Last day of the year! It has been a great couple of days. Madi has had lots of time to play on the computer. She's loving being able to do quests with Jeremy and play her game.
The girls and I went to the park the last few days. We've had gorgeous weather!! Has been so fun to get outside.
We also played a game on the Wii called "Just Dance." You can compete against another player or just dance yourself. Super fun. Madi, Riley and I had fun with it. Julia really loved the "Who let the dogs out" song and kept barking and trying to jump up and down to it.
Church tomorrow - finally! No service last week and we missed the week before so we're all very, very happy that we get to go tomorrow. Have really missed it.
Then back to school on Monday. Actually looking forward to it as it means that we'll be half way through the year and we only have half a year left. Going to be a good one!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Been a fun couple of days here! So here's a little run-down:
Christmas Eve -
spent the day at home until about 4pm when we left to go to dinner (and when we missed your call because we had just left). Ate at Bucca De Beppo so that my brother Jim could be in on a little bit of Christmas with the family - he had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Then we went to my parents' house. They got each of the girls a few things. Madi got new slippers - blue and sparkly - very cute. She also got $20 and a friendship bracelet set. My brother Jon and his fiancee Allison got her a cute case to hold nail polish and some new nail polish.
Came home and got the cookies and milk ready for Santa. Madi wrote him a note and asked him to sign it. The girls got in bed and fell asleep.
Christmas -
Madi woke up about 6:30am. But we told her we'd come get her in the morning so that everyone would go downstairs at the same time. She kept asking to open presents without us or her stocking or just one gift so we finally just said that we'd knock on her door and let her know when it was time. Both Jer and I were also up at 6:30am, but we stayed in bed until about 7:30 when Riley woke up.
Riley came in our room and sat on the bed. Madi asked if she could come in (smart of her to ask as she's walked in on us in our underwear before when we're getting ready - hahaha). So she came in and sat on the bed. She mentioned presents and Riley got super excited "PRESENTS!!! Let's go!!!"
We went downstairs and the girls were all excited. There were a few gifts from us: an oversized tiger, a kindle, and a kindle cover - bright lime green! So cute! We went upstairs and got Jules and cleaned the girls' humidifiers. Then the girls took turns opening their gifts. Madi loved everything and was very excited about the kindle in particular. She's already been using it and should be great for her as she reads so much!!
Other gifts were a Brookstone Nap Blanket, horse game, some tshirts that are scratch and sniff, a few other tshirts, hairbrush, farting putty (flarp), more friendship bracelet thread, the Martha Stewart Loom kit - she can create different sized items and use yarn to make them, a book, the large tiger, a small stuffed animal cat and some metallic sheets that she can use a tool to scratch off the picture.
Poppi and Grammy came over Christmas night and stayed with us. They brought lots of goodies to eat!! The girls especially loved the apricot pies. And I have eaten almost half the tin of chex mix and most of the frosted bread. My hips thank you, Mom and Dad ;)
Kat and Tripp came over too. The kids had fun playing and running around. We ate dinner and then opened gifts. The girls got purses with jewelry inside. Loved it!
Day After Christmas -
Poppi and Grammy hung out in the morning until almost lunch. Doyce and Dee came over for a little bit. They went out to lunch and we hung out at home. Don't really remember what else we did...
Past Few Days - (not sure what I did here with the color...)
Madi has played some WOW quite a bit. We went to the Arbor Hills Preserve and played on the playground there for at least an hour. Was a beautiful 55 degrees and a little windy, but the girls loved it. Tomorrow Madi gets to have a playdate with Elizabeth and she'll see a friend she knew from Dallas Christian - Megan. She's super excited about that!!
Christmas Eve -
spent the day at home until about 4pm when we left to go to dinner (and when we missed your call because we had just left). Ate at Bucca De Beppo so that my brother Jim could be in on a little bit of Christmas with the family - he had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Then we went to my parents' house. They got each of the girls a few things. Madi got new slippers - blue and sparkly - very cute. She also got $20 and a friendship bracelet set. My brother Jon and his fiancee Allison got her a cute case to hold nail polish and some new nail polish.
