Snow Day 2015

School has been canceled for the last two days due to impending snow and icy conditions. After watching 5-6 hours of rain, the snow finally arrived last night, and we were out early this morning to make the most of our snow. We threw snowballs, played with our sweet new neighbor and watched Pixie romp around in the snow. Pixie was very excited about her first snow with us, although we know she must have seen snow at the North Pole with Santa. 

In a concession to be on the "other side" of the camera more, I consented to a photo without make-up. Please don't judge. 

The trio, plus Pixie, had a wonderful time playing and quickly scrambled inside to get under a comforter and watch Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated. 

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Valentine's Day Party 2015

In the absence of school parties, we usually have little family Valentine's party every year. We used to be really fancy about it and have our party in the dining room with china, crystal and the like, but then William George became, well, ALL BOY, and we made things a little more boy friendly.

We had a play date with some special friends about a month ago, and their mom asked me about the party. Apparently Lauren had invited them to our party, and I had to explain that it's a pretty simple affair. Of course, they were invited (the more the merry!), but managing expectations was key. Closer to Valentine's, we exchanged a few texts and made the most basic of plans.  Our group of six ate, made some crafts and then played upstairs.

I'm loving that our simple tradition continues to be a hit. 

Our sweet friends are not shown due to privacy/courtesy. 

Basketball 2015

Lauren and Grace have participated in a lot of activities over the years, and the experience as a whole has been fun. When they received a brochure for basketball in kindergarten, we sort of put it off because introducing another activity into an already busy set of schedules seemed daunting. Last year when the brochures came home, we opted to spend the winter hibernating instead.  This year, however, Grace really wanted to play so we finally signed them up. Lauren initially decided she wanted to cheer instead, but somehow Skip talked her into playing the game instead.

Still, I was in denial about spending our winter playing basketball. It would be fair to say I was prepared for basketball to not be my favorite... until I saw the team play.

Their infectious spirit and the quickness with which they learned and progressed each week really captured our - the audience's - attention. We looked forward to the games, and then we could barely watch the games because there was so much action and anticipation. These were real games we were watching, and our team, the Starzz (two z's, mind you), put up 30 points during the last two games, for the win. 

The duo loved it, and Skip had fun coaching.

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P to the I to the X

Valentine's Party, K3, 2015

William George was excited about "Valentime's Day," and he came home describing various art projects in the week or so leading up to the big day. Since George refused to complete any art projects last year, this is progress. 

The celebration was supposed to be a "fancy party," and I was prepared to "Downton Abbey" the whole event with a coat, tie, hat, etc.  My only regret was not having a top hat on hand. Although George wears his fedora around the house pretty much all the time, he refused to wear any of the recommended clothing items on the day of the party, opting for his tried-and-true Snoopy shirt from last year. 

After a Valentime exchange and pictures in the church parlor, it was time to party. The class seranaded parents with song, and then William George chowed down.

Valentine's Party, K3, 2015 from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.

As it turns out, William George LOVES Valentime's Day, but that may just be the sugar talking.

PS: Remember the duo's K3 Valentine's party?

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All Aboard

Most propitiously, William George's truck accommodates everyone.  

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Does anyone remember Lauren's position on pets? Pixie has won her over. 

Off Leash

Pixie has done really well on the leash, and we spent a few weeks working on other training. When she finally progressed to being "off leash," she spent some time playing with the trio outside. We had forgotten about the boundless energy a puppy has, and we were curious to see who would "drop" first -- Pixie or William George.

Any guesses?

Although Pixie kept up with George outside, she immediately climbed into her crate and napped for the rest of the day, while William George found a whole new energy reserve.

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Jesus loves William George

Grace and Lauren had some projects/presentations back in December. The theme was "Christmas Around the World," and they were each assigned a day to present their reports to their class. We always video a practice run of their presentation, and I am working on getting those loaded now. Not to be outdone, William George wanted to practice a presentation, too, so he presented one of the songs he sings each week during chapel time at preschool. We think he nailed it.


 
Wm George Sings Jesus Loves Me from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.

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Movie time is the best. 

Reading Therapy

Have you heard about reading therapy dogs? They are specially trained dogs who sit quietly while a child reads, enabling the child to practice his/her reading without any self-consciousness. As it turns out, Pixie has a natural aptitude for such therapy.

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Sewing

Grammie gifted the duo with their very first sewing machine for Christmas, and they couldn't wait to try it out. They have completed several of the projects included with the machine and are looking forward to purchasing more fabric and getting back to work.