Home Journal: Printable Children's Chore Charts

This one was mainly done for Kaelyn.

She always asks what she can do to help, and I can't ever think of anything on short notice. However her new bedroom is now divided in "stations". We made a "book club" under her bed, and she got a used barbie sized princess castle at the local thrift store after losing her first tooth, and then there is the dress up area, her desk, etc. Right now it is her desk, the book club, and the castle that catch hell so That's what her chore chart focuses on, and I added "Ask Momma for a Chore" for when the other areas need picked up.

Screenshot

I am still working on a boy/neutral one and a teen one but for now here is  MS Office .docx and a PDF.

DOWNLOAD

Pink/Hello Kitty Chore Chart, Microsoft.docx

Pink/Hello Kitty Chore Chart, PDF



  PS: Just a reminder to my printables followers!, Nitro PDF allows you to type text into ANY pdf, save, and/or print it, or even create your own. Best of all... It's FREE!!! Check it out HERE. I'm not an affiliate, so I get nothing for sending you to it. I just love it and think you will too!

Summer Fun - in a fun way!

I have discovered a new favoruite website. Wordle. You can use it to make subway art. You know the fun abstract shaped random words? I used it to make a Summer Fun list for our family.

I took a list of summer fun to do: crafts, trips, foods, activities, and more for indoor and outdoor fun on rainy and sunny days and created my own Wordle :-)

I printed it on plain printer paper and will be framing it in a regular glass frame to make it dry erasable.

Here are a few things to know about Wordle:

• You can't save from the site, but you can "print screen" or use your snipping tool and paste into a photo editing program to print. See their FAQ for more info.
• A space means a new word. So "Summer Fun 2012" would print in 3 separate places, but "SummerFun2012" prints together, so plan accordingly with your words. All of mine are Capitalized OnTheFirstLetterOfEachWord. :-p
• If you want certain words to stand out (mine are summer fun, Freitas Family, and to a lesser degree, Get new Library Card, Rainsticks, etc), List the word more than once. The more you repeat it, the bigger it is. My word list looked like this:

FreitasFamily

FreitasFamily

FreitasFamily

FreitasFamily

SummerFun2012

SummerFun2012

SummerFun2012

SummerFun2012

Farmer'sMarket

Farmer'sMarket

SprinklerFun

SprinklerFun

Bubbles

Bubbles

SidewalkChalk

SidewalkChalk

FairyHouse

FairyHouse

GetNewLibraryCard

GetNewLibraryCard

NakedEggs

BeachTrip

CampOut

Smores

PuppetTheater

TieDye

Sunprints

SeashellGarden

HammeredFlower

LeafPrints

PaintedRocks

PaperBagWindSock

Hopscotch

FlowerPinwheels

Kaleidoscopes

PressedFlowerArt

TissuePaperButterflies 

ClothespinDolls

VacationMemoryJars

TinCanStilts

RainSticks

RainSticks

Checkerboards

BulletinBoards

FriendshipBracelets

RainbowJello

FruityLemonade

NatureWalk

Swimming

WaterFight

MovieNight

SockPuppets

TeaParty

Picnic

PIZZA!

TourCapital

VisitMuseums

Windchime

Each stands for a thing to do, go to, make, experiment with, etc.

• You can choose custom colors. Colors is the ONLY attribute you can change without the format changing. So make sure you like your shape and then set your custom color pallette.
• Play with all the nifty buttons & the menu links at the top of the button - It's COOL!
• Have fun!

See my Summer Fun 2012 page to follow along as we complete our list!

I also put them in scraps of card stock in a jar so she can pic then randomly for us! Today we get...

I guess she's not telling? :-)

PS: Just a reminder to my printables followers!, Nitro PDF allows you to type text into ANY pdf, save, and/or print it, or even create your own. Best of all... It's FREE!!! Check it out HERE. I'm not an affiliate, so I get nothing for sending you to it. I just love it and think you will too!

My kids, My life ♥

An amazingly talented friend made this for me and I am IN LOVE with it...

So I just wanted to share :)

When I picked the quote I was searching for something about sand to go with their pictures from the beach. I didn't know it was a song. All I knew was that the quote fit where I am in my life now perfectly.

