Ella and Zoë

~ Valentine's Day 2012

2012-02-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

.... despite having Valentine's Day sickies at our house {lots of laundry, I'll leave it at that}, the extra snuggles, cuddles and time just being together today made my day EXTRA special ....

I love my sweet Valentines (and these photos I took of them right before Christmas, I'm a little behind with my posts) ....

more on my dad ~

2012-02-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

Four weeks ago tonight my dad died. It still doesn't seem real, in fact it seems more unreal as more time goes by. It feels like he's been on a vacation and should be coming home soon. I miss talking with him.

I didn't think dealing with his death would be this hard. I knew it would be a really sad time, that I would always miss him and feel that void, but I didn't anticipate how the finality of it all would affect me. How sad it would make me feel when I let myself really think about his life being done, being over with. I am not ready for this part of my life -- my life without my dad in it.

Maybe being so busy with work and keeping up with Zoe, Ella and Tom's schedules is a good thing, not having a lot of extra time to think about things. But I've found it's been easier putting a box around my thoughts and not letting myself really feel how I feel, or it would be hard to stop crying. It reminds me of how I felt at the start of this past school year -- it was so hard being away from the girls for such long days and not being part of their days that it was physically painful at times, and I had to not let myself think about it or I wouldn't have stopped crying. Same thing now.

And when I do let myself really think about it all, knowing I didn't get a chance to say goodbye is really hard. He's my dad -- he's been part of my life my whole life, and it just seems wrong that he isn't anymore.

But I have a lifetime of wonderful memories and a lot of reasons to smile, like I do when I look at these photos, some of my favorites of my dad over the years ....

(Proud Paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division)

~ Last photo of my Dad, with the Christmas gift he never used but liked to look at (some sort of woodworker tool)

My Dad ~

2012-01-22T07:11:00.000-06:00

My Dad died a week ago this past Thursday, unexpectedly.

I knew this day was coming, eventually, but it was a shock. There were quite a few times over the past two years he was in the hospital and very close to dying -- times we were more prepared to hear the news -- but he had been doing pretty well for quite a few months. He was on oxygen and limited in activities but still a full part of all of our lives. He had a cold since right after Christmas that he just wasn't getting rid of and his body couldn't handle the strain anymore.

His death was very peaceful though; he was in the home he built, in his own bed, with my Mom, sister and nephew talking with him. He heard their voices as he took his last breath, and that gives me a lot of peace. I did think it would be easier to accept, knowing he is finally breathing clean air and is not sick anymore -- but selfishly I am really sad. I'm not ready to not have my Dad around to talk with, run an idea by, or to hug -- and it makes me really sad that Zoe and Ella don't have more time with him. I feel a lot of pain for my mom too. It all doesn't seem real.

One thing I've learned, a person is never old enough to lose a parent.

{Dad's Obituary}

Lynden Charles "Lindy" McLain

McLain, Lynden Charles "Lindy" age 73, of Buffalo passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at his home. He was born on June 23, 1938 in Renville County, the son of Arlyn & Ruth Eggert McLain.

Lindy graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1956 and later attended Mankato State University for two years. He played baseball as a kid and in high school, and then town ball for the Hutchinson Hornets. He was a left-handed junk ball pitcher.

Lindy honorably served his country in The United State Army and was a proud paratrooper in The 82nd Airborne Division. On September 4th 1965 he married his best friend Dianne Soule, in Madison, South Dakota, and over the years raised three children together. He was a former business owner in Hutchinson and later a banker at First State Federal in Buffalo, where he was also the branch manager. Lindy was a faithful member of The United Methodist Church in Buffalo where he served as Lay Leader, he was involved in the formation of the Men's Club and served on the Finance Committee. He was also a past President of The Buffalo Rotary Club, past President of The Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, a Master of The Masonic Blue Lodge and participated in many other civic activities over the years.

Lindy was a woodworker at heart and truly enjoyed creating many beautiful pieces of furniture. After his retirement he happily spent a few years building grandfather clocks at Kuempel Clock and Chime Company in Deephaven. Family meant everything to Lindy and he lived his life by example. He loved Dianne and was a very devoted and involved dad and grampa. He always had time to listen and would help anyone in any way he could. He loved spending time with his family at the cabin, and will also be remembered as an inspiration to many in Little Guy Football and Baseball.

Lindy was a very compassionate person who took pride in Buffalo and will be greatly missed by his family, many friends, neighbors, church community and civic groups. He was a special man and was one-of-a-kind. He lived his life well.

Sleep well grampa. We love you.

{Nature Walk}

2012-01-11T05:35:00.000-06:00

The week between Christmas and New Year's Tom, the girls and I went for quite a few bike rides, which is crazy for late December in Minnesota. The girls and I also went on this hike/create nature art walk in the woods one afternoon ....

Zoe wore her baby (from Grama and Grampa) ....

..... and Ella wore her Lalaloopsy (from cousin Brenna).

The girls love their dolls, I love that they still love wearing their dolls, I also love how Zoe's doll reminds me of Zoe and Ella's reminds me of Ella and I really really love how these two can create art out of ANYTHING!!

Walking home we saw the most beautiful sunset that was like cotton candy in the sky. It was a perfect afternoon.

