Palmer People: February 2011

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Rainbows & Rabbits

Yep, another preschool week! Obviously, I had the Letter R.

Tuesday, I went with a RAINBOW theme. This was super duper fun!!! I started off reading What Makes a Rainbow? to the kids.

We went over the different colors in the rainbow, and HOW a rainbow is created. To show them how this works, I filled my glass beverage jar with water and when the sunlight came through the window and hit the water in the jar, it cast a huge prism on my kitchen floor! The kids were amazed!!

We worked on writing the letter R

Then we got down to business and started on part of our snack for the day! RAINBOW cake! The kids were just dying over this! Each kid (6, Preston got to fill in for an absent Kimberly) got a cup of batter and we colored the batter accordingly. Good lesson for primary and secondary colors, which we talked about as we mixed. Then each kid took their turn pouring the batter into the cake pans.

While the cake was baking, I sent the kids outside for recess, which included coloring with rainbow sidewalk chalk.

When they came inside, we had the other part of our snack, a rainbow of fruit!! Strawberry, orange, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries and grapes!!

While the cake was cooling, we worked on a few more fun rainbow activities: sorting Froot Loops and threading them onto yarn to make necklaces!!

and these CUTE rainbow streamers

Then came the best part, the part everyone was looking forward to...
EATING our RAINBOW cake! Yum!! How fun is that?!?

Today, we talked about RABBITS. I was kinda wishing I knew someone in real life that owned a bunny we could have played with. :/ But since I was planning my lesson kinda last minute, I didn't have time for that, darn. Anyhow, to start things off, I read the famous Aesop fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. (I know, technicalities...)

Then of course, up to the table to writing practice. I love Gavin's concentration face here!

Then we took the letter R and made it into a RABBIT--- coloring, cutting, gluing.

Ta-da!!

Time for outside play! We did a few RACES, just like the tortoise and the "RABBIT." First, the kids had to balance a cotton ball on a spoon. If they dropped it, they had to go back to the start. We did this one several times. A huge hit!

Then they hopped like bunnies, er, I mean RABBITS.

Then they crab-walked!

That wore them right out, so we headed inside for drink & snack. This time, we had Rice cakes, Raspberries, Raisins and carrots (think RABBIT) dipped in Ranch dressing. :) Quite the eclectic mix, but everyone devoured the yummies and asked for seconds!

Last, we did some RABBIT sequencing and shadow matching. These kids are smarty pants and had this done in no time!

So I let them back outside to play until their moms came for pickup. That's what they love most afterall. :)

The thing that had me cracking up today was their conversations over our craft. The girls were totally scheduling playdates with each other and each was claiming everyone as their "friend." I'm so glad that they've been able to bond with each other and get to know one another a little bit better. Gavin and Carson, the only two boys in the group, are pretty good buds!

I breathe a heavy sigh of relief when my week is done. I'm always able to come up with fun ideas (read: swiping other's ideas off the internet), but I'm glad that I only have to stress about this every 6 weeks! I can't believe there is only 2 teaching weeks left for me until we're done!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Valentine's Day reality

print from here

I want holidays to be fun a memorable for everyone in the family. I love doing cute things for the kids and husband to make the day special. Welp, I failed miserably yesterday. In my eyes, at least.

Sunday night, I realized that I didn't have any Jell-O to do my traditional heart-shaped jigglers to send in the kids' lunches. Poo.

We woke up later than usual, which resulted in rushing to get the twins out the door for school. No time for pretty pink heart-shaped pancakes.

I got Brooklyn some pink tights with an argyle heart pattern so she could wear those with her uniform on Valentine's Day. She was SO worried that they weren't dress code appropriate and that she would get in trouble for wearing them.

I put heart-shaped notes in Brooklyn and Blake's lunches, only I switched them in my rush. So Brooklyn's said "Happy Valentine's Day BLAKE" and Blake's said "Happy Valentine's Day BROOKLYN."

Midway through the day, my stomach starts to hurt and all I want to do is sleep it off. Preston goes down for a nap and I put cartoons on for Gavin, starting a new one every 30 minutes for 1.5 hours while I try to rest. Not feeling better.

I hurry and get the little goodies I have for the kids all set out so they can find them when they get home from school. They all squeal in delight when they open their cute mailboxes from the dollar section at Target to find little toys, then attack their little heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. (didn't even take a picture. yep, I must be sick.)

More rushing to drop Brooklyn off at dance, come back to gather all baseball gear for the twins' practice. Threaten the boys with their life if they don't get in the car RIGHT NOW, grab Brooklyn from the dance studio and rush over to baseball practice.

Leaving practice at 6pm, I'm still feeling blah, have only eaten a bowl of cereal and an orange all day. Kids beg for Happy Meals for the one millionth time as we drive by the new McDonalds down the road that just opened last Thursday. Maybe I should have though about a dinner plan by now???

Get home, Matt is already home from work, has a beautiful bouquet of roses for me and a single rose for Brooklyn. Such a sweetie. 'What are we going to do for dinner?' I ask. The kids want to go to McDs. I'm not eating anything. Whole family loads into the car, pick up dinner from the McDonalds drive thru. I end up getting a smoothie and regret eating a couple French fries.

