Schoooool's Out for Summer! Schoooool's out for EVER!

Forever?

Forever ever?

(Name those songs... go!)

And, yes.  I think so.  We gave it a year.  A whole year of seemingly endless hours in the car line, inane kindergarten homework, head-butting with administration, and constant requests for more money! more supplies! more resources!  To say nothing of the amount of junk food being consumed in the classroom.  I mean, I'm all for a class party or two, but celebrating every single birthday and every conceivable "holiday" with a sugar-laden festival is excessive to me.  

Not to say there weren't good points in the year.  There were!  He loved his teacher.  He made great friends.  I made a great friend.  I am not anti-school.  Seriously, I'm not.  I just don't think it's working out for us.  I'm glad Casey went for the year.  It makes me feel better and more secure in our decision to try homeschooling.  

And we're still not *fully* committing at this point.  The plan is to use a year-round schedule, so we're going to work through the summer and if come August we're all pulling our hair out and looking for any excuse to get away from one another?  Then I will enroll the boys.  If things are going well, then we'll continue on our way. 

I hope it works out.  But if it doesn't, it doesn't. 

I'm pretty sure I'll still be glad we at least gave it a try.

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Are you just tuning into my homeschool versus public school angst?  I can assure you, it's not new.  And definitely not coming to an end anytime soon.  Catch up here if you'd like: 

The One in Which I Torture My Oldest Child.

The One in Which I Torture Myself.

The First Day of School.  But Not the Second.

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Cutter Giveaway!

As promised!  You have the opportunity to win your very own Cutter anti-bloodsucking prize pack! The package is valued at $55 and includes the following great items:

• Cutter Skinsations Insect Repellent Pump Spray, 6 oz.
• Cutter Dry Insect Repellent Aerosol, 4 oz.
• Cutter Backwoods Insect Repellent Aerosol, 4 oz.
• Cutter Backyard Bug Control Spray Concentrate, 32 fl. oz.
• Cutter Backyard Bug Control Outdoor Fogger, 16 oz.
• Cutter CitroGuard™ Triple Wick Candle, 20 oz.
• Cutter CitroGuard™ Bucket Candle, 17 oz.
• Cutter CitroGuard™ Candle, 11 oz. red
• Cutter Scented Citronella Outdoor Candle, 11 oz. Vanilla & Lavender
• Cutter Natural Insect Repellent Pump Spray, 6 fl. oz.

 

 

Why do you want to win this package?

Because Cutter Brand is focused on making sure families are protected this summer – Mosquitos are more than just annoying; they can also spread diseases, such as West Nile, Dengue Fever and Lyme Disease!

 

The CDC cites PERSONAL REPELLENT USE as the single most effective way to reduce your risk.

• Spray repellent on exposed skin and clothing, spreading the product with your hand to improve protection (mosquitoes can detect an unprotected area the size of a dime!).

• Pay special attention to protection during prime mosquito-biting hours (usually dusk to dawn) or avoid being outdoors.

• Eliminate standing water, which attracts mosquitoes: get rid of containers that aren't being used, empty water from flower pots, change water in bird baths and maintain clean gutters.

• Make sure window and door screens are in good condition — install or repair where necessary.

"65 percent of American adults rate mosquito bites as the No. 1 factor that could most negatively affect their day, YET only two in five adults use insect repellents." 

Source: Opinion Research Corporation Study Commissioned by United Industries Corporation. More details.

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HOW TO WIN!

Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite outdoor activity is and you will be entered to win this awesome prize package from Cutter!  

>>>You must leave your email address in the comments so I can get in touch with you if you're the winner.<<< 

Mailing addresses in the continental US only, please.  Winner will be chosen by random number generator.  Contest is void where prohibited and ends 12am eastern time, June 4, 2012.  April's Little Family and all affiliates/owners/operators/writers/associates maintain no liability whatsoever for any alleged injury born of or related to this contest and by entering you agree to as much.

-=This is a sponsored post from Cutter. All opinions stated are my own=-

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Oh, Hi. We Live in the Backyard. Not Literally, But Practically Literally.

We recently celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary.  Since nearly the day we were married, the plan for our tenth has been to throw a huge party so we could relive the festivities of our original nuptials.  Life had other plans though, and graced us with the good fortune of another pregnancy.  With the joy of the pending peanut has also come extreme nausea, hip pain, exhaustion, crankiness, and a myriad of other discomforts that have made me less than interested in spending the time and effort to put together a grand shebang.

Not to worry, though, because over the course of our anniversary week we were blessed with the company of wonderful family and friends.  And while it was more intimate than intended, it was also exactly what we needed.  From science experiments in the driveway, to cannon balls in the pool, kickball in the backyard, mudslinging (the literal kind), and of course grilling, the time spent with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, and friends was priceless.  And, naturally all outside.

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We spend a really really lot of time outside.  Which is exactly what I was hoping would happen when we moved from our postage stamp sized yard to the new mega-digs.  What I didn't consider is that with exponential yard growth comes a serious increase in the mosquito population.  Uhg. 

Thankfully the folks at Cutter love me (and my super-hero dudes. okay, probably mostly my super-hero dudes) and care deeply about my their delicate skin, so they sent us a care package full of anti-bloodsucking-bug gear. Yay!

My favorite right now is the Cutter Natural Insect Repellant (because I'm a little bit chemical paranoid while pregnant) - which, by-the-by smells SO good.  Also, in the "I love smells" category is their Lavender and Vanilla Scented Citronella Candle.  I would seriously burn this in my house.  Except, thankfully(!), the little flying vampires have yet to find their way indoors.  

I'd love if you could stop by and say hello to the Cutter crew on Facebook! And make sure to stay tuned with me later in the week when you'll have the chance to win your very own Cutter prize pack.

Here's a fun fact from Cutter!

Q: Are some people more attractive to mosquitoes than others?

A: Yes! Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others for a variety of reasons, including differences in glandular secretions, skin odors and activity levels. Mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid and carbon dioxide, and larger people give off more of both, making them more attractive to mosquitoes. People with fair complexions are more attractive to mosquitoes than those with ruddy skin. Men tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes than women (with the exception of most pregnant women).

DISCLOSURE: This post was sponsored by Cutter and I was compensated for my time as well as provided products to try.  All opinions are my own.

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