Hiding Stuff from Sable

On Tuesday, Miss Cheryl gave all the girls a treat bag that had a bunch of lollipops in it.  Well, when Lexi wasn’t looking, Sable got one and took off! Lexi started hollering for me to come and was just so upset that Sable had a lollipop.  When I got near her, she hunkered down like she was eating a steak (paper and all).  I told Lexi to let her have it and she just cried because she wanted to eat it.  So she got mad and decided to HIDE the rest of her candy.  After she went to bed, we laughed at her hiding method.

 

That was quite a lot to do just to hide candy from the dog!  And of course, she never even asked about it after we put everything away when she went to bed.

Ballerina of the Day

Guess who got a certificate today for being the “Ballerina” of the day??  Yep, you got it!  Our little Lj led the line out of class today with a proud certificate in her hand!  I was so proud even though I know that they give them out evenly.  She doesn’t know that!  Plus, I watched our little ballerina today through the one way glass and marveled again at how well she is doing.  I should say I “hogged” the window!  I figure that I as probably the oldest Mom in the building should get some perks!  LOL!

Lexi was disappointed once again that she did not have her very own tap shoes that she can get out of her bag.  (We ordered them now a month ago! And Lj does not understand WHY she does not have her own tap shoes like all the other girls.)  Who knows they may have been here today but Mrs. Cheryl’s daughter had a baby today so she was out. 

I had to take some pictures of Lexi with her certificate.  This weekend, she will have her first public debut!  We will be posting how she does.  Sometimes it takes her a bit to warm up so we have no clue how she will do!  Not to mention that the dance they are doing is a “witch” dance and she does not like witches!  And that she will have to wear a witch hat AND black tights!  Two uncomfortable things may just be too much!

Anyhow… here is our little ballerina!

I so love watching her grow and learn but at the same time just want to slow her down! 

One more story and then I’m done.  Last week when I picked Lexi up from her dance lesson, her teacher walked out and came up to me and said that she wanted me to know how proud she was of Lexi.  She said that that particular day at dance, the girls were not listening and that she had to raise her voice a lot.  She made sure that I knew that she did not have to raise her voice at Lexi.  She so far as to say that Lexi was doing awesome and that she tried her best, listened the first time spoken to and that she clearly wanted to do well.  I jokingly told her that I wished she would do the same at home!  She then proceeded to tell me that it was student’s like Lexi that made her continue to want to teach dance.  I was so proud!  I so hope that she continues to do so well and that she does indeed to always strive to do her best! 

We know she is amazing but it is extra special to hear it from complete strangers!

Lexi says this is how to make an Owl Smore…

Tomorrow is Lexi’s day to bring snack.  She pretty much had her hands in every step of the way so watch out future Chefs… Lexi may well be a force to deal with!

First, you break graham crackers in half.  Then you squeeze marshmallow in half to make the “eyes” of the owl.  (Just please ignore the fact that she is about 3 weeks late for her haircut!)

Then you take some Wilton yellow wafers and shave the point off with a knife… (Lexi had to do this too, only she asked for a kid’s knife so that she would not cut her fingers).

I was then able to put them in oven on the low broil heat just long enough to melt and fluff the marshmallows. Then we carefully, put the candy corn beaks in place along with the M&M eyes in place.

And the finished bunch…

And of course, she had to help with the packaging of the finished to bring to school. (not great photos for some crazy reason) The toppers were made by Melissa… Lexi’s extra special Mommy’s friend.  What really surprised me here was that as I cut the toppers out and began to fold them in half, Lexi insisted on helping and much to my surprise, she could fold in half just as well as me! 

And here they are… our basket of school treats for the month of October.  One to bring home and one to eat at school.

So… what shall we do next month??

And by the way… the idea came from one of my favorite sites Living Lucurto.  We’ve just been waiting for October!  I love doing these kinds of “cooking” activities with Lj.  She loves it and we get great Mommy-Daughter time together. It’s so much fun!

She’s got Style… Lj Style!

 

Lexi picked out her own outfit this weekend.  We actually went to WalMart like this with her wearing her pink boots!  I have to say though the pink boots at least matched the bow on her ghosts head! After we came home we did some crafting in the kitchen.  Needless to say anything done in the kitchen with Lexi is very entertaining!

Oh, and while we were at Wal Mart, she got a new baby.  She’s finally showing some interest in her dolls and stuffed animals.

And here’s our little finished project.  I was inspired by How Does She.com.  I can’t  wait to make some more for the holidays.  I think I will be making some of these to sale at Lexi’s preschool Bazaar.  Team Brandon is going to do a fund raising booth and I think these will be fun to make.  I think I’ll do some as cookie pop holders and make some cookies to display.  I’ve been wanting to try some new things so here we go!!

