Preschool Pet Day

.
The last day before Spring Break was "Pet Day" at Preschool. They do an entire section on "pets" leading up to this. Both last year, and this one, Abby was pretty excited to go and show off an animal at school. Last year Angel was the lucky one that got to go to Pet Day. Everyone else brought either a Lab or a stuffed animal. I heard it was quite the "little zoo" and the parents had a fun time keeping everyone happy and alive and separated.

This year, she was SET on bringing Poppy. She also wanted ME to do Pet Day (Daddy did it last year). Yippee, I was SO excited - ahem. Poppy and Me (full of excitement mind you) headed to Pet Day at PS. I had all these visions of being there for HOURS - of listening to Poppy howl at all the Dogs there. But, I went. I did it for my daughter. I'm a good mom. Really. Just ask me...

Well, we got there only to find out that Poppy was the ONLY live animal there! Couple thoughts went thru my head:

1. Why the heck am I here with a CAT then if no one else is here to share my misery!?!?
2. Did I not get the memo to bring a STUFFED animal this year?
3. OH! I might get out of here fast if I'm the only one - woohoo!

Turns out that some people were not in class (Friday before spring break), others didn't want to bring their dog AGAIN because one year of that was enough, and I guess Mrs. Nelson made it VERY known that it was "ok" just go bring a picture of your animal or a stuffed animal.

BUT, I will say this. Poppy was a HIT because she was the only live animal there. Abby and her were superstars and did great! Here we are (with our assistant Andy)

Michael was next. He has a stuffed Frog named Froggie (duh). While Miss Amie and I watched Michael, I caught Andy trying to let Poppy out of the cage. That little booger!




After Abby and Michael took their turns, Miss Amie and I ducked out and spent the rest of the PS time having Coffee at Starbucks. Best pet day ever! Heehee.

Abby's Activities

.
The week before Spring Break was a busy one for Abby. Lots of classes and activities were wrapping up and we got to go watch her show her stuff! :)

On Monday evening, we got to go and watch her perform as a "Squirrel" in her "Story Theater" class. It was a six week class geared toward imagination, role playing, etc. Abby and her Friend Laci took it together and were cast as Trees and Squirrels in the open scene of another "big kid" play that evening.

It is really hard to explain, but they were cute little squirrels - they really were! Here are some pictures from their last class and also the show later that evening that we got to watch.




Marshall and Andy weren't all that impressed with the entire experience. But, they took some cute pictures at least:




In-between the class and the performance, we went out to dinner w/the Bex Family. Andy and Brynn shared a romantic dinner for Salsa, Beans, Rice, and Chips - Heavy on the Salsa and Chips! Afterwards, Andy made his 'move' at the Theater as the lights were going down...

They were totally distracting to us, and bored themselves w/the performance. So, they ended up going out into the lobby to cause havoc.

Tuesday that week Abby had gym class. I didn't take many photos at all, but I did capture Abby mastering a "Backward Rolls" down the wedge mat. She has been working hard on it, and practicing at home off of my ottoman. So, I'm glad I was able to document it!

Wednesday Abby's PS class took a Field Trip to the Firehouse - soooo cool. They got to ride the Max down to the Hillsboro Downtown Firestation. Get the tour, have a snack, and head back on the train. We had 15 kids and 14 adults. I personally enjoyed the ratio. We were a huge group, but there wasn't much worry about losing anyone!

Here are Abby and her buddies waiting for the Max Train to come:

Getting the tour of the Firehouse and their living quarters:

Down in the Garage. I took a picture of each kid as they came out of the Fire Truck for their Scrapbook at PS. As Abby came out, I said "Abby, show me what a Firefighter Princess looks like". This is the pose I got - heehee.

At the end of the tour they had one of the Firefighters try on the entire outfit and breath thru the air mask and everything. That way the kids could see what it would look/sound like if a Firefighter ever had to come into their house. I thought it was a GREAT idea. One, *I* would never have thought of. But, it was amazing how timid the kids came when he came out. They were definitely a little scared of approaching him. So, what a great learning experience for them to have. Who says kids don't need PS? :)

Michael's Pizza Rat Party!!!

.
March 11th was Michael's 5th Birthday - woohoo! AND, his party the next day was at Chuck E Cheese - woohoo! Not. I was NOT looking forward to spending my Saturday at Pizza Rat. But, tis the things we do for the ones that we love. And, we do love Michael. He is one of Abby's BEST friends and we could NOT miss it!

