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Family Filled End of Summer 2012

Posted on September 2, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There is something special about being with extended family. It isn’t every weekend that you get to see relatives from near and far. Yet Labor Day weekend seems to becoming more of a traditional time. Not everyone was able to make it to my aunt and uncle’s house at the lake, but still so many were here.

Though I had a headache when we arrived, seeing my boys with my niece and nephew made me smile.

The kids had an amazing time running, playing, laughing, and being carefree.

They stopped a few times to have lunch and celebrate NHL’s birthday with some Kermit cupcakes.

Then there was time at the pool, lake, and on the boat. Everyone split up to divide and conquer. I missed JSL on the boat, but heard all about how he was able to drive.

At the end of the day, my “little” cousins – who now live in other states and Israel – were giving the next generation moments they will never forget. It isn’t every day that you are able to have a parade piggy back style with a phones and cameras capturing every magical moment.

These are just some of the photos from a small part of the weekend. A weekend with family to relax, rest, and get ready for school. So many memories, so many moments, such an amazing time.

Categories:
cousins family jsl nhl photos summer weekend

Fun Times at Snip-its

Posted on September 1, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

Getting hair cuts for the two of you has not exactly been one of my favorite items to accomplish over the years. I think we often wait until your hair is beyond ready to get a trim because it has always been an adventure. Whether it was bad cuts, too many noises, people that were not friendly with children, or our favorite person leaving – something always seemed to happen.

Over the years, I have documented a lot of your hair cut milestones. There was the time NHL decided to be a barber at six years old and we had a hair emergency. There was the photo shoot of JSL’s first hair cut back in November 2008. Thanks to this, it should not be a shock to either one of you that I had to take photos when we finally went to have your hair done at the Snip-Its last weekend (they opened during the winter).

I will admit that I am now kicking myself for not taking both of you here before this time. It was not just a place to get hair cuts, it was an experience. From the moment you walked in, the two of you were mesmerized. Snip-its was bright, beautiful, and beyond kid friendly. The two of you kept busy while I chatted with the owner and filled out some forms to get coupons in the mail. Then, it was time to get your hair done.

Both of you were so quiet the entire time. Neither of you were wiggly, upset, or bothered by the new location. Of course, I do believe I now know the secret of success at Snip-its. Yes, they have a great weapon to keep kids happy and it worked brilliantly.

The two of you were more worried about your gaming than anything else. There was a milestone of sorts on this adventure. JSL, you finally had a haircut that used clippers. Since you are going to kindergarten and the amazing hairstylist showed you not to be afraid you agreed. When we asked if it was too short, you said you wanted more off. I have a feeling you would have kept going until you were bald because you were so happy. When it was finally time to go, you used your passes to get your prize.

I know that we will be back to Snip-its because we all had a wonderful experience. The people there were fantastic with both of you, they get working with kids and that means a lot. Thank goodness Daddy was on his toes. Before we went in, we took a photo of the two of you with the figure outside the store. When your hair cuts were done and paid for, we did another one. Here are the results:

I hope both of you agree that we will be heading back to Snip-its again when your hair needs some attention. We will leave it to the professionals who know what they are doing and work well with kids.

Love,

Categories:
Dear Kid Saturday fun jsl Local Business milestone nhl photos shopping

Kindergarten Kid Take Two

Posted on August 31, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

In our part of the country, we do not head back to school until after Labor Day. We have an extra winter break to save on heating, so school does not get out until the June 22. This summer has been a whirl wind for me. There were days that were amazing, and yes there were days that dragged and I could not wait until TechyDad got home. Of course, I would not change the fact that I have been home with the boys since JSL was born.

It’s hard to believe that now, five years later, my little guy is ready to be a kindergarten kid. This may be my second time sending a child to start school, but I think it is more difficult this time around. JSL is my “baby” and he’s been with me all of these years. In addition to this, we are not at the same school that NHL started in years ago. It’s all new to me in this building and I have to admit – it is a little overwhelming.

Thank goodness JSL seems very excited about kindergarten. We went earlier in the week to orientation where he met both of his teachers and was able to explore his classroom. After we took a pile of papers out of his cubby, we sat down by his seat for him to do a little assignment for his teachers.

As soon as I read the instructions, he was ready to go. He wrote his name and got started. He knew exactly what he wanted to draw for his new teachers and when finished I asked to take a quick photo.

