Grade ONE - Done!

Yup - here is proof she is done with first grade.  And to think that at the beginning of the year I didn't know how I would survive with her at school ALL DAY.  Yet, I did.  And she loved school - so much that as we walked out of the building she sniffled and said "I don't want to leave school."  I pray she always feels that way!!!

Last fall I created some forms for her to fill out to document who she was at the beginning of the year.  I then kept them hidden all school year.  You can read about it in THIS PAST POST.  We even have her hand and footprints!  The end of the year needed to be recorded as well, so I created a similar version to see how she has changed since the beginning of the year!  She LOVED doing them and comparing!!!

After school let out, Kennedy's 1st grade scrapbook club came over for our year end get together.  :)  So I didn't have her Summer Fun Box out yet!  Then she spent the night with her BFF that night...so the box was waiting for her when she returned the next day!

Her Summer Fun Box was filled with all sorts of fun things we will need to have a great time this summer!!  I also set out the framed list of Summer Fun from THIS PAST POST.  I think the box was a hit!

I can't wait to start sharing all our summer fun!!!!

Summer 2012 "Bucket List"

Tomorrow is Kennedy's last day of 1st grade!  Where did the time go?!

I am sooo excited for summer to begin so we can have tons of fun!  Last year I had a simple method for making sure we included fun things and didn't get stuck in a rut.  I made little 2x2 cards and laminated them.  I wrote a fun activity/place to visit on each one with dry erase marker.  Each week we would draw out a few squares and try to incorporate them into my week.  It worked only sometimes.  Often I didn't have the items we needed, we didn't have the time, the weather didn't cooperate, etc.  Kennedy would get super bummed when we didn't complete a square.

This year I decided to try a different approach.  I have seen tons of Summer Activity Ideas and Bucket Lists floating around cyber space.  And I decided to try my hand at making my own!  My original list of ideas was in the 90s!  Oops!  So I had to cut it down a bit!  I realize we may not complete these all but it gives us somewhere to start!

I found an awesome free summer themed digital scrapbook kit over at this site: Just Jaimee  While Jeff took the girls to the dog park this evening I played around and created our print!!!

I am having it printed at Costco in size 12x12.  It will go in a scrapbook frame and we can use a dry erase marker to cross off our activities as we go!   I am so excited to give it to her tomorrow along with her "Summer Fun Bag!"

Have a super summer!!!!

Birthday Decor

 So....I am finally getting around to sharing about Kennedy's party!  For the family that lives out of state - here is what you missed!

For the camping theme I went with the colors orange, red & turquoise.  I was able to print that adorable birthday sign from this great site here at eighteen25 blog.

For the main food table I covered it with burlap and put small logs/stumps around.  Thanks to Jeff for cutting them up for me!  On the one above is a photo of Kennedy just a few months old.

I made edible acorns for a little snack!

We had some outdoor snacks! Grizzly Bears (gummy bears), Snakes (twizzlers rope), Catch of the Day (swedish fish), Fire Logs (pirouettes).  The kids also had hot dogs & chips and we later roasted marshmallows for s'mores.

Quick little display for the table! I took an 8x10 frame, took out the glass and put in some scrapbook paper (that matched the theme colors perfectly!) and adhered a wooden letter "K" to it!

For the mantle I went simple.  I purchased scrapbook paper that matched our themes and colors.  I punched out scalloped circles and regular circles and layered them.  Then I was also able to find some super fun camping/outdoor stickers to place in the center.  I also got a large letter "K" and covered it with matching scrapbook paper.

Here is a close - up.  We were able to re-use these on her thank you cards!

This was just a quick banner behind the food table.  Again, scrapbook paper and then some awesome American Crafts letters!

Valentine's Fun

Kennedy has such a love for all holidays!  I really enjoy anticipating them right along with her!    This year I gave Kennedy & Jeff a little something thing each day leading up to Valentine's Day, starting with February 1st.  I read about the idea at mommybydaycrafterbynight.com.  I borrowed some of her ideas and added some of my own!!!  Kennedy gets into it so much!  If her new mini valentine isn't sitting out in the morning she asks where it is! 

This first one is actually just for Jeff.  I got this cute tak3-out box at Michael's.  I used a Martha Stewart tutorial to make felt fortune cookies.  I then put in 10 "fortunes" which are actually 10 reasons why I love him!!! 

This was actually just a fun snack Kennedy and I made!  Crazy enough, I never got a picture of the final project! Sad, because they were so pretty!  We took them to our Super Bowl Party. I found the tutorial at prudentbaby.com

 

This was part of our dinner one evening.  Usually we just cut a circle and put an egg in the middle.  But today I made it a heart!

Another mini valentine!  I made Rice Krispie treats and formed them into balls. I was going to do hearts but was too lazy!  Then Kennedy's were dipped in pink and Jeff's in red!

And another mini Valentine!  

