Graduation Decorating Highlights

Most of the graduation festivities are over (not all!) and I’ve had a little time to decompress. I thought this would be a good time to share some of the creative things we did. I really made a concerted effort to rein in all the ideas I had gathered through the years and spied on Pinterest. There are so many ideas out there – really great ideas! Things I would love to do. But a) I work full-time and have a limited amount of time to create, b) I have boys who aren’t into frills, and c) its high school graduation, not a wedding or coronation of the queen! I’m really happy with the way things went. I think it was successful for several reasons.

1. I started early.  Of course, I was working off of a spreadsheet shared by a friend. I started looking at this last August thinking about what elements we wanted to include. What was important to me and to Oldest Son. Based on this list, I began tackling pieces right away. I ordered a book of his senior pictures last fall when I had a coupon. I order poster prints months before graduation. Those pieces really helped lessen the stress as graduation got closer.
2. I picked the most impactful ideas. Like I said, there are so many excellent ideas out there that you really have to pick and choose. If I had a girl, it might have been a different story, but having boys it was easy to eliminate some ideas right away. I tried to focus in on things that would be simple and have a big impact. And of course, things that could be tweaked and used again in a couple of years:).
3. I let go of needing to have everything and have it be perfect. It became very easy to remember that this was really about Oldest Son and acknowledging this milestone in his life. It wasn’t about me or my home. Keeping that in mind helped a lot. What would help mark this milestone for him?
4. I asked for help. I asked friends to make food, asked my niece to do the slide show, Mom to help with bunting, etc. I know how much I enjoy helping others with an event like this and I chose to give my friends that opportunity too. (I hope they saw it that way anyway:)!) It lightened my load and let others feel a part of the day.

They seem like simple enough ideas, but for a somewhat controlling, perfectionist who has been known to take on way more than she can accomplish it was a challenge.

Now for some eye candy, here are a few of the ideas we implemented.

Orange snacks – the school colors are orange and black and this is what Oldest Son chose for his reception as well. So we filled containers with orange snacks – circus peanuts, candy corn, cheese popcorn, cheese crackers, etc. It was fun, colorful and easy to do. (Pardon the picture, it doesn’t do justice and makes me realize I really should have ironed that tablecloth, but it’s what I have:).)

Bunting – I’ve seen this all over blogland and love it! To keep it from getting too girly, I went with lots of black. I even found fabric with music on it -which is totally him. It’s super simple to make and I got a lot of satisfaction from tearing the fabric:). And bonus – maybe I can use it to decorate for Halloween too!

Wreath – for the front door. I wanted something to welcome people and have seen fabric wrapped wreathes. I took this idea and translated it to graduation. The letters are wooden letters I painted to give it some punch. The fabrics are left from the bunting. Super easy and a great touch of color.

Collage posters – I created these collages in Picasa then ordered poster prints from Shutterfly. They were super simple to do and made a great impact. Plus, I didn’t have the pressure to finish his scrapbook! (See, I really am letting go!)

 

Photo guest book – I did this through Shutterfly as well – with a coupon. I pulled together some of our favorite pictures from different aspects of his life – band, scouts, family, youth group, etc. Then we put out colorful sharpies and let people sign the book. An easy, fun way to mark who attended.

 

Mantle – I was excited to decorate my new mantel for the occasion too! I chose to include some things I plan on keeping up there as well as some things just for graduation. I like the way it turned out.

So there you have it. The highlights of our graduation decorating. It was fun, simple and easy to manage. Just what I needed!

We Survived Graduation!

We did it! I mean he did it! Actually, we all survived. We made it through graduation and all the festivities that ensued. And more importantly, or maybe the question you’ve all been thinking, I survived my Oldest Sons graduation without a meltdown. If you are new to my blog, please know, I’m not a crazy lady. I’m just a pretty emotional Mama. I try to live in the moment and savor each milestone, which sometimes leads to tears of joy, sadness, or frustration. But mostly joy!

Oldest Son’s graduation was a week ago yesterday and a few tears were shed. But the entire week was a joy! It was such a pleasure to watch him participate in all the celebrations. Watching him visit with adults wishing him well, planning a party with his friends, and fitting in time to go to all the celebrations made me proud.

We had a beautiful night for graduation! It was held outside in the football stadium- a relief since tickets are limited if weather forces the ceremony inside.

The ceremony was nicely done – kudos to the administration!

