Summer Vacation 2013. Here.we.go!

I wrote only two posts during September of 2012.  One summed up Mikayla heading to preschool and the other was written on the eve of school starting for Mallory.  Reading the summer recap, the day before we begin summer vacation 2013, was exactly what I needed to do. 

I wrote in just a few short words, “…But here we are with summer at our backs…it went by way too fast.”  And with that we have finished an entire school year.  First grade is done and once again you thrived.  You were a Daisy Scout in September and became a Brownie Scout in May. You sent a Grandma to heaven in February and quickly matured before my eyes each time you reassure your younger sister that we will see her again when it is our turn to enter Heaven. You were a guppy in swimming lessons in March and became a trout in April.  With the help of your sister you’ve filled up our Kindness jar 3.5 times since January.  You have said over and over this week “I can’t believe the year is almost over. I am happy and sad.”  You have my emotions and I can feel every word of what you are saying.  You love school.  You love getting up every morning and having that place waiting for you.  You love your teacher.  You love the routine.  You are sad that it is over.  However, you love playing outside.  You love riding your bike.  You are thrilled to have a few camps waiting for you to enjoy.  You can’t wait to swim at Sandy Lake.  You are excited to see Kentucky come home.  You are happy that this break is almost here.

We have many fun things planned.  For those many fun things planned, we have carved out just as much downtime.  Time for you and your sister to be together and play.  To eat on the deck.  To swing on the playground.  To feed the chickens and harvest the garden. To read on a blanket under a tree in the shade. To make up as many plays as you want to act in with Julia.  To camp in the backyard and roast marshmallows by the fire. To be seven. 

I will recap as the season wears on when time allows, but know that when these three short months are done, I will sit and remember on what summertime has done for us.

Let’s hope the sun shines and the weather warms up so we can enjoy our summer bucket list!  Congrats on being my favorite 1st Grade graduate.  Once again, you were awesome at exactly what we asked you to do—be the very best at being Mallory.  Love you to pieces, Peanut!

7 is Her lucky number…

Mallory is another year older and we are turning the page to her 7th year!  What kid doesn’t get excited about his or her upcoming birthday?  Her major excitement waivers somewhere between going to school on her actual Birthday wearing her pajamas (as it’s PJ day) or the day after, when she gets to have a sleepover birthday party with one of her best friends Julia.  Either way, she is giddy with excitement and smiles for no other reason than “It is my BIRTHDAY!” 

Each year I write to her in amazement with how fast time goes.  And though it sounds a bit redundant, it’s the honest truth.  Seven years.  It was a blink.  We sat at dinner, on the eve of her 7th Birthday, and told her all about the 24 hours leading up to her entrance into this world.  We were still able to skirt around some of the gooey details and I am pretty sure by next year all truth will be out.  She sat in honor listening and taking it all in.  Who held me first?  Why was Kate crying?  Why did they wait all day for me to be born? Why did I have my days and nights mixed up? 

I told her I was nervous the morning I went into the hospital.  She asked why…I told her I had no idea what I was doing.  That I had never been a parent.  And I did not know what this baby girl we had named Mallory, was going to be like…

And were we ever lucky.  Lucky on this 7th birthday to have such a sweet, caring and helpful daughter.  There isn’t a pleasant adjective that wouldn’t be pinned to describe this child.  My parent pride button is as big as ever lately. When she was little the milestones came at record speed. She smiled! She cooed!  She crawled!  She talked!  (She never stopped talking!) She walked! Now those “baby book milestones” are almost complete.  I thought it would be sad. I thought I would miss looking and watching for something to change in her.  But it turns out they keep changing as they get older (Nobody told me this, remember she’s my guinea pig).  Its called maturing…and it is so fun to watch.  She is making calculated decisions on things and able to follow through on those decisions.  She checks the lunch calendar, decides if she wants hot or cold lunch.  Once that decision is made, if it is lunch from home she grabs the necessary things and puts together her lunch. 



She rarely has days where her clothes look like an outfit straight from Punky Brewster’s closest.  Because she gets it…  She looks at her outfit and picks the shoes.  Socks—well socks are another story, but from what I hear, crazy colored, nonmatching socks are all the rage…

She grabs a book, sits down on the couch and reads.  If she has a book in the car, she will sit and quietly read from one destination to the other.  This moment (quiet car rides), I thought would never come. 

Though she is changing in so many ways right before my eyes, she is still my Mallory.  She is still my rule follower.  Her smile still lights up an entire room. She still needs to be right up in everybody’s business and loves to be with people.  She still loves to read.  She still loves macaroni and cheese (she will go to Buffalo Wild Wings for the 5th year in a row to celebrate her birthday).  She is still one of the most beautiful girls in the world.  She is seven and I thank God everyday that she is ours.


