Hide-N-Go-Seek

My 8 year old just came in from the backyard crying, and I ran to hide.  

From June 2013 - December 2013

Ballerina O

This has been a fun year for Olivia.  Without question, our girl loves to dance.  At home, she turns on music and choreographs her own interpretive dances.  They are always wobbly and beautiful.  She hops out into the aisle at church and consistently gives it her best shot.  Ballet was befitting for our ballerina.

We signed up with a studio in our neighborhood, not really knowing what we were getting into.  It turned out that only one other little girl had signed up for her same ballet/tap class.  Their sweet teacher still took them in and loved on them all year long.  Every time I dropped Olivia off, her teacher squealed with delight and doted on the two dancers.  

What a wonderful experience.  Oh how I love this age and all of these great memories!

We All Scream For Ice Cream!!!

I had to post this picture and kind of brag on myself.  I'm normally absolutely terrible with chore charts, discipline boards, or anything else that might require me to stick with one idea.  This is something that I have actually used for almost 2 years, and it has worked wonders!  

The idea of this "chart" is not to lose any scoops during the week.  As long as one scoop is still left, there is a reward.  Each time one of the kids misbehaves, they have to go to the refrigerator and move a scoop off the top of the cone.  They have a chance to move the scoops back up if they do something really nice or helpful.  I make sure to look for the times that the kids are doing extra nice things, and sometimes they even point out their own good behaviors. :)  The kicker is, if they lose all of the scoops, then there is no reward at the end of the week.  And the reward is... ice cream, of course!    If any of the kids have actually kept all 5 scoops on their cone all week, they get extra toppings on their ice cream.  

I used a template like this one "ice cream scoops" and had the kids cut them out and color their own ice cream cone and scoops.  I laminated all of it (with a few extras) and then stuck a Scotch Restickable Strip on the back of each piece.  I had to replace the sticky strips a few times over the two years, but I used the same package and still have some left-over.

So, there you have it.  It's a great system that also benefits the parents.  Why?  Because we get ice cream every Friday, too!

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday...and Then Some

April is pretty busy around our casa.  Easter was the last day of March, but we didn't do our egg hunt until the next day.  Those poor pastor's kids!!  

Also, we celebrate 3 birthdays in one week.  (4 if you count the dog...which we do.)  When we added Hadassah to our family, we just cracked up laughing when we realized we were going to have another April birthday.

 Isaac on the hunt.

(tongue out...Sanders thing?)

 10 years old!!

 Happy Birthday, Dassie!

 A little help from Josiah

 Hmmmm....

 Gee celebrated with us.  

Hadassah is saying, "2!"

 8 years old!!

 Pancake and Pajama Party Parents

 lots of sweet friends

 The boys loved this.

 Josiah's turn

 Girl table

 Sleeping bag kick ball

 10, really?!

 all-time pitcher

 The party was so much fun and super relaxed.  The boys invited

the neighbor kids and a family from church.
My mom came for the week and then Jay's parents were here for the weekend.

 Hadassah's first hair cut!!

Nadia, from Ethiopia, was her stylist.

 such a big girl

 She wanted Olivia to pose with her. :)

 Isaac began a new season of flag football.

He scored 2 touchdowns and made an interception at the first game.

He was named MVP and received a medal.

 The sprinkler is out.

 Her eyes get more and more gorgeous every time I turn around.

She'll tell you that she is 3.  I have started to believe her and keep having to 

remind myself that she is only 2.  Ornery girl.

 Will they always do this?

 And this?

 And this?

 Lovely.

She is so content...and sweet.

 And this?

I wouldn't trade my life for anything!!!