Cub Scouts

Isn’t he cute?  He’s been to 3  meetings and he’s having a blast.

Want to buy some popcorn from the Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts?

Fourth Day of Fourth Grade

She’s not my little girl anymore, is she?  I’m not sure I’m ready for this!

4 days in 4th grade and she’s already got one essay and a place value test under her belt.  It’s going to be quite the year!

First Day of First Grade

Dude!  Where did my baby go???

(Doesn’t he look thrilled that I snapped yet another photo?  Wonder what he’d think if he knew I showed you this one too!!!)

 

Another school year begins!

My 1st grader and 4th grader.  Seriously? 

I’m praying for happy mornings, absorbent minds, and many blessings for Mrs. Milligan and Mrs. Hendrix. :)

Some sappy thoughts about the 3rd grade

My Big Girl is finishing the third grade. 

I remember the 3rd grade.  The math tells me it was 26 or 27 years ago, but since I’m only 29, that' can’t be right.  That was back in the Zwolle season of my life (as opposed to my LSMSA season or my college season or my wife & mother season). 

I remember being in the old school building, at the base of the stairs in Mrs. Hall’s class.  I remember Angela and Terri and Robyn and Debra and Carla and Shelly and Jana.  (I really wish I could find a picture to share.)  I remember vinyl records singing out multiplication facts and individual old-school desks lined up in rows.  I remember the chicken pox.  Those little red bumps just moved their way systematically down our row.  My biggest concern was which doll I played with and I had no idea that other people wouldn’t always like me.

I wonder what my daughter will remember about the 3rd grade.  Will she remember her devestation when she got moved to a desk between the boys?  Will she remember the games of tag, all the books she read, and those pesky timed tests?  Will she remember the hours at the pool or at the piano?  Will she remember the learning carnival or her first pedicure?  Will she remember seeing her little brother at school everyday?

It’s funny what we forget 25+ years later, but I know this—friendships find a way to always stay in our minds.  I know that no matter what, she will always have a fond memory of Faith and Eden and Jaycee and Abby and Emily.

Third grade was a big year—straight As, state piano competition, school choir, top reader, swim team.  Wow!

Almost Done

The kids are counting down the hours...

Come on Summer!

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Artbreak 2011

Each year, our regional arts council hosts Artbreak.  It’s great fun. 

The Big Girl had a piece included in first grade and in second grade. 

This year, her brother did too!  They were so excited to show off their pieces!

We had an additional treat at Artbreak this year.  The EGM choir performed on Saturday morning at Artbreak. 

We had a few minutes before the performance began, so the music teacher asked Addie to play her pieces she was working on for piano rally.  (A totally separate event that she went onto that afternoon.  She also came in 3rd and is competing at state, but that’s another post!)

Here is a clip from their performances: 

Wow! We’ve been busy

Top Row:

Hanging Out at the Swim Team Banquet

My BG showing off her work at Artbreak

Seersucker JonJons!  (We think I outfitted about 100 kids for Easter!)

Field Day

Second Row:

Piano Rally

My LM showing off his work at Artbreak

Our Easter picture

Third Row: 

Our Garden

Kindergarten Round-Up

Fourth Row:

Artbreak Choir Performance

Ryder and the LM at Easter at Nita’s!  (Yes, they are nuts!)

Growing Up and Looking Back

Today-Third Grade

2007-Kindergarten

(If you follow my blog for the sewing, today’s vest is Simplicity 2443. I’ll get the review up in the next few days.)

It's almost time...

The backpack is packed and ready to go.

In less than 12 hours, my Big Girl will be a 3rd grader.

Wow!

The Little Man has a reprieve until next Tuesday.

Wait a second! Where did October go?

So, suddenly I’m dating my checks with an 11, my clocks have fallen back, I have an 8 year-old and folks are talking about the deer they are bagging (which reminds me—I’ll happily take a pound of sausage off someone’s hands!).  What in the world happened to make October move by so quickly that it’s already November?  Maybe the time slipped away while we were…

A Birthday Party in Pictures

Friday…

  

Sunday…

   And all the rest…

Early Birthday Presents!

The BG received her birthday gift a little early from Momo and Popo.  This little Janome Sew Mini is a pretty decent little machine.  She whipped up her first pillowcase this afternoon.  (Check out those personalized labels Momo bought her.  Perfect for gifts for her friends!)

