Friday, May 29, 2015
Pencil Points
As a teacher sharpening pencils is often one of those dreaded, never-ending, but necessary chores. And after 15 years of teaching, This past year I finally decided that I am the one who sharpens. The students like to use that as a way to procrastinate and I'd rather they did something more meaningful if a "break" is needed (rocking chair, stretches, etc). Our wall sharpener just does not work, it's loud, it falls off, and it's annoying. I've resorted to using the small, hand held, cheap plastic sharpeners, but I run through them often to keep them sharp.
But not any more!!!
I now have this beauty!
And I am never going back!
This Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener is amazing! I received one through the mail in return for reviewing it and since I was contemplating purchasing one anyway, it was a great win win. And I love it! You can see it HERE.
Those black pieces above where the pencil goes pinch together which opens and closes grippers at the place where the pencil goes in. It holds the pencil TIGHT. As you turn the handle in the back, the part that sticks out slowly brings the pencil in as it sharpens. And it is QUIET. So super quiet.
On the bottom of the sharpener are rubber grips, but it also has a clamp which will hold it even better on a shelf, desk, etc. I used it on a chair seat since my dining table isn't solid underneath. It barely budged.
I love this sharpener. Since I'm currently out of school I used this at home as you can tell, but I cannot WAIT to bring it to school come August!!!
But not any more!!!
I now have this beauty!
And I am never going back!
This Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener is amazing! I received one through the mail in return for reviewing it and since I was contemplating purchasing one anyway, it was a great win win. And I love it! You can see it HERE.
Those black pieces above where the pencil goes pinch together which opens and closes grippers at the place where the pencil goes in. It holds the pencil TIGHT. As you turn the handle in the back, the part that sticks out slowly brings the pencil in as it sharpens. And it is QUIET. So super quiet.
On the bottom of the sharpener are rubber grips, but it also has a clamp which will hold it even better on a shelf, desk, etc. I used it on a chair seat since my dining table isn't solid underneath. It barely budged.
I love this sharpener. Since I'm currently out of school I used this at home as you can tell, but I cannot WAIT to bring it to school come August!!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Dance Away!
I'm not sure how this "little" girl suddenly became an eighth grader about to graduate into high school! But she did. Her school hosts an eighth grade dance each year and although she really hasn't gone to any school dances, this was something she was looking forward to.
Olivia isn't one recently for dresses and dressing up, favoring the "sporty" look instead. :) As we talked about the type of dresses girls wear to this dance I had some ideas and started looking on my own. Oliviais obsessed with LOVES Marvel superheroes and Captain America is her favorite. Armed with that information, I decided to peruse Etsy. And found the best thing ever! And she was just as excited as I'd hoped!
After I posted a picture of her creation on fb, a friend offered to take pictures of her at no cost to us! (in case it's hard to tell, the fabric is ALL Captain America!)
Enjoy!
The dance is Monday and I may be biased, but I think she will be the belle of the ball!
Olivia isn't one recently for dresses and dressing up, favoring the "sporty" look instead. :) As we talked about the type of dresses girls wear to this dance I had some ideas and started looking on my own. Olivia
After I posted a picture of her creation on fb, a friend offered to take pictures of her at no cost to us! (in case it's hard to tell, the fabric is ALL Captain America!)
Enjoy!
The dance is Monday and I may be biased, but I think she will be the belle of the ball!
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Hangups and Hiccups and Horcruxes... oh My!
OK, maybe NOT horcruxes... but it sure FEELS that way right about now!!!
Yesterday I was told that Macy was taken for her required medical appointment... only to have the TB Tine test come out positive. So... they have to come BACK another time to do a chest xray to make sure there isn't active TB. Once they get that and it's clear then they will turn that in to the VISA office since the VISA won't be able to be processed until that's complete. I was told that a return visit for the xray could be a couple days or even a week away.
Then today, Macy's much anticipated VISA interview/appointment, didn't happen!!! Why? Because when they brought Macy all the way there they realized/remembered that they had forgotten to bring the required money to pay the VISA fee... which is done PRIOR to the appointment. And because they didn't have it the appointment was allowed to continue.
After I composed myself in the teacher's lounge of our school, I emailed the Adoption Unit of the Embassy asking for a new appointment and explaining what had happened. Thankfully they responded rather quickly and gave me a new appointment for TOMORROW morning!
