GotchaBaby

August 15, 2012August 20, 2012

First Day of School! First Day of School! {and a Hallmark Giveaway}

{Edited: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing!}

We did it. The kids made it through their first day of school on Monday with flying colors. Four hours of swimming on Sunday ensured an appropriate bed time, and things continued to move along easily after that.

Lunch boxes, homework, and after school snacks have all made a comeback like they never left. The emails are coming in from the school list serve, and the fall calendar is filling up with school obligations.

Here’s the thing- this year, I’m not kicking and screaming that summer is over. I’m enjoying falling back into the rhythm of my half-days at the office and few hours with the Fox alone before picking up MaM. I love that the kids are both in the exact same classrooms as last year, and that they are reunited with so many of their friends.

My friends at Hallmark are celebrating back to school season as well, and sent me some goodies to help during those days that aren’t all A+’s and gold stars. They have a whole line of products tagged “Kids Encouragement”, and it’s full of ways to show your kids how much you care.

Their LunchBox notes are making a repeat appearance this year, which thrills me because MaM LOVES them. I love putting them in her lunch box, and she loves getting them in her lunchbox.

They also sent an assortment of kid-friendly greeting cards (I have 14 nieces & nephews, so they will come in handy), some of which include *gasp* JUSTIN BEIBER!!!!!

New for this year is this adorable Bug ‘Em plush. This plush pal can be outfitted with treats a few different ways to show your kids how much you love ’em. Visit Hallmark.com/BugEm for all kinds of ideas on how to use this little guy. I haven’t quite decided when he’s going to make an appearance at our house, but I know he’ll be popular when he does.

{The Giveaway}

To celebrate back to school, Hallmark would like to send one lucky reader a back-to-school prize pack that includes greeting cards, lunchbox notes and a Bug ‘Em plush.

To enter, please leave me a comment telling me one thing you love about back-to-school time (or what you don’t love) and be sure you use your best email so I can reach you. For extra entries, feel free to do any of the following, and add an extra comment for thing you do.

1) Go like Family Fun in the City on Facebook and leave a comment telling me that you did.

2) Post a link to this giveaway on your facebook page and tell me that you did.

3) Tweet about this giveaway- something to the effect, “Celebrating Back-to-School with @HallmarkPR & @gotchababy, you can too! http://gotchababy.com/?p=2904”

This giveaway will be open through Monday, August 20th at about 9pm. The winner will have 24hrs to repsond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

August 12, 2012

An Ode to Summer 2012

This summer MaM has been obessed with the theme song from Phineas and Ferb. Perhaps you are familiar.

“There’s a hundred and four days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it. So the the annual problem of our generation is finding a good way to spend it…”

We didn’t build a rocket ship or find a mummy, but we did do some pretty great things.

It all started on the last day of school. We checked out Hot Wheels for Real at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and we really haven’t sat still since.

We had a full week of Sky VBS at the beginning of June. For the record, the CD is still playing in the car.

We got to play in Lucas Oil Stadium with friends, and we even made the JumboTron.

We enjoyed a picnic and Indians Game at Victory Field.

We road tripped to Atlanta to be with friends, and had a splendid time. We bought our National Parks Passport, and got our first stamp at the National Historic Site, the Birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the way home, we visited Rock City (and yes, I got a mini birdhouse).

Randomly, MaM and I had the opportunity to see Quidam by Cirque De Soliel when they rolled through town.

We watched the big Fourth of July Fireworks in downtown Indy with friends on the top of one of the taller buildings.

We’ve cooled off at Conner Prairie’s RIver Crossing on numerous occasions.

We managed to pick the perfect day for a picnic at 100 Acres (at the IMA).

We had a fun visti with cousins, and the Fox REALLY liked our visit to Sahm Aquatic Center with them.

This is the first summer that the kids actually earned all 600 points in the library reading program.

We celebrated MaM’s 7th birthday at the Waterpark at the Monon Center.

We did a $2 Tuesday at the Indiana State Fair, and I have to say, it was awesome.

Any time we weren’t out and about, you could find us at the pool down the street. Because let’s face it, this summer was HOT. This is the summer that the Fox found his sea legs and absolutely LOVED the pool.

Summer of 2012: The Summer We Did Stuff.

And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I have no idea how much my children will remember this summer, but I think I always will. THANK YOU, my girl and boy, for making this one of my greatest summers ever!

August 3, 2012August 3, 2012