2010 Catch Up

Just a few pictures/things I wanted to show my family but never got to . . . July - Bailey did jump off the diving board!!! She could swim to the side by herself too but the teachers were too nervous to let her. (: Z jumped into his teachers arms . . . and Ak walked out there and walked back. Too scared. Maybe next summer?
Ak LOVED her swimming classes and has been asking to go now - it's a little cold I tell her!
Thanks again Mammaw for the awesome Christmas gift of swim classes!!!!
B got to go to a friend's house to swim a few times with our neighbor (she's the friend's g-ma). B really improved her swimming skills this summer!!! Thanks Uncle Rod for the goggle suggestion too! She can't use them for classes - but they are fun at other times! Here's a family outing for ice cream on $1 night at 31 Flavors!

Z loves to dress up as much as any other 5 year old! He is always creative in my opinion and he cracks me up with his poses!

He he is at Kindergarten Orientation!

Loving the bus ride part of the tour! He's growing up!

Look at those tan arms of B's at the Primary Talent Show in August.

She played a short song (Jack Be Nimble) that G-ma Hahn had taught her. I did a duet with her to help it not seem so simple -we played it twice - she did well!!! I was impressed she did it!!!

Ak wanted to dance with her fellow Sunbeams - so they did a little dance together! Cute girls!

Z wanted to do an act too . . . didn't know what . . . so I suggested using Alice - since my sister went though a lot of effort to make this 4 hump camel for a Music Maker prop and since I was borrowing it - might as well get more use out of it!!! B, Ak, and another boy from his class (Daniel) were the humps!

I think my kids who KNOW the song - thought it was a solo for me - since I think I was the only one singing the song! (: But Z felt good about the act - so I'm glad! I was amazed at how few adults know this song! Thanks mom for exposing me to lots of songs as a child!!!
Thanks for letting me catch up! I can move on now . . .

December Catch Up Post

At the beginning of the month - Santa visited the kids school. I hadn't planned on going - but the morning of decided the free breakfast and possible short line for a photo op - sparked my interest and we went. We left the house within 15 minutes of deciding - so we went in our P.J.'s - the flyer said "Breakfast with Santa" - so I didn't feel bad.
Z wouldn't go up alone - luckily the little boy who's grandpa lives 2 doors down helped him venture up there. He didn't have anything to ask for - good I thought - he'll be happy with whatever then! (:

Ak would NOT go up there - this is as close as she got. (:

After pictures and breakfast, there were 4 different tables set up with crafts! My kids love that kind of thing and I loved the free supplies they were allowed to use as they wished. They made a ruldolph puppet, took home coloring pages, made bracelets that we forgot to give at Christmas to loved ones (look for them at the next holiday!), foam picture frames, and cut out ornaments with so many fun foam holiday shaped stickers! (: FUN TIME!

Ak "chillin" in Storyhour at the library.

Decorating her "ornament" to hang on the library's tree.

She was very happy to find a spot and she remembered at the end of the month where to look for it so we could take it down and take it home!

B's class got to go on a fieldtrip on a train ride . . . in their P.J.'s!

B with her teacher Ms. B!

With her classmate, table mate, and playmate buddy who lives 2 neighborhoods away! We sat with K and her mom! Her mom hooked us up with some hot chocolate out of a thermos! She had an extra mug for us and everything!

B sat on my lap the whole time since the train was FULL! But she was warm and the train compartment was a little cold - so it worked out!

Santa visited at the end of the ride.

Her class had a good time. Of course who doesn't on a FIELD TRIP!!! (:

December was a BUSY month!

A Happy What?

My mother in law took my kids to McDonald's while I went to run a couple errands with my sister in law after ice skating. She told me later, she asked them if they wanted a "happy meal" and they asked, "what's a happy meal?" (: (: (: I love that!!! (: They have eaten a happy meal before - but only with her or my sister in law, so not very often! What's wrong with not knowing what a happy meal is - NOTHING!!!! (: Makes me actually a little proud!!!

Ice Skating

There is a place near D's mom's work that makes an ice rink near their riverfront for 5 weeks around Christmas . . . she's been telling me about it for a couple years -but it never seemed right for the kid's ages, etc. . . but we finally went 2 days after Christmas. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! We hope to do it again next year!
We chose to go on a Monday because it's free (including skate rentals!) You know I love those kind of activities!!!

