Tuesday, September 9, 2014

More Back-to-School Cupcakes, One Fish and Three Limericks




Here are Jenna's back-to-school Sneaky Lunchbox Gifts:

The original plan was to make just four - one for each Monday of the first month of school. But once I'd gotten my fleece tub out and started to pick colors, it was hard to exercise restraint. They were so fast and so much fun to make! Also, I discovered that instead of handstitching the bases as I'd done with last year's versions, I could machine-sew the round bases on, then insert the plastic circles on the inside before shoving in the rolled fleece tops. Faster and more efficient mass-production always makes my day! Or - in this case - night, since that's when I had to make them in order to keep them a secret from Jenna.

Here are this month's flavors:
L to R
Top row: Strawberry, blueberry, lime
Middle row: Strawberry milkshake, whipped vanilla, caramel
Bottom row: Blood orange, cookies-and-cream, lavender

and rainbow,
because, in Jenna's book, that counts as both a color and flavor in its own right.

I have no idea how to divide 10 cupcakes among 4 Mondays. Oops.

This is the total collection, with the 2013 flavors in the top row.

Emily's back-to-school gift is this frogfish, which joins the other sea creatures she's been collecting since First Grade. The color is totally off in the photo because I was using a weird lens. Don't ask me. Sometimes my brain goes on vacation. And forgets to come back.

And you've already seen Kate's Frozen peg dolls here.

The girls had a very nice first week at school, but a couple of days were a little rough. It's hard transitioning from days of museums and swimming pools and baking with all our sisters (and Mom), to a brand new classroom with more new faces than familiar ones. And that's on top of learning all the new rules and routines of another school year. It was hard work for me when I was a full-grown-adult teacher, so I can only begin to imagine what it must be like for a six- or eight-year old. 

We all know that, in just a couple more weeks, they'll be so much more comfortable in school and they'll know almost everyone's names and be laughing with their new friends. Hurrah! For now, though, while everything is still raw and weird, I try to write funny notes (and sneak these handmade gifts) in their lunchboxes to let the girls know I'm thinking of and praying for them to have wonderful days. 

Speaking of which, here are three limericks that I dashed off over the weekend in case someone particularly needed a pick-me-up this week.




Anyone want to guess which book Emily was reading? Super obvious!

I hope all your kids are having a smooth and happy transition to this new school year!



5 comments:

  1. Wow! Those are the yummiest-looking cupcakes I've ever seen! How fun to find one (or two... and a half?!) in one's lunch box! Jenna must be thrilled!

    Your limericks were delightful, too. :)

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  2. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!.... Miam!.... trop trop jolis tes petits gâteaux!....
    Bravo!....

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  3. Hmm I guess I haven't read the book Emily is reading, but sounds like something Emma would enjoy!

    I love the cupcakes.

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    1. Mary Anne, it's The Heroes of Olympus series, probably book 1 or 2, by Rick Riordan. This is the sequel series to the first Percy Jackson set.

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  4. Love that the cupcakes look better than real ones :)

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