A new adventure....second grade

Yep, it's true.
Olivia is officially a second grader.
Where does the time go?
I swear she was just graduating from preschool.
And now, second grade?
With a new wardrobe filled with clothes from Justice?

Hold me.

Tonight was open house. Which, at our school, means it was really open house-get your school picture taken-put money on your lunch card-schedule your parent/teacher conference for November-drop off art supplies-find your locker-find your classroom-meet your teacher night.

Whew.
I'm tired just from typing that.

I will give the school credit for ONE thing. This year was less chaotic than last year. A little less. Just a little.

And, the whole "meet the teacher" was easy this year because Olivia's teacher is the same woman who was her kindergarten teacher. I'm not sure who is happier about that - me or Olivia. Of course, Mrs. D seemed rather pleased about it too.

I admit, I got a little choked up as we "toured" the classroom. It was somehow more "grown up" than her first grade class last year. Everything seemed "older" and more mature (well, as mature as you can get in the second grade). And then, there were textbooks on the desks! Four to be exact.

TEXTBOOKS.

Hard cover textbooks for reading, math and social studies. Holy crap. (Oh and yeah...these books cost me $40. I found that out earlier this evening as I was filling out paperwork. Really? $40 for books in second grade? That's crazy talk.)

And on each desk next to the textbooks was a brown paper bag with this message attached: "Peek inside and you will see ten items meant for you and me. Reminders as we learn and play our class is special everyday!"

OK, not the greatest poem ever composed, but this list was rather inspirational....*

1. A pencil to help you record your knowledge.
2. Smarties to remind you how smart you are.
3. An eraser to remind you it's OK to make mistakes. We all do!
4. A rubber band to remind you to be flexible with each other.
5. A fuzzy stem to remind you to work together to overcome any bumps along the way.
6. A jingle bell to remind you to listen to each other.
7. A wiggle eye to remind you to keep an eye out for each other.
8. A gemstone to show to let the truth shine in your words and actions.
9. A cotton ball to remind you to treat each other gently, with kindness and respect.
10. A penny to remind you of your great worth.

I couldn't even read the whole list to Olivia without getting all teary eyed. I had to stop at number two on the list..and read the rest at home (I didn't really want the other parents to think I was losing it!).

That has got to be the best list of items.
What wonderful lessons to give these kids as they start this adventure called second grade.

Happy school year!

*(Personally, I think every grown up should get a bag like that to keep at their desks as a gentle reminder of how important they are. But that's just me.)

McDonald's real fruit smoothies ... yum!

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for fruit smoothies. I find it hard to resist the smoothie place at our local mall - and usually end up getting the LARGE.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to try the new McCafe Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie at McDonald's and let's just say I'm in love. With a smoothie. If you love pineapple and mango and yogurt...I think you'll be a fan too.

I love the flavor - and being a Disney fanatic, the pineapple-ness reminded of me of the pineapple Dole Whip. Or maybe that was just me wishing I was at Disney. Either way, it was good. And, I love that the smoothies are made fresh while you wait. These come straight from the blender to the cup. Heck, I even talked to the employee making mine.

The smoothies are available in small (12 oz), medium (16 oz) and large (22 oz) sizes, and provided up to 3/4 cup of fruit and 25% of the daily recommendation of vitamin C in a small size. You can also choose to have your smoothie made with or without low-fat yogurt. (Resource: McDonald's).

And because I love you, my dear readers, I want to share some of this smoothie deliciousness with you...with one minor caveat.

I have several "Be Our Guest" cards good for one FREE SMALL Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie and I'd like to share them with you. However, the cards are only redeemable at McDonald's Restaurants of NW Ohio or SE Michigan.

So, if you are local (northwest Ohio or southeast Michigan) and you're one of the first 6 people to comment, shoot me an e-mail (tcurth2002 at msn dot com) with your name and mailing address and I'll send you a coupon for a free smoothie. It's that easy.

(Disclosure: McDonald's of NW Ohio provided me with the Be Our Guest promotional cards. All opinions are mine.)

When I grow up, I want to be....