I still haven't heard (though I've asked a few times now) if they were able to get the chest xray or if they have at least an appointment for one. So... if they haven't, they can have the VISA interview tomorrow but it won't be complete without the medical. They will have to be given yet another date to bring back the completed medical to finish processing the VISA. Then it takes a day or more to print and then that is used to get the final exit letter which is needed to leave the country.
UGH
But... it's moving... there is an end in sight. Sometime soon. Sometime soon.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Bows Galore
As we've been waiting for Macy to come home, we MAY have purchased just a FEW bows and cute hair items, hoping upon hope that she will want to wear them! As I've been getting her space in Olivia's room ready I looked at these bows and wondered if there wasn't some way of displaying them to make them easier to see and have them out so they wouldn't get smashed. I racked my pinterest loving brain and thought about what I had around the house. And this is what I came up with...
A few years back I purchased some large blank canvases with the best intentions of having the kids make artwork for the house. Yeah, you can see how that turned out. Never. Happened. But, there they were, just waiting for me to choose them for this project.
I also have lots of paint from different projects, so I chose one I thought would complement their room. Currently the walls of their room is a dark pink and their bedding has a lot of that apple green you see on the toddler bed in the picture above. I didn't have green paint, so I went with a deep turquoise. I painted both canvases with that color.
After they were dry I attached the ribbon. I did purchase this as I didn't have what I wanted around the house. All ribbon was half price the day I went to Hobby*Lobby so I was able to get two rolls for the price of one... less than $3. I bought one roll of pink with green stitching and one roll of green with pink stitching.
I decided I wanted ribbon crossing the canvases for the bows to attach to, but I also needed just a little give so that they weren't scraping the canvas each time I took a bow off or put one on. To do all this, I measured the ribbon width and the canvas width and decided where to put them. I measured each time I placed one on. Turning the canvas over I used a staple gun to attach each ribbon on one side of the canvas.
Pulling each ribbon across to the opposite side of the canvas, I laid a chapstick between the ribbon and canvas before stapling that side on.
They will soon be hung on the wall in the girl's room.
I LOVE how they turned out and it cost me less than $3 in ribbon!
A few years back I purchased some large blank canvases with the best intentions of having the kids make artwork for the house. Yeah, you can see how that turned out. Never. Happened. But, there they were, just waiting for me to choose them for this project.
I also have lots of paint from different projects, so I chose one I thought would complement their room. Currently the walls of their room is a dark pink and their bedding has a lot of that apple green you see on the toddler bed in the picture above. I didn't have green paint, so I went with a deep turquoise. I painted both canvases with that color.
After they were dry I attached the ribbon. I did purchase this as I didn't have what I wanted around the house. All ribbon was half price the day I went to Hobby*Lobby so I was able to get two rolls for the price of one... less than $3. I bought one roll of pink with green stitching and one roll of green with pink stitching.
I decided I wanted ribbon crossing the canvases for the bows to attach to, but I also needed just a little give so that they weren't scraping the canvas each time I took a bow off or put one on. To do all this, I measured the ribbon width and the canvas width and decided where to put them. I measured each time I placed one on. Turning the canvas over I used a staple gun to attach each ribbon on one side of the canvas.
Pulling each ribbon across to the opposite side of the canvas, I laid a chapstick between the ribbon and canvas before stapling that side on.
When I then slid out the chapstick it was just the right loose-ness (yes, I know that's not a word! but it fits!) to hold those bows!
I can't wait to hang them up and fill them even more! How cute will she look! :)
Monday, May 11, 2015
I'm BACK!
Making my blog public once again!
We are SO VERY CLOSE to bringing Macy HOME for good!
We have a VISA appointment this Thursday. Assuming all goes well I COULD be traveling toward Haiti this weekend. Otherwise hopefully one more week! We are in the FINAL stretch!
We are SO VERY CLOSE to bringing Macy HOME for good!
We have a VISA appointment this Thursday. Assuming all goes well I COULD be traveling toward Haiti this weekend. Otherwise hopefully one more week! We are in the FINAL stretch!
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Olivia - 14
Braeden - 11
Liam - 9
Macy - 5
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