Wow is all I can say!!

Well the month of January is here and gone and Feb. is almost half way over, where does the time go? January brought us back to reality from break and getting back into the swing of things, with preschool, school, tumbling, Girl Scouts and my b-day!!
Well preschool and school really nothing to report in January and the same with tumbling, but Girl Scouts we were busy, with selling our famous cookies, the annual Mall Lock In, and taking the girls to paint their own pottery! The Mall Lock In is always MLK weekend and I was there with thank goodness one other mom from out troop and 9 of my troop, that is more than double from last year and still only about 1/2 the troop!! We have crafts, games, singing and pizza before you try to get some sleep on the mall floor about 1 - 2 am, then lights are back on for clean up and breakfast at 6am - can you say tired??? The Waterstone Pottery was great to accommodate all 17 in the troop, 2 honorary Girl Scouts (Delaney and Emma - us leaders younger girls) and 2 brothers of the troop. They each got to pick one item to paint and glitter. Gretchen has a very "cool" penguin that says Gretchen's Room on his sign and looks like he has snow all over him with the glitter - very pretty and Delaney picked an rainbow and she also did a very colorful job!!
And I have to say Jason always is like what is up girls when it comes to their b-day because they are so excited because they get like 4 days of it they say - school, friends party, family party and their actual b-day celebration, but I guess after thinking about it this year they get it natural, lol. Jason took me out for an date for my b-day, my cousin took me to breakfast one morning, the kids and Jason took me to dinner, my mom had an meal for me and my soon to be sis-in-law Tiff (our b-day's are only 2 days apart) and of course my friends at preschool had to help me celebrate! Loved all my little preschool friends singing Happy B-day to me - too cute!! My girls helped Jason with gifts and did an amazing job!! New cookbook, gift certificate to the book store, music CD's I wanted. I laugh because he usually struggles with gift purchases and I told him to ask the girls for help and he did and this is what I got - keep it up girls!!
So then we moved into February and in Preschool we talked about Groundhogs Day and that Groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter and I said okay get us 1 more good snow and then bring on Spring!! Well boy, let me tell you - Gretchen got out early that same week because of snow and they were called off the whole next week and we will even have to reschedule the Valentine's Parties for preschool and Gretchen's class (I was the Mom in charge of her party too)!! So yes, we actually got 2 more really good snows with just about a day in between! So yes, I am will be okay now, bring on Spring, lol. I must say though it is so beautiful here at our home with all the snow, the girls got to play outside, built an snow family, made snow angels and just had FUN!! Then they would come back in and have hot cocoa and get their warm baths! Speaking of our house, I love our neighbors!! It is so nice on Saturday after the first snow, there was about 3 of us families out, using shovels, snow blowers, etc. making sure every one's drive was cleaned out while our kids played we chatted until we were all needing warm showers and hot cocoa!! The only bad thing about the snow is it made us postpone a trip to Newport Aquarium and an overnight at an hotel for some swimming, but we are planning on going later in the month, so watch for updates! In the midst of all this snow I was a cleaning/organizing fool!! Got lots of accomplished, plus played lots of games with the girls, watched some movies and did some reading - I have to admit I have been a okay with all of this! Then I will reorganize that garage when the weather breaks, because I will have enough things after cleaning out for yet another garage sale!! This past week I was also able to start my cake decorating class, always wanted to do it, so I am very excited and will continue to post about this too!
As far as the family we are looking forward to an Girl Scout Bowling party, Viking Fest (school carnival), and our trip to Newport. Girl Scout wise we will be getting our cookies to deliver hopefully next week. Tumbling Gretchen has got her round off back hand spring - by herself!! Wahooo!!! And Delaney is working on her back walkover - wow girls I am So Proud of You!! And school wise we hopefully will get back into the swing next week and get our Valentine Parties rescheduled. Preschool has a busy month still with special readers for our Read A Thon, Library visit, and school pictures. Gretchen's school will have an field trip (I was to help with) to reschedule in addition to their party and the Jump Rope For the Heart Fundraiser, which is when they play loud music in the gym and do different jumping activities, lots of fun to help with and see all the jumping kids! So in ending we are staying in to be safe and warm! And tonight we will be geared up for Survivor's new season - Heroes vs. Villains - I think this will be the best season EVER!!!

