Project Life Week 38

I was in a bit of a hurry and my photograph of my finished Project Life pages came out pretty crooked. Oh well! Thanks for looking! As usual, click on the photo to view the credits.


Kylie’s classroom got a gerbil as a new school pet. They named him “Mono Sori” (like Montessori). Kylie got to feed him some seeds and pet him.

Kylie has been collecting coins in her bank since she was two. Since her bank was pretty full and hard to lift, we convinced Kylie to roll her coins and take them to the bank. She brought home $35.



I picked up some new Studio Double D products during the quarterly sale, including Layer Works No 34 which I used for the “Love You” card. The journaling reads “I love it when you sit in my lap to read.”

To celebrate Jewish New Year, Kylie’s class ate the traditional apples and honey and shared a wish. Kylie’s wish was “to have lots of friends.”

The Athleta card reads “For years I’ve looked through their catalogs. I’m so pleased to finally wear their clothes.”

Kylie likes to drink cinnamon spice herbal tea.

Her sight word list: look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said.

I included a “yesterday and today” shot showing Kylie’s new smile with a tooth missing.

On Thursday, Kylie’s teacher read a book with interesting “If’s”. Afterwards, Kylie wrote in her school journal, “What if dolphins could climb trees?” Kylie was thoughtful for the rest of the day and I could tell she was pondering something. Right before we said goodnight Kylie said, “I have another ‘What if”. What if our hearts, the ones inside our bodies, could talk? Then we wouldn’t need words.” My darling Kylie, you truly are a beautiful miracle.


So that's it for another week. Thanks for looking! Click on the photos to view the credits. If you want to see other Project Life Projects, see

Ali Edwards blog

Big Picture Classes Gallery

Project Life Week 37

So much cool stuff this week!


Kylie brought home a Children’s Cook Book from her school library trip on Monday. She immediately wanted to make their blueberry pancake recipe and fortunately I had all the ingredients. I’m teaching Kylie how to read recipes and understand the different cups and teaspoons and how to level her measuring cups. She’s getting better at cracking eggs. And with her hands on mine, we flipped the pancakes cooking on the stove. The pancakes came out pretty well and were a good afternoon snack. On Wednesday, she wanted to make falafel of all things! I had never eaten falafel much less made it, but together she and I figured it out. Karen, Kylie and I each ate two of the small cakes. Kylie did decide to tell me that “Mommy, ours don’t look like the ones in the cookbook. ” I explained that it was because I am a simple cook and not a professional chef. On Thursday, Kylie got to cut, fold and twirl the dough for the garlic breadsticks we had with spaghetti. Kylie loves being in the kitchen with me and I look forward to many more years of cooking adventures with her.

Cooking with Kylie was such a big part of this week. I thought about making a separate 12x12 digital scrapbook page of our cooking pictures. But then I decided to play with the PL layout. I had a lot of playing with the "kitschy kitchen" scrapbook kit I found.

On Tuesday, Kylie came home with one of her journal entries that stated, “I went to the beach after supper at sunset” and drew a picture of she and I smiling together. Well, that worked kiddo! To the beach we go! I included her sweet picture, stored in a sheet protector, in this week's pages.



I took a ton of pictures at the beach. I included two of them in the PL pages and put 12 more (you can see them here) in simple photo pages for our album.



It's hard to see on the Thursday picture, but Kylie is wiggling her incredibly loose and wobbly tooth. On Saturday night, I pulled Kylie's first tooth. Such a momentous event!

On the Project Life page, I included a group picture of us grinning in the mirror together after the tooth was pulled, one of the tags from the tooth fairy kit, a picture of her showing her new gap, and the note the tooth fairy left for Kylie (along with $2.50). It's a bit hard to see but the fairy was stamped with gold ink onto cardstock paper and there are gold sticker stars attached. Here's a closer look:



I enlarged this snapshot to fit onto a 6x12 photo:


And on the back, I glued her first official tooth fairy record which I bought here.
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It's a beautifully embossed keepsake card.

I also included in a sheet protector, this lovely thank you note to the Tooth Fairy. It states, "Thank You. I love my teeth and you."



One last note: If you look at Kylie's beach drawing and her tooth fairy drawing, you'll see that she draws herself with curly blonde hair. Momma Karen has curly brown hair. Me...I have what looks like a brown piece of cardboard for hair. Hmmmm...maybe the kiddo is trying to give me a hint about my hair.