I missed my calling…

Once upon a time, my Mother wanted me to go into the Medical field.  I told her I just could not stomach the yucky stuff and never even considered it even when she said I could be an X-ray technician.   Little did I know that teaching also comes with “Yucky stuff” and for that matter so does Motherhood!  Heck!  Sometimes I can’t even stomach the cats and dogs! 

However, over the years anytime anything comes up with any of us, I make my very unprofessional diagnosis of the issue and make very good diagnosis! YES!  Geoff has bronchitis.  He was still sick this morning and stayed home and on his OWN violation made a Dr. appt.  Seriously, I do not take any pleasure in being right and I pray that Lj does not get sick next.  I see Geoff going through what I did last weekend and just feel so bad for him.  I hope his meds kick in soon!

On another note, once I got home tonight I began to fix dinner and “play” with my next idea for Lexi’s snack next week.  I got the idea here and have been anxiously awaiting making this month’s treat. Well, after buying the necessary ingredients, I tried one… then two… and so on and so on!!! Now I just implore anyone who has made these adorable little Smore Owls to share with me HOW you managed to get the doggone marshmallow eyes to MATCH!  Every one I tried ended up with one BIG eye and one LITTLE eye!  It must be possible since the site with the recipe has such a perfect cookie!  And no… I’m not likely to be pleased with a crazy two – sized eye Owl.  Owls are cute… adorable and I want this snack to work! 

As I finish this post, I hear Lj coughing in her room…. Gracious,”Lord Jesus keep her well!” 

Prima Ballerina!

Ah, sickness has invaded our home but thankfully it has only attacked Geoff and me.  After being “down” since last Wednesday with muscle spasms and then bronchitis I am back to feeling better.  I can’t say the same for Geoff and can’t be sure that I didn’t give him something. 

I was home yesterday and did take Lj to her dance class.  She was awesome as usual and is learning so quickly!  It makes a Mama proud!  This morning, Lj wore an outfit we bought at Carter’s with boots from Old Navy to match.  I just love dressing her in quirky cute clothes! I’d make another scrapbook page if only I could remember some of the key strokes that I need to know … (Melissa… time for some re-teaching!!)

So here are some picts I took this afternoon as we returned home to find two of the last three Butterflys that needed to be turned loose to fly to Mexico!

She is always so concerned if they are boys or girls.  Today, we had a boy and a girl!

There is a butterfly in this picture but she turned away… as usual!

She’s alright as long as they don’t touch her skin anywhere other than her hand! She didn’t like this butterfly lovin’ at all!

Next thing to do was go play on the Little Tykes!

She’s certainly a tough little thing!  It’s amazing how much she has grown!  In this picture she is wearing a mixture of sizes!  The top is size 4 (which is for now a bit big but by the end of winter will probably be just right!.  The skirt is still a 2T but she can now wear size 3 leggins!  The boots… size 8!)  It  just seems that each season she gains much more and by the time she hits four maybe she will actually wear a size four for the most part!  If only we could just slow…. and I mean ssssslllooww…. down…  her growing up!  And Yes!  It’s time for a haircut!

Butterflies… are free… to fly…. Fly Away!!!

Here are a few pictures taken while we released butterflies over the last month.  At home we are up to over 160!  Today when we came home, we had two unexpected little new butterflies that hatched.  One was a boy and the other a girl.  I was so tempted to keep them and just see if I could successfully breed and raise some.  But considering how hard it is to grow milkweed in the winter, I decided it was best to let them go.  We have ONE little lost caterpillar that is just today making its chrysalis so we have just one… one little butterfly to look forward to.  It’s been fun and it’s just too cool to hear my little one actually say things like, “Mommy, it’s a chrysalis!”.  That’s just too cool!

P.S. Yea, this post is me trying to use PhotoShop again for the first time in like FOREVER! 

And yes, every single time we release a butterfly, I think of the journey it has ahead to migrate to Mexico and just think how nice it would to go visit the Monarch sanctuary with it!  Maybe one day, our family will actually go to witness this miracle of nature together.

Dancing Princess!

Today was Lexi’s second dancing lesson.  She started last Tuesday but low and behold I brought a camera without SD card!  So today I made sure to bring a camera.  I didn’t get the greatest photos but no worries… our little princess is just awesome!  Last week, she was not prepared for what she was about to do.  We had talked about taking her to Disney on Ice and she thought that was what we were doing. Today however, she knew exactly what to expect and was sooooooo ready! I stood behind the one-way window and watched her dance in total amazement! She has pretty much picked up everything overnight!  Most of these girls have been coming to dance since August.  Needless to say… this MAMA thinks her little dancing princess is just sooooo talented!

