Thing 4 and Kindergarten

Wednesday was the day that I'd been dreaming of for a while. We registered Thing 4 for kindergarten in the fall!

She received her 4 shots the day before saying, "This is the BEST day of my life!"

"Why, Honey?" I asked.

"Because I get shots!" she replied.

Who was I to squash her enthusiasm! Although I did let her know that they do sting so she wouldn't be completely unprepared and her bravado lasted right up until the actual time to get the shots. She was going to go first (Thing 1 was also due for a shot) and get a sticker for every shot she had to do. As soon as we walked in the shot room, Thing 1 had to go first. Thing 1 showed no fear and didn't even flinch. I explained that the shot nurse was AWESOME and super fast and she'd been giving the shots to all the siblings since Thing 1 was a baby! Thing 4 wasn't buying it. I still think she may have been fine had her natural curiosity not got the better of her. I couldn't keep her from watching! So when she saw that little drip of blood from the 1st shot, she LOST it! Shot Nurse was super speedy as usual and administered 2 shots in each arm and had super cool band-aids in place in record time so I could begin the calm down. Anyone else notice it's not as easy to calm a 5yo after shots as it is to calm a baby? I cuddled, I rocked, I soothed with soothing words and nothing was working! I tried the sticker bribe. Nope, she no longer cared about getting those 4 stickers. We finally had to leave the shot room stickerless with a wailing 5yo. I think I prefer it happening the way I did it when I was 5. I wailed and howled like I'd been mortally wounded until I received the shot at which time the shot was not nearly as bad as I had imagined and I quieted right up when it was all done. Thing 4 wailed until we arrived home...a 20 minute drive! She still has on 2 of the 4 band-aids!

Alright, back to the registering. Hubby and I made a big deal out of it and he came home for lunch. We went to the school and signed our youngest daughter away (it felt like it after filling out all that paper work!), took some pictures (most of which she's clinging to Hubby's leg) and then took her out to lunch at a place of her choosing (which began as McDonald's but we'd managed to change her mind in the time we filled out the mass amounts of paperwork...it was still her decision LOL).

I thought I have some mixed feelings about all of this. After all, this is my youngest. I've had a child with me at home for 15 years now. But the only expression I could come up with was FREEDOM! I'll have to see if I feel the same way in the fall when Thing 4 will actually be out of the house. Maybe half day kindergarten was designed as much for the mom as the child. A slow breaking of the physical bond that we've shared for 5+ years. I do know that once they leave this house for school, they're never quite the same. They meet new people, exchange new ideas, and start to shape how they'll view the world as individuals. They no longer need us parents as much and become more independent. So, again, we'll see how I do in the fall. I'll let you all know if I actually shed tears or if I still feel the elated sense of freedom!

Boutique Critique!

I've been suckered into the world of facebook and blog giveaways! I've been pretty lucky so far, too, winning about 1 a day. Of course this does not count the ratio of entries to wins, but I'll still consider myself lucky. :o) Anyway, most of the winnings I put into our Relay for Life gift baskets which we'll sell drawing tickets for at our event in July to raise money for the American Cancer Society. And when I do win an item and put it into the Relay Baskets (as they're affectionately known around here), I post a thank you and give kudos to the business we won from on our Relay for Life blog: Raven's Rascals. There are some winnings, though, that just don't make it into the Relay Baskets because the 5yo (known here as Thing 4) finds them utterly beautiful, princessy and too irresistible to not be in her possession. Most of these have been the hair pretties. So, I've decided these boutiques need some shout out kudos as well and figured that my Homemaker blog would be a great place for that to happen.

We had 3 different packages come our way this week and it demanded an outdoor photo shoot since it was our 1st warm, sunny day this spring. Only one of these items was an actual giveaway winning from a boutique. The other 2 boutiques sent items I purchased for the diva in training, but they also get kudos!

1st: Shelby's Sweet Bows

We won our choice of an interchangeable hair bow. If there's one thing Thing 4 likes as much as princesses, it's ballerinas! So she chose the Ballet Slipper interchangeable bow. Basically, the ballet slipper can be worn with the white bow or separately.

The bows are well made and passed what we call, the Spin Test. The Spin Test is Thing 4 spinning in the bucket spinner at the playground as fast as she can which is fast enough that we all become dizzy just from watching. The bows stayed put and when she finally stopped spinning, her hair was still in perfect position. Quite an accomplishment!

2) Next is what we're now calling the Roller Derby Diva outfit. I purchased this tutu, leg warmer, bow set from Sweetie Pie Couture. It received quite the workout today, let me tell you. And everything withstood Thing 4's constant activity beautifully! She skated, blew bubbles, played soccer, went on the slide, climbed the rock wall and more all while looking the part of the princess she so enjoys! Nothing snagged, nothing tore and this bow also passed the Spin Test! It's great to have an outfit that looks delicate and sweet, but can withstand a tough day with the Roller Derby Diva!

3) Last, but not least is an Easter Grab Bag I purchased from Little Princess Bow Boutique. It was fun opening the package and finding 3 cute bows inside! All passed the Spin Test with flying colors and all are unique in styles and colors so that they would work with a variety of outfits.

We highly recommend ALL 3 of these businesses! The owners were friendly, helpful and quick in shipping their items!

Enjoy!

I've missed this blog!

I'm juggling so many self-inflicted projects that I've neglected what gives me a little release...this blog! I'm currently in the process of revamping it a bit and will begin to promote it soon.

I've been entering a ton of blog/facebook giveaways attempting to win items to donate to some gift baskets we intend to sell drawing tickets for to raise money for American Cancer Society (well, items that Thing 4 doesn't claim as her own...the baskets will be lacking any and all princess items and hair accessories, I can already tell!). Since I'm finding all of these great giveaways, I think I'll be adding a page shortly for you all to find them in one place. Warning, they can be addicting! While I've won some awesome items it sometimes feels like a part time job entering all of them. :o)

As to other projects taking up my time, I've started an etsy shop! Also to raise money for the ACS. Of course our Relay for Life team has it's own blog which leads me to more projects...I have 4 blogs! The Relay for Life one is the one most updated. The other 3 are feeling a little neglected. Trying to remedy that.

Why do I have 4 blogs? Well, they're each unique in the role they play in my life. This one is about my life in general. Raven's Rascals is about our etsy shop, Relay for Life and fundraising. 80 in 08 is my weight loss blog (really need to get back to that one!) and Booze and Bacon Bliss is my culinary adventures with, well, booze and bacon (also, recently neglected which one would think would help with the weight loss, but no, not so much).

And if that's not enough, I've recently began Flylady again because I was so busy promoting the shop and working on fundraising and making items for fundraising that my house was becoming chaotic and cluttered. So, I'm currently in the declutter/spring cleaning mode.

Oh, one more thing, which will be an entire post to itself I'm sure when I have more time, is we're going to be celebrating Passover this year. I've never cooked lamb, or for that matter any of the other dishes I need to cook, but I'm willing to try!

Life is never dull...always an adventure in there somewhere! I just need to find balance because I never learned how to juggle!

Well, it is 2:18am! I'm not going to find balance by not getting any sleep.