Friend Making Mondays!

Oh how I missed you FMM! My sad little blog is nothing without new people to come and read about how pathetic my domestic skills are! To see how all my new friends answered this week's "20 questions" head on over to Friend Makin' Mondays at AE Filkins!


1. Do you cook every night?
Not even close. I'm horrible at planning and making dinner despite some random effort I throw in every now and again.

2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?
All small and mighty. Mostly because I like how small the bottle is and our local store always has a good sale on them so I can stock up.

3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?
I'd love to do it every day, but I seem to always forget about it and leave the wash in the washing machine. Soooo, usually I end up washing it all day, then folding a mammoth pile of wrinkly clothes. Good plan, huh??

4. How often do you eat out per week?
WAY too often, see #1.

5. Where do you usually eat out?
Where don't we eat out. My favorites are Carl's Jr., Arby's and KFC.

6. What is your favorite retail store?
Target

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?
Pink lemonade with pulp

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?
I have some vitamin D supplements that I'm supposed to take but I fell off the wagon. Shh!

9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?
This one will get me in trouble with Mr. Wright, but I'm going to say 90%. I don't do anything with cars at all. He's lucky I pump my own gas.

10. Do your children do chores? {Or will they, did they, etc}
They have responsibilities but not actual chores. They have a 'chore chart' with eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, find coat and shoes, Little Man wipes the table and Sweetie Pie washes her hands and brings me her papers after school, then they both have brush teeth and put on jammies at nighttime.

11. Do you go to church?
Not really. I was raised Catholic and recently started going to the Mormon church. I haven't gone in a month though and I'm deciding whether I should go back or not.

12. Do you have a housework schedule?
I have a very intricate system with certain chores for each day of the week, week of the month, and month of the year printed on cards. I stand them up when they need to be done and put them down once I do them. Do I actually get off my cheeto covered couch and use it? Nope.
(See my chore box here)

13. Do you keep a working budget?
Nope. I can hear Suzy Orman screaming "GIRLFRIEND!?". I have those nightmares sometimes.

14. What do you do at night as a family?
Just hang out as a family and watch tv.

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?
I don't really prepare a week ahead, but I pull something out for Sweetie Pie's lunch on Sunday, and every night before school I pull out an outfit for all 3 kids and put them on a special shelf.

16. What do your mornings look like?
Our mornings are really relaxed since Sweetie Pie only needs to be at school at 10:30, so usually Mr. Wright gets the kids cereal and a drink when they get up between 7:30-8 and I make my way up there around 8:15. The kids watch cartoons and start the destruction of the house and we start getting ready around 9 or 9:30, then play some more until we walk out the door.

17. What time do you get up in the mornings?
I wake up around 7:30, but I like to lay in bed forever before I get the courage to stand.

18. What time do you go to bed at night?
Last night I was in bed by 9:45, but some nights I like to get some stuff done without my 'helpers' so I'll stay up until 1 or 2 am. Usually around 11pm.

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household? {bills, school work, magazines, ads, etc}
I have a system for this too, but of course I don't use it. I have a bin for Sweetie Pie's school stuff, and everything from the mail goes into a pile on the counter. Occasionally I go through it and throw away the envelopes and junk to just keep the bills and magazines, and if I'm feeling really wild I'll sort them into my hand bill notebook. (see my bill notebook here too)

20. How do you keep your household organized? {calendars, charts, etc}
We have a dry erase calendar that I try to put everything on, but I'm bad about remembering to update it. I carry a planner in my purse that has everything from what chores I need to do today to appointments and birthdays.

My Favorite Things

Late Summer/early Fall is the best time to catch adorable (cheap!) summery placemats at a fraction of the original cost. Stock up since I'm fairly sure that there are at least a thousand things you can do with a placemat. Seriously. I only have two projects today, but maybe I should start a new blog with a placemat project of the day... I'll fit that in right between sitting on my butt and avoiding the dishes!

