Preschooler!

After waiting, and waiting and counting down the days, Addison finally started preschool last week. She was so excited it was finally her turn to go to school. We have a sweeeeet setup for preschool as it is in my friends home across the street. As in, I can leave Emery in bed and run Addison across the street for school. Plus, my friend is a FABULOUS teacher.

With her fun new backpack!Waiting on her carpet square for school to start. She has a few little friends in her class and I wanted to get a picture of them all together but it was a little hectic on the first day due to some sad kids being dropped off.

With her teacher/my friend Miss Debra:

She totally LOVES that she gets homework every night. Adorable. And she has been singing the cutest and funniest songs all week. Tonight for FHE she taught us all a song about bubblegum that she learned today. Love this girl and I miss her a teeny tiny bit when she is gone but she is so happy being in school that I can't help but be happy to have her there!

Back-to-School 2011

The kids went back to school last week! Where did the summer go?! Since the school Carter and Makenna go to has every Friday off (which we absolutely love), school starts a bit early here. We are slowly adjusting to having a schedule again and tweaking the routine to make sure everything runs smoothly again. Other than being on a more strict sleep schedule, the adjustment to being back in school has been pretty smooth. I'm still getting used to the drive and trying to adjust my little girls nap schedule so I'm not always waking them up to do pickup.

The night before school started we got supplies organized, school bags packed and paperwork filled out:


Allen gave the 3 oldest kids fathers blessings:


We made fancy caramel apples to give to the teachers on the first day (and a few extra to have as an after school snack). This is for sure my new go-to BTS teacher gift - they were a big hit!:



On Monday morning the kids were up and ready bright and early. We had a fun breakfast, took pictures and were out the door.


Carter wouldn't even let me come to his classroom with him. I dropped Makenna in her classroom with her bags of supplies and asked her if she wanted me to stay. I thought there might be some tears but she bopped right in, found her friends and waved goodbye. Just like that they were settled into school. Sigh. When did they get so old and independent?! After school drop-off I got together with some girlfriends and went to breakfast. I was surprised at how EASY everything felt having only two kids with me!

After school we had a little visit from the Back-to-School fairy. She brought Harry Potter Legos for Carter and new dresses for the girls with matching dresses for their American Girl dolls. Everything was a big hit! For dinner the kids chose to eat at Red Robin for a little BTS celebration and we talked about their first day! Everything seemed to go off without a hitch and they both seem very happy in their classes.

Miss Addison starts preschool (!!!!) after Labor Day and I just can't believe she is already old enough to go. She is anxious to start and asks me every day when it will be her turn for school!

Here are my BTS decorations.
My jars have crayons, rulers, apples and wooden letter magnets in them.

Dining room table:
(shhh... I just might be counting down the days until September when I can pull out my FALL home decor!!)

First Day of School

The day after we returned from our PNW vacation, the kids started school! We pulled in at about 9:00 p.m., fed everyone, showered everyone and had them in bed by about 9:30. It was a late night, making the first school morning a little rocky. The kids rallied and were really excited to start at their new school.

We decided this summer to send the kids to a local charter school that about 20 families in our ward attend. We had heard such wonderful things about it that we decided to apply and were excited to be accepted. The only downfall of the school is that is about a 30 minute drive each way, with no bussing option. Luckily we are able to carpool with a friend/neighbor making the drive slightly less painful each day.

We had a VERY quick photo taking session before school that morning.

(Kenna has to wear tennis shoes every day which is really putting a cramp in her/my style- LOL. I got her a few pair of the cutest tennies we could find)

After school we had our traditional visit from the Back to School fairy who brought Makenna a pair of roller skates (she is obsessed) and Carter a Tech Deck set. We also had an apple themed snack (sliced apples and delicious toffee dip). The kids had a great first day!

I really can't believe I have two kids in school full time now. It has changed the dynamics of our home a lot. I miss the big kids a ton, especially Makenna who seems so little to be in school all day (don't worry, I felt the same way when Carter went off to Kindy). But both kids are loving school and really thriving there. I must say I am loving my one-on-one time with Addison every day. She is at the most charming age right now and she is flourishing with all the attention she is getting! We are starting most of our extra curricular activities in the next week and I am so glad we've had these first couple of weeks of school to get settled into a routine and to remind the kids that life is not all fun and games when school is in session.

I must admit that after the first two weeks of making the drive to the school that I was about to throw in the towel. I mean, we weren't unhappy in our previous school and I just wasn't sure it was worth it. Then, last Thursday Allen and I attended the school curriculum night and we were completely BLOWN AWAY by the amazing curriculum the school offers. Carter's teacher was particularly impressive and I walked out of there knowing we made the right decision for our kids. I also love that we have every Friday off of school. The kids will have field trips and are supposed to use part of the day to work on their monthly projects but it's been totally dreamy having a 3 day weekend every week!