We had to order tap shoes so these are loaners.  Lexi want’s some so bad that she put them in her bag.  I think she just thought they were hers since she has worn them two weeks in a row now.  Last week she “fussed” at me for not having a “dance bag” with her shoes in it like all the other girls.  I got the bag this week, but we still have to wait for the tap shoes to come in.  This week she was so proud of herself and talked about how she was not being shy today.  I for one was a very proud Mommy!

What difference does 3 seconds make ???

**** Soap box alert!!!

I’ll admit part of tonight’s post is just pure frustration and as soon as I’m finished, this Mama is going to bed! 

First of all, I’m a rule follower in my profession.  That being said, I’ll begin.  I hate to be late.  I follow rules.  However, I’m not so stupid as to think that sometimes “LIFE” will not intervene and that you just roll with the punches.

Well, at my place of employment, we are “supposed” to be at work by 7:15 am.  I diligently try to make this happen on a daily basis.  I’ll admit, I’ve been known to say that if anyone had to kiss goodbye to my little Lj every morning, they would be challenged to get to work on time too!  But this year, I’ve made a personal commitment to not only not being late but also being present as many days as I can even when sick.  (take last week as an example… I was sick 3 1/2 days of the 5 and still made it to work and did not miss!)

So far this year, I’ve been late once.  This was early in the year and on that particular morning, Lj was having a melt-down.  This is NOT typical of her and was hard to deal with. That morning, I clocked in over 4 minutes late.  I knew I was late and no matter how I felt about it, I accepted it and just moved on. Geoff and I began to deal with our little non-morning girl on a different basis and so far it’s been working.  And by the way… we have a whopping three minutes grace for the purposes of no one’s clock being exact on any particular day. Technically, I am supposed to clock in by 7:15 but have “grace” until 7:18.

** Side note… she is not a girl to be rushed awake regardless if it is morning or nap or whatever and she like any little self-proclaimed “princess” reserves the right to be pampered and cuddled or snuggled before you can get her into full swing.  Honestly, some mornings the first thing out of her mouth is “I need to snuggle-snuggle (in the most pitiful voice you can imagine!)”.  She’s been this way from DAY ONE. 

So here comes today… she wakes up, wants to “snuggle” and still somehow we get her dressed for school and get out of the house with me just enough time to get her to Mom’s and then me to work without me NOT being late. 

But on the way to Mom’s as I play my favorite CD that Geoff has made me of our church’s Christian music she begins to quietly sing to my favorite song.  As I heard her, I told her I would love to hear her sing and very reverently begins to sing the precious words.  I was just stunned.  The song is over 5 minutes long and she knew all the words (even though some are not really clear). I listened and just felt so proud to listen to our 3 year old sing a song that speaks so strong to me and her voice was that of an angel.

The next song came on and she knew it too… I listened in quiet pleasure and drove to Mom’s.  By the time we got to Mom’s she was singing song #3!  (These were songs she has never sung for us and not a children’s bible song either!) So once we got inside I shared for just a few minutes Lexi’s beautiful singing and how very proud of her I was with my Mom. I left  her very proud of herself and me, very full of pride as a mother. 

Then traffic hits… the normally quiet trip to work is more filled with cars and as I need to turn right, there are two people ahead needing to turn left.  I could have broken the law and cut through the gas station but no…. I refuse to put the law or anyone’s safety at risk or the sake of a time clock.  Finally, I turned in to our road to work and had to drag behind parents who were taking extra time to avoid a longer wait because they can’t drop their kids off until 7:20.  Finally, I get to the staff parking lot, run inside and begin to clock in.  Yes, they do give us 3 minutes grace time to clock in.  And after I went inside, I evidently had too much lotion on my hands because the clock kicked my fingerprint out and I had to start over again.  By the time I was successful at getting clocked in, it was 7:18:04.  Busted!

Busted I say!  Three seconds busted me!  I still made it to my morning post and did my morning duty.  No students were at risk and nothing bad happened but by lunch time, I went to check out my teacher’s “mailbox”, I had a very special envelope with a document for me to sign that I signed in late and that it was my “heaven forbid!” second time late.  I was also informed that IF I sign in late 5 times in one year, I will be disciplined with a GTDRI.  (Ga. teacher’s duties and responsibilities instrument and put on a PDP (professional development plan). ) I signed the thing and DO know that I was technically 3 seconds late.  So how exactly do you retrain a teacher who is 3 seconds late???  Is being late a lesser offense than one who can’t teach at all.  I guess I’m on my soap box because my 3 seconds vs. my commitment to my students and their education seems to pale in great regards compared to many educators who do nothing to encourage their students at all!  Seriously… are you kidding me!!???