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

This is a common question that we start asking kids right about the time they start kindergarten (or so it seems). On any given day you'll hear things like "teacher," "astronaut," "president," "football player," or "actress." All nice professions within reach of most kids (well, OK...maybe a professional athlete or actress is a stretch for "within reach" but let the kids dream, right?)

When I ask my daughters what they want to be when they grow up my oldest says a teacher and the youngest just looks at me as if I'm crazy. Perhaps I am.

But enough about the kids.
Ask yourself the same question: What do YOU want to be when you "grow up?"

Yes, I do realize that we are all "adults" and therefore have "grown up" for all intents and purposes. But, it's still a valid question. What do you want to be?

When I was growing up I wanted to be (in no particular order): an archaeologist, an actress, a television news anchor, a writer, a lawyer, a professional figure skater, and a newspaper reporter. The most logical choice in that list - and the one I enjoyed most - was writer/newspaper reporter and so, I majored in journalism in college.

Then, I hated the newspaper I worked for after graduating college. So I quit that job and moved home and decided I wanted to be a lawyer. The bar exam had other plans for me, and well... after thinking about it, I didn't really want to be a lawyer.

So then I wore many hats in many different jobs. But still I didn't have a "career."

I had an inner struggle a couple years ago when I lost a job that I truly enjoyed. I struggled a lot with the demise of my job, not only because I had to wallow in the sorrow of it for SIX very long months from the time they told me until the day the job was gone, but also because I felt like a failure. I even blogged about it - how I was 36 years old (at the time) with no CAREER. Not just a woman without a job, but a woman without a career.

At the time, that seemed important.
To have a career.
To be on some fast track to something.
But in the last couple of years I've had a change of heart.
Maybe that word "career" isn't so important in the grand scheme of things.

In my lifetime I've been a newspaper reporter, a civil rights intern, an association executive, a college instructor, an editor, and a communications manager. It's a lot of jobs and a lot of titles, but none of them made a "career."

And you know what?
I'm OK with that.

You want to know why?
Because I know what I want to be when I grow up.
I want to be what I am right now.
I am a wife, a mom, and a writer.
I am happy.

I might not have one of those "lifelong careers" where at your retirement party you can say "I've been a [insert job here] for the last 40 years and I've loved every minute of it!" But I have the best job in the world. I'm a mommy. I'm a chef and a short order cook, a taxi driver, a laundress, a booger wiper, a homework checker, a cheer mom, and a dance mom. I'm a wife, a partner, a constant source of nagging about something (what? it's true and I'm OK with it). And, I'm a writer. A blogger. A tweeter.

And most importantly, I'm happy.

Sure, I need to find a job that helps pay the bills. But I'm no longer looking or longing for a career. I found my lifelong career - mommy - and while it might not pay enough to cover the mortgage, the perks of the job are awesome.

Wordless Wednesday - Palm trees and Pop!

Disney's Pop Century Resort, April 2010

Making memories with Paper Coterie (plus a giveaway!)

Tell me if this sounds familiar...

You took a magical family vacation (a few months ago or maybe a year ago) and you took at least 1,000 photos on your amazing digital camera and those pictures are STILL sitting in a folder on your computer, just waiting to be used. You keep thinking "I have to do something with those pictures before the kids turn 18 and head off to college (in 13 years!)." And yet, the days go by and the pictures still sit. And sit.

Can you relate?
I thought so.

Sure, digital pictures are amazing and so easy to store..but the downside is many of us tend to just store them, never turning the photos into amazing keepsakes.

Well never fear, dear readers, I am here to offer some creative help for those family photos.
You need to check out Paper Coterie.

What is it, you ask?
Well, Paper Coterie is my new favorite site to create beautiful keepsakes with my family photos!

Paper Coterie "believe(s) in the power of paper to document who we are, the people we love, and what we are learning along the way." They are, as their Facebook page says, a close circle of friends who share a common passion — documenting the beauty of life well lived.

I recently had the chance to explore the Paper Coterie site and there were so many amazing products, it was difficult to choose just one. I loved the calendars (especially the desktop calendars!), and the growth charts were adorable (and I would have ordered one if my girls were younger). I also loved the recipe books (what a great gift for a bride-to-be).

