Ladybug Fun

Today we:

• Read The Grouchy Ladybug
• Read our Clifford Magazine - Colorful Insects Hide
• Talked about insects having six legs
• Drew 6 legs on bug drawings
• Looked at pictures of Emily Elizabeth & talked about her feelings
• Made faces & took pictures
• Colored our ladybugs & added the pictures

Our ladybugs have emerged & we will soon be releasing them into the garden!

The Door

It doesn't look too bad here but we had a problem with flashing - uneven gloss with shiny & dull spots. I guess we should have taken it to a shop to have it sprayed but we didn't expect this. It seems like it would be easy! Actually the garage side looks pretty good (of course). The glossy areas look great but then there's dull spots. We thought a flat paint would help but all paint has a sheen of some kind so it's just the nature of spray painting I guess. We've didn't like the results of brushing our front door either so doors are just a pain!

Our Weekend

We mostly worked but it was relaxing to just be home & still accomplish a lot:

• tilled the garden
• spray painted the metal door in the kitchen - leading to the garage
• planted the garden: peas, beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, zinnias, dill, basil, cucumbers, chives, coleus, sweet peas, petunias
• painted the metal door (again)
• made a new cover for the sandbox
• went to Home Depot
• bought a fire bowl
• painted the metal door
• lined & planted the deck planters
• grilled hot dogs, brats & burgers
• did some laundry
• planted a rose bush
• went to Home Depot (again)
• sorted papers downstairs
• painted the metal door
• touched up the paint on Brett's desk & clear coated it
• painted two boards with chalkboard paint for outside
• made a melody maker
• painted the metal door
• hung wind chimes for outside play
• painted the mailbox
• helped the neighbors pull weeds & rotor til their garden
• painted the metal door
• made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
• sat by the fire twice & made s'mores
• talked with the neighbor guy & gave him cake
• glued together the doll crib
• painted the metal door
• bought two hanging plants
• went through the car wash
• bought some new shoes
• painted the metal door & it still looks like crudola

Roasting marshmallows. Hopefully we'll get to re-staining the fence this summer. Brett learned about ocelots online (he loves to look things up on YouTube). He also played lots of ball, made a parachute to play with & started painting & gluing a wood car. Columbine in the garden

Geraniums next to the front door

Finished garden

The irises are blooming

Deck planters

Pink Peace Rose

Memorial Day

Hope you've enjoyed the weekend & holiday as much as we have!

If I were a flower...

Today we worked on these flower projects for part of our spring theme. They turned out cute so I wanted to share the templates I used. Just print, cut out, have the kids paint the flowers, add their picture in the middle & glue onto construction paper (it will go through my printer but I have to trim it down to 8.5 x 11 & select "other inkjet paper") that coordinates with the color of flower they chose.

If I Were a Flower Template

Late Night Post

• I put the hanging bird feeder in tree hoping the cardinal will come back & discover it. He's come to this tree three times in the last two days.
• We have no plans for the long weekend. We/I need to catch up on some things at home.
• I have a loonnngg To Do list to work on. Mostly day care related. Organizing curriculum/supplies, summer planning, paperwork, assessments, picture CD's for parents, update blog, June calendar/newsletter. Personal: organize Brett's closet/sort his clothes, finish the garden, and on & on.
• Speaking of day care: one PT left, two FT kids are going PT in a few weeks. Summer kids will be starting soon.
• I'm tried of potty training other people's children. My area rugs (thankfully it's just the area rugs) in the bathroom get washed so much they need to be replaced twice/yr. Really my group is trained & do GREAT except for one but accidents happen. A lot lately. The LR carpet gets cleaned Friday afternoon. (closing at 4pm)
• My last Preschool Credential course starts June 8 - July 1 Mon & Wed nights from 6-9pm. It's not ideal but I can take it locally (not offered online yet) & finish the required 18 credits. In the Capstone class I will be creating a portfolio. It will be a busy month!
• Today we candled our eggs & all of them seem to be developing. Our caterpillars are in crystallises & the ladybug larvae are in the pupa stage. We're also waiting on basil seeds to sprout in a bottle of water. It's supposed to work.
• Damon's Camaro is parked for a while. It needs a new head gasket. Bummer. He's missing his own Spring Cruise this year. It will get fixed, just not by then.
• I am so not impressed that Brett has Molluscum Contagiosum. He got it from one of my dckids. His mother told me about it but there isn't much you can do about it & it's rather harmless. Besides everyone was exposed by the time we knew what it was & it's very common. The first spots showed up on his back & front but now on his arm & three suspicious spots on his face. I try not to think about it too much or I get really annoyed. It's not anyone's fault. The child is very clean & the mother is extrememly particular (and as distressed as I am) but these things go around. Still.

Total Entertainment

My little superhero - He flies, he rides bike & he plays football? I knew when he came in the house wearing his bike helmet & then out of his room with a mask and a cape, I had to go see what was next.

A Full Nest

last night I peeked in & took this picture. This morning the nest was empty. The eggs hatched about May 8th & now they've grown & left the nest all in about 12 days. Life moves fast!

Soccer with Dad

Dandelions

Today after lunch we went dandelion picking. What for? Because we're going to make syrup!**Eww, it was a very bitter syrup. We didn't like it but it was fun & very memorable!!** I know, it's sounds crazy but it also sounds fun! The idea is from 5 Orange Potatoes. There's so much inspiration on that blog for things I want to try! We have a whole ice cream bucket full so we might have to try the dandelion cookies too. I want to do the syrup with Brett only - it's the kind of thing that makes memories! I took 20+ *cute* pictures of him picking dandelions too so soon I'll be scrapbooking!