So that's it for another week. Thanks for looking! Click on the photos to view the credits. If you want to see other Project Life Projects, see

Ali Edwards blog

Big Picture Classes Gallery

Ocean pictures

It's still steamy hot in Florida. Last Tuesday, Kylie brought home from school this journal entry that read "I went to the beach after supper at sunset" and then begged for us to take her to the ocean. That worked kiddo! Off to the ocean we go! The water was still warm but the waves were big and there was quite a rip so we didn't go too deep. Kylie only waded knee deep but I stayed right by her side because the pull was incredible. I love photographing the kiddo at the beach.

























I'm so proud of Kylie's behavior with dogs. We just have two cats so neighborhood dogs make her squeal with delight. She always asks the owner if she may pet their dog and then she offers her hand to their nose before she pets. Ocean people are so cool; they always let the children pet their dogs. I don't think anyone has ever turned us down.

Project Life Week 36

Well, I got food poisoning from evil lettuce wraps on Saturday night. By Sunday afternoon I felt human again but only wanted to sit in front of the tv or the computer. So, I worked on my Project Life pages and ate only crackers and soup. Fortunately, I'm feeling much better tonight. As usual, click on the photo to view the credits.



I just love that bottom left photo that I downloaded from the school's webiste. Kylie gets to spend some of her kindergarten time in the school’s garden. This week, Kylie got to plant some spinach and squash seeds. Her teacher drew a line on her finger to show her how deeply to plant the seeds. Ms. Elizabeth took this picture of Ms. Kirby and some of the kids. I love how Kylie is proudly showing her marked finger. I’m so pleased that gardening is part of Kylie’s school curriculum.

The bottom right photo shows where I created a Shelfari account for Kylie so that I can track the books she reads.



Kylie has started climbing the small trees in our backyard. Our girl has always been such a tree lover.

I love this birdhouse Karen and Kylie made together. Every side is painted a different color. It’s hanging proudly on the tree with the feeder.

Reading aloud to Kylie: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and Judy Moody, Book 1 by Megan McDonald.

People are constantly giving Kylie things. We were eating at Chipolte and this woman gave Kylie these fun glasses.

I took a few photos of Kylie in her uniform for PE Wednesdays.

I’ve registered for the Disney Marathon January 13, 2013. I I love the new medal they’ve revealed for the 20th anniversary of the marathon.

That's it for another week. Thanks for looking! Click on the photos to view the credits. If you want to see other Project Life Projects, see

Ali Edwards blog

Big Picture Classes Gallery

Project Life Week 35

I'm trying to figure out my time management around Kylie's school schedule. But I'm pleased that I finished Week 35 of Project Life. As usual, click on the photo to view the credits.



Kylie was excited to go to her school library for the first time. She’ll get to go to the library once a week. She checked out this book and came home and read it to me.

I don’t want to forget: Kylie has a loose tooth. It’s a bottom center tooth and it first got loose on her first day of school.

Kylie talked us into getting this “First Dictionary for K-2” by saying “I really need this for my education!”

We added Kylie to my membership at Brooks so that she and I can be in the indoor pool together on Sundays. I am going to be her swim instructor throughout the Fall and Winter. I’m looking forward to being in the pool with Kylie and sharing our love of swimming together.

Kylie learned how to weave on the loom this week. I’ve told everyone to expect potholders for the holidays.



Lily was able to join Kylie at the playground for my Sunday run. Great to hear them laugh together.

Karen and Kylie played basketball together at O2Bkids place in Fleming Island.

Guess What: We are encouraging Kylie to not start every single sentence with those two words.

Since my diagnosis in May of plantar fasciitis, my footware has drastically changed. I used to hang around the house in sock feet and now I wear arch-supporting slippers. I wear supportive flip flops when I go to the pool and beach. I wear inserts in my running shoes and street shoes. Basically, my arches are always held up and never touch the ground. I diligently stretch my hamstrings after every activity and stretch my calves on the calf stretcher at least 4 times a day. Plus I sleep with a foot brace on my right foot every night. Plantar fasciitis will probably never go away but I’m grateful I’ve found a way to live with it and stay active.

My training for August:
16 runs for 80.49 miles
4 bike rides for 55.6 miles
8 swims for 14,400 yards (8.18 miles)
4 strength training sessions and 1 yoga session

I seem fated to knit all of my Christmas presents twice. After knitting 14 rows of 452 stitches of my Dad’s “Henry” scarf, I had to rip it all back and start again. Fortunately I’m intrigued enough with the pattern and am enjoying the soft texture of the yarn to allow for this kind of setback.

That's it for another week. Thanks for looking! Click on the photos to view the credits. If you want to see other Project Life Projects, see

Ali Edwards blog

Big Picture Classes Gallery