Came home and got the cookies and milk ready for Santa. Madi wrote him a note and asked him to sign it. The girls got in bed and fell asleep.
Christmas -
Madi woke up about 6:30am. But we told her we'd come get her in the morning so that everyone would go downstairs at the same time. She kept asking to open presents without us or her stocking or just one gift so we finally just said that we'd knock on her door and let her know when it was time. Both Jer and I were also up at 6:30am, but we stayed in bed until about 7:30 when Riley woke up.
Riley came in our room and sat on the bed. Madi asked if she could come in (smart of her to ask as she's walked in on us in our underwear before when we're getting ready - hahaha). So she came in and sat on the bed. She mentioned presents and Riley got super excited "PRESENTS!!! Let's go!!!"
We went downstairs and the girls were all excited. There were a few gifts from us: an oversized tiger, a kindle, and a kindle cover - bright lime green! So cute! We went upstairs and got Jules and cleaned the girls' humidifiers. Then the girls took turns opening their gifts. Madi loved everything and was very excited about the kindle in particular. She's already been using it and should be great for her as she reads so much!!
Other gifts were a Brookstone Nap Blanket, horse game, some tshirts that are scratch and sniff, a few other tshirts, hairbrush, farting putty (flarp), more friendship bracelet thread, the Martha Stewart Loom kit - she can create different sized items and use yarn to make them, a book, the large tiger, a small stuffed animal cat and some metallic sheets that she can use a tool to scratch off the picture.
Poppi and Grammy came over Christmas night and stayed with us. They brought lots of goodies to eat!! The girls especially loved the apricot pies. And I have eaten almost half the tin of chex mix and most of the frosted bread. My hips thank you, Mom and Dad ;)
Kat and Tripp came over too. The kids had fun playing and running around. We ate dinner and then opened gifts. The girls got purses with jewelry inside. Loved it!
Day After Christmas -
Poppi and Grammy hung out in the morning until almost lunch. Doyce and Dee came over for a little bit. They went out to lunch and we hung out at home. Don't really remember what else we did...
Past Few Days - (not sure what I did here with the color...)
Madi has played some WOW quite a bit. We went to the Arbor Hills Preserve and played on the playground there for at least an hour. Was a beautiful 55 degrees and a little windy, but the girls loved it. Tomorrow Madi gets to have a playdate with Elizabeth and she'll see a friend she knew from Dallas Christian - Megan. She's super excited about that!!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Lazy and loving it
There won't be much to write about today. I dropped the girls off at school this morning. Madi played W.O.W. almost all day. We had a very quiet lunch together. She told me thank you for making her lunch. Very sweet of her. Was so hard to boil water and add macaroni :) Amazing how much quieter it is around here with just one kid!
I have my piano students tonight (though I'm currently writing this because one did not show up). Madi took a shower and made her bed. Was so very nice to relax for the first time since Thanksgiving.
I have my piano students tonight (though I'm currently writing this because one did not show up). Madi took a shower and made her bed. Was so very nice to relax for the first time since Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Shoe Shopping
Yet another awesome day. We got out an hour and a half early today. Madi watched a movie at school, had an extra gym class and participated in the all-fourth-grade singalong that we do each year for each grade level. They ate leftovers from yesterday's party and basically hung out until it was time to go.
We've known Madi's shoes were getting tight again for a few weeks now. We were hoping that we could hold out a little longer until we had time to go out to the Allen Outlet Mall to go to the Stride Rite Outlet Store. So we held out until Christmas Break. I was going to take her next week, but then thought how much easier it would be to take her today since the girls were at school. So I asked her if she wanted to go. Easy answer: Of course!
So we drove out to the Allen Outlet Mall. Walked into Stride Rite and started looking. They had some awesome deals!!! She is literally out of shoes and not a single one fits comfortably so it was time for an overhaul. She tried on a lot of shoes in different sizes. We got two shoes that will fit her later because they were so cheap: $7.50 for a cute pair of Tommy Hilfiger slipons and $14.99 for a pair of Sauconys. Got both in the next size up because it will save us time and gas to get there. And when she outgrows the other new ones, she'll already have shoes and it'll save us money at that point since they're already on sale.
