Morning in the Forest

The past few days have been rainy, cold and gross. Today we woke up to the sun shining and birds singing so we decided to head out to the National Forest really near our house. I have been giving myself a 10,000 step minimum per day and it was nice with the weather to be able to do some of those outside. Today made me excited for the coming of spring! 

Dentist

We had our bi-annual dentist appointments today. No Cavities! The kids are big enough now that they can have their appointments done at the same time so we can get out quicker. Ryan wasn't scared at all- he watched Cards during the appointment, Audrey was a little harder to warm up but she eventually did and got to watch a bit of Tangled. Hopefully they continue to have healthy teeth- it makes appointments much more bearable.

Funny Kids

I really want to come up with a memory book of funny kid quotes but I never think to write them down when they are said. Here are an example of two said today:

(1) Audrey: My birthday will be cakes and all happy things (Her birthday is in 6 months)

(2) Ryan: (in a whiny voice) can you help me rebuild the house?  (made out of pillows)

Audrey: Ryan stop crying then I will help you

School Choices

We are in the process of the Kindergarten Shuffle. In our county we are given a base school and then a year round or traditional (or 2 year round options like we do) that we can apply to if we feel it is a better fit. Then of course we are given the Charter and Magnet options and private. It is mind boggling- all the information- all the pros and cons. I have weighed everything and there is no perfect school- there is no perfect option. 

Some have better classrooms, or playgrounds, or "specials" (art, PE, music etc), some have more parent involvement, lower student teacher ratios, better test scores, happier teachers, better security, different teaching styles, higher costs, newer buildings, etc. How do you make a decision? 

What it all comes down to is that you make the best decision based on the information you have available. You don't know what the ratios will be next year, you don't know who the teachers will be, what safety concerns are going to come up, who will be in his class etc. 

We have done tours and research and I think what it will come down to is a feeling. All the choices we have are good ones, students do well, are safe and taken care of. So we just not to try the place that we connected with the best. We just have to remember that the choice is changeable. If we don't like it I can home school until the end of the year and transfer to another school for first grade- or explore other options. We are lucky that we are in a good district and we have the flexibility of me being at home. Hopefully it all works out well! There will be more posts to come I have no doubt. 

Winter Rainy Day

The good news about living in the south is that we usually miss the brunt of winter, the bad news is that we sometimes get the coldish, rainy weather that makes it hard to get out of the house. The kids were having none of that today and geared up for some rainy day play after school let out. 

This is Audrey telling me how old she is! 

School Valentines

Here are the final products  

Like Father Like Son

"Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son just like him."  I am lucky that I married such a great man- I hope my son grows up to be just like him, this picture tells me he is on the right path.

Red Velvet Girls Morning

The boys had a boys morning out at the circus so Audrey and I went out to a fun lunch at Buffalo Wing Wings (she could pick anything and she told me she wanted chicken and french fries)/ When we got home we decided to make a dessert and found a recipe for 2 red velvet cupcakes. They were delicious especially with the fresh vanilla whipped cream we made to go on top. I am fairly sure that she picked this recipe because it had the potential to be covered in sprinkles!

No Nap House

Wow... This is what happens during "nap time" since neither of the kids actually sleep. There are two nap time scenarios- 1) They are quietly destroying their rooms 2) They are screaming/ singing/ yelling very loudly. I approve of neither. Obviously this picture was taken on a quiet day. 

Mystery Reader

I was the mystery reader in Ryan's class today. He was so excited that I was there that he kept telling everyone that I was there to read to his class, he even rushed people into finishing their lunches faster so we could start reading. I love that at this age these small acts make such a big difference to him. I picked two funny books since Ryan gets such a kick out of them. And honestly I get a kick out of a class of 4/5 year old's falling over laughing.
 

Superbowl Party

While our team was not in the Superbowl this year (It was Ravens v. 49ers) we still decided to have a little get together- it makes the game more exciting. There was lots of yummy foods (with cupcakes obviously), and the kids actually lasted until 8pm which was really impressive. 

Kites

Yesterday some really bad weather rolled in, the wind was out of control. Today the bad weather was gone but there is still some residual gusty wind. What is better to do on a windy day then flying kites? It's the first time both kids have been old enough to fly them by themselves (after the initial lift off). We had a great time! I think kites will be big in our family, especially as it warms up this spring. 

Ryan's Room

We have finished decorating Audrey's room so this weekend I decided to start working on Ryan's room. He at first wanted star wars but then thought it might be too scary so we decided on an outer-space theme with a little star wars mixed in. So far I've finished a planet mural- I will post more pictures when I move onto the next element for the room. 

Ice-In

We have been battling some winter weather. There was a pretty bad storm that rolled in Friday and iced everyone into their houses until afternoon Saturday. It was fun staying in with Hot Chocolate and the fireplace and then Ryan went outside to battle the ice with a hockey stick. While it was fun having a little stay-cation by Saturday afternoon we were ready to get back into the world.