Christmas Fun

Our holiday season has been a busy one thus far! With tree decorating, crafts, a light tour and the ever so entertaining Elfie, we have been on the go!
The trees, as usual, frustrated me this year.  Prelit trees are NOT worth the hassle.  After the first tree had some issues, the 2nd tree didn’t stand a chance.  Mom and I cut all 1250 lights off our downstairs tree because over half of them weren’t working.  It was an easy decision to do because I really wanted colored lights on that tree, but in the end, it may have been easier to buy a new tree.  Oh well, lessons learned and I now have 2 beautiful trees up!
I have found a new love in my life called Pinterest.  It is a website that has all sorts of ideas, from crafts to recipes to dream houses.  I found the above craft and our beautiful handprint tree canvas is now proudly displayed over our fireplace.  I know this is something that I will enjoy pulling out year after year. 

We took a Christmas Light Tour via bus last Saturday night with Nana, Papa, Gaga, Meggy and the cousins.  Two hours on a super cool bus seeing some pretty amazing displays.  The kids loved how the colors of  the lights inside the bus changed as much as they loved seeing the Christmas lights!
And lastly, we have been entertained daily by our little Elfie’s antics.  What a crazy little elf he is!  Elfie has colored pictures at night, played Barbies, given Ribby lots of treats, hid in the Christmas tree, and he even at a piece of chocolate we left out for him.  He is a messy eater though, got chocolate all over his face!  One morning, while fixing breakfast, we discovered Elfie in the freezer.  We decided he missed the north pole and wanted to feel closer to home.  Elfie also zip lined through the family room too!  Who knows what this little elf is going to do in the next few days leading up to Christmas!

Some other highlights have included the girls spending the evening at Lucy’s school’s Polar Express Night.  They got to eat dinner, do games and crafts and watch a movie, all while Kevin and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home!  This week includes fun at school Christmas parties!
Lucy and Laney have decided that they don’t need to go see Santa Claus, because they have told Elfie what they want for Christmas and he can tell Santa.  As Laney put it, Santa can just drop the presents at the door! 

A few of Elfie's other antics included eating waffles and chocolate, and hanging out with Barbie!

Catch up

It seems like Thanksgiving came too soon and went way too fast. We enjoyed a quick to Lawrence to visit with grandparents and lots of cousins, and then enjoyed a short week of school followed by family time with Lisa and Bob (my mom's sister) and of course, lots of playtime with Claire and Landon.

The girls went bowling for the first time for friend Klara's birthday party and loved it. Lucy did great throwing the ball down, while Laney pushed it from the ramp. While I don't find bowling shoes particulary stylish, the little velcro ones were SO cute on their feet!

One tree is up and decorated; I have yet to find motivation to get the other one up. We have done one Christmas craft and our beloved Elfie has arrived. Elfie must have thought our kids were very good all year because he even showed up yesterday with a new wii game!!!

Our Christmas Hand Print Tree

Laney's preschool also sang at Breakfast with Santa this past Saturday. Poor baby was up late the night before and was getting a cold, but she still went and sang. She looked comatose standing up there with her friends, and yawned a lot, but it was so cute!

Proud to be an American

Tonight we were having dinner with Nana and Papa while watching a basketball game that was taking place on an aircraft carrier in honor of Veterans’ Day.   When the Nation Anthem began playing, Laney stood up from the table and then proceeded to tell the rest of us we needed to do the same.  She said, “This is the song we always have to stand up to.”   Guess she is learning a thing or two from all the ballgames!

Trick or Treat

         Laney as Barbie in the NutcrackerLucy striking a pose, also as Barbie in the Nutcracker      Alice, Storm Trooper, and. Barbies a.k.a. Claire, Landon, Lucy and Laney

Gracie  the Duck also trick or treated with us, but some how I didn’t end up with any pics.  She was the cutest duck ever, complete with the perfected waddle.