There were so many cute ones! And I was so impressed with the cost. So we settled on the following:
Sauconys - pink and white patterned
Nine West brown flats that have a buckle on the toe - soooo cute!
Jessica Simpson black flats with a little buckle on the toe
Black calf length boots (she has been wearing her boots non-stop that we got from a friend so we knew they would need replacing)
Knee high brown boots that have a fuzzy white lining and a cute buckle around the ankle
So in total, we got seven pairs. Wasn't really planning on that, but she now has five pairs that fit and two to grow into. You'll be amazed at how much her feet have grown! The flats are a 3 1/2, 4 and 4, gym shoes are a 4 and a 5, and both boots are size 5. Couldn't believe the boots in a size 4 didn't have much room in the toes and that the 5 fit better.
Then we walked around the outlets. Found a pair of cheap gloves that can be mittens or gloves. Super soft. She found a present that she wanted to give to Riley. Riley's out tonight with my dad and she's helping him shop for my mom as well as getting Madi's present. She's not home yet.
Was a very fun shopping day. Tonight we had breakfast for dinner. I finished a hat and need to start on another one for an order I have. Jeremy got his new car. Looks amazing. Can't wait to go for a ride in it! Saved us quite a bit of money per month and allowed us to get back money to pay on the credit line that we have for the fence and a/c. Such a huge blessing!!
Madi's warts are pulling out and looking gross, but it's working. She's handled it great. Doesn't like it, but is doing fine with it.
Looking forward to a very nice week and a half off!! I'm sure it will consist of plenty of time on World of Warcraft for her :)
We've known Madi's shoes were getting tight again for a few weeks now. We were hoping that we could hold out a little longer until we had time to go out to the Allen Outlet Mall to go to the Stride Rite Outlet Store. So we held out until Christmas Break. I was going to take her next week, but then thought how much easier it would be to take her today since the girls were at school. So I asked her if she wanted to go. Easy answer: Of course!
So we drove out to the Allen Outlet Mall. Walked into Stride Rite and started looking. They had some awesome deals!!! She is literally out of shoes and not a single one fits comfortably so it was time for an overhaul. She tried on a lot of shoes in different sizes. We got two shoes that will fit her later because they were so cheap: $7.50 for a cute pair of Tommy Hilfiger slipons and $14.99 for a pair of Sauconys. Got both in the next size up because it will save us time and gas to get there. And when she outgrows the other new ones, she'll already have shoes and it'll save us money at that point since they're already on sale.
There were so many cute ones! And I was so impressed with the cost. So we settled on the following:
Sauconys - pink and white patterned
Nine West brown flats that have a buckle on the toe - soooo cute!
Jessica Simpson black flats with a little buckle on the toe
Black calf length boots (she has been wearing her boots non-stop that we got from a friend so we knew they would need replacing)
Knee high brown boots that have a fuzzy white lining and a cute buckle around the ankle
So in total, we got seven pairs. Wasn't really planning on that, but she now has five pairs that fit and two to grow into. You'll be amazed at how much her feet have grown! The flats are a 3 1/2, 4 and 4, gym shoes are a 4 and a 5, and both boots are size 5. Couldn't believe the boots in a size 4 didn't have much room in the toes and that the 5 fit better.
Then we walked around the outlets. Found a pair of cheap gloves that can be mittens or gloves. Super soft. She found a present that she wanted to give to Riley. Riley's out tonight with my dad and she's helping him shop for my mom as well as getting Madi's present. She's not home yet.
Was a very fun shopping day. Tonight we had breakfast for dinner. I finished a hat and need to start on another one for an order I have. Jeremy got his new car. Looks amazing. Can't wait to go for a ride in it! Saved us quite a bit of money per month and allowed us to get back money to pay on the credit line that we have for the fence and a/c. Such a huge blessing!!
Madi's warts are pulling out and looking gross, but it's working. She's handled it great. Doesn't like it, but is doing fine with it.
