You can't catch me...I'm the gingerbread man!

Here we are again this year creating our very own gingerbread houses!  The kids had a blast, but like in years past, there was more eating of the toppings than decorating going on :)

Silly Sonny the Elf!

While he has had many comical appearances, this one just may be the most popular yet!

Brynleigh's special day!

In the midst of many parties and holiday craziness, today was Kindergarten breakfast day (yes, even the PM kids participate!) AND the teacher thought she could also squeeze in celebrating Bryn's 6 1/2 birthday since she is a summer baby and her half birthday falls over Christmas break!  Sooo, Bryn was extra excited for today...AND to top it all off, they got to wear jammies today! She wanted to wear slippers too, but that is where I draw the line....Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas!

Adelyn's holiday party

Ady's class put on a little program, singing a few songs and performing a couple finger plays.  Then headed back to their classroom for a fun party!  Ady sat down and her two best friends followed, Cooper and Trey.  They had a great time eating snacks, and playing with their stick gingerbread men :D

...bus drivers gifts...check!

Brynleigh, our thoughtful child, decided that not only did she want to get her teacher a Christmas gift, she also wanted to get gifts for the bus drivers.  So, I helped her come up with a little riddle, we did some creative work on the computer, and she picked out something little for them to enjoy.  She was very proud of the finished product :)

Brynleigh started basketball!

With good spirits and much delight,

Bryn's first basketball practice was Thursday night!

She started off rough but tried her best,

she picked it up fast and is taller than the rest!

The Hawks is their team name,

Bryn can't wait for the first game!

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree....

Bryn drinking hot chocolate!

Ady pulling the sled to collect our tree

Watching Dad cutting down the tree

Sisterly love in front of the chosen tree

The finished project :D

Adelyn's "mini" shows

Translation:

10 little fingers belong to me

I can make them do things, would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight, open them wide

I can make them go hide

I can jump high, or make them jump low

I can fold them quietly and thats the show

The fish lives in the brook 

The bird lives in the tree

The home is the bestest one

like little kids like me

Oh Christmas tree...lalalala

With Christmas in Springboro quickly approaching, we are seeing more and more Christmas decorations, lights, etc.  Well, it put us in the mood to get out OUR Christmas stuff.  When it came time to put the kids trees up in their room, we were reminded again how LAME Ady's tree was...a hand me down that used to be my yearly decor on my desk at BMWFS!  So, we ran up to the mall and visited a couple of stores until the perfect tree was found, with a few trimmings of course!  Ady had such a fun time picking out things for her tree and then decorating it!!  Scroll a couple years back and you can see the tree Bryn decorated :)

Adelyn's grandparents day @ preschool

Her HAPPY face tells it all :D

Dark early = inside play!

This time adjustment has really put an end to our outside playtime, bikerides, etc!  So, tonight we were busy doing gymnastics and dancing in the living room...enjoy the smiles, filled with extra silliness :)

Firehouse visit

The fire dept had an open house today and the girls loved it!  Ady could not get in the ambulance fast enough...checked it out from top to bottom!  They each sat in the firetruck and Ady said hello to "sparky" the dog :)

Dads & Donuts

Bryn got all fancied up today...its Dads and Donuts at school for 45 minutes prior to school starting.  She was also to take a book for her dad to read to her :)

Adelyn's first soccer win!

Saturday was a cold one, but the cold weather didn't stop the Purple Dragons!  The won their first game  of the season and it was a fun one to watch!  Adelyn was SOOO excited that it was cold...she picked out a hat to wear to keep her warm and it really gave her the extra spunk to score some goals! :D

School Projects...YUCK!

Well, Bryn came home with her first project due at Kindergarten...something that I am not good at!  She was to compile things that are meaningful/interesting to her and put them on a piece of cardstock.  This project would be kept in her writing journal to help her think of things to write about when she gets writers block.  She came up with the ideas, I helped her gather the pics and the rest was up to her.  I think she did a GREAT job!

Adelyn's first day of Preschool!

Today was Adelyn's first day to attend preschool....well, I went with her and attended the parent's orientation while she went to class for the hour.  Mrs. Metzger, her teacher, told her that she could bring one stuffed animal to school with her on the first day, so she chose "puppy".  On our way to the school, she said "don't worry mom, I will forgive (??I have no idea what word she meant??) you...you will have Max at home with you so you won't be all by yourself"...how does she know my insecurity about being home alone?!?!  Anyway, she was excited to go and had a great time there...aside from the boy who kept screaming for his mom so loud that it hurt her ears...seriously, all those kids should be placed in their own class, its so distracting :)

Another first...

Today Brynleigh desperately wanted to ride the bus...so, since Adelyn isn't in preschool yet, now is the time to take advantage of it.  She was SOOO excited and assured me that she knows exactly how to get off the bus, walk around the gym, and then find her classroom.  So, I sit here wondering if she made it ok, if she is nervous finding her class, if she knows what to do and who to ask for help if she needs it...this anxiety is too much, 4pm can't come fast enough!

First day of Kindergarten

Today was the day that every parent dreads...the day where they think where has the time gone...and watching a level of independence go up at least 3 slots on the scale...oh my!  Well, we made it through and Bryn never skipped a beat.  She was anxious all morning, waiting for her afternoon session to begin...she had fun picking out her outfit, shoes, and hair clip!  Adelyn and I dropped her off at the door of her classroom and she never looked back...too busy seeing who all was in her class and making friends I am sure.  While at school, Ady and I started right away on welcoming her home...we decorated the front door and got some yummy candy at the store.  

Kyle picked her up (which is the ultimate treat!) and we all greeted her as she got home.  She right away told us about the mail she had in her box at school.  Over the evening hours, she emerged to tell us about her friends Gabby, Abby, and Ava...how she did not play with boys cause girls play with girls...how she was chosen to say the pledge of the allegiance over the announcements (she visited the principal's office! haha)...and last but not least, SHE WANTS TO RIDE THE BUS!  So, guess that is on the agenda...taking it one step at a time!

First Soccer Games!

The girls both had their first soccer games this last Saturday.  They both gave great effort and did really well!  Even though it was smoking HOT, we really enjoyed ourselves and had a lot of fun watching their teams!  I only got a couple pics since I was videoing most of the time :)  enjoy!

Practice day!

Today was "Phase-In" day for Kindergarten...no bussing and just a couple hours at school.  Bryn was not nervous AT ALL and once we got there, never looked back once!  In fact, she seemed bothered that I asked to take a picture of her outside the room before she could go in :)  She said the day went great and was eager to show me what was in her mailbox at school that she brought home.  

more Kindergarten fun!

Man, being a Kindergartener sure puts a wreck in the summer schedule!  Today, Brynleigh had Kindergarten Orientation and KRA-L testing.  She got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Santiago, see her classroom, and take in her school supplies.  She even got a gift from the PTO,  welcoming her as a member of the 2025 class!  Mrs. Santiago said that Bryn did very well on her testing and she was excited to have her in her class!