Wee-Ones Wednesday: Our Little Angel

"Ready to fly to school."

"I'm so excited!"

"Mia's my best friend."

Proud Mama!

"Hi guys."

Even Daddy got in the act.

They chose right when they made Iris the love angel.

Away in the manger...the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
Iris nailed all the motions to the songs every time.



She loves her grandparents,




& so does she.



Grandma kisses &

 

Grammy hugs!

It was finally Iris' turn to be in the preschool Christmas program. She was beyond excited to have her turn in the spotlight, and she sure did shine as the Angel of Love. Great job, baby girl! We love you.

Misc. Monday: LOVE THEM

Seriously, how sweet is this? I looked out the back door and saw these two. She was so proud to be helping her daddy. Oh, how I love them!

Misc. Monday: Here Comes Santa Claus!

Wee-Ones Wednesday: Homework

As a teacher, I always like to point out that studies have shown that there is no correlation between homework and academic success, especially in the primary levels. That being said, it has been a tradition in our school system to give and require homework, so I tend to use it to foster responsibility and set up routines.
As a mother, homework is just as much a chore for me as it is for Lilly. She whines and complains like a middle schooler when I tell her it's time to do her homework, which is ironic because she gets it done quickly and then wants to continue to write in her journal or asks Dan to make her math problems. It's like children have this innate ability to not want to do certain things even if they don't really mind doing them at all. Is it just to drive their parents crazy? I think so. I'm sure I complained about it too. Sorry, Mom.
*I also couldn't resist adding what Iris believes is appropriate behavior for homework or "quiet time," as we like to call it. You turn your back for one minute...

Misc. Monday: Astro Turf Tree Activity

Here's a fun Pinterest idea with a spin. I cut out a traditional tree shape out of AstroTurf and some felt shapes and ornaments and let the girls go for it. We even added some ric rac as garland. It's been so much fun. The kids change it up all the time, and since the felt sticks to itself as well as the AstroTurf, it can be played with over and over again. Yay! We love it. I made some smaller versions as activity play mats to sell at the craft fair this weekend. Don't forget to come by from 10am to 2 pm this Saturday!

SIX YEARS!!

 

fellow fresh beat band fan.

 

preschool friends.

silly pics are favorite.

lilly got to have her class pet on her b.day weekend.

 

my little man.



how do bodies bend like that??

25 happy, silly kiddos! we love you all.

queen for a day.

thank you!!!!

home birthday dinner & g.ma's famous cake.



it's almost done. good thing the crawfords got her some strings.



 

"my dad is awesome!!"

I can't believe my first born baby is already six years old! It feels like only yesterday, I was telling Dan under the avocado tree that I was pregnant. We celebrated today at a bounce house warehouse. It was the first party we did not host at home, and I have to say it was a ton of fun! The kids were sweaty, pink cheeked, and happy. We jumped, slid, ran, and screamed to our hearts content and I didn't have a mess to clean up. Lilly really wanted a Fresh Beat Band party, so I added a few touches from her favorite TV show, and the place was gracious enough to play her CD to rock out too. Happy birthday, sweet Lilly! We love you more than you can imagine.

Misc. Monday: Mini-Electric Guitar Progress

Dan is building Lilly an electric guitar per her request for her 6th birthday. You can see the schematics she drew in this previous post. The process is simply amazing, and blows my mind! The body and neck have been sprayed and are hanging in the garage to dry. Last night, Dan borrowed my old Singer sewing machine to wind the pick up. He had to explain it to me too. He used the sewing machine to wind hair-thin copper wire around a set of magnets that are mounted to the front of the guitar. This set of magnets "picks up" the vibrations made by the guitar's strings and sends them to the amplifier to make the sound. What is more amazing than me understanding what I just wrote is that Dan has had to fabricate everything for this guitar himself since it is only 3/4 the size of a regular guitar. So not only is he doing all the woodwork, but he is doing all the metal work as well. He even designed and made his own decal for the headstock, spending hours on the computer getting his font to look just like Fender's. I'm tell you, he is amazing!!

Sew Crafty Saturday: Acacia Elementary's Holiday Boutique

the official flyer.

gotta have cute bags.

tooth fairy pillows.

bandanna bibs.

dish towels.

bobby pins, earrings, & rings.

sweater pins & hair clips.

My friend, Amy and I are participating in the holiday boutique at Lilly's school on December 8th. It runs from 10am to 2pm. There are many vendors and crafters participating and the kids can even take a picture with Santa, so if you are in the neighborhood or are looking for something fun to do, come on by!