cupcakes

This is turning into a cupcake blog lately, but these were very fun so I thought I'd share:

 

They're wilton flower cupcake liners with yellow whipped cream frosting.  The butterflies are raspberry pretzels, Easter M&Ms, and edible Easter grass antennas, which I got at Wegmans.  They're not my most artistic cakes ever, but they were cute :)

In Which We Have Tea (but sadly, no crumpets)

I am such a dork about birthday parties for my kids.  I love them.  I love creating things and making treats and I love making their birthdays as magical as I can.  Savannah had her first "big" party at home this year. Last year we did Gymboree and had a combined party with a little friend of hers.  This year, I had a pink princess tea for 16 of her friends (and brothers!).

So, the evolution of a party.  It started off at JoAnne Fabrics.  With a coupon, and a sale :)  I love using fabric to decorate, though, because I can use it again.  So, even if it's more expensive than paper from the dollar store, over time I'll use it again and can craft it when I'm done :)

So this is some of my haul from Joanne.  The pink swirley fabric that I wanted to use for tablecloths is called "Pink Tea Party", which I thought was perfect! I also picked up pink tulle, necklaces, jordan almonds (at Savannah's request), several trims, pink shimmer with dots of silver sparkles, pearls, cookie cutters, individual paper cups, and pink and purple sprinkles.  It was a good time.  I also had some wonderful friends loan me kid-sized tables and chairs, and then I made my loving hubby move our sofa and dining room set to the basement :) I also picked up numerous hats from the thrift store, because our craft was going to be making tea hats.  The boas in the Joanne's picture above were cut in half- they're too long for preschoolers!

 In the kitchen (if you've never seen my kitchen it's not *THAT* yellow, for some reason the picture just turned out that way!) I cleared off my bakers rack and started laying out the goodies for the girls to decorate.  I put rings and necklaces, boas and hats, stickers and jewels, silk flowers, and some very cute candy bracelet watches that we actually bought for Valentine's day, but decided to use for this instead.  This picture doesn't have everything on it- but by the end of the party it was empty, anyway! My mom and my brother's girlfriend Miss Lauren came to help the girls hot glue gun on any fancy schmancy details they needed to their hats!

With the dining room cleared out, 1/2 the sectional in the basement, and 1/2 the sectional in the dining room, we were able to fit in 3 kids tables set with some pearls, sparkles, and a dish of caramel kisses, which incidentally come wrapped in pink.  I'm not sure if this party would have been able to be as pink as it was if Savannah's birthday wasn't the day before Valentine's day!!



The kids really loved picking their seats and that the room was so obviously set just for them.  Also, above the seats, I used that pink tulle to swag the ceiling instead of doing streamers.  I'm very eco-friendly.  ;)

      


So then there were the details.  I wrapped napkins and forks in pink feather trim, and made all kinds of yummy treats! I did pink marshmallows, pinkalicious cupcakes, glitter cookies, butterfly crackers and cheese flowers, ham and cheese tea sammies cut to be flowers, strawberries on "princess" skewers and all kinds of pink candies.  We also served pink lemonade with frozen raspberries floating in it.  Everything was a big hit

For the glitter cookies, I used Martha's recipe, but I just did the one ball without filling.  They're HUGE with the filling.  I also rolled mine in Wilton Pearl Dust instead of regular sprinkles because 1) It stuck better to the warm cookies and 2) It made them sparkle! You can't see it in the picture very well, but these were beautiful! I used Pink and Lilac, but they've got a million colors to choose from and they'd be awesome in Gold and Silver, I think :)

For the cupcakes, I used Strawberry cupcakes and then frosted them with a fluffy, but not too sweet icing since I was mounding them so high! My frosting recipe is:
1 8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract
Beat the cream cheese and the sugar.  Add the vanilla and scrape the bowl.  Switch to your whisk attachment and stream in the whipping cream, scraping occasionally, until stiff peaks form.  Add coloring of your choice.

The nice part about this whipped cream frosting is that it's stable at room temperature (some of them melt), and again, it's not too sweet.  It's very very slightly tangy from the cream cheese, but I thought that was lovely with the strawberry flavor of the cupcakes.

For the cherries, be sure to dry them for at least an hour on paper towels so they don't make your frosting run.  I used Wilton (again) Pink Sugar Pearls and was just going to pipe on the pink swagging in buttercream, but Savannah decided she loved the cupcakes as they were and wouldn't hear of it, so no swags :)

I think all the girls had a great time, and I know that I did!!

Dear Savannah Lynn

Dear Savannah Lynn,

You turned 3.  Just like magic while you were sleeping, you changed into a full-on preschooler.  It's funny how much things change and how much they stay the same with you.  The day you were born, I looked down into your sweet little face, after the longest labor I had with one of my children, and exclaimed "You're so tiny! What took you so long?".  You were so tiny and perfect.  I thought that my life was full with my two little boys, but having a pink princess has brought me so many joys and challenges that I didn't even realize I missed

You have been the most stubborn, opinionated, spoiled little girl.

I deserve you so much.

You are the tiniest little "peanut" of a girl- and yet, you are your very own pink version of Napoleon- unafraid of anyone even though, unbeknownst to you, the world towers over you.  You speak your mind, you sing along to the chorus of songs (this is your favorite right now) LOUDLY to cover up the fact that one of those darn verses has started and you want to sing the words you know. You are nothing if not self-assured.

You are loving and sweet when you want to be, and fiercely loyal, especially to your brothers.  You are incredibly strong for your tiny body- doing pullups and pulling the dog around, and nearly squeezing your brother's bunny to death as you try to give it hugs.

You are smart and inquisitive and when you want something, you're not afraid to get it.  You're a firecracker of a little girl, and I hope you stay that way forever.

Love,
Momma

In Which We Race Cars.....Fast :)

Riley is in Cub Scouts (!!!) this year.  He's been waiting to do Cub Scouts (!!!!) since last year when his girl friends were able to begin Daisies for Girl Scouts.

Life, it seems, is just terribly unfair. :)

We're so blessed this year because Riley has an awesome group of leaders for his Den/Pack/Other Boy Scouting Terms Mommy Has Yet to Master. He's also super lucky to have Papa going with him to meetings (because Mommy is a girl and therefore uncool to bring to Scouts, and Daddy hates Boy Scouting, don't ask me why)  Riley and Papa worked for quite a few days designing and building Riley's Pinewood Derby Car, and the results were quite impressive!!

Riley at Papa at the Pinewood Derby.  Riley was super cute telling Papa "I couldn't have done it without you!!"

Riley came in 3rd for Tigers and 10th overall out of all the Scouts competing!! He also got a "Most Awesome" award (I have no clue what that is!) and a Bronze Medal.  As we all know, pieces of flare are awesome.  :) My grandfather passed away when I was 2- and I'm so glad that my kids get to spend time with their grandpa!!