Teaching our Children
Gift for the Teacher on the First Day of School
Over the summer we picked up goodies for the teacher. Items we packed in the goodie bag for the girls school teacher. We did get a list of items that she requested for the classroom and added a few more to fill up the bag. The girls had a lot of fun picking out the items and packing it up.
- 2 boxes of Kleenex
- 1 bag Animal Eraser
- 1 Notepad
- 1 pack of 3 reptile Sticky Notes
- 2 packs 8×10 Filler Paper
- 18 Glue Sticks
- 2 bottles Germx
- 1 box 24 Crayons
- 1 package Fall “Reward Sheets”
- 1 package “Certificate of Recognition” Sheets
- 1 bag Candy Bracelets, Rings, and Lipsticks
- 2 boxes of pencils
- 2 pencil containers
- 2 Spiral Notebooks
- 2 Capsule Animals
- 1 Mini Story Book
- 5 Clip Bracelets “Kids Doing Good”
- 4 Sandal Notepads
- 1 package Highlighters
- 1 box Paperclips
- 1 package “Great Work” Certificates
- 1 package “Star Student” Certificates
- 1 package “No Homework” Certificates
- 1 package “Free Time” Certificates
- 1 package “Note From Your Teacher” Rocket Postcards
- 1 box Bandaids
Teacher goodie bag ready for the first day of school. 
Rocket Postcards for the teacher! You can probably guess which one of the girls picked out this goodie to put in the bag. They were very excited to put together items for the teacher.
Teachers goodie bag The teachers goodie bag was ready and packed on the first day of school complete with a note from us.
Thankfully most of the items we found on clearance over the summer, from the Dollar Tree, or had in our stockpile from shopping at a variety of stores. So far the only item(s) that we have seen come back home from the goodie bag has been two band aids from Karlie’s nose dive on the playground the first week of school. Luckily it was just a surface wound. The teacher already sent us a note thanking us for the items, which was really nice too. Did you send your teacher any goodies? If you did what did you put in the bag or box?
Raising Multiples: First School Day of First Grade!
The girls recently started school, their first day of first grade went really well. After a wonderful summer together of traveling and memories we were getting them ready for school They were excited to go to school to learn and see their friends but also told me that they would miss their time at home, (aw….such sweethearts)! Here’s a few snapshots from their first day of school.
First day of School lunches are packed and ready to go! This year we are packing lunches every day except Fridays, which is pizza or special lunch day. They were very excited about picking out and making food to pack in their lunches. I was impressed at how well they adjusted and how much initiative they took cleaning out their bags every day. The girls received their lunch bags from some great friends, they came in handy last year and again this year.
Brina's lunch Brina is our loves flowers, pink, orange, and anything girly so this is perfect for her. One of the concerns Moms with Twins, Triplets or higher multiples is making sure to develop their individuality. The girls were THRILLED to have different lunch boxes with their names on it.
Karlie's lunch One of Karlie’s favorite colors is black (she has loved space and planets for years)! These thoughtful gifts came from a good friend with triplets who has been a huge encouragement to me since she found out I was pregnant with the girls.
Notes we put into their school lunch on the first day of first grade! The girls see some of the “notes” that I send in Daddy’s lunch and always enjoy it when they get one as well. As a special surprise occasionally I will stick in a note to them. They both thanked us for their first lunch box “love note” of the school year!
Brina and Karlie ready for their first day of 1st grade! You would think that at this age it would be easy to get two kids to smile at the camera, ha! They were so worried that my taking pictures would make them late the first day of school. Don’t worry we made it with plenty of time to spare!
Brina's ready! Brina’s comment on the way to school this year was “”We will make some good friends today and have fun talking to our friends from last year!” Glad she is excited about seeing friends and making new ones.
Karlie's super excited to go to first grade! Karlie’s comment on the way to school this year was “So how many days until Summer break”! We had been counting down until the first day of school. She had such a fun summer together I think she was ready to start counting down until next summer.
Our notes to our sweet girls at breakfast! On their breakfast plates we wrote each of them a note to read while we were cooking breakfast.
Notes to our girls on the first day of school! They love getting notes and special days should be celebrated!
Hello cutie pies, your note from Mom and Dad on your first day of First Grade! Our first day of school note was M&M’s. The comment I got from them was “Silly Mommy” but they smiled reading the letter we wrote to them.
Love making our girls smile. The first day of first grade is a great day to celebrate! Life is short and my babies are growing up quickly. I want our girls to know how much we love them. These notes only take a few moments to write but can be a tremendous encouragement to them especially as they walk into a new classroom on the first day of school.
On the way to school! All buckled in and ready for school. Yes, I took the picture at a stoplight not while driving.
