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. 

Jaden's New Bike

Jaden decided that her 16" bike was too small for her, so she needed a bigger one.  We looked on our online garage sale via Facebook, and found a 26" bike for $20.  This fancy bike that Jaden is riding was bought for only $15 (yes, we got the price down to $15)!!  Jaden bought it with her own money, so she is quite proud of her accomplishment.  It only took a few tries, and now she is riding her adult sized bike like a pro!!

Awana 2011-2012

Pie in the face day.  What fun!!

Wow the AWANA school year passed by so quickly!!  Jaden and Morgan have grown immensely in that time.  The AWANA at our church goes from September to April (with several days off during the season).  That means it will be over until September!!  How sad =(

Morgan finished her entire Cubbies book.  That means she memorized 25 verses!  She will officially start kindergarten in the fall, so this means no more Cubbies for her after next Monday.  This past Monday they had a pizza party.  Morgan has enjoyed the class a lot and made a bunch of good friends.  Her favorite part is snack time and crafts.  She likes to see Cubbie Bear and sing the Cubbies song.  She is going to miss Cubbies, especially since only the soon to be kindergartners will be advancing to Sparks with her. 

Since this was Jaden's first year of AWANA, she did not get to experience Cubbies nor did she get to experience kindergarten and 1st grade in Sparks.  This left her starting her Hang Glider book, when she would have done it in kindergarten had she been there.  One big opportunity opened for her: Since she missed the 1st two years of Sparks, she had the opportunity to go as far as she wanted to, to make up for lost time.  She finished her Hang Glider book in 4 months and went on to her Wing Runner book.  She finished Wing Runner in 2 months and went on to Sky Stormer.  She finished Sky Stormer in 2 months as well!!  She, also, did the review of each of the books. 

Last day of AWANA in this coming Monday.  It is awards night and store night.  Jaden will be receiving 3 awards (1 for each book).  She earned a total of over $1200 AWANA bucks, so she will be buying a few things at store night as well. 

Overall, AWANA has been a wonderful experience!!  (..but, can I just say, after Jaden's Olympic feat of completing 3 books in one year, I am ready for a little break... That wore me out!!)

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!!

Lifetime Firsts: Dentist for the Girls

Jaden and Morgan went to their first dental appointment on April 3. 2012.  Both girls got xrays and a cleaning.  Don't their teeth look cleaner?!  They loved it!  The staff was great- They went to a pediatric dentist, so they are skilled with children. 

They didn't have any problems whatsoever with the procedures.  They walked out smiling because the were given goody bags filled with things: toothbrush, toothpaste, coin purse, sticker, sticky hands, and necklaces... and, of course, beautiful smiles! 

We will be going back in a week.  I hope Jaden is still smiling even as she gets her teeth fixed.  I remember going to the dentist when I was 9, and the laughing gas was too much for me (made me dizzy and nauseous).  I hope that the gas does not make her feel bad =( 

Please pray for Jaden as she goes to see the dentist this coming Tuesday. 

Morgan got a 100% on her teeth!  No cavities!  She wants to go back tomorrow though because she loves it at the dentist.  LOL!!

Lifetime Firsts: American Airlines Center

Can you see Morgan and Jaden walking in the photo?  They are holding Grandpa Lyale's hand. 

American Airlines Center first opened its doors in July 2001.  It has taken us almost 11 years to get here to see it!!

It surprised me to see that it is mostly in downtown.  I thought it would be out away from other businesses, but it is centrally located. Inside it was very nice. 

Games are played here like NBA and NHL, but we went for a Disney on Ice performance. 

I am glad we were finally able to get out to the arena!! 

From Cubbies to Sparks

Only 3 more AWANA days left!  My Cubbie (Morgan) will be having a pizza party in 2 weeks, so she is excited for that.  She is sad that she will have to tell her Cubbie friends good-bye, though.  On the last week of AWANA, Morgan will be joining Jaden for store night.  This fall, Morgan will advance to Sparks- no more Cubbies. 

My Sparky (Jaden) will be pushing to finish her 3rd book of the year before AWANA ends.  She only has 2 more AWANA nights to finish.  Once finished, she will receive 3 awards at the awards ceremony- 2 ribbons (one for the 1st and one for the 2nd book) & a plaque (for her 3rd book).  This fall, Jaden will advance to T & T- no more Sparks.

Jaden gets to go shopping at store night, as well. She will have close to 1000 AWANA bucks to spend!!!  Jaden decided to include Morgan in store night at the end of April.  Cubbies do not participate in store night, but Jaden is giving Morgan some of her bucks to spend.  That will be a lot of fun for both girls!