As a parent, I’d gladly accept the PDP as a result of getting a GTDRI in exchange to hearing and being so proud to hear my 3 1/2 year old sing praises to the Lord and relishing in listening to her very innocent voice sing praises to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I for one, feel proud that each day  we listen to the praise music we do and that TODAY, I was late to work by a whole 3 seconds because my precious baby girl on this day decided to sing to me and let me know that she is learning by our example.  That is a job that I can claim “well done”.  And even if I am not considered to do a job well done by signing in 3 seconds late… I KNOW it WAS and it IS!

She’s Ours!

Lexi-isms are what I like to think of them… more than not, they are glimpses into the future of our little Lj.  One of my favorites that I like to use myself now is turning the focus to what you don’t have vs. what you want.  For example: “Daddy, I don’t have any chips in my hand.”.  So my response to my child’s lesson last weekend was, “ Geoff, I don’t smell any bacon in my nose.”  AMAZINGLY, I was eating bacon soon there after!  Maybe we should market Lj’s “way” of getting her “WAY”! 

Big School Girl!

I swear it breaks my heart to think of Lj this year vs. last year!  Gracious!  Where has the time gone? And how can I slow down our little precious baby girl????

Yes!  Those are knee-socks! 

And just when did our little girl grow into 2 and 3T outfits??  Not to mention that she could be a “model” for Target!   Who says clothes have to cost a lot to be stinkin’ cute???  Lexi just looks cute in everything!

You know when you are a GREAT Dad when…

 

No worries… we had fingernail polish remover ready for Geoff’s next day at work!  Heaven forbid Shannon see him with pink nails!

Say Yes! to Monarch caterpillars!

Finally!  She loves them as much as I do! Yes, it’s caterpillar season and Yes, we have been collecting baby cats! Last weekend, I took these pictures of us releasing butterflies!  It’s a bit weird though because she only wants to “hold” the girl butterflies and still be a toddler diva!

 

And little Miss insists on helping free the new cats!

I just LOVE that my little princess loves caterpillars and butterflies as much as me!

Acorns, September Preschool Snacks!

I just love coming up with creative snacks for Lexi’s class each month.  This month I had the help of Disney’s Family Fun Magazine and BFF Lissa!

I thought with Autumn so close this would be so cute! And it was! I am going to be doing this activity with some of my Kindergarten friends soon!

Happy Birthday to YeYe!

Here’s a song just for YeYe!

Don’t even ask for what bribery it took to get this song!

Finally able to take a breath…

The new school year has begun (over a month ago now!) with a blast!  I am finally feeling as if I can breathe at home during the week and get something done over the weekends (as of LAST weekend that is!). I’ve been learning a new version of Windows Movie Maker and using my favorite subjects, of course!

Here is a movie of tonight before Lj’s bedtime when we decided to try out a new website that I found to use with my Kindergarteners.  She certainly held her own! TV shows could certainly take a backseat now that she can use the mouse all by herself!

That’s our girl!

Lexi Theatrics! Will She be famous someday?????

Lexi Made Up Her Mind!

We purposely did not get Lexi’s ears pierced she was younger.  We wanted her to be old enough to ask to have them done.  Well a few weeks ago, she came home and was talking about her new friend Makayla.  Makayla had “sparkly” earrings and she wanted some.  She told me that she was going to ask her Daddy to take her to get some “sparkly” earrings.  Need I say more?  Just the fact that she wanted her Daddy to take her was all it took.  So on August 28 after church she asked again and off to the mall we went.  Lexi marched up to the store, took a seat and very bravely got her ears pierced.  She’s such a drama queen I expected her to cut up at least a little but oh, no!  This girl has already got the “it hurts to be a girl” down pat!

What happens after school…

It’s scary to admit sometimes the crazy stuff we do after school. Lexi never allows for a dull moment and certainly keeps us entertained!

Sometimes she’s an “Angel”…

And sometimes she’s “Monster”. 

Both looks posted here were purely her doing.  The “Monster” look really got me!  She did this while watching TV, reading a book (that conveniently came with a dry erase marker), drinking “chocky milk” while I dozed BESIDE her! 

I asked her why she colored her legs and was told that she wanted to be a monster.  When I told her that I was not happy with her she repeated back to me “Well, I’m not happy with you either!”.  Thankfully it was NOT a Sharpie!