February Schoolwork

February passed by so quickly! There were three snow days off of school and a few days off for parent/teacher conferences and holidays.

 Eric and I went to Sarah's parent/teacher conferences in mid-February.  We were very pleased to hear how well she continues to do academically, especially in reading and math.  She enjoys all of her subjects, but tells us math is her favorite.  We were also happy to hear from her teacher about how good of a friend Sarah is at school to everyone.  On the report card her teacher wrote, "Sarah is hard working and very intelligent.  She grasps new concepts easily.  Sarah is also great at relationships with peers."  I know Sarah tries hard to include others and to "Shine" for Jesus when she is at school.  WAY to GO sweet Girl!  KEEP Shining!!!

Below is a short story she wrote and drew about what we did on one of the snow days in February.

"I got up from my bed."

"I get dressed and then I went outside to shuvel snow."

"Then my Dad came home and I was all done shuveling."

"He took me sleding."

Me: What did you think your teachers would talk to or tell Daddy and I about at your parent/teacher conference?
Sarah: "That I am being good in school and that I am a great helper for people.  And, they would show you that paper about the things I like and don't like, about reading, math, writing, and science."

For the class Valentine party I planned three different minute to win it games for the kids to do in small groups.  

Game #1 blowing q-tips out of straws... trying to get the q-tips to blow into buckets about 5 feet in front of them.  In one minute they each had to see how many q-tips they could blow out of the straw into the buckets.  Load the q-tip into the straw, aim, and blow! Most q-tips in wins.

Game #2 Sucking the marshmallow onto the straw and carrying it about 10 feet then dropping it into a bowl.  In one minute they each had to see how many marshmallows they could move from bowl to bowl using only a straw and their air.  Most marshmallows moved wins.

Game #3 Carrying marshmallows on a spoon from bowl to bowl.  In one minute they each had to see how many marshmallows they could carry from one bowl to the other bowl about 10 feet away.  They had to balance the marshmallows on the spoon.  They could not use their extra hand to hold the marshmallows on the spoon or to pick up any marshmallows that got dropped.  Most marshmallows moved to the other bowl wins.

When we got home after the class Valentine party, both girls had fun looking through and opening all their Valentines from their classmates and teachers.

Sarah made her Valentine bag with a ladybug heart on it.  .

Sarah's teacher gave each student a cute KRAZY Valentine!

Me: What was one of your favorite things about your class Valentine party?

Sarah: "That we got to play the games.  I liked the marshmallow one where we got to pick them up with our straw.  I love that one."

February School Days

Phoebe has had some great first days of school this month.  Only going two days a week, may be a slightly bigger adjustment than going everyday would....  It may take her just a bit longer to settle into the routines.  The one thing so far that she does not like, is going in the gym with all of the big kids before the school day starts.  It causes her a lot of anxiety and we've had tears a couple of mornings over it.  As long as she knows that I will walk her to her classroom, not leave her in the gym, she is completely okay with going to school.

On her first day of school this month her class had a "100 Day" party.  And, she worked hard to pick out and sign her name on lots of Valentine cards for each one of her new friends in her class.  She got a sack of Valentine cards and candy of her own too!

The worksheet above was cutting practice.  They had to cut with scissors and try to stay on the dotted lines.

One day each week Phoebe will get to bring something to "Show and Share".  Her second week of school the Pre-K theme of the week was farms and the letter was C.  She could bring something to share that had to do with farms (the theme) or started with the letter C (the letter of the week).  She chose to take her big horse.  Eric and I helped her prepare and practice saying a few things that she could tell her class about the horse.  When I picked her up from school on that day and asked her about the "Show and Share" time she told me, "I only told them two things. It is a horsey.  It lives on a farm."  This week the theme was the city and the letter of the week was Q.  Eric and I helped her pick a small quilt to take for "Show and Share".  She told me that when it was her turn she told her class that "It is a quilt.  Mommy made it."

In her classroom she will get to work on learning many new skills that will prepare her for Kindergarten.  Some of these skills are cutting, counting, grouping, shapes, patterns, reading comprehension, letter and number recognition, letter sounds, and writing letters and numbers.  Most importantly though for Phoebe will be her speech class/group.  Every day that she goes to school she will have speech class/group.  Her teachers will all help her learn to make her sounds correctly.  She will learn to use words correctly.  She will learn to speak in full sentences, and she will learn to answer questions and talk in front of her peers.

Eighteen Months

~ Eighteen Months Old ~

Me: What do you like to play with Silas?
Sarah: "When Silas chases me.  And he plays cars with me.  He races them down a track. And, play hide and go seek with him because when he hides with Phoebe or me it makes me feel like he is playing with me."
Phoebe: "Cars.  We push them down the racetrack.  I like to tell him good night and hug him.  And, I like to hug him and pooch (smooch) him."

