Friday Things #476
1. Last Friday, Dominic graduated from kindergarten! He has come a phenomenally long way this year, and I could not be more proud of him. He started the school year attending via iPad only three days after his last radiation treatment and was finally given the go-ahead to attend in person at the end of September. He has grown and learned so much this year, and he continues to amaze us each and every day ๐
2. He and Isabelle have been enjoying their summer break! They love riding on the side of the big cart at Costco and pushing their own little carts at the grocery store. Though Dominic most definitely โshopsโ with his own cart like heโs on an episode of Supermarket Sweep ๐ We go insanely early in the morning, so luckily, the store is basically empty lol.
3. Today is Josephโs last day of school! So as of this afternoon, we are all officially on summer break, whew!
4. Letโs talk teacher giftsโฆ while mine are already wrapped up since the school year is over, Iโm curious about what you do, OR! If youโre a teacher, what do you most appreciate? I recently saw that someone gifts their kidsโ teachers Stanley Tumblers, which seems like something fun for summer (Iโve also seen amazing reviews for the Simple Modern version, which is more economical and widely available). Our school keeps a document on the parent portal of all of the teachersโ favorite things, which makes buying things like candy, flowers, gift cards, etc., easy since you know what everyone likes!
I love the idea that Kendra from The Lazy Genius coined called โDecide Onceโ โ a system you can replicate repeatedly, so youโre not always starting from scratch, trying to think of things year after year. One of my favorite Instagram follows, @haleywynndesigns, does an amazing job of implementing this with gifts. So, Iโm trying to come up with some ideas to avoid reinventing the wheel next year ๐
5. This week, I polished up the following recipes to make them even easier to follow and included more tips for successful execution (bonus: theyโre all great for summer!): Angel Food Cake, Peanut Butter Brownies, and Quiche Lorraine. Happy Baking! ๐
6. I finally started Demon Copperhead and havenโt gotten very far into it, but so far, so good! I know when I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, some of you really loved it, and some disliked it. Iโll keep you posted on my thoughts!
7. This past week, I made this cilantro-orange chicken recipe and served it with yellow rice, black beans, and diced mango. It was so delicious, super easy, and best of all, everyone in our family ate it! That rarely, if ever, happens ๐ซ I highly recommend this meal!!
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8. If you have summery things youโre looking to buy, Amazon has a huge Memorial Day Weekend sale right now that includes special home and outdoor deals.
9. This past week, we watched the mini-series Our House (on PBS) and it was craaaaaaazy. I was hooked!
10. TGIF! These pups love to give and get affection and Dominic loves them so, so much โค๏ธ
Dominic looks great! Continued prayers for him!
One of my favorite gifts to give is a small perennial plant. A recent gift I gave was a small pot of Shasta Daisiesโฆonly $6 from Home Depot. I โprettiedโ it up by putting it in a brown lunch bag with the top rolled down and a pretty brown twine bow. I love that they can be enjoyed for years to come. In the past Iโve given pots of Rosemary, also.
A HUGE congrats to ย Dominic as he moves on to first grade.
He seems to be a strong, resilient child. He will do special things in his lifeโฆgreat and small. The lessons ย he has learned throughout his health battle will inform how he lives his life and interacts with those around him. He is a special child but I know you and his dad have always know that.
When I was teaching kindergarten, I always most appreciate simple , thoughtful giftsโฆa sincerely written thank you, a donation to a child related charity, a game of puzzle the new kids entering.
Thanks for sharing your busy life with us, I love to hear about the children, prayers daily for Dominic ( I have another little guy with Cancer Iโm praying for also~~he will be the Grand Marshal at a Memorial Day Parade). You guys have a great & safe summer break.
Great pics! Looks like Dominicโs hair is getting a little darker like Josephโs. Love your posts and updates so much. Have a fun and wonderful summer.
Dominic looks great and I wish him continued good health. Enjoy the summer with your babies, they grow so fast. If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend any book by Marie Benedict. I think The Other Einstein was my favorite, but honestly they are all very well done.ย
I continue to lift Dominic up to the Lord praying for complete healing. The last one of him with your goldens melts my heart!
Dominic is a little guy with a big heart. He is amazing.
Dominick looks healthy and wonderful. ย My wish for Him is to be cured 100%!
I have been one of your blog fans since before you even had any kids.
You have a beautiful Family!
Fran G
When I taught elementary school (40 yrs ago โ whew, Iโm old!) Avon was big & every Xmas I got numerous โsmell prettiesโ. One particularly smelly offering was passed between my three sisters as a gag gift for several years. I have two Xmas ornaments on my tree every year from two students who I fondly remember every year. I think a drink tumber would be appreciated โ Aldi has nice ones & reasonable priced.
Have a fun summmer with the kiddos!
Aww I love the Christmas ornament idea! Will have to brainstorm some personalized options for the holidays this year :)
Cilantro Orange chicken sounds wonderful, but โฆalmost 900 calories per serving?!! Heavens to Betsy!
Great photo of Dominic under dog : )
Iโm guessing thatโs wrong, because I canโt see anyway thatโs how high it would be! That might be for the entire recipe total.
Others questioned the calorie content and she responded that the count is for the chicken, rice, beans and salsa. ย Still rather high IMHOโฆI think Iโd skip the rice or beans.
My kids are grown now but when they were still in school I used to give gifts not just to the teacher but to all the staff so I had to think of something that was cost effective for like 40 gifts. I ended up getting the little plastic red and white popcorn containers and I would put microwave popcorn, twizzlers, some chocolate a hand sanitizer and a scratch off lottery ticket. It was different and they appreciated not getting another mug or candle!
Thanks for the tip on Our House; sounds great. ย I have it fired up on PBS Passport ready to watch. ย Also have to thank you for the pickle recipe. ย Found Kirby cucumbers at my store and made a batch. ย Gone in a week!! ย Blessings to you and your family.ย
Iโm so glad you enjoyed the pickles!! Have a wonderful weekend, xo
I am SO happy to see Dominic doing so well! All the kiddos look great!
I loved Demon Copperhead! Recently won the Pulitzer Prize.
I so loved summer vacation with our children-so many great memories!
Iโm enjoying your reading updates and book suggestions-I just finished one that I LOVED -โThe Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Check it out, I think ย youโll enjoy it!ย
Iโm glad Dominic is doing well-he looks amazing and I keep him-and your family-in prayers๐๐ป
Thank you for the recommendation! Iโm adding it to my reading list :)
So happy to hear that Dominic graduate from Kindergarten way to go Dominic! Hope you all have a great summer and keep the updates coming. ๐
Hi! Have an amazing summer! Many parents used to dread the last day of school, but i ย always loved having my 3 kids home for the summertime. Light schedules, lots of pool time and just easy, relaxed days. ย The big thrill of daddy leaving money for the ice cream man early in the morning as he headed out the door for work. Little things that meant so much ๐ Now they are all grown adults, busy with work and children of their own, but we always talk about our summer time days. Enjoy every minute. โค๏ธ๐ค
YES! I love when my kids are home during the summer or extended holiday breaks. Itโs so wonderful to just BE.