Week Two with Passion Planner - Back to School Update!

This week marked my second with the Passion Planner, and my first of the new school year. Little Sis started 6th grade and we both cried a little bit on our way there because Big Sis was missing out on the milestone (and we will be missing out on hers when she starts high school next Wednesday).

Let's start with the obligatory "First-Day-Of-School" picture.

This week in my Passion Planner isn't as cute and fun as last week. Basically, it's because I didn't have as much fun! I went back to work last week on Thursday, but Monday was the first day back with my regular schedule. Here's the fun part: Little Sis starts at 7:47 with a Zero-Period. I don't start until 9:25, so what do I do in that extra hour and almost 45 minutes? Well, this week, I worked! I can't seem to stay away from my awesome coworkers, and I enjoy doing the tech-stuff like typing up student schedules into a spreadsheet for easy sorting to see where they are. You can see where I wrote in the extra time I spent at work. I am keeping track not to seek compensation, but to keep track of my own time. In the afternoons, I am off at 2:55, but school doesn't get out until 3:32. By then, I would have to fight after-school traffic, so I wait until about 3:45 or 4:00 to leave. It's been really hot this week, so I don't want to sit in my car with the A/C on while waiting to exit the parking lot.

I really do like that my Post-Its fit in the bottom section. I didn't want to write those lists directly into the notes section for two reasons: one, I might have wanted to do some drawing or doodling in that section; and two, I had planned to move the list to next week and just repeat the menus. (Because it's so messy looking, I won't be doing that!) I think it's funny that I made Buffalo Chicken that night, because according to TimeHop, I made it exactly two years previously on the first day of school in 2013. You can see that post (and recipe) here. It's still a hit -- there were not enough for both leftovers for my lunch AND seconds. 

My weekends aren't generally planned with a schedule, but my to-do lists can get pretty long. I like that I can write them in on those sections. I saw this on Passion Planner's Instagram as part of their Planner Crush Wednesdays. They have some great ideas that can be used with any planner, but work especially well with the Passion Planner.

Next week starts my college courses. I am taking three classes over four nights. I've already printed up the two available syllabuses, as well as other important information I may need. I have planned to keep a separate planner specifically for my college classes, since I'll be able to put more information, but I'm trying to figure out how I can use my Passion Planner. I think small square Post-Its might be the answer. I also bought some cute stickers and washi tape today. I will definitely update next week!

365 Challenge - January 24

Little Sis had a sick day today. She had a severe upset tummy last night, and I didn't want to send her in today.

Thankfully, she is all better now. She was able to keep chicken noodle soup, Gatorade and toast down. 

I was able to enjoy a quiet morning while she slept after Big Sis left for school.

365 Challenge - January 22

Here's another photo from our time at the beach. This was taken with my Cannon. It's one of my favorites. 

365 Challenge - January 20

Today, Little Sis and I went on a San Diego adventure!

First, we went to San Diego de Acala Mission. 

Then, we went to the San Diego Zoo. We have a membership that expires next month. First, we had a picnic lunch in EasyLunchbox Containers. 

Finally, we went to Coronado Beach. It was absolutly beautiful today. 

Back to work and school tomorrow!

365 Challenge - January 15

Today my girls and I had a small pampering day. Manicures and Starbucks! Big Sis got there later than us because she walked from school (just a few blocks away), so Little Sis and I were done shortly after she got there. Little Sis and I decided to go sit at Starbucks while we waited. It was perfect weather. Not too hot or cold with a slight breeze. Perfect afternoon.

365 Challenge - January 12

I took Little Sis with me today when I went to Downtown Disney to watch the 49ers game. She didn't watch, but played on her Kindle Fire and made rubber band bracelets. After, a friend and I took her to Build-A-Bear. Then we watched the end of the Chargers game and then went to other friends' apartment to watch the Golden Globes. Busy day, but lots of fun. 

11/24 - Pie and Praise

One of my favorite fellowship nights at church - the annual Pie and Praise!

Pumpkin, blueberry apple crumb, pumpkin streusel cheesecake... Talk about a sugar-induced coma!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken & First Day of School!!

Whew!

First day of school is over! What a DAY!

I went back to work last week, but there were no students. This morning was our first run where I had to drop off Little Sis first, then get to work (I work at Big Sis' school).

Dropping off Little Sis was quick. We left early, so I actually dropped her off before 8:15 (the earliest there is supervision). No tears, lots of smiles and quick "Good-bye Mom!"

Here she is, on her way to 4th grade! (Notice the Easy LunchBox Cooler bag! This was left from last year, it still has some life in it!)

I got to Big Sis' school at 8:20-ish. We have worked it out that I will actually drop her off down the street before I park in the lot. But not today! She wouldn't let me take her picture up on the sidewalk, so I took what I could get.

