Back to School 2012!

Morgan, age 5 (birthday 1/22/07) First Grade 2012-2013 school year

 

Jaden, age 8 (birthday 8/5/04) Third Grade 2012-2013 school year

 

I had to photograph the girls for their Friday School badges, and this is what I got.  Though we do home school all year long, many activities are only available to us during the school year.  We are starting back in all of the school activities.

 

Friday School starts on September 21st, and will be every Friday until the end of November.  Morgan will be taking kindergarten classes there with her friends.  Jaden will be taking Character Traits class, Team Building, and Alphabet Arts.  Their classes were very picked over by the time we got to pick because we took a 2 year break from the cooperative.  Next semester, they will have more choices. 

 

GEMS girls' club starts back up this coming Wednesday.  Morgan is still not old enough to attend, but Jaden will be a part of the group.  She is very excited for it to start,

 

AWANA starts back on September 10th.  Jaden will be in Truth and Training and Morgan will be in Sparkies.  They are both a little anxious to start because their friends will be in the groups younger than them.  Most of Jaden's friends will still be Sparkies and Morgan's friends will still be Cubbies.

 

We are ready to get started with all of these activities.  Looking at the schedule exhausts me, but it will be fun. 

Thank yous

I have always encouraged my girls to send thank you cards when someone gives them a gift.  I am happy when I see that they can do it on their own.  A friend of the family gave the girls art books.  Morgan used one of her art pages to send her a thank you.  Then, she put it in an envelope and addressed it:

"From Morgan

ox

Tow Jenee"

(spelling by sound, and not asking me to tell her the letters)

Love it!!

Cheeseburger Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that the girls ate at FNO.  Tamra's sister makes all kinds of fancy cupcakes for the FNO events.  This one was no exception.  Aren't these cute? 

They were wrapped in paper, just like you would get a real cheeseburger.  I could tell that a yellow cake and chocolate cake were used.  Then, there was "ketchup", "cheese" and "mayo".  I did not get the recipe from Tamra's sister because these seem easily re creatable just by sight.  However, here is something I found online, for those of you who are unsure of how to make them and wish to do so:

Glorious Treats

Morgan's Gymnastics Skills

Morgan has been doing gymnastics for about 1 1/2 years now.  She LOVES it!!!  There are 2 different locations that we frequent because they both offer a pay per visit feature, which is extremely helpful in case you have to miss a time or two. 

One location she goes to offers 2 hours for $5.  She has an instructor that teaches her for 1 1/2 hours with other 5 & 6 year olds.  They learn stretches, rolls, splits, jumps, and all kinds of other gymnastics things that I don't have the names for.  The last 30 minutes they get to do whatever they want and run wild.  I like this location, even though it is not that close to home, because she gets instruction...  At $2.50 an hour!!!

The second location offers 2 hours of open gym for $6.  It is great because Morgan can do whatever she wants for a whole 2 hours.  This location is closer to home, so I save on gas, too.  The down-side I have found is that there is no instruction.  Additionally, if Morgan does not take a buddy to class, she spends most of her time looking for a buddy to play with.  This is a new location for us, so she does not already know the kids there.  She is an extremely social child, so she usually wants someone to do things with her.

This second location offers a Friday Night Out, and we went to our first one last Friday.  It ran from 7pm to 10pm.  I was there the whole time because a friend invited me to help with the "day care" part.  FNO runs from 3 hours to 4 hours, depending on the night.  The cost is between $10 to $20, depending on the day as well.  Pizza is served for an additional $1 or $2, and dessert of cupcakes or cookies for $1.  Obviously, this is not a bad price for a date night out with your hubby =)

This particular night, though, was a fundraiser.  My friend Tamra and her family are going to Uganda this summer on a mission trip.  They still have another $10,000 to raise.  All of the money collected for entry into FNO went to their mission trip.  There were probably about 50 children who paid $15 to get in- $750 earned!

Jaden and Morgan both got in free because I was one of the stand-in adults.  They need 10 volunteers each time so that they do not have to pay staff and the money can go solely to their trip.  It was exhausting for me, but my girls are worth it =)  Plus, we do not have the money to spend like that, so I put in my elbow grease instead. 