Happy Birthday Peanut, Mommy Loves You!!

Note to the blog world, this is one of the days that I am so incredibly grateful I keep up with writing memories.  Below are the last four years of birthday posts.

Mallory is Three

Mallory is Four

Mallory is Five

Mallory is Six

Worn Out Flip-Flops

…and faded chalk drawings. 
Summer is officially closed for the season. School is upon us.



Mallory,  It is Labor Day 2012 and here we sit on the eve of First Grade.  As with most school kids, we have been preparing for the first day for a few weeks.  The supplies are nestled in your classroom and we successfully hunted and found your locker.  We found the perfect first-day dress and we bought a few new pair of shoes.  If anyone asks if you are excited about the upcoming school year, you quickly reply “Yes!!” You are ready—a little nervous, but ready.

We started the summer when you stepped off the bus and proclaimed that you were sad.  “All the teachers stood on the curb and waved goodbye.”  I quickly told you that in just three short months you would be going back.  As a first grader!  And I worried that I would have to live up to some pretty big standards that the administration had left on you. I was in fact, only your mom.  But we had fun.  We made some great memories.  And minus the two nights you spent at your grandparents, we spent every.single.day together.  Pfewwww.  When you are sixteen that is not going to fly.  But I promise, we had fun.  My favorite memories happened right here at home.  Using our thrift store trays to eat on the deck when the summer sun promised to not scorch our backs. Not having a plan for every single day. Realizing that being spontaneous can be just as fun as having an entire day planned out…
Here’s the reality check: We’ve also grown a shorter and shorter fuse with each other as the weeks have gone on.  We bite back.  We bicker.  It is best summed up as a healthy mother-daughter relationship.  I am optimistic that once we have some separation with school, our sassiness will drop dramatically. 

But here we stand with summer at our backs. It went by way too fast… I wish you the best of luck as you step onto the bus tomorrow.  You are no longer the youngest in the school.  You’ve got this.  I pray that you continue to love learning.  Thrive on new information and new tasks that are given. Let’s take first grade and plow through it.  Thanks for the great summer. I love you Peanut…Best of luck and All my (sassy) love.

A Changing Season

The season of summer vacation is slowly coming to a close.  As I type, the kids and their Dad are sleeping (or at least attempting to sleep) in the tent out in the backyard.  The soles of their feet are covered with dirt from a long day of play and though they are tired, the fun of sleeping under the stars has them chattering and giggling. 

We’ve enjoyed so much this summer.  Our days have been busy and by the end of the day I muster all the energy I can to put away the clean dishes and crawl into bed.  We’ve done a lot.  We’ve marked a bunch of things off of our summer bucket list.  A few big events, but many more small things that I will take away saying to myself “Job well done.”  We’ve eaten three meals a day out on the deck whenever possible and we’ve brought blankets under shady trees whenever we checked out new books at the library.  We’ve swam at Sandy Lake until our toes and fingers were prunes.  We’ve harvested, and eaten almost daily, from our garden for the last several weeks. We’ve visited a few new parks around town and the girls have gotten lost in imaginative play after breakfast almost every single day…And I am reporting, happily, that I am ready for the change that school will bring. I am exhausted.  These kids have been home for 12 weeks.  We have done lots, but not tons, which was my intent.  We have talked about how finding things to keep busy is part of the deal when it comes to summer vacation.  They’ve learned to calm squabbles between each other.  They’ve played really well together, and for the most part, have had a great time. 

Today was no exception to the fun and the exhaustion.  Wanting to end the summer with a bang I decided to take the kids and our fabulous neighbor Debbie on an adventure.  We headed out this morning bound for the Light Rail.  From their we planned on heading to Minnehaha Falls for a picnic lunch.  We’ve never been to the Falls before so we had no idea what to expect.  We were not disappointed and the day turned out to be one of my favorites of the entire summer.  The train ride was just about 15 minutes long, which was just enough for the kids.  By the the time we reached our destination we were excited that we were going to come back on the train at the end of the day.  We explored the park on foot at first.  We found the waterfall by a few twisting paths and lots of steep steps.  We could hear it first and when it came into sight Mallory was in awe.  I made sure to watch her eyes as watching through her lense gives a whole new perspective.  When our feet got tired and our tummy’s were getting hungry we decided to rent a Surry Bike and take the next part of the tour on wheels.  Powered by Debbie and I, and steered solely by Debbie, we made our way around the entire park.  The trip was estimated to take about 40 minutes which gave us 20 minutes to stop for lunch along the route.  With just one wrong turn (we are blaming it on the map) and one slight misjudgment on how wide our Surry Bike was (How were to know they wanted us to not take the bike path and drive down the center of the road?) we made it back in just under our 1 hour time limit. 

