Week 2: The plan!

The plan is simple, the plan is easy to follow, the plan hmmmm I wonder how many plans go perfect with zero deviations? I haven't met one.

Blaine is enjoying school and I am enjoying watching him learn and teaching him!

Week 2 day 1: Sight word like, workbook, apple photo sort.
Outing: 3-6 year old play group put on the early years. 

I used card stock folded into business card sizes and put the word "like" and small words with it "I like" and used them as flash cards.

We are using the Usborne first numbers sticker book this week. I got it at coles. We are also using Beaver books search and smile.

Apple Photo sort is neat and I found the idea here.

Day 2: Sight Word Like, workbook, my apple book
Outing: The International Plowing Match in Pain Court.

This time I did the flash cards all with the word "like" and below that a scentence "It smells like soup" The word like is in bright yellow.

I used this idea but made my own.

Day 3: Sight word like, workbook, planting an apple seed.
Outing: Alphabites put on by the early years centres.

 This time I used a colouring page for the sight word.

We will be planting an apple seed in paper towel and once it sprouts moving it to a pot to watch it grow.


Day4: Sight word like, workbook, Apple picking
Outing: apple picking

I used this worksheet for the sight word.

Apple picking is so much fun and allows them to see where and how they grow.

Day 5: Sight word like, workbook, Bake an apple pie
Outing: Moms home school chat and play

I used this worksheet google is awesome lol.

Baking teaches sooo much MATH and life skills!

I'm in LOVE!!!

As a small business owner, a mom and a housewife my time is limited and well there is never enough of it, as I am sure ALL moms can relate! My business is a "crafty" business we do everything from sewing to heat press vinyl, and of course birthday invites and party supplies.

We have always had a vinyl cutter, but it was a very basic one that I used/use for fondant (the blade and sheets are different so there is no cross contamination), we loved it and used the crap out of it, still have it on the shelf downstairs as a just in case.

This year after a mountain of research I decided to buy an upgraded version, well oops I guess I didn't research enough because the one I bought (Cricut air explore) wouldn't do what I needed it to do. So back to the research bored I went. After Extensive research I finally decide to go out and buy new, a Silhouette Cameo 3. I got mine off Amazon as it was a better deal than Micheals because it came with all kinds of neat add-ons.

It arrived fast (I am a Prime member) and as soon as it got here my excitement turned to dear god how am I ever going to figure this out. Please keep in mind we were going from a non-digital easy to use machine that I had been using for 8 years! So many parts and pieces and of course the instructions are online and I am that person who if there is no paper instructions I just fiddle around until I figure it out, oh who am I kidding even if there are paper instructions I do the same things.

I get it all set up and excited and installed the software, update the machines software and here I am ready to go! Well dang it the whole reason I bought this thing was so I could design anything I wanted from any image I wanted. Well it turns out after googling and reading post after post, in order to do that I have but the paid for software. Okay I can do that! Buy the software now I am lost because how on earth do I make the file type it needs without buying expensive software. Within my search I found a free program with easy to follow instructions and easy to use it is called inkscape  .
The instructions on how to create the .dfx file you need is here.  It is a lot like using my embroidery software.

I couldn't be happier with my decision and it is so much fun to use. I have used my machine with construction paper, card stock and vinyl so far but my next task is going to be print and cut stickers!!!

One week down 700 weeks to go!

Going into this nervous and not sure I can handle this. Coming out of week one I GOT THIS!!! We are going to ROCK THIS!!

Week one went well, not fully as planned but very well just the same. If it wasn't for some of the other amazing moms telling me their stories and the way they do things I wouldn't be feeling as confident as I do right now. We are going into week 2 and I am not over whelmed, scared or nervous.

I did learn a few things this week, things I already knew in the back of my mind but were brought to light this week. We have to do our seat work FAST! move from one task to another very quickly and put fun things in between. Our seat work lasts about 20 mins in the morning depending on how long he wants to do the fun activities for. The longer he wants to do them the longer we do school. For anyone who was worried for social, well it never ends there is ALWAYS something social to do.