A clutch/diaper changing station from a placemat!
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/08/diaper-clutch/

A library tote from placemats!
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/08/placemat-library-tote/

Make your own sanitizing spray!
http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-home/easy-diy-sanitizing-spray/

Adorable clothespin magnets!
http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/2009/08/clothespin-magnets.html

I am SO doing this adorable chair makeover!
http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/2009/07/office-chair-makeover.html

ABC pancakes! What a fun way to learn!
http://bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com/2009/08/abc-pancakes.html

Freezer ham and cheese crepes! This is on my 'fill the freezer' list!
http://www.fabulesslyfrugal.com/2009/08/fabuless-freezer-cooking-ham-and-cheese.html

I hope you find some new favorites!!

Dirty Little Secrets

Here we go...

I really don't feel like blogging on my desktop, but my laptop is moving at the speed of my mop.

I borrowed books on tape from the library so I could (possibly!) illegally copy them for the kids to listen to at night. Maybe.

Boo's potty training is out of control. I tried to put her back in diapers at night so I could quit washing the sheets everyday and she took it off to pee on the floor.

I promised that I would never become that mom that used dvd's in the car for short trips and errands. Today I broke the promise.

I plan dinner at around 5:45 when it needs to be ready at 6:15.

Just because I don't cry when I drop my kindergartner off does NOT mean that I'm okay yet. I miss her every second that she's gone, and I check the clock every 2 minutes to see if it's time to get her from the bus.

I feel badly doing fun things at home without her, even though I know she's doing fun things at school without Little Man and Boo.

I'm pretty sure this is the first week in Sweetie Pie's life that she's been dressed and presentable for 5 days in a row.

I always think I'm such a reader while browsing at the library, but not as much when I have to return all my unread books 8 weeks later.

What's your dirty little secret? Mine are getting kind of lame so you should really share... please??

Number Crunching

Times I've cried today: 0 (whoo hoo!!)
Times I've cried this week: 3
Photos I took of Sweetie Pie on the first day of school: 114
To DIE for purses my sister bought me to cheer me up: 1
Coughs today: 845,659 (estimated)
Times I've felt like barfing: 6
Dishes done: 0
Cookies eaten: 3
Homeschool activities done: 3
Minutes on Farmtown: 2
Pairs of shoes in my van: 6
Hannah Montana songs stuck in my head: 2
Current count of people that I want to run over with my smelly van: 1
Minutes I spent waiting at the 'no wait' pizza place last night: 28
Dollars I owed the library in late fees: 15
Inches I cut off my hair: 8
Puddings I'll eat before bed tonight: 3 (ish) Don't tell anyone!

Today Sucks

Today Sucks. That about sums it up. I'm sick, Boo is sick and can't sleep, Sweetie Pie is getting sick, I'm going to cry when I drop her off at kindergarten, I didn't plan anything for homeschool, I forgot to run the dishwasher last night, my laptop is out of commission, my home movie DVD's are taking days to burn and I HAVE to wear jeans today. Today sucks.

I've actually been dreading this day since I was pregnant with Sweetie Pie. I had her right before I turned 19, and I knew that I wasn't the 'average' age of a first time mother. I wondered what it would be like dropping my kindergartner off at the ripe old age of 24. Would the thirty-something super mommies be sneering at me? Would they think they were better parents just because I was younger?

I had good experiences with the preschool parents not judging me since my hair 'do' and attire suggested that I was just as aged and burnt out as they were, but there is something a lot more intimidating about any place that has a PTO.

I'd been meaning to get a new haircut anyway, but the short 'mom cut' that I got myself on Saturday really drives the 'I may be young but my mom haircut can drive my minivan safer than your mom haircut can' message home in case anyone wants to challenge me. Plus it's easier to brush when the occasion arises. You know, if I'm feeling fancy.

I'm running out the door to my new normal, but my mind is racing. Is she ready? Am I ready? Will she know the right bus stop? Will she know how to behave on the bus? Is it okay for me to eat the pudding I bought for her lunches if I'm really upset? It is going to be the most fun thing she's ever done and I'll feel dumb for being so worried? All I know for sure is... today sucks.

Dirty Little Secrets

I've been having technical difficulties with my laptop so I've been uninspired to blog since it required windexing the chair at the kids' computer. Hopefully my laptop will recover soon so I don't have to make this cleaning business a habit!

