archives{1's first not-so-school-dance-school-dance}

last school year our charter had a school dance.

1 wanted to go & i freaked.

(she's old enough already??? WAAAAAH!!!)

i'm not the school dance kinda mama, BUT the teachers all came up to me (since they know me so well) & gave me all the details about how it wasn't a TYPICAL school dance (like the ones i was imagining in my head)...

this was a covert operation.

ALL the teachers were there.

(the cute teacher in the pink is one of my favie neighbors across the street...my eyes & ears).

they dances were group dances led by a dance instructor.

(no touchy-feely-boy-girl-dances-THANKS Mrs. K) 

& dance activities (like the macarena, electric slide, limbo, hula contest, etc...)

to enter the students had to donate canned food (GREAT IDEA!).

(i was only allowed to come in & take a few pix then was asked to leave)

one of the teachers was the DJ.

 1 said he played "i think 70's music".

there was a craft table.

a craft table at the the 6th-8th grade dance y'all!

{so stinkin' cute these two}

she hung out with one of her BFFs the entire time.

i made it thru my 1st child to ever go to a school dance.

i even left the campus premises &

didn't hang out at the dance door or spy thru gym the windows like i totally planned.

can't believe i left the parking lot.

 she had fun with out me & i didn't die.

she was proud of me.

* since i've been lagging, i have a lot of archive posts. i'll try to do better ;)

fam camping trip...can't wait

can't wait...

Source: theyearwas91.tumblr.com via Deborah on Pinterest

so super excited!

 we booked a fam camping trip in Cuyamaca. it's not until July, but im already planning. i even started a camping pinboard on Pinterest to organize my ideas.

really can't wait. 

quick.easy.cute. friendship gift

quick. easy. cute.

(& super CHEAP)

friendship gift

last minute the girlies wanted to give some of their fave workshops girlfriends a gift.

(depending on the design & kids age, some of the little boys even like these)

we bought these cute little wooden bead bracelet kits at the dollar store. 

(one of our little town's only stores esp for last minute stuff) 

there are enough supplies in each kit to make at least 3 full bracelets. 

we

split them up in little drawstring baggies (also from the dollar store) & included a little note with our info for summer playdates.

this is one of our fave go to gifts.

they also make cute party activities & party favors.

teacher appreciation gifts pt2{we need s'more teachers like you}

teachers appreciation gift part 2

{we need s'more teachers like you}

Source: domesticatedlady.com via Deborah on Pinterest



{ours}

our charter school has two different programs : ours & Core.

we gave our 6 teachers the Amish Friendship Bread as a gift of appreciation.

sometimes the two programs intermix & we did not want to leave the very hardworking Core teachers out of the lovin'.

i saw these on Pinterest & got the directions & printables here.

 pretty cute & very easy.

License Plate Fun{ & summer activity}

License Plate Fun

(YAAAY! the last work sample of the year)

we've been playing the license plate game whenever we are out.

it's so much fun looking for the different licenses plates & keeping track of them.

 now it has become a habit.

when we see a different one i put it in my Blackberry.

(kinda dangerous i've pulled some risky maneuvers just to get close enough to read a plate. YIKES!!!)

the list was finally long enough we decided to start mapping.

we located the license plate states on our big map

 filled them in on our photocopied maps 

then colored the states in

the girls really got into the maps features & landmarks on their own.

(lakes, each state capitals, beaches, mountains, mileage scale)

some of our supplemental tools

state flashcards, Coast to Coast state trivia game, a fold out state fact map.

(all i think i got from the dollar store)

they've been using them to quiz & correct me(everyone else) so i've been learning new info too.

 i picked these books up & some other fun ideas to use over the summer.

we are going to continue learning about the 50 states one at a time.

 i printed out a fun state learning module called Cruisin' the Country.

we are going to make cardboard cars & go on a cross country road trip from our living room this summer.

when i was younger our fam drove from:

(5 of us in our Chrysler New Yorker...no DVD player, video games, etc...mind you)

• Connecticut to California two different travel routes hitting & stopping in as many different states possible
• from Texas thru New Mexico, Arizona to California a few summers (including thru Colorado once)
• from Texas thru some of the southern states
• from Connecticut up the East Coast including Canada & down the East Coast states(alot of weekends were spent this way)
• from California north to Washington
• a few others too

my Dad would stop & see ALL the sights, Universities & historical landmarks, along the way.

(i mapped them all out, but my map got ruined)

we loved the spontaneous adventures & exploring. 

as an adult i still do!

i really hope my girls will be as lucky as i was growing up.

i'm very ready to hit the road!

cute summer hair{nia long}

cute hair{nia long}

what do u guys think?



Source: google.com via Deborah on Pinterest

i think this would look so cute on me, esp in the summer.

 im reeeeally thinking about it.

 i have shaved my head down to the scalp & loved it.

i have a very cute head. 

 (if i find a pic i'll share it)

 surprisingly He LOVED IT!

it's the girlies who like my hair long even if it's in a sad ponytail all the time & it drives me crazy! 

also from where i live it's a 4 hour salon trip & short hair requires regular salon upkeep...

but im seriously contemplating going for it.

weekend backyard bonfire peanutbutter cookie & dark chocolate s'mores

weekend backyard bonfire peanutbutter cookie & dark chocolate s'mores 

(pic from my Blackberry sorry)

a few weekends ago we made this super easy & super yummy treat around the backyard bonfire.

