Chalk Talk

"Why do you have so many chalkboards Mrs. Johnson?" asked Linnea's ten year old friend.

"Do I?"

"There's one in almost every room of your house!"

Funny, I guess there is.

Here's the biggest one. Mark was not a happy camper the day I found this, curbside. It was 1/2 a mile away, and I stalked it all day long to make sure it was still there. My two year olds weren't big enough at the time to hoist it up on top of the mini-van with me. Nor could I juggle a jogger and push the thing home. We stopped to pick it up around dinner time. We could hear the screams of the little girl inside shrieking, "They're taking my chalkboard!" I felt absolutely horrible...but took it anyway. There was a sign on it that said, "Free. Take Me!"

So we did.

There isn't always a coordinate grid on the board. Sofi wanted to learn how to make one. Fun thing to do on a sunny Saturday afternoon, huh? She's six, and fascinated with numbers and all things Math related. Frightening.

Grandma Izzy's little board is a permanent fixture in the dining room. We write what we're having for dinner. Last night was "Soup Sampler." Fancy phrase for, "We have nothing to eat but four kinds of leftover soup and the oven still smells from the plastic episode." The kids were so excited to see four pots stewing. We'll have to try that one again!

Mark wasn't thrilled to hang these back up behind the island in the kitchen. They're from Ikea, and the kids love them. They're great for a quick doodle before breakfast or lunch, or to practice spelling words on. I know my stool has writing on it. They're a little beat up....so I wrote the kids first and middle names around the edge with a Sharpie pen. "Carl Malcolm, Linnea Brooke, Sofia Lillian and Isabella CaiHong." It's odd. It's random. It's quirky, and I love it. No assigned seats, and all the names fit around.

Here's the pantry door that we fill with funny quotes. When we erase them I write them down in a little book. This is not one of my favorite quotes, but it's true.

This one hangs outside the kids' bathroom in the upstairs hallway. We wrote on it in the basement when we were kids. Sometimes I'll write down things they need to do...but most of the time it's filled with random drawings.

I think that's it...but I may find a few more when I walk around again. :)