Remember you can (and SHOULD!) share your own dirty little secrets in the comments. Post anonymously if you need to...

I didn't realize how much time I spend on the computer until it crashed.

Boo has been peeing the bed almost every single night this week and it makes me want to cry thinking about going back to night time diapers. And I'm TIRED of washing sheets over and over.

I committed the ultimate sin and let brownies go bad on my counter.

I was supposed to start homeschool this week and didn't... simply because I didn't feel like it.

I really want to take a bath but am too lazy to clean the tub first even though my kids take baths in there all the time.

I haven't sewn anything fun all week and I miss it.

I'm terrified of Sweetie Pie walking home alone from the bus stop even though it's not very far. I'm also worried that she won't know it's her time to get off.

I cried yesterday just reading about the kindergarten drop off procedures.

I'm dreading having to brush Sweetie Pie's (and probably my own) hair every.single.day. I've decided it's overrated.

What's your dirty little secret?? You'll feel better- I promise!

Make Yo Play Dough

That was a sad attempt at a rhyming title by the way... Yesterday I bribed the kids with a secret project all day long but really I was the one that was so excited to try it out. I've had the recipe forever but never got around to actually making it until last night. The kids were SO thrilled to measure, stir, and pick their color that they didn't even realize what we were making until they were done. And then the real fun (and SILENCE) began.

They played with it for over an hour, and then we just sealed it up in ziplocks for next time. I loved that it wiped right off the table, and didn't smell like crap 'real' play doh. I'm dumping all our commercial 'doh' and only making this from now on!

{I halved the recipe and gave that amount to each kid}
Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup of salt, 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Then add a packet of Koolaid or 1-2 drops of food coloring and water until it reaches a good consistency. I added too much water of course, so I just dumped another scoop of flour in to dry it up. It worked perfectly and the kids had a blast.

Cookie Cycles

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but I haven't been talking about the status of my house much these days... with good reason. I make small strides toward accomplishing anything but then bunny hop 2 steps back. I get all motivated and wash 10 loads of laundry, then leave it wrinkled and unfolded for weeks. I've been stuck in this cycle of motivation, then tiredness from the two whole 2 chores I accomplished, then bloating from the cookies I ate while I was tired, then disgust when I see my house, then motivation again. It's a curse.

On Friday my sister (Senorita Snarkalicious) came to stay with Little Man and Boo while I took Sweetie Pie to [del]be bored out of my mind[/del] learn more about her school. Before I left I asked her to help me move the previously mentioned 10 loads of unfolded clean laundry from the downstairs couch to my bed so I could hide it from company and fold it later... or throw it on the floor and start the whole washing process over again.

When I got home from the school meeting my AWESOME sister had not only folded all 10 loads of laundry, but picked up all the random shoes in my entryway, did my dishes, changed over the washing laundry, threw another load in, and cleaned my counters and table. Doesn't she rock? It was just the boost I needed to finish it off and for the first time ever actually be DONE with my chores. Plus I already had real pants on so I was feeling all crazy.

I tackled my breakfast bar which we can never eat at since I treat it as my random crap bar and she even motivated me to clean the bathrooms. She stayed long after I got home to help me vacuum, fold the rest of the laundry, and even throw some dinner in the oven. I think she should win the Sister of the Year Award. I do have another sister, and I don't want to upset her, so I officially offer her the opportunity to come over any time and fold my laundry. Actually, I invite anyone to come over and fold laundry... I can give out fake awards all day!

Because of this boost I have been able to maintain the laundry, dishes, and clutter. I can even eat at the breakfast bar! Just as soon as I have time to eat breakfast that is... getting up off the couch is really cutting into my eating schedule!

My Favorite Things!

I missed my 'favorite things' post last Sunday due to a generally cranky attitude and all the puking. Hopefully I've got enough awesomeness this week to make up for it. Enjoy!