Infertility was my mountain. A battle I faced, and I've only recently realized that it never had the power to completely defeat me because it was too late!!! I have these two in my heart & life... already in my hands.

The song however... the one playing in the background.... wow!
Very fitting.  FYI: Screw you, Infertility.

Tip Me Tuesday: Re-Purposing Tees to Bags!

Today I'm gonna hang out at

 

with some re-purposed tees the girls and I made into reuseable bags!

Our easy instructions (step by step pics soon!):

1. Snip the collar & sleeves off.
2. Trim a loop off the sleeve & stretch it out to make a lacing.
3. Snip holes in the bottom band,
4. Thread "lacing" through & tie off.

WE LOVE IT!!!!!

Kae used a tank so there was no need to cut her collar off, but Halie and I liked the slouchiness (is that a word???) of the looser handles from the sleeves & collar being snipped. It was great way to save some of their favorite shirts that didn't fit but I couldn't convince them to give away. I'm thinking about making a whole stash of them (all those tees with worn edges or small stains?) for my Aldi shopping trips!

We got this idea from the Dollar Store Crafts Blog!

For full instructions go to:
Three Awesome Teen Girl Craft Night Ideas

 

An update...Finally!

Well, as you can tell from the lack of posting the decision making time came and went without a pregnancy announcement. I am currently on birth control and hoping the hormones don't kill me (or me someone else) before I get used to them. It's 10 days in and I feel horrid. Suggestion is wait 3 months to "adjust"... hurry up July!

In other news, we've decided to move into an older rental on private property. No fancy schmancy amenities like a pool... or a dishwasher (except Halie **evil mom laugh**) but there is a YARD and it's PRIVATE and it's about $100 less on rent with no need for the $70 storage facility. Sounds good to me even though I have to buy my own fridge.

We're moving as soon as the girls get out of school, but we get the keys 2 weeks before to get stuff moved in. It's gonna get crazy here for a while. I HATE packing and moving, unpacking is ok. This has to be my zillionth move in my 34 years of life. I'll survive.

Both the girls are as excited as we are about the move because we're moving near friends, so that's a plus for them Now all we have to do is survive the end of kindergarten (no sweat!) and 9th grade (sweating!)...

Saving me & mine...

In January 2012, I suffered an early term pregnancy loss. Suffered is putting it mildly. After years of trying it opened up a whole new world of pain I forgot existed. To see that positive test and have my body rip it away immediately was mind numbing and soul wrecking.

It made me realize not only how bad I really wanted another child, but how bad TTC is hurting me.

I have come to a long and hard decision. Instead of "TTC in 2012" and stopping TTC at the end of the year... we're "TTC a 2012 baby". I have an appointment for my annual exam on March 28th. It should be right around the time I ovulate for a late December EDD. If I am not pregnant in time for a 2012 EDD, I'm getting back on birth control to preserve what fertility I DO have left until IVF is feasible for us or my uterine problems finally cause need for a hysterectomy.

I love TTC (to an extent obvisouly) and I DO want another child so friggin badly, but I just can't do this anymore. It's tearing me apart.... and one huge thing makes me believe this is the right choice: no tears when I made the decision, and even more telling no tears anymore listening to and singing  aloud to Kellie Coffey's "I Would Die For That."

If you've never TTC you will never understand how much that song hurts.. if you have... you understand why I feel that no tears is a huge turning point. The song still pulls at my heart, but for other reasons I now believe. Amy, Mike & Jackson - Michelle, John, & Riley - Trish, Dave, & Sam.. (just to name very few miracles "in" my life) now give that song the message of hope that it should, rather than the feelings of despair that it did.

I have to stop the cycle of hope, pain, and depression. Not just for me, but for my family.

• My girls have started talking about stuff  "for our baby"... and while I was ok for a long time with hurting myself with the "what ifs" I cannot do it to them.
• My husband has a valid point.. well several.
• That while I am trying to start a career this is no longer the best time to try
• That I am stressing myself out over things I really can't control and it would be fine to TTC if I just could stop caring so much... and we know that can't happen!
• My husband has never uttered one word about this, but I know the loss affected him. He saw a message on my phone about testing and thought I was hiding a BFP surprise from him.
• The stress of TTC and the effect it has on my emotions causes a LOT of spats.. fights.. WARS in our marriage. I admit that usually I am to blame because I can't express myself and I lash out ot everything. He deserves better.
• Believe it or not, I am not upset about this decision. I am oddly comforted. I have a goal: get pregnant. I have a expiration date: EDD December 2012. I have an alternative: birth control until another option becomes available.