Waiting with their tickets and the first sighting of the Train!
        
Yes, her hand is down her pants.  It seems to bring comfort when she doesn’t have her rag.  We must work on this before preschool starts in 2 weeks…    


Mikayla’s favorite part, “When the choo choo train went FAST and under the ground!”

 
                 
Our Bike!  The kids loved the front seat view and the matching helmets—seriously. 
Pulled over onto the grass, perfect spot under a tree for our picnic lunch.
  

One of the best parts of the day was how many times Mallory said Thank You to me.  As we ended our journey and were walking back to the car after taking the Light Rail, she said to me “Thank you so much for this fun day Mom!”  It’s days like today that I receive the “bonus check” for those other days when I worked so hard just to survive. Summer of TwoTweleve. Our first real summer vacation and I think we did it well… 

Another Diploma

September 8th, 2011, will never be forgotten.  You marched up the steps of the big yellow bus and went to your very first day of Kindergarten.  It was big. Huge in fact.  I’ll never forget the way I felt watching you walk up the steps of the bus and having it drive away…  Having you leave me on that first day felt beyond awkward.  Wasn’t I supposed to go with?  Who would make sure you ate enough of your lunch to deserve dessert?  Who would make sure you zipped your coat to stay warm at recess?  Who would remind you to wash your hands after you used the bathroom? 

Hover no more, those days are over.  We quickly, seemingly in no time at all, fell into the routine of school.   You never once (seriously) asked to skip school.  The few times you said you didn’t want to go, I responded with an “Okay, stay home with us…”  You quickly replied, no way!  I learned to love letting you go.  You came home each day proud of the work you completed, eager to show us what was in your ‘take home folder’ and you impressed your dad and I almost daily with what you had learned.  You grew, more than inches over the past 8 months, you grew in wisdom.  Reading is a piece of cake and you enjoy reading chapter books—books without pictures on every page.  As I have said time and time again, seeing you read, will never get old. Math is “super easy’ as you have said.  Math goes beyond number recognition in Kindergarten, you are adding and subtracting numbers from 1-20.  You became a school aged kid with ease.  For that, we know we are lucky…

On May 31, 2012, we honored the end of your Kindergarten year with a graduation.  You had practiced for weeks and we asked that you keep the songs a secret until we saw it at the program; grudgingly, you obeyed.  You stood as proud as could be in your white cap. You scanned the room looking for your dad and I.  When you smiled and waved, my eyes filled with tears.  Pride tears.  You were up there, a complete little Kindergartener and you were so happy.  You sang songs, told poems and then received your diploma from your teacher Mrs. Hoel.  You told her that you wanted to be a teacher when you grow up, and I have no doubt that if you choose to take the education route, you will succeed far beyond our expectations.  A few things struck me as I watched you interact with your classmates on this special day.  The biggest (and the one that made me the most proud) is how much you wanted to show your sister off.  You wanted her to sit right next to you at your table, making sure her cookie was gluten and dairy free “Because she’s allergic to those things.” You showed her off to all your friends.  They smiled and waved to her and the smile on your face while they interacted with your sister was huge. You even wanted to take her hand and receive your diploma with her.  (I can only semi-apologize for Mikayla as she didn’t want to go along with you. Let’s be honest, it’s just who she is.)  The second thing that struck me was how you just fit in. This is a home away from home for you.  This classroom has been your spring board into the rest of your elementary education years.  You will look at that door and down the “Kindergarten Wing” and you will always remember how that place made you feel.  It was a good place.  A great place actually.  You became an even brighter and happier little girl through the weeks and months that you were a Kindergartener.

Congratulations and I love you more than you will ever know…



                        

Kentucky!

Mallory and I boarded a plane for a quick three day trip to visit Craig, Molly, Caleb and Ava in their new home state of Kentucky.  Mallory was giddy with excitement to see her cousins, their neighborhood, their school, their backyard, their house….she wouldn’t stop talking about how excited she was. 

Not only was I excited to see where they moved to and what their new life was like, I was equally excited to spend a few days with just Mallory. 

Our days did not disappoint and we had a loads of fun.  We saw everything we needed to see and left with our cousin fun tank filled to the brim.  Too many pictures to share in one post, so enjoy the slideshow below!

Kentucky 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Learning to let go: The Series

It’s been way too long since I’ve added a gem to this category and when you came skipping out of your room after getting dressed,
I knew today would be the day to add to it. 



The colors in the picture don’t give justice to the ensemble…Your shirt is gray, your skirt is black, your leggings are brown and your socks, well you can see the socks, they are red and white striped.  You felt Full of Awesome on this day.