Beautiful first day of first grade for the girls! I was thankful to see the sun shining, a gorgeous blue sky, white puffy clouds and beautiful leafy trees on the way to school. We truly have much to appreciate in life.
Walking behind their teacher on their way to first grade, my babies are growing up! My big girls walking to their class by themselves, no assistance necessary from their Mommy.
School day is done, they love riding home on the bus. Thankful for their time to learn. Praying that their first grade year is a positive experience packed full of great educational fun.
Book: “Farms ABC: An Alphabet Book” by B. A Hoena
We read this book “Farms ABC: An Alphabet Book” by B. A. Hoena to the girls when they were really little and after the Grandparents were here visiting us from Kansas a couple weeks ago the girls picked this book out again from the library. As we were reading it again I was impressed with how well the author incorporated many aspects of farming / ranching into the small book. It is an excellent beginning readers book filled with information about farms (including Irrigation, Oats, Tractors, Planting Seeds, Repairs, Harvest and more). The author goes through the alphabet highlighting each letter and describing the highlighted word in more detail. In the back they add additional fun facts about farming for the kids to read. For example: “A dairy cow produces about 100 glasses of milk a day” and “Did you think that only cows eat grass? Wheat is a type of grass that people eat. It is used to make bread.” Our girls know their ABC’s already but were fascinated by the pictures and descriptions. This book would be a great addition to your library especially if you have family in the farming business or your little one is fascinated by farm animals and equipment.
Family Recipe: Never Fail Flaky Pie Crust
Many years ago my Great Aunt Naomi gave me this recipe for her “Never Fail Flaky Pie Crust”. It has been a great flaky pie crust recipe that is easy to make. I have made this pie crust multiple recipes over the years for a variety of pies. As the fall season approaches and we prepare to make delicious pies from fresh picked berries, apples and other great fruits this pie crust will come in handy.
Never Fail Flaky Pie Crust:
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 cup Shortening
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Egg, well beaten
- 5 tablespoon Water
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
Mix flour, shortening, salt with pastry blender. Combine egg, water, and vinegar then combine with flour mixture. Mold into 4 balls chill awhile then roll out for pie. Balls will keep up to 2 weeks in refrigerator for additional pies. Yields: 2 double pie crusts
If you want to just do enough for 1 complete pie crust (top and bottom) cut the recipe in half.
Photo by Joe Beone
Summer Activities – A Hammock Full of Memories
Swinging and relaxing for a few minutes in the Hammock! A few months ago for Mother’s Day Jake gave me a hammock! It wasn’t until this Summer that I realized how much the gift meant to me. As a family we have spent some wonderful time together talking, laughing, reading, and just relaxing together in the hammock. Jake hung the hammock in the shady part of our yard near the jungle gym, swimming pool, and where I can see the majority of the yard, house and driveway.
Karlie hanging out with us on the hammock! Once Karlie was done swimming she ran inside the house to change so she could have some relaxing time on the hammock with Mom and Dad. I cannot count the number of times she has fallen asleep on the hammock as we enjoy time together.
Brina loving the extra time talking and relaxing with Mom, Dad and Karlie. The girls love getting a chance to swing on the hammock with Mom and Dad. They have a blast talking about anything and everything. It is a great location to have some heart to heart as well as reminisce about all the fun memories we have together as a family.
Skipper, our faithful guard dog while the family enjoys time on the hammock. After Skipper has made a complete loop around the entire property she will settle down at a spot right next to the hammock. She occasionally will look at us but for the most part she is checking out all the activity in the woods and creek area. Although she has never been on the hammock she seems to enjoy it when the entire family is outside nearby.
A moment of rest. Every once in awhile when we are on the hammock the girls will fall asleep. It is such a great place to spend a few moments together. Life has a way of getting so busy that we need some time to stop, focus on each family member, enjoy being outside and relax.
A peaceful view of nature! This is the view looking up from the hammock. You can enjoy the beautiful trees, baby blue sky, and white puffy clouds floating by. Just looking up and watching the leaves rustle in the breeze and the clouds drifting by makes the time relaxing even better.
I have gone out many times over the last few months to relax, read, think, pray, do my devotions, write, brain storm, or hang out with Jake and / or the girls. I am thankful for a thoughtful husband who gave me a gift that not only helps me relax but to slow down and enjoy a few precious moments with him and the girls. Our hammock is so much more then just a hammock it is full of relaxing moments sharing memories together as a family. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that make the most treasured memories for our children. I am already looking forward to watching the leaves change colors as we move closer to the Fall season.
Craft Activities: Time to Paint
The girls enjoy summer and all the fun activities that come along with it! One of the activities they insisted on doing regularly was painting. They have a blast doing it and I like that it helps them work on their hand eye coordination as well as creativity.