(blogger lost this post!)

*super easy & super yummy details*

*peanut butter cookies

(we used Fresh & Easy's pb cookie dough...soooo good!)

*dark chocolate chunks

*marshmallows for roasting

*the fam & maybe some last minute friends, a nice spring weekend night & a last minute backyard bonfire ;) 

teacher appreciation gifts pt1{Amish Friendship Bread}

teacher appreciation gifts pt1

{Amish Friendship bread starters}

we made a little thank you gift for our very hardworking charter school teachers.

they work so So SO hard...have no clue how they do it!

Amish Friendship Bread is a fun & super easy sweet bread that you keep a little for yourself & share the rest with friends.

there are many variations & if you keep it going, you will always have a delish sweet treat.

3 & i used this easy recipe to make the bread starters.

AFB also makes a great homeschooling craft activity & lesson.

(measuring, reading, counting, adding, spelling, science (fermentation, combining solid & liquids & oils, chemical reaction, etc...)even a little history)

for each gift we printed out the recipe & instructions & labeled the starters.

i was going to print out cute labels, but 3 insisted.

we think they were much cuter this way anyway ;)

very small but sweet token of our great appreciation!

*a friend shared her AFB with us. yesterday 3 & i made chocolate chip, pecan/walnut, cinnamon AFB with it.

it was so delish, i kept saying i would take pix later...this morning both loaves are gone! THAT GOOD! 

fieldtrip{monarch butterflies pt 2 & tamarack beach}

Monarch Butterflies part 2 & Tamarack Beach

this one of our fave butterfly books.

 this very cute & informative story is all about going to the butterfly conservatory (even the same rules we were given). it even has 3 sisters in it. we found it funny that one of the girls on the trip actually had a butterfly land on her finger & wouldnt leave just like in the story.

the conservatory ed room.

we learned tons of interesting facts:

• boy Monarchs only, have one black dot on each bottom wing
• butterflies only make chrysalis not cocoons
• Monarchs live @ 8 months, most other butterflies only live @ 1 month
• butterflies eat thru a straw like tounge called a proboscis
• butterflies like salty & sweet things

in the butterfly vivarium there were many different types of host plants. it was helpful to see them all in person & get more ideas to add to my own butterfly garden.

this is the  list on their website. 

 after the beautiful butterflies...the beautiful beach.

we thru together a quick lunch: left over fried chicken, carrot sticks, strawberries & some waters & enjoyed the afternoon at Tamarack Beach in Carlsbad.

pretty perfect day. 

field trip {monarch butterfly conservatory pt. 1}

{monarch butterfly conservatory}

a few weeks ago the fam went on a feildtrip to the monarch program in encinitas.

(encintas is one of my fave places!)

seeing all of the butterly lifestages in person, in one place & all at the same time was pretty neat.

tiny butterly eggs

cute little caterpillar

chrysalis

(did you know butterflies ONLY make chrysalis not cocoons?)

beautiful butterflies.

the weather was really cool, so they were on the ground or mostly still.

butterflies love watermelon so they were easy to catch & observe...

with our eyes only!

 magical.

had a few minutes to craft

this morning i had an empty house, some Norah Jones playing, some creamy coffee & a few minutes to craft alone. 

the girlies are going to a beach party next week so i made these bright & fun hair clips. so fun that i made a few extra to sale just in case :) 

Blogger flipped this pic. Grrr!!!

happy saturday!

new fave song {the Sesame Street side of Will.i.am}

our one of our {new fave} songs

very cute!

a different & sweet Sesame Street side of will.i.am.

i/we will drop everything to watch Sesame Street. 3 & i are watching it together right now while the Big Girls are gone.

is there anyone who doesn't love Elmo?

...oh wait....he's on...gotta go!

FINALLY! our first visit to our FANTASTIC NEW LIBRARY

FINALLY! OUR NEW LIBRARY
{my new fave} 
a remodel in 1987 is the version we had when we moved here.
2009 ground was broken on the current remodel.
 we watched it being built from the ground up & it was finished not to long after we left town for 3 months!!!remember? 
what an unbelievable transformation.

Here is the BEAUTIFUL NEW & IMPROVED GREEN REMODEL!!!
*WARNING*
 this post will never do this library remodel justice! there are sooo many little amazing details, artistic nuances & clever GREEN state-of-the-art design features that would take many posts!

seeing is believing is a MAJOR understatement.

amazing artwork outside the building by a local artist

this is my all time fave used bookstore!

 the spiffy new Friends of the Library Bottomshelf Bookstore.

it's now located right outside the entrance. i have purchased almost all my books from here in the last few years.

 popular titles even requested popular titles from 10 cents & the most $3(they let you fill out a request form & so far i have gotten all but 1).

these were our first steps inside.

STUNNED!

our own section!!!

we live in the Avocado Capital of the World. no really it's true.

giant hanging fruit are a nod to the agriculutural roots of our community.

Ms. 12 yo's mouth dropped!

she's all over "her spot". it has a Wii, the coolest furniture, a TV & much much more...

another thru the glass shot

artistic native plant Quiet Garden.

wish i could have gotten the amazing living green roof.

we literally spend hours & hours in our new library. browsing books, bringing in our school work, exploring still, or just sitting in awe & appreciating.