The Importance of Being Snack Leader

At Shelby's school, the parents take turns bringing a snack for the entire class. On that day, your child is "snack leader", and they get to be the line leader and teacher's helper. Shelby really looks forward to her day as leader.  I would much rather just pack Shelby's snack everyday than have the pressure of providing a good snack for 16 kids.  It is pressure as some parents go all out...I once saw a mom (who is wonderful by the way!) bring barbeque, fruit salad and red and blue prafaits for snack when the kids were learning about Texas.  Since this was our first year at this school, it took me a while to realized that my box of goldfish and grapes weren't cutting it.  Most of those mom's are bringing what I would consider a full lunch for snack time. 

This month, they started show and tell for the first time, and your child got to bring a show and tell on their snack day. I can't tell you how excited Shelby was about show and tell.  She insisted that because everyone was going to be watching her all day, her usual jeans and t-shirt would not do.  Instead, she picked out a dress and boots.  She also wanted an extra special snack to go along with her special day. Her exact request was, Juicy Juice apple juice boxes, grapes (not cut up for babies), and bean and cheese breakfast tacos from Taco Cabana.  Everyone cracked up at the tacos, but Shelby was so proud and all the kids loved them!  I think Taco Caban tacos are becoming a favorite in her class.  I went along with everything except the grapes.  It makes me way too nervous thinking about someone choking so I had to cut them up.

Happy St. Patricks Day

 These pictures were taken after an all day playdate so the girls look a little like ragamuffins.  I'm not sure if that is even a word, but it's what I always call the girls when they get really dirty. They think it's funny.

Gravedigger

Here are the girls in their new moster truck gravedigger hats.  They are so proud of them!  I think daddy needs a boy.

Happy Birthday My Sweet Abby

My sweet Abby.  I can hardly believe that you are already 8 years old!  It seems like just yesterday  you surprised us by coming early, just two days after Christmas!  What a special gift you were.  Until that day, I had no idea that the love I feel for you was even possible.  You're the light of my life.  You have a sweet, quiet disposition that makes everyone want to know you, and yet you are spunky and super intelligent!   How lucky we are to have you as our daughter.

Abby's birthday was two days after Christmas, but I had to share the pictures of her birthday.  It was such special day!  There is nothing Abby loves more than animals and basically any living creature.  She has a special way with animals that is amazing.  For her birthday, Bret and I decided that instead of throwing her a party with all her classmates, we would give her a day doing something really special.  So guess what we spent the morning with....an elephant!  Bret and I along with Abby, Macey and Abby's BFF Kelly got to spend the morning with the elephant keeprs at the EL Paso Zoo.  It was amazing!  I enjoyed it every bit as much as Abby did.  She got to learn all about the different types of elephants, and then she helped the trainer get one of the elephants, Savannah, ready for the day.  Which meant she bathed her, cleaned her feet and ears, and even fed her out of her hand. Savannah's trainer had her do a couple tricks for us.  They were pretty simple, but when she did them all three girls just clapped and giggled.  Savannah obviously liked the attention because the more the girls laughed, the more tricks she did (even when she wasn't suppossed to). For Abby it was a dream come true!  After Savannah was ready for the day, we got to go out into the elephant habitat and explore a little before the elephants were released. ( Let me add that at all times, there were bars between the girls and the elephant.)  We also got to see where the elephants are examined by the veterinarians, learn all about their basic care, and see how all of it is done with an animal so big! Abby told us that from now on all she wants for her birthday is to visit Savannah.

The other elephant Jumbo was there, but she wouldn't get near us.  The zoo bought her from the Ringling Brothers Circus, and she has some terrible trust issues.  Her trainer is the only person she is comfortable being that close to.  I will tell you that I will never take my kids to another circus after seeing that poor animal!!!!!  I saw the scars from her beatings, and the puncture wounds in her ears myself.  The zoo keepers told me some horrible stories of rescued circus animals.

I wasn't allowed to take my camera for obvious reasons, but one of the zoo workers took some pictures for me!  The worst part of it was that she got a picture of everyone except Abby petting the elephant!!!!  I was pretty upset, but I am thankful for the ones that I did get.  Enjoy.