Happy New Year

2012-01-07T07:45:00.000-06:00

We had an awesome New Year's Eve -- 2011 had quite a few challenges for our family (and changes) but we rang it out in a fun way, starting with the super colorful *funfetti* New Year's cake the girls and I made ....

We also had our good friends Jane and Joe over along with their sweet and fun daughters Jia and Willa. The girls all had a super time playing together and started their celebrations by creating lots of art ......

..... then they put on two different performances {which included costume changes for everyone but Ella, she kept on her new Cinderella dress-up pajamas she got for Christmas from Grama and Grampa all night} starting with an Art Show and ending with a play about two princesses, their pet cheetah and a mermaid on a beach (at least that's what I think it was about). I just LOVE how well these four get along and play together, makes my heart happy ....

Jane and Joe brought dinner over too (they are amazing friends for many reasons) so we had a fun time fonduing some super yummy food:

They kid table was especially fancy ....

.... and toasting in the New Year with such special friends was perfect!!

So was eating our *funfetti* 2012 cake -- it was almost too pretty to eat : )

We rang in the New Year's early for the girls and Jane, Joe, Jia and Willa headed out in time to avoid the icy/snowy roads that make driving in Minnesota (especially on New Year's Eve) scary. And after the girls were asleep Tom and I hung out while I tried so hard to stay up until midnight but at 11:50 I went to bed (I am really lame, I know). Tom came in right before midnight though so we did ring in the new year together : )

I am really looking forward to all of the fun adventures in store for our family this year. Ella and Zoe are so settled in their school routine; they LOOOOVE kindergarten, they LOOOOOVE their teacher Mrs. Olson and their 'helper teacher' (as they still call her) Mrs. Joyer. They LOOOOOVE their school, their art teacher, their music teacher, their silly gym teacher and their Friendship teachers. They LOOOOVE their friends and knowing a variety of kids that are in Kindergarten all the way up to 6th grade.

They also love, love LOVE Karin. They missed seeing her during our time off and were so excited when she picked them up in their classroom yesterday (she usually does pick-up in the car line). They showed her around their school, re-introduced her to Mrs. Olson and then headed to the park before they came home and warmed up with hot chocolate. They also saw how karin's baby belly is growing and told me when the baby moves they will get to feel her tummy -- they are both fascinated by this.

I can't put into words how happy all these things make me, and how grateful and happy I am that they are making such a strong and positive connection with Karin. When I got home last night they were just getting ready to put on a play for Karin and though they were excited to see me they told me I was too early, they wanted to do their play first : ) Knowing Ella and Zoe are doing such fun things at school and after school, fun things I would do with them if I were home, gives me such a sense of okayness.

And school for me, though super busy with so much to keep track of (and not enough time to get everything done that I'd like to), I'm starting to feel like I can breathe a little more calmly now. I LOOOOVE teaching, I'm so grateful I have a job in a school that's so close to my house, a school that has an amazing music program (have I mentioned the Kindergarten students all have 20 minutes of violin lessons EVERY day?!), a school that is full of dedicated, nice, supportive and fun teachers and staff, a principal that is approachable, a good listener, super smart, very fun and funny, and the absolute best teaching partners I could ever hope for. Ia, Barb and Gao have helped me so much transitioning back into the classroom, they've been so supportive and understanding as I figure out how to be a strong teacher and still be an involved mom, wife and friend; and they can make me laugh and smile even when my classroom smells like poop, or my head is ringing because my class is so loud, or I just got screamed at and hung up on by a parent, or when I can't remember what we're supposed to bring to the meeting I forgot we had, or I can't get the data to enter on the computer correctly (etc., etc.,). I also am really getting attached to my class of little turkeys (and I say that lovingly). There are a lot of them, they are with me for a long day, they are very loud even just when they're talking (and it takes a lot to get them to stop talking) -- but they are working hard to meet some very high expectations and they are making academic and social gains. When they are goofing off and doing something they know they're not supposed to, they actually look to see if I'm looking (before many really didn't have a clue what behaviors were okay and what ones were not, or sadly didn't care). But now they look to see if I'm noticing or paying attention!! Progress -- yay! : ) My days are long and full, I got more sleep when I had twin babies, I always feel behind with school stuff, home stuff, mommy stuff, wife stuff, friends and family stuff -- but I also feel like I'm moving in the right direction ...... and that's huge.

So 2012, Welcome .....

Here's to a great year!!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ~

2012-01-02T06:57:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve Day started with finding Fred Charles hanging out with Santa on top of our Christmas tree --- he also left the girls Magic Reindeer Dust to sprinkle around our backyard so the reindeer would know to come to our house that night. It was a very good (and fun) start of our day.

The girls also received emails from Santa himself, from his workshop at the North Pole. It was so sweet watching Ella's excitement ....

..... and it was hilarious watching Zoe -- she was very excited but the possibility of getting the red light from the elves and being on the 'naughty list', kept her on edge ....

.... until she saw the green light and knew for sure she made the 'nice list' : )

We also baked cookies for Santa (oatmeal chocolate chip), and the girls were big helpers ....

After dinner we sprinkled the reindeer dust around the outside of our house ....

.... and then it was time to open gifts ....

Two happy girls .....

Christmas Morning Zoe and Ella woke up to a Lite Brite messages from Fred Charles ....

.... and lots of gifts from Santa, Santa Mouse and even Rudolph (he made sure they got new undies, which they thought was so funny) .....

