teacher gifts

 a little look at this year's end of year 

teacher gifts...made with love by ella & bennett

 we cut up some bright colored handkerchiefs

and used our modge podge to decorate some clay pots.

we then filled with them with some flowers along with a message that read,

"thank you for helping me to bloom!"

 ella wanted to give something to all her teachers (art, music, gym, etc)
and the main office (principal, nurse, etc) too
so we came up with this wee more simple version...

she painted the flower pots and picked out some seed packets
to go along with a note that read,

"thank you for planting the seed."

super easy and kiddo created!

last day of 1st

 the last day of first grade...

a...

spelling test taker

soda tab collector
citizenship award winner

frog explorer

math fact quizzer

jump roper

more confident idea sharer

report card getter

gymnastics and soccer player

hand clapping bus riding singer
mcgovern learner

daisy petal earner

money counter

time teller

2nd grader!

first day / last day

 looks like i should add teeth grower to the list!

planes, trains, automobiles...a day in this girl's shoes

hi.

a glimpse into this girl's day. a planes, trains, automobiles and new shoes day. an i can't  even believe it's still going day.

here it is...

a 3 am alarm.  getting ready for a monday morning day trip to ny.  kissing sleeping loved ones on the head. 

a drive to logan with the windows down and sunroof opened with the glow of the full moon over head.  

a very busy airport. grumpy tsa agents. a not so friendly pat-down. a sprint to catch the shuttle.

a sunrise landing in nyc while admiring lady liberty from above.

a long line of taxis. a rush hour commute.  a queasy belly (so so car sick).

a pit stop at starbucks.  a lipstick touch up. a quick call to check-in at home to say good morning and wish everyone a good day.  

back to back meetings, final rehearsals and a little bit of frenzy before meeting 30 media and entertainment clients and consultants.

discussions on diversity, health care reform and nyc's media and entertainment talent priorities.

a call from my travel office.  a cancelled flight back to boston. no other flight options back tonight.

a last minute booking on the acela.  an hour until boarding.  a scramble to pack up and jet out of the office.

a high-heeled, suit dressed sprint 12 blocks to penn station.

91 degrees. a sweaty hot mess.  

a desperate pit stop into american eagle for jeans, t-shirt and a pair of flats.  remembering why I haven't shopped at that store in nearly 10 years.  

a final sprint to the station.  a crazed scan of the board for my platform.  a dead end.  an hour delay.  

a bite to eat.  a magazine rack splurge.  an update from home.

and now a long train ride up to boston. then a taxi from south station over to logan to get my car.  and finally a drive home similar to this morning's with the moon overhead and sleeping loved ones tucked in their bed.

planes, trains and automobiles. a day in this girl's shoes. new and old shoes. 

can you even believe it?! not my day...but one i'll not doubt remember...

who needs a trampoline or sandbox?

who needs a trampoline or sandbox 

in the backyard when you have 

a massive pile of soil to play in?

this girl sure does love to get dirty.

i love that!

jane ruth

Jane Ruth Defoyd
Baptized on June 16, 2012
Faith Community Church in Hopkinton

thankful tuesday, 6/18

• celebrating the kids' wonderful dad
• giggling girls in the hammock
• baptism blessings for jane
• wes' determination to catch the groundhog who wiped out our broccoli plants
• fingernail scrubbers
• boarding the hispaniola hammock for treasure island reading with b
• first tooth for baby jane
• a great day with the cranstons
• garden plans with joel
• morning coffee and then evening gardening with my dad now that we are neighbors 
• lacing up the sneaks to jog (sprint) around the block with the kids on their bikes
• new bike adventures
• dinner with k&k and back of receipt drawings
• early saturday morning outings for breakfast 
• celebrating b's first year at little lambs
• being a chaperone 
• brown bag lunches
• morning mama therapy phone calls with betsy
• field day fun
• froggie first grade celebrations
• grace in the midst these year-end emotions
• forgiving our kids and them forgiving us

not so itsy. not so bitsy.

 those colorful and fun  paintings above 

were actually inspired by this guy...seriously!

this creature found on a rainy day left me trembling.

not so itsy.  not so bitsy.

 it also left me singing (& praying) that all the rain would "wash the spider OUT!"

the trauma was erased with a little spider inspired painting...or pencil erasing.

have you tried this with your littles?

you draw a simple outline and then dab and dot to fill it in

 with a pencil eraser dipped in paint.   

they came out super cute!

even cuter was brother using it as a prop 

and singing "itsy bitsy spider" to his baby sister!

happy father's day

we love this guy. a lot.

happy father's day wes!

So long daisies

more end of year celebrations to document.

this little daisy scout has bridged to brownies!

 she earned all the daisy petals for...

 

being honest and fair

making the world a better place

being friendly and helpful

using resources wisely

 respecting authority

being responsible for what she says and does

respecting herself and others

for being a sister to every girl scout

 two great daisy years!

friendships formed with sweet friends...sisters!

and as her troop co-leader we got to do this together! 

so long daisies...she's crossed the bridge...hello brownies!

ten on ten : june

ten on ten captured in black & white via my phone,

while my big girl camera is sidelined with a lens malfunction.

get ready wallet (and wes) for an equipment hit coming our way...gulp.

1.good morning smiles
2. brown bagged lunches packed for field trip day
3. chaperoning ella and her sweet friends
4. heart breaking for these beautiful animals in captivity
5. pulling into the driveway to this site
6. hot cocoa and books after a rainy afternoon at the zoo
7. a happy home spot
8. how all our day's battles fade away with night night snuggles
9. mr. inspecting the lens malfunction
10. this oldy but goody sweatshirt