I think I'll throw in a little dandelion theme this week for the day care kids since they're so abundant right now. They can taste the syrup & cookies. We'll walk over to this field & they can pick, pick, pick til their hearts content. We will read our dandelion stories & make this cute dandelion art. (I don't recall where that came from - maybe Kidssoup?) This seed art is also a good idea as well as the dandelion prints. Some people are just amazing with all their ideas.

Soap Deals

I found some deals at Target so we're stocked for a loonnngg time on bar soap! The Dove Go Fresh - bar packs with a trial-size shower gel included were $1.98 & I used a $1 coupon. Yep, 4 bars for .98! Then the Pure & Natural bars (rosemary mint & grapefruit pomegranite) on clearance for $2.88 which isn't a steal or anything but with a $1 coupon it's worth it. It's more than the other bars but I like the nicer soap in my bathroom or for guests. Total including tax, I spent $12.07 & saved $19.07. Along with all the other deals & coupons I also got a $5 gift card to use later. Oh, & if you're going to Target soon, use the Hershey Bliss candy coupon & get yourself a free candy bar!

**S- I tried to answer this on your blog but maybe you've taken it down? Yes, Target does take internet coupons! They have some of their own as well which is great because then you can "stack" it with a manufacturer's coupon. Target's coupons I've had no problems with coupons there or KMart. Woodman's only accepts $1 or less internet coupons & one per item.

Prairie Fire Crab Tree

I actually decided I wasn't going to take pictures of this tree again this year because I do every year & I have lots of them but it looked so beautiful in the sun tonight! This was my Mother's day present several years ago already & I love it year it around but wow is it pretty now!

1. Prairie Fire Crab Apple Tree, 2. Prairie Fire Crab Apple Tree, 3. Prairie Fire Crab Apple Tree, 4. Prairie Fire Crab Apple Tree

Tournament Day

Today was Brett's last day of soccer & he had two tournament games. Every one's a winner of course.

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

I rarely find shoes I really like & that fit but the warmer season is always easier for me. I love open toe, slip on shoes & sling backs. I saw these brown Liz Claiborne's at TJ Maxx tonight & I knew right away they were for me. The black ones came home with me too. : ) I've learned to buy more than one pair if I really like them. I'm loving these green flowered sandals from Target. I wanted the pink ones but they weren't available in the store in my size so took the green. I could order the pink ones but I probably don't need to. They are so me though!

Freezer Labels

Here's how I made the freezer labels I sent in my swap package: 1. Print labels on sticker paper for your printer using the Martha Stewart Freezer Labels Template 2. Cover sheet with Contact Paper. 3. Cut apart. 4. Print freezer label (below). 5. Cut around label with pinking shears. 6. Put labels in a vellum envelope & apply label. Of course you don't have to cover with contact paper (but I think they will smear if you don't) or put in an envelope with a label but it makes it a little nicer to use or give to someone.

Freezer Labels Sticker

One thing off the list

The sun shining through the dirty windows this morning, along with a window wash solution I found interesting, inspired me to actually clean them all today. I'm not a big window washer even though I only have 5 plus the front door/patio door. Usually I take care of the LR window & the rest get ignored...The wash solution is made with 1 quart of hot water & 2 T of cornstarch. I thought it sounded unusual but it works great! (I'm sure any solution combined with actually wiping down the glass would have been beneficial...) All the screens are vacuumed & it will all look great until tomorrow when it's supposed to storm again.

Day 1

Yesterday 20 fertilized eggs arrived via UPS (none broken). The box says "These Really Are EGGS". The UPS guy thought it was funny.

Today is day 1 in the incubator. 20 more to go! Wish us luck!

Our Lady Bug Land, larvae & painted lady butterfly larvae arrived yesterday too. Amazing things are happening! I think I can claim to teaching patience this month as well as science!

Growing

See how much the birds have changed since Friday's pictures!

They heard me & thought I was going to feed them! The picture is a bit blurry but I love those mouths wide open & necks wobbling around.

All quiet again once they realized there was no food.

Daddy Robin nearby waiting for me to leave.

After I went in we watched from Brett's window as both the male & female perched on the edge of the nest & fed the babies. The picture didn't turn out through the window.

Mother's Day Weekend

1. Tree, 2. Brett with the kite, 3. Kite, 4. Kite, 5. Keith , 6. Mom & Dad & Dayna, 7. Root beer float, 8. Dayna, 9. Pinecones Old 10. Mom & Brett, 11. Pinecones New, 12. kite, 13. Dad & Brett

We spent the weekend at my Mom & Dad's. Friday night was beautiful & we sat outside by the fire. Sunday was windy so Damon & Brett tried to fly Brett's pterodactyl kite but apparently "it wasn't made to fly" so Keith found his old one in the basement & they got that one up! We had a great dinner & root beer floats in the afternoon before coming home.

Finished Mother's Day Crafts

It was rush, rush, rush for me to finish up these projects and get ready to go away for the weekend but it all came together! I must say these planters turned out adorable! The moms were thrilled.

Watercolor painted MOM cards

The photo cards were a last minute idea that came together very fast.

Feed Me!

It's fun to watch the birds get fed! Sadly, the other nest has no living birds, just empty eggs. So disappointing.

Spring Trees

Our neighbor's tree is so pretty!

This is our Redbud. It's so beautiful when it flowers but unfortunately this is the only part that is blooming for the 2nd year so we're going to have to replace it. Most of the tree is dead. The flowering crab in the back yard should be beautiful next week!