Monday, August 29, 2011

School Update-

It has been one day at a time with Mason and kindergarten. A few very teary (one uncontrollable sobbing) days and a few with no tears. Here he was last week showing me the star he earned for good behavior (Looks like they all got one this day :))

Bribery was the name of the game last week to get us through! First day was a slurpee after school and playing Hedbanz with the family, the next day we got lunch, day three was out to Tuti Fruti for frozen yogurt and day four was new art supplies (see below). I hope this week goes smoother b/c I'm running out of ideas.
Mason picked out popsicle sticks, glue and pom-pom balls and went to work.
Friday was yellow day and a no-tears day:)
Meanwhile, this picture sums up Alex's feelings about school. He is thrilled beyond belief each day... I wish some of this enthusiasm would rub off on his brother.
Paris celebrated the end of the first week of school with an ultra deluxe, fresh and non-processed (NOT) pasta meal cooked in her Easy Bake Oven.

Paris spends all her off time practicing her tumbling moves. She took a class over the summer and has learned to do backbends and handstands, etc...

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Back to School

School started Tuesday. Mason is in kindergarten, Alex - 1st grade and Paris -3rd.


Here's Paris and her new backpack:)
Mason lining up with the kindergartens on the first day. This day went very well- he had a great time and was proud and happy. Yesterday and today, not so much:( A lot of tears at drop off but he was happy again at pick-up. Hopefully he makes some new friends quickly and gets into the swing of things... otherwise, Mom is going to have a mental breakdown:)
Filing into the classroom to hang up backpacks.

Alex got class with one of his best buddies, Charlie (curly hair). Here they are looking very nervous on first day.

Alex was thrilled to be sitting next to another friend, Van, who he has known since preschool.This is his teacher, Mrs. Gates... and here the boys are looking much more relaxed after the first day ended.

I snuck into the lunch room for this pic of Paris and her friends.

Lily, Paris and Portia after school.

I surprised the kids (and myself:)) with this pencil cake to celebrate "back to school." It was actually very fun and easy to make.




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Montana 2011!!


Being reunited with Uncle Mike is always a highlight of our MT trip:) Paris is holding her special white bear that Omi has kept for her in MT since she was a baby.


Here Mason is showing Omi how he is learning to read.
Omi spoiled the grandkids with this awesome race car.


Out on a fun walk with Aunt Pam and Omi.
The annual picture in front of the ram at Sugar & Spice!


Our much anticipated first lunch at our favorite restaurant of all time, S & S with Krista and Nick. The kids love and adore their cousins:)
Paris and Omi doing morning yoga stretches with an audience.
Checking in at the Yellowstone with Omi.

Alex diving off the board.

Paris, Alex, Krista and Mason chilling at the pool.

Mason catching some air off the board.

The whole family went to Candytown USA. Omi gave each of the kids $5, and they got busy picking out their favorites (and, amazingly enough, even came in under budget)
In the evenings we enjoyed many thunder/lightening storms, which we don't get much of in Walnut Creek. Here the kids got soaked (on purpose) in a down pour.

The kids took up where they left off last summer in their fort above Omi's shed. They spent a lot of time eating, decorating and playing up here.

They were very happy to have Trent join them!!
Here are some of the decorations.

Enjoying dinner with Mike and really enjoying one of Aunt Pam's awesome cookies.
Family picture outside of Omi's house.
Alex and Uncle Dan getting ready for the football.
Alex is proudly showing off his missing tooth to Uncle Mike... and, luckily, the tooth fairy found him in MT:)
Paris enjoyed giving a quiz from her American Girl magazine to Uncle Mike and Omi... and many others throughout our stay.
Enjoying the morning out in Omi's beautiful backyard.

We got to go behind the scenes to see where the magic happens at Sugar & Spice thanks to Aunt Pam:)

The kids got a lesson from Krista on how to operate the drive thru window. Alex even took an order from Omi when she drove through.
Here's Mason manning the ship.
Eating one of our many delicious meals at S&S

... back to the American Girl quizz:) ... Krista's turn.

Watching Omi make yummy waffles for breakfast.
Mason and Mike having a heart-to-heart.

The kids loved seeing Jim, or as Alex sometimes puts it, "grandpa".

Pam and Dan spoiled us all with a delicious dinner of barbecued/smoked sliders and many fun accompaniments to celebrate Omi and Mike's b-days.


Pam made this masterpiece!!

They even set up a slip-n-slide for the kids.
... and they got to try out Pam and Dan's awesome, new hot tub.

Our annual day at The Reef in Billings.

Alex and Paris went down the slides nonstop, together and separately.
... Mason, who is the most daring of the three, missed the cutoff and wasn't happy about it (pictured here: he kept checking t0 see if he was tall enough). He enjoyed the other slides and wave pool though. Hopefully next near he will make the 48"!!
We all got to see Mike's new and beautiful home. The kids were very enamored with Mike, his girlfriend, Katie and the house:)We all enjoyed stopping by the cemetery to leave some things for Grandpa.


Paris left this note, a hair clip and a crab shaped silly band. Mason left a Palm tree silly band and Alex left a snowboarder/skateboarder silly band. Each had special significance:)


My mom and Paris spotted this amazingly huge cloud one day.

Saying goodnight to Omi.

We enjoyed another yummy dinner at Omi's, complete with fresh corn delivered from Iowa, by Jim:)

and made smores for dessert.
Aunt Pam and Paris hanging out

Going out for our final walk around the neighborhood before we left the next morning:(


... and saying goodbye to Uncle Mike and Katie.
We all enjoyed seeing Aunt Eleanor, who is doing great.

... and then, back to reality. This envelope full of school information was waiting for us when we returned home. This is the first year that Paris, Alex and Mason will be at the same school:)