Matt drops me off to the grocery store so I can get a few things needed for my preschool activites and snack today. Everyone eats in the car while I'm in the store. Got Saltine crackers to help settle my stomach and also lithium ion batteries for Blake's new Potty Pager. Get a movie from Redbox, hoping maybe we can salvage our night.

Find $10 in the street on my way out to the car and without question, pick it up, walk back into the store and take it to the customer service desk. Lady is shocked and thanks me for being honest.

March the kids upstairs, spend waaaay too long on the bedtime routine that escapes the childrens' minds every night, even though it's the same EVERY NIGHT.

Come downstairs and realize that Blake needs his Star Student poster done because it should've already gone to school with him yesterday. Spend probably an hour on the computer, trying to find pictures to put on said poster. Matt watches tv in the other room. Can you just feel the love?

I finally emerge from the office and he starts the movie at 9:30pm while I work on the poster. At 10:45, I announce that I'm going upstairs to bed. Matt comes up sometime later, I have no idea when. Maybe 2am?

Romantic as heck, huh?!?? Don't be jealous.

I kept apologizing to Matt that I was such a lame wife and lover today. He kept assuring me that it was no big deal. But to me, it was. I wanted to go above and beyond to show him that I love him. But there was no heart-attacking his car, or leaving secret love notes that he'd find randomly throughout the day, or awesome dinner on the table when he walked in the door, sugar cookies to decorate, or chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. (sidenote: I find it kinda ironic that chocolate covered strawberries are such a Valentine's "thing" yet strawberries aren't even in season???) Good thing we get to redeem ourselves sans kids in two weeks! I hope Matt really does know how much I love him. Because I do. A lot.

Apparently Brooklyn felt the love because she thanked Heavenly Father for such a good Valentine's Day in her bedtime prayer! LOL!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

This is OUR day

Wow, what a day!! My sweet baby twins are all grown up and were baptized today. My emotions were close to the surface all day as I watched them participate in these sacred ordinances and officially become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm so proud of them for their choice to be baptized. They have been so, so, SO excited for this day! I'm not quite sure how I got old enough to have kids getting baptized.... :/

We had lots of friends and family that helped us celebrated Brooklyn and Blake's special day. The room was packed to the brim!!! We shared the baptism with our good friends, the Turners. Todd was also born on the twins' birthday so we like to joke they were triplets separated at birth!

OUR FAMILY ♥

After the baptism, we had lunch at our house and I'm sure there were probably 50 or so people there!!! I was too busy running around, trying to make sure everything was running smoothly and food stayed refilled that I didn't get any pictures. We had sweet pork burritos/salads and cookies for dessert. A huge THANK YOU to my sister & sister-in-laws for helping with food!

We had some pictures taken of Brooklyn and Blake before their baptism by Jessica Drew, who is in our ward. We were thrilled with the results!! Here are a few favorites....

*** One funny story that has to be written down so we don't forget. After everyone had gone home, I asked Matt to make sure their wet clothing got laid out in the laundry room so I didn't find it all molded up in the car two weeks later. As Matt was unloading their bag, he held up Blake's undershirt. Then he made mention of me putting two undershirts for him in there and I was like, no I didn't. All of a sudden, Matt realized something... Blake had on his (Matt's) extra garment top that I had packed for him!!!!!!!!!!!!! We both BUSTED up laughing!! Matt told Blake to take off his dress shirt and sure enough, he had on Matt's huge ole top on the whole time after the baptism! I asked how in the WORLD that could happen (men.), Matt tried explaining that they were both trying to get redressed in this tiny bathroom stall and (obviously) he wasn't paying that much attention when he handed Blake his "undershirt" to put back on. I'm glad we had something to laugh about that day!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

EIGHT {8}

Eight years ago today, I became a mother twice over.

Look at what my little bundles of pink and blue have grown into!!!

The birthday celebration started a little early because Daddy was going to be out of town on their actual birthday, so we did gifts on Thursday night.

Brooklyn had some pretty good surprised faces!! Opening Zoobles here... they are kinda the girl equivalent of Bakugan

Babysitting Mama game for the Wii

Blake following in his grandpa Hamilton's gift-guessing technique by holding it up to your forehead.... accompanied by weird faces and bizarre hand signs. It's a 2nd grade thing.

He's been begging for this! I was giddy for him to open it! And he approves!

Blake educating me on Pokemon characters

Friday, I brought lunch to the kids at school (Burger King, their choice). I had no idea how fast and furious that all goes down!! They scarfed their food SO fast so they could get out to the playground! I think I was there for 30 minutes.... maybe?

Saturday, on their birthday, I took Brooklyn, Blake and Gavin to the dollar theater to see Megamind.

They got phone calls all day long from family members who love them! Blake isn't a phone talker and one time when I handed him the phone, he politely said to me, "No thanks!" Haha! I made him talk anyway. ;) I made spaghetti for dinner, then the kids and I had cake and ice cream afterward.

Brooklyn can be a little bossy towards Blake sometimes and boy can they fight like cats and dogs!!!! But they do really love each other and I'm so glad they were sent here together. ♥ ♥