The 1st Day of 8th Grade

Today was Madison's first day of 8th grade.

 

She wore an outfit she chose herself.  Dress (Hollister on clearance... she begged for it and it ended up being less than $12) and sweater and flip flops (Old Navy).

 

She wasn't too amused by the chalkboard sign I made her stand by... but I sure did love it.

 

She came home all smiles...had a great day... but was starving and promptly ate a grilled cheese, banana, and carrots and dip. 

 

Now she is at cheerleading practice.

 

I cannot believe next year she will be going to high school.

 

 

We have an 8th Grader!!

This school year has FLOWN by... I am not sure why this year seemed faster than the others... maybe it was because it was the first year since Madison has been in school that I haven't been teaching.  We celebrated her last day (Monday June 18, 2012) by letting her pick a place for dinner.  She chose Outback Steakhouse.  Afterwards we went to Target and she chose some new shorts, a few items from the $1 section, and a new book she had been wanting to read.

Here she is --- the first day of 7th grade is on the left and the last day of 7th grade is on the right.

This is NOT a 2011 Year in Review

I will spare you from sharing my top 10 recipes, projects, posts, etc... although I have enjoyed reading everyones.  It's mostly because I just don't feel like going back through and re-sharing them.

2011 hasn't been the best year for us... but I still want to remember the things..both good...and really bad that happened in our lives in 2011 - especially since I neglected to begin my annual Shutterfly album until two days ago.  I am happy to say I finished it last night...and it is patiently sitting in my shopping cart until I get a coupon for a free book... because I just KNOW if I go ahead and order it the free coupon will come the next day.

Madison comes home this evening after spending a great week with her grandparents.  I am happy she is coming home.  Chris and I have really enjoyed some alone time this week... but our house is just not the same without her.

I am HOPING like hell that 2012 is a better year for our family on every level...

financially
physically
emotionally

and that we end 2012 with a healthy baby...finally...please.

My Baby is 12 Today - Happy Birthday Madison!

I cannot believe I am the mother of a 12 year old today.  I am making her favorite chocolate cupcake recipe with butter cream frosting and I am decorating them with little purple Eiffel Tower chocolate candies I am making (I will share pictures soon). 

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite photos of Madison and 12 things about her.

1. Madison loves the computer and is fabulous at doing things on line and at making Powerpoint presentations.

2. Madison loves to read.  She always has a book in her hand. 

3. Madison has her own sense of style.  Gone are the days where I can buy clothes for her.  If I suggest something, she isn't interested.  Her wardrobe staples are skinny jeans, Ugg boots, graphic tees, and a hoodie.

4. Madison loves animals.

5. Madison loves babies. 

6. Madison loves France and anything French.  She would love to go to Paris one day.

7. Madison really should be in 6th grade.  She started school early.  It was definitely the right choice as she does really well both socially and academically at school.

8.  Madison has a super close relationship with her Grammy (my mother).

9.  She loves to make things especially friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss.

10.  Madison adores my husband, her step-dad, Chris.  99.9% of the time she thinks he hung the moon.

11. Some of her favorite foods are French toast waffles, bagels with chive and onion cream cheese, and red velvet cake yogurt.

12.  Madison loves to be creative and dream of businesses she can create, stories she can write, and TV shows she can produce.

A Great Weekend w/ my Mom

My mom flew in from Virginia Friday morning.  I let Madison stay home from school and we arrived at 8:30 to the airport to get my mom.  After we picked her up we headed to Target, then Best Buy, and then back to my house to drop off our Target stuff and my mom's luggage.  We headed to Papa Gino's for a pizza and salad lunch.  Then I took my mom to a local gift shop/boutique and then to Michaels before we headed home to relax.  That evening we went out for Mexican at El Parque and then I went to bed early because I had a horrible headache.

Saturday morning we woke up early to head to Massachusetts to meet up with two of my mom's sisters.  We then rode in to Boston with them for my cousin Lisa's bridal shower.  She had a beautiful brunch bridal shower at a restaurant along the water in Boston's North End. 

Here are some photos Madison took yesterday at the shower-

The favors were amazing.  They were wedding dress cookies with the bride's name on them from a Vermont bakery called a Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe.  I was so surprised to see my aunt had used them.  We had considered using them for our wedding...and even ordered samples, but out baker convinced us to go with her candy cupcake toppers (which ended up being horrible) instead.

It ended up being a fun, yet long day in Massachusetts.