My kinda girl! A refashioned shirt AND a headband from a long sleeve shirt!
http://ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/2009/07/long-sleeve-shirt-refashion-and.html

Baby pants from a dishtowel!
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/04/dish-towel-shorts/

Using CD cases as scrapbook stuff/sticker storage!
http://www.chicaandjo.com/2009/08/13/recycle-old-cd-cases-for-scrapbook-storage/

Adorable quilt square soft baby blocks!
http://ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/2008/12/handmade-christmas-gift-idea-8-quilt.html

An ingenious 'travel doctor kit' for the little ones!
http://thebrushbarn.blogspot.com/2009/07/travel-doctor-kit.html

A free printable babysitter sheet complete with TV, food and bedtime instructions for 2 kids!
http://tangarangblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/free-download.html

10 tips for looking your best! I wish I could hit maybe 3 of those every day...
http://simplemom.net/10-tips-for-looking-your-best-2/

I'm still trying to decide which idea to try first!

Googling Bacon

I never knew the sheer amount of people out there that were googling all things bacon until I confessed my love of bacon on a dirty little secrets post. Now I'm getting what I affectionately call 'bacon hits' on my blog. Here are the key words that bacon lovers have searched and connected to my site through in just the past TWO days...

'Mrs. Wright's Bacon'

'Wrong Bacon'

'Bacon Gone Wrong'

'Mrs. Bacon'

'Long Gone Bacon' (What!?)

and last but certainly not least (my personal favorite!)

'the lady hiding the bacon smell from her husband'

I was the #1 result on that list for some reason... So next time you see one of those lists of "top 10 searches" you'll really know how many idiots are searching for Tony Danza (#7 on Yahoo today) if BACON didn't even make the list!

Dirty Little Secrets!

Boo said bacon, chocolate, and stalker all for the first time on Monday. Kids really do repeat everything I guess.

I washed the kids' sheets a few days ago, and never put them back on.

Sometimes I wish I had a 'real' job so I'd have an excuse as to why I can't get my life together.

I'm homeschooling Little Man and Boo this year, and I'm terrified that I'll slack off after a few weeks and let them play the wii and computer games as 'technology training'.

There's a certain person (maybe 2) that I fantasize about running over with my smelly old minivan... then 'accidentally' reversing. That's not healthy- is it?

This conversation happened in my kitchen yesterday:
Little Man- Is something burning?
Sweetie Pie- Mama's just cooking.
Little Man- Oh.
*resume playing*

I can organize ANYTHING in anyone's house without even thinking twice, yet my own life remains scattered everywhere.

Remember to share your dirty little secret in the comments, and click 'anonymous' if you want [del]me to spend 3 hours trying to figure out who could have possible posted that confession[/del] to remain uh... anonymous.

Random Thoughts

Does it count as decluttering if I'm watching things on the DVR so I can delete them?

How come I trip over the same toy over and over, but I see something important once before it goes missing?

Why are my kids drawn to every annoying or skanky cartoon character but think that PBS is mostly lame?

Will the laundry EVER end? Or at least slow down? I'd kill to have "only" 5 loads to do.

Why do the yummy smells vanish quickly in my house, but the stinkies hang around forever?

What happens if I don't maintain my vacuum filters? Will I not have to vacuum anymore if it explodes?

Why do I have a million things I want to blog, then open up blogger and draw a blank?

How come my kids only throw screaming fits in crowded stores full of judge-y people that I know, and never in a deserted store?

Do Target employees get pissed that said kids left a 'shut-it popcorn' trail from the concession stand all the way to the back of the store and around?

Why do I have so much motivation at night, and none in the morning?

Why do people still think that Alaskans live in igloos and hang out with polar bears and ride snowmachines everywhere? And why doesn't Firefox understand that typing the suggested 'snowmobiles' might get my Alaskan butt kicked?

I think that's all for today ;)

The Puke Report

Here's the blog post that I was supposed to type up yesterday, written while watching rouge puke chunks fling around the washing machine...

As I watch the contents of Boo's bed slosh around the front loading washing machine at my parent's house at 4:50 am there's only one thing on my mind... when the heck did she eat fruit cocktail!? Sorry, that was uncalled for, but you need to know the state I'm in. Let me back up...