Your style continues to evolve. You still choose skirts and dresses over pants and tennis shoes. If you could twirl all day long, you would.  Words like beautiful and stylin’ come out of your mouth to describe the way you feel.  Due to the random warm weather days we have been having, I have had to step in and tell you outfits are not appropriate as you will be too cold. This has left you nothing but annoyed.  You say things like “But Mom. I will be fine.”  Which I have to respond with, “It is not summer yet, you cannot wear tank top dresses and flip flops.” 

A few days ago you declared that you were going to style your own hair and off you skipped to your bathroom.  When you came back out you said something along the lines of “What? It’s easy. You just braid the hair, twist it and put a barrette on the end. It’s easy.”  And then I looked at you. Oh how I had to contain every part of giggles and opinions.  I let it go. You thought you looked perfect and who was I to judge.

When you skipped up to your dad to ask him a simple question. He then realized you had done your own hair.  The look on his face was priceless. I wish I could have captured it on camera. He looked at me, raised his eyebrows as if saying, “Are you letting her go to school that way?” 
It was a glimpse into the many opportunities that are coming in the years ahead.  It’s self induced hair styles today and mini skirts and deep v-neck shirts another…

Another Benchmark

Mark another date off in the “baby book” 

Mallory came flying in the house after school on Friday, February 24, 2012 and slammed this piece of paper in front of me.

This is Drew’s phone number!  He said we are supposed to call him so him and I can have a play date! 

The chicken scratches were clearly done by a young child, when asking where the real phone number was, she pointed to a set of numbers and (talking as fast as ever) she said, “Drew was trying to write the numbers but he kept getting confused so his sister wrote the real ones down.  Can we call him for a play date today??!!!”

The paper, shaped in a large “M” looked rather familiar.  When I asked her where the paper came from she said, “He asked if I had anything to write his phone number on, and I always keep paper in my bag in case anyone wants to give me a phone number, so I gave him a yellow M.”

Clearly, Drew was not the only one involved in planning this date.

Her first set of boys digits at the tender age of six. 

I can’t even imagine what is going to come next…

Birthday Party-Friend Style

Mallory turned six a few weeks ago and though the parties and celebrating seemed to last more than just a few weeks, the Thank You cards are in the mail and the celebrating is done.  She requested a “friend” party this year. Aiming to please the birthday girl, we celebrated at home with a low-key princess party.   Six little girls were treated to an afternoon of birthday fun. We threw the party together “old school”, like parties were when I was little.  Mikayla was super sick, so my sister came to help me with the party while Brent tended to Mikayla.  We did a princess art project, painted nails, did a few party games, had cake and ice cream while drinking from fancy glasses, and let the kids play on their own. 
Mallory had a blast and was so excited to have her friends over to her house. 

Mallory’s Day

Mallory chose Mall Of America for her afternoon of birthday fun.  We picked her up early from school (which she loves) and headed to the Mall.  She wanted to ride a few rides and, out of a few options, chose to go to Build A Bear for her birthday gift.

Check it out! Two kids and two smiles!
This was the third attempt. First-they were looking at the rollercoaster.
Second-Mal was jumping in the picture.


Once each of the rides started, Mikayla loved it.  The anticipation was almost enough for her to want to get the heck off the ride and watch from the sidelines.




Brent, stuffed into the Mini Dora Train-
worth the three tickets it took each kid to ride the train.


The balloons were my favorite ride (insert:Lame Mom).  I had visions of us four all riding in the same balloon.  Giggling, smiling, letting the wind blow through our hair.  Smash. Only one adult per balloon…stupid rule.  Pretty sure I weigh less than some 11 year olds, but I didn’t want to argue in front of the kids. 
    

And check this out…Mallory rides the real big kid rides!  She loved every twist, spin and drop on the rollercoaster at the mall.  Brent looks like he’s say “Chaaa Right” circa 1994, let’s hope he was pointing out the camera to Mallory.


After the rides it was off to Build a Bear.  Mallory quickly picked out a sprinkle bear—who she fittingly calls Cupcake.  Mikayla, unsure of the whole process would have been content without an animal.
After giving her option after option, she chose a cat or “mee-oww”.  
    

We finished the night at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  This is her 6th Birthday and this is the 3rd year we have enjoyed BWW for dinner.  She loves the macaroni and cheese with a chocolate milk to wash it all down.

Six. What?

She is six today. 
Mallory has been spinningincircles excited over the fact that she turns six! TODAY! 



If I could bottle up Mallory on the morning of her sixth birthday it would contain;

A bunch of smiles.  She leaves excited to take on each day.  She usually wakes with a smile and a good morning.  As long as she is kept busy, she is happy to be involved with whoever is willing to include her.