Looking forward to a very nice week and a half off!! I'm sure it will consist of plenty of time on World of Warcraft for her :)
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Parties, Warts and More
Another great start to a new week. Madi brought home tons of papers from school and they were almost all A's and a B or two. She had a few papers that were C's a few weeks ago. We made it clear that it was unacceptable. That it is her job right now to be a great student. Not mediocre. Or below average. She knew that she was not trying her best and rushing through her work and has stepped it up big time. We talked with her about it and then let it go and let her work through it. Very proud of her. And we made a big deal about what a great job she is doing. She's really doing awesome!!!
Today was Madi's class party at school. She had to bring a gift for a friend and we got a gift for Mrs. Campbell. The girls all traded gifts. Madi ended up with some kleenex (girlie in a travel size) and something else. She also had some candy and snacks and pop. Loved it.
The last few days her toe has been bothering her. She had shown us her toe a while ago. She's had a bump on it since she got here. Was very small. Lately it's itched so she's been rubbing her toe on her sock and irritated it. Then she started getting a few other spots on her other toe and under another toe. Wasn't sure if it was warts or not so I told her to see the nurse. The area where she rubbed it on her sock is pink around it. And more easy to see inside of it than the small bumps.
So I talked with nurse to see how to handle it. She mentioned just doing over-the-counter stuff (which I know an awful lot about). Madi's shoes are tight in the toes and she often keeps her socks on after school when they are sweaty. So we're making several changes. We've been planning to get her new shoes over break. Just been so busy and hard to get to the right stores for them - going to Allen Outlets to Stride Rite to try some out. She is now washing her feet when she gets home. Then we apply new bandaids. I had her come to my room after gym class today and we switched out bandaids, socks and shoes. Just trying to keep her feet dry which will help keep it from spreading.
We applied some neosporin yesterday afternoon and are now treating it with wart bandaids that have salicylic acid on the pad portion. I also applied Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away to each wart tonight. Warned her that it'd be painful - if only a little. She did not like it at all. I shared some stories about my wart experience (she was like "this is a great, fun conversation") and about how important it is to be diligent in order to get rid of them. Truly hoping to not have to take her to a foot specialist. And if I have to, I'm hoping that my dr. participates with CHIP as we're somewhat limited in who we can see. So please pray that we can tackle this and get them gone soon! I get so nervous about them as I am hoping to never have to deal with them again. Had such a bad experience. So I'm praying that this is a short-term and not a big deal thing.
We're all getting ready for Christmas. Less than a week away! The girls have had a blast looking for Buddy our elf. Each day they have to find him in the house. Julia LOVES saying "Hi buddy" and "Bye Buddy." She's talking up a storm!! So cute!!
Madi and Riley had a cute conversation this morning. Riley goes "Hey Madi! I love you one hundred!" Madi goes "I love you one thousand, Riley." And then they both hugged. Love those moments!!!
Jeremy went to the dealership today and traded in his car. Since Saab went bankrupt, his car is not worth so much and we decided to get out fast. So as of tomorrow, he has a new car. A Subaru Legacy. Can't wait to see it! So I put all three girls to bed tonight. They were all SOO good!!!
Tomorrow is a half day. We do a Christmas Sing-a-Long with each grade and Madi has an extra gym class. Plus we get out at 1:30pm instead of 3pm. So woo hoo!! Then a week and a half off.
Ok- I'm a little out of it (trying to talk to Jer while talking is not working). Sorry if I rambled.
Today was Madi's class party at school. She had to bring a gift for a friend and we got a gift for Mrs. Campbell. The girls all traded gifts. Madi ended up with some kleenex (girlie in a travel size) and something else. She also had some candy and snacks and pop. Loved it.
The last few days her toe has been bothering her. She had shown us her toe a while ago. She's had a bump on it since she got here. Was very small. Lately it's itched so she's been rubbing her toe on her sock and irritated it. Then she started getting a few other spots on her other toe and under another toe. Wasn't sure if it was warts or not so I told her to see the nurse. The area where she rubbed it on her sock is pink around it. And more easy to see inside of it than the small bumps.
