Who says candy doesn't grow on trees.....

I found some cute halloween decor ideas in a magazine at my mum's house. We made one of them today...it is our Candy Corn Tree.

What you need: candy corn (of course), a few tree branches, a vase and a glue gun

It was pretty easy to assemble, just put your branches (take leaves off) in your vase and arrange. Then pour the candy corn in the vase. Take the glue gun, put a small amount on a piece of candy corn and stick to various limbs on the branch. My mum had bought the kids some halloween sun catchers that they painted, so we added those to hang on the tree. They enjoyed helping and eating the candy corn.

Pretty easy, just be careful with the glue gun - it is hot and sometimes messy.

We haven't made the second project yet, but it is a candy corn wreath - I loved the picture we saw and I'm thinking that will be our project next weekend.

We'll see how long that candy corn lasts in the vase....I told the kiddies that they couldn't eat it, but we all know how that is.....

"Well, that's nothing compared to the fury of a woman who has been cheated out of trick-or-treats." - Linus from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Coming to a Close.....

Well my work on the WIC project is coming to an end, I worked with some really great people and I think we turned out a great course. We met our deadlines and I made my "acting" debut, but the only way to see it is to actually take the course. It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for actors/actresses - I don't know how many times I messed up one simple sentence.
It was a great experience and opportunity - I enjoyed the work and it was nice to have my hands/mind working on something different. The course, "Cross-Cultural Communication & Nutrition Assessment" went public this week, so it is available for people to complete via http://www.prepareiowa.com or for a quick scan about the course, you can check out this flyer.

I'm glad I was able to offer my assistance and had a hand in shaping.....Thanks IPHP!

"I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they're interested in." - Bill Gates

Eyes so filled.....

So last night we got to bed later than normal. When we picked the hubs up from work, we had to take Auroara to a new home on a farm in Adel. I think he (the rooster) will enjoy being surrounded by so many other chickens. We didn't ask, but he traded us one of his laying hens and so we now have a new chicken, which my sweetpea said she will name it either Rosie or Ms. No Cone...hmmm wonder where she gets it. (to be continued.....)

Any who...we only read one book each. And as I'm reading, I will point to a word and have the kids tell me what it is, so last night I was doing that and my sweet pea was sounding the words out, etc...
I would gradually increase the word to two words, then three, and then a sentence...and her eyes filled up with such a joy that it must of clicked in her brain, that she was reading! It took us about 30 minutes to read "May I have a Cookie," but I knew that this was a moment she would remember forever.
She was so proud of herself as were me and the hubbers. We then read, "Put me in the Zoo" by Dr. Suess and my little man would read the "zoo" part and some other words. He definitely likes to follow his big sister, so he was equally proud that he was trying to do the same thing, I think he will probably be reading soon too.
This morning she said she was going to tell her teacher that she read and I told her she should, she should be proud of this moment. Granted my sweet pea could read several words, but she never attempted to read a book and I was so proud that she didn't give up, she stumbled on some words, but she continued to try, it was a great moment.
I remember the first time I read, it was "Where the Wild Things Are" and I was at the library with my sister and her friend, Melanie. Melanie was reading the book to me and was helping me, and like a little bulb that went off, something clicked and suddenly I understood what all those letters meant. And suddenly, the world got a little bigger that day and I remember all I wanted to do was read as many books as I could. I'd come home from school, go to my room and my books had a newness to them.

And then back to the chickens...this morning at sunset...I hear crowing...and I think, no that can't be...we just got rid of our rooster? So I get up and run to the window...and there is Shelle...crowing....that's right, we had two roosters, but what I'm thinking (and granted I know nothing about chickens) Auroara was the dominant one and therefore Shelle didn't crow (as I do know chickens have a pecking order). Now that Auroara is gone, Shelle is the head honcho, however, Auroara would crow in midafternoon....so I told the hubs to call the guy and find out if he wants the other rooster....no wonder we weren't getting any eggs...we had two roosters!!!!

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." - V. Hugo

"We read to know we are not alone." - CS Lewis

Another day of firsts....