We’re planning a party!!!

 

October is a big month for us.  Our Big Girl turns 8 toward the end of the month and we’re getting ready.  Since BG loves all things arts and crafts, we’re planning a crafts circus.  I made these tickets invites in Illustrator and mailed them to her friends!

Summer is officially over!

The BG headed back to school today! Second grade! Wow! Here’s our annual “leaving the house” picture:

Just for reference, here are last year’s and Kindergarten’s pictures too. I can’t get over how tall she’s gotten in the past 2 years.

Looking back, it appears that I’ve worn something I’ve made each of the last two years on her first day of school. (She has to wear a uniform, so no real excitement there.) Well, let me tell you about this year’s outfit…

Yesterday afternoon, BG and I went shopping. We were after the elusive khaki uniform skort, but we never found one. Instead, we hit 6 other stores. We browsed clearance racks and shoes. I chose She let me buy 2 knit shirts that she said she “could do something with that.”

My response: “Like what?”

BG: “You’ll need a belt or a headband or something.”

Me: “I will? Okay. Can I wear the purple one with my white skirt to your school tomorrow?”

BG: “Maybe. I’ll have to see what I can put with it when we get home.”

My big question of the day is this: At what point did I start asking my 7-year old for fashion advice??? Have you seen how they like to dress these days???

Never say never

I did something today that I said I’d never do. I quilted. Yep, you read that right. (Aunt Kat—pick your chin up off the floor!) I quilted. Here’s how it happened:

Mom and I were hanging out in her well-stocked quilting room. I was browsing the shelves, looking for fabrics for dresses, inspiration, gifts, etc. It’s better than Hancock’s. Really. Anyway, from the sounds I hear down the hall, it appears the children need to spend a little time away from one another. I call the Big Girl into the sewing room.

Me: If you were going to match 4 fabrics for a quilt, what would you pick?

Her (With her eyes as big as saucers scouring the shelves.): Can I pick?

Me: Yep.

…about 5 mintues later…

Momo: Look at these. (As she holds up a baggie of 4 inch squares all in pink.)

Her: Oh yea!!!!!

Me: Well pick four and lay them out as a square and I’ll show you how to sew them together.

Then the discussion turns to “place them right sides together”…

and “this is your presser foot, you lower it gently”…

I’m sure the casual observer would have also heard “don’t tug on the fabric”, “pay attention and line your fabric up”, and “don’t put your foot anywhere near that gas pedal” uttered plenty during that time…

Well, of course, one 4-patch is never enough, so let’s make 3 more. Do you know how many ways you can combine 16 squares (when you have 32 choices???)

After she finishes sewing her blocks together, her Momo puts the pieced piece with some batting and she quilts!!! Nothing fancy, just stitch in the ditch, but great for a beginner. She did a fabulous job.

Well…while all this is going on…the Little Man comes in the house. I thought Popo and his daddy were watching him, but I heard some commotion about a crowbar getting dropped on his toes…I don’t know. Anyway, in the true spirit of “anything you can do, I can do better”, I hear “Can I do it too?” So here we go again…

Did you see the sheer joy on that kids face? He was so proud of himself—until he found out she did 4 squares. Guess what. He got to sew 3 more squares. He laid out each one, “steered” the fabric and pressed the gas peddle each time. But then he wanted it quilted. That’s right, quilted. Since Mom was working on the binding on the BG’s quilt, I had to quilt. It wasn’t as painful as I’d feared—but don’t look to closely! Mom put the binding on his quilt also. (When you see his finished project, you need to remember he laid it out by himself, without our input. I was impressed.)

All in all, it was a great day. The spontaneous sewing lessons went well. My kids listened!!! We found out their attention spans last until the bindings! Here are their finished projects. Aren’t they great!

My little scuba diver

We watched our Big Girl demonstrate her new scuba skills tonight! She participated in Scuba Rangers at our local Swim School.

On Monday, she learned to snorkel and some safety skills.

Then Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, she learned to SCUBA!!!!

She and her scuba buddy demonstrated how to share air during an emergency. I wish I’d been in the water with an underwater camera to catch these pictures. I guess I’ll just have to learn to snorkel and scuba for myself.

Before they finished, all the kids waved good-bye!