Giraffes for our Teachers

Carli is my little artist.  She is constantly making things.  In some ways she reminds me of her Uncle Tone b/c he was always making things out of paper when he was her age.  The difference is that Carli needs paint, sparkles and lots of glue!  The first week of school Carli came home and declared she needed to make something for her teacher.  She got out her craft book, picked a craft and went to work.  Ava decided it didn't look too bad so she joined in on the fun too!

Our finished giraffes.  Carli's is for her teacher Mrs. Chambers, thus the "C" and Ava's is for her teacher Mrs. Tinkle, thus the "T."

We had to wait for our hot glue to dry before the girls could pick up their creations and pose...thus they were already ready for bed!  :)

Fort Building & Exercising

One of the most favorite things Kayla did with the girls when she watched them was build some pretty awesome forts.  So when the girls asked one morning to help them build a fort, I knew expectations were high.  With the pressure on, I busted out 5 blankets, chip clips and all the dining room chairs to build "a pretty good" fort for the girls...

When we were playing in the fort, we were sweating it out outside giving the puppy dogs a little exercise.  Poor dogs were hot after a quarter of a mile!

 

Meeting Aunt Sarah & Uncle Doyle

A couple of weeks ago while the girls were having a Kayla day, Drew and I ventured down to Alto.  Aunt Sarah and Uncle Doyle had come down for a quick visit with Grammy & Pa so Drew got to meet them for the first time!

My Blessings

Going to the Dentist

We moved into our new house last July but we had to vacate our old house last May.  Apparently the girls dentist did not mail or call with appointment reminders because any good mother would have written it down or simply just remembered a dentist appt six months in the future.  It did not dawn on me that we had missed the six month check up until Carli covered dental hygiene in school and wanted to know why they had not gone to the dentist in a long time...oops!

We waited until this summer and switch to the dentist here in Troup.  We did this for two reasons:  1.  Uncle Andy had gone to him and said he did an amazing job, plus logistics...so much closer!  2.  We knew the dentist. The girls knew Marshall and we hoped that would help with any anxiety they may have about the dentist.

Unlike at the children centered dentist place, Marshall's crew treated the girls like they were little ladies.  They came and got them and didn't even ask if Mom or I wanted to go back with them.  Honestly I think this approached helped a lot.  They weren't given the option they were just expected to do it!  They had x-rays done of their teeth for the first time and even had a full teeth cleaning! 

Carli came back cavity free, Ava had one small cavity on her back tooth.  She told every one a pink and purple sugar bug was living in her back tooth and she was going to have to have the dentist take him out!  So a week later we went back to the dentist.  Ava did awesome and again, she didn't expect me to go back with her.  She got her sugar bug evicted and came out all smiles! 

Before we went to the dentist for the sugar bug removal appointment, Ava insisted that I curl her hair...hey, if it makes her feel confident to be a big girl at the dentist, I am all for it!

Uncle Danny & Drew

Drew is slowly but surely getting to meet all his Great Aunts and Uncles.  Saturday night we went to Leona to celebrate Grammy & Pa's and Aunt Carolyn & Uncle Johnny's anniversary as well as Pawpaw's birthday.  Uncle Danny got to meet us there and meet Drew for the first time.  Drew was properly impressed!  You know b/c Uncle Danny is AWESOME!  :) 

 

Family Care Center

Last week, Carli asked me what we were having for dinner and immediately told me she didn't like and went about pouting.  Because you know, I NEVER cook anything she likes, EVER.  She had a mini-melt down in the pantry when I told her no to her request to make her own dinner of a cheese sandwich and she stomped off to the play room.  Five minutes later she comes back with a note: Dere Mom, I am disappointed in you but I still love you.  And later on, I got a note that said she was mad at me.  So that night after she went to bed I wrote her a note and told her it was okay to be mad but it was not okay to say you didn't like something if you had never tried it and it was not okay to say hurtful things to other people just b/c you didn't get what you wanted.

And thus was born the idea of "Family Care Center" from Carli.  She wanted to make mailboxes for the whole family so we could write eachother notes.  I thought it was a pretty good idea b/c it would at least get her to talk or write about her feelings instead of simply sulking.  So while the girls were off having sleepovers a couple of weekends ago, Keith, Drew and I had our own little date and set about finding something that would work for our mailboxes. 

We ended up with four wire baskets and four notebooks.  After church Sunday night we worked on getting the whole system set up.  First, we had to add our names to our mailboxes.  Drew was a good sport and cheered everyone on with their decorating!

Aren't we so artistic?!

 

Well, Carli didn't think Keith had enough décor on his mailbox so she spruced it up a bit.  :)

 

 

Drew got a little extra loving in between the decorating!

 

And then it was time to "install" the mailboxes.  Carli was very much into the whole process.  She helped Keith hang each box and then very carefully placed each persons notebook in their mailbox.

We've had our "mailboxes" for a couple of weeks and the girls LOVE them.  It is fun to write a note to them at night and see them excitedly go see if they have "mail."  They enjoy writing/drawing notes to eachother and Keith and I.  I really like the notebook idea b/c the notes will be saved for them to look through later.  Grammy even wrote them a note when she came over last week.  :)

First Day of School 2015

First day of school!  First day of school!  Both my girls were SO excited for today.  I wish every morning would go as smoothly as this one did.  I walked in their room and turned on their light and up they both popped!  Clothes on, breakfast eaten and teeth brushed!  If only it would last...

Ava started kindergarten this year.  She was very ready to go to school and be a part of a "big" school!  Wow she's grown!

 
Carli is my rule following, school role playing child.  She was ready to get back into the swing of things.  She loves school and loves to learn!  She is so ready for this year and definitely not as nervous as she was last year at this time!

My 1st Grader and Kindergartener 

 

We couldn't leave Drew out of the picture taking this morning, he was not as excited as the girls were!  :)



I think this is my unintended annual picture.  It all started when Ava started at OTA. 

2012

2013

2014

2015

By the time we got to school, the girls were a bit over me taking their pictures!  Ava did great at drop off.  She was excited to see that Kayla was in her room as well as Kiyah.  Carli was too cool for a picture but she did give me a hug and kiss goodbye!

 

Drew and I have one very quiet house today!  He's working on a 2.5 hr nap as I type, he must think it's night time since the house is so quiet.  He isn't use to napping without screams, toys banging around and his sisters constantly kissing him!