Me: What is Silas learning and doing now that he use to not be able to do?
Sarah: "He use to not be able to say my name and now he is.  It sounds like, "Werwa".  He does a lot more talking.  He does a lot more playing.  And, now he can do climbing.  He climbs on everything... the ladder on my bed, on the chair, on the couch, and on the counter."
Phoebe: "Saying my name.  Him call me "Beebee".  He likes to watch movies in the van.  Him like Elmo and Barney."

Me: What do you think are some of his favorite toys?
Sarah: "The kitchen stuff, his monkey, the little people things in our room, cars, books."
Phoebe:  "Him favorite toys is his monkey and his blankie. He likes the potato head stuff."

Me: What are some things that make Silas scared or sad?
Sarah: "The vacuum makes him scared.  Going to the nursery at church makes him cry.  He doesn't cry the whole time."
Phoebe: "The beeper (weather alert radio).  He screams and cries."

Me: What is your most favorite thing about having Silas for your little brother?
Sarah: "Because he helps us clean up and he plays with us."
Phoebe: "Hugging him."

Fifty Years

My Uncle and Aunt, Charles and Wyonna Hastings, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary about a week ago.  Lots of family members helped to plan the celebration with a come and go party and a dinner for family and a few friends afterward.

My dad, made this pretty stained glass gift for his brother and sister-in-law out of the anniversary party invitation.  And, the beautiful centerpiece bouquet was put together by my Aunt Wyonna's sister-in-law, on her side of the family, Karen Schmidt.

I scanned 407 pictures that had Charles and/or Wyonna in them, from their childhoods and throughout their marriage then put them all together on a dvd for everyone to enjoy during the party.  I had a little trouble with my dvd making program on my computer and my dvd burner, so the music that Charles and Wyonna had requested did not get onto the dvd with the pictures.  (Sorry, I tried, many times, just couldn't get it.) Instead, I put all their songs onto a cd for them to enjoy.  The dvd was a big hit at the party!  Everyone liked sitting and watching the pictures and talking about fun times from the past.

Whenever the Hastings get together there is always some dancing.... This was before the party started.  My Dad, my sister, and my girls were dancing to some of Charles and Wyonna's songs that were playing off of their cd.  Some of the songs on the cd were: The Bunny Hop, All I Have To Do Is Dream, Happy Trails, You Send Me, Because He Lives, Mississippi Squirrel Revival, Oh Johnny Oh, Amazing Grace, Steel Guitar Rag, Always, You Are My Special Angel, and Never Be Anyone Else But You.

Getting things ready for the party to start... the guest book, their wedding picture album, a card basket, cake and punch.

FIFTY Years!  Congratulations Uncle Charlie and Aunt Wyonna!

Thank you to Paul and Gloria Hastings, Jan Hastings, Beki Hastings, Debbie Suttles, and myself.  We made twelve sheet cakes of different varieties to serve to all of the guests.  We had chocolate, peanut butter, fruit, pumpkin, strawberry, carrot, banana, and lemon.  They were all delicious!  I may or may not have tried them all....

Many of Charles and Wyonna's friends and family members came to visit and congratulate them that afternoon.  There were lots of smiles, hugs, and laughs.

My girls did a great job of entertaining themselves and using their manners that afternoon.  They each built and designed things with these wooden coffee stir sticks for about an hour!

Some of my Dad, Charles, and Dale's first cousins came for the celebration... all the way from Texas and Arkansas.  It was good to see you Lois Wheeler and Jerry and Julie Hempsmyer!  It was also fun to visit with other second cousins and family members, old and young.

We had some GREAT help in the kitchen that day too!  Thanks to everyone who helped set-up, made cake, cut cake, designed and printed the invitations, made punch, washed dishes, took trashes out, served punch, made mints, took pictures, entertained kids, and cleaned-up.  

You all ROCK!

 

A special thank you to one FANTASTIC Aunt... Lindsee!  You were so helpful with my kids and other people's kids.  I love the heck out of you sista-friend!

Sarah made a special cardboard card/sign for Uncle Charlie and Aunt Wyonna from herself...

Before the family dinner, my Dad said a few words, Charles said a few words,

Charles and Wyonna cut their special "50" cake that my dad made and decorated for them,

They fed each other a bite of the cake,

They smooched a little bit,

Dale Parker, Charles' Best Man fifty years ago, and his lifelong friend, gave a small toast to Charles and Wyonna.

Then it was time for a fried chicken dinner.  YUM!

One more thanks shout out goes to the car decorators!  What a superb idea.  Charles and Wyonna loved it!

Love is patient and kind; Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7