Today was my little man's first day of PreK, he has been waiting patiently for this day since my sweet pea started. He had his clothes picked out for the last two weeks and his bookbag hanging by the door, so when he awoke this morning he was super excited. Daddy made him his favorite breakfast. When we walked in, my sweet pea grabbed her little bro's hand and walked in with him, it was the cutest. We waited with him by his locker and then his teacher opened the door and my little man walked in and didn't even give us a last look.
When I picked him up, he didn't want to leave! I'm happy that he had such a great first day, but again it is a bittersweet moment for me. I held it all together till I got home to our empty house and realized that there is no noise...just quiet and then I had a little cry. The last of my babies is off into the world of school.
The other first today was my sweet pea lost her first tooth, it was one of her bottom teeth and it will probably show in her school pictures. She was so excited, comes running to me, "Momma...look, look at my tooth!" She had been wiggling it everyday since it became loose and she ate an apple for her snack when she came home, so I think she had been trying to get it out. So the tooth fairy will be paying us a visit tonight....Nana took her to get a little tooth pouch when it first became loose and so she has it in there. So, what do you do with those teeth? Does the tooth fairy save them or throw them away?
I think the tooth fairy will leave a little more this time around because it is her very first tooth, but it won't always be this way.

"And by and by Christopher Robin came to an end of things, and he was silent, and he sat there, looking out over the world, just wishing it wouldn't stop." - Winnie the Pooh

Why does it have to be this way.....

I'm upset and I here I pretend to be okay, that it is okay when it is not, that I'm really laughing when I'm really crying. I don't know what else to do, minding my own business doesn't seem to work, so I'm really just dumbfounded.
All I know is that this isn't what I wanted - I would like to settle things because I'm not good with conflict or tension, but both have to be willing to meet halfway and unfortunately I don't think that will happen. My intuition is pretty good and I've ignored it several times because I hope things will change and it doesn't. No one wins in this fight and for some reason I guess I'm the only one who sees that.
And as I write this, it reminds me more and more of the Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith, I posted them once before, but I think now is a good time for a refresher and reminder....

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

It can't be Fall yet....can it.....

Our windows are open and there is that distinct smell in the air....you know the one you can breathe in, feel it and just know.....Fall is near. It seems too soon really and I'm not quite ready - do I feel this way only because the summer seemed to slip away before my eyes?
We were at the farmer's market and as we were walking my sweet pea stopped suddenly and grabbed before her toes a red leaf. She held it high up in the air and said you know what this means....the leaves are falling, so it's fall....HALLOWEEN!!!!
Yes, indeed the leaves are changing, but I can't shake the feeling that it just seems to soon - I wouldn't mind the cooler weather, but I don't want winter to come...I'm not at all ready for winter. So, Fall, if you could please stay with us and linger here with warmer days and cooler nights, I would so appreciate it, you did seem to kick our a** this past winter, so you kind of owe it to us...don't you think....
Fall is my favorite season and you just may find me....
sweeping the acorns and gathering acorns
taking nature walks to look at the changing leaves
wearing sweaters with shorts
roasting marshmallows
getting out my Halloween decor
melting old crayons
making piles of leaves
drinking hot tea (well that I do in any season)
drinking hot cocoa or hot apple cider
making/eating chili
playing

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." - John Muir

Now that's a challenge....

Update 9/10/2010: We have read 10 books thus far, so we have 90 books left....last night I read "Someday" by alison mcghee and peter reynolds and I swear everytime I read that book I cry. It's such a sweet and touching story...it is a definite "must" addition to any child's book collection. "Someday you will call a song to the wind, and the wind will carry your song away...." it's simply a lovely book.

We were getting ready for bed the other night and as I was laying with the kids, they were talking about when we read at bedtime and they typically get two books each, so four books at bedtime. My little man says, "you know momma let's read 100 books" and then my sweet pea added, "in 100 days." So I said, "let's do it!"
The kids giggled and thought I was being silly and I told them we will make it a challenge and see if we can read 100 books in less than 100 days (we are only counting bedtime stories). I think it will be a great family challenge and we will make a list of the stories we read....will we reach 100 books in 100 days? The kids were super excited that they came up with the idea.
Daddy said that he was so impressed with their idea that if we finish the challenge he will take them to the bookstore and they can pick out five new books....and considering that the kids love books....I think this will be an easy challenge, but who knows. The kids were worried at one point and my little man says, "but mommy tomorrow is Movie Night Friday, we won't get to read a book..." and I said, "well we can add a book before we start the movie." They both liked that and I was just happy that they want to add reading to movie night. My kids enjoy books and reading time, but anytime I can get more in or make it seem more exciting, is an added bonus.
I enjoyed reading as a child and have numerous favorites and when I get the time I still love picking up a book and getting lost.
So, if interested here was what we read tonight.....
Day 1: "Rainbow Fairies" by Charles Reasoner and "Lilo & Stitch: Doggone It, Stitch" from Disney's Bedtime Favorites (2 down and 98 books to go)

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss