So proud

Can I just say how proud I am?  Last night was the Mutli Cultural Fair at the school.

Genevieve & Dane were each in a performance.  They did great!  

There was some sort of communication error in Genevieve's class and the ball got dropped for the costumes....right into my lap!  I spent the last 2 weeks making 13 skirts (with some help on the hems & sashes).

Good times! (note the sarcasm).

 And Dane.  I thought he would completely pitch a fit about having to dance.

He surprised me!

And how cute is he?????

Love them! =)

****And yes, those are his white felt shoes peeking out the bottom of his pants =)

An idea in the works

One of my biggest desires as a parent is for my kids to have a strong sense of empathy and a compassion for others.

Sometimes life gets muddled with the ordinary and mundane schedules of work, school, homework,  baseball, dinner, sleep.  When do we fit in the really important stuff in life?

My kids love going to Awanas, and I love for them to go.  They learn a lot, and it's fun. But I don't feel like we are building community there as kids come from all over town.  I also feel like we are keeping them in a bit of a Christian bubble.  Part of the reason we decided on public school is that we want to be a light in our community. We want to make connections, build community, and show Christ's love to others.

So I've had this idea floating around.  I would love to start an after school club at our elementary school.  A club based on biblical principals, but would be appealing to people from all walks of life.  A club where we teach kids how to care for others above themselves.  I envision doing service projects locally and supporting charities abroad.  I want to open their eyes to the rest of the world, as many have not seen anything beyond our little well-to-do town.

I'm picturing a mix between fundraisers and projects where we can use the money earned to help others.  Making blankets for the homeless or elderly, providing backpacks & PJ's for kids in foster care.  Raising money to dig wells in Africa, provide school supplies for the underprivileged in Oakland.  I want to expose them to different opportunities and see where their hearts lead them.  What ideas can they come up with?

I was thinking "Compassion Club" is cute.  But then I googled it and found this.   It appears that Compassion Clubs are quite popular amongst a certain crowd =(.  Maybe we can bring new meaning to the term!

I have a lot of ideas.

The question is will I make this one come to fruition?

Resourceful Mama

When I found out on Monday that Dane needed white shoes for his Kindergarten dance performance on Wednesday, what's a mama to do?

My boys don't have white shoes.  I know that some do, but my boys....lets just say they've never met a puddle that they didn't befriend.  The muddier, the better.

I'm not cheap, but I was not about to go buy white shoes that would only be worn for three 2-minute performances.

So I made these.

What are they?  They are an old pair of brown Van's that had a hole in the toe, and technically are outgrown (but he could still get his feet in, albeit a little uncomfortable).  I first tried spray painting them white.  The rubber around the bottom turned out great. But the paint wouldn't stick well to the canvas fabric.  So then I tried brushing them with house paint.  Um... they looked awful.

Ah ha,  I got it!  Felt.  I cut out and glued white felt onto the shoes.  It was kind of a sloppy job, but it worked!  And up on stage, no one is the wiser.

Sometimes I'm kind of proud of myself for my resourcefulness.  Is that bad?

I'm just gross.

It's back!  Wendy's 2nd annual DMV (Dirty MiniVan) Contest.  Although I don't have a minivan, my Chevy Tahoe is just as embarrassed.  

Let's just get right to it. 

 The view from the drivers seat.

Trader Joe's shopping bag that I always forget to bring in, random papers, Softball bucket & equipment, extra skirt, mail, bag of diapers/wipes, and a bag of baby toys I need to give away.

Passengers seat, other view

Mexican blanket (I've had for like 20 years), broken bag spilling the baby toys I need to give away.  Every time I made a hard left turn "Old MacDonald" would start playing from the tractor.

Center Console

Goofy (or is it Pluto) Pez dispenser, binky clip we haven't used in months, green container of bandaids, receipts, pencils and who knows what else.

 2nd Row behind drivers seat

 Jacket, soft-sided cooler from who knows when (or what's in it), diaper bag, extra clothes, diapers, (and let's be honest, I have no idea what all that crap is)

2nd Row, other side

another sweatshirt, and a really gross filthy carseat

3rd Row

sweatshirt, backpack, crumbs...this area actually looks clean!  Relatively speaking =)

Back trunk area

Another bag of ?  Maybe change of clothes, diapers?  Stroller, 2 camping chairs, and yes, a potty seat =) I think I should get extra points for having a toilet in my car.  Does it get any grosser? 

There you have it.  I feel more exposed than if I were posting naked pictures of myself on the internet.  

Tomorrow's the day to clean it out!

or the next day....