How does a 4 1/2 year old prepare for such excitement you ask? Well, we start with Make-up of course! We have to impress the Birthday Boy after all!




Abby got all prettied up to go to the party. She just KNEW Michael was going to love her make-up. And, her foot? Well not sure about that one. She just wanted me to take a picture of her foot. So, I did. It is a lovely foot.




Sadly (luckily) we had to make a quick stop at swimming lessons before the party. So, we weren't really sure if the make-up was water proof. It appears to be holding it's own here:




After swimming, and a good face scrub in the shower by mommy, we headed off to Pizza Rat - Happy Birthday Michael!!!!




This was Andy's first trip to Pizza Rat as a "kid" out of the stroller/car seat. Him and Wyatt were not to sure...

Andy: "I don't get it. Do you?"

Wyatt: "Nope. Nada. We are just going in a circle. Why?"

Andy: "I have no clue. But, they are smiling, and laughing, and clapping, and saying "Wheeee". Just go with it. We will be done soon."

Wyatt: "Okay. Good call."

Andy: "The Big Kids seem to be enjoying themselves. There must be something to it?"




Yeah, He still don't get it.




Trav: "Okay Andy. Here is the deal. You get money. You put them money in the machine and they let you play with balls and hit things. Then, they reward you with money that you can buy suckers with."

Andy: "WAIT a minute. I get to beat on stuff AND get suckers? I'm IN."




Andy: "Wait!!!! Now we have to stop and watch some big Rat sing to Michael? Why? I like the balls and suckers."




Trav: "Well, the big kids like it."




Andy: "Yeah, I don't get it."

Greg: " You aren't the only one Andy. You aren't the only one."




After party time, Andy and the big kids found a Basketball Machine and all were happy again...

Abby made a TON of baskets, BTW.




Then we put him on another ride.




Yep, he still doesn't quite get it. Don't think we will be having Andy's Birthday at Pizza Rat this year. Oh Darn.

Four and a HALF!

Little Miss Abigirl turned Four and a Half on Jan. 21st!

Since she is a "summer" baby, her birthday at school is celebrated on her 1/2 birthday. I love that. I love that they get a special day with their school friends. And, since I'm a "Half Birthday" fan, I particularly love it!

As an added bonus, your mom (or whomever) is invited to join the class for the day. Last year, I didn't know that. So, I scheduled Andy's 6 month well baby for that day and missed it. I felt horrible. But, this year I was THERE. Andy and I spent the entire day in her class. It was so fun to watch their routine and finally understand, fully, what she is talking about when she comes home.

The day started off w/some free playtime, then circle time, and then a Bible Story lesson (Noah and Mrs. Noah visited the class).

At the end of the little skit they pretended to release the dove, and one of the teachers said "Look, what is that up in the sky?" (meaning a rainbow). One of the little boys says "Superman!?!?". I about lost it. Gotta love Preschoolers!

Andy pretty much did what he wanted to do and caused havoc on whatever the structured thing was supposed to be.




Next we celebrated Abby's special Day. They make a pretend birthday cake, complete w/candles (her friends), dance around in a circle, and then blow them out (they fall down). Andy refused to "fall down" when he was blown out. That bothered some of the other kids. But, he didn't seem to care!

The best part was when they were making the cake. The Birthday Girl gets to say what ingredients are needed for the cake and then they throw them into the middle of the circle to mix them up. The entire class is in a circle around the carpet. Abby has them throw in sugar, milk, and eggs. Next thing we know, Andy is laying in the middle of the carpet, tummy down, "swimming" thru the milk and eggs (of which he is allergic to). Maybe you had to be there, but it was funny - and ironic.

After the cake is made and the candles are blown out, Abby got to do "sharing". Now, in all the excitement of the day (and getting out the door w/snack, etc.) we forgot a sharing item. So, at the last moment, we decided that Andy would be her sharing item. She, and the rest of the class, thought that was SO funny. So, it all worked out.

Mrs. Nelson: Abby, how long have you had Andy?
Abby: A long time.
Mrs. Nelson: Abby how do you turn him on?
Abby: Giggle, Giggle. He is already on.
Mrs. Nelson: What do you like to do with Andy
Abby: Play w/him.
Mrs. Nelson: Is there anything Andy does that you DON'T like?
Abby: He HITS me.