In the window - can you see the red sweater and plaid shirt??? That's D's mom and pappaw - they came to watch and I was happy they had a WARM, but close seat!

AJ came too and tried the skates . . . for awhile.

Provided were milk crates for the kids. They have 2 and 3 one's bound together and they were GREAT!

They gave the kids lots of confidence - Ak had no fear. She was running around the rink!!! It was fun to watch her! We took a video - but I couldn't get it uploaded.

B got hot and begged to take her jacket off! Going fast makes you warm!

Thought this picture was funny - who's leading who? (:

They had to clean the ice - so we all went inside for a break and mammaw slurged and bought Hot Chocolate. (:

Got to hear the report of how we all looked from our favorite specators! (D's pappaw and his mom).

I wish this picture wasn't blurry - B shares her birthDATE with Pappaw!

AJ and her mom!

Then we headed back out but it wasn't 10 minutes before a lady broke her ankle and we had to clear the ice. I brought out their hot chocolate to finish while they were waiting outside.

As it got dark - they started to play music then they showed a movie on their big screen. (that's when my kids slowed down - watching that instead of skating! I had to prompt them a few times to keep skating or we would leave!)

After having roller skated a lot this summer with Grandma and with the creates - our kids were independant and comfortable going around themselves. . . which made it nice since they were able to skate more than 5 minutes and they never got discouraged.

Frosty even made a visit!

We want to go back! Now we know to pack some snacks or even a picnic lunch so we have something to eat during the break or when we get tired.

Great view, fun atomosphere, heated indoor bathrooms, and extra helpers! Can't beat that as a free family activity! Thanks Mammaw!

To Mammaw's House We Go

Even though the tree was little - they were excited to see it and the presents that awaited! Lately it seems, Ak likes to get dressed within 5 minutes of waking up and the other 2 are okay staying in P.J.'s all day!!! (: This is how they traveled there at 5 P.M.!After we ate dinner (making them wait again!) - we got to the presents!

Z wanted a shot in his Star Wars P.J.'s with his new Star Wars loot!
And he's VERY happy -that's just a pose look!

They all got lots of nice things!They love playing around with Uncle Matt!

And they love being near AJ!

Christmas 2010

This was a busy season for us . . . but a good one!Lots of dress up . . .
NO time to bake - sersiously - I didn't make ONE thing!!! Luckily I had friends that came and delivered me treats!!! I wanted to hug them all!!!! (truth be told: I was a little sad I had no treats - my sister tried to cheer me up since we both know it's not healthy, but it's Christmas! Sorry mom! So I sersiously about cried from joy each time someone came to my doorstep with a goodie!!!) Sometimes when people bring you stuff - it just adds to the too much you already have . . . but not this year for us!!!
Here are my kids and cousin Am talking to my parents on Skype on Christmas Eve! Gotta love technology! We ate chili like my mom always does on Christmas Eve.

After Aunt D had AAA come unlock her car the kids opened a couple of presents before they had to go home.

Then we went caroling as a family - a first for us alone without our accordian player!!! We just went to a few neighbors since it was getting late. When we got back Z wanted to make sure he got to spread out some oats for Santa's reindeer and glitter to help find our yard . . . something he made in his Kindergarten class. It started to snow while we were caroling - kind fun! Earlier in the week B had asked what we would do if it didn't snow for Christmas??? "Have a brown/green Christmas?" she asked. YEP, I said. But she lucked out and woke up to a white Christmas!!! Hope she doesn't expect that every year!

Luckily the kids didn't wake up too early! (I heard horror stories from others - don't tell our kids those possibilities!) They were excited to see the presents! But they waited paitently while I made us some ham & cheese mini muffin cressant roll things to eat and everyone got to see what was in their stocking (although it came out B had already looked in EVERYONE's stocking!)

I'm just posting this of D because it made me laugh he was wearing a UK shirt being that he is a UL fan and it was Christmas morning = pictures will be taken. He tried to hid it with the stocking. I wasn't laughing later when he had the camera and was taking pictures of me - what was I thinking either!! (: This was Ak towards the end of our present opening - just chilling waiting her turn - I was sitting there and I finally realized she was under me! (: Kids like to be near their parents they say! (:

After presents we had french toast sticks - YUM!!! And got ready to go to D's mom's house. It was a nice morning and afternoon at home just the 5 of us!