Mr. Wright had a golf tournament this past weekend and I was going to the women's conference at church. My parents offered to take the kids Friday night, and I would join them Saturday since I'm five years old and get scared staying home alone.

Friday night was picture perfect- the kids were great at Gami & Papa's house, all sleeping through the night and behaving. Now, in hindsight, I should have just left them there.

I arrived Saturday evening to kids who were getting a little cranky due to the close proximity to bedtime, but they were still generally behaving. We played, had dinner, and I put them to bed.

Literally the second I crack open my library book that I've been planning to read for 8 weeks Boo starts screaming. I rush upstairs because Boo just isn't a screamer when she's in bed. In fact, I think she screams more when you disturb her precious 13 hours of sleep she requires every night.

I find her screaming just to scream, and keeping everyone up in the process. I tried to get her back to sleep in her crib, but ended up bringing her to bed with me. After an hour of fun with that my mom had the brilliant idea to give her some juice in a sippy and put her back in her crib. It worked so it was easier to tell the tooth decay fairy to suck it... the sippy that is.

The rest of the night was peaceful, and my sister the Senorita even got up with my kids so I could sleep in a bit. (I had to write that, though it is true, so she wouldn't leave an angry comment... trust me!) Sweetie Pie wakes up with an upset tummy and is soon blowing chunks into Gami's beloved popcorn bowl.

We were supposed to head home but since Sweetie Pie was sick and I was avoiding my chores at home we decided to stay another night. A screaming night. It took until 11 pm to get all my kids to sleep, then I barely closed my eyes all the way when it was 3 am and there was more screaming. I restarted the movie and somehow made it back to bed.

Screaming log. Sunday, 4:30 am. Captain Jammie pants hears the distinct sound of a toddler who's about to get out-cried by her mama. I few upstairs, slammed the door open, and roared "GET IN BED... NOW!!" Sweetie Pie informed me that Boo was crying because she had yaked all over the portable crib. Awesome. Now I'm a crappy mom AND I got to clean up puke.

I threw Boo in bed with the big kids and dragged the crib to the craft room. I scooped the fairly solid puke out of the crib, flushed it, and carried the assorted stuffed animal and blanket causalities to the laundry room. Of course my mom has a digital washing machine from space that was hard enough to figure out in the daytime. I get it figured out, set it for heavy soil (I too was surprised there wasn't a puke setting... not that I'd be able to set it anyway) and realized that I was officially too awake to go back to sleep. At 5am. Super. I could still hear the kids talking to each other. At 5am. Did I mention it was 5am? This was going to be one heck of a day. I'm going to start by finding out where the heck Boo found fruit cocktail with chicken in it. My bet is Shoprite. They have everything!

Too Tired To Blog

I have a great blog post that I've been meaning to type up all day since I scribbled it on a torn notebook at 5 o'clock this morning by the light of the moon. Except I'm me, and I been up since 4:30 am after sleeping a whole 4 hours, so that will have to wait. Maybe tomorrow when I decide to be a normal human and not a growling mama bear that got woken from her Winter sleep I'll be ready to type it up. On the other hand it is already written out and Sweetie Pie loves to type letters on the computer... no, that's too lazy... right!?

Dirty Little Secrets Friday!

It's that time again... dirty little secrets Friday! Read my dirty little secrets, then share your own. Remember, if you don't share yours then I'll make some up for you. Surely yours can't be that bad!

I was doing laundry yesterday (shocking... I know!) and I found Boo's toothbrush in the laundry pile. I'm super anal about keeping the bristles of my toothbrush from touching anything, but I just put her's back in the holder.

I'm still a complete emotional mess about Sweetie Pie going to kindergarten. I think I'm hiding it better, but I still want lock her in the house and never let her leave.

I didn't do the dishes yesterday at all, and those Lucky Charms from breakfast are just Ucky Charms now.

I really need to wax my eyebrows. They're so overgrown that it looks like my eyebrows have eyebrows of their own.

I digitally waxed said eyebrow's eyebrows in photoshop for my new profile picture. It was faster, AND pain free.

Right now I have almost $10 in late fees at the library. Oops.

