The Neverending Day

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

This day feels like it started DAYS ago. It’s the day that won’t end. Started with Noah waking me up at 6:20, because we. Had. No. Where. To. Go. Until judo at 10:30. 10:30.

Then judo seemed like it lasted an eternity–Zoë complained the entire time. Then lunch. Lunch. Ugh.

But I figured it would get better because Noah was going to a playdate for 3 hours. Yes 3 hours of hell. Zoë cried hysterically as we left Noah to play with his friend. Then we went shopping and I couldn’t find boots to fit my calves–could my calves be smaller? Yes, but they are also muscular; and I want to wear cute boots too.

Of course, Zoë cried because she couldn’t get eye shadow. Really.

Then we get home and I think yay. Then the neighbors are going to the park and Noah wants to go. I say no and am now the “meanest mom EVER.”

We’ve had time-out and time in our room and boy am I ever ready for this day to end. I’m currently staring at a beautiful class of wine-scared to touch it-because it just won’t last long enough to wash away the day.

Thanksgiving College School Style

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

My kids school is deep with tradition.  There are songs they sing, days they walk to school, ways the donate to those in need, etc.  Today was one of the best traditions that the school has–The Thanksgiving Feast.  I love the Feast and the community it fosters.  The entire school comes together.  The students (each and everyone) enter the gym in a linked line–all studets, teachers and administrators holding hands.  It is beautiful.  This was  Zoë’s first and Noah’s third.

As a parent, this never gets old.  Noah and his class sit with the 5th graders who are their buddies (the buddies loop–so Noah’s class got their buddies 2 years ago in pre-school) and Zoë and her class sat with their 3rd grade buddies–who will remain her classes buddies until Zoë’s class is in 3rd grade.  It’s a beautiful way to build relationships and foster a sense of family into the school.

Each class prepares several kinds of soup and everyone shares.  They sit in mixed aged groups and it is awesome to watch.  I’m so glad we are part of this amazing school community.

Apparently The Celestial Reigns Supreme

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments
At the kids’ school there is a parent portal where the teachers post weekly updates in Kindergarten (daily in Zoë’s class).  This week they posted an update the centered on being thankful.  Each student shared what they were thankful for.  The ego in me, immediately searched for Noah’s name on the list to see how he was thankful for me…
Teachers: We are all thankful for many things.  Can you tell us what are you thankful for?

H:  My pet.
W:  I am thankful for my dog and my family.
E:  I am thankful for my teachers.
Noah:  I am thankful for the moon.
K:  My teachers.
W:  My mom.
M:  This class.
L: My brother, Lucas and my sister, Lina.
H:  I am thankful for my two teachers in this class.
R:  I am thankful for nature, my mom and dad, my dog and my skills.
D:  I am thankful for my baby brother.
El:  I am thankful that I have such a happy, healthy family. I am thankful for the sun.
B: God.
C:  My fish and God.
A: My fish.
I: Nature.
Q:  I am thankful for many things.  My mom, my dad, my sister and my cousin.
S:  I am thankful for Jesus and my baby cousins.
T:  I am thankful for my and Isaac’s friendship.
B:  I am thankful for my kitty.
S: I am thankful for Uchenna and Andrea.
C:  For my uncle who died.
J: I am thankful for Andrea and Uchenna.
S:  I am thankful for my kitty who died. I am thankful for tulips and trees, because I am thankful for the earth.
L: My sister P, and K and E.
E:  I am thankful for L.

Not so much–Noah is thankful for the Moon.  The moon?  Really?

I have so much more work to do with this one.  At least he has a soul mate–one of his best girl friends is thankful for the sun.  Won’t they be happy together.

So Not Crafty

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

My kids love crafts and art and all that stuff.  I only say “all that stuff” because I am terribly uncrafty.  Terribly so.  It is almost embarrassing how uncrafty I am.  So, when the wonderful ladies at BabbaCo offered me a BabbaBox, I took it.  I have to admit, I was skeptical.  No only because I didn’t now anything about BabbaCo, but I am often skeptical of PR offers from companies.  I will state up front that I was not compensated for this review.  I was sent the BabbaBox to look at, regardless of if I wrote about it.  So, writing about it is my own decision.  I am writing about it because I know that there are other uncrafty mom’s out there like me.  the box comes with 5 crafts–all nicely packaged–with everything you need for them.

 

 

 

The theme for the October box that I got was Harvest and all the crafts are aligned with that theme and there was also a book included.  I wasn’t expecting a book. But I have to say the kids have loved it.  There were so excited when we opened the box.

Last night we finally opened it and decided to do the craft that was decorating a small canvas tote.  Let me just preface this by saying that my kids did this craft and they did a great job–but they did a 4 and 5 year old job.

There are 4 other crafts for us to do in the box and I have to say the box is great and a great tool to encourage the kids to do projects and for us to do projects together.  The boxes are delivered on a monthly basis and I can tell you that $29 a month for crafts to do with my kids–is worth every penny.  Especially because I don’t have to decide what to make and I don’t have to go to the overwhelming Craft store to try to decide what we could make.  All of that is done for me.  All I have to do is find the time and sit and enjoy my kids.

It’s also a great gift idea for the kid or family who has “everything” a few months of the BabbaBox might just be the perfect gift.

That Parent

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

My kids are in private school.  But what doesn’t much differ from public to private is fundraising.  My kids’ school is pretty good about fundraising–there are two “sell” something fundraisers and two “give” something fundraisers.  Not that there aren’t other ways to “donate.”

One of the other ways to donate is linked with one of the “give” something fundraisers.  The school’s biggest fundraiser besides the annual fund giving is the Auction.  It’s an amazing auction and generally pulls in 6 figures for support of the various funds at the school–scholarship, teacher development, unrestricted endowment, etc.

Each year at the auction–the parents of each class donates something to auction off.  Which means that families are asked to make a contribution and then one parent is in charge of buying the item and reminding parents to donate.  Somehow, I am that parent.  The one whose emails we dread because they are reminding us to donate.  This has become my life.  I don’t know why I agreed to do this.  Because I don’t particularly enjoy getting the reminder to donate emails. I often think, if I wanted to donate I would so stop asking.  It’s not as nice being on the other side.

And now I’m the one sending them.  I have sent three of them.  Three.  THREE.  I hate myself already.  People are quickly ignoring or deleting my emails–I’m sure.

I won’t send anymore–but right now I am the only one who has donated.  And my donation certainly won’t get us much.