FNO is like one big party.  Seriously!  If you could have seen these kids... They were having a blast!  There was a DJ playing hip music, kids dancing, and an overall happy feeling.  Pizza was served at 8pm.  Then, there were cupcakes made to look like hamburgers.  I will some of this later.  By 10pm, the children were red in the face and dripping with sweat =)  Non-stop exercise can do that to you.  LOL!!  I am glad the girls can enjoy exercise because it makes me feel like they are getting a healthy start in life.  I, on the other hand, was stuffed up with some kind of airborne allergic reaction.  We stopped my CVS to pick up some Allegra D before heading home... Maybe it was the foam in there or dust or something.  Next time, I can take the Allegra before I go!

Two Performances in One

Morgan wanted me to videotape her jumping (it looks a lot like her dancing, but she said she wasn't dancing).  She always makes me smile.  I could watch this all day long.

Also, in the background, you can see Jaden getting coached by her friend Troy. 

You may want to watch this video twice to you can see Morgan and then Jaden (or vice versa).  They are each impressive =)

My Shy Girl

Here is Morgan showing off her mock ballet.  She LOVES doing this!  She could dance all day long!  But, she is shy about people seeing her.  She will only dance if she thinks no one is looking.  She allowed me to take this video of her, so I am honored =)

Fabulous Five-Year Old

My girls are growing up so fast!  I remember when they were tiny babies (well, Jaden wasn't tiny, but she was little age-wise).  As they grow I am hit with the sensation of loss.  Not a loss as in I will not see them again, but that the things that they did and said at those younger ages are no longer.  It is a good thing I have been blogging for awhile.  Every now and then, I must look back and my older posts and reminisce.

I know that our family growth is not finished, but I think my body is finished with its job as far as child birth.  LOL!  However, I have a strong feeling that God is not finished with our family. 

In the meantime, before our home is filled with more love and blessings, I am enjoying the 2 girls that I have.  They make me smile and fill my heart with love.

Morgan is now 5.  Though she has been doing kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade work at home, according to public school rules, she is not even in kindergarten yet!! 

*She loves to dance and sing, but she is shy to do it in front of the camera/crowd. 

*She was once afraid of animals but now dotes on her two dogs as if they were her children.

*She likes to "text" me, spelling words as they sound.

*Her favorite animals at the zoo are the goats.  She could stay with them all day and feed them, too!

*Her favorite color is pink because lots of her cute friends love it- every cute person loves pink (her words not mine)

*Her favorite t.v. show is Wizards of Waverly Place because of their magic.

*She has still not lost any of her baby teeth.

*Her favorite family vacation was Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX.

*Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese and cake with fruit on it.

*She goes to gymnastics 1 to 2 times a week, and she can do flips and tricks.

*At the playground, she likes to visit with her friends and swing.

*At AWANA, she likes her Cubbie class, where she likes the songs, puppets, and snack time best.

*In home school, she likes to read and write on the new reader I got (for free!).

*Her favorite subject is science because she gets to learn about animals at the zoo.

*Her favorite movie is The Lorax.

As you can see, I have a fabulous five-year old!!

GEMS Service Project~ Assisted-Living Center

The GEMS girls did their semi-monthly service project at the assisted living center this week.  They sang to all of the residents, and then, they sang "Happy Birthday" to all of the people with March birthdays.  They have a special happy birthday song they sing.  It goes like this:

"Happy Birthday to you,

We thank God for you,

May the Lord bless and keep you,

This happy year through!"

After the birthday song, it was time for cake and juice.  The girls ran around to all of the tables to make sure everyone received a piece of cake, and then cleaned up afterwards. 

We sat around chatting with the residents, and then a few people hit the dance floor while a resident played the piano.  Great times!