Big Sis, 7th grade.

All in all, the girls had a great day. I have a feeling I'm going to L-O-V-E Little Sis' teacher. I'll get to meet her on Thursday. I met a few of Big Sis' teachers already last week, but Back to School night is in a couple weeks, so I'll get to meet them officially then.

On to dinner!!

Another new recipe which was put in the crock pot this morning. I got it from Half My Size. 

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I actually only used 2 small-ish frozen breasts in my small 2 quart Crock Pot.)
2 Tablespoons light margarine, melted
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce (regular, not Buffalo)
1/8 teaspoon celery seeds
ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine margarine, vinegar, hot sauce, celery seeds and black pepper. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.

This was actually on low in the Crock Pot for about 10 hours, but I did start with frozen chicken. It shredded very easily, so I decided to serve it in flour tortillas, like a chicken soft taco. I didn't add anything else to it, but it would taste good with some cheese and/or sour cream. I was thinking it could also be used to top tostadas with some refried beans. 

It wasn't too spicy, either. Big Sis does NOT like spicy foods (she won't even touch Tapatio).

Kids' Reactions:

Big Sis liked it. She says "it's a little too much on the spicy side for someone who really doesn't like spicy." But she did eat it, and told me she would have seconds and wants me to make it again.

Little Sis liked it, too. She says, "it was a little bit less spicy than I was expecting it to be." 

I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I'm getting ready to go make another taco as soon as I publish this!

So there you have it. The amount of sauce wasn't enough to top the chicken all the way, so if you're using a big crock pot with more chicken, I would double the recipe. If you're using a small amount of chicken (like I did with only 2), the amount this recipe makes is perfect. It also doesn't create too much juice for a taco.

Another score!

July Photo-a-Day Challenge Days 1 & 2

I am usually really bad at doing this. I forget, or stay home all day and have nothing interesting to take a photo of.

I had a couple photo-a-day challenges, but my friend, Wendy, showed me this one from Fat Mum Slim:

Here are my contributions:

1. Happiness is....

Little Sis with our Children's Pastor. Little Sis made her public declaration of faith on Sunday, June 30 with a water baptism. 

2. Shoes...

These are my favorite shoes right now. Easy-on, comfy, and waterproof (I wore them out of the pool and they got soaked. No damage!) Can you believe they're CROCS? Yes, yes they are.

I'll (hopefully) remember to blog the rest of the month. I will be putting them up on my Instagram, though (JustAddLaughter - shocking, huh?)

If you're participating, use hashtag #FMSphotoaday on Instagram.

Science Project - Solar System

While I was at a training on Saturday for Royal Family Kids, a friend of mine picked up Little Sis and took her shopping for supplies for her science project. She had to create a solar system model, which was due today.

They used wooden balls, wooden discs, water colors, wood glue, hot glue, and he drilled holes so they could put the dowels in as stands.

While the sizes of the planets are not to scale, they are representative of their relative sizes (for example, Venus and Earth are about the same size, etc). The distance of each planet from the sun, however, are to scale based on their average distance and the size of the board. I eventually met up with them and helped paint a couple of the planets while Little Sis worked on painting the others. It was hard for me to let go and let her do a good portion of it.

I think it turned out great. I dropped it off at school today, and managed to get it into the school office before I knocked Pluto out of orbit. I was able to do a quick re-glue, since it only came out of the base, which was still glued to the board.

Neptune

Uranus

Jupiter (and the alien egg spaceship)

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars (and the asteroid belt)

Saturn

All finished!!!

My Baby's Not a Baby Anymore!

So you really want to know why I've been driven crazy? I'll show you.

My dear readers, this is Little Sis. My EIGHT-YEAR-OLD. Last night, she spent the night at grandma's and put her hair in curlers. All by herself. Usually, her hair won't hold curls, but when I saw her this afternoon, it looked like this.

She is growing up way too fast for me. She's my baby! Wasn't it just yesterday that she was three and just starting preschool? (In this picture, her sister was 6 and starting 2nd grade.)

Little Sis at 2 1/2

Nobody warned me about this!!

1/13 - Random Pictures for the day...

Little Sis showing off her pretty coloring...

Such a pretty girl, isn't she? Pictures like this prove to me that she is still only 10.

First Day of School Tomorrow

So the clothes have been laid out, prayers have been said, and the girls are settled down for the night. We went over our morning routine and lunches have been made. The only thing left is to wake up and put everything into motion to get them off for their first day of school.

The girls helped me put together their own lunches. One girl and I will work together to make her lunch while the other girl is in the shower each night. The biggest challenge they had last year, though, was remembering to bring their lunch boxes home at the end of the day.

