Fall Leaves

Fall is the best.  We have never had leaves to rake before since we have always lived in new builds.  Not the case anymore...we have more leaves than what we know to do with in our new house. The girls are loving it. Look at the pure joy on their faces...

Just add this to the list of 17,283 reasons I love this season.  

Crucial Catch: Mini Cheer Night

The Huron HS cheerleaders put on a clinic for the home game tonight again Margaretta.  All the girls got to cheer and raise money for breast cancer research.  The even did hair and make up before the game.  Hannah didn't want to participate, but Alyssa was in Heaven.  Obviously, her love for cheering was not left in Columbus.  

Her hair was adorable.  She felt so cool having a high school cheerleader doing it for her!

A little pre-game photo opp.

Hannah was so super cute watching Alyssa and her friends cheer.  She was so proud of her big sister!

She is a natural.  Cheering is in her blood.

They cheered the Tigers on to a major victory over the Polar Bear!  

Silly Song

Oh my. 

Alyssa just told me Kevin (a little boy in her class that has a crush on her...she wouldn't admit it, but she likes him too.) sang her a silly song today that went like this: 

"Alyssa and Kevin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." 

Then she giggled and said, "I think he spelled out 'tree'!" 

YES, that is exactly what he spelled!

 No worries though. He also, apparently, sang it to Connor! ;)

Sister Love

Hannah is so in love with her big sister.  And, I am so in love with them both. 

Precious!

The Lord Makes Beautiful Things

 Just a few shots I got on my phone while we were playing outside.  I am overwhelmed by God's goodness. Oh, how He loves us!!

Kindergarten...check!

It has been one heck of a year.  Even though second semester was a bit of a roller coaster year, we made it!  Alyssa has officially graduated Kindergarten!

I can not believe how much she has learned in just a year.  Putting her in the full-day option was definitely the right choice for her!  It gave her the perfect blend of structure, confidence and challenge that she needed.  She is even reading (above grade level) and writing on her own...with occasional help.  I don't remember being able to do that after Kindergarten!  It seems so surreal that she is old enough, but it is so fun to see her personality come alive as she discovers her strengths and work through her weaknesses.  She is self-motivated and has such a strong natural love of learning.  She says she wants to be a teacher...I can totally see that!  There really isn't anything she doesn't like about school (except riding the bus and gym class...both of which make her cry ;), so I can't wait to see what kind of extra-curricular activities she gravitates towards.

  

And, let me tell you, a good teacher is worth their weight in gold...Mrs. Bourgeois is worth every penny.  She has been such a blessing to our family.  I am praying that she sticks around long enough for Hannah to have her.  Here is Alyssa with her on the last day of school. 

I found this idea on Pinterest and it is one of my favorites.  I bought a copy of "Oh, The Places You Will Go!" for each of the girls and I am planning to have their teachers write them a little note to them somewhere in the book at the end of the school year.  Then, we will give it to them when the graduate high school.  This is what Mrs. Bourgeois wrote to Alyssa this year.  Have I mentioned we LOVE her school? If not...we do!

We are so proud of you for finishing the year so strong, Alyssa!  You have such a bright future ahead of you! Oh the places you will go...

Alyssa's Birthday Interview

Today it was Alyssa's turn in the hot seat.  Here is a quick look inside a 6 year old girls mind ;)

My Current Favorites:

o   Movie? Rapunzel (Tangled)

o   TV Show? Dora

o   Animal? Elephant

o   Book? Magic Treehouse (It is a whole series of chapter books)

o   Snack? Fruit Snacks

o   Color? Pink

o   Food? Chipotle

o   Song? Sound of Melodies by Leeland

o   Candy? SweetTarts

o   Toy? Hula Hoop

o   Outfit? Dresses and Skirts

o   Drink? Sprite and Milk

o   Thing to eat for lunch? Chips

o   Thing to do outside? Slide and climb up & jump off the slide

o   Thing to do in school? Coloring

   Who is your best friend? Megan (Estell...from her Kindergarten class)

   What do you want to be when you are all grown up? A Teacher

   What makes you happy? My Birthday 

   What makes you sad? Mad Faces

   What games do you like to play? Clue Jr.

   What is your BEST memory of last year? Going to the Zoo

   What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Teddy!! (And Magenta, blankets and Me)

   What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Fruity Pebbles (Sausage and Smoothies)

   What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chipotle

    If I had one wish, it would be: To stay 5 because I LOVE my classroom

 

  You have become such a little lady this year!  Happy Birthday, Alyssa Grace!! We Love you!

Going to the Ball

A local dance school held a Father/Daughter Dance as their annual fundraiser tonight.  Of course I bought tickets...what can be sweeter than a bunch of Daddies showing their daughters how a man should treat them?!?!?  The girls were ecstatic and had so much fun getting dressed up for the 'Ball'.  They kept saying how beautiful they felt in their dresses and how handsome Daddy was.  Dan said they had a blast at the dance and that Hannah was quite the little dancer.  I am so glad they got to have this night together!  It is something the girls will remember for the rest of their lives!    