As the other children finished, the teachers called them over to the rug in the front of the room. They read The Kissing Hand (one of my favorites) to the group while parents worked on filling out some of the papers given to us. Then, the kids talked about the story, asked questions, and even parents had the opportunity to inquire about things.

As I get ready to send another kiddo into kindergarten, it inspired my question this week:

What kindergarten or elementary school memory is one of your favorites and why? It could be from your childhood or one of your children’s if you have any.

Disclosure: An Amazon Affiliate link for The Kissing Hand is included above. If you use it to purchase the book, I will receive a percentage from the sale.

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #218

Categories:
Aloha Friday Educational jsl milestone photos school

Back to School with Mabel’s Labels

Posted on August 30, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Labeling school items is a sporting event for me. I remember enjoying it when I helped organize my items as a student. Then, it was fun to have fresh items for my own classroom. Now, as the mother of a fourth grader and kiddo going into kindergarten it really gets interesting. I want to make sure that the kids know what is their own and that it stays that way for the entire school year.

A lot of my friends have been raving about Mabel’s Labels for a long time now. I would see their items on websites, and, more importantly, on their personal items at conferences and be impressed. When Mabel’s Labels reached out to me to try some of my own I jumped at the opportunity.

Since JSL was heading to kindergarten, I asked for his name. We received the Ultimate Back-To-School Combo package. This is what it looked like in the package (name obviously blacked out):

JSL does not start kindergarten until after Labor Day, so we have not completely gathered his items to label yet. Of course, he HAD to test them out. So we pulled out a new doodle notebook that he has for practicing his writing in. Here is what Skinny-Minis looked like on there. His name is partially removed, but you can see the easy to read font and great hockey icon (how did they know he liked hockey?):

For a closer look, I went to their website and made a test view of the different items that we received in the combo:

What I love is that Mabel’s Labels are durable. After seeing them used by other children and people that I know, they last and hold up to use. They are waterproof, so they will not run if they get wet. They can go into the dishwasher, so the new thermos for lunch can immediately get a hockey label for JSL. I can also use the tag mates to label clothing without ironing or sewing (bonus points in my book). One of the Teeny Tags will be heading onto JSL’s generic looking lunch bag that you can not write on.

The Ultimate Back-To-School Combo pack is only available until September 28. The items seen above sell for $42. There are also Back to School items including a Tween Pack, Preschool shoe labels, and Book Label packages. Of course, there are many other durable items available from Mabel’s as well. I think NHL is now jealous and wants us to order them. After my experience this time, I am sure there will be an order in our future.

As a teacher, I recommend that you do not skimp on labeling. The better you prepare the items in September, the less likely you are to need to replace them later in the year because they are lost.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Ultimate Back-To-School Comb package from Mabels Labels in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Categories:
jsl photos Product review school shopping

Photos on the Go – Appreciating Nature

Posted on August 27, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

You never know what may be photo worthy when you are out and about. Often times, I just use my phone quickly to capture something that I want to check into later. Sometimes, I know if I do not get it with my phone , the moment will be lost by the time I get my camera out of my purse. Here are some of those moments from the last week that focus on nature.

On Sunday, it was time to tackle the over grown lawn. Thanks to the dry summer, TechyDad has used our new Black and Decker lawn mower much. It came out and did a nice job shortening the green weeds that make up our lawn areas.

While wondering around, I also noticed a single white rose. This new rose plant came off of one that had previous been died. None of the other buds made it this year, but this beautiful sign of life came out to say hello that morning.

While heading into the library on Monday, the boys and I noticed a lot of activity in the butterfly garden. There were at least a dozen butterflies flying around the flowers. They were amazing to watch and the boys asked me to take out the camera to snap a photo. On the way out, I snagged an extra one with my phone and there was a little bee hanging out as well.

While walking back into the house on Wednesday, a little someone caught my eye. Thank goodness it was nothing too exciting. Just a beautiful little lady that I noted in my letter to the boys.

Then, while getting the garbage cans ready, I noticed the beautiful blooms on the side of the house. These trees have really taken over this summer and the flowers on them have remained for weeks.

No, these photos may not be perfect, but they were taken while on the go. I was able to spend a few moments appreciating nature, her creations, and capture them to look at and smile again later. No doubt these will be appreciated more in the winter months.

What photos have you taken while out and about this week? I would love to know and hear more about how you capture those unique moments while on the go.