February school stuff 2016

Luke asked me to come up with a really fun game for his Valentine's party.  I planned a game that did not fit with their hyperactivity... so I scrapped that and we played missionary tag instead.  They loved it and only a couple of people got hurt.  That's how I measure the success of activities for parties.  If there are only a couple accidents, then I feel it went well. 

Abigail's Valentine's envelope

 Hailey just loves to pretend she's a first grader with Carly.  When we goes to the parties, she just goes with the group Carly is in. 

 Carly has such fun friends

Hailey cracks me up, she  told me that she was going to stay in Carly's class until school got out.  She found a seat and did whatever Mrs. Deamer told the class to do.

I'm not very creative for crazy hair day, I really struggle with it.  Luckily, Abigail only wanted messy buns and Luke just needed spray paint. Carly didn't even want anything done. 

We went to the Storyteller's festival at the Egyptian theater for Abigail's class.  It was so fun!  They kept us laughing.  Luke was there too, but he got to listen to different story tellers than we did.  I could have sat all day and listened.  

 After the Storyteller festival, Abigail's grade went back to school, but Luke's grade went to the Treehouse Museum.  They did a play, and thankfully, 5th graders don't have to do the usual wand making... instead they made copies of the Declaration of Independence and had free time.

Luke has such a great group of friends from our neighborhood in his class.

Blue and Gold February 2016

Luke received his Arrow of Light award at the Blue and Gold in February.  He was so excited to set up his table and put lots of thought into what he would bring to show case what he likes.  He has worked hard in Scouts to earn awards.  His leaders have been so great and pushed him right along.  Now he's excited to see what 11 year old scouts is all about.

February 2016

 The girls and cousin Noah got into the stickers

 The girls did Ike's hair

 We went to the zoo with friends

 I love a freshly bathed Ike

 Luke loved basketball this year.  He had a great coach and played with all of his friends.

 Carly looked picturesque sitting in the sun with Grandma's vest on.

 reading the lego magazine together

Isaac loves Mickey Mouse and baseball more than anything on Earth.

staying busy to keep the winter blues at bay- January 2016

 For show and tell day, Abigail chose to bring our bearded dragon.  I didn't think it through very well...  I realized only after the kids had left for school and Ben for work, that I was going to have to be the one to pick Freddie up out of his cage and transport him to school.  I was brave, I took a few deep breaths and I touched the lizard for the first time.  Since then I have touched him multiple times without cringing.  Progress... I am making progress.  The kids think this means we'll get a dog someday.

 Hailey loves the time after she gets home from school.  Ike goes down for his nap and the big kids are still in school.  We have a couple of hours for just us.  Sometimes we color with special name places... and sometimes she watches t.v. while I clean. 

 Abigail is not always happy when I ask her to read for her 20 minutes... but if she can read to Isaac or Hailey, she'll do it more cheerfully.

 Carly is my little organizer.  She asked me to come in the girls room for a big surprise.  She had organized their bulletin board and was just so proud.  She knew I would appreciate the job well done.

 I took Ike and Hailey to the treehouse  while the big kids were at school.  Ike carried around these foam noodles and ball, and tried his best to play baseball.

 He loved the firetruck

   As soon as the kids walked in the door from school, she blurted out that we went to the tree house without them.  Then I had to hear the older kids talk about how the work so hard at school while we just have fun all day long!  So funny.

 My matching girls

 Abigail is always a fun shopping partner, and likes to take pictures.  

 Hailey had a field trip to the treehouse and got to play Snow White in the play.  She was beaming.

 Afterwards, we made wands.

 Luke has loved Webelos more than any other den.  He was sad to move on, because he loved his leaders so much.

 His self portraits

 Abi had her 3rd grade talent show, and she chose to do tricks with Lola.  Lola is Grandma Sharla and Grandpa Larry's dog.  They performed so well, and looked so cute together.  It almost makes me wish I liked dogs well enough to get her one.

 We went to IHOP...  It's a family favorite.

 We always have a Holiday party in January with my Dad's side of the family. We ate soup and played some fun games.

 Luke and Abi played a game where they had to find the gummi worms in the whipped cream.  After Abi was done, she told me that she couldn't breathe and was scared because there was so much whip cream up her nose.

 My girls all wanted curlies (that's what they call them) by their ears for church... then they wanted a picture together with their curlies.

Ike was napping one day and I heard him wake up and say, " mommy mom, mommy mom where are you??" over and over.  I went in his room to get him and he was so happy, he said, "I found you mommy!"