Dinner Parties at the Castle

We have been having lots of dinner parties with royalty lately.  We put the dream castle and the doll house together to create our own little 'Wisteria Lane'.  Of course, Barbie had to park her camper in the driveway...

Playing with the girls has been so fun for me and has brought back so many memories of playing when I was a little girl.  Truly nostalgic.  Next time you are in the 'neighborhood' drop by and ring the 'real, working' doorbell.  We can always make room for one more at the table! 

2012 Resolution

When we got a Christmas card from Alyssa's teacher there was an extra surprise in it...a note that said her most recent Writer's Workshop journal was attached.  I guess, after reading 'Squirrel's New Year's Resolution' in class, they decided to write their own resolutions for 2012.  They talked about a resolution being a promise to do something that would makes things better in the new year.  Here is what Alyssa said:

"I resolve to halp mi sasdr to hola hp"

~translation~

"I resolve to help my sister to hula hoop"

Of all things, she is going to help Hannah hula hoop. Oh. My. Gosh. I smiled so big and literally laughed out loud when I read this.  Not to mention her illustration of them hooping together. And, she also has a thing with initials right now...that is why they are down the side of the paper:

'AB' - Alyssa Bender

'HB' - Hannah Bender

'DB' - Daddy Bender

'MB' - Mommy Bender

'GM' - Grandpa Miller

'GM' - Grandma Miller

'AM' - 'Amily' Emily Miller

'BM' - Brittney Miller

I am amazed at the skills she has learned in just four months of Kindergarten!  She is so flippin' cute I could just burst!  Too bad our hula hoops are broken...

Heaven's Come to Earth

LIFE presented a Christmas play again this year.  I didn't think the girls would want to be in it because they are so shy, but they surprised me and decided that they did want to do it...of course as angels.  Because they only had one song to sing, which they learned in church, they only had to practice on the day of the dress rehearsal.  Hannah got into the costume, but backed out before she ever reached the stage...probably better that way.  I knew she would be the angel having a meltdown over someone in the audience taking her picture ;)  Aly absolutely LOVED it.  She watched the entire play and was so excited to be a part of it.  After it was over she told me, "This is even better than last year...and I get to be in it!!"  She has been singing the songs from it ever since, because they have been 'stuck in her head'. 

Alyssa, Hannah and Adalyn at the dress rehearsal.  Those are some beautiful angels!!   

The day of the performance...she was so excited that she got to wear glitter in her hair and on her face.  These may be some of my favorite pictures of all time...

It was hard to get a picture of her during the play because she was behind another little girl and she looked petrified :) Even thought she looks scared, she loved every minute of it!

Pilgrams and Indians

It only seems appropriate, with the amount of sibling rivalry going on in our house these days, that the girls would be on both sides of the historical table this year.  Hannah and her class represented the Indians, while Alyssa's classes represented the Pilgrims. 

Hannah continues to have an aversion to the camera.  I hope this is something that is short lived...because I like to take pictures!  Anyway, Dan and I went to Hannah's Thanksgiving Feast at school.  Just like Alyssa's pre-school feast, there was an assortment of popcorn, goldfish, raisins and corn bread.  All of which are appropriate for her vegetarian diet ;)  She was an adorable Indian...

until she realized I had a camera.  Then, she ripped off all the Indian attire and had a complete meltdown at the Thanksgiving table.  Miss Lynne actually thought she was sick or injured.  Oh, no...just an attack by the joy-sucking camera lens.  It took a while to redirect her, but eventually she warmed up to the idea and allowed us a few shots with the iPhone.  It may not be HD quality, but I'll take it :)  My favorite part was watching her participate at music afterwards...so cute!

Alyssa, on the other hand, was a willing participant in the photos.  Her paper bonnet, innocent smile and 'thankful placemat' made my heart melt!  I got to volunteer and helped serve the chicken noodle soup and carrot sticks at Kindergarten interpretation of the feast.

After the feast ended we got to go back to her classroom and play games and do crafts with their Indian counterparts.  She had so much fun! 

Even in the midst of uncertainty, we have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  We are truly blessed!  And, I sure am thankful the Pilgrims and Indians decided to work it out all those years ago!!

Official Yearbook Picture

Cute as a button...goofy smile and all!

CREEPside '11

It was rainy and wet for CREEPside this year, but that didn't keep us from collecting lots of candy!  The girls dressed as princesses...for the third year in a row.

Aly as a Princess Bride

Hannah, The Little Mermaid

This has to be the best tombstone...

Taste Testing

A Princess with her Prince Charming