Girl Scouts Daisy: 3 Cheers for Animals Part 4

These are just a few of the animals we saw at the Dallas Zoo on 2 seperate visits.  We fed some of the animals including the goats, birds and giraffes.  Many of the trainers were available, so both Jaden and Morgan were able to ask them questions about the animals.  The trainers of the big cats, elephants, giraffes, birds and goats were all available.
They tried to figure out on their own whether a particular animal was a predator or prey. 
They took note of what the animal eats and how they live at the zoo. 
Overall, the two visits were rewarding academically.  Many of the things that they learned led to further discussion at home in their Zoology class.
I was surprised to hear Jaden talking to the keeper of the goats on both trips.  Jaden noticed that there were some young kids helping out at the zoo- feeding and cleaning up after the animals.  It turns out, they are volunteers.  The keeper told Jaden that you have to be 11 years old to volunteer, and some days you may clean up poop during your whole 4 hour shift.  Jaden was excited, and she asked me if she could be a volunteer when she is 11. 
Later in our Zoology class, the text told us that there are only a few veterinary schools, so it can be difficult to get into them.  However, if a potential students has experience working with animals there is a higher chance they will be accepted.  =)

Don't take my bone!!

Jaden and Morgan decided to try to take Chica's bone from her.  That led to a bunch of cute growling =)

My Baby is 5!!

Morgan turned 5 on Sunday!  It is surreal to me that she can be so big!!  Where does the time go?! 
I am glad that she is officially 5, since I have had a hard time convincing folks that she is smarter than her age.  She has been doing 1st and 2nd grade work at home, so at least it won't seem so far fetched now!  The adults that do not homeschool don't understand when I say she is not in preschool... she can't even be in kindergarten at a public school at age 4, so how could she be in 1st grade at 4?!
At church, she is with the kindergartners, so that she can be with kids her own age.  Now, she is finally 5 like the rest of them =)
We celebrated her big day at home with Justin Beiber cupcakes and cake.  She was excited to get a beauty set of things: hair dryer, flat iron, brush, hair spray, and curling iron.  All pretend, of course, but they are real to her =) 

Snow 2/11/10~ Evening Snow Videos

Happy Birthday, Morgan!

Morgan turned 4 today!  She has been anxiously awaiting this day all year long!!  When the day was finally here, and we all got up in the morning, I told her "Happy Birthday!"  She said, "It's not my birthday yet!"  She said she wasn't going to be 4 years old until she had her party!  LOL! 

We had a party with family at Gatti Town.  Then, we came back home and had cake and ice cream.  What a great day!  It's not every day your baby turns 4!

Morgan's Top 4

We were sitting around the dinner table eating chocolate cake. Jaden said, "Mommy, you make the best cake ever!"

Morgan decided to add to what Jaden said and came up with this:

"who makes the best cake? Mommy!

who makes the best maccaroni and cheese? Jaden!

who makes the best toast? Daddy!

who makes the best hugs and kisses? Morgan!"

There's Always Something to Learn

No matter where you are! At the neurologist's office, the girls enjoy drawing pictures of brains and putting a brain together.

Do NOT Make Morgan Mad!

Morgan is so sweet, but she is a 3 year old afterall- As such, she gets frustrated every now and then with her limitations. This is what happens when she gets frustrated...

Mother's Day Crafts at Friday School

On the last day of school, I read books about mothers, and the kids made gifts for their mothers. The girls painted ladybug picture frames and the boys painted snail frames. Then, every one made a bracelet out of beads.

I am going to miss my class, and I know Morgan will, too. All of the children will be moving up to the PreK group this fall. I had the option to teach that group. I was going to instead teach the elementary students... However, after more thought, I have decided that we will sit this next school year out.

Instead of going to Friday school, the girls are going to pick an activity or two of something that they would like to learn to do at the community center. There are all kinds of classes. Morgan really wants to play soccer, so that may be one of her classes. Jaden loves art, so she might have some kind of art class.

Little Entrepenuers

You have to stick your tongue out when you pour lemonade or you will spill it! LOL!

The girls wanted to have a lemonade stand... So, I decided it was time for a garage sale. I did the garage sale while they sold lemonade and muffins. They sold quite a bit of lemonade in the morning, but the afternoon was pretty empty. When people stopped buying lemonade, they got bored with the idea and went on to something else!

The Carousel at the Zoo

Jaden had been on a carousel once at the fair when she was only 2 years old, so of course, she does not remember it. Morgan has never been on one, and I was anxious to see how she would resond because fake animals scare her. As you can see, she had fun and wasn't scared at all. James was on a horse right next Jaden. Aunt amy had to stand next to James, and I had to stand next to Morgan because they were too short to ride alone. It was a great way to wrap up our zoo adventure!

Splashing & Carousel Videos

Zoo videos!!