Do I WANT to get pregnant before my EDD goal runs out? HELL YES! Will I be upset if I do not meet that goal? Right now. I don't know.

I do know that this is what I need, and my emotions, or lack thereof make me believe that is it the CORRECT decision. I'm good with this.. it's a relief.

I'm ending this with the song that everyone who knows an infertile should hear.. and you know what. EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN, because LIKE it or not, KNOW it or not, BELIEVE it or not, someone you know IS an infertile... and most can't/won't admit it because they know so very few people who would understand.

So big!

This is the runt yelling "school!" to take a pic for her grandparents her first day of school...she's really growing up too fast! :(

A rant.

There are some important days in a child's life where she wants her daddy.. her first trick or treat... first day of school... first date... graduation... her wedding.

Since work seems to make him want to miss the first few.. maybe he'll make her first date or graduation??


  Would you like a free tarot reading? Click here.

Growing up...

Two posts.. in ONE week?? Whatever has happened to me?!?!? LOL! Ok so I've been slacking! This one isn't even about food!!!  It's about one of the loves of my life... and how she is growing up too fast!!

Seriously? Can they just STOP growing up on me? They get smelly & mouthy & ..... le sigh. Oh well, suck it up, Mom! Enjoy it while it lasts, huh? At any rate, my baby girl, Kaelyn turned 5 the beginning of June and in August she will join the ranks if school-going children everywhere. I'm gonna have a hard few weeks until I realize I enjoy the quiet LOL! We've started slowly grabbing school clothes one suit at a time and I'm letting her pick and she has done well.

A turning point...

So i'm an idiot...

I've been looking at this diet as things I can't have like:

I can't have wheat (I become a swollen sinus tissue snot factory)... so there goes pasta, pizza, crackers, cookies..

My stomach hurts like hell when trying to digest meat... so there goes a lot of "base" meals...

Ok yeah it's a lot when you think about the general american meal...

But I got the digestive herbal stuff (look for one with enzymes like papain - a papaya enyome- that helps naturally break down protein) a friend on my mommy boards suggested and let me tell you IT WORKS!!! I can take it one with each meal I wanna splurge on with meat (and maybe the one after with some high fiber greens to be safe) so can have meat on occasion and not feel like death has arrived in my small intestine.

Then it hit me...

I eat rice crackers.
I eat rice crust pizza.
I eat rice flour pasta.

MAKE A FUCKING POT OF RICE & GRAVY!  DUH!

Ok maybe that is a little harsh, but really.. I am a southern girl!! I grew up on rice and gravy... beans and rice.. WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT!!!

Most gravies I make I can scoop the gravy out without getting meat.. I usually cube the chicken or steak or I make meatballs. So far as I can tell the broth from the meats don't hurt me, and I can always take an enzyme extract to make sure. Beans & rice are like a God send as I can actually eat with my family!!!

Today is a turning point in this diet! WOOT!!!

They like the soups and veggie dishes I make. I usually cook a slab of animal on the side for the hubs and my kids could really take or leave meat.

Then the other day George (DH) actally said "I don't see why we don't just all eat like you?"
  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
I was like.. "YOU... aren't gonna eat... meat?"
He was like.. "Well... besides that.."


I guess SOME sacrifices are just too much to ask for LOL!

Calliope is HOME!!!

More details asap, but our rescue kitty is home with us!!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

New (and completed!) lapbook!

First I want to give mad love for Alison at http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/!! Kaelyn has been begging to have more "schoolwork" since her sister became homebound and with college, I haven't had time to create her packets the way I wanted..

I started a "B is for Butterflies" packet.. it was huge and un-fun (for me). I had  worksheets that she colored a few of traced some letters, and the only thing she really used out f it was the Butterfly Life Stages matching game... (Note: the kid LOVES matching games!)

