School Halloween Parties

 I was fortunate enough to be able to head up to the big kids' school to be a part of their Halloween parties.

When I arrived, everyone was in an assembly...making a human hot dog of their new principal!  He seems like a quiet man, but, obviously, he's a good sport to have not only ketchup and mustard squirted on you, but also chili and a 2 liter of coke to top it all off!  Yuck.

Since I had a sitter at home with the little girls, I was really able to float around to each of the classrooms and take part in each of the kids' parties!

Kindergarten is just so darling, including Kari's teacher!  Mrs. Doster is just wonderful.  She is not only extremely sweet, but she is incredibly in-tune to each of her students, their individual needs and how they learn best.

 Em's class party was extremely well-organized and, for a party, it was pretty chill.  The kids all had a great time though--their class has a lot of very nice kids!

 And then there's Christian's class...I walk in to them all dancing to the Whip-Nae-Nae.  Hi-larious to watch 3rd graders do it.  They're having a ball and they know how to par-tae.

 Christian loves to goof off--funny selfies with his buddy, Alex, and finding the Hersey kiss in the whipped cream!

Again, such a fun little afternoon and I was so happy I could be a part of it!

Boosterthon Fun Run

 Once again, the kids' school opted for a boosterthon fun run as their main fundraiser for the year.  It was a warm and humid morning and the kids were all decked out and ready to run!

 Kari was soooo excited that she got to be a part of it!!!  Normally, Kari is the child who gets "tired" just walking down the hallway.  Honestly, I thought she would run a few laps and then get hot, thirsty, and tired and just walk the rest.  Not so!  Aside from the designated "walking laps," she ran 33 laps in the time allotted!  (Max laps is between 35-38.)  I could hardly believe what a fast little runner she was--and she had a blast doing it!

The "buddy lap" with her buddy, Nora.

 After the kindergarten-2nd graders ran, it was time for the 3rd-6th graders to run!  (Oh yes, we had to stay out there for just a bit longer!)  Britta was pretty good sport though--and, thankfully, we found a shadier spot for Round 2.  (Juliana was at preschool so I dodged a bullet on that one.)

Christian's class

 And they're off!  Christian is a speed demon and was one of the top 5 finishers (of all the four upper grades!!)  Em got off to a strong start as well...

 But then after some hard running, she and Ella had to come over and say hello and give Britta a high-five.

 After Christian finished, he came over and relaxed in the shade!

Christian and Sullivan

Em and Miss B

Britta was very into her cup.

Boosterthon Fun Run

 The day before my induction was the big kids' boosterthon fun run.  (This was their school's fundraiser in lieu of asking people to order stuff from a catalog.)  The kids got pledges from neighbors and family members who pledged a certain amount of money for each lap the children would run in a set amount of time (the maximum amount of laps they could do was 35).  Emily and Christian were very excited!

The cheering section :-)

It was a HOT day and what was supposed to be a morning run, got changed to an afternoon run at the last minute.  I really wanted to be up there to support both kids (who were running at two different times) so it took a little bit of juggling on my part due to having to take Juliana back home for a nap half-way through Emily's run.  (Our sweet neighbor, Marcia, came over to sit while she slept so that I could go back up and cheer Christian on.)  It all worked out, but between walking up the big hill up to the school and the heat, I was TIRED that night.  Alas, it didn't put me into labor, but I did get a couple of contractions out of it!

 Back to the running though...the organizers of this type of fundraiser kept it lively and fun for the kids with music and special kinds of laps (see conga-line lap above.  Emily is in it.)

 In the time allotted for the 4-6 graders, Emily completed 30 of the 35 laps!  Then, it was Christian's turn (K-3 grade)!

 Christian is a great runner!  (All of that running for soccer really came in handy as he not only completed all 35 laps, he was the fastest 2nd grader and finished 2nd or 3rd overall!)  Yea, I was impressed!  Of course, if it's a competition, you can bet that Christian will go all out to win.

A post-race picture with Kari :-)

Overall, the school met their goal for funds, and the kids really felt a sense of accomplishment having worked hard to earn the money all while having a lot of fun and getting in some good exercise!

Great job, Emily and Christian!

2nd Graders Love to Sing!