Karlie concentrating on her painting project! Karlie had so much fun coloring her craft that she used up almost all the paint that came with it. She was really good about rinsing out her brush!
Brina carefully painting her craft! She wanted the picture to be perfect! Brina had fun painting her pretty picture.
I am thrilled to see how much the girls enjoy crafts. It is neat seeing them take time to be creative, neat, and make the craft extra special. They are even getting better about not making such a huge mess (which is nice for Mommy too). My babies are growing up so quickly. I am thankful for our time together this summer and will be sad to see them go back to school soon.
Family Recipe: Renelle’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
My cousin Renelle was the closest thing to a sister I had growing up. I grew up with three brothers so it was always a special treat to spend time with Renelle! We use to spend at least a week every summer hanging out together since I lived in Kansas and she lived in Colorado. She is an amazing cook and her Chocolate Chip Cookies are a favorite in our family! Hope you enjoy them as much we have over the years!
Renelle’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- 2/3 cup Margarine
- 2/3 cup Butter Flavored Crisco
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon imitation Rum Extract
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 package Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the margarine, crisco, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, rum and eggs together. Then add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by small spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes depending on the oven. Serves 3 to 4 dozen.
I use the same recipe when making M&M cookies as well!
Thanks Renelle for sharing your recipe and for being such a wonderful part of our lives. You are a true treasure, encouragement, and friend!!!
Photo by SeriousBri
Craft Activities: Silly Yard Animals
During the summer I came up with a variety of fun activities for the girls to enjoy. As I was going through the craft cabinet I pulled out google eyes, fuzzy sticks, pom poms, and glue! A lot of fun crafty ideas can happen with all these great items but I had a specific purpose in mind – Rock Animals! Rock Animals are always a huge hit and can occupy the girls for hours. Here is how to much Rock and other Nature Animals!
Step 1
Items for the craft – Google Eyes, Fuzzy Sticks, Pom Poms, Scissors and Glue
We are ready to get creative with Fuzzy Sticks, Glue, Google Eyes, and Pom Poms! Step 2
Have each child gather a pile of rocks, sticks, leaves, sea shells and other items from the yard. The kids are usually so excited to get started this step only takes a few minutes!
Karlie gathered some rocks, sticks and leaves to make into fun animals! Step 3
Once they have a pile of goodies from the yard help get them started on making their “animals”. I make sure the glue is ready to go, the craft is going smoothly, and answer any last minute questions before giving them the freedom to be creative!
Brina creating her leaf animal. Step 4
Let the kids imaginations go wild creating their own animals! Here are a few of the creations our girls came up with during their craft time!
Karlie made a rock replica of Daddy (love the green glasses)! I was thrilled to see them come up with “glasses” for their animals especially since our entire family (including the kids) wear glasses!
Brina's silly stick animal. Brina found several sticks and had a blast creating animals out of them!
Karlie's "scary" shark animal. She started out making the three eyed alien from “Toy Story” but decided it looked more like a shark, one of her favorite animals (she has been fascinated by sharks since she was 3 years old).
Brina found a brick in the rock garden and made a happy brick animal out of it (with glasses as well). I was excited to see them find and create a variety of different yard objects.
Cute rock with pretty purple hair. They found the various objects and were able to create the animals on their own. Although we went through A LOT of glue, so make sure to have plenty on hand! The rock animal craft kept our girls entertained for hours! It was so much fun checking out all their neat animals and hearing their stories behind each one. They left several of their treasures on the front porch to show their friends, family and neighbors. Skipper decided the pom poms were too irresistible and managed to remove a few from their animals so the girls spent the next day patching a few of their rock animals. The girls had a blast and it only cost me a couple dollars for all the supplies!
Vacation & Travel: Exploring Vermont
After our adventures in Boston we had the opportunity to head up to Vermont and spend a few days with Jake’s grandparents. We had a blast hanging out with them and the girls had a chance to experience Vermont. They thought the river was a neat place to explore!
Exploring Vermont Taking a hike with Daddy!
Down by the river! The girls were excited to see the river near Nana and PopPop’s house. They loved hearing Daddy’s stories of camping and having fun in Vermont.
Wild strawberries growing along the trail in Vermont Brina and Karlie enjoyed seeing the different trees, fruits, flowers and fun items along the hiking trail. They pointed out several wild strawberry patches!
Vermont wildflower boutique made by Brina and Karlie They made a cute little boutique out of the wildflowers they picked along our hike (and a pine cone)!
Karlie being silly at the Cabot store! We went to the Antique Mall and the little shops in the area. The girls had a blast tasting several of the Cabot cheeses!