Here is our original lapbook:

See? not pretty! So I was surfing facebook at an ungodly hour....(3am) and tater tots and jello put up a status about these mommy packets at Oopsy Daisy.. that is http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/ if you can't click the link. I want that clear because this mommy is our new best friend!!!!

Did you get the link: http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/ :D

She has what she calls mommy packets for her toddler. I can use them by adding a few "older" things for Kae. She obviously spends an amazing amount of time gathering all this info and shares it with the blogging community. FREE!!! Pure love!

I printed the Mommy Packet "Z is for ZOO" as 2 pages per sheet, cut it in half and stapled what was for Mom in one packet, divided some other stuff up to add later (more songs, "play-a-longs" to go with fun kid books about animals & zoos, AND MORE! Another Note: I need a felt board.), and created a smaller, usable, and PRETTIER lapbook using 1/2 a manilla folder, by cutting out things to fit into the LB, like: 

• the zoo animal matching game (Kae is gonna love that!!)
• the "Z" and "6" templates
• a song for each side
• the mini "Z is for Zoo" coloring book 
• a tiger puzzle (in 6 pieces to match the theme)
• and her tracable "Z" pages
• then I went & found a few traceable "6" pages.

A little glue, a few paper clips, and I'm done. yes, D-O-N-E! (Other than I still have to find room for the circle activities!)

I'm so excited I'm almost masochistic enough to go wake Kaelyn up.. but not quite.. I'll finish this quiet cup of coffee first.

THANKS AGAIN, ALISON!!!

Starting the adoption process on (hopefully) the next member of our family

Her name is Calliope (though they said it "Cali-ope-ay). Click her pic for her adoption agency page :-)

We went to PetCo yesterday for what we thought was an adoption event for the local adoption/rescue place but they postponed it because yesterday was the big basketball tourney :rolleyes: but Calliope was there and they were cleaning her litter and she was trying to escape so we offered to hold her. They said "Ok but be careful she is shy and takes a while to warm up to people."

HA!! She crawled right into my DDs arms & tilted her head back & started purring! Cali (our escue dog) was with us and decided to investigate and she looked over at cali, closed her eyes and went back to nudging my hand. I took this as "It's a dog.. whatever PET ME!"

She's full grown but still a tiny thing.. that fluff isn't cat, it's all fur! LOL! We're so in love with her :sillylove:

I just called the lead organizer and asked her to call me about starting the process. I'll keep you posted!

"Homeschooling" for Pre-school?

Kaelyn has been showing a LOT of interest in school and I think it's GREAT since she starts kindergarten this coming fall. Recently  her teenage sister was suspended for the next upcoming week (a whole 'nother story) and Kaelyn wanted her own schoolwork to do with her. So I knew this awesome woman I met was homeschooling her pre-schooler, so I hopped over to her blog Royal Baloo and from there zipped along to various other homeschooling websites.

I've started making her a "Lapbook" for Monday on the topic she chose from http://www.preschoolpost.com/ -- BUTTERFLIES! I'm changing it up a bit because their letter to go with it was U and when we started talking she was a little confused... and actually asked me why they were using "the second letter and not this one" (pointing at "b". When I showed her the written word BUTTERFLY.

Here's my ideas that I'll divide over the week (most of this is from http://www.preschoolpost.com/ and http://twistynoodle.com/ (where you can choose the text on your worksheets!!!) :

Letter/Color Worksheets (these words are in dotted print to trace and have the pictures in italics): 

• B is for a lot! (banjo, box, butterfly, Bb, binoculars)
• Beautiful Butterfly (butterfly)
• Kaelyn can sign B (a hand signing B in ASL)
• B is for Boy (sketch figure boy)
• B is for Blue &
• B is for Brown

Number/Shape Worksheets (these words are in dotted print to trace and have the pictures in italics

• Four  4 (domino showing 3/1 pips)
• Square (4 large, 4 medium, & 4 small squares)

Number Fun

• Stretchy counting caterpillar (folded accordion style and numbers show when you stretch him
• Matching/Counting cards (with a chrysalis & 3 types of butterflies on them) 

Butterfly fun

Life stages (a circle divided in 4 with a header to glue the stages on)

What butterflies live by me (planning on a worksheet & a trip to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at the end of the week/weekend - they have a butterfly room!!!!!!!)