After a fun morning of opening presents and playing with gifts we headed to my parent's house for the day, where we kept so busy I didn't even take one picture : ) A very nice holiday indeed!!

Christmas Tree

2011-12-30T15:50:00.000-06:00

This year our tree was up but not decorated for over a week, and Zoe and Ella were very eager to get it 'fancy'. So while I was cleaning up after dinner one night they started sorting ornaments, which was very entertaining just to listen to. They had a 'santa' pile, a 'skinny santa' pile, a 'reindeer ornament' pile, a 'pictures of us' pile, a 'broken things' pile and a 'something' pile (for those ornaments they couldn't find adjectives for), an 'old' pile (for ornaments they colored last year) and a 'make noise' pile.

Then they started to add the ornaments to the tree, filling it fully as high as they could reach ....

... and after getting a chair they added the rest of the ornaments to the upper part of the tree ....

The final result was pretty awesome.

I loved how they chose to group their ornaments and where they put them on the tree. Each one was placed in a specific spot for a specific reason, like Buzzy the Bumble that Tom bought to help when they get shots -- they thought it should go close to Santa's pants:

Or their current picture with Santa should go towards the top of the tree:

Most interesting to me was how they grouped all the ornaments that were similar or the same, together in the same areas. Like these paper-colored ornaments from last year:

Or their two angel ornaments:

Or their two Santa Bears along with a mini-Santa:

The same for their Little Ballerinas:

And their Raggedy Anns:

I was happy to see the silly monster face guy made an appearance again from last year ....

.... and so did the hand-drawn and colored with crayons rudolph:

But the ornament that made me laugh each time I saw it was this one:

Santa's Hat. Which was supposed to be with his jacket and pants but instead was placed by itself, sticking straight out from a branch of the tree. I just love it.

The little things really can make me very very happy : )

Christmas Happenings (edited with Gingerbread House Fun)

2011-12-29T08:12:00.002-06:00

We got our Christmas card photo taken (downtown Minneapolis, outside of the courthouse), and got them in the mail (though I didn't keep good track of who I sent them to and it feels like I missed quite a few people):

The girls drew pictures and wrote letters to Santa:

They visited with Santa (he's the real one, Zoe asked and that's what he told her) ....

.... and they sat on his lap for pictures:

The girls also decorated a few gingerbread houses over the past few weeks. They made a big one with Grama and Grampa and had so much fun, but the next day Zoe didn't feel well and didn't feel like even a taste any of the candy, frosting or gingerbread. She did eat a popsicle though, but did not want her picture taken -- her red mustache and grumpy face were too funny to me not to photograph though, which of course made her face even more grumpy (and made me smile a lot) ....

Ella, however, was feeling good and was very eager to try some of the candy, and her focus and determination also made me smile a lot too ....

They also decorated mini-gingerbread houses with their kindergarten class, and Tom texted me these pics so I could enjoy the fun, even though I wasn't able to join them because I was teaching my kindergarten class at the time ....

Tom also took care of wrapping most of our presents this year after I told him how stressed I was feeling trying to get everything done. He also told me about a conversation he heard on Minnesota Public Radio that talked about how beautifully wrapped gifts can be a let-down once unwrapped, so he kept the wrapping of our gifts simple so no one would be disappointed. Ha! Love that he was helpful AND made me laugh : )

It always feels so good to cross things off the list AND have fun while doing them!!

Up next, The Christmas Tree.

Christmas Happenings

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

The girls drew pictures and wrote letters to Santa:

They visited with Santa (he's the real one, Zoe asked and that's what he told her) ....

.... and they sat on his lap for pictures:

Tom even took care of wrapping most of our presents this year after I told him how stressed I was feeling trying to get everything done. He also told me about a conversation he heard on Minnesota Public Radio that talked about how beautifully wrapped gifts can be a let-down once unwrapped, so he kept the wrapping of our gifts simple so no one would be disappointed. Ha! Love that he was helpful AND made me laugh : )

It always feels so good to cross things off the list AND have fun while doing them!!

Up next, The Christmas Tree.

Lasts and Firsts

2011-12-21T06:54:00.005-06:00

Last jumps on the trampoline, before we took it down for the winter .... SUPER fun!!

First Christmas Cookies of the Season -- and yes, they are pink and purple, two colors that are still favorites of the five-year olds in our family .....

First field trip I was able to attend with Ella and Zoe, and their Kindergarten Class -- The Children's Theatre's AMAZING presentation of The Wizard of Oz!!

Zoe drawing sketches of the characters from the Wizard of Oz, before the play started .....

Ella drawing sketches ....

The whole production was brilliant. Each of the main characters were our favorites for different reasons (photos taken from the Children's Theatre Facebook page -- cameras were not allowed during the performance):

The ruby slippers, oh my!!

But the colorful munchkins were our favorite favorite ....

... and of course the Good Witch Glinda, her glittering gown, and how she floated in the air was truly magical ....