Happy New Year!

We ended last year and started this year with a low key affair dinner and games, what a great night! And the girls even stayed awake - amazing! So as we start this new year and I am caught up blogging, yeah!! Something good came out of the first snow day huh? At least I will feel like something is accomplished although it should have probably been dishes and laundry, next my friends, lol. So as I was saying I am looking forward to 2010 and the rest of my first year teaching of preschool and hoping they decide to bring me back for year number 2. I am also looking foward to snow days, Spring Break, Summer break - I am just embracing the reasons to be a teacher, lol. I will enjoy the girlfriend time, family time, date nights and me time to read some more or just enjoy my favorite shows. Looking forward to another great summer break with my girls. Jason I will answer for at this time, I would say some of his projects, primarily the window seats, which has been a project for 1 1/2 years so that I will quit complaining that they are not done and can get rid of some more boxes! I am sure he would love that. Gretchen is looking foward to vacation, more movies, softball, playdates, swimming, Boonshoft and 3rd grade. While Delaney is looking forward to bowling, Boonshoft, hanging at home, making cookies, playdates, swimming and heading on the bus to hopefully Mr. Roeth's class for Kindergarten. So I have to say we are not looking to anything huge just things that are meaningful to us as a person and family. So here is to a Great 2010!

Break Time

Like I mentioned Jason is usually off part of break and we usually try to squeeze in some family fun and this year was no exception. We did our annual drive around look at Christmas lights, nativities and we usually get in a movie. And this year we were all so excited because Alvin & The Chipmunks The Squeakuel was opening on Dec. 23 - WAHOOO!! As a special treat the 4 of us went the the Tucker 5, basically Alvin, Simon & Theodore, John & Missy, lol. We were laughing at so many portions of the movie that reminded me of our own real life Chipmunks! The joke is that I am down a Chipette - sorry only 2 Chipettes here! And I have to say the real treat was that Jason & John went, usually they let that be our thing, but it was nice to have all of us together. If you haven't guessed Missy, me and all the kids LOVE movies!! This break was great thanks to Redbox $1 movies, got caught up on some of them and we went to the theatre 3 times, New Moon - finally, Chipmunks and then Jason and me caught a snoozer after dinner one night, oh well, my birthday is coming up maybe we will see Blind Side or another good one coming out, decisions, decisions. And I even got a book reading in there, yeah!! I think God's gift was the day we woke up to this beautiful site of our trees covered in snow and the girls got to go play in the snow for the first time this year.

Christmas is Here

Christmas break started and Jason had decided to do something different this year and take the week before Christmas off not in between Christmas and New Year, which I have to say worked out like a charm! Especially since I needed to finish shopping, which I did on Saturday of break, wrapping, which I did on Monday when Jason took the girls out shopping, so the rest of the week was smooth sailing, whew! Christmas Eve we had the Tuckers over for our celebration, which includes a meal, this year we went easy - El Sombrero Fiesta Platter, gifts, games and fun! This year was no exception. And I always laugh because we always as adults get so excited for gifts too, because we know each other so well that the gifts are always an great surprise! Then our neighborhood lights up with luminaries and pass out treats, yummy again! Have I mentioned I love our neighborhood and house! It is so beautiful to see the whole neighborhood lighted (only 5 houses I think didn't participate this year). So we try out some of the yummy treats and the Tuckers and Frocks divide and have our own family fun of church services, games, new pjs and reading of the Night Before Christmas before the lights go out so Santa can make his drops. A little glitch in the plans came this year after the divide because I ended up sick for the rest of Christmas Eve and Christmas. Christmas morning the kids got up around 8, not bad to see what Santa had brought and then to open gifts from Daddy & Mommy, I just took my spot on the couch so I could observe and rest. I must say Jason was a trooper getting everything opened, while I went to lay down before we had to head to my parents. Needless to say I passed on the

Christmas meal, but again just quietly observed the present exchange. I am happy to report I woke up the day after Christmas feeling okay. Then on Sunday we went to celebrate Christmas with Jason's family, which I was totally excited about because the girls would be able to get their American Girl dolls they wanted from Grandma. So the pictures are when the girls got their American Girl dolls that they were so excited about! Again I think being a parent is just as exciting as being a kid because their expressions and excitement are contagious!