I procrastinated washing Mr. Wright's clothes for his trip, so I had to stay up until 1am to get them dried, folded and put away.

What's your dirty little secret? Share in the comments and you'll feel better, I promise! Plus you'll be making other readers feel not so alone in a Supermommy world. You can always post anonymously, or for extra fun, under the name of a friend (or enemy!). Just please don't post under my name... I've got enough trouble.

Skirting Issues

I've recently started going to church, and that required skirts... you know, like jammies pants but shorter and a bit less pant-y. Hmm, I have some of those somewhere. Actually, and skirts that I'll be able to find in my hurricane ravaged closet won't be appropriate for church seeing as how I haven't purchased a skirt since high school.

Since I'm broke crafty I decided to make a skirt for church with the leftover fabric from my wide bag. Unfortunately I'm Mrs. Wright, so I cut the fabric wrong (it's measure once, cut twice, right!?) and it was a bit tighter than I was hoping, but it worked. I wore it to church with my matching bag and only looked like I had a slight OCD problem, so that was good.I'm totally too lazy to edit out that electrical socket, so just pretend it's not there, mmmkay? Yesterday I decided that it was time to clean off my sewing mountain table and got maybe 2 or 3 things put away before I came across this:


It was a shirt of Mr. Wright's that he looked SO hot in, but of course he never wore it because it made him too hot (temperature wise :P ). It ended up in the giveaway pile but I snagged it for an unknown purpose because I loved it so much and it was so soft. Since I desperately needed something to distract me from cleaning anyway I whipped this little baby up into a new skirt for church. I even took pictures so I could remember what the heck I did and do a tutorial for other people who like to wear shirts as skirts! Here's the final product... please don't zoom in as I didn't shave my legs-shhh!


The tutorial is coming soon... right after I figure out how to explain to Mr. Wright where my fabulous new skirt came from!

Bows For Boobs

I have two friends that are taking time away from their families and businesses to do something very important... participate in the Seattle Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk! They're walking 60 MILES in THREE DAYS. Mostly because they're awesome, giving people, and partly because they're crazy, but keep in mind this is coming from the lady who would rather circle a parking lot for 10 minutes than walk an extra 10 feet. In fact, I got tired just from writing that.

Anywhoo, the required fund raising amount is $2300, and they both need some help if they're going to be able to walk. Anything you can give will not only help them reach their goal, but fund important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment though the Susan G. Komen Foundation. You can get more information and donate directly to their 3 Day sites below...

Jessica

Linsay

Also, since these two crafty ladies are SO giving they are also offering to donate the proceeds from some of their Etsy sales for the entire month of August.

Linsay offers gorgeous (and handy!) binky leashes, and is donating 100% of ALL her August sales to the walk.

Visit Linsay's Etsy Shop HERE!

Jessica makes adorable hair bows in any color you can imagine. They'd be perfect for picture day at school, or to match a Christmas dress! They even have a no-slip grip to help keep them in tiny baby hair! If only I had these for those 6 weeks that Boo didn't have a mop I wouldn't have had to GLUE those bows to her head! Oops, maybe I should have saved that for my dirty little secrets post... Jess is donating 100% of her profits on PINK bows until August 31st.How adorable are those!? Visit Jessica's Etsy Shop HERE!

Thanks for taking the time to read about these wonderful ladies, and I hope you donate to save the tatas!

The Big Day

I've been dreading this day for weeks, but I put on a brave face and registered my little Sweetie Pie for kindergarten. In hindsight I'm surprised I made it out of that school without poking myself in the eye with a spork though. She's going into kindergarten, not a one-kid shuttle to the moon as the phonebook sized registration packet would suggest.

I got a babysitter for the little two but brought Sweetie Pie with me thinking that she would savor every second of this mother/daughter bonding time at her new school. WRONG. She was bored out of her mind. Luckily I still had some books and a tiny MagnaDoodle in my purse from church yesterday to reduce the "Can we go now?" from every 10 seconds to every 30 seconds.