.... but maybe the funnest surprise was that Toto was a real dog -- we all really liked that part : )

During intermission Ella told me she had a headache and didn't feel well (you can tell she was starting to feel punky in this photo):

She sat on my lap during the bus ride home and around 11:30 that night started to throw up -- a lot, on and off for most of the night. The girls had the next day off from school and Tom had taken the day off too, but Ella had a rough day (it was very, very hard to leave her in the morning -- only way I was able to do it was knowing they were with their dad), lots of vomiting, diarrhea and a high fever. When I got home from work she was just waking from a long nap and felt (and looked) even worse. Our doctor had us bring her to the ER at the Children's Hospital where we spent a very long night and she was treated for dehydration; and after quite a few tests, blood draws, shots and an IV we were told she had a bacterial infection. The next day she had to get two more BIG shots in her legs -- you would have thought the world was ending. But she got through it, and so did Tom and I (I really thought shots were supposed to get easier as kids got older -- NOT).

First hospital visit in a long time -- first IV in a long time too.

Not fun at all. Zoe was a very supportive and loving sister (she was on the 'support team' again) and Ella, despite going through the ringer, was truly a trooper. She didn't complain once (except for when she screamed louder than I thought was possible when she found out she needed to get two more big shots, when she got her big shots and whenever she would think about when she got her big shots).

Four days later when she started to feel a little better, she even smiled for me while eating her starcicle : )

And that's all for now ..... I continue to be behind in everything .... but I feel such joy in my heart for so many different reasons -- healthy girls that are happy, smart, fun, funny, silly, liking Kindergarten and doing well in school are two big reasons. Having a husband that understands (though he, along with me, still wishes we had more 'us' time these days), and is super helpful with the girls (their hair even looks cute when he does it) and around the house (he has become a fabulous vacuumer .....) is another big reason. I also have THE BEST family (love, love, love my parents, my sister, brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews and have so much fun with them), my friends are rock stars (even though I rarely see them these days, they are the kind of girls we can pick up where ever we left off) and for my blogger friends -- I still stop by your blogs as often as I can but my lack of time cuts into how often I comment. So even though it doesn't seem like it I still feel in the loop : ) And the comments left here always mean SO much to me : )

More later .... lots of fun updates ready to be written up!!

Thanksgiving (and a few updates):

2011-12-05T14:47:00.000-06:00

Our Thanksgiving always starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving at my parent's house, and with a visit from Santa Clause .....

Grama always helps get everyone settled while the kids' expressions and smiles set the tone for our time together ....

There's always lots of laughing (and lots of good red wine) ....

.... and Santa always reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' ....

Each grandkid gets to sit on Santa's lap, have a little talk with him ....

.... and pose for a few photos.

Then we have group Santa pictures ....

.... before the kids open their special 'start-of-the-season' gifts from Santa (this year, McLain University tshirts!!), and we take our annual family photo .....

And there's always special time visiting with Grampa too.

Our actual Thanksgiving Day was a little more low-key, which was SO nice. We stayed home, stayed in our pajamas until late afternoon, missed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by an hour (caught the tail-end of it -- much to the girls' disappointment) and had a lot of nice time just hanging out together. That evening Zoe asked when Thanksgiving was and when I told her it had been that day both she and Ella were disappointed we didn't eat turkey for dinner : ) I reminded them of the wonderful meal Grama made for us but they still thought we should have had our own too. Grama later agreed when I told her, so next year I guess I need to make sure that happens.

The day after Thanksgiving we went downtown and saw the first Hollidazzle Parade of the season (and our first as a family of four). We've watched it on tv each year but being there was really awesome. We started out in a skyway where the view was great but you couldn't hear the music or feel the energy of the crowds, so we made our way down to the street which really was the best place to be. My photos didn't turn out, so thanks Jane for letting me use your photos : )

We had hoped to also see the Macy's 'A Day in the Life of an Elf' walk-through display too but the line was three floors long so we passed on that, maybe another time -- it sure looked cute.

Towards the end of October we changed our after school care plan for the girls. They love going to Friendship but it's such a long day and a long week, so after some discussions and figuring things out, we hired Karin (the sweetest and kindest teaching assistant from the girls' old preschool) to pick Zoe and Ella up from Kindergarten two days a week. She brings them home (sometimes they'll play on the playground before coming home), have snack, go to the library, go for walks in the woods, and just have time to play at home, in our house, in our backyard -- and it's a shorter drive for me (which gives me a little more time to finish things up at school before I head home). I honestly don't have the words to express what a wonderful change this has been for both the girls and me. Knowing they are with Karin and in our own home makes not being with them during that time so much easier. Plus, she's pregnant with her first baby (due late spring), so the girls get to be a part of that amazing experience too -- what a bonus!!

And though this school year has been so challenging in many different ways (new curriculum, very detailed curriculum, added hour to the school day, lots of very needy students that aren't quite ready for the curriculum or the long day) I am starting to feel some progress with our daily routine, the learning that's taking place and some of the behaviors. It is an enormous amount of work and each day I feel like I'm not doing enough for my class or for my daughters (or for my husband, or my house, or for me .....) but I love teaching, the times I smile and laugh during the school day is increasing, I have the most amazing daughters, I have a husband who is patient and understanding and an amazing dad, and even though our house is a mess I love our little house. I have so much to be thankful for .....

With that, the latest funnies from the girls:

*The girls were coloring and Zoe told me she looooooved 're-play' during computer class. Ella gave me the funniest look and then told Zoe it was 'FREE play, not replay'. Then she added if it was re-play they would do it over and over and over again (which they both agreed sounded like a great idea, to have free play over and over and over and over during computer time ....).