Abby, Kelly and Macey so excited!

You have to scrub the pads of her feet very carefully two times a day.

Soaping Savannah up

Cake time!

Nani and Papa

Uncle Dave and Aunt Lizzy

Aunt Jenny and Macey

Kelly and Abby- BFF

There was only one picture taken of Shelby the entire day.  She wasn't old enough to do the elephant encounter, and Shelby was in a terrible mood that afternoon.  What I didn't realize at the time was that she was in the early stages of her first "real" allergic reaction.  For those of you who don't know, Shelby has a bunch of food allergies, but until then, she had not had a serious reaction.  I feel so bad looking at this photo beacuse her lip was already starting to swell and I didn't even notice!  By the time I did realize what was happening, her cheeks had gotten puffy too.  Thankfully, a trip to the pediatrician was all that was needed. I have been a lot more careful since then though.

Monster Truck Jam

Bret and my dad took the girls to the Monster Truck show this weekend.  They had so much fun!  I was a little sad that I didn't get to be there to see their excitement first hand, but it was so nice to have some time alone at home!!!  I didn't move from the couch the entire time.  When the girls got home, they were all talking at once and could not settle down.  Apparantly, they sat in the winners section (Gravedigger was the winning trucks name).  Nice isn't it?  My dad bought the girls gravedigger hats and cotton candy to bring home.  They were so happy.  What a wonderful dad and grandpa my girls have.

These are the pictures Bret took with his BlackBerry while at the show.

Oh how I love my little silly

Macey is by far my silliest child.  Oh how she makes me laugh. Her teacher has told me so many times that she brings a lot of laughter to the class.  Of course, it wasn't until I substituted in her class that I realized that was a nice way of saying she is the class clown!  Wonder where she got that?  She has a very laid back personality which means that very little bothers her, and she gets along great with everyone.  What a sweetie she is.  Here is a picture of her new look, and a memory I don't want to forget.


Abby  "Look at the picture I made in art class today."

Macey "Oh Abby, that's wonderful.  You are such an artist!" (didn't I tell you she was a sweetie!!!)
            " I am not that great at art, but I really wish I was.  I am going to be an art teacher when I grow up,
              and being an artist would really come in handy."

Macey lost her two top teeth, and she cut about seven inches off her hair all in the same week.

The Grace of God

Yes, I am back...finally!  All you people nagging me can relax now.  :)  This was the last post I typed and then apparantly never posted!  I will share it with you now even though it is a little dated. More to come...


I can't seem to get caught up on my blog.  A month flew by without one single post from me.  I was determined not to let the Christmas season overwhelm me this year like it does so often.  I'm a sucker for getting roped into helping with EVERYTHING, especially when it comes to my girls.  I just can't seem to say no.  This year, my plan was simply to stear clear of anyone who might be asking me to plan a party or bake two dozen cookies for a class.  It's not that I didn't want to help, but I wanted this year to be relaxed.  My goal was to make this Christmas clam, stress free, and more about Jesus (which is really why we celebrate). However, sometimes life just has different plans.

About a month ago, Bret's mom called and needed to go to the ER for what she thought was a bladdar infection.  She did have the infection, but the doctor also discovered a tumor on her kidney which turned out to be cancer.  There went our quiet, stress-free Christmas season.  It was scary, overwhelming, and exhausting.  I hurt for Piage knowing what she must be going through emotionally.  I didn't really know how to help Bret except to be there for his mom as much as I could.  This led to after school care for the girls and a lot of Nani time!  In the middle of all of this, I realized that this was just one example of God's grace for us.  Paige could have gone on for a long time with the cancer and never known it.  It is often times symptom free until it is to late to treat it.  Going into the ER and discovering her cancer the way she did possibly saved her life.  She lost a kidney,  but she is cancer free.  How wonderful it is to know that Jesus is always looking out for us.  That even though we don't deserve it (and none of us do), we still have his grace poured out over us.  So this year, even though I am exhausted, I am also so very thankful that He saved such an important part of our family.  What a great reminder this Christmas of what is really important, and who we should be focusing on!