Sunday afternoon we had reservations to celebrate Madison's 12th birthday at the Melting Pot in downtown Providence.  Then we did a little shopping at the Providence Place Mall before bringing my mom to the airport.

We always love when she visits and had such a wonderful time.  Now we are sitting in the living room watching a movie with the fire going (for the first time).

Day 16 & 17 - Monday Morning Ramblings....

I'm combining days 16 and 17  because I forgot to blog yesterday.... it just slipped my mind.

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*My first meeting for my new job is today at 9:15.  I think I will just have to introduce myself and then it will be a lot of listening... I have to call in from my phone and log in from my computer. 

*After my meeting ends I am taking a nap.  I was up most of the night last night because I didn't feel well and couldn't sleep and I am exhausted.

*I had a repeat customer place an order last night from my baking business.  That makes me super happy.  I am making these little goodies for Madison's school's bake sale... how cute are they?  I made a sample one last week.  It is a split chocolate cupcake layered with butter cream frosting, sprinkles, and a candy pumpkin.

*My mom is flying into town on Friday.  I am letting Maddie stay home from school and we are going to pick her up from the airport.  Then we will do lunch and some shopping.  Saturday we have to go to my cousin's bridal shower in Boston... so that should be fun. 

*Sunday we are taking Maddie to the Melting Pot for her birthday dinner.  She won't be 12 until Tuesday but we wanted to celebrate while my mom was here.  She is currently obsessed with anything French so I ordered these candy molds on Amazon last week.  They should arrive tomorrow.  I am going to make little Eiffel Tower candies to use as toppers for birthday cupcakes.

* I am beginning to think of Christmas card ideas for this year.  I am not sure if I want to order them or if I want to design my own.  I am kind of holding out to see if Shutterfly does that great deal for bloggers again... where if you blog about their Christmas cards you get a free set.  Has anyone heard anything?

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I am linking this post up over at lowercase letters for Miscellany Monday.

  

*This morning once Madison left for school I put this BBQ chicken in the crock pot.  I hope it turns out good. 

Source: justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com via Nichole on Pinterest

Miscellany Monday

I am linking up at lowercase letters today for Miscellany Monday. 

 

1. Craiglist Find - I have been wanting some sort of sofa table thingy for my entry way.  Saturday night I looked on Craigslist and found one!! So Sunday we piled in the car and took the 40 minute trip to pick it up.  I love this table - it's actually called a country server.  It is made out of solid pine and still is sold in the store for $179.99.  I have plans for some fun paint for it and some new knobs - I cannot wait to share it when it's finished.

2. Reality TV - This morning after Madison left for school I crawled back in bed and watched Sister Wives and Kendra from last night.  I love both of those shows.

3. Our Pet Free Home - Poor Maddie pouted and cried all day Saturday.  She announced at lunch she wanted a puppy.  After reminding her of their cost and care not to mention the fact that Chris and I are so not pet people she pouted and ignored us for most of the day. 



4. I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant - I will admit in my obsession of trash reality TV I have watched this TLC show before.  My sister got quite the kick out of the text I sent her the other day in regards to it.  Although I was 100% serious... sometimes I do really really wish I was pregnant and didn't know {not sure how that really happens} and that I would one day have a baby in the bathroom. 

5. Bridesmaids - We watched this on Friday night.  It was okay.  I did not think it was as funny as everyone tried to make it out to be.

6. Car Seat Safety - It makes me cringe when I see photos of parents using car seats incorrectly.  I see it all of the time - on Facebook, on blogs, or on TV shows.  This blog post gives some great and easy to follow tips on car seat safety. Here are 7 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe.   This is NOT how your baby should be in the car seat!  This is wrong.  If your baby rides around in the car like this, this is just one of the wrong ways parents put their kids in car seats. 

The chest clip is too low.  It needs to be between the nipples and the sternum.  It is not doing ANY good down over your baby's tummy.

Fabulous Fridays

This is going to be quick.  We ordered Bridesmaids on pay per view and it starts in 11 minutes.

This morning I got up and did my usual morning routine - making a hot breakfast and packing lunches for Chris and Maddie.

After she went to school I got sucked into the original 16 & Pregnant on MTV while folding laundry.  This morning was Macy & Ryan.  I didn't really want to get ready to go volunteer at Madison's school... but I went anyways.

I got there and her teacher looked at me like I was nuts.  I swear I was supposed to be there today from 9-12, but she didn't need me until 11:30.  So I left.