Emily had her music program last week--very cute, indeed.  They're still young enough to enjoy music class and singing (not too cool for school yet!). 

 Em's favorite song was about roasting marshmallows (that's what they're pretending is on the ends of their sticks below).

 She took her roll as marshmallow roaster very seriously :-).

 She also had a small dancing part...very cute, Emily was (of course) lovely.

Just a quick little glimpse into what Em's learning in music class!

Emily's School Christmas Party

Last week I was able to go up to Emily's school and help out with her class's Christmas party. It was really great and she had a lot of fun!

Earlier in the month, the kids had all written letters to Santa, and, during the party, the replies came in the mail! (And they were cold! Direct from the North Pole, apparently!) Emily was so excited to hear that Rudolph was real and that Santa would be doing his best to bring her the veterinarian's kit that she wanted.

After some tasty treats, it was time for a little karaoke! We parents thought the kids might be a bit shy about singing in front of everyone, but we were wrong! Everyone wanted a turn and then they all ended up singing "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" together. Soooo funny!
And here is Miss Em with her teacher, Mrs. Norblade. Emily has really enjoyed having her as a teacher. She is so incredibly patient with the children and is very into reading--a big plus for Emily since she loves to read!

It was so wonderful to be able to spend some time with Emily and her class! First graders sure are a fun little bunch!

Finishing up Gma and Gpa's Visit

For the last day of their visit, Grandma and Grandpa did not disappoint! Since it was the kids' first day back from Spring Break, Christian went to preschool (it was swimming day!) and Emily did a half-day. Grandpa and Daddy went to visit Christian at school and Grandma went up and had fun with Emily in her class. (I stayed home while Kari took a nap.)

After some lunch, we all piled into our van and went to (where else?) the zoo! It was a bit overcast, but really, not too bad! We all had fun and got some great close ups of one of the gorillas. (They really are just the most amazing animals--the intelligence behind their eyes is just incredible.)

In this shot, the gorilla kept glancing out of the corners of his eyes to check out Kari (who's waving) and Christian. He had been looking at Emily until she ran around to get another view.

Grandma and Grandpa had to get back home Wednesday morning--a tearful good-bye was had by all, but we're all looking forward to this summer when everyone will be together again at our family reunion!

Thank you for visiting and for all of the wonderful times, treats, and love that you bring each time you come! We love you, Grandma and Grandpa!

Kindergarten Music Program

This past Thursday night Emily had her kindergarten music program. (Remember those??) The kindergarteners had practiced very hard and it paid off! They were darling.

Some of the songs that they sung were "Yankee Doodle" and "Star Light, Star Bright." They also did a little interpretive number to "I Like to Move It" (from the Madagascar soundtrack; it was a big hit with everyone!). The kids all made up moves based on a book they read in music class about little polar bear cubs who take their first swim in the ocean. Their teacher, Ms. Johnson, is a favorite with Emily and she does a wonderful job getting all of these little ones to sing their best!

Here is Emily and her Fan Club. Great job, Em!

Field Trip Fun

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a field trip with Christian and his preschool. It was seriously such a special treat! (Great-Grandma came to the house and babysat Kari so she could take a nap and didn't have to come out in the cold!) And, by the look on his face, Christian was sure excited to be there too!

The big yellow school bus took us to the zoo! Yes, we've been there a million times, but not on a bus! (It seemed to be all of the kids' highlight. Christian thought we were in a race car--ha!) Once there, we made good use of our time and hit up the Aquarium, the Cat Complex, the Bear Canyon, the Gorilla Valley and the Desert Dome. And it wasn't like we sprinted through there either--I was just amazed at how much quicker you can make it through places without a stroller!

Here, a Lionfish is coming over to check out what Christian is all about--and maybe even give him alittle sugar!

This is Christian's little class. Ms. Sandi was a huge champ and I was able to see how much the kids love her.

This goofy pair always makes me smile. Christian and his friend, Jacob, sure enjoy seeing one another at both preschool and at speech class.

Here I am with my boy! Again, it was such a treat to be able to spend this time with Christian. I love his sweetness, his "all-boy, wrestle you with my spatulas-for-sharp-claws" attitude, and, of course, when he tells me "my wove you, Mommy."