By page 3 of the dictionary packet I was wishing I was reading Amelia Bedelia too. Names, addresses, home phone, cell phone, work phone, doctor's releases, dates and times of her last 15 bowel movements... ok, maybe I made that last one up, but I felt like one tiny spot on the form being left blank was going to secure her fate forever as one of those animal kids that never got any education except those of their animal 'parents'. If my pea-sized brain forgot one tiny phone number her life would be ruined. That's a lot of pressure for 9am...

Page 8, Emergency Contacts. Ok, this one's easy. I happily wrote in my mother-in-law, my mom, and my sister. Done! Right? Nope, you need to write that same information on SIX separate sheets, including a handy travel version for the teacher to quickly grab in the event of the illusive 'Alaskan Tornado'. And don't forget to include the home, cell and work numbers along with all three emergency contacts on all 6 forms. Multiply that by how many times Sweetie Pie was asking to leave divided by the number of times the supermommy next to me had to beep, beep, beep her way through her phone directory to get the previously mentioned billion phone numbers then subtract the suspicious number of pens on the tiny table and you'll see why I was getting a bit nauseous.

Most of the packet asked about her prior everything, except she's never been to school before. Prior school? N/A
Prior grade? N/A
Prior grade at prior school? WHAT!?

I was really ready to get out of there and was thrilled to see only one sheet left. I gave Sweetie Pie the "last one!" warning and read the first line. Languages spoken within the home. WHOO HOO! Since we only speak English this should be cake... we are SO outta here! Of course not. You have to write English in every box on the whole form. A brain crushing number of times. What language do you speak in your home? English
What languages are spoken in your child's other homes? Her winter home in Vail is English only, but naturally she speaks the language of love in the French vineyard.
What language does your child speak to their friends? Are BS and whiney languages?
What language does your child watch TV in? Depends who's on Sabado Gigante that particular day...

Finally I gather my belongings and my chiquita and head for the office. The secretary looks over my form like she's proofreading for the president but I passed the test. I've decided the secretaries are so scary and mean because they are pissed they had to return to work two weeks before everyone else to deal with the pesky enrollment. She barks at me that I didn't give her the birth certificate and shot record so I quickly hand them over before I really tick her off and she tried to staple me to something.

Her: Physical!??
Me: Uhm... *singing* Physical, let's get physical... I like that song too.
Her: You DIDN'T bring her physical?
Me: *apparently the only person on the planet that didn't know you need a physical to go to kindergarten* I didn't know I needed one. I have it at home. (Thank goodness they gave me one when she got her shots!)
Her: You need to bring it on the first day.
Me: Uh, sorry?
Her: NEXT!

Okaaaaaay, that went well...

I had to go back past my house to get my little kids, so I grabbed the physical. I never really looked at it when I got it since I didn't know I needed it for anything. It is comforting to know that my 5 year old has been physically cleared for riflery, cross country running and football. I run it into the office and she copies it and hands it back. I hear her telling another parent about an open house for the kids to find out who their teachers are, meet them, and tour the school. That sounds perfect for Sweetie Pie! Except she didn't mention it to me. At all. I asked her if it didn't include kindergarten. "It does." OK, when is it? "the 14th." What time? "We'll put a sign up."

Thanks for your help...

My Favorite Things

This was a juicy week for stuff on the internet, so buckle up and enjoy these awesomeness on a stick links from this week... if you have a favorite thing that you want to share please leave a comment!

A cute idea for fabric scraps!
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/07/framed-fabric/

An adorable toddler dress from an old t-shirt!
http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2009/07/ruffled-tshirt-dress.html

'Take' a staycation even with little ones at home!
http://simplemom.net/maximize-your-staycation-with-preschoolers/

An awesome, simple productivity secret from Jerry Seinfeld!
http://lifehacker.com/software/motivation/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret-281626.php

How to make Gak (slime) for those rainy days!
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/07/24/how-to-make-gak-slime/

A great idea for books you never use anymore!
http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/07/making-your-books-pretty.html

Clean your dishwasher with Kool-aid... seriously!
http://www.thethriftyhome.com/2009/05/cleaning-your-dishwasher-with-kool-aid.html

Make your own reusable snack bags, just in time for school lunches!
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-reusable-snack-bags.html