Busy-ness

It's been a busy month and I've been a bit of a slacker in my blog world. I'm almost ready for my blog to change over to the Christmas theme and with that change I plan on writing a daily 'Christmas favorites' or 'top 25' or something like that as we count down for the holidays. So stay tuned!

We're getting Christmas pictures taken next weekend, hopefully they will turn out well enough to post a few and make Christmas cards...we'll see. You never know with little kids, they could turn out like this one from last year:

I really don't prefer to have pictures taken in a 'staged' setting like this, but they are quick, easy, and cheap. Sometimes it's just easier to go to a place that is staged and ready. My preference is to have a professional come to the house and take pictures around familiar settings and scenery, but a really good photographer is too expensive for now.

School has been hectic as well. It seems like all we do is assess, grade, report scores, assess, grade, report scores. I wish someone would realize if we don't have TIME to teach the skills, obviously students are not going to master them when they are assessed. So instead of throwing in every intervention known to education, if they backed way off and gave me freedom and time to teach my kids would do well. There is so much I could say about this topic, but it's Sunday afternoon and I don't want to get my blood pressure up!

In fact the stress of everything inside the school building got so thick last week with the semester winding down and teachers stressing over what is yet to be taught I had to take a personal (read: mental health day) on Friday. It was a lovely day all to myself. I enjoyed going to my annual Christmas shopping hot stop:

While shopping, I ran into 3 other teachers from my school!!!! I guess we all had the same idea! Hilarious!!!!

Then I went to the day spa and got a facial, massage, and eyebrow wax!

My last stop was to a pre-yard sale-sale. I went to a friend's house who has a daughter in first grade. She was selling some of the clothes that she had outgrown. The dresses were beautiful and I couldn't resist buying them for Molly. I absolutely love the traditional dresses I grew up wearing...handmade, smocked, bishop style with bows to match. These are impossible to find in department stores anymore.

I have a very specific taste in children's (girls) clothing. I don't like the trendy clothing they sell today that make 3 years olds look like 13 year olds. I've even noticed they have 'bikini' or "low rise" sized/shaped underwear for little ones!? What's wrong with that picture? I'm not a fan of baby gap or old navy. It's just too...trendy. My all time pet peeve is 'message shirts' for kids. You know the kind, anything with the word "princess" on it, or telling the world "am i cute or what". Well, you get the point. Just give me some simple clothes in great fabric, with a traditional design and I'm happy. Also a point of friction with my taste, jeans for little kids...they just don't look comfy, especially with a diaper on.

So I love shopping around boutiques and specialty stores (as well as eBay). I have really tried to control my spending for Molly b/c I don't know how old she'll be or what size she'll wear. But when I see something really nice and classic, I have to buy it. These dresses were all name brand dresses that retail for $60 and up. Mom and I bought them for $10 each. They range in size from 4-6 so Madison can use them also. She already has enough clothes to dress an army of girls, but these dresses are so special.

Lavender bunny dress and blue smocked dress

Summer yellow Capri outfit, Strasburg summer dress, and green gingham dress with ladybugs!

various smocked dresses

Here's my favorite...the ultimate party dress! Complete with a pink crinoline

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Busy-ness