So I talked with nurse to see how to handle it. She mentioned just doing over-the-counter stuff (which I know an awful lot about). Madi's shoes are tight in the toes and she often keeps her socks on after school when they are sweaty. So we're making several changes. We've been planning to get her new shoes over break. Just been so busy and hard to get to the right stores for them - going to Allen Outlets to Stride Rite to try some out. She is now washing her feet when she gets home. Then we apply new bandaids. I had her come to my room after gym class today and we switched out bandaids, socks and shoes. Just trying to keep her feet dry which will help keep it from spreading.
We applied some neosporin yesterday afternoon and are now treating it with wart bandaids that have salicylic acid on the pad portion. I also applied Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away to each wart tonight. Warned her that it'd be painful - if only a little. She did not like it at all. I shared some stories about my wart experience (she was like "this is a great, fun conversation") and about how important it is to be diligent in order to get rid of them. Truly hoping to not have to take her to a foot specialist. And if I have to, I'm hoping that my dr. participates with CHIP as we're somewhat limited in who we can see. So please pray that we can tackle this and get them gone soon! I get so nervous about them as I am hoping to never have to deal with them again. Had such a bad experience. So I'm praying that this is a short-term and not a big deal thing.
We're all getting ready for Christmas. Less than a week away! The girls have had a blast looking for Buddy our elf. Each day they have to find him in the house. Julia LOVES saying "Hi buddy" and "Bye Buddy." She's talking up a storm!! So cute!!
Madi and Riley had a cute conversation this morning. Riley goes "Hey Madi! I love you one hundred!" Madi goes "I love you one thousand, Riley." And then they both hugged. Love those moments!!!
Jeremy went to the dealership today and traded in his car. Since Saab went bankrupt, his car is not worth so much and we decided to get out fast. So as of tomorrow, he has a new car. A Subaru Legacy. Can't wait to see it! So I put all three girls to bed tonight. They were all SOO good!!!
Tomorrow is a half day. We do a Christmas Sing-a-Long with each grade and Madi has an extra gym class. Plus we get out at 1:30pm instead of 3pm. So woo hoo!! Then a week and a half off.
Ok- I'm a little out of it (trying to talk to Jer while talking is not working). Sorry if I rambled.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Texas Legends Pics
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| Madi and Madison on the Wizzer |
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| Sound Check! |
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| 60 very excited students! |
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| Performance Time! |
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| More time on the Wizzer |
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| Emery and Rachel |
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| Waiting in line - sooo happy! |
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| Multitasking |
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| Two boys from Madi's grade - Michael and Thierry |
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| Shelby, Katie, Hailey, Caitlin, Madi and Madison |
Saturday, December 17, 2011
National Anthem
Today was another amazing day. Madi and Jeremy went to his work most of the afternoon after I had my piano student this morning and he got his hair cut. This way Madi could have several hours to play W.O.W. and the girls and I could get a little shopping done.
We went to Mardel and found a few things that we'd been hoping to get. Jules will especially love the new Boz video! Had to have the cash register lady hide it and scan it in secret. Worked great. Then we went to Hobby Lobby and found some cool yarn for a scarf.
We left for the Dr. Pepper Arena around 4:45pm. Kids did their sound check at 5:30pm. They sounded so good! Madi ended up in front of one of the microphones which was fine by me! Can always count on her to sing in tune which is great. And sound good too! After sound check, the kids had a little over 30 minutes to go play in the zoom play area on the other side of the court. They had some blow-up basketball hoops, a bull you can ride, an ice skating rink (very small, but fun) and a fun ride called the Whizzer. Again, we'll try to post the video of it and I'll get some pics on soon. Haven't had much time for very much and am up late again tonight.
The kids sounded fabulous at the game. Then we got food and enjoyed watching the rest of the game. There was a guy named Crazy George who did different basketball activities on the sidelines with the kids. Madi liked it for the most part. Then she and a friend went back to the games on the other side to play. They were totally responsible and had a blast. She was well-behaved and had a great time.