Exploring Quechee Gorge in Vermont! Quechee Gorge was fun to look at and see with the girls. They thought it was a LONG ways down!
Karlie enjoying a popsicle at Nana and PopPop's Karlie thought it was so cool Nana got “rocket” popsicles!
Brina thinks the popsicles are delicious! Dessert after supper – a colorful popsicle (what a perfect treat)!
Karlie having fun in Vermont! Playing in their new garage!
I followed the girls and Daddy down to the river. While Daddy was cutting a tree that was in the path I startled the girls! They didn’t hear me over the chain saw running, this was Brina’s expression! Guess next time I should announce my arrival.
PopPop and Daddy splitting some wood. Daddy and PopPop got through the stack of would they had to split while we were there that week. The girls found the splitter fascinating to watch and even did one themselves.
Karlie and Brina blowing bubbles. Blowing bubbles, always a fun summer time activity!
Brina and Karlie hanging out with Nana! The girls enjoyed their time hanging out with Nana and PopPop!
Ready for a swim in the river! Who is ready for an ice cold swim in the river!?
Brina found a stick in the river The water was pretty chilly but that didn’t bother Brina! The girls had a blast finding sticks, building a dam and splashing around in the river.
Daddy and Karlie heading to the river On the way to the river. It was so much in Vermont, the river was a favorite!
Sunning themselves on the rock! They were perfectly warm playing in the water but when it was time to come back up to the house they suddenly got cold! This was their solution to sit / lay on the big rock in the yard to warm back up. It only took them a couple minutes (if that) and they were back up playing again!
Having the kids makes every activity an adventure. The girls loved their time with Nana and PopPop in Vermont. We are thankful for the opportunity to spend a few days with them. A lot of great memories that the girls will treasure from that time with Nana and PopPop!
“A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Travel & Vacation: 40 Plus Hour Road Trip Together
Our family recently went on a forty plus hour road trip together. A lot of fun memories were created on our road trip up to New England including time spent with several extended family members. Here are a few pictures of our journey in the van:
Sleeping beauties in the van! Thankful to have girls who enjoy a long road trip. I had to smile when I looked back and saw them fast asleep with their toys on their laps.
Seriously, who needs a pillow when you have your sisters head to sleep against! This was a popular sight on our 40+ hour road trip. The girls would be quiet so we would look back and see them sleeping soundly with their heads together. A sister comes in handy for a pillow in a pinch!
Look out Boston here we come!!! We had a blast staying with family in the Boston area. Thankful for our time together with extended family!
Going through the "Big Dig" in Boston The girls thought it was neat going through the long tunnel under the city!
The girls enjoying one of their DVDs with head phones. We have a DVD player we can set up in the van which we use for long road trips. Our policy is if the road trip is longer than 5 hours we will put in the DVD player. The girls were VERY excited to go on a long road trip because they got to watch a couple movies.
Beautiful day and amazing scenery. We enjoyed the beautiful landscape on our drive up north. The green trees, puffy white clouds and Vermont Mountains in the distance. One of these years we need to head up to New England during the Fall, I bet it is breathtaking when all the trees are turning.
Little goodies and toys kept the girls entertained throughout the trip. Karlie watching a video while Brina plays with her remote control car. They had a blast playing in the car and exploring when we stopped.
Connecticul Welcomes Us! Yay! Even though we went through a lot of different states on our journey I was only able to capture a few state “Welcome” signs. It was hard to time the pictures and at night none of them turned out well. We made a brief stop in CT after trying three exits to find gas and a working restroom for the kiddos (I didn’t realize how many Mom/Pop gas stations didn’t have working restrooms).
Downtown Hartford We only spent a few hours in Hartford, CT on our trip. The girls said next trip they want to explore it more!
Welcome to Pennsylvania! The traffic in Pennsylvania was less but the roads were much rougher. We saw some beautiful scenery throughout the mountains of Pennsylvania!
So busy painting they completely ignored my request for a picture! These books were a big hit, obviously! The girls are always game for crafts and had been begging to “paint”. I found the solution at Big Lots in their clearance section, paint books that use water pens to paint. Less of a mess for us and more fun for the girls. All we had to do was fill up their pens a couple times along the way.
Beautiful river at sunset We were blessed to see a lot of wonderful scenery on the way.
Our girls resting in the van! Despite the many hours on the road the girls were such troopers. They did not complain at all even though they spent a lot of hours in the van. It was neat to see them have fun, entertain themselves, and get excited about exploring the different areas we stopped. Thankful for their sweet adventuresome spirit. They even slept a good 5 to 7 hours as we were driving through the night! Needless to say they were rested when we got home (Mommy and Daddy were exhausted). For tips on flying with the kids check out Tips on Flying with Kids.
“A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