A toothless grin and two more wiggly teeth eager to join.  Her top teeth are taking their sweet time coming in and her other teeth are getting inpatient waiting.  Once again, her look is about to change and eating is about to take on a whole new adventurous level when two more fall out.

A teeny bit of caution.  She is showing us an awareness to things around her.  Gone are the days we could carry on a conversation of something unrelated without her catching on.  Her current fear is chocking on food or food going down the “wrong pipe”.  Meal time is taking much much longer as she nibbles on her food like a bird all in hopes of it travelling down the correct pipe.

A true and great friend.  She loves her friends.  She talks about a handful of girls in her class and she spends weekend afternoons with a neighbor up the street.  This weekend we will host our first ever “Kid Birthday Party”.  The theme will be princesses and we plan on painting finger nails and coloring a princess craft to take home. 

A pinch of sass.  She’s been known to roll her eyes and say “I know that already, mom.”  She has yet to scream and run away yelling truly hateful words about us…but I am sure that day will come soon enough. 

An eager learner.  Her love of learning is evident in everything she does.  She has been inquisitive since the days she figured out “how come” carried on a conversation.  Her teacher boasts about her ability to read, quickly catch on, and (maybe more than once) has said she could run the classroom if Mrs. Hoel were ever gone. 

A bunch of speed.  When she wants to be done with a certain task (brushing teeth, making her bed, finishing more than one school assignment) she can rush rush rush until it is done.  “Take your time.”  Is frequently stated before she sits down to do homework.  I can see it in her, she just wants to see what is next.  Never wanting to be left behind…

A great big heart. Unless over tired, she is extremely even tempered.  She is a happy little girl, who goes along with almost anything.  She helps with her sister, teaching and encouraging her along the way.  It is not unusual to hear her reading a book to Mikayla, giving her a “good job Mikayla!” or the occasional “THAT’S MINE! GIVE IT BACK!!”

She changed this year.  Sure, every year brings on some sort of change as we grow, but this year she crossed over the bridge and became a little girl.  She left behind her preschool years and she matured.  She knows to look both ways, she knows to put her helmet on before riding her bike.  She knows to say please and thank you.  She can brush her teeth without being watched.  She watches over to make sure her sister is on the right track and most of the time does a great job at helping Mikayla when help is needed.  She really is a young teacher.  Willing to help out, eager to be included and accepting of the praise that follows. 

Happy 6th Birthday Mallory!  Thanks for a world changing six years and for being one of the best daughters a mom could ask for.

Sisters. A new milestone

Mallory you are one month shy of six and Mikayla you are all of your two years.  It is two weeks before Christmas and our house is in full Holiday-Prep mode.  We are all Merry with the season…   You two are amazing little girls. 

From the minute we brought Mikayla home from the hospital, Mallory embraced her big sister role.  She never once asked for her to leave, never tried to push her away, and always wanted to help.  Mikayla continues growing up only knowing the position of the younger sister.  She has a sister she runs to if her parents put her in a timeout.  She gives an occasional “hooorraaaay!” when Mallory gets home from school.  Over the past three years their relationship has grown and changed, and recently we are seeing a real bond emerge.  Thursday morning Mikayla cried and cried because she didn’t want Mallory to go to school.  Mallory got down on her level and said “It’s okay Mikayla. I promise to play with you when I get home and then in just 2 days I get my weekend and we can play for two whole days.”  Mikayla gave a tearful “yep” and Mallory stuck to her word, playing with her that afternoon and all weekend long.  From school to daycare and bake sale to cake walks, they have played and played for the last two days.  They snuggled on the couch to watch a few Christmas classics, they giggled together while taking a bubble bath and they attended Mallory’s wedding. It was a very eventful weekend.

   

Sounds just about perfect doesn’t it?

Well, I wouldn’t be who I was if I didn’t give it to you straight up.  Mallory and Mikayla, you two also have learned to fight like sisters.  A toothless blonde wanting to be in charge and a red headed two year old who just wants to do it her way--you have a recipe for a knock down brawl.  Mikayla growls and swats and Mallory screeches “I am telling mom!” 

The dynamics between the two of you, on most days, is wonderful.  The other moments during our long winter weekend days, seem slightly daunting.  I can see the crumbles begin to fall and before long you both are a mess of screeches and screams with tears following not far behind.

I’ll be honest, as I have seen it begin to unfold, I was nervous and slightly annoyed with the new milestone.  I barked at them to stop and I pleaded with each to just get along.  Quickly, I realized that this is an important step for their relationship.  It is one that they need to figure out for years and years to come.  So I am learning to step back.  I listen to make sure the swats and screams don’t turn into fist throws and bloody noses.  There are times when I will talk with each about what the “situation” was about, and then there are other times when I let a spat go un-discussed.  Sometimes one comes running to tattle and other times they move on and as quickly as it started, it is done. 