*Before ballet last week the girls were changing into their outfits when Ella said 'Oh! I put on TWO pairs of underpants this morning!'. Sure enough, she had layered undies on : ) We had a good laugh about it, then later, on the drive home Zoe (who can't be outdone by her sister) told me 10 days ago she put two pairs of underpants on. I am still laughing.

Finally, the reason I'm posting in the middle of the afternoon on a school day is because I am home with the girls -- Ella got sick last Thursday and is still recuperating .... more on that later, and the field trip I went on with Zoe and Ella (and their class) to 'The Wizard of Oz' play at the children' theatre .....

Kindergarten Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T06:51:00.001-06:00

Ella and Zoe's Kindergarten had a special afternoon of activities in their classroom topped off by a Thanksgiving Concert. I took the afternoon off from work and met Tom and my mom at their school -- it was SO nice to be the mom and not the teacher in charge of everything (so much planning/organizing/managing/clean-up goes into events like this, thank you Mrs. Olson for making everything so special) -- we had a really fun time : )

For the concert the kids all chose what head coverings they wanted to wear -- Ella wanted to be a turkey (which is just so fitting) and Zoe wanted to be a pilgrim girl (which is also so fitting). Their performance was adorable too.

Somehow during the performance one of Ella's turkey eyes fell off so she was a cyclops turkey -- which was just so SO fitting and funny. Also very fitting was when she looked down and found the missing eye without losing a beat ... kind of a 'had-to-be-there-moment' but it was pretty good comedy. A fun start to our long holiday weekend!!

2011-11-20T07:57:00.000-06:00

The Past Few Weeks:

Ella and Zoe's class went to Orchestra Hall for a field trip -- they watched a special performance for young children and then were given the opportunity to try a variety of instruments played in an orchestra themselves. SO cool -- SO glad Tom could go along as a chaperone.

We also celebrated my mom's 70th Birthday at a fun Italian restaurant.

LOVE this photo of my parents!!

The girls even got to make their own mini-pizzas ....

... and we all thought it was nice the Pope was able to make the party too ....

The Pope AND great big undies -- Grama's Birthday was perfect!!

Then we celebrated Conner's 5th Birthday at the zoo.

Another fun celebration -- Conner got super big undies too from Grama and Grampa, and Spiderman undies from us .... VERY funny stuff for five-year olds ....

..... and when the kids toured the zoo they got super close to the wolves (who usually stay out of sight).

I've been putting in a ton of time with my job -- it's a very long day, all of the curriculum is new to me (and very specific) and I have a class full of very needy children. When it's a tough day it's a really tough day, but when things go well I feel like I can do anything (so similar to parenting ....).

Despite me not spending as much time with Zoe and Ella (which is really hard for me and makes me sad), they are spending a lot of great quality time with their Dad (which makes me very happy) -- and all three of them have a blast together, going for bike rides .....

exploring the woods .....

and biking some more!!

A Few Funnies:

*Zoe and Ella are learning about nouns and verbs in Kindergarten (thank you Mrs. Olson!!). The other night Ella told me she 'had one for me' and asked if I knew what was both a noun AND a verb. The answer: poop. It is something and you do it (I love the stuff their Dad teaches them). Ha! Makes me laugh.

*The other day Tom told me he was holding Zoe and talking with her. He said she was looking at him so intently the whole time he felt like he was really making a great connection with her. When he finished Zoe told him he had a really small face and a big forehead, just matter-of-factly. Ha! This makes me laugh too : )

Now time for lesson plans ......a

This Halloween ....

2011-11-06T07:42:00.000-06:00

.... the girls were Lalaloopsy Dolls.

Zoe was Mittens Fluff 'N' Stuff.

Ella was Spot, Splatter, Splash.

I didn't make their costumes this year, to save time I bought them online (for more than I ever thought I'd ever pay for Halloween costumes). But the girls LOVED them and put them on within minutes of the mailman delivering them to our house.

They even worked on their homework while dressed up.

Pumpkin Time this Halloween was a two-part affair. Thanks to Grama Dianne and Grampa Lindy the girls chose their own pumpkins and pumpkins for Tom and me. Thanks to the Dollar Store they had these funny face pieces (like Mr. Potato Head) to use as decorations.

This is one of my current favorite photos of the girls -- and Zoe's little puppy Emma, too.

Pumpkin carving took place Halloween Night. Now that I'm bringing in an income again Tom is able to take days off more easily, so he was home to celebrate Halloween with us, and very year I am so thankful that he loves carving pumpkins.

Then the rat-race began. Dinner, costumes, hair and make-up (plus a little wine for me and some beer for Tom) -- and of course time to take some pictures.

Finally we were ready to head out .....

But before we made it to our first stop (cocktails at our neighbor's house) the girls realized wigs are not as much fun to wear as they thought they'd be -- and that it was chilly out and a jacket would feel good. So the wigs went off and the jackets went on -- and off we went again.

The girls had a blast going up to the doors by themselves while Tom and I waited on the street. I'm pretty sure they remembered their manners, and I know they were asked a lot about their costumes -- not too many people know about the Lalaloopsy Dolls. But my favorite two moments were when they came running back to us super excited and Zoe said 'mom, I got a BEER!' (it was a can of fruit punch and it still makes me laugh when I think about it) -- and when they were going up to one house that had two doors (one at the front and one on the side) but only the side door was brightly lit. Zoe headed towards the unlit door and Ella said 'Zoe, go to the light!!!'. I am also still laughing about that one too.