In just two days he was tracing the things on the page better than he has in a year, he knows the sight word I, we did colour mixing science and that didn't work out as well (we are going to try it again this week a different way).

Monday we baked muffins at home instead of going to cooking class because I was sick. He did pretty much everything himself I just assisted and did the oven. He even "licked" a muffin to give it a try, lol better than nothing.

Tuesday I still wasn't the greatest so we did our science at home. Tuesday night I had moms home school group.

Wednesday We went all the way to forest for kids discovery just to learn it had been canceled and no one called me.

Thursday we went to library and shopping. 

Friday we had forest school and did the mom chat and play at the park/animal farm. Friday we didn't do any seat work as it was a very very busy day.

So for week 1 we are off to a great start and pretty much everything has gone to almost plan.

How was your first week back to school? Home school or traditional? Did everything go well? Bumps in the road?

Pinterest: Sloppy Joe Sliders

I hate most things in a can, I hate most things I don't make from scratch because well when I make it from scratch I know what is going into it and it doesn't taste like the can. Connely has been requesting for WEEKS for sloppy joes because I have a can of it in the cupboard and I kept telling not unless I make it from scratch. Well I happened upon a cute recipe for MINI (Who doesn't love mini things) Sloppy Joes.

The recipe calls for:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup seeded and diced green bell pepper
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce (This is the only thing I use in a can because I do not can my own sauce anymore)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin (I couldn't find mine so I just left it out)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste (optional)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 12 slider buns I used King's Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls (I used fresh bakery butter mini buns)
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used marble because that is what I had on hand)
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds or as needed (I didn't use these because I didn't have any)
• 
  
  The full recipe can be found here.
  
  
  
  To say the buns I picked made this recipe is an understatement OMG the buttery taste mixed with the sloppy Joe taste was like heaven and this recipe is super simple and QUICK!!!
  
  This will be 100% added to my favorites list and it should be added to your must try list!
  
  
  
  
  
  

Nella the Princess Knight Cake

Spending my birthday making cake for others is my norm but spending it sick is another thing altogether. Dizzy and can only stand for short periods of time makes decorating a cake rather difficult but I couldn't let a sweet little lady down so I did it. Not my best work but she was thrilled!!

I took 2 9*11 rectangle cakes (1 chocolate and 1 vanilla) and cut them into the shape I needed.

The icing took care of the rest.

Printers

Printable vinyl, we love it!!! There is only one down side and that is printers. We have gone through so many printers trying to find ONE that will work properly with the vinyl we have found there is only one that semi works better than any other one and that is the Epson WF-4630, no its not a photo printer.

Before you start talking giant solvent printer, one they are extremely pricey, two they take up an insane amount of room and three they require a special vent system because it is extremely toxic to breath in the fumes.

We tried Cannon photo printers, Epson photo printers (including the new XP-6000) and HP photo printers. Every signal one of them leave streaks or giant globs of ink on the vinyl. Once you put it through the heat press after it has been printed on the photo printers it loses almost all of its colour and looks like it has been washed 100 times.

I have read blog after blog, and 1000's of tips and we keep going back to the WF-4630 because its the only one that works at least semi right not always perfect but better than the photo ones.

Today after spending 2 days fighting with the new XP-6000 I took it back to the store because whats the point of something that loses it's colour after going through the heat press. I have finally figured it out!! I think I know what the problem is with the photo printers. They are liquid ink the WF-4630 is powder ink, no not laser actual powder ink. So no globs.

Here is the trick with the WF-4630 you can not tell it that there is photo paper or it smears and what a mess it makes of the page and rollers. You have to tell you it that its normal paper and do high quality printing and in settings you need to turn off high speed print. You need to make sure your heads are always clean before you print and always always print on normal paper first because if the quality of the photo is horrible than it will print horrible no mater what you do.

