A Sweet Little Voice

Oh...what a sweet little voice Ava has.  Last week she had her very first Christmas concert at school.  We are so lucky that our school district allows us to celebrate Christmas.  Every teacher has a tree in their classroom, we can talk about Santa all we want, sing whatever Christmas songs we want, and just enjoy reading holiday stories and making all those festive crafts! 

 

Every year the music teacher at our school organizes these wonderful concerts.  Ava is a VERY shy kid...well...for those of you that know her personally, you know this isn't her "true" personality.  She was so excited to perform on stage with her class and share the songs that she has been singing around the house for weeks.  After getting all dressed up, adding a few curls to her hair, and strapping on those new black glittery shoes...she was ready to go!

 



Here is Ava in her classroom before the concert in front of her class Christmas tree.  Isn't she the cutest thing!!

Ava and her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Upah.  She is the most amazing teacher!

This camera...I think it's really time to invest in a more expensive model.  I take sooo many pictures...it may be time for me to move up a notch in the photography world.  I wish these weren't so dark...but that was the best I could do in the gym.  Ava's in the 2nd row and she's the middle girl with the black and white spotted dress. 

The rest of the pictures just show our Bootles singing her heart out!

You've seen many pictures of Jack...Ava's future Homecoming date.  Gina, Jack's Mom, and I always take as many pictures of these two as we can get.  They are both darling together in front of this gingerbread house!

 

 

My Three Happy's

1) The Portable North Pole...remember this from last year?  Santa sends a special Christmas message to each of the kids telling them if they are "naughty or nice."  They were really excited to get this special email from Santa himself.  In the next post you will find the two links you can click on to see this. 

 

2) The first grade classes in my school do a service learning project during the holidays instead of a gift exchange.  We collect items to donate to the Story County Animal Shelter.  It's always amazing to see how many things end up under our class tree for this wonderful organization.  Things such as food, treats, toys, bowls, blankets, paper towels, cleaning products, you name it has filled the once bare area under our tree.  Tomorrow two ladies come to visit our school, talk about their organization, bring an animal to show the kids, and collect the items.  What a great way to show caring!

 

3) The kids have been going to bed like champs the last few weeks!  They are worn out by the end of the day.  After 3 or 4 stories and one song on their CD...they're out.  It makes for a nice relaxing night for Andy and I....time to put the feet up and do...well...nothing!

 

My Favorite Thing(s):

**Okay I have two today.  Cocoa covered almonds...the perfect combination of crunch with just enough chocolate to take away that chocolate craving.  I eat these as my mid-morning snack and look forward to that treat everyday.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE coffee...but being pregnant means cutting back or not drinking it at all.  In my case I completely refrain from drinking any caffeine.  Andy had a few decaf flavors that I have been trying.  I can't even describe that taste again.  A small cup of decaf with a little...more like a lot...of caramel vanilla creamer just makes me happy.  

Portable North Pole

Enjoy the special messages that Santa sent to the kids.  They were so excited to see Santa, the elves workshop, and Santa's reindeer.  Love this site!

 



Santa's Message to Isaiah

Santa's Message to Ava

Sugar and Spice...That's What Gingerbread is Made Of

"Sugar and spice and everything nice...that's what gingerbread is made of!"  That is the first line to one of the fun poems that I'm doing with my class at school.  For the past two years we've started a tradition in our family of making a gingerbread house around the holidays.  One year we made a huge house together, last year the kids just made their own little houses out of graham crackers, and this year we bought a kit from Sam's Club that had a gingerbread house and train.  The kids have been asking since November when we bought it if we could put it together.  Thursday night we set to work.  Of course Andy and I help with the construction but when it comes to the decorating they pretty much do whatever they want and let those creative minds flow. 

 

Isaiah REALLY wanted to make the train.  Andy and Isaiah are constructing the body of the train.

Ava wanted to make the house so it worked out perfectly.  Here we are with the construction just complete.  Now it's time for the fancy decorations.

You know that when you make something with kids that fingers and knives will get licked and candy will get eaten.  Who wouldn't do that?!  Even adults sneak a taste off their fingers every now and then.

Time to add the colorful candy.

Ava was working on the front door to her house.

On the right is the gingerbread cookie girl that Ava made.  Don't you love the blond hair made of fondue?

On happy little lady!

Isaiah putting on those finishing touches with Daddy.

And there you have it...our first gingerbread train.

These two masterpieces are proudly displayed on top of our fridge along with the gingerbread cookie jar we have.  There is a certain orange and furry creature that would probably attempt to eat these if we left them on the table...it happened last year.  One afternoon we came home to a happy dog...but one less gingerbread house.  Go figure!

