Growing Up

Our little girlies are growing up right before our eyes! Paigee girl is doing a great job going potty! We have not really "started" potty training, but she is just kinda going on her own, and has her own routine. Now we have to get with the program and be more consistant and I think she will be good to go. It is fun to see how proud of herself she is!

 Allie girl loves helping and doing "chores". We don't have set chores for her yet, but she has been into helping and doing the dishes. She really loves to scrub them, so needs supervision, but it is fun to see her take initiative and want to help out!! Now we will have to pull out this post in 10 years when her "real" chore is to do the dishes!! No eye rollin' yet, just happy to be helpin' out!! Thanks for pitching in Allie girl!! 

Happy Half Birthday Celebration

Since Allison is a July baby she does not get to celebrate her birthday during school, so I usually have her celebrate near the end of the year around Paige's birthday (in May). This year, Mrs. Crouch likes to have "summer birthday" celebrations on their Half Birthday! Allison has been looking forward to this since we were on winter break when she started making her birthday book. She got to make a birthday book all about her and it is super cute, and Allison loved making it.  Mrs. Crouch thinks of everything, we are very blessed to have her as a Kindergarten teacher for Allison! Geoff, Paige and I all got to be at school for the celebration and it was lots of fun. When Allison was up on the stool if the front of the class, sharing her birthday book, Paige would chime in with "that's right, that's right". Like yes she is really telling the truth! It was super cute....she was very proud of her big sister "Al-a"! Each birthday person also gets to choose a helper to stay in at recess and set up for the party. In class, I am the mom that gets to set up all of the parties, so I know it is a huge deal to get picked to be the "helper". Allison loves Ben (Fiona's nephew) and has been saying all year, that she would pick Ben to be her helper. She said mom "I just love Ben, and there are not many boys in our class and a boy has never been chosen, so I will pick Ben." I was not sure if Ben would think it was such and honor, but he is a super sweet boy, so of course he was stoked!  Lily is recovering from surgery so she got to stay in with us. They had a great time setting up! We had a nice little celebration and can't believe our first born is already 5 1/2. Allison is a sweetheart and full of life. She loves to collect Precious Moment figurines, and as she was admiring them the other night before bed, she said "Mom these are really special, can I take them to college?" I smiled and said "Of course you can." and I would not be one bit surprised if our little miss, marches off to college with her Precious Moments in hand. We love you lots and lots, Happy Half Birthday sweet Gracer Macer!!

Allie, Ben & Lily setting up...

Paige was a happy camper in her own Kindergarten seat

 

 Getting ready to share her birthday book in front of he class

 Paige pushing in her chair to sing Happy Birthday and say "cha, cha, cha" in between

Enjoying cake pops and juice

 

 A few pages from Allison's Birthday Book

Horseback Riding Lessons

I had two gift certificates for horseback riding lessons and thought it might be fun for the girls to try over winter break. I did not think Paige would be "old" enough to do it, but the instructor was willing to try and said if Paige didn't like it, we could use the second certificate for Allie at a later date. But of course in true Paige fashion..she was a total trooper and did awesome during her lesson! Allison did awesome too! They were riding bare back, so it was a challenge to learn all of the new things, but it was really cool. At one point Geoff said "Paige hold on" and the instructor said "No, she is perfect, you don't ride with your hands, you ride with your legs". She was perfectly aligned and balanced. The girls learned how to care for the horse, groomed her, and then got to ride. It was fun and we look forward to going back. The horse they got to ride was a good ol' girl named Leppa (Leep-a). I don't think we will be moving to the country and buying a horse anytime soon, but will sure go back and ride! Horses are a lot of work!!!

Happy New Year

We rang in the New Year East Coast time this year! We flew in from Portland around 7, so it seemed like midnight at 9, so we banged pots and pans and rang in the New Year with the East Coasters!!

Happy New Year! Hope 2013 is off to a great start!!