Go on BID!

Spanky's school is holding a silent auction at the annual Spring Picnic. We're looking for donations like this:

1. If you work for a company or have a business that has a service or product that could be donated, please consider making a donation. Examples: Gift certificates for beauty salon, music or language lessons, hotels, jewelry, makeup, tools, lawn services, auto body work or service, car wash or detailing, clothing, electronics, household items, games.


2. If you have a family member or neighbor that works for a company or has a business that could donate a service or product, please ask them if they could donate.

3. If you have a co-worker or friend with a special skill, such as making ceramics, sewing, wood working, etc. ask them if they could make or donate something.

4. If you don't know anyone, can you ask at the businesses that you patronize, the grocery, your barber, a baker or florist, a convenience store, etc. and see if they would be willing to donate. (Corporations are less likely to donate last minute, but all businesses will ask for a letter with the school information on it.) I will provide a sample letter next week, that folks can copy and use for asking for donations.

5. If you or someone you know travels a lot and has airline vouchers, or hotel coupons, or time-share days somewhere, these also make great items to auction.

6. Maybe you got a gift for the holidays that you didn't need and have not used, re-gifting to the auction is ok if you think someone else might appreciate it!

7. Maybe you have season tickets to the symphony or theater or a sporting event, and could donate one set of tickets to the auction.

8. If you can't do any of the above, consider making or buying something to donate. Here are just a few ideas that sell well:
*Themed gift baskets (movie night, beauty day, coffee break, lotsa pasta dinner, baking time, bucket o' bbq, garden bag, camping kit, game night, travel kit, ethnic foods, sports items)
*International items (unique boutique items, hand made)
*Tools and fishing equipment
*Quilts and afghans
*toy boxes, rocking horses and other wood objects
*Montessori themed toys and works and games
*Emergency Grab and Go kit for family - necessary objects for 3 days survival

So if you have a donation you'd like to make, please email me at mishaleestrunk @ yahoo dot com

***AND***

Check out THIS blog for a really cool auction to help an amazing family go to Africa to help the people there. The bidding opens today and there are some really amazing things to bid on. Go on, get outta here...bid!

Two Months!

It's not as boring as all this really...

There's lounging for photo shoots....

...snuggling with dad...

...napping...

...more napping...

...smiling...

...swinging (with stylish new cap)...

...and overall melting mama's heart.

We're having a great time with our new little bundle. We visit the doc on the 10th, so I'll have more of an update then. I'm guessing 16 pounds. Max is a sweet little boy and so alert. I have to remind myself that he is still an infant, you still have to support his neck a little, he still cries like an infant, but he's so big that it's easy even for me, to think of him as older then he is...

He is smiling so much and coo-ing, it's so fun to watch!

I've dusted off my Montessori books (Montessori from the Start and How to Rise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way) and we're working on a few sensory games. I hold a small soft toy on a string over him and he bats at it with his little fist, so cute. I also make sure I am describing things to him...when we change a diaper I wash his hands with a wipe (cloth of course) and we talk about it being soft, warm, wet... I don't have a swatch collection of different textures, but I will, (think Pat the Bunny without the book.) So for now we make due with what we've got, which is what both of the Montessori books I mentioned are about!

***Update: 14.3# and 24.5 inches long!

First

I had my boy all to myself this morning. I snuggled him, studied his perfect little face as he slept and thanked Heavenly Father for such a gift. I woke him up at the last minute to get ready for his first day of first grade.

He took a shower and I didn't have to hurry him, a first. He brushed his teeth, got dressed and combed his hair while I made his lunch. The clothes are all Spanky...he requested only one outfit for school, black jeans-red polo-red converse, and a mom has got to appreciate how well it all coordinates with his lunch bag. I offered to help him with his new shoes, but he said he'd get it. Next thing I know he announces he's tied his shoes all by himself, another first. I slip a love note into his lunch bag, amazed at how well I am keeping it together. Go Mom!

