Dancing & Bear

 Avery decided to put on a princess dress.  And dance.

 Bear decided she needed her picture taken.  Stat.

 Is this my good side?

 Hey kid.

 Hey Bear.

 Back to the dancing.

 You can see her dancing in this vid.  She still loves her "finishing pose".  Look for two here.  One where she sticks her right arm straight out to the side.  And another where she is kneeling and puts her arm straight forward at the very end.

Let's share the spotlight.

Happy Bear.

 The End.

Star Student

Jack was the star student of his class last week.  It is a fun week.  On the first day of the week, we bring in pictures and a story about Jack.  And each day for the rest of the week he can bring the following on each day:  something special to share (he chose Katy and Bear),  a favorite book, a favorite healthy snack, and a guessing jar.  Here is Jack below showing a puppy pic of Bear.  I only got a couple of pics of the share time because I was behind him holding both dogs and trying to keep Katy from eating out of the garbage can.  Jack did great and the dogs did great.  I was a little nervous because they are 11 now and it is crazy hot in their classroom and did I mention there are 28 second graders?

Look for Avery!

 My accidental picture of Jack's feet and Bear's side.

 Avery snuggling with Jack when we got home.

 Wyatt is the star student next week.  And before I go, here is a cute pic of Jack with his Lego dragon he received for Christmas from Aunt JJ and Uncle Jeff.

Favorite things.

Some things I am loving right now (other than "Fixer Upper" and that lovely Gaines family I already blogged about):

1.  These granola bars from Yummy Mummy Kitchen.

Easy no bake Granola bars

They are vegan, easy to make and the boys love them.  They love them in their lunch box or after school.  They have almond butter, coconut oil, oats, maple syrup, rice krispies, and I mix in chia sees and hemp seeds and you just mix it all in one bowl and put it in the pan.  No baking and they are fun to make.  What is not to love?

2.  This picture of Avery.   I don't know why I just love it.

3.  These two necklaces.  I don't wear them together but did for this pic (sorry for the crazy close-up).

Stella and Dot Necklace ... I love that this necklace arrived with three different clasp lengths on the back.  How smart it that?  So it fits me closer to the neck which I like.  And this feather necklace from Summer Ellis.  I am horrible about taking off jewelry before I get in the shower so the feather necklace has already tarnished on me.  But I love it and may have to buy another in the future and just be more careful with it.

 4.  Tortillaland tortillas.  I cringe at all the ingredients in most pre-packaged tortillas so Geoff has tried several recipes to find the best one.  They aren't necessarily nutritious but at least we know the 4-5 ingredients that are in the recipe.  But if we want something quick the Tortillaland tortillas are so good.  You heat each tortilla for 30 seconds on each side and they bubble up and are such a treat.   One night we made 18--I had one and Geoff and the kids finished off the whole rest of the pack.

5.  Sawyer Fredericks performance of "The Voice".  I am obsessed with it.

I'm A Man in Constant Sorrow

First Hair Cut 17 February 2015

Avery's hair had gotten so long.  And very tangly.  If you can't tell from pictures, her hair is always in her face because she puts up quite a battle when it is time to comb her hair.  She finds a hair clip or ponytail holder and tears it out of her hair.  So I wasn't too surprised when she got upset when I told her she and I were going to get our hair cut.  I guess the word "cut" probably sounds scary when I think about it!  

Well, this is 3 years, 4 months and about 3 weeks of hair growth.

 It was time.

 She was not thrilled when she got in the chair.

 She didn't make a sound the whole time.

 What is it with hair?  I got a little anxious here...when the first cut was coming.  We went for two inches off all around.

 She started to brighten up.

 She held still as a statue.  And when Aleshya told her to look down...

 She took it seriously.  She kept looking DOWN, DOwN, DoWn....

 There you are.

     Hey sweet face.

 I think she kind of loved the mirror.  And the blow dryer.

 I mean, these are Christmas morning, it's my birthday, Disney World-level smiles.

 I love  it.  Her hair looked thicker and healthier and her curl has even come back.

Valentine Fun

 Valentine's Day is so fun for the kids at school.  The boys picked these Valentine's cards.  They had to write out 31 Valentine's each this year.  28 classmates + 2 teachers + 2 helpers - themselves.  

    The boys were off to school with their Valentine cards and treats...Avery and I went to yoga and then had a little lunch before going to school for the party.

Off to school.  The kids made their heart Valentine boxes at school and had quite the Valentine's exchange.

 I heard one girl in their class (who tends to be a tiny bit dramatic) say "this is the best day ever" as she looked at all the cards, treats, and food on her desk.  

 These kids love getting their pictures taken so they all started jumping in....

 More kids...

 And more kids!  I think there are still a half a dozen or so still missing...

 Then we went outside with the class for their last recess and Avery was the star of the show.  

 They all wanted to run with her and see what she wanted to do and she was happy to lead the way.

 Then she fell.  And got a boo boo on her elbow.  The kids were so sweet helping her.

"Let's go find a band-aid"

 The boys' school is almost 100 years old.  Really.  And although it is old, it is a really great building. The entryway is my favorite.

 This is Avery's "worried" look.

 On Valentine's night Geoff and I went out to dinner with three other couples and then went to Katie's show at the theater.  It was awesome.  She sang a mix of Opera

Excerpt from the local paper Herald and News:  

"The concert will feature a mix of Italian opera, show tunes — Italian-themed of course — and jazz standards to create a romantic atmosphere, according to a news release.

Harman has performed all over the country, first as part of her service as Miss America in 2002, later as a touring performer. She has headlined both full-scale productions and concerts with opera companies, musical theater companies, symphonies and private events, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, Denver Philharmonic, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Vancouver Symphony."

 Pic after the show with Heidi and Katie.  

 We had so much fun!  The only bad part of the night...I didn't get a picture with my main man and main Valentine that night.  :(  I love you Geoff!  xoxo   Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!!