This new milestones means the depth and the strength of the sister bond that you have is growing stronger.  I hope that we are giving you the home environment that is needed to grow a relationship that will not crumble under any circumstances.  I hope you go about your days knowing that someone always has your back.  When your first boyfriend breaks your heart, I hope you crawl into bed with your sister and cry until you giggle knowing that you are much better off without that stupid boy.  I hope that when your parents rules drive you both crazy, you can stay up late and talk all about how they are out to ruin both of your lives. Go ahead, devise a game plan to break free (I dare you).  If either of you ever choose to marry, I hope the other is standing witness, even if she is the only witness you have to the union.  And when one of you finds out you are about to become a mother, I hope you pick up the phone and know exactly who deserves one of the very first phone calls. 

You two have each other for now and forever. 
Hug. Swat. Growl. Giggle.
For now and forever…

How to Cook a Turkey

Mallory’s Kindergarten class had a chance to describe how they would cook a turkey.  Grab a glass of cider, sit back and get ready to laugh because this is hilarious.  I love the workings of little minds…

How to Cook a Turkey!
By Mrs. Hoel’s Kindergarten 2011

Andrew—Put the turkey in a pan. Cook it 1000 degrees in the oven. Take it out and put some mashed potatoes inside of it and stuffing. Then, you’re done.

Ben—Put it on a tray and put it in a really big oven. Press the button that says start. It has to be 10 minutes hot. Cook it for two more minutes after the ten minutes. Don’t put anything on it. Just cut it and eat it.

Brooke—Turn it in the oven and then we put it in. Put it in with salt and pepper on it. Make it a little hot for six seconds. Then we eat it.

David--Put the turkey in a big metal pot. Then it cooks. Turn the lever to get it hot, like 100 degrees. Cook it for an hour or two. Then you take it out of the big metal pot. Then, eat it!

Devin—Draw a face and make turkey wings. Cut it first. Put it in the oven. Put salt on it. Make it six and keep it in there for eight minutes. Then you eat it. Put sugar on it and salt and butter and yellow cheese.

Hailey—I would baste it and bake it. Put stuffing on it and then put carrots on top of it. Then we cook it in the oven 150 for 23 seconds. Then we have to smush it up and put it back in the oven and set it in for 10 seconds. And then mark off one tally on our sheets and that would mean one day that we cooked the turkey. Put some salt on it and some pepper. Put eggs on top of it and a little syrup too. We just put one drop of syrup. We put some fish on top of it. That’s it.

Janae—Go find a turkey. Cut it first. Then put it in the oven in a pan. Make it cook for 24 minutes. Then cut it up and eat it. Put some sweet and sour sauce on it. Then eat it!

Juliana—Put it in the oven and baste it and you cook it until it smells so nice. It has to get like this hot (with hands). Keep it in there for like 11 minutes. Then you baste it and eat it. Make sure you put stuffing inside it. Eat it.

Kaitlin- So you do a neck like a straight, then you do a little gobble. Find a turkey, then you cut it then you put it in the oven to back a little bit. Then you take it out and you stuff it. The you have to put it back in the oven for 20 minutes. You have to make sure to put it in the right area. It will spill if you don’t put it in the right area. Then you have to make sure the turkey is really good so it won’t be so disgusting. Put a little salt in it, just a little bit. Put it on a plate when you’re done. Make sure it’s not really have feathers on it. Make sure that it’s not too salty. Make sure you have to have stuff to stuff the turkey and if you don’t stuff the turkey it will be not like a puffy one. Make there’s something on the bottom so it won’t be sinking when you put it in the oven.

Kristina—Take the wrapper off of it. Then put it in the oven. It has to be 18 hot. It has to stay in the oven 17 long. Take it out of the oven. Put some gravy on it. Then you can eat it.

Luke—Baste it. Cook it. Stuff it with mashed potatoes. Put it on a tray and maybe put some salt on it and pepper. Then you eat it. Maybe put the oven 50 degrees. Leave it there for 20 minutes. Take it out. Let it cool off. Then you can eat it.

Lilliana—Eat the pumpkin pie. Baste the turkey. Make it hot in the oven. It has to get really hot, like super hot. Keep it that way for 5 hours. Put some salt on it. Take it out of the oven and then eat it.

Madelyn—I think you cut it, then you put it in the oven. Put it on a tray. Make it a little tasty. Put salt on the turkey. Maybe a little sprinkles. Make it super hot, but I don’t know how long for. Then, you have to let it cool off. Eat it.