We use special printable vinyl that we buy in bulk but we used to get the printable sheets from micheals and they worked okay but don't last as long on the shirts.

We rely on our printer and the printable vinyl to put basic images on shirts or other clothing so it has to work, be consistent and fast because we are always in a hurry and of course people leave things to the last minute.

Blaines surgery 2018

Surgery isn't easy for anyone especially little ones who do not fully understand what all is happening. In May 2017 Blaine had tubes put in and his adenoids out when he came back to the room he screamed and yelled and was covered in blood I almost passed out and vomited, the whole room spun. It was not my proudest mom moment no matter that the nurse says it happens all the time.

Today Blaine had to have surgery again, but this time it was to have 1 tube removed, tubes put back in and his tonsils taken out. I had mine out as an adult in my 20's and there were compilations so my anxiety was pretty high in the week leading up to this although I did my best not to show it or even show it while I was at the hospital with him. I kept him calm and relaxed.

The the operation took about 30 mins and he was in recovery for about 35mins. They didn't put tubes in they are going to see how his ears are over winter and decide then because there was no fluid. They did take his tonsils as planned. Once he was back in the room it was way different than his first one. He was sleeping, no screaming and thankfully not covered in blood. They gave him morphine in the OR unlike last time where they didn't give him anything. He slept a lot for a while and then woke up and ate half a Popsicle and suddenly he threw up BLOOD and grossness thanks to Sarah I was ready for that one! Then he slept some more after I got him and his bed cleaned up. His IV ended up falling out :( and they didn't put another in and that meant he needed to drink, well every time drinks he throws up so they worked on getting him gravel suppository so he wouldn't throw that up and would be able to keep water and stuff down so he can go home today.

It was a long day to say the least it started at 5:30am with him freaking out because he can't have anything until surgery. Then we get to the hospital and hes being great until he has to take his clothes off and put on the hospital clothes. Sigh, melt down because he doesn't like how they feel on his skin. Then he has to wear an adhesive patch on his hand with numbing cream so they put the IV in, this means someone has to touch him and something has to be stuck to him and both of these are HUGE issues for him. So we get that over with and then it is time to move down to the waiting area just before they take you into the OR. This involves 3 people coming in and wanting to touch his arm to look at his arm band, oh man.

The nurse carries him back and I head back to his room and the worst chair in the world to sit on and wait.

About an 1.5 hours later he comes back sleeping and okay. They check on him every 20 mins and everything is fine. He starts to drink a little water and wants a Popsicle so of course he gets one and then within a few mins he is puking. The drinking water and puking continues until 2:30pm when they FINALLY bring him gravel this is with me asking every 30 mins. Hes asleep and she puts the suppository in no problem. About 25 mins later he wants a drink and Popsicle so I of course get him and he vomits again :(. So much for going home at 4pm. Horrible hard chair!!! At about 5pm he has to pee and vomit, and just like that it is the last vomit of the day!!! He starts eating ice chips!! drinking water and being more alert. We find out at 6pm we are being moved to children's ward because the day surgery closes at 6:30 and he can't go home yet.

We get moved and in our room in the childrens ward. OMG I fit in the bed with him, there is a mini couch in his room!!! I snuggle in bed with him and go back to reading my book. Once the nurse is all finished I go get him water, jello, apple juice and ice chips from the pantry.

He has had no pain meds all day because he hasn't had an IV since right after he came back from surgery and getting meds into him isn't an easy process. The peds nurse helps me get meds into him and keeps them down!!! Finally at 8:30pm we are allowed to go home as he hasn't been sick since 5pm!!!

We get home and eats some noodles drinks some smoothie and we snuggle and sleep until 12:30 when he wakes up screaming. It takes an hour to get meds into and him back to sleep. He sleeps very very fitful until about 9am when he pukes again. It seems like the poor boy is gonna be like his momma and morphine makes him sick for days! But at least we are at home and I will take him back up the ER if things get worse but for now he has puked twice but seems okay.

This is going to be a long recovery my poor boy :(