I think the girls had just as much fun handing out candy at Nana and Papa’s as they did collecting their candy.  All that walking wore them out and they were fast asleep that night.  The funniest part of the night was when Lucy decided she could not be done trick or treating until her pumpkin was full.  She decided to fill her pumpkin up with all of Papa’s candy!!!

Pumpkins!!!

 

Lucy with her Ariel pumpkin

 

Laney with her Smurf pumpkin

Thanks Papa for carving what the girls wanted!!

Pumpkin Patch

I think this is my favorite thing to do with the kids each year.  It’s outside, the weather is still nice, a variety of things to do, the girls LOVE it and the weather is still nice.   After having so much fun last year, we headed back to Walter’s Pumpkin Patch this year.  

Lots of photo opportunities.  Lucy even snapped one of Kevin and I!

First up was the corn maze.  The girls led the way and we were actually out of it pretty quick.  You could tell the corn was affected by the heat of the summer, we could see over the stalks easily.  Last year, the stalks were taller than me!

More fun was had on the giant jumping pillow, the underground slide and the swings!  The girls could have spent all day on the slides and jumping pillow. 

 

Finally, we rode the wagon out to the pumpkin fields.  Mildred, the dog, rode with us and Laney was in heaven! The girls loved roaming around the field looking at all the different shapes, sizes and colors of pumpkins!

Laney’s Learning

to write her name

Go Big Purple

Lucy participated in a cheer clinic put on by the Valley Center High School Cheerleaders a few weeks ago. She loved going to practices after school and coming home to practice. She especially loved that some of her best friends and her favorite cousin, Claire, were participating too!

When big game arrived at which they were to perform, bad weather arrived too! Before the game even started, it was delayed, and the looming rain led everyone into the gyms. I went to the gym with Lucy, and Kevin took Laney (and my cameras) to the truck. Finally, they decided to let the girls do their cheers and dance inside the gym. Although I have few pictures, I still constantly hear the cheers…

“…..we got spirit, hey let’s hear it, GO BIG PURPLE”

The First Lost Tooth

Every week of Kindergarten, Lucy would come home saying so-and-so lost a tooth, and she would be green with envy.   The first question she has had for the dentist the last 2 visits, “When am I going to lose a tooth?"

Considering she didn’t get her first tooth until almost a year old, I just assumed we would be waiting quite a while.   To everyone’s surprise, on Wednesday, Sept 14, she comes out of the bathroom with a quizzical look on her face and says, “I think my tooth is loose.”  And she was right.

So for the next week, we wiggled and wiggled and wiggled some more.   I made a mad dash to buy a tooth fairy bear, which is appropriately named “Lucy Toof.”  

Finally, when it got really loose, I told Lucy I could pull it.  And she let me!!!  And thank goodness she did because once it was out and she realized it was bleeding, she lost it and started to freak out a bit!  We got her calmed down and then started calling all the family to let them know she had lost a tooth!

The tooth fairy came that night and left her FIVE DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Daddy told her that must have been a special treat since it was her first tooth!

Fall Festival

  It’s that time of year again!   The streets get closed down and the carnival comes to town!  This year was so much fun as the kids are getting more independent and the fact that we spent the day with lots of cousins.  I only got a few pictures with my phone because although I did bring my real camera, I forgot to put the battery back in it!

We started the day with riding all the rides….the motorcycles, the cars, the flying things, the alligator coaster, the twirling bears and the big slide.   Lucy and Laney loved them all!!!  We met up with A.J., Auntie Sarah and Gracie in the morning and Gracie enjoyed watching the kids and even got in on the action with the barrel train ride!   After lunch at Pizza Hut, we headed back to the rides and games and met up with Gaga, Meggy, Claire and Landon for a few more hours (yes, hours)  of festival fun.  

The day was beautiful and after 6 hours playing we were all worn out! 

Respectful

Lucy came home from school Tuesday all excited about a green shirt she got to wear at school.  After a few conversations, I finally got the idea of what happened!  Her librarian, Mrs.. Mitchell, had filled out a character card with Lucy’s name on it for being respectful in the library.  She had her eyes forward, hands by her sides and was paying attention.  Cards get drawn at the beginning of the week and the kids’ pictures get put up on a bulletin board.  They also wear a special shirt and sit at a special table for lunch!  Lucy was so proud of  this achievement, as were her daddy and me!  These are  the little things that remind us that we are doing our jobs at home!

