by Sarah | Aug 6, 2013 | All About Learning, All About Molly, Autism, IEP, Special Needs
Molly is entering 3rd grade.
It’s hard to believe that my little girl is in 3rd, and the baby is going into 2nd.
They start school in just over a week.
8 days.
Since mid-July I’ve been bracing for the upcoming struggle and battle.
Behaviors at home have gotten out of control again.
Anticipation always worsens the load for her.
I began in July.
I knew that it was on her IEP, but the school has convenient ways of forgetting these things during summer break.
I called the school office in July.
Voice mail told me the office was closed until August 1st.
But then July 31st we get the first official email from the principal. So I reply. I remind her of the IEP, and that Molly is to meet her teacher in advance.
And so, last week, Molly met her teacher. I met her teacher and was able to give a few ‘heads up’.
The school year hasn’t started, but I’ve prepped the field for battle.
I hate that I have to look at the start of every year this way, but I’m tired of her falling through the cracks and there being trouble because they don’t understand.
I’ve gone in guns blazing.
First battle is ours.
Now to finish picking up some sensory toys from Amazon. (Our favorites are the [amazon_link id=”B001EWC5M4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tangle[/amazon_link] and the [amazon_link id=”B00A8PS4NC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Stretch Balls[/amazon_link])
by Sarah | Jul 24, 2013 | All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Molly, All of Us
*This is a recycled post from a couple of years ago. I thought with school starting it would be a fun re-do for school lunches. All those [amazon_link id=”B00DE2PVTG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]bento boxes[/amazon_link] out there makes this possible!
(L – top to bottom. Cheese cutouts, Peanut Butter w/ banana strips. R – top to bottom. Peanut butter w/ orange marmalade folds, PB & grape jelly rolls, Nutella rolls.
Even my teen will make his own version of this for himself. Molly, the pickiest eater of them all, cleans her plate when I make this kid-friendly sushi. Since it was requested on twitter…I thought I’d post how I make them. And it’s super simple…and to be honest I got the idea from Pinterest and ran with it.
*~*
First, the supplies. Bread (1 slice makes 4 mini-rolls), a [amazon_link id=”B0000VLY7C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]rolling pin[/amazon_link] (pizza & pastry roller if you have one), whatever fillings/toppings you want.
Cut off the crust (I keep mine to feed the birds) and roll the bread flat, or cut into strips.
Get your toppings on your bread. For fun I used a mini cookie cutter to cut the banana for some of the strips, and for others I just cut it in half and length-wise. I used my leftovers for a bowl of cereal 😉
Roll them. I rolled some in spirals. I’ve read that you should roll these tight, but w/ the jelly I actually roll loose otherwise all of the jelly is squished out. For the orange marmalade I rolled in both sides and then folded to the middle (securing with a small strip of peanut butter between the two edges).
Last but not least for a little extra fun I used [amazon_link id=”B000U3NHD4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]some little cutters[/amazon_link] I had lying around to cut out shapes in cheese (I nibbled on the scraps).
Usually I make less sushi and include some small strips of carrots for a well rounded meal. My kids totally scarf these down faster than you can blink.
Some other ideas I have yet to try, but plan to…
- Butter & cucumbers rolled
- Jam w/ sweetened whipped cream cheese strips or folds
- Herbed whipped cream cheese with cucumbers strips
- Carrot peel & herbed whipped cream cheese rolls
- Nutella and Strawberry strips or rolls
- Whipped cream cheese (sweetened) w/ blueberries
These do not take me a ton of time (Well, this one did but I was taking pics and making more than I usually do)…and the kids love them. They are SO worth a shot!! Try them!!
by Sarah | Jul 22, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Indiana, All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us
The weather is still in the 90’s.
The sun is still shining more days than it’s not.
But school starts in just 3 weeks here.
Right behind that is fall.
The summer is well past half over.
2013 is over half over.
Where did the time go?
I’m shopping for school supplies when just yesterday we were starting our summer reading lists.
Just don’t mention Christmas yet.
My heart can’t handle it.
by Sarah | Jul 15, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me
This past school year, Kennedy was fortunate to have a pretty awesome teacher.
Among the many things she did to make the year amazing…
<—this took the cake.
She had the whole class work together. They composed a theme, and then they each wrote stories and illustrated them.
Then she had it published into a book.
Not only did it give the kids something to be proud of.
Not only did it make them interested in reading something.
It lit a fire in my baby girl.
She wants to be published before she graduates high school.
“Like you, Mom,” she says with a smile.
I love that.
I’m so proud of her and the imaginative story she wrote.
I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
by Sarah | Jul 1, 2013 | All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Random
Most days I’m good with my age.
I’ve done things in the past couple of years that make me realize I’m in my prime. I have a good life now, and I’m happy and fine with where I’m at.
Then the baby of the family brings home a time capsule on her last day of school set to be opened at graduation.
And I see the date.
2024
And I realize…
That’s 30 years after I graduated.
Now…
I feel old.
My youngest will graduate almost 30 years to the day after I did.
~whimper~
*~*
(More on the what I know of the contents on another post)
by Sarah | Apr 21, 2013 | All About Learning, Blogging Life, Earth Day Indiana, Indiana Family of Farmers
My kids in school every year learn something about Earth Day.
Most often, I’m brought home acres of paper about the importance of recycling (which I find ironic), and usually a planted seed of some form.
It never feels like enough.
This year there is a great event we plan on attending.
Earth Day Indiana is on April 27th from 11AM-4PM at White River State Park.
It’s FREE.
Did you hear that part?
FREE.
Over 130 exhibits from cleaner fuel to wildlife protection will span the event. With all of that, there has to be something that will suit everyone in your family.
One of the proud sponsors of the event – Indiana’s Family of Farmers – will have two booths at the event.
The ever-popular “Wheel of Ag” encourages visitors to learn more about how Indiana’s farm families work hard on their farms to be good stewards of our land. A variety of farm families from across the state will be on hand to answer questions about their farms.
Then, in the Children’s Tent, IFOF will help kids plant popcorn in biodegradable CowPots to celebrate the “Year of Popcorn” at the Indiana State Fair. How fun is that? I know my girls will be totally excited to plant popcorn!
So if you’re in Indy, pack up the family and head out for the event. There’s going to be so much to do, you’ll be disappointed when the day is over.
*~*
*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by the IFOF. As an IFOF Ambassador I receive compensation for this post. As always, my opinions are quite certainly my own as I would only willingly trade in my true thoughts for about a gazillion dollars and a private island supplied with wifi, a stocked library, and my own personal plastic surgeon (so my lazy butt wouldn’t have to work or diet for that better body I dream of). I can promise, none of that was supplied in this case.
Molly is entering 3rd grade.