I just had to laugh. Because he does. Little Brothers I tell you... Little Brothers.

For snack, she decided to take Ice Cream Sundaes. I got some Ice Cream and Whipped Cream and then Abby and her Daddy went to Winco and picked out some Bulk Items to take as toppings (Chocolate Chips, Marshmallows, Gummy Bears, and Gum Drops). It was a big hit. Some kids made their Sundae more of a huge Candy pile, but it was fun. Nothing like a total sugar infusion at 10 a.m. in the morning! :)

The rest of the day was Free Play Time, Recess, and Art Time. It was a great time and Andy and I had so much fun being the special guests for the day! I enjoyed watching Abby in a different setting. She is a good kid. And, I don't just say that because I'm her mom! She really is a good kid...

Happy 1/2 Birthday to my Little Abigirl. I love you!

PS Christmas Party

Abby's PS Christmas Party was on Friday. She was SO excited - just like always. After all BOTH Mommy and Daddy were going to be at school - ALL DAY! I always look forward to these days, but they are also VERY tiring. Again. I have NO IDEA how PS teachers do it - I really don't!



For this party, Trav was in charge of helping to make "Baby Jesus" out of scraps of paper and grocery bags. They turned out cute and it was fun to watch them work w/the two dads that were in charge of that station.



So - side note. You might notice as you are looking thru the pictures that Abby is wearing sunglasses in almost all of the photos. This was "Day Two" of "I need glasses so I can see better". The day before she had worn them ALL day - including during a 2 hr play date at Pizza Planet. I'm not sure I have mentioned this before, but Laci Bex got glasses recently and Abby is now OBSESSED with glasses and thinks she needs some too. Soon enough dear Abby, soon enough I'm sure...



Later that evening my Mom baby-sat the kids. She said Abby feel asleep w/her glasses on. I figured if I ignored it and didn't say much about it, she would soon forget. We shall see...











The kids also made some pretty ornaments for the Christmas tree. Abby actually insists that one of them is a door hanger wreath for her bedroom door. I have no idea if that is true or not, but that is what she is using it for! :)



Snack time was an edible Christmas wreath - bagel with green cream cheese decorated w/craisins and marshmallows - yummy!

Me you ask? I was in charge of capturing it all on film for the PS Scrapbooks and slide shows during the year. Now that is something I can handle about PS teaching...

Abby and her gal pals (left to right): Tori, Abby, Emily, and Ava

Gee, I wish Abby posed better for the camera... :)

Camels, Camels Come - PS Christmas Program

Wow! I haven't blogged in over a week! But, hold on tight folks... The pictures have been stacking up! The Christmas Festivities have begun and the camera has been working overtime to capture as much as I can...

The season started off for us w/Abby's PS Christmas Program. Her class sang a song called "Camels, Camels Come". She had been singing it around the house for WEEKS - complete w/arm jestures, motions, etc. I was very happy that she would sing it for me at home because last year they sang SO quietly (or not at all) that I didn't actually get to hear her sing. So, I was soaking it all up at home before hand...

But, this year THEY SANG - and LOUD. What a difference a year makes. The kids were ADORABLE and were SO good this year. Loud and Clear and Cute - what mommy could ask for more? Not me...

After the program we ate dessert, visited w/our classmates and family, and enjoyed some photo taking...

Pizza Rat

Abby and her two best buddies at Chuck E Cheese.

PS Harvest Party

The Friday before Halloween, Abby has her Harvest Party at Preschool. We had two Belles, two Transformer Bumblebees, two G.I. Joes, and two Ballerinas. Lucky, at this age, that is cool. Or else we might have had an issue! :)

The kids were so cute and well behaved. I love these days when I get to spend the entire time in Abby's classroom.

It makes me realize, or reminds me, of a lot of things:
1. Abby is a GOOD kid and I'm so proud of the way she listens and respects her teachers!
2. I'm SO glad she has the opportunity to attend such a great PS.
3. What a good, hands on Dad that Trav is.
4. How tiring these children are and how much I respect her teachers!
5. I'm SOOOOOOOOO glad I'm not a PS Teacher! :)

I was put in charge of the photo taking for the class, so I won't bore you w/ALL the pictures I took, but here are some cute ones of Abby and her best buddies!