Programs - School & Church

Preschool typically has a program either at Thanksgiving or Christmas or sometimes both, but this year we decided to do the Thanksgiving one in conjunction with Grandparent's Day and to just focus on the Reason for the Season and not stress it for the Christmas program. So we picked our favorite songs, practiced and then the day arrived. The room was packed with Grandparents, parents and other special family members and they were nervous and so was I! This would be my first time presenting our program, but my little friends did wonderful! I was so proud of them! And then it was time to put on my mom hat and watch Miss Delaney, who also did an awesome job! Then at Christmas at preschool we just had a fun day with Pastor Russ coming in to read to us, special snacks (cupcakes for Jesus' b-day) and a visit from old St. Nick. Now Gretchen's school program this year is going to be in conjunction with President's Day so watch for that, but she did participate in our church's program. Well after many changes to script, who was in charge, who was participating, and many prayers the program went off beautifully, which still amazes me if you had been there for the last practice, whew! We joked that we should pray for stage fright to subdue some of the cast! Gretchen had several speaking parts and a short solo, very impressive I must say! Delaney could have taken part, but decided to pass on the opportunity. As always I feel some tears when I watch either one of my beautiful daughters perform. And since I was on teacher duty I really didn't get pictures at preschool, so here is a picture of Gretchen in the church program.

Thanksgiving

Jason was off the week of Thanksgiving like normal which is so nice because the kids get out of school, well actually Delaney and me didn't have class at all, but Gretchen had 2 days. And usually we will do something fun on Wed. and Jason works on some projects. But it was an eventful week with my Dad having an heart attack and subsequent surgery, but thank goodness all was well and he got out of the hospital on Wed. and was home for Thanksgiving. So after all that and lots to be thankful for we did try to keep up some of the tradition of Thanksgiving week by going to get our Christmas Tree. To give you some background we had got a real tree a couple of times and then purchased a fake tree after Christmas and said that every once in a while we would get a real tree and it had been quite a few years so last year the girls asked if we could get an real one and we did, but I had always wanted to cut one down so finally this year we did and the best part it was close to home and it was an fundraiser for a baseball team, totally win/win. So this picture is of the tree. And to end this post I want to say that I am so thankful for Jesus, Jason and my girls, family, friends and this year the opportunity to teach preschool.

Halloween Parties & Trick or Treat

Parties galore! First their was our local community center's party (where the girls take gymnastics), which included games, crafts, food, friends and fun! I was so impressed when they did an costume show that Delaney did not hesitate to go show off her costume, I know I should not be surprised still with how far she has come, but I am! They had to wrap each other as mummies, stuff an scarecrow, pick their pumpkins, color pictures, etc. The ETCC is one of the reasons I love where we live, so close in proximity and it is like a family atmosphere. Then we had Preschools party. The kids loved it they got to come in costume (I was a 50's girl - already had that outfit for the Girl Scout dance) and then they got to parade around the church and trick or treat. And the nice thing is that we encourage the parents who bring in the trick or treat items to do no candy since they will get plenty of that! Then it was on to Gretchen's class party, which I was the room mom in charge, so with the help of 2 other rocking moms (worked out great they were 2 of my Girl Scout moms so I know them well) we put on a great party well at least we think! To be honest we were a little bummed that the kids in 2nd grade do not get to get in costumes, only K and 1st, so we decided we are going to do our best to make them forget they are not in costume, even though I don't think this was Mrs. Sutherly's decision because she decorates very cool and is pretty easy going, think it is either the other teachers or the district. Let's let kids be kids in my book, but off the soapbox and back to the party! So we got green punch and put it in a witch's cauldron to serve, Sharon did these amazing looking spider web cupcakes (and delicious too) and Abby made up the most awesome filled to the rim goody bags ever! And they got to party, make a bookmark and finish watching their movie. And Delaney loved going in and being a big girl and sitting with her sister and doing an craft too. Now Trick or Treat is pretty cool in our neighborhood because it is a small area and you know pretty much everyone so they give out nice treats and it is just enough to walk and this year the weather was amazing which makes it even better. And to make it even more fun some of our friends brought their 2 kids over and we all walked around together and let the kids have fun together. So this is my witch and princess for Halloween.