Storybook Character Parade

The girls went to the storybook character parade in pretty simple costumes this year. Kacy wanted to be the anonymous baker from If You Give a Moose a Muffin. We got our little moose and hooked a muffin to his tiny paws. She wore an apron, and she brought some sprinkles (just in case she needed them). Adilyn was Nikki Malone from her favorite book series, Dork Diaries. All her costume required was pigtails. I was all for that easy peasy costume! Parents aren't allowed to go up to the parade, but since I am taking yearbook pictures this year I went up to snap some pictures and watch. There were some really cute costumes, and some of the kids were so into their characters. The teachers really go all out :)

Brooke's Teacher Conference

Little Brooke's teacher conference was hilarious! She said that Brooke is very well-behaved and sweet. She loves art and science the most, and she is a fantastic sharer. I asked her if she talked much, she said that she is talking a little more each week, but that when she talks it is very, very quiet. She said that if she calls on her to answer that will sometimes answer, but sometimes she will just stare at her in silence. If she does decide to talk, she has to make sure that everyone is super quiet so they can hear her. She also said that she has two little friends, and they always hang out together when they get the chance. I love that she loves going to school, and I don't have to drop her off in tears every morning! The picture is her giving me my morning hug in the dropoff line :)

Pumpkin Carving

One of my favorite fall activities is carving pumpkins! This year the girls wanted to do them on their own. We picked some designs from the Internet, and they got started. They did a lot of it on their own, but their hands got tired, so I stepped in to assist. Adilyn did a design on her own, Kacy did a mouse, and Brooke just colored hers. We also had these little plastic pieces that they hammered in to make more designs. We made some pumpkin seeds to snack on also. Happy Fall, y'all!

Boosterthon!

Mom was in town for the Boosterthon this year, and the girls were running back to back, so we brought our chairs up and made ourselves comfortable for the two hour event :) Luckily the weather was nice - overcast and a little breezy. It's always fun to watch the girls run and try to get all their laps. Kacy didn't get knocked down this year, so that was good. She busted her butt and ran so hard! It's always a fun event with the music and the "silly" laps they do. Kacy's favorite lap was definitely the "Whip and Nae Nae" lap. I was glad for Mom to be able to see it once.

Mid-Season Volleyball Update

Coaching two teams has not been as hard as I thought it was going to be. I really like all the kids on the teams, and the parents are fantastic. Adilyn's team has a had a rough season winning and losing wise...I know it's not all about winning, but it's always better to win than lose. We have fantastic practices and I think the girls are having a fun time. They are doing much better, and I have seen a big improvement in all of them. After the 3rd game, they have had to serve from 20 feet away from the net instead of 10 feet, and that has really messed with their mental state. Next year, I will start them at the 20 foot line from the beginning! The parents seem happy, and the kids seem to be enjoying themselves, so I guess that's all that matters. Kacy's team has won a lot more games because there are some great servers on the team, but I truly don't think they have any idea what is happening most of the time during the game :)
I love being able to coach my own girls and teach some other girls a little about volleyball, too!

School Conferences - Adilyn and Kacy

I always love going to the girls' conferences with their teacher to hear how they are doing in their little academic world. The actual academic information is good to know, but I am always more interested in their social lives. We met with Adilyn's homeroom teacher, which is also her Math and Science teacher. She said that Adilyn was doing great in class, and that she thinks outside the box in math. She said that often she will think of another way to do a problem or another way to figure things out that might be different from how it was taught. Sometimes, she uses Adilyn as a peer tutor for math. She did say that she sometimes gets frustrated when working with groups because they won't listen to her point of view. I was just glad to hear that she was actually standing up for what she thought was right! She said that she usually gets along with everyone pretty well. Another improvement is that she isn't complaining about her pretend medical issues as much! Her teachers for the last couple years would always tell us that she would complain about something bugging her almost everyday. This year it doesn't seem to be an issue, thank goodness! I didn't meet with her Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, but she seems to be doing okay in there, too.
Kacy's teacher said that she is doing okay with her subjects, too. She is right on level, and she said that we didn't need to be concerned about anything. I was a little worried about her reading level and her writing, but she seems to think it's all okay. I never care if my kids are advanced, but I don't want them to be below or be embarrassed about stuff. She said that she is a fantastic helper, and is very "motherly" when helping other students. She said that she is very patient with the kids even when they are being bad or annoying.
I love hearing that my kids are more of a help than an annoyance in a classroom! That's something to be proud of for sure, because there are a ton of annoying kids in the world :)

Sleepovers...

It's getting to be time for us to delve into the world of sleepovers, and I am not sure that I am ready. Adilyn has spent the night with a friend a couple of times, but we have never had a friends to our house. We had plans for a friend to come over and spend the night with Adilyn one weekend. I really didn't want to deal with Kacy feeling left out, so I invited a friend of hers to join in the fun. We had it all planned out, and the girls were so excited. I got a call that Monday from Adilyn's friend's mom that she had gotten in trouble, and she would not be able to come over after all. What sad news! Adilyn was seriously so upset, and to make matters worse Kacy's friend was all in. Adilyn finally got over her sadness, and we had a fun night swimming and watching a movie. It was fun to have a friend over, but it was also kind of awkward. The friend did not want to go to sleep. Everything "creeped" her out, and I had to essentially move everything out of Kacy's room that had eyes. I even had to move the doll bed because she thought the doll might still be in it. They finally passed out around midnight, after Kacy said, "Come on, just go to sleep already, I am exhausted!" We ate breakfast and made fake snow in the morning before she went home. I would call it a success, and I am (kind of) ready for the next one!