Life's Trivialities

5th Grade Grad / Echo Park

I won this mini collection from Echo Park at the last Scrapdoodles event I went to. Yes, this is a graduation layout. Yes, that is a swimming pool, you aren't imagining things!

The story of the swimming pool picture on a graduation layout is on the pull out Core'dinations tag. This past June, Nikolas, my oldest, graduated from elementary school. Rather than sitting amongst all the proud Mummy's and Daddy's, I was at my scrapbook desk while Michael sat at work. Nikolas was at a travel swim meet in North Carolina! Initially I was pretty upset about the whole thing. I think it was the scrapper in me who was thinking more of the pictures I wouldn't have. But then a wise swimming Mom pointed out the memories that Nikolas was creating. He wasn't missing anything. He had a remarkable weekend at the pool and it's all good!

The cardstock used on this layout is, yup, you guessed it, Core'dinations! The Tim Holtz Shattered behind the cut apart cards that accompany the Echo Park collection is a perfect match and works perfectly to pop the card from the caps and tassles flying around in celebration! I sanded the edges of the Chalkboard stars for a fun celebratory look!

So though I didn't go to graduation, or the swim meet, I was still able to document both events!

 

On Your Marks...

Get Set... Soon they'll be off!!

Summer will plod along  a little while longer but summer vacation is coming to an end as the kids prepare for their entry or return to school. Depending upon which child we are referring to.

Mia begins Kindergarten in 4 days! In the inner workings of her mind this has been the go ahead to behave like a defiant, heathen. Suddenly, the knowledge that she is a "big girl", heading off to school, has given her the (de)illusion that she is in charge, knows it all and can do as her little heart desires. Yup... Quite to her mother's dismay and utter annoyance. It's been a tad rough, to say the least, around here lately... I know I will shed tears as she gets on that big yellow bus and doesn't give turning back a second thought. But there is a little piece of me that can't wait for her to strut her big ol' attitude in somebody else's presence for a while...

Yesterday was kindergarten orientation and "Meet the teacher" for all other grades at our elementary school. I took the morning off so that I could be there, wouldn't have missed it for the world. (Despite some unruly behaviour...) We gathered our shopping bags of school supplies and headed down the road full of anticipation and eager to meet old friends and new teachers!

The Midget was first with Kindergarten orientation. She sat on the blue mat with Mrs Brady and the rest of her kindergarten class, eager to be right beside the teacher and the front of the line. Mrs Brady, a seasoned teacher, quickly picked up on this and promptly let Ms-Front-and-Center know that she "ain't all that" and needed to go back to where she came from! Gently, of course. I wonder how long that patience will last...

After filling out the necessary paper work (which, shock, horror!, has diminished since we were last at Kindy orientation) and meeting Mrs Brady we sauntered down the hall to the 3rd grade wing to meet Ms Turner and deposit our 3rd grade supplies in cubbie and desk. For the first time in our school lives we now have text books for which book sox are necessary. We had to be introduced to the application of  these contraptions... And now all text books, except social studies for some unknown reason, are safely ensconced in their stretchy fabric nestling of various colors and swirls!

Tuesday, they are off!! Off on the bus to the first day of Kindergarten and 3rd grade!! And Mum will head to work, with tears in her eyes, just for the morning. She will work the half day in eager anticipation of racing home to greet the big old bus and hear all the stories about that wonderful first day! I will ask a million questions and they will answer with as few words as they can...