That same night, she was telling me about some math test they took that day.  “Mom, we had to put our offices up.”  I questioned her on what it was about and she told me everything and the answers.  I said, “Lucy, it sounds like you did very well.  Mommy is very proud of you for trying hard and doing your best.”  She replied by taking her index finger and tapping my nose and saying “I always do good Mommy!”

Funnies

Just a few funnies from the last week.

*Kevin asked Laney what she learned at preschool that morning; she replied with " the teacher didn't tell me I learned anything."

*I asked the girls to clean up their platoon in the basement and gave them to earn some marbles for their jars. Lucy jumped all over it and started picking up. Laney went and grabbed her blanket and said "I'm sleepy, I am going to take a nap while Lucy cleans."

*The girls having been earning (and losing) marbles for the last few weeks as a way to get them to do minor chores. When they fill up we are going to All-Star Sports to play games. Recently, I started taking marbles away each time the girls leave their rooms at bedtime. The other night Lucy walks out and says, "I know I am going to lose a marble, but I don't care because I will just earn more."

Preschool Rocks

The day that has been much anticipated by Laney finally arrived today.  She finally got to go to school.  Laney has been so excited about going to school since enrollment in the spring.  She actually has 2 schools.  Today she went to the Maize Early Childhood Center.  It is the preschool for at risk and special needs children in the school district I teach in.  The offer enrollment to staff member’s children to be peer models.  I student taught in this program 10  years ago, and if today is any indication, Laney will love it. 

All ready to go with her new backpack as Daddy walks her in.  Since the ECC is housed in the high school, she gets to keep her stuff in a locker!  She thought that was big time!   Her favorite part of the day was playing outside and going down the slide! 

Lucy was also excited about Laney’s day.  When Laney and I went to pick up Lucy from school, the first thing out of Lucy’s mouth was “Laney, how was your first day of preschool?”  How sweet is that?

First Grade

Today was the first day of 1st grade for Lucy today! She was so excited…enough so that she woke up on her own at 7:30 this morning!  We met her teacher, Mrs. Baalman, last night and she seemed very nice.  It is her first year teaching so I’m sure she has some great ideas!   After I helped her get all her stuff organized, she sat down at  her desk and said  “bye Mom.”  I walked out fighting back tears.   My little girl was going to be in school ALL DAY LONG.  When I picked her up after school, she was super excited.  She gets to have PE and Music EVERYDAY and the very best part???  TWO recesses!!!

Ready, Set....

DO WE REALLY HAVE TO GO????

The bags are hung in the laundry room with despair.

Supplies have been purchased with much thought and care.

Teachers and parents will be met tomorrow night.

A first grader and preschooler excited to begin

And a teacher waiting for inservice to end.

Night Owl

Laney is the official night owl of the family. Even when she is drop dead tired, she still fights and fights the sleep. The other night after a ball game, I could have sworn she was asleep. I chatted with Kevin on his way home for a bit, and then went into to peek at the girls. Lucy was out like a light, and Laney was in her room playing a DS. The conversation went like this:

Me: "Laney, what in the world are you doing with your DS?" (It was 12:20 AM)

Laney: "It's not my DS, it's Lucy's."

Me: "GO TO BED"

She had snuck out of her room, gotten into my baseball bag and grabbed a DS. Obviously she thought that she wouldn't get in trouble if she had Lucy's.

Tonight, she has been in bed for close to an hour. She is currently throwing what sounds like a wild party for her barbies. Usually I take all toys out of her room for this reason, but must have missed a few tonight. It is so hilarious to listen to that I'm just letting her play....right now they are going down a waterslide...