Mallory—Put like baking soda on it maybe. Then you put salt on it. Then you put it in the oven to bake, of course! You have to put flour so it doesn’t stick to the pan. You have to put it on a pan so it doesn’t get burnt. It is 35 degrees. It should stay that way until it’s done, about 35 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool and then you cut it and then you eat it. Just put some salt on it. Maybe put some flour on it to make it more tasty. Maybe some sugar, too. Then it’s ready to eat!

Matthew—How you make it burn is you put it on the thing that has the fire under it and it has a straight line and it holds it up. Burn it for awhile, probably 17 minutes. They you might baste it and you taste it. Take the blood out and put some good tasting stuff in.

Nate—I would bake it in the oven. I think you put spice on it. We have to kill it first. We have to put stuffing in it. We baste it. I think 50 degrees. You cook it for a minute or two. We take it out of the oven. Put some hot spices on it before you eat it.

Parker—I put it in the sink and clean out all the fat. Then we baste it. I sometimes take a little bite when mom and dad are downstairs. I think we cook it in the oven because I don’t remember. It has to be as hot as cookies. You turn this little thing and then you uh, it just cooks. And then you hear this little beep and then it’s done and then you can eat it. It probably should stay in there like five minutes. I don’t really put stuff on mine, sometimes I do. I sometimes put hot sauce on it. Then we eat it and that’s all!

Rebecca—First, you take off the skin. Then you put it in the oven. It should be medium hot. Leave it in there until it beeps. You take it out. Put some salt on it. Put it on the table and then you eat it.

Reese—First unthaw it. Baste it. Then, put it in the oven. Turn it on. It doesn’t really matter how hot it gets. Leave it there for about a couple minutes. Take it out. I think you put on some salt. That’s all.

Reyhaan—Put it in the oven, then bake it. It has to get warm. Keep it in there for 30 minutes. Put it on a plate and then eat it.

Vandalyn—Grab a knife and cut it. Put some seasoning on it. Put it in the oven and cook it. It doesn’t need to get that hot, not too much, just a little bit. It needs to stay in the oven for like 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven. I can’t remember what to put on it. Eat it.

School Picture 2011

During the first few months of school, on one scheduled day, school pictures are taken.  When I was in school, this day was so very important.  I made sure my hair was in place, I picked out the best outfit, and I made sure to follow my Grandma Crandall’s orders when she said “show your beautiful teeth when you smile”.  I sent Mallory to school on picture day armed with some of the same advice.  More importantly, I told her to “make sure you smile so I can see your wiggly teeth!”  I knew we were days away from her teeth falling out and that this picture would absolutely capture a “moment”.  I wasn’t as concerned about her outfit and her “picture perfect” hair as I wanted this picture to show Mallory on her school day.  Sure I made she wore a cute shirt and I made sure I brushed her hair before she bolted out the door, but let’s be honest, this certainly isn’t the only picture I have of Mallory as a Kindergartener. 

She is in Kindergarten.  Her teeth were wiggly for just 6 weeks into her school year before they fell out. She loves her teacher and her other classmates. Her closest friends are Brooke, Reese, and Julia.   Her favorite hot lunch meal is a toss up between French Toast Sticks or Spaghetti.  If she brings her lunch from home she takes a cheese sandwich, a bag of Cheetos or plain potato chips, a few carrots and grapes, and (if she’s lucky) a treat from mom, all packed inside her Princess lunch box.  She is reading sentences, putting them together to read and understand books.  Every time she reads a book to me, I get a little fluttery inside.  Listening to your child read, as they are learning to sound out words, is a pretty incredible milestone.  She constantly sings songs that she learns in Music Class. She has several friends on the school bus and a few boys who may or may not tease her as she isn’t quite sure what “teasing” really is.  One of the boys who “may or may not have teased her” smiled and said “Hi!” to her the next day…this fact alone makes me weak in the knees. 

She is confident.  She is happy.  She is learning so much everyday. 
She is my Kindergartner. 

Rockstar

Mal:  Mommy this tooth feels like it is going to fall out.
Me:  Do you want me to just yank it out for you?
Mal:  NO!
Me:  Then you are just going to have to wait a few days until it falls out on it’s own.  No big deal.  Keep wiggling it…

Next thing I knew, I was holding a tiny tooth in my hands.  Her eyes were as big as saucers. 

After reminding her about the lesson in The Berenstain Bear’s book about Sister Bear losing her front tooth, she gave me the nod to go ahead and pull it out.  And I’ll be honest, I had to pull.  Hard.  She only cried before the whole thing.  Nothing during.  Nothing after.

