Mom of the Year?

I've only been the mom of a preschooler for one full year plus the school year in session now. And I'm still getting the hang of it.

I dreamed of being a "room mother" when I was little because my mom was such a great one. Then when I didn't grow up and have babies right away I wondered if it would happen. Now that I have those babies (two and almost five years old) I often find myself thinking up ways to make school fun for them. Even if they're too young to care right now, I'm going to be ready.

Logan has his Valentine's Day party at school tomorrow. Okay by now its today.

I gladly paid for a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts a couple of weeks ago (Thanks for the idea Tiff!) so I could get some "a free donut for you with this card" Valentine's for Logan to take to school. He's been excited about them. I've been excited about them. This afternoon after he finished writing his name on them a few a day for the last week, I stapled some candy to them. (Nice, I know. I stapled it. No fancy-schmancy ribbon for me!) Then I put them in a bag for him to take with him tomorrow.

Craig helped him make a decorated box for his Valentine's earlier in the week. It's a Jeep. Logan and I looked online for some ideas and he saw a train he liked, but after the box was colored, cut and put back together he didn't think it looked like a train. Oh no. It was definitely a Jeep. What does it have to do with Valentine's Day? Nothing. But he thinks its cool.

 

I like to get my kids involved when I'm doing something that has to do with them doing for or giving something to someone else. So I asked Logan what sort of treats he wanted to take to his party. First he wanted heart shaped sugar cookies, then he decided on chocolate chip cookies, and finally changed his mind to brownies.

Of course my mind set to working. I had to think of something great to do with brownies! I thought about cutting them into heart shapes, but couldn't find my small cookie cutter; which was just as well because there would have been a lot of brownie scraps for me to eat. (Side Note: Since I stopped drinking mass quantities of pop last week, sweets don't taste as good as they used to. Not that I don't eat them anymore. Just not as many. Yippee!) I also thought it would be fun to make them in little muffin tins.

Since we were busy today I got to work after the kids were asleep. And after I took a nap. (We're still not feeling 100% around here. What else could I do?) I made those little brownies! And they were not very good. Little, like that. They were undercooked, looked funny, and stuck to the tins. So I got out another package of brownie mix (What you thought I'd made them from scratch?) and prepared to start over. No big deal.

Craig was home from work by this time so enjoyed my first efforts, then suggested I just make the new batch in a pan -- and cut them into squares. (Something Logan had mentioned earlier.) What a concept! Then he went to take a shower. But first... and this is BIG, he told me I'm a good mom for staying up late and making things for the kids. Taking the compliment I thought to myself, I'd be a better mom if I did it during the day and went to bed at night. Anyway, it was nice to hear from him. Thanks hoosband.

Also, as my brownies were baking, I made a couple of quick and easy teacher gifts. I read recently that Valentine's Day is a new day for giving gifts to teachers, so I had to do it. Hand sanitizer anyone? I know the final products didn't turn out as cute as the ones I saw on another blog, but they'll do. I didn't buy anything but the sanitizer, and was proud of myself for that. Logan will sign his name on a little note I'll attach before school in the morning.

 

So there you have it. Could I be Mom of the Year or What?!