I ended up at Target.

Since I had skipped breakfast I went to the Starbucks inside for a cup of heaven or otherwise known as a salted caramel hot chocolate.

While in the dollar section looking at the Halloween stuff a lady  starts randomly talking to me.  I hate when people do this.  She went on and on how her complex makes you only have a sign on your door to say you want trick or treaters and she just isn't doing this.  She goes on and on about how she is decorating.  I nodded and muttered a few "umm hmms" and then went to the next row of dollar stuff... and then I heard her start up with someone else.  I wanted to say "Listen lady... I get it... I have no friends either... I am all alone at Target too... but unlike you I am not friend searching at Target".  I may sound like a total B*TCH... but I wasn't in the mood for Halloween decorate conversations with strangers.

I did pick these up which I read about on some blog.  YUMM-O.  I said they were for Maddie when I threw them in my cart... but I really wanted them too.

I ended up with about $95 of randomness... some sodas, some jeans for Maddie, three bags of Halloween candy, some pumpkin pie yogurt I cannot wait to try, paper plates, organic vanilla milk, etc....

Gosh... I love Target.

We went to dinner tonight.  We haven't been out to dinner at a restaurant (Subway doesn't count) in two weeks.  I think we definitely enjoyed it more than usual.  Madison told me this week she missed going to restaurants.  It was nice to relax and have someone else serve me and clean up the dishes.

Now we are about to watch a movie.  Next week I can't wait to share more about this neat DIY project I did for Madison's room.  Here is a sneak peek -

Happy Weekend!!

Our Weekend in Review

We've had a calm and relaxing fall weekend... just like I like it. 

On Saturday Chris went into work for a few hours and Maddie and I spent the morning/early afternoon running errands.

Top/Left - We shared a ham and cheese croissant at the farmer's market

Top/Right - I used my points from grocery shopping at Stop & Shop and was able to save $.60 off of each gallon of gas.

Bottom/Left - I won a UPrinting giveaway on a blog and ordered these postcards for my new baking business on etsy.  I love the way they turned out.

Bottom/Right - Here is Maddie before heading out for errands.  She loves wearing her new glasses.

Sunday morning I woke up and put a pot roast in the crock pot.  I love how it makes the house smell great all day.  Then I whipped up a quick and easy glazed cinnamon apple bundt cake {recipe coming tomorrow} using fresh picked apples my brother-in-law dropped off for us yesterday.

Probably the best part is Madiaon got invited over to her friend Kristin's today.  She connected early on with Kristin and they have been dying to get together.  I dropped her off thinking I would then make a quick trip to Michaels... but ended up staying and chatting with her mom for an hour...which was nice and cheaper than Michaels.  The bad thing is they are only here for a year before they go back to Florida... so I sure hope Madison becomes friends with some more kids who will be here more long term.

This week we have an ice cream social at Madison's school and I am going in to volunteer again.

I Have a 7th Grader

This morning we were all up at 6 am.  I don't think Maddie and I have been up that early all summer.

{She has a quilt that matches...but insists on sleeping with this old Waverly comforter I used on my bed in college}

She got dressed in the new outfit she selected last night.

I made her a hot breakfast - scrambled eggs and a toasted bagel with veggie cream cheese.  My poor husband lucked out too and I made him an egg and cheese bagel sandwich to take to work.  I never get up and make him breakfast.

Then I made her pose for a photo with her dad.

Then I did her hair in a high pony tail like she asked.

Then I made her pose for photos in the yard.

Then I insisted I walk her to the bus stop.  Yes... you can see the bus stop from our front door.  However after reading the Jaycee Dugard book this summer... she is never walking to the bus stop alone.  Ever.  Never.  Ever. Ever.  I was happy when two twin boys arrived at the bus stop with their mom...and her huge camera.

She kept telling me to hide in a bush, to go back home, she was fine, etc...  I stood there until the bus came, she got on it, and the bus driver looked at me like I was nutso because I was still standing there after he waved and told me to have a nice day.

Then I came home and felt sick.  What if she didn't make it to school?  I had told her to text me when the bus pulled into school.  She didn't.  My husband tried to tell me she had no intention on ever doing it. 

So then I climbed into bed and watched Sunday's episode of True Blood...which by the way I am not sure if I am loving this season.

Then I played some Words with Friends.

Then I made myself a bagel... 1/2 with a slice of melted cheese and 1/2 with chunky peanut butter.  The cheese 1/2 was better.

