FREE Chemistry Kits for Teachers!

The American Chemical Society is a profession group that I have participated for years (since undergrad) and I am currently the chair of the local section.  I received a great opportunity in my email today and I had to share it with you all!

ACS is offering a free kit to teachers that includes enough materials for a hands-on activity about chemistry.  The free "price" includes shipping, all you need to do is apply!  The activities/topics are geared more towards upper elementary and middle school.  Please check it out here and definitely share with any of your teacher friends!



P.S. Sorry for being a terrible blogger lately, I hope to get another post up this week!

Big Boy Underwear

We've been working on potty-training with Jack.  We've got a "potty train" sticker chart (that I found through Pintrest) and big boy underwear in pretty much every Disney/Pixar movie character... so far it hasn't been too bad!  He's filled one chart (and got a Hotwheels car once it was filled) and has had one or two accidents a day, but he's learning to be aware of when he needs to use the potty.

Tonight, Matt was loading the washer with clothes and a couple pair of Jack's used underwear.

Jack (yelling, obviously upset): Don't cook it!

Matt:  I'm not cooking anything this is the clothes washer.

Jack (stomping through the kitchen): You don't wash mine Wall-E underwear!

Matt:  What?  Are you going to tell Mommy on me?

Jack (stomps into the living room): Daddy not wash mine Wall-E underwear!  That's not fair!!

All I could manage to do was laugh... adventures in potty training!

Family Prayer Request

Please say some prayers for my dad and the rest of our family.  My dad was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and will be starting treatments soon.  This is his second cancer diagnosis; he fought (and beat!) prostate cancer a few years ago.

His prognosis is good as it was caught very early and my parents love his doctor!  I just ask for some prayers that his treatments go well and that my dad tolerates them well.

My Smiley Baby is 2 Months Old!

You can see his 1 month update here.

We had Christopher's 2 month check-up last Friday.  He weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds 4 ounces (up almost 6 pounds in 9 weeks) and is 23 1/4 inches long.  He's continuing to stay in the 50-75% percentile range for length and weight.

He's getting pretty good at holding his head up while laying on his tummy.  His favorite person to look at is Jack... watches him go everywhere!  He's rolled over one more time in the past month and is constantly moving his legs when he's lying on the ground.  I can only imagine how quick he will just take off rolling... then crawling... then walking!  Here are a few 2 month pictures!

Such a smiley boy!  This 0-3 month onesie is getting pretty tight on him!

On his blanket crocheted by his Bapie with his bear from Mommy, Daddy & Jack!

Pushing his bear away... It was our cue that he was done with the photo shoot!

Happy New Year!

Last night we spent a wonderful night-in with our boys to celebrate New Years Eve!  I found a small 4-pack of champagne (technically sparkling wine), so that I could have a small glass to toast the new year with Matt without wasting a whole bottle of champagne.  We told Jack he didn't have a bedtime last night (he was thrilled!) figuring he would fall asleep on the couch with us.  He chose to watch Cars 2 and then around 11 p.m. he asked to go to bed.  Luckily, I took a few naps with the boys before the clock struck midnight and was able to make it to welcome 2012!

Today is my late cousin's birthday... I will always think of her as we welcome the new year because we used to call her at midnight every year to wish her a happy birthday.  I got so many hand-me-down clothes from Katie when I was younger and always thought they were the coolest clothes.  I was blessed to have her as my Confirmation sponsor and a great role model as I was growing up.  She left this world way too young... Miss you so very much Katie!

This year I am going to try to participate in 52 Weeks to An Organized Home.  I will get an email once a week on the area of focus and then try to implement it at our house.  I know there will be weeks where I simply can't get to it, but I really hope to be able to participate in most of these.  Hopefully I will be able to keep up on a blog post each week I participate.  Having two kids in our house just after Christmas makes me realize how very important organization is, not that I didn't before, I just did not really worry about it!

I have some other little goals of things that I'd like to get better at, but I hope to keep my focus on my wonderful family this year!

I am now less than 2 weeks away from going back to work and it of course makes me very sad to be leaving my boys.  Lots going on in the next few weeks including Christopher's baptism, so blog updates might be sparse.

Wishing everyone a very happy New Year full of health, wealth and many more blessings!

Merry Christmas!

This was scheduled to be posted December 23rd, but somehow it didn't and I never noticed.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  I'll post a Christmas follow-up soon I swear!

This year will be a big year for visiting family during the holidays.  Our Christmas celebrations started last weekend with Matt's grandma and a party out of town with our friends from college.  When we were celebrating with Matt's grandma, we got to participate in a Polish tradition of breaking of the bread.  The wafers are similar in consistency to communion wafers.  We each got a wafer and then went around the room breaking pieces off of each other's wafers while we exchanged well-wishes for the holidays and upcoming year!  It was a very neat tradition in which to participate and we might keep it up each year... it is something that they did with extended family when Matt was younger but haven't done in years.

Jack holding his youngest cousin, Evan.

Jack, Evan and Christopher... they're all making strange faces but at least their eyes are open!

Matt with our youngest nephew and Christopher!

Jack giving his great-grandma (Busie, a Polish nickname for grandma) a kiss!

My sister-in-law with her son Evan and me holding Christopher... both babies were all tuckered out!

Actually the celebrations started with Jack's Christmas program and party at school.  Of course we have decorated our tree too!

Matt with the boys while Jack enjoys snacks at his Christmas party!

Jack putting one of his snowman ornaments on our tree!

Getting to put the angel topper on our tree!

Ta-da!

My company does a childrens' holiday party every year... definitely beats the lines at the mall to see Santa!  Mommy had to be in the picture because Jack wasn't so sure about Santa.  Santa also appears to have never held a baby before...

We continue into this weekend with a day trip to Indiana to celebrate with my Mom's side of the family; all of my cousins will be in town which is quite the accomplishment considering 1 lives internationally and 2 more live out west!  Christmas day will be jam packed as well waking up at home then going just across town to my in-laws' and my parents' homes. 

This is Jack enjoying the train that goes around my parents' Christmas tree.

The day after Christmas I'll be headed on a couple hour trip with the boys to visit with my dad's side of the family, unfortunately Matt has to work.

How are you celebrating this Christmas season?

Yet Another Sweet Math Video

Thanks to those awesome teachers at Westerville South High School!  Enjoy!