We got home around 10:00pm and she went up to bed just a little bit ago. So another awesome day!
Tomorrow they'll go up to Jeremy's office again so she can play her games in peace. And she'll do the finishing touches on her project on Scotland. Three more days until we're off for Christmas break. Soooo looking forward to it!
We went to Mardel and found a few things that we'd been hoping to get. Jules will especially love the new Boz video! Had to have the cash register lady hide it and scan it in secret. Worked great. Then we went to Hobby Lobby and found some cool yarn for a scarf.
We left for the Dr. Pepper Arena around 4:45pm. Kids did their sound check at 5:30pm. They sounded so good! Madi ended up in front of one of the microphones which was fine by me! Can always count on her to sing in tune which is great. And sound good too! After sound check, the kids had a little over 30 minutes to go play in the zoom play area on the other side of the court. They had some blow-up basketball hoops, a bull you can ride, an ice skating rink (very small, but fun) and a fun ride called the Whizzer. Again, we'll try to post the video of it and I'll get some pics on soon. Haven't had much time for very much and am up late again tonight.
The kids sounded fabulous at the game. Then we got food and enjoyed watching the rest of the game. There was a guy named Crazy George who did different basketball activities on the sidelines with the kids. Madi liked it for the most part. Then she and a friend went back to the games on the other side to play. They were totally responsible and had a blast. She was well-behaved and had a great time.
We got home around 10:00pm and she went up to bed just a little bit ago. So another awesome day!
Tomorrow they'll go up to Jeremy's office again so she can play her games in peace. And she'll do the finishing touches on her project on Scotland. Three more days until we're off for Christmas break. Soooo looking forward to it!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Blur
Last few days have been a blur. So here's a recap:
Thursday:
1 - Madi competed in the Geography Bee at school. She was nervous because she hadn't had much time to study. I just told her to do her best. That there were no consequences tied to how she performed and that she should just give the answers that she thought were correct and do the best she could. Then told her I'd be there to cheer her on.
There were 28 students from fourth and fifth grades competing. She got her practice round question correct. The next two rounds she did not answer correctly and as students are done with the Bee after two incorrect answers, she had to then sit out. There were about 5-6 students who missed both of their questions right away. She was disappointed, but handled it very well.
At the end of the day, I told her that I was proud of her for doing her best and for trying. She said that she felt really great about the fact that she was chosen to participate in it and that she tried. Then she said something awesome. She said that she was really proud of the two girls that won first and second place because they deserved it and were so smart and knew the information so well. Thought it was awesome that she felt proud of them. It's the first time we've heard her express verbally that she was truly happy of someone else's accomplishments and she was very sincere and kind when talking about it.
2 - We went to Riley's holiday concert at night. Was very cute. Kids sang some songs and did some cute motions. Riley was completely loving it and did amazing. Knew every word and every motion. I had talked to Madi after school and let her know that it would be really nice if she could find one thing about tonight to say that would compliment Riley. Something like "Great job!" or "I really liked such and such a song" or "You did a great job singing." I told her that Riley looks up to her and that it would really mean a lot to her if she mentioned something to her.
Madi wasn't really excited to go to her concert, but we're trying to find ways where the girls can encourage each other and cheer each other on. Looking outside of themselves and at least trying to be excited for others and especially each other.
So at the end of the show I asked Madi what she thought (trying to lead her towards a remark) and she said "it was ok." So I just said "do you remember what we talked about earlier?" And she goes "Oh yeah" and then quickly mumbled "Riley you did a great job." But it's a step in the right direction! And Riley still heard it and was excited.
3 - Madi has had an awesome week this week. She did great in her studies, awesome at getting ready and going in the mornings and doing her chores. The new checklists have been the best ever. It's so nice to not have to feel like I'm nagging and reminding her what to do. Takes the guessing out of it for her and she knows exactly what she's supposed to be doing without having us ask her "What do you have next?" or "Do you have everything you need?" She just looks at the list and knows if she does or not. So as her reward, she got to buy an ice cream at lunch on Friday and play World of Warcraft after school on Friday.
