A Letter to our son - JJ's 6th birthday

Dear JJ -
These letters get harder and harder to write! You are growing up too quickly, it isn't fair! You are such an awesome kid, so smart, stubborn, and sarcastic. Not much different than us, so we can't hold the "bad" stuff against you.
Your favorite things are still superheros, Spongebob, and Scooby-Doo. You also still like Bakugan, but your new favorite things are Legos and Kreo Transformers. If you can build it or put it together, you are in heaven, and you will shut yourself in your room for hours doing it yourself. It's kind of like how you were with puzzles when you were three, putting together, taking apart, but with these you will follow the directions the first time but after that you like to think of new things you can make, mixing and matching your kits.
Your favorite color is now pink, but you won't wear it, you say it is for girls. You don't have a best friend, but you have made a lot of new friends at school, which you say you hate school because it is boring. You are ahead and you pick up quickly, so that isn't surprising, but you are so good there! Your teacher has no complaints, not once! She said you are always calm and quiet, you stay on task, and you have more patience than her to help the other kids. You are really reading and spelling like a champ and when we sit down at night to read it is nice to have you sometimes read to us!
Nothing has changed, you are still a great kid and we are blessed to have you in our lives! We look forward to each moment with you, sharing in your life!
Can't wait to see what this year will bring!
Love~
Mom and Dad

Snow Ornament

This I actually like more than others I have done because I think it it will really show up on the green background of the tree. It is only silver glitter and packaged fluffy snow. I had to make a paper funnel for the snow then use a craft stick to push through. I already had the red stickers to match the newly purchased candy cane inspired thin ribbon. JJ now wants to me more for 2 certain people, but I really want one for myself but now sure what "name" to put on it.

The last week of November Thursday thankfuls

18 - I'm thankful for pictures. It's no secret I like taking then, but having history from before I was born is priceless too! - And another day with a 2nd thankful - I'm thankful for the writers cramp for addressing envelopes to you all. I'm blessed with wonderful people in my life!

19 - I'm thankful for the possibility to have more children than just biologically - Happy National Adoption Day!!!

20 - I'm thankful that through the kindness of others my family will have an awesome day today at M&T Stadium and the aquarium! Why B-less when you can B-more!

21 - I'm thankful for my husband. I know it was my first thankful post, but he really is awesome!

22 - I'm thankful for the opportunity to volunteer in JJ's classroom.

23 - I'm thankful for JJ's reasoning. He just told me that 100 years ago there were dinosaurs but the museum people killed them, took of their skin, and propped up their bones. LOL.

24 - Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for everything, the good and the bad! Enjoy your day!

Glass pendants

These are actually made from the round glass pieces that many people put in fish tanks. Patterned paper is glued to the flat side then the whole thing is glued to a round pendant holder. I use regular superglue and also once the glue sets I add more glue around the edges just to make slightly stronger. Match up the glass to the pendant holder first since not all glass pieces are round. The glass really shows the papers off!

A Painted Ornament

I saw this on Pinterest, and ironically it was a post about a Pinterest challenge. I tried it myself and did not get the original results, but more like those of the poster. It's ok. Not something I would do again unless as a lesson in colors and mixing for my kids, or to reuse the same colors to make a "globe of the world." One hint, most acrylic paints that you buy at an everyday store are thick in consistency, I had a clear medium for glass and ceramics that I added with each 2 drops of different colors. Otherwise the shaking and tapping would have been horrible! Good way to build muscles I guess.
Idea site: http://ayellowbicycle.blogspot.com/2011/11/pinterest-challenge-painted-ornaments.html

Half baked? Don't have all your marbles? Here's a craft for you.....

Have you ever wondered what happens to marbles when you bake them and put them in ice water? Neither did I. But I ran across this craft and loved the cracks that happen ONLY on the inside of the marbles. Clearly the lighter color is better and I will look for some others in different shades, these are the only two I could find (with Rhea's help) last week. Basically, bake in the over at 350 degrees for 20 minutes then immediately put in ice water. Make sure the baking dish and the bowl holding the water are metal. I glued on end caps to hold an "o ring" and add to any chain or ribbon of your choice. If you have an older child (you know your child's capabilities on being around hot things) it might be a good science lesson at the same time. I read you can also use the glass "stones" you find for aquariums, but that I have not yet tried.

WIN!!! Thanks to Michael Oher!

I won two Ravens football tickets today, from one of my favorite football players and life icons, Michael Oher! I'm so tickled! My husband seriously deserves the break the game will offer and our teen will have a blast at his first professional football game, a gift from someone who has been where he is!

I'm just so happy that someone gave me the opportunity to give this to my guys!

