First Day of School - 2013

It went great!

In front of school -- do not know where she get's that look from :)

Staged - she wasn't really sad.

She picked out her own clothes - I don't try and dress her like a granny doll on purpose.

Ready to Go!

Doom & Gloom

It's the first of May, and I am so mad.  We are predicted to get an inch of snow tomorrow.  Are you kidding me?  Currently, the windows are open - the breeze is nice, and it's absolutely wonderful outside.  Mother Nature must be having a bad week in order to jack with us this much.  So - I'll post pictures of our last snow day....in February. I'll embrace the cold (I HATE THE COLD)

Snow Angels

At least her nose was warm

Taylor oddly loves the snow.  Could be out for hours.  

Working on the snow fort wall

Andy even got in on the action

Connor's snow girl

Taylor and her super skinny Snow man.

We are all freezing.  My face was stuck that way for days.

Cookie Masters

Decorating cookies with Grandma....

Spirit of Giving

The girls' school had a gift donation day where they brought toys in from home and wrapped them up to give to a local shelter.  Here are my monkeys wrapping whatever toy it was Connor decided to bring in.

Christmas Tradition Creating

I really wanted to create a Griswald-like family memory this year by getting a REAL tree at a Christmas Tree FARM.  It was with much deliberation and debate, but I finally won.  Saying I would accept this trip and a tree as my birthday present also helped my case.

So we loaded up the truck, and traveled only about 10 miles to a local Christmas tree farm.  I have very happy memories of cutting down a Christmas tree with my parents one year at Delp Christmas Tree Farm in St. John.  I must have been about 5 or 6, but I remember it being fun.  I should ask Mom and Dad for their memories of that trip and see if they agree.

While I did get my memories....it was definitely different. First of all, we only had on jackets because it was about 65 and humid.  We hopped on a a hay-rack ride to be pulled out to the "pickin' trees".  It was a whole 30 steps away from where we got on the ride.  Then we looked through a small field of trees, and basically tagged one.  We didn't do the cutting, which Andy was very happy about (me disappointed,  but let's face it - I wouldn't have been the one doing the work so I should be realistic ). We just looked and pointed....got back on the hay-rack ride and rode another 30 feet while they took care and wrapped our tree.

We went inside the gift shop where there was free hot cider...which the girls thought was "too spicy" so I ended up drinking 2 glasses myself. (Just Dixie cups, not a challenge)  Paid for our tree and....WOW.  I could have had a really nice couple of work outfits or dinners out or a maid for the price of that tree.  I mean, the tree is nice and all, but come on! The whole event took less than 40 minutes and it's going to the burn pile in January!  I was especially regretful when we went to Home Depot and they had 8 footers for $30.  I think next year we will try to make some memories a different way.  Ah well....some pictures (some taken by Connor)

On the hay-rack ride

The Choices

Taylor checking out the merchandise

Connor just wanted to run around in the field

That's our tree!

Connor took this one....I look half asleep. Ah well.

A Little About School

(Oops - apparently forgot to post this when I wrote it.  This is from last Tuesday - November 20!)

Most everyone who knows us recalls our daycare struggles in the past. Most specifically, the previous in-home daycare that we attended before going to our current center.  I cannot express how happy I am that we are at this center.  I realize it may not always be perfect and that there will always be things that I would do different - but I feel that the girls are safe, stimulated and truly loved at our daycare.  Plus, we've made some great connections for babysitters, friends for the girls and our family while there.  And it's about 10,000 times more clean than the in-home place was.

One of the things the Pre-K classes are doing is called ' SuperBug of the Month'.  In Taylor's class, each kid gets a 'star' for doing something that is kind, polite, a good choice, etc.  The kid at the end of the month with the most stars is the 'SuperBug of the Month'.  So - guess who won October and is November's SuperBug?!  

Also - today was the annual Thanksgiving lunch at school.  I tried calling it Turkey for Tots but no one else seemed to like it. Harumph.  Since I'm on parent committee, I volunteered to help out at this event as well.  Even though I had to pick meat off of two turkey's with gloved hands, it was still better than my day job.  And then I got to eat with my girls and their friends.  

Connor's classroom teacher is excellent.  She always has the kids create pilgrim or Indian hats....Taylor did the same when she was in her class two years ago.  This year, there were a whole lotta Indian's!  It was a successful lunch, with a huge mess afterwards.  Maybe I'm glad that this is not my day job ;)

Really late & Obligatory Halloween Post

Taylor proclaimed Halloween is her second favorite holiday.  Of course, Christmas was number one.  This year we did something entirely new, and we had so much fun.  Friends of ours had a family Halloween party at their house in town.  The kids ate Mummy-Dogs and Witches Fingers (carrots with an almond on the end), and they had spooky jello for dessert. Adults all brought appetizers and the hosts made homemade Chicken Noodles and Mashed Potatoes. (Yes, that meal deserves capitalization)  After dinner, we took the kids around their great neighborhood to trick-or-treat and a couple of adults (the host dad, Andy, and one other mom I didn't know) stayed in the driveway, enjoying grown-up beverages and passing out candy.

At home before the trick-or-treating: Owl, Dorothy...and Penny!

In action. T was pretty mad I forgot their pumpkin shaped treat bags, but she got over it once they started piling in the candy.  Reusable grocery bags for the win!

The whole crew.  A gator, an owl, 2 Dorothy's, a princess, monkey, Super Girl, Jesse, Woody, and Harry Potter.  Whew!