His name was even pronounced correctly! Not a small feat with our last name:).

One set of grandparents were able to join our family at the ceremony. My parents came the weekend before and we put them to work! More on that later. Between that and the amount of walking required, they were both exhausted by the end of the evening. But we’re so glad they could be there!

As we sat in the stands waiting for the ceremony to start, I turned to Hubby and asked, “How did we get here?”

It really did go by in the blink of an eye. It seems such a short time ago we moved to Kansas and were trying to figure out where he would go to elementary school. I remember thinking that was a long ways off. And now, here we are. Parents of a high school graduate! Soon to be parents of a college student. I feel like someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say – excuse me, you are not qualified for this role. And I will have to say, “I KNOW!”

I guess that is how it always is as parents. You do the best you can, with the information you have. And quite often that information feels very inadequate. I think it’s a miracle really that so many kids turn out to be such great young adults! I know we are beyond proud of the man Oldest Son has become. He continues to amaze us with his integrity, his kindness and his generous spirit. I really can’t wait to see where he goes and who he becomes! Great things are ahead for him.

Squirrel

A very long time ago, when he was probably 8 years old or maybe a little younger, Oldest Son was laying on the floor in the kitchen with his legs up against the cabinets. He was looking out the window and in the most nonchalant voice told me, “When I grow up I’m going to be  a squirrel.”

It made me giggle. I kind of didn’t want to tell him he couldn’t be a squirrel. I mean, why crush a child’s dreams. What could it hurt?

Except if he were to go to school and tell kids he wanted to be  a squirrel…well that could be awkward.

Fast forward to last week. It was Thursday morning and Oldest Son would be graduating from high school that evening. I looked out the kitchen window as I’ve done hundreds of times. But on this morning I saw something that made me grab my camera.

There was the cutest little squirrel. And it stood there so patiently waiting for me to get my camera and capture the shot. It was almost as though it was posing for me.

Maybe it was a reminder for me of who that little boy was. Of the dreams he had of growing up. Maybe that squirrel was there to give me a moment of pause and reflection on how far he has come. Being my first to graduate I was feeling a little sentimental. Could it be a divine message to be present in the moment and enjoy the events of the day?

Or.

 Maybe.

It was just a squirrel in the backyard.

But that’s not nearly as deep!

In the Moment

In the midst of life being so chaotic I received a good reminder yesterday. And of course it came from Facebook. I posted this:

“Can it be June please? I really need it to be…

It came from a place of total overwhelm and a feeling that there is no way I can accomplish all that needs to be done in the next 6 weeks. I made the mistake of looking at the calandar in macro instead of micro and WOW! But I was reminded by a friend (several actually!) that these next 6 weeks are way too important to wish away.

“Joy:  no no no Judy! Remember these lines from a Billy Joel song, “This is the time to remember, ’cause it will not last forever. These are the days to hold onto, ’cause we won’t although we’ll want to. This is the time, but time is gonna change…” SAVOR April and May”

She’s so right! This time is going to be over in a flash and I don’t want to look back with regret. Isn’t it easy to do that? So often big life events come with tremendous amounts of stress. Much of it from our expectations of ourselves. We have a lot of years to think about  these milestone events and build them in our minds. It makes reality a challenge.

But I think there is a way to experience it with our sanity in tact.

1. Live in the Moment – It’s so cliche, but true. When I look at my calendar for 6 weeks at a time I get overwhelmed. So my goal is to only look long-term once a week. Take a macro look once and then live in the micro. Its easier to enjoy the moments when you keep your focus on today.
2. Let go of the Ideal – Reality is so different from what we can imagine. Our minds are powerful things. The mind can create in fractions of a second, things that will take every ounce of time and energy you have to implement. It’s great to dream, imagine, brainstorm but you have to bring it home to what’s reasonable.
3. Keep it Simple – There’s no award for the most elaborate! At least I haven’t seen one and ignorance is bliss. Stick to the basics, be true to your core, and keep it simple. You’ll thank yourself later.
4. Laugh – Take every opportunity to laugh. It reduces stress, works your stomach muscles and most definitely lifts your spirits. Find something each day to laugh about. Maybe it’s being asked point blank a question you don’t want to answer or being elected to a position you didn’t know you were nominated for, whatever the case just laugh! No one else has to understand why (let them think you’re a little bit insane) or even find it funny. Just let your funny bone get the best of you and laugh like a crazy person.