FRIDAY:
1 - Madi had a great day. She loved eating the ice cream. She was invited by a friend's mom to watch her friend Madison perform in a local children's theater production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." We had a party at a friend's house so the girls had a sitter and then when Madi got home, she and our sitter went to go in Riley's room because Riley really wanted her to sleep with her in her bed. So all three of them fell asleep in Riley's bed. Don't blame them - it's really comfortable and the sound machine is helpful too. Erica, the sitter, said that Madi really enjoyed watching the musical and that she told her all about it. The local children's theater will do another performance in the summer next year so I'm going to find out a little more about it and see if Madi would like to do it next year.
Thursday:
1 - Madi competed in the Geography Bee at school. She was nervous because she hadn't had much time to study. I just told her to do her best. That there were no consequences tied to how she performed and that she should just give the answers that she thought were correct and do the best she could. Then told her I'd be there to cheer her on.
There were 28 students from fourth and fifth grades competing. She got her practice round question correct. The next two rounds she did not answer correctly and as students are done with the Bee after two incorrect answers, she had to then sit out. There were about 5-6 students who missed both of their questions right away. She was disappointed, but handled it very well.
At the end of the day, I told her that I was proud of her for doing her best and for trying. She said that she felt really great about the fact that she was chosen to participate in it and that she tried. Then she said something awesome. She said that she was really proud of the two girls that won first and second place because they deserved it and were so smart and knew the information so well. Thought it was awesome that she felt proud of them. It's the first time we've heard her express verbally that she was truly happy of someone else's accomplishments and she was very sincere and kind when talking about it.
2 - We went to Riley's holiday concert at night. Was very cute. Kids sang some songs and did some cute motions. Riley was completely loving it and did amazing. Knew every word and every motion. I had talked to Madi after school and let her know that it would be really nice if she could find one thing about tonight to say that would compliment Riley. Something like "Great job!" or "I really liked such and such a song" or "You did a great job singing." I told her that Riley looks up to her and that it would really mean a lot to her if she mentioned something to her.
Madi wasn't really excited to go to her concert, but we're trying to find ways where the girls can encourage each other and cheer each other on. Looking outside of themselves and at least trying to be excited for others and especially each other.
So at the end of the show I asked Madi what she thought (trying to lead her towards a remark) and she said "it was ok." So I just said "do you remember what we talked about earlier?" And she goes "Oh yeah" and then quickly mumbled "Riley you did a great job." But it's a step in the right direction! And Riley still heard it and was excited.
3 - Madi has had an awesome week this week. She did great in her studies, awesome at getting ready and going in the mornings and doing her chores. The new checklists have been the best ever. It's so nice to not have to feel like I'm nagging and reminding her what to do. Takes the guessing out of it for her and she knows exactly what she's supposed to be doing without having us ask her "What do you have next?" or "Do you have everything you need?" She just looks at the list and knows if she does or not. So as her reward, she got to buy an ice cream at lunch on Friday and play World of Warcraft after school on Friday.
FRIDAY:
1 - Madi had a great day. She loved eating the ice cream. She was invited by a friend's mom to watch her friend Madison perform in a local children's theater production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." We had a party at a friend's house so the girls had a sitter and then when Madi got home, she and our sitter went to go in Riley's room because Riley really wanted her to sleep with her in her bed. So all three of them fell asleep in Riley's bed. Don't blame them - it's really comfortable and the sound machine is helpful too. Erica, the sitter, said that Madi really enjoyed watching the musical and that she told her all about it. The local children's theater will do another performance in the summer next year so I'm going to find out a little more about it and see if Madi would like to do it next year.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Oh.My.Word...Amazing!!!!!!!
One of the best days of the year by far! Took the choir to perform at the community center. They did a really great job. I had no idea that my supervisor (head of music and arts director) was at the performance. He slipped in and out without me seeing him at all. Then emailed my principal and I about what an amazing group we had and how great we all did.
The seniors made the kids some yarn doggies that hang on their pencils. Kids thought they were super cute.
