We're in a mad winter funk over here. A serious winter funk. Lots of snow days and delays grey skies and dreary days and indoor recess at school means that there's been a lot of grumpy, grouchy kids at our house. And parents. No matter what we do to mix things up, it seems like we've all been doing more arguing and bickering than I care to admit. And it's not just the kids--sure, of course, it's the kids. But it's also my husband and me. The dog. The birds and fish. We're all a little … [Read more...]
fun fact lunchbox notes!
This New For Us Friday we're sharing a new-f0r-us lunchbox note--fun fact lunchbox notes! LOVE these!! A few weeks ago, Maddy, Owen, and Cora were totally into an article in the Kids Post about ear wax. Yes, ear wax. At breakfast. And the article promised more equally disgusting (but soooo interesting!) topics in the near future. I could barely swallow my coffee as I read it, but what was strikingly clear to me was that when kids, even little guys, are interested in something, … [Read more...]
top secret ‘happy day’ notes for the whole ‘hood
Originally published September 1, 2010, but republished today because, well, friends, everyone could use a lift. Last week, we ran into a verrrry blue Thursday morning. Everyone was cranky, everyone was bickering, and everyone was down in the dumps. Maybe our summertime later-night schedule was finally taking a toll on us; maybe we were anxious about the upcoming change of schedule. Whatever it was, we needed a lift. I remembered my pal Jessica's recent post about 'Doing Good … [Read more...]
(more!) word puzzle lunchbox notes
You guys. My kids love these new! word puzzle lunchbox notes. And my kids' friends love these. And my friends' kids love these. It all makes me so happy because the more we're talking about words and thinking about how it all comes together, the better. It's awesome. So as soon as I realized that our Word Puzzle Lunchbox Notes were a hit, I was on the hunt for more wordy-word puzzles. And I found them. Deep in the catacombs of my old teaching resources, in the boxes … [Read more...]
word puzzle lunchbox notes: word play and word games on the go
It has been way too long since I've created some new lunchbox notes, and the kids were pretty desperate for some new ones. So I searched through some of my old teaching files to find what I know my students loved--word puzzles. These are quick, these are cool, and these are puzzles that the kids can share with friends at lunch. The more working on them, the merrier. And as parents, any way we can get our kids playing with words, it's a win. Here's the skinny. . . Word Puzzle … [Read more...]
positive affirmation notes for kids: lunchbox love
Countdown's on for the new school year, so I've been at work making a new set of lunchbox love notes. In the past, we've covered joke notes, we've covered puzzle notes, fun fact notes, andtravel inspired notes. We did a closer look notes, Kindergarten notes, and more jokes. But this time I really wanted to so something that I think might help the kids in a different way as they move into the new year: positive affirmations for kids. My girls have seen something … [Read more...]
school RULES! super-silly lunchbox joke notes
It has been such an amazing summer. I am desperately, terribly, incredibly sad to see it go. But here we are. Marching forward. At my kids' request, I whipped up another batch of lunchbox love notes. This time, they're silly, wacky, crazy, funny, and giggle-inducing. They've asked for more jokes. So fun. And since school's starting in a minute (waahhhh!), what better way to ring in the new school year than by celebrating their good, ole school days with School RULES! Lunchbox … [Read more...]
quick, easy father’s day surprise notes: kid-made and dad-approved
Father's Day is here. Like practically tomorrow. And with the whirlwind of the end-of-school excitement, Father's Day often takes a back seat to. . . well, other things. Not this year. Even though we're on the clock, the kids and I made these quick and easy Father's Day Surprise Notes that I know their dad will adore. Kid-made--all of their ideas--and totally Dad-approved--all things he will love. But this is not your typical Father's Day Ticket Book. We've been there and done … [Read more...]
budgie and parakeet fun fact lunchbox notes: help kids find reliable sources online
We are now the proud owners of two budgies. Or parakeets. Or budgerigars. Two budgies. Two boys (we hope!). Right. Apparently, all budgies are parakeets but not all parakeets are budgies. So we have budgies AND we have parakeets. And we're learning as we go. But what better way of having my O-man--who was home with a cough that lasted forever and ever and ever--get his brain moving than by doing some non-fiction reading about his new birds? We practiced finding … [Read more...]
st. patrick’s day fun fact lunchbox notes: and non-fiction reading
It's almost St. Patrick's Day-- a holiday that my family loves to ring in with rainbows, scavenger hunts, and lots of silly little- leprechaun fun. But we also love to ring it in with a new batch of lunchbox love notes. This time, the St. Patrick's Day Lunchbox Love Notes were made with the help of my tiniest one: Cora. She brought home a great little St. Patrick's Day book from her media center last week, and it was perfect for us to use as the foundation for our newest lunchbox love notes: … [Read more...]
holiday fun fact AND joke lunchbox notes (with hanukkah!)
We are huge fans of the lunchbox love note over here, so we've revisited our ole faves and added a few new ones to the mix. Maddy, Owen, and Cora love the Holiday Fun Facts and Holiday Joke Notes, so I did a little research, played with some images, and created a few notes for my tinies. Fun facts have expanded to add Hanukkah facts! (Yay! It's about time, right?) Joke notes have gotten sillier! Even more funny! And the fonts are large and clear so Cora has a better chance of … [Read more...]
