Share Bear

Share Bear is the class mascot for Ella and Zoe's preschool class. He helps the students remember their manners, how to be kind to each other and how to take turns speaking and listening to each other. Throughout the school year Share Bear spends one week with each child, and last week was Ella's turn.

She was one happy girl!!

Share Bear spent all week playing, eating and sleeping with Ella (Zoe too), and we had so much fun documenting our adventures together.

Share Bear certainly kept busy.

He drew pictures with Ella and Zoe,

and he created lots of art too.

He went to Ballet Class (and even wore a ballet outfit),

he helped us sort through our Halloween decorations,

and he snuggled with Ella while she read stories to him.

Share Bear also played out in our backyard. He went swinging and sliding, he played in the sandbox and with sidewalk chalk, and he had many rides up and down the hill on a scooter.

He also got a lot of hugs.

Share Bear was a great passenger while Ella rode her bike around our neighborhood,

and he grilled hotdogs and hamburgers during a family cook-out.

Share bear was also quite helpful. He was Tom's assistant while taking care of some roof work and then safely posed for a photo for Ella and Zoe.

Share Bear also cuddled with Ella and Zoe's Grama Dianne, had a cookie at the preschool's Family Fun Night, went shopping at Target and had dinner at Ole' Mexico!

Share Bear was also a great sport and didn't complain at all when the girls dressed him in a tutu, or pink socks and Barbie underpants, or when they put him in a princess outfit for their friend Eva's 5th Birthday party.

At the end of our week together Ella drew a picture of Share Bear for his book.

We also wrote a story about our adventures together,

and we added a picture/photo collage too.

It was a great week!

We're going to miss Share Bear but we're excited that at some point Zoe will have her turn and bring him home too : )

Leaf Crowns and Bat Projects

It has been a gorgeous Fall this year. The colors are so vibrant and the past week or so has been unseasonably warm -- a great combination.

To celebrate we've spent a lot of time outside, have gone on quite a few nature walks and have collected lots of colorful fall leaves.

We also made some pretty cool 'Leaf Crowns'.

Zoe working on her crown ....

Ella working on her crown ......

Zoe almost finished .....

Ella almost finished ....

Zoe with her final product!!

Ella with her final product!!

Quick hug before school.

I love my little Zoe Bear.

I love my little Ella Belle.

Zoe with her first family homework assignment -- her purple handprint bat.

Ella with her family homework assignment -- her orange bat.

roasting marshmallows

First there was this:

Then there was this:

Then there was this .....

..... and then there was this:

It doesn't matter ....

.... if Ella and Zoe are at Chuck-E-Cheese celebrating a friend's birthday .....

.... or if they're passengers during a walk on a beautiful fall day.

It doesn't matter if Ella and Zoe decide to run faster than the wind .....

..... or stop just long enough to give me a smile ....

.... these girls know how to have FUN and enjoy each and every minute of each and every day!!

Farm Fun

Yesterday we took a road trip down to Southern Minnesota, to the farm where Tom grew up and his mom still lives. Our last trip down (this past winter) Ella threw-up on the way. This trip she also had a tummy ache, but didn't throw up -- and despite a colder and windier day than we had hoped for, it was a really good time!!

Ella driving the old tractor with Zoe peaking through the open door.

Biking the super long driveway was a total highlight, and so was spending time with *big* cousins Lauren and Erin.

Zoe with Erin .....

Ella with Lauren ....

Tom climbed the silo for us, another big highlight ......

..... see his head way up at the top?? The girls were so excited that their daddy was way up in the sky!!!

Tom also let the girls ride on the big rope in the old barn, which was another fun part of the trip ....

And of course Tom had to get into the swinging too!!

On the way home we asked the girls what their favorite part of the day was -- they both mentioned the above activities .... but they both also said 'seeing their Grandma Della'. It was a very special part of the day and even though we didn't get any pictures of her (or the rest of the family that was there), or any photos of the bonfire and trying to roast hotdogs and marshmallows --- we had a Saturday well spent!!

And because the roasting of hotdogs didn't work too well yesterday we're doing that in our backyard -- for dinner tonight!! Hotdogs and smores ---- Yummy!!