Polar Express Party

 As I said in one of my last posts, we have been doing MANY fun things found on Pinterest.  When the idea to host a Polar Express Party popped into my head, I had only given myself less than 2 weeks to pull it off.  So I went straight to Pinterest and searched for fun stuff!  If you want to see my Pinterest board about Polar Express, you can find it HERE.:

As with any shindig or holiday, Kennedy wanted to help "decorate." So we had 4 signs to make sure everyone knew they were at the correct place and that they could find the basement theater.  :) Love that girl.

Being that I am who I am, we just HAD to do a craft. Well, not just one craft....THREE crafts.  Yup.  TEN kids on my kitchen floor with paint, glue, buttons....FUN I tell ya! Thank goodness for my mom friends that get their hands dirty and helped out!

Poor Quinn....she wishes she could make a craft too...

It doesn't look too bad afterward, right?!  I just put a vinyl tablecloth down and taped it in place.  It is so nice to just roll up the mess and toss it when they are finished.

These were 2 of the crafts.  Each child was a given a bag as they entered the house.  It contained all the items they needed for the crafts, plus their Golden Ticket and a Silver Bell just like from Santa's sleigh and the movie.  For the first craft, each kid got a bulb ornament.  I had previously written their name and 2011 on the bottom.  I then put brown paint on a plate and walked around so each child could dip their thumb in it.  They stamped their thumb on the ornament once or twice (or ten+ times!) and we let it dry.  While they watched the movie I drew in eyes, antlers and painted red Rudolph noses on each.  The popsicle tree took the most time. Kennedy and I pre-painted the sticks and I cut them to the correct lengths. I basically showed them a model and said "Figure it out - make a tree and decorate it!"  It was funny to see them try to put the pieces together and then glue them.  Decorating is always a blast, too!

This was the last craft.  Each child got a rectangular piece of foam.  I drew what was supposed to be a Christmas light wire on each piece.  On a plate, I had poured various colors of paint.  I walked around and let the kids dip their thumbs in the paint of their choice and press their thumbs to make the lights.  

Aren't my sweeties cute in their matching jammies?!  You know you must wear jammies to a Polar Express Party!  They wear them in the movie!!!

Next up....SNACK TIME! 
I made some homemade hot cocoa in the crock pot...not so good.  But we still had a hot cocoa bar with yummies to put in the cocoa.  I made a cookie dough dip from Pinterest...yuck.  But the kids loved the marshmallow pops, the oranges, the snack mix and eating marshmallows plain.  After the snacks it was movie time!!!  I was so tired by then I forgot to take photos of them actually watching the movie!  Oh well!


And I can't forget! I had printed out a game for the kids to take home and play with their families but I had run out of time to laminate them. Yes. I own a laminating machine.  Go ahead. Call me a dork.  Anyway, my dear mommy friend Janet laminated them while I finished their Rudolph ornaments.  Phew!  That party was a lot of work!  But totally worth it all. And  Kennedy wants to do it all over again next December!  Will it be a new tradition?  Check back next December to find out!

Christmas Recap #2

You can find the first half of our Christmas celebrations at this post!   After our Christmas morning in our jammies, we headed to Mema's house for our traditional Cornish Hen Feast!!!!   YUM!! Aren't you jealous?!

The kids did a great job of eating and then playing before the present opening began!

And isn't my elf a cutie?!

And of course Miss Q and Miss Z were adorable in their holiday outfits!    But now it is on to the GIFTS!

I just LOVE these photos!  Mema gave each family a Wii for Christmas!  Check out the look on EVERYONE'S faces!!!

Yeah, HUGE HIT FOR SURE!  We have been playing Wii a ton over the break!  I think once school begins again we may need to put a time limit in place!  

Christmas Recap #1

Christmas was pretty low key this year....I guess that is what the sickies will do.  Jeff, Quinn and I all passed around a flu bug.  So, the pictures are pretty ho-hum and I didn't take many.  Bummer.  Just felt too yucky.  


Christmas Eve was at our home with Jeff's sisters' family, Papa Lou, Aunt Barb, Cousin Michael and Great Papa Henry.  This was the night I felt the worst...I didn't even eat dinner.   
Here is Great Papa with Barbe and Zia...sleeping.

Jeff and Quinn watching others open gifts.

Lou got a photo of his mom and aunt...such a treasure.

Both Jeff and Lou got Cotton Bowl t-shirts. Go Cats!

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The next morning was just the four of us at home.   It was such a change from last year for Quinn.  She wasn't sitting up alone yet but this year she actually opened her own gifts!

This series of photos reminds me so much of Kennedy when she had her 2nd Christmas.  Papa Doug and Grandma Jodie got them ride on toys and both girls were thrilled!

Pretty cute, huh?

This is Kennedy opening her BIG gift from Santa.  A Nintendo DS!  Wonder if she liked it?

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!   The rest of our Christmas photos will be in the next post!