Name Recognition

I've been working on some preschool activities with Alison lately.

Here's a Name Recognition file folder game that I found

on pinterest.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

Alison made a pinecone bird feeder this morning.

She especially liked putting the seeds on it.

Here's the finished product, hanging in the tree.

Note:  If you've never made a pincone bird feeder with your kids before, you'll want to tie your twine onto the pinecone before adding the peanut butter and seeds.  I learned this (the messy way) when I made one of these with my first child a few years ago.

Movie Theater 3-D Glasses

Jake wearing the adult-sized glasses.

Alison wearing the adult-sized glasses.

Why does she always put glasses on upside down?

Sam wearing the kid-sized glasses.

Doesn't she look like such a smarty pants?

She wore these to church one day and kept them on the whole time, just like they were real glasses.

Nature Collage

The girls made a nature collage today. 

First they went outside and gathered lots of flat things like leaves, grass, feathers, flower petals, etc. 

Then they stuck them onto a piece of clear contact paper.

(I had it stuck with tape onto the table, sticky side up.)

When all their nature finds were stuck to the contact paper, I put another piece on top of it to make it all stick together.

I let the girls use a rolling pin to make sure the two pieces of contact paper were completely stuck together.

Then I trimmed the edges.

Silly Faces!

Samantha Is So Tall

Last year when Sam was a kindergartener in a K/1 class,

she was the tallest in the class.

This year she is a first grader in a K/1 class.

Just look at how tall she is compared to all the other kids.

Samantha's First Day of School

Samantha's First Day of School

August 22, 2011

It was a tough day for me.  Good thing Sam knew some of the kids and has the same teacher as she did last year. 

Last year she was in a K/1 combo class.  At the end of the year, her teacher called me and asked if Sam could come back in her class for her 1st grade year.  She said was such a good student and she'd love to have her back in the room.  Being familiar with the room, the teacher, and a few of the kids made the morning really easy.

Alison was up all night with the stomach flu and there was no way I could bring her with me when I took Sam to school

So here's my morning line-up:  Jason is gone, Sam's first day of school, Alison is puking, Jake is fine.  How do I get Sam to school and through the 45 minutes first day check-in?

I called a few women in the ward and finally found someone that would come stay with my puking child. 

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you Julie Vazquez!

She had to pick up her kids from seminary, drive them to school, then come to my house for about 30 minutes so that I could take Sam to school, then she had to rush home to pick up her oldest daughter and take her to school. 

I couldn't have done it without Julie's help.  Thank you!!!

He Loves To Eat!

I love this little guy SO much!  

He is such a joy in my life.

I just gotta tell ya about this one little thing that makes me squeal with delight quite often.

HE EATS EVERYTHING!!!!

Okay, so maybe someday I'll be complaining because he'll be eating us out of house and home,

but for now, I'm just feeling ducky! 

After two VERY picky girls, this is such a fun change!

He grubbed on this tomato and was quite upset when it was gone.

As a matter of fact, he's upset everytime the food is gone.

No matter how much I give him, he's never quite full.

Alison

Water Fountain

Alison really wanted a drink of water from the water fountain at Target, but she couldn't reach, so Samantha filled her hands with water and let Alison drink from them. 

I know, I know, germy.  But it was so cute!

I thought it was so cool to watch Sam figure out a way to help her little sister.  Alison doesn't usually like to be picked up, so Sam figured out the next best thing. 

If you can't bring Alison to the water, bring the water to Alison.

Sexy Momma

"I wish I was a little bit taller....

I wish I was a baller."

Dollhouse

I found a dollhouse for $14 at the children's

consignment store today.  Score!

The girls LOVE it!!

We'll have to buy them some furniture and people.

Red, White, and Blue Smoothie

I love smoothies! 

This one was particularly good.

It had milk, a banana, yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and ice.

Soccer Opening Ceremonies & Picture Day

Getting ready for the Delta Youth Soccer League's

opening ceremonies.

Why does her "silly face" always look a bit angry?

Every year the soccer league does a bit opening ceremony parade.

The teams are lining up.

Sam's team is the Purple Dragons.

Walking with her team in the parade.

I told her where I would be and then I yelled really loudly

as her team passed.

She told me she thought it was really cool that she could find me and hear me cheering for her.

(There was probably more than 1,000 people there.)

Later in the day were the team pictures. 

After the picutres were done, the coach bought snow cones

for all the girls.

"Thanks Coach!"