School's Out For Summer!

First day of summer vacay and my dear children all woke up at 9:00! Woo-hoo! It rained and rained and rained all day, but that's Oregon for you I guess! 

Here are some pics from yesterday:

The kids took an orange-y treat to their teachers: orange Tic-Tacs, orange Trident, OSU candy bar, and orange Crystal Light all in an orange cup. (Pinterest)

We so lucked out getting Mrs. Carroll for two kids, we're crossing our fingers that Gus gets her too!

This year was Porter's teacher's first year and she was amazing!

Friends since Kindergarten!

Brinley and Brooklyn on the first and last day of Kindergarten
The kids started working on their summer to-do list too!

I feel like I've got my balls all back up in the air now...

"All we are is dust in the...air."

Was I the only one counting down the hours until this moment??

Okay, after a lot of Pinterest searching and calls to my sister for her approval, I've got the teacher gifts lined out...however I can't quite share them yet, because at least one of them reads this! :)  

(She put this sticker on her face and told me she's getting it really pierced when she gets married.  Lord, help me.)

Brooklyn decided after her bath tonight that she wants to grow her bangs out, which is totally fine with me because I'm not quite sure where they start/stop or how far back they go, and I'm just cutting them all the time.  

Porter's baseball games keep getting cancelled, which is also fine with me because it's not like I really get to watch them anyway when I'm trying to keep Gus from running out in the parking lot the entire time.  

Gus is just talking up a storm, even more so when I take his Binky out.  Speaking of Binkies, did you know they aren't supposed to have one after age two?  I keep trying to explain this to Gus, but he just says, "No, my Binky!"
Also, now that he's two, I can turn his carseat forward, but since he doesn't seem bothered by it at all, I just left him facing back.  You win some, you lose some: screwed up teeth/safer in a crash. 

Nate got burned really bad over the weekend (second degree burns on his arms). There was a malfunction with a propane grill and he basically took a fireball to the chest.  He keeps thanking me for making him wear a cotton undershirt under his super flammable dry fit polo that completely melted off.  

Six days of school left...BRING IT!

Are there really only 7 days of school left? Like, I'm not ready for this...

I mean, I am sorta ready to relax and not have to get up so early, but I feel like the only mom that hasn't planned out my end of year teacher gifts, and I just realized my kids are going to be home all day every day fighting nonstop.  Ahhh, summertime.

Photo dump:

She ran her first 5K in 38 minutes!

He adores his big brother...and calls him Porky.

We rode on the Elks float in our town's annual parade.

Spirit week at school!

Crazy hat and sock day

Twin day!  
Both of my kids wanted to dress like their teachers.

The preschool teacher that I had and Porter and Brooklyn had retired.  A legend in this town!  My sister is going to try to fill her shoes, so Gus will get to have his Aunt Lo-Lo.

teacher appreciation week {W,Th,F}

 An apple for the teacher!

 I can't believe I've already turned her paperwork in for 1st grade!!

 Teachers need to eat something besides cafeteria food right?

(Our school mascot is a raccoon.)

Cake batter truffles.  

(I made a bunch extra and ate them for breakfast this morning!)

Hopefully we helped our teachers to feel appreciated this week!

teacher appreciation week {days 1 & 2}

We just love our teachers. I mean, we really do. Somehow we lucked out with the best school and the best teachers! 
I always like to do little things for them throughout their special week. Here's what the kids brought them Monday and today:

It's 9:30 here and I still haven't figured out what I'm sending tomorrow morning...
I'm thinking of making some no bake cake batter truffles!

Found in Brooklyn's pocket:

funny Friday

(Texting with my brother-in-law)
 
Me: Where are you?

Him: Cruisin' with my mind on my money and my money on my mind.

Him: Why?  Wanted to tell me how much of an angel Libby is?

Me: Hahahaha I didn't know if I should bring her home or what...

Him: We will let you spend some quality time with your niece.

Me: After chasing her around a parking lot, I've had my fill. 

Him: I had to pick up three dozen belts your daughter knocked off a rack while belt shopping.

Me: Awesome.

Found in Brooklyn's backpack:

I'm guessing these are things that she likes...
Cats, cupcakes, the letter B, pudding with sprinkles, feathers, VAGINAL CREAM???

6 year old questions

Whenever she's playing "mommy" she has to wear a pair of my heels and a scarf.

"Mama, why do crocodiles live under the sewer?"

"Mommy, how do you get tummy aches?"

"Mommy, does honey get old?"

"Mama, why can't old people drive if they are 99?"

"When I get bigger as the size of you, can I have your clothes?"

"Ew, why does your breath smell like poop?"

"Mom, why do people blink their eyes?"

"Why are you so gassy?!"    

Happy Valentine's Day!

 Kindergarten Valentines

I bought these erasers in October on clearance...do you see that? $1.40 for 12!  

I knew I could eventually use them for something!  Since Brooklyn has a nut-free classroom this year, they were perfect.

 Porter's 2nd grade class is actually nut-free as well, so he passed out these Valentines.

 This guy is gonna break a lot of hearts some day!

 Oh, check out what I found...our first Valentine's day 2001.  We went to a Celtics game and actually wore these outfits!  I look like a wannabe gangster with my 14 year old boyfriend!

 And here we are this year at our super non-romantic Valentine's dinner with the kids!

 At least our friends could join us and sympathize.

(Brooklyn and Brinley already have it all figured out that Brinley can marry Porter so that she and Brooklyn can be sisters-in-law.  I think they all want to live together too.)

 Our favorite teachers got these.

 And because my sister always relies on me to do her crafty business, I whipped up these Valentines for my niece and nephew. 

 Am I, like, the coolest Aunt?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy No School Holiday

I wonder if home school kids get today off...they should. 

Sometimes I like to do little projects from Pinterest just so I feel accomplished over a lazy weekend, you know what I mean?

I'm super proud of myself for doing these two:

 

for the kid with the abscessed tooth :(

Brag moment:

Barnes kids

Students of the Month for January!

Here are Libbs and Gus sitting in my beloved rocker.

When I was pregnant with Porter, Nate bought me a rocking chair from Toys R Us.  I've rocked all my babies in it.  It's been painted and recovered, and I love it for the memories of just me and my babies...

Here is what is left of it. 

Let's just say...
my Brother-in-law.  leaning back.  wood splintering.  crashing to the floor.  so sad.

I'm putting together a crafty plan to keep it's memory alive!