So here's what each girl chose for lunch:

 Big Sis chose the mini bagel and turkey. She got six slices of mesquite smoked turkey breast (our personal favorite). She will NOT eat white cheese whatsoever. So her cheese selection is Colby jack stick. Strawberries and a banana round out the meal. She also added a 90-calorie granola bar at the last minute, and a bottle of sugar-free Hawaiian punch (anyone have a good leak-proof reusable bottle for juice?)

Little Sis's meat of choice is pepperoni. She does like turkey pepperoni, but I don't, so I didn't buy it (although, if I did, maybe I wouldn't eat it - haha). She got 16 reduced fat Wheat Thins, 5 baby carrots, and grapes (which she snuck a taste while I was putting them in the container). She also got her lite string cheese and a 90-calorie granola bar.






Both meals are in Easy Lunchboxes. Little Sis has the blue lunch cooler, and he lid will be the blue one. Big Sis and I both have the pink lunch coolers, but Big Sis will get the red lid and I'll use the orange and green ones. I really enjoy the fact that they are sturdier than the Ziploc Containers (I even did the squeeze test like Kelly did while I was at Walmart. I didn't ruin them though). Other options we bought today is whole wheat bread (for sandwiches), peanut butter and jelly, 100-calorie packs of cookies, apples, and pineapple. The only rule I have is the girls have to pick the same fruit, but only if I have to cut an apple or open a can of pineapple. Otherwise, Little Sis doesn't like strawberries, and the grapes are washed in a container in the fridge.

I still have to make my lunch. I'm thinking a turkey sandwich, Wheat Thins, Laughing Cow cheese spread (sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and ... something else, I can't remember), grapes and strawberries, and green tea.

I'll post again tomorrow with pictures of the girls as well as the verdict on their lunches (my biggest questions will be if they had enough food, and if they ate everything).


I'll leave you with this, borrowed from a friend on Facebook:

"T'was the night before school started, when all through the town, the parents were cheering - a riotous sound!! By 9, kids were all washed and tucked into bed where memories of homework filled them with dread! New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too! New teachers, new friends - their anxiety grew! The PARENTS just giggled when they learned of this fright and shouted to all "GO TO BED!!!! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!!!"

Happy School Year

Every year, on the first day of school, I always say I'm going to keep up with my blogging. So this year, I'm going to say it again. But it's not a "resolution." I like to think of my blog as a way to keep my family involved in our busy lives, and a way for them to see what the girls and I are up to.

So here's an update:

I'm still in college. I've been attending Kaplan University online for a year. I'm majoring in Early Childhood Development, and should be done early 2013. I am still working in Borrego, but my position was moved to the Middle School. I'm looking forward to seeing the 6th graders again (have been with them since they were in 3rd), but I will miss my colleagues at the Elementary School.

Big Sis is in 5th grade. Her last year of elementary school!! How did that happen? She's looking forward to GATE again, as well as hoping there is an after school band class. We got her CST scores, and she scored Proficient in English Language Arts and Math, as well as passed the 4th grade writing test with a 6 (out of 8). I'm so proud of my smarty pants.

Little Sis is in 2nd grade. She's still in the dual immersion program. She read all summer, but most of it was in English. One of her best friends moved over the summer, but her other BFF is still here and in her class. She's looking forward to a new school year, and has promised me that she will be "a better student." I'm hoping and praying, because I know her teacher won't put up with her attitude, and I don't want her to be "that kid."

I've been using FLYLady to get my house and schedule in order, as well as the Cozi Online Calendar. I love both because FLYLady is on Facebook and Twitter, so she's always in my pocket. Cozi has an app for my phone (Android) so I can carry my shopping list, to-do list, and calendar everywhere. FLYLady has even partnered up with Cozi and has her Zone Lists available to download into your Cozi to-do lists.

I'm hoping all this planning can keep the house running smooth. The girls and I are already practicing our morning routines (I went back to work Tuesday, but they don't go back to school until September 6) but I still need to get into my afternoon routine and bedtime routine. It's a process, but we're getting there.

I also ordered the EasyLunchbox System from Amazon. I bought the four-box system, as well as lunchboxes for the girls and me. My mind is overflowing with lunch ideas for the girls (super picky eaters). I see fresh fruit and "Lunchables" type meals with turkey, cheese, and Wheat Thins. Their lunches last year were healthy-ish when I did pack one for them, usually consisting of a sandwich, fruit, yogurt, and a juice box. This year, I hope to pack lunches for them more often, since the school's lunches tend to be lacking in stuff they'll actually eat.

I'm really looking forward to this school year. We also are adding in Wednesday night church as well as Girl Scouts (Big Sis is a Junior and Little Sis bridged to Brownies).





 

More Committments

So today marked the very last day of the 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Site/Booth Sales for our Girl Scout troop. YAY! I still have about 8 boxes left to sell, but I'm hoping to get rid of those tomorrow while we are out and about.