It took some time, but I finally decided on one of the memory boxes. We've been home from our Walt Disney World vacation since mid-June and I still have a pile of "keepsakes" on my dining room table and nowhere to put them. Sure, I could have gone out and bought a boring photo box (like I usually do), but to be able to create a memory box with photos of our vacation seemed like a better idea.

The Paper Coterie site is beautiful to look at and easy to navigate. Explore all the design options and when you're ready to create a project you can jump right it (after signing up as a member on the site). Upload the photos you want to use (I loved the fast upload!) and then get creative.

And to make things EVEN easier, Paper Coterie is celebrating "Begin Anywhere Month" throughout the month of August! They want to inspire YOU to start documenting today! Their gift to you is a $40 credit to spend on anywhere on their site! There is no minimum order and all you need to pay is shipping! You must place your order by midnight August 31. Enter the code BEGINANYWHERE at checkout.

But wait, there's more!

Paper Coterie is also giving 10 of my readers a code good for $40 off AND free shipping! To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know what product you'd love to order if you won. (Be sure to include your email so I can contact you). Winner will be chosen randomly.

Contest ends midnight, Friday August 26.

UPDATE: Saturday, August 27 - the contest has closed. Winners will be contacted via email. Thanks!


Disclosure: I was chosen to review Paper Coterie by MomSelect and was provided with a free item from Paper Coterie, in addition to the 10 codes for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday - Hidden Mickey cupcake

I made marble cupcakes for my mother in law's birthday. When I took them out of the oven, this "hidden Mickey" was front and center on one of the cupcakes. I laughed, took a photo, asked for a "yes or no" vote on Twitter and well...the "yes" votes won.

My cupcake hidden Mickey.

Tutus, tap shoes and pom poms

Growing up, I didn't do many sports or athletic activities.
I took gymnastics for a couple of years.
And then, I was a figure skater from fourth grade until eighth grade when I decided I didn't want to do that anymore either. (My dad was so mad at me when I told him that...in his defense, I was taking private lessons and had "potential"...I guess I just lacked "drive.")

But, I never wanted to be a dancer.
I tried out for cheerleading once, in the fourth grade.
I didn't make the squad.
I didn't really care.
I was content to skate around a rink or hang out in my room, reading.
(I always wonder what life would have been like if I had a computer back then. Oh the possibilities!)

Fast forward to present day.
I'm a mom of two daughters.
Girls who love princesses and Barbie dolls and playing dress up and the color pink.
And I love all those things too, so you could say our house is one big pink ruffled party!
My husband is outnumbered and he knows it.

Emma, my youngest, has decided she wants to be a ballerina. And so, in two weeks she'll be starting dance lessons. Tap and ballet. Yesterday we went to the dance store for shoes. And tutus. I felt like a fish out of water. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Thankfully, my sister was there to guide me around and my mom was her backup.

We bought ballet slippers that Emma might grow out of before the end of the dance year. And we bought tap shoes that came with a warning of "don't wear them on ceramic tile, hardwood floors or concrete....or bad things will happen." Then it was time for leotards and tutus.

Someone save me.

Around the same time that I was being suffocated by pink frilly tutus, Olivia was having a mini meltdown. She wanted shoes. And a leotard. And WHY WASN'T SHE TAKING DANCE?!? In my defense, Olivia has never expressed an interest in dancing. But yesterday as she watched her cousin and sister get new shoes and pink tutus, she suddenly felt left out.

A day earlier she had said to me "Mommy! You NEVER asked ME if I wanted to dance." Oh, the drama.

(A note about my Olivia - she tends to be shy and has been known to cry when she has to perform in front of crowds...so her sudden interest in dance and/or gymnastics was a bit shocking.)

I said "Olivia, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe gymnastics."
And with that she picked out a cute black leotard and sparkly silver shorts.
For the gymnastics class that she isn't taking.

Then, my sister asked Olivia if she ever thought about being a cheerleader because Olivia's cousin was starting cheer lessons that very night and wouldn't that be fun?

That's all it took.
Sold.
Cheer lessons it was.
With a promise of gymnastics this winter.