Just for fun, here are my BTS jars. I needed something to fill the jars with after the 4th of July and decided on a BTS theme, which I've never done before. I love it!! I made the wreath out of brown lunch sacks and love how it turned out (all for about $1). Next year I hope to add some cute ABC/ 123 embellishments on it too.

First Day(s) of School

The school year has commenced! Carter's first day was last Thursday. He was very excited to start school again and seems to be adjusting very well. Our original plan was to send him on the bus but after talking to several moms in the area, I decided just to drive him every day. It works out fine because I have to be in the car to take Makenna to preschool anyway.

Carter's first day:





After school we had a little visit from the Back to School Fairy, which they loved, of course:




And our traditional caramel apples after school snack:




After the first day, I asked Carter how he liked school. He said, "I love it mom! First grade is the BEST! I can't wait to go back." I guess that means he likes it

Today was Makenna's first day of Preschool. She has been very excited to start. I have her at a religious based preschool and have heard really good things about it. I've been very impressed with them so far. She hardly batted an eye when I said goodbye to her, even though half of the kids were crying.







Next week we start all of our extra curricular activities. The summer has been fun and relaxing but I am really excited about the fall and for more of a schedule!

Last week of School!

Yesterday was our last day of school! Yay! Bring on summer vacation. Ironically, the weather is overcast and rainy here today but it's such a change from the norm that we are LOVING it!!!

Of course it was a really busy week. I'm home this morning waiting for an appraiser and home inspector and thought I should catch up on the week.

Karate graduation/promotion:

Carter received his yellow belt in karate on Monday night. He was tested last week and passed to a yellow belt. He LOVES karate so much and is doing really well. I definitely think we will continue it in the fall in NM.


After he received his new belt and award he walked back to his seat he fist pumped in the air a la Rocky. Hilarious.

Preschool Program:





Miss M had her last day of preschool on Wednesday. All the kids put on a little program for the parents and it was adorable. Being the mom of the year that I am, my memory card on my camera was full about 2 minutes into the program. Nice. Especially since BOTH of my cameras take video footage but one was full and the other one I'm not entirely sure how to use yet. I seriously cried over my stupidity. Luckily I can get a copy from a friend who taped it.

Makenna did great in school this year. She was a little shy at the beginning of the year but has really blossomed now. She knows all her letters, sounds, numbers and how to write her name. She is really self motivated to work on her writing skills and is improving all the time. She learned lots of cute songs and nursery rhymes.

Carter's Last Day:

Yesterday was Carter's last day of school. I was able to attend his school party and awards ceremony. Carter got an academic award and the award for being most enthusiastic. I had to laugh at that one. I am SO happy with our schooling choice this year. I do think we traded some fun for academics but I am so grateful he was challenged this year. He is reading on a 5th grade level, although I think his comprehension is not at that level yet. Next year is sure to be tricky as we will be going back to a regular school situation but we'll cross that bridge in a couple months.

We also had something going on every night this week! A big thanks to my local friends who are taking such good care of us!!

Now we're on to summer break! We have lots going on the next few weeks before we move. Fun with friends, swim lessons, craft and spanish camps, a househunting trip, etc. And then our big move later in June! Crazy! The summer is going to fly by!

We are very much looking forward to the long holiday weekend with lots of relaxing, time at the pool, maybe a trip to the movies, date night, etc. Nothing big but it's just what we need right now. We have plenty of BIG coming up!

First Day of School!!

Well, we all survived the first day of school! Both of the kids did well. Carter was a little bit emotional but did ok once he realized I was able to walk with him into his classroom and help him get settled there. I had to work hard to maintain my composure because I knew if I lost it, he would too. For sure, the hardest part for me was watching Carter and Makenna say goodbye to each other. Makenna sat with her arm around him for about 10 minutes in the classroom before the parents were dismissed. Then she kissed him on the head and said goodbye.

We had about an hour between Carter's drop off and Makenna's so we went home and that's when I cried! It seemed so quiet without Carter around. Makenna did awesome on her drop off and didn't even notice when I left. I'm so glad that a friend planned a first day of school bfast for all our friends so I was distracted for a good 3 hours and had no time to feel sad!

After school when I picked Carter up he looked so tired. I asked him how his first day was and he said, "Mom, it was so exhausting." Poor guy. I think full day Kindy is a bit much (but mandatory in AZ). He wasn't quite as excited to bound out of bed this morning!!

After school we made caramel apples for a first day of school treat. I had seen these mini caramel apples on the Martha Steward website a few months ago and then Family Fun had them in this months issue too! I thought they would be fun to try!

We give them 2 out of 5 stars. The caramel slides right off of them! I guess that is why FF used melted butterscotch chips. They were much easier to eat than regular caramel apples though!

(PS, I'm sick as a dog and went to bed at 8 last night after taking TWO naps yesterday! So I have lots of blog catching up to do!)

Back to School: Ideas 3 & 4

I have two quick ideas to share that we did over the weekend.

