Class of 2027 Graduation Tassel

I tried to find a graduation tassel for the class of 2027, but I could not find anything. So, I decided to make my own.

I started by wrapping black yarn around a piece of cardstock that I cut about 5 inches long by 2 inches wide. I pulled the yarn off of the cardboard and tied a separate piece if yarn in a knot around the top, creating a little loop. Then I cut the bottom part of the circle so I had the stringy, tassel look.

I bought some number stickers from Joann Fabric to add the 2027 touch. I stuck the stickers to a piece of black cardstock. Then I cut that out and hot glued it to the yarn.

Kindergarten Graduation Photo Board

David is finishing up his first year of school. I decided to make some things to help us celebrate this first step in his educational career. 

I just cut a rectangle out of a tri-fold presentation board. I put decorative tape around the cut-out. Then I used sticky-back foam to decorate the rest of the board. Because it is just the sticky foam, I can change out the years and reuse the board for Rachel when it is her turn. 

Everyday Hero

One year ago today, the world lost the perfect example of an Everyday Hero. While trying to figure out a way to honor and remember my Grandpa, I decided to pledge this week after Memorial Day as a time to recognize all of those "Everyday Heroes" in my life. We don't always take the time to recognize those people that go above and beyond every day to make this world a better place. Whether it is helping a neighbor, saying encouraging words, volunteering, being a positive role model, taking the time to help without expecting anything in return...the list goes on and on. So, I am going to start by remembering a man that fit all of these things and so many more. I encourage you to take a moment to recognize those people that strive to make this world a better place by being your Everyday Hero...

Because I always want my children to know the impact this man had on the world, I am sharing the eulogy I wrote for his funeral...

It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about the legacy Grandpa left on this world. He was a man that touched so many lives. His smile, love, and compassion will never be forgotten. He lived his life to the fullest and will be missed terribly by us all.

There are so many memories I have of my grandpa, as I am sure each and every one of you sitting before me has as well. Anyone that knew my Grandpa couldn’t help but feel connected to him. That is probably the reason all of my friends, my cousins’ friends, and every other kid that saw him at the school or the ball field called him Grandpa Ross. The twinkle in his eye, compassionate smile, and words of encouragement made everyone feel special.

And it wasn’t just kids that looked to him for advice and guidance.  After reminiscing last night, I learned that many looked to my Grandpa when times were tough. There was something about his calm nature and words that could leave you with the feeling that you could get through anything.  

Grandpa was always making sure everyone else was taken care of. He never thought of himself first.  This was especially true in all the work he did for his community. His job as a fireman and fire chief was not something he took lightly. I remember being so proud to say that my grandpa was the fire chief.  As a child, there were countless occasions that grandpa and my dad would be sitting in our living room and the pager would go off. To watch them gave me butterflies in my stomach.  They never said a word, just jumped up, raced to put their shoes on, and ran out the door. They were almost always the first ones to check in at the hall. I was so proud of the job they were doing and the honor they took to do everything they could to help. 

Grandpa also took care of his community with his work for the DPW.  If anyone needed a well dug, they called on my grandpa. There was something remarkable about the way he could tell just where to dig to find water.  And we all remember the countless weekends he gave up to go to the well house to make sure everything was working so the people of the town didn’t have a disruption in their water service. Squeakers and Grandpa would come driving down the road in his silver truck and we all knew where they were going and what they were doing. He even took us kids with him sometimes for the ride.  Speaking of going for rides with Grandpa, I will always remember the way he could get us going by revving up his engine and getting to 55 as fast as possible.  But. On a more serious note,  I remember hearing the story of Grandpa saving a man’s life because he took the time to notice that something wasn’t quite right with the way the man was walking. And sure enough, Grandpa’s quick actions did save that man that day.

Not only did Grandpa take care of his community, but he also made sure his family came first. I don’t recall Grandpa and Grandma missing any of our ball games, events, or birthdays. They were a presence we could all count on. I will forever be grateful for them dropping everything they had going on to take me to AAU tournaments for entire weekends. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to play.  And it wasn’t uncommon to see their big white and teal van packed to the brim taking kids to events. And Nick and I will never forget the countless times he came to our rescue to fix one of the church windows that got in the way of our basketballs and baseballs.

Grandpa always carried a 50 cent piece around with him just in case someone lost a tooth or even a fingernail. The story  was that he always saw the tooth fairy when he was down at the well house and she would give them to him. And it is the very reason that I always got 50 cent pieces from the tooth fairy and why those same 50 cent pieces show up when the tooth fairy visits my house today.