And so, last night I spent two hours in a hot, stuffy gym sitting on a not-so-clean mat on the floor, watching Olivia learn how to be a cheerleader. She looked a bit unsure of herself and couldn't do a cartwheel...but she was having FUN. It was hot. And exhausting. But it was fun.

Now, I might joke about how I'm now a 'dance mom' AND a 'cheer mom' and how at this point I'm just a reality show waiting to happen, but as long as my girls are happy and having fun...that's all that matters.

Bring on the pom poms and tutus.
I'm ready.

Chance

Today was a rainy and gloomy summer day here in northwest Ohio. Instead of staying inside, doing laundry and other mundane tasks, we decided to get out of the house. Kevin needed to find a birthday gift for his mom and he told the girls we could go "look around" at the pet store.

Three hours later we were the proud owners of that adorable kitten you see up there.

Let's talk about this a bit.

We used to have two cats - Daisy and Gatsby. They were MY cats. My babies. I had adopted them both before I met Kevin and I loved them more than I can explain here. Daisy was my first love - she was moody, loving, loud, and had an attitude that would never be 'adjusted.' She was THE alpha kitty. Gatsby was the exact opposite - she was shy, quite, and lovable toward everyone.

Daisy had many health issues in her short life. Advanced periodontal disease that led to all of her teeth being pulled, kidney issues and then at age 8, she was diagnosed with 'water diabetes' and we had to put her to sleep. It was devastating. A year later we had to give Gatsby away. I will not go into detail, but it was also devastating.

Since then cats have been a 'taboo' topic in our house. Kevin didn't want to talk about getting another one. I didn't talk about how much I wanted another cat. But the girls, well they were a different story. All Emma has been talking about is HOW MUCH she NEED a kitty. Olivia wasn't as vocal, but every time we saw kittens, we had to stop and look.

Today, we stopped and looked.
We found a four month old kitten name "Chance."
The girls FELL. IN. LOVE.

And so, we took a Chance and filled out the adoption papers and now we have a kitten.

We've renamed him Shadow.
And he's quite perfect.

A brief lesson in golf and honesty

After spending every Friday morning this summer taking golf lessons, today was The Day. It was tournament day for Olivia.

Today was the very first time she golfed ON the actual golf course. She's practiced on the driving range before, and last year's tournament was three holes on that very same driving range. So today was sort of a big deal. For her. And for me and Kevin. Our "baby" was golfing four holes on a real course!

The group of golfers included Olivia and three other girls around her age (7-8) years old. One of the other dads was the "official" scorekeeper - a role he "earned" by signing his kids in first this morning. My dad was acting as Olivia's caddie, while Kevin and I were mere spectators.

On each hole the kids were given 10 strokes on the fairway and then five stroke once they were on the green. If they exceeded the 10 strokes on the fairway, they were able to pick up the ball and then place it one flag stick length away from the hole on the green. Simple enough rules, right?

Let's just say this: obviously the scorekeeper wasn't a math major. And he clearly failed ethics.

Olivia had some great drives on the fairways. She never once went over 10 strokes on the fairway. She only ended up in the bunker ONCE and took only two strokes to get out of the sand! She made her putts in five strokes or less - or at least only took five strokes to attempt to make the putt. And yet, somehow...she ended up with a final score of 47.

That's right, according to the"official" scorecard she golfed a 47 on four holes.

Yes, that IS good for a 7-year-old who has never golfed on an actual course before. (The tees were about 135 yards from the hole ... kid sized tees if you will). And while we are VERY PROUD of our little golfer, she was ROBBED of her actual score.

That's right folks, the other guy cheated/lied/fudged the numbers.

According to my dad's calculations, Olivia's score should have been a 39. And yet, it was recorded as a 47. Eight strokes higher than what she ACTUALLY golfed.

When I saw that score put on the leaderboard at the end of the tournament and then saw the scores recorded for the other kids (all in the mid 30s...which is impossible since I know on at least one hole one of the other girls had 10 strokes on the fairway!)....I was FURIOUS. Oh, and yeah...and the icing on the cake...one of his kids came in 2nd place.

