Teacher Appreciation Week

Yesterday was a special lunch for teachers because JC's school is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.

I had the opportunity again this year to spend lunch with JC and his class while his teachers had an extra 30 minute lunch.  This year I did a full door decoration.  I was really happy with last years, but I think I liked this one even better.

In gold on the large bumble bee it read, "Mrs. Remkus and Ms. Rowe Are the Bees Knees."

Then in the colorful letters is says, "Thank You for helping us bloom!"  Each flower has a picture of one of the students, they wrote their names and decorated them to make them a little more personal.  It was a lot of fun!

Peeps Cake

My mom needed to decorate a cake for her Relief Society Meeting. She and I were bouncing ideas off each other and I mentioned peeps would be really cute. She totally took they idea and ran with it. I LOVE what she came up with, a peep flower cake! It may still be snowing in McCall, ID but she brought a little much needed Spring to the sisters of her ward!

Mad Scientist

Today we had a party to celebrate JC's birthday.  He invited his two closest friends.  We had a blast doing science experiments and playing science themed games.  

The kids safety goggles I ordered still haven't made it since weather has caused package mayhem, but the kids didn't care.  JC plans to still hand deliver them to his friends once they've arrived.

 The little scientist.

Lab coats were just mens plain white t-shirts cut down the front. 

I gave each child  a name tag with Dr. their name.

We made their hair crazy with gel and mousse.

Creating their own shade of frosting and decorating mini bunt cakes.
How awesome are the sprinkles in vials?   I found those at Targets after Halloween clearance last year.  Worked out perfectly!

 Everyone needed a candle to blow out for good luck!

Atoms and Molecules ice cream!

The funky glasses were won in a game of Operation.  Each time they successfully removed an item they got to pick a gift, trade theirs, or keep what they had.  Amazingly in the end everyone got what they wanted most!

Blowing out the candles!

Here is a link to the flask cake, I kind of tried out my own thing with my mini bunts, it wasn't awesome.

I put this one together for my mom as a Birthday Gift. My mom is 50 today by the way, Happy Birthday Mom!

I remember when my mom turned 30 and I thought she was soooooooooo old. Now I am just one year, actually just over seven months, shy of being 30. I don't feel old, though I am sure to my kids I am. I have to laugh. But even funnier still is how perspective changes and even my mom seems young now.

Anyway, back to the frame. I found the free printable online. You too can find it here.

I really want to frame it as a gift for each of the ladies I Visit Teach  My problem is that I love the frame I sent my mom, and I can't find anything I love as much. But I think it would go great along with the recent conference talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, which I loved.

Of Things That Matter Most

"Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in a recent general conference, taught, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal, and all-knowing Father in Heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.

For example, it wasn’t long after astronauts and cosmonauts orbited the earth that they realized ballpoint pens would not work in space. And so some very smart people went to work solving the problem. It took thousands of hours and millions of dollars, but in the end, they developed a pen that could write anywhere, in any temperature, and on nearly any surface. But how did the astronauts and cosmonauts get along until the problem was solved? They simply used a pencil.

Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”  When we look at the foundational principles of the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation, we can recognize and appreciate in its plainness and simplicity the elegance and beauty of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom. Then, turning our ways to His ways is the beginning of our wisdom."

Reading Like A Rock Star

I swear I didn't read this much in first grade. Am I just forgetting? I remember reading Dick and Jane in like the 2nd grade maybe?  JC had a bunch of site words in kindergarten; first grade has only proven to pick up the pace.

JC continues to impress me at how well he retains most site words, but of course there are always a few tricky ones.  We try to make the chore more fun by making as many games out of it as possible.  One favorite game is to write all the words out in chalk.  Then to improve on this idea, making it even more fun we took turns throwing rocks, bark, whatever we could find, on a word.  Then whatever word it landed on JC had to read.

JC was reading last night with his "Rock Star" glasses.  I don't know how he could see anything!

He was more than happy to show off the book he just got that afternoon from the school bookfair.

Teacher Appreciation Door Decor

How I decorated the door of JC's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. It was much cuter in person!

Lady Bug Cup Cake

Super cute cupcake we got from the Carnival/Auction the youth of our ward put on. I still want to know who made this cupcake. All the ladybug is made of is a red Dot candy with gel frosting spots. Love it!