If I had to guess, I’d say she’ll give birth to her first baby without an epidural. 

Because having your tooth pulled out, is totally comparable to childbirth. 

Or not…


And now she looks at least 8 years old.  I can barely stand it.

Bump. Tug. POP!

Today you BUMPED your very loose tooth when you were playing with Julia.

It bled.  You cried.  But it did not fall out.  It was hanging on by a few more threads than what would make it easy to just wiggle out.  You wiggled and wiggled, and it bled and bled.  When I asked if you wanted me to pull it out, you said “NO! YES! NO! Okay…yes…”

Covered in a bit of toilet paper I wiggled, TUGGED a little bit, and

POP! 



The second front tooth is so close to falling out it won’t be long before it is out too.   Once again, your look changed in a instant.  A bit more grown up and a little bit goofy…

With moving from house to house, we found the tooth fairy pillow that Kate and I used when were little.  You stick the little tooth in the rainbow pocket and the Tooth Fairy fills it up with her treasure! 

Your first day

Today you took the big yellow bus and went to Kindergarten. To say it was one of those proud parenting moments is an understatement.  You are our oldest so these milestones we forge thru together.  The first time for all of us.  The night before Kindergarten you had a very hard time falling asleep.  You kept coming out to tell your dad and I that you were just too excited to fall asleep.  We sympathized with you, as this feeling brought your dad and I right back to the butterflies we felt the night before our first days of school.  You woke up bright and early (dressed by 6:30 am) on your first day.  Your outfit was picked out days before and you felt and looked so pretty.  Your purple backpack was packed with supplies and your princess lunch box was packed with a peanut butter sandwich, carrots, grapes, Cheetos and one Oreo cookie.  (Depending on when you read this, you may roll your eyes) I also put a napkin with a little note that read “I LOVE U!” 



You willingly posed for many pictures. In fact I had to tell you that we had taken enough.  You wanted to make sure we didn’t forget this most unforgettable day. You posed by yourself, with your little sister, with your dog, with your family, and in front of the bus.  All with smiles as wide as the ocean is deep. 

 

When the bus barreled down the hill, and the yellow lights began to flash, I was taken aback.   This day changed your life forever.  This was the largest stepping stone you have taken and this one you took all by yourself.  The door of that bus opened and you walked up the steps all by yourself.  When it drove away, tears streamed down my cheeks.  This moment will never be forgotten. 



The three of us that didn’t climb on the bus, carried on with our day.  There was a not moment that I didn’t glance at the clock and wonder “I wonder what they are doing right now”.  I waited for the bus for 25 minutes, because I was so excited to see your smiling face when you bounded down the bus stairs.  When you did get off the bus, big hugs later, I wanted to hear every detail of the day.  You, on the other hand, only wanted to eat a snack. You were exhausted after a full day of new adventures.  Eventually you opened up and told me that you had three friends from “Kindergarten Here We Come” in your class and that you didn’t like how you had to sit so much throughout the day.  Recess was your favorite part, as well as drawing on the erase board with markers. 



Today, your first day of school is over.  You are more than ready to go back tomorrow and I have no doubt you will conquer Kindergarten with a smile each and every day!

See Ya Training Wheels!

She did it!  She kicked those training wheels to the curb. 

The first day of practice Brent made a rule.  No skirts or dresses when you are learning to ride your bike.  Fair enough.  She obliged.  We also told her to wear leggings and long sleeve shirts hoping to keep the road from giving her too much of a rash when the inevitable falls came.  We told her she would fall (because when don’t you fall when you are learning to ride a bike??).  She was nervous.  At first she was very timid.  She practiced with her tiny bike with no pedals to help feel herself fall and then catch herself.  She was wobbly.  Soon enough we could see her start to grasp the concept. 



Before I knew it, Brent and Mallory were in the street and she was pedaling her big bike.  REALLY wobbly.  Instantly the memory was etched in my mind.  Brent was running along side of Mallory as she weaved in and out trying to stay on her bike.  He cheered the entire time, her smile was as wide as I have ever seen it. 

     

Day by day her balance improved.  Today, day three, she had the great idea of putting the pedals back on her tiny bike so she would be able to catch herself easier if she tipped.  It was all the confidence she needed and she was off. We stood yards behind her as she pedaled her little self along. 



Dying to see video, aren’t you?  While beaming with excitement and about ready to jump up and down, I did my best to tape her riding.  As soon as I hit “record”, I realized the camera was the wrong way.  As soon as I hit “stop”, I realized I sounded like a complete dork.  So-I deleted my voice and set the movie to sound—39 seconds of the beginning of a song.
For some reason you have to watch the video through YouTube directly. Follow the link on the video and it will bring you right to the video.