I don't know how he did it, but the scorekeeper lied on the scorecard. He didn't count all the strokes for certain kids and obviously counted ALL the strokes, including missed PRACTICE SWINGS for Olivia.

And no, I'm not being a "sore loser." This is not about who won or lost, because in my mind, Olivia won today. She rocked it on that course!

But anyone who golfs knows that HONESTY is one of the core values of the game. You don't lie about your score. You don't cheat. You don't take mulligans. You don't use a "foot wedge." You play with honesty and integrity. That's why golf is often referred to as "a gentleman's game" (OK, yeah...a bit sexist, but let's all remember that women didn't always play golf.)

As proud as I am of Olivia, it angers me that someone could do that and be OK with it.
We should be teaching our kids honesty and integrity on the golf course, not teaching them how to fudge a scorecard for a lower score.

This wasn't a professional tournament. It was a four-hole tourney for little kids. It was all for FUN. There was no million dollar purse at stake. The kids all received little "bronze" medals and a toy for participating. So it just boggles my mind that this happened. Thankfully, Olivia didn't realize any of this was happening - she took her medal and her new Disney Princess "beauty set" and continued on her merry way.

But I know it happened.
And I'm not OK with it.
Next year, I'll be the scorekeeper.
And I'll do it honestly.

Worldess Wednesday - Happiness is...

Summer fun on Time Island

"I'm so bored!"

"What are we doing today?"

"I don't have anything to do!"

Ah, the lovely sounds of summer....the kids are bored, it's too HOT to go outside and play without melting and, of course, they have nothing to do despite the rooms full of toys and books.

So, what's a parent to do? How are we supposed to amuse the kids with something that is not only fun but also safe to play online?

The answer?
Check out Time Island.

Time Island is an online world of adventure where your kids can test their survival skills, build tribes and "outsmart, out maneuver and outlast the troublesome green creatures that inhabit the island, known as the Goggs."

Sounds a lot like "Survivor" for kids - but without the villains. And I really mean there are no villains because there are RULES in the jungle - there is no inappropriate chat, you can never reveal your personal information with other players and you must respect the other Time Island players, which means no bullying or bad language.

Really, what's not to love?

The girls and I decided to hang out on Time Island last week. The registration process is quite simple, but the girls still needed my help. First you have to agree to the Rules of the Jungle (see above), then you choose your name and pick whether you are a boy or a girl. Then ,Olivia and Emma both had a chance to create their own avatar - they picked the hair, clothes and desired gear. (Check out this YouTube video about registering for Time Island).

Next you chose a password, whether you are a boy or a girl (again), add your birthdate, country, language and your parent's email address. You can also choose the "supreme safe mode" or "standard safe mode" - which has something to do with the types of chat you will be able to see once in the game.

After this, I received an "activation email" so that I was the person activating their accounts. And then, they were ready to play!

The Time Island website says Time Island is a place where "time and seasons change unexpectedly" and you must learn new skills in order to survive. Players can earn food, and must build a shelter. But you must also watch out for Goggs - creatures that inhabit the island and sap you of your energy.

So, knowing all these things, the girls started out on a beach. We discovered that by clicking on the screen your avatar will walk in that direction and, at times, an arrow appears on screen telling you which way to walk. We followed these arrows most of the time.

Olivia managed to get off the beach and ended up in the jungle. She was a bit confused about what her goal was, but she found a ladder going down into an underground cave and followed that route. There were a few activities in the cave that she accomplished and then she was above ground again! After a while it seemed like she was going in circles, but I think that was due to her unfamiliarity with the game.

She keeps asking when she can play again - and I'm certain she'll be back on the beach and in the jungle very soon!

The concept of Time Island is great and it's a safe and fun online environment for kids. I would much rather have them playing on the island than at most of the other kids sites out there.

If you have young kids and they're "so bored" and always claiming they have "nothing to do," why not check out Time Island.

You can also find Time Island on Facebook here.


Disclaimer: I was asked to participate in this review with Time Island and MomSelect. While I was not compensated for my post, I did receive a gift pack of Time Island "goodies" for my kids. All opinions in this review are my own.

Wordless Wednesday - Wishing

At our happy place.