a book hidden in a nook that I took to a teacher

When Julianna was in Kindergarten I saw an idea on Pinterest that I knew I wanted to copy. It was a graduation gift for your child and all it was was a copy of Dr. Seuss' Oh The Places You'll Go that you have all of your kid's teachers sign throughout the years and then present to them with a letter from you on their graduation day.

I got a copy of the book and I had her Kindergarten and First grade teachers sign it and then I proceeded to lose the book. Well, what I really mean is that I quickly snatched it up and put it away in a nice hiding spot one day when Julianna discovered it on my bookshelf and then I promptly forgot where that hiding spot was.

I guess it didn't matter that I'd hidden it anyway because this year, the end of second grade, I completely forgot about it altogether.  In fact, we were playing in the floor with the kids one night this week and Jonathan stopped abruptly and looked at me and slowly said, "oh the places you'll...." and all the while he's staring at me and raising his eyebrows. It hit me like a train.

I quickly emailed her teacher and explained that I knew she might not get this email since school was already out and I'm sorry to impose on her break if she does get it but that I needed a really big favor.  Then we started looking for the book.

It took two days to find. It was still in the manilla envelope that I had used to deliver it to K and 1st grade teachers right under her nose in her book bag (oh those were the days) and it was crammed in a box under the guest bed. I delivered it to the kind teacher willing to use up her summer break on a favor for a forgetful parent and I'll get it back in a few days.

So now I've created a Google Calendar event to remind me at the beginning of May every year until 2023 to get her teachers to sign this darn book and we're putting the thing in my husband's gun safe with our passports and birth certificates so that we're sure to find it next year. I mean, if I write about it on the blog it's bound to happen, right?

random musings

We had a pretty nice weekend with the exception of all of us dealing with colds.  We really didn't do anything on Saturday except yard work and things around the house and on Sunday we hung out with family for Father's Day.

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I started Summer Speed Series this morning and it kicked my tail. I seriously struggled. The good news is that I guess that means I have lots of room for improvement.

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I still haven't seen The Fault in Our Stars although I am more than ready for it.  When I first read it, I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads however I am sure that by now, with all the hype lately it is letting some people down.  Oh well. I'm a fangirl so I don't care.

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We are trying to find a time that we can go to the beach that our condo is available and we don't have tons of stuff going on and it is practically impossible. I suppose it's a good thing, but it sure is frustrating!

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The kids are going to Vacation Bible School this week and I am totally looking forward to having some quality time with Jonathan. Plans include several quiet dinners out and shopping in peace plus maybe a run or two.

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In all my years in schools this will be the shortest summer I have ever had. Because of the snow days and teacher work days I will only get 58 days of summer this year. I know many of you are reading this thinking, "Wahhhh Waaa waaaa I don't get a summer at all!" but my paycheck certainly suffers because of those 7 weeks off so just keep that in mind.

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Now, I need a new series to watch on TV. We tried Scandal and didn't get into it. We've almost finished the 2nd season of House of Cards and we're still waiting for the final season of HIMYM to come out on Netflix. What can I watch in the meantime? What can you recommend?

5 Instagramers you should follow

I thought I'd share some of my favorite Instagram peeps with you today. If you have an Instagram account you should check these guys out sometime. And as always, you can follow me at @aisforbeautiful.

samhaseyebrows
This account documents the silly antics of a little white kitty with black markings above his eyes that look exactly like eyebrows. Hilarious. The captions are witty and the pictures entertaining. I normally don't like stuff like this but it's one account that never fails to make me smile when I see the pictures posted.

wordinaire
If you're an English nut like I am you'll want to follow this one.  It helps to have the visual with the definition to remember the word and it's meaning and then in the caption they actually use the word in a sentence. I don't always remember the words, but the stunning pictures and clever sentences really make it easier and I like to think it makes me smarter.

sweating_it_off
Alan Ali has lost over 150 pounds and his account is one of the most motivational I follow. He posts motivational quotes, great workout tips, and healthy food products he's found. Plus, he's North Carolina folk so he's good people.

runeatrepeat
Like a lot of Instagramers, Monica, the name behind Run Eat Repeat had a blog first. I like her instagram account because it provides quick witty snapshots and captions of healthy foods, inspirational workout tips and plenty of run documentation and info. Plus, she's funny and fast so there's that too.

hawthornefamilyeats
This account contains clean eating ideas for meals and snacks for any age.  Gorgeous food art photos and great ideas for trying to eat healthy.

BONUS for local peeps:
Check out southernbiscuits and mywinstonsalem

Now tell me, who should I follow on Instagram?

a letter for the end of second grade

Dear Julianna,

You're eight years old and it seems like you're both 18 months and 18 years at the same time. You're 4'6" tall and you wear mostly size 10 clothes. It won't be long before you're as tall as I am.

You're about to finish up your second grade year and to say it has been a good one would be a bit of an understatement. You've had a phenomenal school year. You've gotten all 4's and all S's on your report cards.  You've taken gymnastics and played softball. You wear glasses during school all the time now since your vision has gotten so much worse. I'm not afraid to tell you that we expected that to happen since you inherited both your dad and my poor vision.

You're asking for more and more independence. For instance, you like to ride your bike down the street and visit the neighbors on your own. You will often approach the counter by yourself in a restaurant and ask for whatever it is you need.  You make phone calls on your own occasionally.  Sometimes you now write "Julie" at the top of your school papers.

You hate to have your picture taken but you love a chance to dress up and wear lip gloss. You love to sing but you're self-conscious of your voice. You have mood swings and sometimes give us the silent treatment for a bit.  You still have a sweet tooth.  You may have a touch of asthma and have been on and off with a daily inhaler while we try to figure it out. It's nothing that bothers you at all but we want to make sure that if you get sick then you can get well again as quickly as the rest of us.

The way that you've seized and taken ownership of softball and developed a love for something you're pretty darn good at has made me extremely proud. I see a few of the other girls pout when they strike out and you rarely do that. You know there will be another chance at bat and you know that it's likely you'll have a good hit.  I'm so impressed with your attitude on the field.

While you've come to really enjoy sports this year, you're also learning to knit, make friendship bracelets, make loom bracelets and braid hair. You have changed your favorite color to pink and you love to have your nails painted.

I do wish that eager and enthusiastic attitude would sometimes transfer over at home though. You often bully your little brother. You tell him that mom's inside calling him just to get him to leave you alone for a minute. I can't say that I don't understand or greatly empathize because I've definitely been there. Little siblings can be so annoying. I just wish you would take the high road a bit more often. Stop racing him to be first at EVERYTHING. We know you'll win. You're almost four years older than he is. Stop telling him he's always wrong. You naturally know more than he does. You're almost four years older than he is. Do more of the, "Can I show you how to...?" and "Do you want me to help you...?"  That's what we hope and expect of you, Big Sister.

So while it seems like just last week that we were standing in Nanna and Pap's driveway when you looked up at the crows and said, "CAWWW, CAAWWW!" for the first time, I know it wasn't. It's been eight years and before we know it, that day will have passed decades ago but I'm enjoying this time with you. You've brought tons of smiles to my face and happiness to my heart. I'm so proud of your second grade year. I'm so honored to be such a sweet girl's mom.

Love you bunches, Doodlebug!

Mama