And she LOVES "I spy" so I found this cute "I Spy" craft based on "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" that we made this morning with a Gatorade bottle that she is LOVING! I have a feeling after this week is up we'll be moving on to keeping it in the truck. We play "I spy" in the truck while on the road so here are a few ideas I have for the bottle.

• Shake and sing "What do I see?" and name the animal & color.
• Someone asks "I spy something RED. etc." Shake it till you find the Red Bird, etc.
• For on the road, we can shake it and pic the color that comes up and find matching things around us.

Other than that I'm out of ideas... any suggestions are welcome. Too much? Not enough for a week? 

4 down.. plenty to go!

Pounds that is.. but it's a start right?

All I've been doing is watching what I eat and trying to NOT eat after midnight.... I'm pretending I'm Mogli...  I know.. I KNOW! You're not supposed to eat after like 8 or 10 or whatever, but I stay up LATE. I have to pace myself... we'll go drastic later! LOL!

happy musings on a disgruntled blog

My husband is the most amazing man on earth. He helped me cope with some crazy (not good) feelings I had never had before and made me come out not only feeling better, but feeling like a better wife. I love him.. like this:

Things to talk about...

Thing 1: Halie will be 13 in less than 24 hours. Where has the time gone?

Thing 2: My husband is the most amazing man on earth. He helped me cope with some crazy (not good) feelings I had never had before and made me come out not only feeling better, but feeling like a better wife. I love him.. like this:

Things I miss..

 
I miss... mammaw & pawpaw having us visit for the weekend for some tlc.
I miss... being able toconvince at least one of my BR friends that it is time for some Starbucks or CCs!
I miss... being able to send the kids and dog to thr yard without a leash or form of communication.
I miss... huge cheap seafood dinners.
I miss... Maggie ('nuff said).
I miss... babysitting my little sunshine once a month.
I miss.. having more to blog about LOL!

Quotes from a princess...

This little girl alternates between melting my heart, making me laugh till I cry, and driving me crazy.

Just since lunch:

• "Mom, I love you." (no reason)
• "You are so pretty mom." (with a towel on my wet head and mascara running down my face)
• "I'm so proud of you, Mom." (when I put Dora on Netflix for her)
• "And just what do you think you're doing?" (when I stole a bite of her orange)
• "Mom. we need to pack. We are going see my sister at our maw maw's" (just now)

 Yeah, she likes to remind me I have work to do too..

Thoughtful Thursday

What will my life be like when my move to North Carolina is complete?

I am leaving behind so many friends, and all the family I have, much like George did when he chose to move to Louisiana with Halie and I. I know we will survive-we always do- but we will miss our friends and family here.

I also look forward to the possibilities that are open to us. I already chat with some wonderful ladies online who live in the area, some close, some a days drive away - some with children, some without - all waiting. I know that the strong friendships I have formed with them in the cyber world will only strengthen as we meet. Trust me, they have accepted and loved me at my worst or best and discussed things that would make even my husband blush. One has already volunteered to help me unpack.. and Kaitie, my dear, I AM holding you to that!

And then there is the prospect of new friends-Oh the excitement! Our apartment complex hosts soirees frequently to promote friendship within the complex, so I hope thyat we all meet friends our caliber here. Kae and Halie would benefit from having friends their age, and it would put Halie not feeling so lost when she starts school. Teenagers! I woudl love to meet a 16-17 yr old or two that could babysit once a month so we could see a movie again before I turn 40, LOL!

There is a dreaded fear that I will become a recluse, unable to find friends or venture from my apartment- guess I'll just have to prevent that!!

Notes for today:
Don't forget: the GIVEAWAY! (closes Friday at 6PM!)
I am currently reading:

<p><p><p>  </p></p></p>I love it! Not everyone is a short story lover, but I am a Stephen King lover! I read his author's forward, afterword, & about the author the back page.. like that has changed in 20 years! If the man puts it to written word, I'm all in! I can't even remember my first SK book.. I read 1 and devoured so many more in rapid sequence that I cant decide which it was any more. My favorites are The Dark Tower Series (all of them),The Stand, Rose Madder, and Insomnia. If you like mystery with bits of oddball twists... go get it! You'll like it!


Things to do: Figure out a list of moving supplies I need... BAH!