Hunting

After 7 year of stability, it is time for a change... We have been out on the hunt for a new home.  It is a lot of work!  That, along with packing has been making our days extremely long.  I think it will pay off in the end, we just have to get to that point. 

I see a big garage sale in the near future because we will not be taking half of the stuff in this house. 

There is no move date set yet, but it will be some time this summer. 

We all have mixed emotions about this.  There are 7 years of memories in this home, on the one hand.  On the other hand, we still have the memories to take with us... and we can make more memories in another home. 

How has your family dealt with moving in the past?

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!!

One Purple ToothBrush

Both of my girls are growing by leaps and bounds.  This fact slaps me in the face everyday when I realize it won't be long before they are grown and have lives separate from mine.  Anyway, tonight Daddy bought them new toothbrushes.  It was one of those 2 packs where there is one pretty color brush and another one that is just blah.  Both girls wanted the purple one, so I had to set up some way of "drawing straws".  I shuffled them behind my back, and told Morgan that since she had asked for the purple one first then she could pick which hand she wanted.  I was really pulling for her because I could see how badly she wanted it.  She smiled and reached out excitedly thinking she was picking the right hand.  I handed over the brush as we both looked and saw that it was the green one.  "Ok, Mommy" she said, and she bravely walked away deflated but still ready to be the big person and not cry about it.  As she walked to the bathroom, I asked Jaden, "Does it make you feel bad that she didn't get the one she wants?"  Jaden said, "Yeah.  I know she really wanted the purple one."  Then, Jaden walked to the bathroom and handed the purple one to Morgan.  Jaden walked back to her room, thinking no one was looking, and began talking quietly to herself... coaching herself, "It is only a toothbrush, it is only a toothbrush, Jaden..." That was her chant over and over again- She clearly wanted the purple too.  She was so serious with her chant, and I was so overjoyed by the way that she handled the situation that I just burst out laughing.  Jaden looked over and we laughed uncontrollably together for a few minutes.  Now, gosh, I just want 2 purple tooth brushes. 
Can't I make both of my girls happy at the same time?  Does she really believe her chant?  I feel so bad that one girl got what she wanted and the other did not. 

Awana- Sky Stormer

Jaden has been working hard at AWANA,  She completed her entire 1st level book (Hang Glider) in just 4 months!!!  Each level book is made to last 1 year, so 4 months is amazing!! 

In January, she began her 2nd level book (Sky Stormer).  She plans to finish it this month!  The only things she has left to do are recite the books of the Old Testament, and recite 5 more verses by memory.  Then, she will do her review of the same level book and will move on to her 3rd level book!! 

She wants to finish all 3 books this year.  It is not such a far-fetched dream!  She will have completed the 2nd level book within 2 months, so I don't see why she can't finish the 3rd and final book by May. 

A superstar!!!

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 =) 

When Life Gives You Lemons

At age 6 and 4 and this is their first time tasting lemons.  I had to get a video of it!  Their reactions are hilarious!

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!

Jaden Turns 6 yeas old!!

Jaden turned 6 on August 5th, 2010. We had fun all day long. Grandma Leslie came by with cake and gifts, and LeCount and I gave Jaden and Morgan a bunch of things. Jaden's gifts from us were fun homeschool things and plenty of crafts and other items so they will always have something fun to do. Grandma Leslie brought clothes for both girls and play food for their kitchen. After celebrating all day long, LeCount and I sat down with Jaden with yet another surprise. We asked her what she would like to eat. She said macaroni and cheese, so we went to Olive Garden. Jaden was on the verge of tears when the staff brought her a cake and sang to her (I was actually crying)! She said it was the best day of her life! I am glad she feels that way because we are so blessed to have her as our daughter!

Putting out Fires

Like I said there is always something to learn almost everywhere you go! Learning is so much fun! The girls enjoyed checking out the fire truck and seeing how the fire men put out fires. They even had a pretend house with fake fire for the kids to put out with a big hose. Pretty cool! It is events like these that give children ideas for future careers.

Starting from Seeds

We have started some seeds for spring and summer flowers. These should turn out really pretty as soon as they grow some :o) All of the seeds came from an Earth Fest we attended. We want to be a part of making the Earth beautiful!

Saying Goodbye

We went to Grandma Leslie's and Grandpa Lyale's house to bid farewell to Uncle Bryan, Aunt Amy, James and Paige. They are moving to another state. It is sad to see them go, especially now as the kids are now at an age where they enjoy each other's company :(

Jaden and the Snake

Every day I learn something new. Every day I learn at least one new thing about my girls. I took them to another Earth Fest and found out that Jaden likes snakes! Eeeeeeewwwww!

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.