I drank a diet wild cherry Pepsi.

I applied for a tutoring job on the Internet.

Here it is 10:35.... bored outta my mind.

But I have a house to finish unpacking because my parents will be here tomorrow for their first visit to Rhode Island.

I am hoping like crazy she loved it, she had a great day, and she met tons of awesome people.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

It's been a few days since I have blogged and ever longer since I've linked up to one of my favorite linky parties...so today I am linking up over at This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

1. I am loving that my Madison didn't start school today (because of Hurricane Irene) so we get an extra day at home together.  Tomorrow...she starts 7th grade.  Wow.  I am kinda bummed... I thought since I wasn't working I would get to take her to school on her first day (I never have before because I was always teaching and had to be at my school)...but she wants to ride the bus.

2. I am loving that I let her choose tomorrow night's dinner and she chose Subway and a jello cake.  I will be making the cake tonight. 

{Source}

3. I am loving that I am not teaching this fall.  It really was killing me.  I am missing my super fun co-workers and daily adult interaction.

4. I am loving my new house and our little town.  I'm loving my mom's awesome family who is about a 90 minute drive away who let us come hang out for the day when we didn't have power because of Hurricane Irene.  We had good food, good conversation, and I even got to use one of those neat front loading washers to get caught up on my laundry. We will be going back there this weekend for a family cookout for the Labor Day holiday and I am going to be making some of my fabulous baked goodies to share.

5. I am loving today... because it has been a good day so far... and the good days have been few and far between this month.  August has been a SUCKY SUCKY month...and I am hoping like cray September is amazing for our family.



Madison's Pool Party

Our neighborhood has a great little pool and cabana area you can rent out.  We decided to let Madison throw a small end of the year pool party with some friends.

I designed these super cute invitations for the party -

Then I purchased scrapbook paper, gum balls, and plastic baggies from the local craft store.  I used a template and made a topper using PowerPoint which says "Have a BALL this summer"...get it? I filled the bags with gum balls :) , printed it out, and assembled these little goody bags for the girls who attended.  I arranged them in a small green tin I already had.

Then I made these super cute cupcakes for the girls -

I made homemade almond cupcakes and butter cream frosting.  I tinted the butter cream frosting and used it to frost the cupcakes.  Then I used my food processor to finely chop up and handful of Teddy Grahams.  Then I dipped half the cupcake into the crumbled Teddy Grahams to give the effect of sand..  Then I stuck a Teddy Graham (Madison helped with this part) inside a Gummy Life Saver and put it in the blue section (water).  I finally stuck a little paper umbrella into the sand.  They were a huge hit, tasted great, and looked super cute.

Only four girls ended up coming...we had Pizza Hut pizza (I forgot how tasty their thin crust pizza is), sodas, and tortilla chips and cheese dip.  They played in the pool for hours and were singing songs and making up games.

By the way, I just love these little collages, they were made on my IPhone with an app called Diptic.  I read about it on a blog.  It was only $1.99 and I love it almost as much as I love my Instagram app.

What a Day...

Today was my last teaching.  I hope its a forever sort of thing.  I have no desire to ever go back to full time teaching.  I finished packing up my room and headed out.  I didn't feel sad at all.  I have known for awhile I was ready to leave...that I needed to leave teaching.  I actually felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I had to go downtown to turn in my badge, do an exit interview, and to turn in my resignation form.

Then I took Madison to the book store for two new books and then lunch at Moes (which is her favorite).

Then we headed over to Target.  We are visiting my parents' this weekend and I wanted to bake some yummy Father's Day treats for my dad.  I plan on making my Peanut Butter Blondies as well as Snickerdoodles (his favorite).   The one by Moes has a grocery section...so I figured it would be more fun than a trip to the grocery store.  I told Madison since we were going out of town she needed to choose something for dinner.  She chose Bagel Bites and I chose this yummy looking salad that has dried cherries, goat cheese, grilled chicken, and walnuts...which was only $4.  I cannot wait to try it.

When I got home I remember that my friend, Dennis, from work had given me a card before I left.  This was my first year with Dennis on my 6th grade cluster even though he has worked at the school longer than me.  I had a fabulous cluster this year and we all got along great and were always joking around and laughing...trying to keep our sanity.  Well you know when I said earlier I wasn't sad AT ALL today...well when I read the card from Dennis and saw the generous gift card inside...I cried simpy because it was heartwarming to read the kind words he had to say to me.

I am anxious to see what the future brings for my family and I.