And, on another plus, thanks to our family social worker we have a year family membership to the national aquariums as a gift at our adoption day, and I will be going with the younger boys!

Our family has been blessed with opportunities thanks to the kindness of others!

Thursday Thankful - my week of thanks posts

#11 - I am thankful for those that put their lives on the line to protect not only us here, but our brothers in other countries as well!!!!

#12 - I'm thankful for a husband who will kiss me "goodbye" before going for a run around our small neighborhood.

#13 - I'm thankful for a peaceful Sunday with my guys out to lunch then to see Santa.

#14 - I'm thankful to have grown up seeing my mom and grandmom always making things, showing me creativity is joyful!

#15 - I'm thankful for the opportunities to do things for others.

#16 - I'm thankful for my mom teaching me to pinch pennies when shopping - saved myself & Rhea money today!

#17 - I'm thankful to be provided for, we have a roof over our heads, good food in our bellies, and clothes on our backs. We are better off than 90% of the world, and we are further blessed to have extras and do special things.

Mop & Glo ornaments with glitter

A couple friend's made these last year. Instructions were simple - put in Mop & Glo in glass ornaments, swish around and dump out extra. Put in glitter, swish around and dump out extra. Place cap back on, add ribbon & sticker (or paint on letter.) But, I found some online complaints about the glitter not sticking past the holidays, so I added a LITTLE school glue to the Mop & Glo. We will see how well it holds.

Scrabble Tile Charms

I managed to get hooks into the wood of the Scrabble tiles without splitting the soft wood, but I'm still going to look for other ways to attach to necklaces. I'm on the lookout for some papers too ;)

Letter collage - last name

I saw this on Pinterest as well and fell in complete lust for it. I have sat and done half a dozen of these already, bought my frames today, and now I only have to get the others printed. Hope everyone else is as excited about them as I am haha.

Scrabble Ornament

This is for JJ's teacher. Just superglue the tiles top/bottom and glue ribbon on the back to hold on tree then glue on a bow. Add any other Christmas novelties you can find. Another Pinterest find.

Wedding invite ornament

This was so simple, cut the wedding invitation into strips then curl around scissors and place in a glass ornament, tie on a ribbon, and viola, quick & easy keepsake for the happy couple commemorating their happy day!

A Pinterest Fail

This WAS going to be the basis of our Christmas card, but the younger boys are too small to see :( And here I thought I was being so cutesy. Oh, well, I have salvaged it to do another way. It was a good idea, but I guess I have too many people and not a big enough frame.

Thursday Thankful - my week of thanks posts

1. I'm thankful for my hubby! He's awesome to me and the boys!

2. I'm thankful for my boys who make my days complete and bring me so much joy!!

3. I'm thankful for my family, which has provided many laughs, constant support, and a strong sense of self and rules to live by. It doesn't "run" in my family, it practically gallops ;)

4. I'm thankful for my friend's, near and far, past and present, for the support, laughs, advice, commiseration, reasons to get out of the house, etc. You are all dear to me!!

5. I'm thankful that I have 2 sides to accommodate the 2 little ones who both want to be next to me.

6. I'm thankful for technology that allows me to keep in touch with friends & family scattered everywhere and which allows me to be creative.

7. I'm thankful that cleaning is so much less a pain to do (in my mind) than it used to be bc heaven knows I have more of it to do!

8. I'm thankful for my health. I woke up this morning with a raging sinus headache, feeling hungover. But if that is my only complaint I am doing good!!

9. I'm thankful for a longer afternoon "break" between picking up the middle child & the oldest.

10. I'm thankful for coffee products, cappuccino and lattes, yummy. Gonna make one now ;)

Adoption is not a trend

This shirt has bugged me for awhile. Adoption cannot be compared to such slogans as "pink is the new black." these are lives, not what you choose to put on in the morning. Yes, adoption is more heard of, and yes I believe some gained way too much media attention, but it isn't a bad thing, it has brought it to the front of attention. I always wanted to adopt, I remember asking my mom why she didn't. It was just something that seemed a natural progression to me, even though I've noticed older generations frowned upon it, saying you never know what 'problems' you might encounter, to me, same with biological children. I've even had people tell me not to tell my second son about his adoption, but it isn't a bad thing, I refuse to hide it! My generation looked forward to receiving adoption papers for our Cabbage Patch Kids, our parents fought for them to give to us, my grandmother made them for me when my mom couldn't get me one before they sold out. Maybe we were just inadvertently programmed at an early age how wonderful adoption is, and yes, it is. A shirt like this mocks how special it is!

Filipino Time

JJ is on "Filipino Time" - Trick-or-treating was torture with him last night, he was so SSLLOOWW..... I don't know what it is about these Mendoza boys dragging! But, they were cute ;)