Top Left to Right: Tori, Henry, Nate, Nate's brother Isaac, & the other Belle - Ava.
Below that are some photos of Abby, Michael (Iron Man), and Tyler (Mario)



Trav was able to come to the party as well and he was in charge of a station - which is GREAT, because that meant I didn't have to be! :) He really got into helping them create their snack for later that day - Monster Hands. The teacher even gave him a chat to learn and teach the kids - he really got into it. Such a good Dad!!! Next time you see him, ask his to teach you the "Making Monster Stew" song! :)

Here are some photos of:
- Abby, Michael, Tyler, and Emily making their Monster Hands.
- Abby and Michael making their glass pumpkin decorations at the craft table.
- Calvin "cleaning up" after snack time.

So, since both Trav and I were both there - and busy, you are wondering where and what Andy is up to right? Well, he played in the kitchen w/the little girls, ate his weight in Pirate Booty, hung out w/Friend Wyatt and Miss Amie, and oh... yeah... he has a Blue Sucker! :)

PS Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Abby had her first Field Trip as a big four year old. I won't bore you w/a bunch of pictures of kids you don't know. But, they all were very cute and I know Trav said he had a great time taking her (I didn't get to go - tear...)




Oh here is a random photo of Jenna and Steph (two of the moms that I know read this blog). They are just as pretty on the inside as they are on the outside - We are so lucky to have such a great group of mommies - and kids!

Anyways, not sure why my husband is taking random pictures of them, but it was too cute not to post! :)

Pre-K Orientation

Preschool Orientation was so cool this year - at least for me! It was comfortable, it was exciting, it was fun to see everyone again - it was like coming home. We love our PS and we love the kids and mommies we have gotten to know this year. It was so nice this year to walk into the building and know the teachers, know where her class was, and know at least 1/2 of the kids!

Over the summer, the eight of us returning moms (plus April - we miss you April), got together once a week for a picnic lunch in the park. It was really awesome. We got to keep in touch, watch the kids grow, and form our own little "Moms Group" thru it. It is a great little group of stay-at-home, Christian, moms. I feel very blessed to be a part of it and I'm so glad we decided to do it - it was fun!

So, the first day of PS it was like a little reunion - we hadn't seen each other in a week you know! It was great to see everyone, see the kids' excitement to see their old classroom, see how much everyone had grown, how much the siblings had grown, etc.

Abby got to meet her new Teachers (Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Kunz), get her picture taken w/the class tree, and revisit some of her favorite toys and art projects!



Andy, well Andy got to hang w/his buddy Wyatt and dream of the days when they get to stay and play all day as well!

Last Day of PS....

This is actually a picture of "Beach Day" at PS. She was pretty excited about it - especially since we just came back from Hawaii. She wanted to show off her "Vacation Outfit".

Unfortunately, it rained that say, so they couldn't play outside w/the water tables, blubbles, side walk chalk, etc. But, from what I heard they moved what they could indoors and then did the rest on the last day of school. So, she was happy. That is one of the things I like about this age - they are pretty easy going as long as it isn't Mommy trying to change things!

This is the last day of School. Had to take her picture to document her growth - wow has she grown up in the last few months. It is going so fast - I totally want to slow it down!!!!

This is a Frame that the other mommies and I put together for the kids to give the teachers on the last day. We had them write their names on a little piece of paper and then it was up to Janet and I to figure out how to transfer their name onto the matte. Thank goodness Janet is crafty and came up w/an idea becuase I didn't want to give 4 yr olds free reign over a sharpe and a photo matte - could even imagine!?

Here is a shot of the teachers opening their gift. I tell you they LOVED them and were touched. But, I can also tell you that the kids excitement level at that moment was amazingly high as well. I'm surprised the teachers didn't get trampled!!!

Abby and her teachers on the last day. She isn't smiling well in either of these shots, and I kind of had to "make" her take these photos. Now, those of you that know Abby know that this is not the norm. All I can figure is that she didn't want to take a "last" picture w/them anymore than I wanted to take it....

These two ladies watched over my BABY for 5 hrs a week for the last nine months. They taught her things that I either didn't know how to, didn't want to, or just couldn't becuase I was her mom. I will forever be grateful to all of Abby's wonderful teachers from here on out. But, these two will hold a special place in MY heart, and I'm sure her's. They put my mind at ease and made her love school from the first moment. Who could ask for more?!?