He asks if I'll take his picture, last year he tried to hide from me. I snap a few out front and we head out the door to share a pancake breakfast. He doesn't look twice at the play area, another first. Then we're off to school.

I walked him to the door of his new class. Thank heaven a kiss from mom is still acceptable. I got in my car before tears escaped and as I'm sitting there trying to hold it together, I realize I haven't signed him in yet. I find a napkin and try to adjust my face, get out, sign him in and then get back to my car before I am officially labeled The Crazy Mom.

You could blame it on pregger hormones, but....I did this last year and the year before. Probably will next year too. I love that kid and I know his awesome Montessori school is where he needs to be, or else I wouldn't be leaving him there.

Bet I am the first parent in car line! Is it 2:45 yet?

Kitchen & Apron Sewing

FINALLY, I have completed a couple of projects for the kids.

The apron is a free pdf you can get here.

The roll-up kitchen is also a freebie you can find here.

Both were very simple to make. I would have liked to do a better job on the kitchen and add a few embellishments (like H & C for hot and cold on the sink knobs.) I was totally being pressured by a persistent 4yo girl who had prep'd 'burger-cheese's' and was waiting on me to be able to cook. People were hungry, there was no time for extras.

The apron is very small. Perfect for the 4yo, but I have some star wars fabric I want to make one for Spanky out of, so I will have to make the pattern pieces larger. All in all, these were fun to make and used very little in the way of supplies.

I am super grateful for talented ladies who share their talents so beautifully and without asking for anything in return. Now that's friendly!

Post 101

Check me out....I've had something to say 101 times! I am way better at this then I am at keeping a journal.

Well, I've got projects galore in the works. This week I made wristlets and I'm almost done with the matching scarf for my sister-in-law who is currently freezing her buns off in London.

One of my former daycare kids is getting baptised tomorrow, so I am working on a "Remember Who You Are" picture frame. I was also asked to give a short talk at the baptism, so I need to prepare that.

My sons school is putting on an opera, "The Song of Hiawatha" and I get to sew up 8 pairs of brown pants. Granted they are the easy jamma style pants, but remember how I got Spanky's Christmas jammas done at like 10pm on Christmas Eve and Diggers on Christmas morning and mine on New Years? Ya, so I get the fabric this afternoon and need to have the pants sewn up by Tuesday or Wednesday. Lucky for me...my mom-in-law is coming to spend the week with me starting Monday, woohoo!!! It's a wonder she keeps coming back, I set up a little sweat shop for her and make her sew all sorts of things, I was suppost to sew myself!

My housework has suffered the last couple of weeks, due to another yet-to-be-named project. My husband has been a lot of help, but you know...the house really needs a "woman's touch." So that is my big weekend project...clean up the house! I pray for the energy to accomlish all my tasks!

What are you working on?

Pictures of completed projects coming soon.....Have a great weekend.

Popcorn Words!

Yet another fabulous Hybrid Kid download.....Popcorn Sight Words!

Check them out in action>>>

Spanky made his own list of words.

Not sure why et, I don't think he's even seen the movie, but hey...works for me!

I added a Velcro dot to the envelope for storing the letters and put everything in a page protector for easy storage.

Mel includes a blank page in the download, so I googled more words and now have a set of six pages that get progressively harder. There are also blank flashcards and what I am doing with those is when the child can name the word on the paper all by themselves, they get that word added to their 'book.' I'll laminate it, hole punch one corner and put it on a binder ring...soon they will see one of these words and POP ~ they'll know just what it is!

Montessori Love

Montessori is such a great fit for us and I can see places where it would benefit the kids I tend afterschool. I printed this worksheet for my son (5yo) and a 7yo daycare cutie to work on. She read the instructions and Spanky told her where each continent was located. He didn't learn that at home and I didn't know he knew. Thank you Montessori! It's such a moment when you see that little light click on and knowledge take hold. We've had quite a few of those moments this year. Which makes me sooo happy and want to cry all at the same time.