They did make it back from 'going to the light' ...

.... and were also pretty amazed by all the pumpkins carved into Jack-0-Lanterns at this house. I can't even imagine.

It was a really fun night, but now that I have kids who are in school full-time and I'm teaching full-time and I still have a full-time husband I really, really think it would be great if Halloween was always on the last Saturday of October. Trying to get all this fun in after being in school all day, and then going to school the day after (and trying to teach kids who still have Halloween on their minds and Halloween Sugar supplying even more energy to their little bodies) was pretty crazy. Fun but crazy.

Goodbye 'til next year, Halloween.

scarecrow family

2011-10-28T06:21:00.000-05:00

The girls stuffed our scarecrow again this year .....

... and kept busy getting each part just right.

They also made him a wife .....

.... and even twin daughters!!

Happy Almost Halloween Weekend!!

homework

2011-10-20T07:53:00.001-05:00

The girls' latest homework assignment was to draw a picture of their teacher and then tell a story about her. They both had definite ideas of how they wanted to portray Mrs. Olson and what they wanted to say about her. It always makes me smile when I see their art so closely reflect their individual personalities.

Zoe's final product:

Zoe is very precise with her work. She wanted to add fancy flowers in Mrs. Olson's hair and extra fancy earrings, as well as a special dress (which totally reminded me of graduation photos from the 50's). She said she knew Mrs. Olson has green eyes and that her hair is more blonde, but that she used a pencil for the hair and that's why it was dark. Her story, concise and to the point -- that's my Zoe : )

Ella's final product:

Ella creates like she moves through her days, when ideas come to her she goes with them. She gave Mrs. Olson a crown and is experimenting with making noses a new way. She added an E and a Z to the balloons (for Ella and Zoe of course), and the blue and white tiles are what the floor looks like at school. Her story is so Ella too, I love how colors mean so many different things to her : )

Reading both girls' words about their teacher made my momma heart feel very happy. It still is hard for me not being with them for so much of their days but knowing they are with someone they think is nice, someone who gives them great hugs, someone who they know will help them, someone they like AND love makes hugging them goodbye in the morning a whole lot easier for me. And when I think about them at their school throughout the day, I have so much to smile about.

Lately

2011-10-10T06:14:00.002-05:00

This is me, and why I haven't been blogging much .....

(I consider the 'children' my own two AND the 25 I teach)

So though our routine has changed considerably and there have been some bumps along the way; and while I often times feel completely flustered and overwhelmed (and many times embarrassed that my hair hasn't been washed in 4 days because I haven't wanted to take the time to wash it), the girls have been enjoying their full days that are packed with fun.

Creating art at Kindergarten:

Playing on the playground:

Playing with friends during their after-school care:

They've also been spending a lot of quality time with their dad:

And creating habitats for their animals and dinosaurs in our backyard:

We've even had some fun family weekend fun in downtown Minneapolis.

Getting balloons from the balloon clown:

Looking out the overlook window at the Farmer's Market and the Mississippi River:

Checking out the Stone Arch Bridge:

Biking over the Stone Arch Bridge:

It's been BUSY in many not-so-fun ways, but also busy in many SUPER fun ways -- and even though I truly think I slept more when Ella and Zoe were babies and getting up every four hours during the night (I at least had the chance to catch a nap when the girls were napping during the day), this Kindergartener .....

.... and this Kindergartener ......

..... are doing great!!

We're Going to be Friends

2011-09-30T07:01:00.000-05:00

This song always makes me smile, and think back to when the girls were real little and Tom first played it for me. Now that they are in KINDERGARTEN (and still loving it) I smile watching them have fun talking about their school and classmates, I smile watching them wake up and experience one adventure after another (or when they tell me about the adventures I'm not with them for) -- and it makes me so so SOOOOO happy seeing what great buddies they are to each other .......

These two keep my heart FULL of love.

They make me so happy.

I wake up to this (even though they each have their own beds) ....

.... and watch them play together like this .....

Even though my job is much more time-consuming and much more challenging than I had hoped it would be (it's a very long day and the schedule is more for 1st graders rather than Kindergarteners, while my class really needs preschool -- a group of my students actually cheered when I said it was time to go home yesterday), it's all worth it to see Zoe and Ella loving life and being so happy. I am a lucky, happy (yet tired) mom.

And for the record, I think I might have cheered the loudest when I said it was time to get ready to go home : )

First Day of Kindergarten ~

2011-09-12T06:16:00.003-05:00

Ella and Zoe have had three days of Kindergarten (today will be Day Four). They LOVE it. I am so thankful and so happy, happy, happy.

Even though we were running late, a few quick First Day of Kindergarten Pics were priority ('First Day Dresses' by Des and Pete -- thanks again, love you guys!).

They couldn't wait to get to school and were so excited Tom and I could both bring them on their first day (we were too).

Because we were late (just a few minutes), the girls got down to business right away.

Ella chose the salad for lunch (cracked me up) .....

Zoe chose chicken nuggets ....

And then they started their big day, and Tom and I left for ours.

It was VERY weird for me, thinking of them throughout the day, all the things they were doing that I wasn't a part of. But because of their amazing teacher and how great their school is, I had no feelings of worry or concern. Plus, just thinking about all the fun adventures they have to look forward to is THE BEST!!