That’s my plan for the next 6 weeks. I think it’s a good plan, but like any, implementing it will take discipline and persistance.

And a wee bit’o'the crazies! That I can do!

T-Shirt Quilt

I’ve been saving the kids’ t-shirts for years! When Oldest Son out grew something it went to Middle Son, then Youngest Son. After everyone had outgrown a shirt we decided if it was for the t-shirt quilt or Goodwill.

And now we have three bins like this! Bags and bags of t-shirts. For the most part they are sorted by kid. I was pretty good about labeling the bags, but there are a few shirts that they all wore.

This was one of the projects on my “before Oldest Son graduates” list. Over Christmas break I dug out all the shirts and started sorting and counting.

I had 44 shirts for Oldest Son! And what a walk down memory lane that was! So fun to remember the outfits he wore and where he wore them.

I have seen lots of t-shirt quilts with all different kinds of designs. Most were traditional quilts with sashing between the shirts. They were awesome, but I had so many small shirts to use. I didn’t know how that could work. So I had something different in mind. I’d really been dreaming of essentially a crazy quilt. I wanted a style that would allow me to use all those tiny shirts I had kept. One that worked for all different sized pieces. I was thinking I could do this if I just picked a base size – like 3″x3″. Then as long as the pieces were all multiples of three it would work. I had this idea in my head, but really wasn’t sure if I had the time to figure out the details. And then…I stumbled on Too Cool T-Shirt Quilts.

AAaaHHhhAAaaHHhh…like the hallelujah chorus! I have a solution!

They have a website and a book with great directions. And you can purchase plexiglas templates to use in cutting your shirts. I had the great fortune of borrowing the set from a friend (Thanks Cindy P!).

It was quick and easy to cut out all the shirts. Just lay the template on and decide which size to use. Then came the really creative part! There’s a formula to use at this point to figure out how big your quilt will end up. Then I created an Excel diagram and started arranging pieces. I thought this part was fun! Once I had all the sizes working out, I added in the colors to make sure the colors would be mixed up and look good.

Two super awesome friends spent a day over spring break helping me sew the pieces together. It took us about 6 hours. Not bad for a 76″ x 80″ quilt top. And we did lots of chatting while we worked.

Such a sense of accomplishment!

And tomorrow it’s off to the quilter! Can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s all done.

One down 2 to go!

Senior Year – Nesting

I think there is a weird phenomenon going on at my house. Things are getting done.  Yea, I know, that shouldn’t be odd. But it is. Remember I need a closer.

Things have changed. Maybe it’s only temporary, but I’ll take it. The house clean and projects are getting finished! I feel a sense of having “my house in order,” but not in the I’m ready to die way. In the its ok if you invite a study group over after school and don’t give me a heads up way. It’s been happening pretty much since the beginning of the year. It wasn’t making sense, but I just put it together.

It’s like I’m nesting! You know, before you have a baby? When you have this strange energy and focus to get things done? That’s how I feel. I have a strange energy and focus and am rocking through my Before Graduation list! It’s like graduation nesting. God is mentally preparing me for the next phase.

Middle and Youngest Sons are also helping me to prepare. How you ask? We live in a 3 bedroom house and those two share a bedroom. {They aren’t the only ones. Hubby and I share a room too:)! He he} They are just two short years apart in age and both teenagers. That should explain a lot. They are doing me the favor of bickering non-stop, constantly picking at each other and pushing the other’s buttons. And they are both very good at it. It’s like they have been preparing for this moment for 14 years. Remembering every little thing that makes the other one crazy and waiting for the exact moment when doing that one little thing will push the other over the edge.

I can’t take it anymore!

And the solution? Simple. They need to not share a bedroom anymore.

How do we do that? Again, simple. Oldest Son has to move out.

It’s that easy. Then they can each have their own room. And I can have a little more peace and quiet. I’m ready for that peace and quite.

Maybe God is working through Middle and Youngest Sons! U2 does say He moves in mysterious ways…

Catching My Breath

That’s what the last few days have been about. This past week was crazy! I know, I say that all the time. It’s my life. Crazy. I think maybe I wouldn’t know what to do if I wasn’t going in 4 different directions at any given moment. I guess you adjust to whatever your life gives you. And this week it gave me some serious speed!

A couple weeks ago I received a text from Oldest Son just as I was ready to head into a meeting at work.

“I’ve got something else for you to stress about.”

