Entertainment Book

Okay, let me preface this by saying that I vow NOT to be one of those moms that bombard their friends and family with each and every one of their child's fundraisers. You will not have to avoid my phone calls because you are afraid that I will want you to buy something! You will not be asked to subscribe to magazines, buy wrapping paper, cookies, cookie dough, newspapers, etc.. Personally, I find it all to be a rip off, and I would much rather make a donation to my child's classroom. (No, I won't ask you for donations either ;) However, I may do an occasional post regarding school fundraisers or functions that I believe to actually not be a total scam, and are worthy of my time.

That being said, since I know that several of you use these books anyway, I wanted to give you the opportunity to purchase an Entertainment Book though Amberlyn's school. Proceeds go toward purchasing classroom supplies for Harmon Elementary School, (Amberlyn's school). (Of course there is the party for the top selling class, and the rewards for certain levels, but I couldn't care less about that.) So now a little about the Book:
*Includes coupons for tons of area attractions, including movies, golf, hotels, dining, museums, car, travel, grocery, and much more!
*Supports local economy
*Now with a membership card to fully take advantage of savings.
*Online coupons also available
*Includes $20 savings at Safeway (for Phoenix)
*Helps Amberlyn's school!

The Entertainment Book is available in a wide range of cities, (I have included ones where some of you live, or might visit) click to see the sample for that city:
Phoenix, AZ $30 - Tucson, AZ $35 - Utah $25 - D.C., Maryland $35 - Greater Seattle/Eastside, WA $25 - Vancouver, Canada, $51 - Denver, CO $35 - Witchita, KS $25 - Boise, ID $35
If you'd like to see other available cities, go to www.Entertainment.com

Checks and orders are due September 4th. If you would like to order, just leave a comment and let me know which city you would like an Entertainment Book for, and then you will either have to mail a check to my home address (make checks payable to Harmon Elementary PTSO), OR, I can pay for it myself, then send you an invoice through PayPal. (You do not have to have a PayPal account to do this!) Shipping is FREE! (I will hand deliver to those in the Phoenix area.) Or, I think you can order online. Just enter 939694 for the account number, her teacher is Ms. Lin, a.m. Kindergarten, room 324. (Let me know if you order online, so I can make sure her class gets the credit. But I think it will be easier if I just turn in the order myself.) I have to turn them in by the 4th, so let me know ASAP! I promise I will not hound you about this. I may post a reminder on the 2nd or 3rd of September. Please don't feel obligated. I understand that times are tough for some, or this just may not be of interest to you.

Entertainment Books are great to keep in the car, for those last minute, "Hey let's go here!" times, and make great reading material for long trips. Sometimes we plan our outings according to what coupons we have! Let me know if it interests you!

Kindergarten!! (the realization)

Well Amberlyn L-O-V-E-S her Kindergarten class! When I picked her up on the first day, she told me all about it! They colored a picture, sat in a circle on an alphabet rug & sang songs, watched "The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar", ate her snack I had packed her, and played on the playground. "Mom! We had recess! Recess is when you get to go out and play on the playground!" she informed me. She was also very impressed with the "chalkboard on the tv". Having not been in a classroom in hum-diddly-hum-drum years, I had no idea what she was talking about. An overhead projector perhaps? I asked my teacher friends/relatives, and found out it's a new-fangled thing called a Smartboard, an interactive computerized whiteboard thingie. What will they come up with next? Anyway, she had a blast, and couldn't wait to go back!
Amberlyn is getting so big, and it snuck up on me. And my life has changed dramatically in the last few days, with her being in school! It suddenly occured to me, on Sunday night, that I was going to have to take her to school every day! I was prepared for Monday, but then I realized I would have to take her on Tuesday as well! And, wait a minute... Wednesday too! And Thursday and Friday, and every school day from now on! No more 2 days a week like preschool! I was going to help my sister-in-law move to Tucson next week, but it hit me that Amberlyn had to be in school, and I couldn't just leave whenever I wanted to anymore. No more week long trips, or going to visit my mom in Show Low on a whim.
And, get this, I have to get my hiney out of bed everyday at 6:45! Those of you that know me, know that I am NOT a morning person. At all. I haven't had an obligation to get up that early on a regular basis since I was in school! I do have to admit however, that I thrive on routine, and I think this will be a good change for me. I enjoy helping Amberlyn choose her clothes everynight, and getting her backpack ready, and packing her snack each day, and getting her out the door and to her classroom. I makes me feel like a "real mom". Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I wasn't a real mom before, but the days of playing all day are gone, and have been replaced with a little more responsibility than had occured to me. They say your life changes when you have kids. It does. It changes again when they go to school!
I just wasn't prepared.

1st Day of Kindergarten!

Today was Amberlyn's 1st day of kindergarten!! We've been on a family vacation for nearly 2 weeks (more on that later) and got home Saturday night. On Sunday, Amberlyn and I got her school things ready. We put her new folder together, labeled all her personal things, (I love my label maker!) got her backpack ready, packed her snack, and layed out her school clothes.
After dinner, she took a bath, got ready for bed, daddy gave her a special blessing, and she got all tucked in.
This morning, I got her up, made her some oatmeal while she got dressed, fixed her hail with bows I made after she went to bed, and off to school we went!

*Her first day of Kindergarten!*

It's too hot to walk all the way to school, but I didn't want to just drop her off either, so we parked on the side of the school (away from all the craziness), put Denver in the stroller, and walked to her new classroom. We met the teacher, (we were on vacation for the orientation) got the class info, and found her desk!

*Sitting at her desk in her classroom!**Of course I had to take pictures of her class!*

And her new teacher, Ms. Lin, was kind enough to pose for a picture! (I wasn't the only mom doing it, so I thought it was okay.)

*Amberlyn & Ms. Lin*

Denver and I left the classroom and headed to our car. We saw a neighbor dropping off her daughter in Amberlyn's class, and walked with her for a moment, and it was all I could do not to cry! (Yes, I'm a big baby. I get it from my mother!) I loaded Denver into the car and called Matt to tell him that we got Amberlyn off to school okay. We stopped for gas and a Dr. Pepper, and I had to text all my family to tell them how grown up my little girl is! My mom texted me back, and told me that on my first day of kindergarten, I came home and told her all about the little potties, and the tiny squares of toilet paper! I can wait to her what Amberlyn has to say about her first day! She gets out in an hour, so I'm sure I'll write again today!