I have so many thoughts about all of these new changes but because of my new changes (that are completely overwhelming right now) I don't have a lot of time. But bottom line, Zoe and Ella had a great first day and the start of their Kindergarten year has been super. They were very tired by the time they got home (their first day of being in school all day AND a little time at Friendship Connection after school), but they also had their first ballet class of the season too. By the time we got home it was after 7pm and I'm pretty sure they were both asleep before I shut their bedroom door : )

Listening to their stories about the day has been very amusing and interesting. Their teacher has a couple of boys that are 'spitfires', according to the girls (ha). One apparently was sent out of the room 3x (not sure if this was an exaggeration but they both shared the info so I'm thinking it happened), but he did NOT have to go to the principal's office. We talked a little about it but I didn't want to make too big of a deal out of it so I tried to keep it short. To end our conversation Ella said, 'he'll learn' and Zoe said 'it is his job'. I almost died. Love those two.

It's also very interesting and entertaining to hear their different perspectives about the same situations, and to see how they pretty much keep each other in line. To Ella, being told she needs to be quiet means ALL DAY she can't talk, but fortunately Zoe reminded her that was only during Learning and Listening Times, and when Ella couldn't remember where the bathroom pass is kept Zoe told her it was because she wasn't listening. But then when Zoe tried to act like she ate her nachos meat and it was too spicy (and that the teaching assistant even agreed), Ella told her it was not spicy and that Zoe saying it was meant she didn't even try it. Oh to be a twin and have your best friend in class with you all day long .....

The sweetness of these two being together always makes me smile too. Zoe told Ella she can see her during nap time and that makes her happy. Ella said she'd look on Monday for Zoe. They both told me they sit across from each other at lunch so they can chat but sit right next to each other on the alphabet rug, and they like that. And when Zoe cried at Friendship Connection Ella held her hand until her teacher helped Zoe feel better.

I also LOVE how confident the girls are getting, but are still polite and respectful. One of the 'spitfires' tried to get Zoe to hit someone and she told him no, she wouldn't do that -- then turned away from him and played with other friends. When a little girl made a mad face at Ella, Ella told Tom she just smiled at her anyways, then kept making her art. Later they played together and had fun. And when another one of the spitfires scribbled on someone's paper and said Zoe did it, she very concisely said she did not, that she saw him do it and told the teacher. These are BIG deals to me. So reassuring and so good to hear. Now, I wish there weren't any spitfires in the girls' class, but at this point I'm not concerned because I know they are in the best of hands with Mrs. Olson, Mrs. Joyer and that their principal, Mr. Charest, knows what he's doing too.

Two other funnies that made Tom and me laugh:

*On Friday morning I told the girls they had music class that day. Ella was SO excited and told me she always wanted to go to music class. Then she paused, thought for a second and said 'but I thought we need to go to Kindergarten again.'.
*Tom did the girls' hair yesterday and it turned out quite cute. I made a comment about what a great job he did with their hair. Zoe gave me a big smile and nodded her head, Ella said 'he IS a man.' and Zoe said 'yes he is'. I'm glad they got that straight.

As for me, I'm in trouble. Now that I'm working full-time Tom I are sharing more of the household responsibilities (which is great). However, my housekeeper (Tom) and I don't agree with when our floors need to be vacuumed or what clean really means. There really is a difference between 'boy clean' and 'girl clean'. It's all about baby steps I guess, letting go, prioritizing ..... Right?

On the school front for me, I still LOVE the Kindergarten Team I am so fortunate to work with and my new school too, but I have never felt so unprepared for the first day with students (which is today). It will be great to have this week done, even getting through the first hour this morning will be great : )

And that is all for now folks, I am off to it .....
Happy Monday!

Getting Ready for the First Day of KINDERGARTEN!!

2011-09-10T08:13:00.001-05:00

The length of Zoe and Ella's 'Countdown to Kindergarten' chain links got shorter each day .....

Ella made a drawing of a clock for Mrs. Olson and wrote 'Time flies when you're having fun in Kindergarten!' (totally her idea, I helped with the writing) ....

Zoe colored a picture of the parrot in the movie Rio, for Mrs. Olson ....

We had cake with a 'K' for dessert ....

.... and we put together Mrs. Olson's First Day of Kindergarten Flowers ....

The morning of the first day both girls ate their eggs full of love .....

..... and got ready for their FIRST day of KINDERGARTEN!!!!

Jump Party ~

2011-09-07T07:12:00.000-05:00

Since getting their trampoline for their birthday, Ella and Zoe have wanted to have some of their preschool friends over for a 'Jump Party'. It took most of the summer but it finally happened toward the end of August. And because we waited so long we also turned it into a 'Preschool Friends Starting Kindergarten Jump Party'.

We made brownies stamped with the letter K (for Kindergarten) ....

.... and the girls put together little treat bags too:

It looked like rain all morning but stayed clear while the kids jumped on the trampoline, blew bubbles, played ball, created with chalk, painted in the tree house, went sliding into the pool, had shape sandwiches, veggies, cheetos, lemonade and K brownies for lunch, went swinging on the pony swing and just played like only little kids know how to play ....

It was ANOTHER good time ....

.... even though we only used the pinata for decoration : )

And today is the FIRST day of KINDERGARTEN for Ella and Zoe.