My Three Happy's:
1) We got some more Christmas shopping done last night and the kids met Santa at the mall.  I remember back when Ava and Isaiah were scared out of their minds to talk to Santa.  They still don't sit in his lap, but at least they'll talk to him now.  They came home with a special coloring book and crayons.

2)The Nutcracker Ballet is tomorrow.  Since I've been little my Mom has always taken me to that production.  Now that Ava is old enough we have started going with her.  This is her 2nd year and she absolutely loves it.  We get dressed up, have treats, and enjoy a magical story about a little girl named Clara!

3) Cinnamon rolls...Andy made them this morning and for some reason they sounded really good today!  Yum!

My Favorite:
**There are so many uses for burlap!  You can use it as\ a table runner, for lining in baskets, as pendants on a banner, you name it...I'm sure it can be used for anything.  When we put our real tree upstairs over Thanksgiving break I had forgotten to leave out the tree skirt that I usually put around that tree.  Let's just say that it's completely buried in the storage room in one of what seems like thousands of  Christmas storage containers.  I'm not about to go back through all that to look for one thing.  I had a big piece of burlap left over from a project that I decided to use as a tree skirt this year.  I love the natural look and it looks great against the dark wood floor we have upstairs. 

Jumpin', Swingin', Climbin'...and Just Havin' Fun!

Miss Ava had her final birthday celebration on Sunday afternoon with some of her closest friends.  It's amazing how many new people she's met this year, talks about, and plays with at school.  She wanted her "friend party" to be at Triad (a gymnastics facility)...I wasn't about to have 16 kids running around my house.  Maybe in a few years when she wants a sleepover...but it's going to have to be a lot less than 16...and when that time comes...NO BOYS! 

It was so fun watching the kids tumble, swing from the bars and ropes, jump on the trampoline, and play in the foam pits.  The instructor did a great job of introducing the kids to all the different areas, walking through what they could do, and then letting them explore on their own and do whatever they wanted.  This place was beyond fun and is a great place to have a party!

Isaiah and Ava before all her guests arrived.

Ava leading the line and getting ready to go in.

A little balance beam...

...Isaiah running on a trampoline and knocking over a mat...

...swinging from a bar and jumping into the foam pit...

 

...the in-ground trampolines (these are great and you don't have to worry about your child falling off)...

...swinging from the rope into another foam pit...

...a little bar fun...

...bouncing with Payton, a friend from her class...

...Miss Isabelle having the time of her life on the obstacle course...

...Ava and her friend Brooklyn climbing mats...

...Isaiah hopping along...

...a little more balancing fun...

...swinging with her buddies...

...Boo loved doing it too...

...hiding inside of a mat (so cute)...

...she couldn't get enough of this foam pit...

...a little parachute game...

...Daddy having fun too...

...the kids singing Happy Birthday to Ava and trying to knock her into the pit...

...Isaiah climbing out...

...Isabelle and Kevin diving in...

...the whole gang...

...and one last picture with silly faces.

 

Time for the gift opening.  Ava with her pal Reagan.

Ava with her classmate Lilly.

Payton and Ava

Tony and Ava...they've been friends since preschool.  They're in different classes this year but she still talks about Tony.

Ava's friend Rex

Addy and Ava

Allison and Miss Ava

Brooklyn and Ava

Alayna and Ava

Ava and her friend Reese

Jackson and Ava...I teach with Jack's Mom and we always talk about how these two may end up together!  We can always hope!

She got so many nice gifts and is very fortunate to have so many friends who care about her!

Ava, Isaiah, and Isabelle getting ready to eat ice cream and cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Bootles!

Miss Isabelle and Uncle Kevin...that girl loves her ice cream!

Time to dig in!

Thank you to all her sweet friends for making this day so special!

 

My Three Happy's

1) Lego Friends...these are amazing!  I'm surprised someone didn't think of making LEGOS "for girls" sooner.  Ava and Isaiah have TONS of LEGOS and love playing with them.  After church on Sunday they played with her new house and a mixture of other LEGOS for over an hour!

 

How cool is this LEGO house!

It even has swiveling chairs and the stove opens!

 

 2) Christmas baking has begun!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE baking during the holidays.  I started making one of the things I put on our cookie plates last night.  The kids were happily playing with Play Doh and would sneak tastes of the dough as I was making them.  After 7 dozen...I called it a night.  Into the freezer those Peanut Butter Blossoms will go until it's time to deliver plates.

 

3)Thursday night TV...Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Burn Notice.  Andy and are ready to relax together and watch our favorites.

 

My Favorite Thing:

1) Gingerbread...I love all the books that are written about this crazy cookie...I love baking them, I love all the crafts and activities that go along with this theme...I love making homemade gingerbread play dough...I love it all.  I'm starting this unit next week at school and will be bringing home many of the activities I do for Ava and Isaiah to try.  There's so many math and reading activities I'm sure they will love!