That kid knows me so well! It takes a few texts before I get enough details to make any sense. Turns out he was nominated for WPA Big Man on Campus Court. {WPA, or Woman Pays All, is what we called Sadie Hawkins back in the day. It’s a little more formal that when I was in school. } He was completely shocked by the nomination. And so was I.

This week there were lots of festivities leading up to the dance Saturday night. Wednesday night was rehearsal, Friday morning breakfast for the candidates and WPA Assembly, Friday night basketball game and crowning of the WPA Queen, Saturday night dance and crowning of the Big Man on Campus.

Rehearsal was quick and easy.

We hosted breakfast for the candidates for BMOC at our house at 7 Friday morning. It was fun to see all the guys dressed up and spiffy. I’m pleased to report no ties were spilled on in the eating of the breakfast!

4 of the 12 boys have been in Boy Scouts together since they were in 1st or 2nd grade. And they have all four earned their Eagle Scout Award! Pretty cool group of kids. 

They headed off to school by 8 and most of the parents hung around and chatted before heading to the assembly.

At the assembly all the candidates were introduced. Oldest Son was the first to be announced and he was nervous! He pulled it off without  glitch – no tripping involved:). But this is when it hit me. And the tears started flowing. Hearing them announce his name and what he has been a part of at the high school, just hit me. That is my baby boy! And he is a man now.

The seniors in the marching band played and danced to Party Rock Anthem. It was awesome!

The crowning of the Big Man on Campus went smoothly Saturday night. I got to escort Oldest Son out during the dance. And neither of us tripped:). It was such a fun night. I am so proud of the man that Oldest Son has become.

Middle Son went to the dance as well. He had a good time too.

We drug Youngest Son along for the crowning.

And we spent the rest of the weekend recovering from all the fun.

Project Graduation Preparation – Senior Year

Well, it finally happened. I knew it would. Frankly I couldn’t figure out why it hadn’t already. I had a bit of a panic attack this week. I was looking at the calendar for spring and planning some weekend activities trying to be realistic about what I could do. Then I started to count and realized how little time there is between now and graduation.

Less than 4 months!

Mind you I’m not freaking out about him graduating {yet!}. I’m freaking out about all the things we were going to do around the house that we haven’t even started. Or – if you know me- we’ve started but not finished. The good news {for me} is this happened during a week when Hubby was home on vacation! I gave him a short list. Short as in less than 100 items long:).

We hit the ground running. Crown moulding in the family room, living room, dining room and kitchen. Strip wallpaper and paint in the dining room and kitchen. Replace the handle on the door to the garage. Fix the cable on the overhead garage door. And on, and on.

Hubby and Oldest Son started on the crown moulding. That stuff could destroy a marriage! Do you have any idea how much geometry is involved in putting up crown moulding? I may have mentioned, math is not my subject. Everything is at angles! It’s yucky! I walked away from that project. I’d like to say I’m practicing letting go of control. Really, I just don’t understand! Oldest Son is in heaven on this one. He has figured out the degree of every angle he’s cutting. It’s pretty cute actually. Love that kid. Hubby is dusting off his geometry skills too. It’s been a few years:).

I spent the weekend painting. I LOVE to paint. Not being sarcastic at all. It’s therapy. There is nothing like transforming a room with a can of paint. I have a brush I love – don’t make me paint without it.

And no one else is allowed to use it. They mess up the bristles and don’t clean it out well enough. Then I have crusty paint in it. Not cool!

And I picked up this super cool paint cup. Just the right size for when I’m cutting in.

And it has a cool magnet on the side to hook my paint brush on.

So cool! The only thing missing is a place to hang my rag for wiping up messes.

I love cutting in around the trim, with my awesome brush. I don’t tape anything. That makes me crazy. I hate spending hours prepping to do the job that takes me no time at all. I painted the whole kitchen in 90 minutes. No taping involved! How fun is that ! It’s therapy – only way cheaper!

Stripping the wallpaper in the dining room did not go quite as quickly. Fortunately this is paper we put up ourselves so we sized it properly. It’s still a pain to take off. Thanks goodness it was only up to the chair rail. It took most of Saturday to get it off. Then we painted like crazy people. But I am excited to say….it’s done! 

We just put on the last of the switch plates and outlet covers. Done. And I LOVE the color!

Can you tell I took this pic when the paint was still wet? So anxious! The paint is Valspar – from Lowe’s. We used their paint and primer in one and loved it! We were able to get by with just two coats. The color is Brick Facade. Kind of orange, with touch of red. Love it! And so happy to have it done. Check one thing off of the long, long list.