Then we loaded up the buses to go to Willow Bend. Had 64 kids total and about 20 chaperones. Great group of people!!
The kids proudly walked through the mall. We were dropped off at the food court and turned right to go to Macy's. They were able to walk past Santa and see plenty of fun stores to shop at.
I didn't see the director in charge of the music, but since I had been there the last two years, I just started getting the kids onto the risers and arranged them where they needed to be. Was a much tighter and smaller area than they're used to. And they fit rather nicely (except a few kids on the sides). But it worked! We had a really great crowd already waiting for us to sing. Lots of families came to cheer on the kids.
One of the coolest parts was hearing the acoustics and watching the joy on the people's faces as they went up and down the escalators around us and stood around the balconies to watch. At one point, there were people stopping to lean over and watch for a while. And then a lady went up the escalator singing along with one of their songs and looked as happy as could be. Was so fun! Neat to see people enjoying it so much.
Several teachers were able to come as well and they had students in the choir. One of the highlights was the song "Believe" from Polar Express. The parents were all crying and the kids sounded like angels. So incredibly proud of them.
The director of the event at Willow Bend came over after the performance and told me that it was the best performance she had heard all season from an elementary choir. That they sang so full and nicely and that it was the first time the sound had carried all around. Even workers inside Macy's were loving hearing them. She said that she loved having us and welcomed us back again next year.
The kids then went to eat at the food court. Madi was with three other girls. They went to Sonic and then walked around the mall and went to their favorite stores - Justice, Claire's, Forever XI and a candy store. We'd given Madi some fun money for the day. So she got some nail polish that glows in the dark, a necklace and some candy as well as lunch. She had a blast!
I had my staff meeting after work and then we stopped at Walmart to get some things for Riley's party on Friday. Then came home... ahhh... girls all went to bed a little early and were all so tired. Was a really great day!
The seniors made the kids some yarn doggies that hang on their pencils. Kids thought they were super cute.
Then we loaded up the buses to go to Willow Bend. Had 64 kids total and about 20 chaperones. Great group of people!!
The kids proudly walked through the mall. We were dropped off at the food court and turned right to go to Macy's. They were able to walk past Santa and see plenty of fun stores to shop at.
I didn't see the director in charge of the music, but since I had been there the last two years, I just started getting the kids onto the risers and arranged them where they needed to be. Was a much tighter and smaller area than they're used to. And they fit rather nicely (except a few kids on the sides). But it worked! We had a really great crowd already waiting for us to sing. Lots of families came to cheer on the kids.
One of the coolest parts was hearing the acoustics and watching the joy on the people's faces as they went up and down the escalators around us and stood around the balconies to watch. At one point, there were people stopping to lean over and watch for a while. And then a lady went up the escalator singing along with one of their songs and looked as happy as could be. Was so fun! Neat to see people enjoying it so much.
Several teachers were able to come as well and they had students in the choir. One of the highlights was the song "Believe" from Polar Express. The parents were all crying and the kids sounded like angels. So incredibly proud of them.
The director of the event at Willow Bend came over after the performance and told me that it was the best performance she had heard all season from an elementary choir. That they sang so full and nicely and that it was the first time the sound had carried all around. Even workers inside Macy's were loving hearing them. She said that she loved having us and welcomed us back again next year.
The kids then went to eat at the food court. Madi was with three other girls. They went to Sonic and then walked around the mall and went to their favorite stores - Justice, Claire's, Forever XI and a candy store. We'd given Madi some fun money for the day. So she got some nail polish that glows in the dark, a necklace and some candy as well as lunch. She had a blast!
I had my staff meeting after work and then we stopped at Walmart to get some things for Riley's party on Friday. Then came home... ahhh... girls all went to bed a little early and were all so tired. Was a really great day!
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| Senior Center |
 |
| Awesome. |
WILLOW BEND MALL:
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| Taking the mall by storm.. |
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| Little risers, many people |
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| All set! |
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| Madi singing her solo |
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| Best kids ever |
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| Yum! |
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| Free ice cream cones - for choir students only!!! |
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