Today was also the Borrego Springs Health Fair. Big Sis dances with her Hip Hop/Jazz dance class first thing in the morning. Little Sis ended up dancing with the Mexican Dance class. She has not been going to class, but knew the dances the kids were performing. So she was dancing out in he crowd. Her teacher saw her and told her to get up there and join them. It was so cute, I was laughing so hard.

Big Sis also had her Elementary Ban debut. She plays the flute, and is the only flute in the elementary school. A couple of middle schoolers joined them, so she had another flute playing with her. They played 5 songs: Frere Jacques, BINGO, the Mexican Hat Dance, Minute Man March, and Climbing Stairs. (I think I remember playing the Minute Man March at one point in my musical career.)

While we were at the Fair, I also signed the girls up for Softball and T-Ball. I wasn't going to, but they really wanted to play, and since about half of the kids at the school are playing, I figured we may as well join in on the fun! I am hoping the weather doesn't get too hot, though. Looks like my Saturdays are packed until June!!

1-13 Disney Junior & A Day at the Beach

Next month, Disney Junior is going to premier. My girls cannot wait! Heck, even I can't wait! I love all things Disney, which most of you all know.

Over at Disney Junior, there are having a photo contest. The top 6 photos (3 boys and 3 girls), will have their picture on Disney Junior during the premier week, starting February 14.

I have entered this picture of Little Sis in the photo contest. It's called "A Day at the Beach" and it's one of my favorite pictures.

So, if you could all be so kind as to head on over to Disney Junior (that's a direct link to the photo voting page) and vote for Little Sis. She would be so thrilled to see herself on the television.

Thanks so much in advance!

Disney Junior & A Day at the Beach

Next month, Disney Junior is going to premier. My girls cannot wait! Heck, even I can't wait! I love all things Disney, which most of you all know.

Over at Disney Junior, there are having a photo contest. The top 6 photos (3 boys and 3 girls), will have their picture on Disney Junior during the premier week, starting February 14.

I have entered this picture of Little Sis in the photo contest. It's called "A Day at the Beach" and it's one of my favorite pictures.

So, if you could all be so kind as to head on over to Disney Junior (that's a direct link to the photo voting page) and vote for Little Sis. She would be so thrilled to see herself on the television.

Thanks so much in advance!

One week ago...

On August 19, 2010, my girls went back to school. I had been working since the 16th, and they were at Grandma's. I picked them up Wednesday night, and everything went smoothly on Thursday morning.

Big Sis started 4th grade. She's very excited. She got her flute today, and will be in the GATE Science program after school. She's also continuing Karate and will be doing a dance class. She is also going to be taking Japanese, which is being offered after school as well. Who knew we attend a small school district with only 220 students at the Elementary School?? She'll be doing a California Indian project as well as the California Mission Project. I've already told her teacher I want to go on the field trip to the Mission, which is usually in January. Once we know what Mission she'll be building, I'm going to try and plan a trip to visit it.

Little Sis is now in 1st grade. She is still in the Spanish Dual Immersion program. Her teacher had a pre-Curriculum Nigh meeting on Tuesday, and we got to hear a bit about how their day goes. I'm very excited. She's getting more independent and I'm thankful. It lets me focus on my job. She's currently in the after school swimming program and she started Karate as well. She even has her uniform! I'm hoping to get her into some fun after school classes as well as some academic ones to help her with her Spanish reading and writing.








Both girls are getting into th routine. Little Sis is in bed by 8, and Big Sis is allowed to stay up until 8:30. But because Wipeout and Minute to Win It are an hour (we love those shows), she's been staying up until 9. However, she's not giving me any problems in the mornings, so I'm comfortable letting her stay up. Once she starts telling me she doesn't want to get up, it's back to 8:30 sharp.

The week before school started, I took apart their bunk beds, and now they're in their own twin beds. It's cramped in the tiny bedroom, but now they can make their own beds. Also, I can snuggle with Little Sis a little easier and tuck Big Sis into bed (which is hard when she's on the top bunk).

So, back to another year of school. I am working the after school swimming program as well as my 6.5 hours at the elementary school. I am also finishing up my first term at Kaplan University. I have 2 weeks left, then a week off, then I start my next term. I'm looking forward to the Crossroads Church Women's Ministry Retreat in mid-September and a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area in November so my kids can see their dad and I can visit some friends. We've got Girl Scouts as well, as Big Sis is now a Junior. We're still in the discussion phase as to whether or not the Daisies (Little Sis) will become Brownies or not. The other 2 moms and I think the Daisies should stay Daisies for another year. Because of our small community, finding the girls and the parents to help can get challenging, so we are sticking with our small group of 3 Daisies, 3 Brownies, and now 6 Juniors (Big Sis and her BFF were Brownies last year).

Here's to a busy and healthy year!