Just a little more crown moulding, shoe moulding and hanging some things on the newly painted walls and the inside could be done!

And then there is the back yard. It’s a huge eye sore! I wish Backyard Crashers or someone else from TLC or HGTV would come make it lovely. It really needs help. As soon as we finish inside we’ll tackle the nightmare that is our backyard.

When I am a Middle-Aged Woman I Shall Wear Purple!

And say things like, “EMAW”.

Actually, I have no idea how to say that. I’ve only seen it written. Apparently it means Every Man A Wildcat.

Which is what Oldest Son has decided he would like to be.

That’s right! It’s decided. He will be going to Kansas State University! I think it’s a great decision. I would have loved to have him go to my alma mater, but if he won’t be a Cyclone a Wildcat is a great choice:)! And it’s a great financial choice too since ISU doesn’t offer much money to legacy students- boo! {As a side note: Iowa may want to think about this as a way to attract talent to their state. If a student’s parents went there, clearly the student has some connection. It’s like a warm lead. But they only offer $1500 per year. That’s a bummer when out-of-state tuition is $10,000+ more than K-State. Rant over.}

I think K-State will be a great fit for Oldest Son and I’m sure he will be very happy there. And I like purple! What more could a Mom want?

So I’m studying up to be a good Wildcat Mom.

I’ve already tried Purple Pride ice cream at Call Hall and loved it. I don’t think I know the Wabash Cannonball, gonna have to work on that one. I know the mascot is Willy, but I don’t know why – maybe it’s just about the rhyme. I don’t really get why no one has made the “U” to finish “KSU” on the hill. And it sounds like Open House is a mini version of VEISHEA.

Maybe I need to pick up one of these.

Or a spiffy hat.

Here is your chance all you K-State fans. What else do I need to know to be a Wildcat Mom?

A Test of Potential for Success

We are deep in the throes of college applications at our house. Things are getting intense; there’s so much to consider. And so many applications to look at, both for the schools and scholarships. We are narrowing things down while keeping his options open. How’s that for non-committal? I think he might be ready to say for sure where he’s going. I’m not. And I have no idea why not.

In this process we’ve learned a lot about college admission exams. Namely the ACT. Oldest son is taking the ACT for the 4th time as I write. We all hope this is the last time. Of course he is trying to reach that magic score that means a significant renewable scholarship. No pressure, Son. It’s just thousands of dollars riding on this test. See, he has met all the other requirements; class rank, GPA, rigorous course of study. Just the ACT score remains. They say it is a good judge of how successful a student will be in college.

I disagree.

On a couple levels.

I think its a reflection of natural ability or aptitude, years of rigorous courses, test-taking skills and a parents ability to pay for special tutoring. The reality is, if you have the money for the tutor, you can most likely raise your score. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing – I do believe in capitalism after all. But to say it is an indicator of whether you will be successful in college? I don’t know. More a reflection of the perseverance to keep taking the test until you get the score you want/need. More a reflection of the expectations put on you by your family – you have to get a better score. More a reflection of your parents’ ability to pay for additional help. I suppose all those could be considered contributors to a successful college career. I just think of the kids who weren’t told to take the test many times, who didn’t know where to get practice tests. Who’s parents don’t have the money to enroll them in an ACT prep class. Are they destined to fail?

I believe there are much more significant factors in whether a student will be successful in college. Things like, can they balance a checkbook? Have they had to live within a budget, keeping track of expenses and income, saying no to fun activities when they aren’t in the budget? Have they lived in close quarters with others? When you move into a 12 x 14 ft room with a total stranger, those quirky little things become really big things. The potential for conflict is great and if they’ve never had to negotiate, compromise or give-and-take they are at a huge disadvantage. Have they had to budget their own time, manage their own meals and keep their own schedule? The dining hall won’t make them a sandwich when you get home from a late study session. And a professor isn’t really concerned with the fact that you had to work last night. College requires students to be self-sufficient. Where’s the assessment for that? Who is asking the student if they know what they are getting themselves into and if they have the determination to go the distance to get their degree? I think that’s what will determine their success.

But, it doesn’t really matter what I think now does it? I’m pretty sure the colleges aren’t going to revamp their system because I don’t like it.

And from the look on Oldest Son’s face when he got home from today’s attempt, there are more ACTs in his future.