I am sure my cousins and siblings can all remember the famous cookie jar Grandpa had. I remember being at Grandpa and Grandma’s and waiting patiently for Grandpa to come home during his lunch break or after work. He would sit down and eat his chicken noodle soup, bologna sandwiches, ice tea, and coffee  And we would wait until he was done and he would reach up in the pantry and get us all Fig Newton cookies. As time went on and the great-grandchildren came, that cookie jar turned into a Tootsie Roll jar. Now both generations have a special treat to remember grandpa by.

We all saw the love he shared with Grandma too. They were in sync with one another—knew what the other was thinking, could complete each other’s thoughts, and together shared a love that most others can only dream about having. We all learned what love is through watching them.

The thing that I miss the most is seeing Grandpa on a daily basis. Seeing him in his blue uniform, driving the lawn mower, working on the roads, mowing the church lawn. And everyday Grandpa would stop by our house to deliver the newspaper.  And we would all sit around on the bar stools, mom would give him whatever dessert she had baked that day, and we would just talk.  The same things happened every Sunday before Grandpa and Grandma would go to church. I will also miss stopping by their house and watching Wheel of Fortune, Mayberry, Grandpa’s Toys, or Andy Griffith with him. And any day that Michigan State football was on, you better believe we all watched that with him, whether it was at the actual game or sitting in one of our living rooms.  It is those little moments that really mean the most to me.  He was such a big part of my daily life.

You see, my grandpa wasn’t just my grandpa. He was so much more. He played the same role in my life that his son is now playing in my kids’ lives. The bond that is shared can never be broken. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory no one can steal. Grandpa, your spirit lives on in all of us through the amazing life you chose to live and the relationships you made. All of our lives are better because you were a part of it. The example you set and the love you shared made all of us the people we are today. Your smile, your carefree nature, and selfless attitude is something that will never be forgotten.  Thank you for being you and for taking the time to make me, me.  

Memorial Day Cake

My kids are definitely visual learners. So, to help them understand the concept of Memorial Day, I came up with these cakes. I just baked a 10x12 inch cake and cut it into two triangles. I covered each cake with homemade fondant and cut out the shapes for the cakes.

Memorial Day Flag Pancakes

To get our Memorial Day Weekend started, we came up with these flag pancakes.  I made my pancake batter: 1 1/3 cup flour, 1 1/4 milk, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp softened butter, and 1/4 tsp salt. 

I poured the batter in a hot pan (as close to a rectangle as I could). 

After the pancakes were cooked, I added, blueberries, strawberries, and Redi-whip. 

Frogs Made from Oreos

David has snack day tomorrow. We saw a picture of these on Pinterest, and he decided they would be perfect to take in for his friends.

I did five frogs at a time. I started by dipping the mini pretzel twists in melted green chocolate. I placed them on wax paper. Then I dipped an Oreo in the green chocolate. I placed that on top of two pretzels. Then I added candy eyes, some green sprinkling sugar, and a cut up red gummy lifesaver.

(I did 30 of these frogs with under two bags of green melting candy.)

Teacher Appreciation Apple Tree Cupcake Cake

For Teacher Appreciation Week, we decided to take in a treat to recognize all of the teachers at our school. 

This tree is made from three batches of cupcakes. I made the apples out of red fondant. I cut them with an apple cookie cutter. I used a grass tip to frost the tree part and the grass on the cupcakes at the bottom. 

I couldn't find a cake board large enough to fit this, so I covered a tri-fold poster display board. 

Teacher Appreciation Doorway Poster

For Teacher Appreciation Week, we wanted to do something different for David's amazing kindergarten teacher. My kids absolutely love to paint; we paint 2-3 times per week at a minimum. So, this project was something everyone loved doing together. 

I used white crafting paper that is sold by the roll at Hobby Lobby. We painted the background blue, added some green for grass, and then let it dry. While it was drying, we cut squares out of sticky back foam to eventually become the kites. We wrote the names of all of David's classmates on a "kite". When the poster was dry, we stuck the kites to the paper. While we attached the kite, I placed a piece of ribbon under the kite so that would stick to the poster as well. Then we added some stickers and a message to the poster. 

"May the 4th" Be With You Cupcakes

My boys love Star Wars, so we usually celebrate May 4th, "Star Wars Day". This year, we just made some cupcakes. I made Darth Vader out of melted black chocolate discs. After melting the chocolate, I spread it on a piece of wax paper. When the chocolate was dry, I added white frosting accents. The light sabers are made from extra fondant I had and some melted chocolate on the ends.