Three Parties

With my new smart phone I guess I haven't been taking as many pictures with my regular old camera. What a shame.

In October they had a Halloween party at preschool.

Mae, Teach Kasi and a friend.

These three!

The Monday of Thanksgiving week we had a Thanksgiving feast.

Love this face!

Russell's favorite place to be. In amongst some Pernsteiners!

A Thanksgiving feast! Turkey soup, rolls, carrots and juice. 

And today we had a Christmas celebration!

Russell is in on all the fun.

Another head band.
And a gift for mom & dad.

These three!

Fair X 2

This year we weren't able to go to the fair as a family as Bob was playing in the pit orchestra for the civic theatre production of Shrek. Thankfully both Mae's preschool and Etta's class got to go on field trips. On different days. So I was able to attend both.

Mae & Henry holding hands heading into the petting zoo.

A Nervous Nelly smile.

Either a giant rabbit or a tiny pig. Or both...

Mae & Henry showing pride in the apple sign that their class made.
It got a blue ribbon!
Mae's apple is in the upper right hand corner.

A couple of giant pumpkins. (She got tired of looking at Legos.)

Three turkeys in a row.

Etta's gang.
Etta, Ayden, Brenna and Kyle

Pigs are always a favorite.

The camel was pretty ... nerve wracking.

All About Mae!

Today Mae started preschool. 

It is weird here without her this morning.

Quiet.

Kinda boring.

Say what you will but I have LOVED having her with me for an "extra" year. Four has been my favorite age so far and I am so glad that I got to experience the entire year with her by my side. Now it will be time to be more intentional about the time that we spend together. She wants to read "The Doll People" again so I think we will start this afternoon.

But she was definitely ready to go to school. "It's just 3 times a week mom. You won't miss me." It's her time to shine.

Eggs & toast. Breakfast of champions good learners.

The breakfast boys.

Birthday month and the first day of school.
Mae said to me the other day, "Mommy did you know that ALL of the pictures
on the calendar this month are pictures of ME?!" Yes, baby, I know.

Getting ready to head out.

She has been ready to ride her bike to school for over a year now.

Pose at preschool. (Russell is watching Henry get out of his car.)

Preschool buddies. "Mommy! It's a Henry Day!! Three days a week!!!"

Starting a map. "I like crayons best. Oh look! There's markers!!"

Getting down to some serious business.

Two years ago this was our mornings. The first two pictures were taken exactly two years ago today. Somedays I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. But I think that I like where I am.

First Day of Grade 2

Was last Monday.

I had a great idea of taking the camera to school to get first day of school pics without being rushed.

But then I forgot it.

So we have (late) "coming home from the first day of school" pictures.

Mae misses Etta so so so much. As you can see by the lean in.

[Etta on the other hand told me yesterday, "Sometimes when I am at school I don't even think about Mae." As it should be Etta. As it should be.]

Tired girl after a long first day.

Click here for former first days for Etta.

{Smoky} Back to school

We have a tradition the night before Etta starts school.

Pizza at Hell's Gate.

Not this year.

Area wild fires have created hazardous breathing conditions.

So we brought the pizza home, popped in some Looney Tunes and were very thankful that we are not in a position that we will lose our home or even need to evacuate.

Bringing the outdoors in.

Eating like a big boy!

He can hear the "shutter".

Since we didn't do cake for Ethan's first birthday here are some frosting
pictures. He loves cake!

His eyebrows are the best.
And that complexion? Oh my!

Roooaar!

March 27th - Work and Play

On March 27th I loaded up the kids and went to town to sit in with Erik's high school band. It was pretty surreal to be in my high school band room, with my ten year younger brother being the teacher. But it was so much fun! The kids (mine and his) enjoyed it too.

The peanut gallery.

Mae got in on a little drum set action after class.

She was way more confident than Etta had been.

We have been working on potty training with Russell. Being in the country with only a t-shirt and rain boots is tons of fun for this kid.

And I think he was eating dirt too. Gotta build up that immune system!

I'm outta here mom!

On a side note with that .... Russell went all day yesterday with big boy underwear on and didn't have an accident! That included going to band and taking an extended walk in the evening. I think I may see the light at the end of the tunnel!

The Olden Days

The girls love Little House on the Prairie. We read through it together. So when there was an article on our local paper about a girl who refinished a one-room school house in our area for her senior project we had a little field trip. It was so much fun!

Little kids in the front, bigger kids in the back.

Heat source.

Toys that they may have played with.

A picture just for Grandma Cynthia.

Official name of this school. 1892-1938

On our way home we stopped to look at our beautiful valley.

Breath taking.