Check ups

This year’s checkups were in Lucy’s words, easy peasy lemon squeezy.   The worst part of it all was the waiting for the doc to come in!  I was prepared with their DS and crayons to color on the paper with!  This was the first year that Laney got a “big girl” appointment, and she was a little freaked about having to take her dress off and the blood pressure cuff.  She settled down just fine and everything was great.

And their stats:

Laney:  3 years old, 31 lbs 6 oz and 36 1/2 inches tall.  In a year she has gained 4 lbs and grown 2 1/2 inches.

Lucy:  6 years old, 39 lbs 6 oz, 43 inches tall.  In a year she has gained 2 lbs and grown 1 1/2 inches.  

Pajama Party

For Lucy’s birthday party, we decided to have a mock pajama party.  The girls all showed up in the pj’s, we made door-knob hangers, ate pizza, played freeze-dance, decorated pillowcases and watched a movie in the tent.  It was so much fun, and so easy for this simple mama!   Lucy

From the bottom left: Camryn, Maci, Mykah, Staten, Manhattan, Laney a nd Klara.  Lucy is in the middle.

Her bright pink cupcake cake featuring Barbie from a Fashion Fairytale and Sequins, the dog.

  My 6 year old!

6 years old

My firstborn, sweet baby girl is turning 6 years old tomorrow.   I love this picture of her because it captures her true personality.  There is no better sound than hearing her laugh.  It’s infectious.  It can only make you smile. 

My Lucy Goose is my well-mannered, mild-tempered, rule following child.  Most of the time.  Don’t let her fool you, she can throw a fit like no other when she is tired.   She hates to be in trouble, hates to do things wrong.  She loves to be complimented, but shys away from being the center of attention.   She loves to help around the house, but despises cleaning her room.   She changes her clothes ump-teen times a day, mostly from one tank top to another.   She doesn’t like her daddy to go on road trips, but loves to sleep in bed with me when he is gone.   Lucy remembers everything.  I tell her when I need to be reminded of something, and she usually doesn’t let me forget.  She has an irrational fear of flying bugs, but loves to look at snakes.   She hates to try new foods and would like to survive on chicken nuggets, peanut butter sandwiches, lettuce and cucumbers.  

It is hard to write this post because honestly I just want to stare at that picture.  It’s so hard to believe that 6 years ago, she introduced Kevin and I to this wonderful adventure called parenthood.  She is growing up so fast it is scary.  

Happy 6th Birthday Lucy!

Laney’s Birthday

Laney’s birthday was quite the whirlwind!  Kevin was out of town, so we didn’t plan on anything too exciting.  We went to swim lessons, shopped with birthday money, had Orange Leaf with Nana, and then Nana and Papa joined us for pizza and yum-yums (M&Ms).  Shortly after Laney blew out her birthday candle, we looked outside and noticed the weather was quickly getting severe.  From our front door you could see the clouds rotating and heading straight towards us.  We, meaning Dad, made the executive decision that we were going south to their house for the evening.  We spent the evening in the basement watching movies and playing.  In the end, even though we had some heavy rain, hail and heard the tornado sirens, everything ended up being  just fine. 

The next morning Laney woke up to a present from the BaBa Fairy.  See when you turn 3 years old, a special fairy comes and takes away your babas.  Laney would only drink milk from a bottle and that was her one security thing.  We let her keep it until 3 since Lucy had her bink until about the same age. 

The next day, Kevin arrived home, and we truly celebrated Laney’s special day!  We had Nana burgers and ice cream cake…YUMMY!!!!  Laney got a new step stool with her name on it, new panties, and a TV for her room!!!

Be Like Mom

I was trying to get the girls to pick up before bed last night and get their jammies on, etc. Laney was on the hunt for a Barbie shoe and headed downstairs to find one and on the way down she yelled at me:

"Mommy, if you keep acting like this, I am NOT going to be happy."

This was quickly followed by Lucy saying "She sounds just like you Mom."

At least I know they are listening to me.

Happy Birthday Laney Bug!

At this time 3 years ago, I was doing this blog post.  How time flies.  In the last 36  months, Laney has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives.  (and just a teensy bit of frustration too).

