Look what Mara came home from school with--

I try not to do posts about - my kids did this, they said that, etc and so on- too much but this was an exciting moment in my daughter's life. Actually, according to her, this is the best day of her life. The school had a reading program where they turn in their minutes and for every certain amount of minutes they get to put their name on a ticket for drawings to win prizes. And VOILA! The Grand Prize Winner.
She is elated. (And those are all flowers in the background, no weeds. Please, don't look too closely. Just trust me.) Her teacher was excited for her b/c she has done some of the most reading of the kids in her class and was glad a deserving student won. She told me the first thing Mara said was "but I already have a bike." Which is true BUT the bike she has my brother won in a contest and is actually a boy's bike. So now she can have the bike of her dreams (streamers, girl colors and everything) and I can save the other for Asher. This is the first bike that she received first hand. Her first 2 wheeler we got from DI. So, not to say she deserves it (don't want to sound too entitled, that's a dangerous thing these days) but, she may appreciate it more than some other kids.

PS Apologies to Audrey, one of Mara's good friends, who Mara told me cried because she didn't win. I'm sorry!

What the ????

Have you ever had to figure out whether your child had chocolate or poop on their hands?

I have.

Chocolate. Whew!

Efforts at conservation

Task One: Do the dishes.
Additional tasks: 2.clean up the spilled orange juice from child pouring their own cup.
3.sweep up the spilled protein drink powder.
4. wipe up the marker on the table, floor, child.
5. Change child's orange juice soaked, marker stained clothing.
Task Two: Fold the laundry. (Note: this does not include putting it away, a whole different task.)
Additional tasks: 2. Put away games dumped out on floor.
3. Clean up contents of piano bench pulled out for discovery.
4. Remake bed that has been made into tent.
5. Clean up spilled dog water.
6. Change child's dog water soaked clothing.

Energy conservation mode:
Sit and read or color with children all day. When your friend(s) come over and see dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of clean laundry on the couch, the baby in a diaper; tell them you are practicing energy conservation.
At the end of the day you only have 2 tasks to complete instead of 11.
Pat yourself on the back for helping the environment and saving your sanity.