Now really, how did we get to this point?

Both girls are very excited and ready to start, though a little nervous (and I think Tom and I are as ready as we'll ever be). It's interesting to me how Zoe is more comfortable with all the school stuff at this point than Ella -- these two continue to keep us guessing : ) Ella has also been having a tough time with me being at work. She's made many comments over the past week to me, and she cried when she stayed with my parents (she told my mom that it's been a long time since she saw me). She also told me she thought there should be two of me so one could go to my school and work and one could stay home and play with her and Zoe. The other day she and Zoe expressed some concerns to me about things Tom does and wanted me to talk with him for them. It was SO funny (and we wound up talking as a family together, which was also super funny). Zoe wanted me to tell him he only needs to remind her to eat ONE time, that more than one doesn't make her eat more, and that he could use his manners more too. When she said that Ella responded with 'now THAT would be something'. I had to work really hard not to laugh. Out of all fairness I asked them if there was anything they'd like me to work on too. Zoe said no but Ella told me I could stop working. Those sorts of comments have been hard, and make me sad too -- and so do the times when she acts like a cat when I get home at the end of the day and won't look at me or hug me for a while -- but I know once she gets into her school routine and is busy with all her school fun, it will all be good : )

Now it's time to get the two new kindergarteners up and ready for some action ...... let the FUN begin!!

lemonade stand

2011-09-05T08:04:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago Ella and Zoe had their FIRST Lemonade Stand.

SUPER fun!!

They helped make the lemonade and chocolate chip cookies (with extra vanilla and extra love as our special ingredients), and they helped paint the menu and big sign too, after I wrote them in pencil.

Ella thought it would be nice to offer 'art' too, so she created colorful smiley faces and Zoe created little smiley hearts:

Our first customers were neighbors, and then friends who don't live near by started arriving in their cars : ) The girls did a great job saying hi to everyone, taking orders, pouring lemonade, passing out the treats, remembering to use their manners; and in between customers they played with their friends and sidewalk chalk on the driveway.

The BEST PART was when Mrs. Charly showed up. Zoe and Ella couldn't believe that their preschool teacher was at our house -- her appearance made their day : ) Later they told me they should have brought her in our house and showed her their bedroom : ) I just love how amazing teachers like Mrs. Charly know and understand how important those little things are to young children, and I hope she knows how much Tom and I appreciate each 'little' thing she has done and continues to do for our girls.

When it was time to close the stand the girls played in the backyard with a few friends, while Tom and I had cocktails with their parents, and a few of our favorite neighbors continued their visiting on our front step .... These are the sorts of things that make me so happy : )

Another bonus, Ella and Zoe actually made quite a bit of money to cover the cost of supplies and some. Wow!!

Good Times, for sure!!

starting kindergarten ....

2011-09-03T10:40:00.002-05:00

.... and we hit the jackpot with EVERYTHING about Ella and Zoe's new school.

It's all SO good.

Mrs. Olson is already living up to the greatness we've heard about her (and school hasn't even started yet). Earlier this past week these arrived in the mail ....

.... two hand-written, individualized postcards (couldn't even read them out loud without getting choked up) ....

.... and at 'Meet the Teacher Night' she actually hooted with laughter when she read the note on the little treat we put together for her:

Ella and Zoe thought the play on words was SO funny and were sure Mrs. Olson would really like it, so her reaction put HUGE smiles on their faces : )

Seeing all of the teachers names written in chalk on the sidewalk outside the front door was so welcoming (and super cute too) .....

.... and after checking out their new classroom (love it), saying hi to their Friendship Connection program director (great guy, his daughter is in the girls' class too) and seeing the Friendship Connection space (which is very nice, they are not going to want to leave when I arrive to pick them up) there was some time to play on the playground before getting big hugs from Mrs. Olson (which of course I didn't get any pictures of).

After all that the girls rode their bikes in the school parade around the neighborhood, welcoming in the new school year (SUPER neat idea).

It was SOOOOO cool -- a police car and fire engine led the parade, followed by the school's band, and then the students and their families (Kindergarteners-6th graders) walking, biking, scootering, even unicycling -- while neighbors waved and cheered from their front yards. I've never been a part of anything like it, what a fun way to kick off the school year.

Getting ready for the parade to start, wearing royal and blue (the school colors), with Elise (who helped decorate their helmets) ~

Chatting with old pal Bella, before the parade started ~

And they're off!!

Chatting with Bella some more .....

.... and still chatting with Bella ....

Then dinner at Snuffy's to cap off a great evening ~

Thursday morning the girls had their Kindergarten Orientation. The girls dropped off their school supplies and spent time in their classroom with Mrs. Olson and their classmates while Tom and I were with other parents and other school staff, getting all the information we needed. It was a great hour for ALL of us, and made all of us even more excited for school to start this coming up Wednesday.

Before we left the house, messenger bags full of school supplies and smiles on their sweet faces:

Before the program began:

Sitting with Mrs. Olson and their classmates, listening to Mr. Charest (their principal) welcome the new class of 2025!!

Dancing a 'School is Cool' dance at the end of their class time:

Mrs. Olson and the girls ~

We're looking forward to a great year in Kindergarten -- and are so thrilled to be part of such an amazing school community.

With Ella and Zoe's school stuff, it's all good : )