Laney is Miss Personality.  She speaks with her big brown eyes and you just can’t help but smile at her.  She knows the right look to give at just the right time.   She feels free to do whatever she wants, and is the most stubborn child I have ever met.  If she wants something, she will find a way to get it, and usually not get in trouble for it.   Everyone that meets her thinks she is “just the cutest thing.”  And we agree :)  The best words to describe Laney are sweet, smart, sassy and silly.  That sums her up. 

Laney loves her big sister in every way possible.  Lucy is her favorite playmate, her favorite role model and her favorite person to make mad.  Laney has the ability to make her sister run screaming and crying, usually because she has taken something from Lucy.  Although once Lucy is crying, she is quick to give whatever it is back.  It is like she just wants to see if she can make her cry.

Dogs are a love of Laney’s as well. She cries for Ribby when she is sad, loves to hug on her when she is sad, and giggles when Rib gives her kisses.  Every morning she is quick to volunteer to feed Ribby and let her out to get the paper, mostly because she wants to be the one to give Ribby a cookie.  Not only does Laney love dogs, she also still loves to pretend to be a dog….barking, begging and now even wanting to eat like one.

Here are some of Laney’s favorite things:

• Barbie
• Strawberry Shortcake
• swimming
• gummies
• cucumbers
• her silver sparkle shoes
• running the bases at Wingnut games
• reading books at bedtime
• Angry Birds on the ipad
• playing outside 
• filling up her own cup from the fridge
• getting your own snacks from fridge and pantry
• running everywhere

Laney Bug---you make my world go round (along with your sister and daddy).  Your growing up is such a bittersweet thing.  I love the independence that you are gaining and wanting each day, yet it is sad that you don’t always need help.  I love your willingness to try new things and not be afraid of anything, though sometimes you tend to be reckless.  I love how you will say random things like “thanks for giving me a bath mom” and how other times we have to remind you not to be so demanding.   You seem to have one speed…fast…yet you always know the moments to slow down and enjoy what is going on around you.  And even though you hate to be called a baby, know that you will always be my baby.  Happy 3rd Birthday Laney! Love you so much!

Laney’s First Haircut

On Lucy’s last day of kindergarten, we took Laney to get her first haircut.  (It was a bit of an emotional day for this mama.)  She was so excited to go and then when we got there she flipped out.   Thank goodness as soon as she was offered as sucker she was fine and did great the rest of the time.  You really can’t tell she even got her hair cut, but it really does look and feel lots better!

Bye-Bye Kindergarten

Lucy’s Kindergarten year is now over.  Even as a teacher, it is hard to believe how much she learned in 9 short months.  She can now read and write, add and subtract, and do numerous other things that I cannot even begin to recall.  I  went into her classroom twice a week and loved seeing her in action.  More than anything, I loved seeing the other kids interact with her.  When I picked her up on the last day of school, it took forever to get her out of there because all the kids needed to give Lucy one more hug, and tell her good bye one more time.  It was so sweet.  

 

 

I just had to take a picture of Lucy’s pencil box.  This is how it came home on the last day of school.  I was so amazed that it was still so neat that I had to take a picture.  I hope she is always like this!

Lucy’s School Birthday

Lucy got to celebrate her birthday a few weeks early since next Thursday is her last day of Kindergarten.  We decided to go a different route with treats and bake blueberry muffins since her class meets in the mornings.  Kevin and I thought it would be fun to have a little surprise for her.  So instead of us delivering the treats, she had….

Spinner, the Wingnuts’ mascot, delivering her muffins!

She was thrilled!!! As were her classmates!  They enjoyed asking him silly questions about where he lived and what he ate.  They were most impressed with Spinner’s dance moves!

Laney, however, was not thrilled with Spinner.  This might make for a very long summer at the ballpark.  She started crying as soon as Spinner walked in the door!

 

Everyone enjoyed the muffins!

The whole class posing with Spinner.

Mrs. Graverson, Lucy and Spinner!