Idea 3: Have the kids plan a last hurrah of the summer. We let them plan our entire day on Saturday. We started the day at Makenna's first dance class of the "fall" (this was unavoidable). We then made our way to the AZ Science Center where we watched a show at the Planetarium. Carter is VERY into space/planets/rockets lately so this was his choice. We spent a couple more hours at the Science Center visiting exhibits. After a quick lunch on our way home, we changed into our swimsuits and spent the afternoon at the pool. We ate dinner at In-and-Out Burger and ended the day with a movie at home!

They totally loved having control of the entire day! And my battery pack for the camera was dead so no pictures (bah!!)

Idea 4: First Day of School Cone: I borrowed this idea from the Chasing Fireflies catalog. Here's what the catalog says about this tradition:

"Germany has a sweet tradition to celebrate a child's first day of school. Parents give their child a Schultüte, a giant paper cone filled with school supplies, small gifts and candy. We've created a treat-filled cone to help make your child's first day extra special."

I thought this was such a fun idea and could turn into such a fun tradition. The CF cones were quite a bit more than I wanted to spend but I knew I could replicate the idea myself.

Here are the cones I made:

And the kids with their goodies:

I put a nail polish set, a jewelry kit, some candy and a big balloon in Miss M's cone.I put a race car model kit, a Speed Racer puzzle, candy and a huge balloon in Carter's cone.

This was just a cute picture of Allen with the kids right after he gave them their school blessings (yes, I bawled like a baby!)

I can't believe tomorrow is the BIG day!

Back to School: Idea 2

There are tons of books out there to prepare kids for school. My absolute favorite is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. This book is a must have if you have a child entering school! It is so sweet and touching!

We've been reading the book for the last few days and then we made some "hugs" for each other that the kids will have in their bags in case they ever feel sad or miss home. I laminated their hugs and attached them to their bags (no worries, Carter' s is on the inside of his bag so as to not take away from the toughness of his Batman backpack).

Here's Makenna's attached to her backpack. It says, "1 hug for Makenna".

The kids also made hugs for me and Allen that we can refer to when we are sad and missing them. It's not a big thing but I hope they will remember they are loved and missed when they are away from me.

A couple other books that we've enjoyed in prep for school this year:

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Kindergarten Rocks! by Katie Davis

Have fun!

Back To School Night

Tonight was back to school night for Carter. Let me back up here. At Carter's last parent teacher conference last year, his teacher was slightly concerned that the public school system would not challenge him enough. She gave me some alternative ideas that we toyed with for months and months. It was an agonizing decision and process for us. We finally decided to enroll him in a local charter school near our home. I have several friends who have sent their kids to this school and most of them gave glowing reviews. The two things that we liked about the school is that they test the kids before the school year starts and group them in classes based on their abilities AND the school is extremely focused on academics. Our main concern was that Carter not be bored in school.

When I went to enroll him we found out that the school was already full. I was heartbroken. We had prayed and agonized about the decision for so long. The school tested him and put him on the waiting list. In the mean time we went forward preparing him for enrollment in the public school. We were thrilled last week when the charter school called and said they had a spot for him.

So anyway, tonight was back to school night. Carter was excited to meet his teacher. We went to the welcome meeting in the cafeteria and then went to the classroom for the teacher introduction/meeting. Imagine my surprise when we found out he has been placed in a FIRST GRADE class. We knew from last year that he is reading on about a 2nd grade level but had no idea he had tested high enough in everything else to skip over Kindergarten all together. I am a little bit concerned, mostly about his maturity and socialization. His teacher had plenty of reassuring words for me. There are 3 other Kindy students that will also be in this first grade class with him.

So now I get to go school supply shopping for the THIRD time. The first go around we got the stuff from the public school supply list. The second time we got the stuff for the charter school Kindergarten list and now I have to go get the stuff for the charter school first grade list. Sheesh.

I know this is not the biggest parenting decision we will ever have to make. I guess I'm just a little surprised that we're already making these kinds of decisions when our child is only 5. Like I said, it was a stressful process and decision for us. This is a huge new adventure for us!

Allen stayed home with the girls while I took Carter. Makenna was bawling as we were leaving and crying for Carter to stay home with her. While we were backing out of the driveway Carter said, "Mom, I think my eyes are watering a little bit." I told him it was ok to be sad. He said, "I'm going to miss Makenna when I go to school. I think my eyes are going to water on Monday too." {Cue my heart breaking into a million pieces} I assured him that my eyes would be watering on Monday morning too!

Back to School: Idea 1

Ok, so I've seen school related tshirts all over the web and in various catalogs and think it's a cute idea. But, of course, I was not about to pay $30 for a tshirt. So I made my own. They didn't turn out quite as I imagined but for $3 per shirt (the price of the tshirt at Wal Mart), they're pretty fun anyway. They took me all of about 5 minutes to make!
And, here's my new pillows in the living room. I think it still needs some extra pillows (Allen will die when he reads this). I'm thinking about getting the orange or red in the longer/skinnier pillow. Thoughts?!?