What’s More Fun Than a Pile of “Leaves”

Lance was trimming up the plants in the backyard, just trying to get it cleaned up before the cold weather starts.  Of course the girls wanted to help him.

The girls job was to take the Pampas grass clippings and make a pile of them in the yard.  After a few trips of adding to the pile the girls were dying to jump in it.  They asked and Lance replied “sure, you will probably graduate from college before we have enough leaves to make an actual leaf pile”. HA! They couldn’t wait, but they were patient enough to let me get the camera.

The girls next to their pile of “leaves”

After a few jumps it was time to build the pile back up again.  This was about the time that Gwynie decided it was too cold for her {Mommy was thinking that too, but pictures trump comfort, right?!?}.

 

Gracie make a “leaf” angel

They were a bit itchy after they got done.  Gwynie was cured with a bath, but it turns out Gracie takes after her Daddy.  The bath stopped most of the itching, but she needed a little bit of help from a dose of Benadryl.

The had a GREAT time!  Who needs leaves anyway when you’ve got “leaves”?

Gwynie’s Sharing Feast!

Every year Gwynie’s school does a Thanksgiving Sharing Feast on the last day before the kids vacation starts.  Gwynie was really looking forward to it and had been talking about it for weeks.  Here are a few pictures from the day…

Gwynie’s little hat says “I’m Thankful for My Mommy & Daddy”…so sweet!  We are thankful for you too baby girl!

Her precious Thanksgiving placemat & matching napkin ring that she is VERY proud of and has used at every meal since.  Her teachers were so smart and made the placemat reversible. There is a sweet Christmas poem with her handprints stamped on the back.

 

Gwynie playing with her little classmates after lunch.

One of my many play-food surprises!

She was so careful not to drop my food…just look at that concentration!

I am thankful for Gwynie’s wonderful preschool and her sweet class.  Thanks to her amazing teachers her class has such a friendly atmosphere.  All her little classmates get so excited when each other shows up for school.  She is met everyday with her little friends and teachers shouting “Gwynie’s here”.  After school they are saying bye to each other all the way to their cars {and sometimes we have to roll down the window to say bye one last time to a friend}. They are really learning what is means to be a good friend…what a blessing!

Gracie’s Friday Morning Live Performance

Today Daddy, Gwynie and I went up to Gracie’s school for Friday Morning Live {FML} because Gracie, her class and a few other classes were performing a couple of songs.

Gracie hanging out with her classmates before the program started. 

It looks as if Gracie is telling her classmate to “talk to the hand”…let’s hope not.

Gracie had been keeping the details of the songs a secret so that we would be surprised.  There first song was called “U.P.S. Check” {U.P.S. Check is the way kiddos solve word problems in Math these days}.  Gracie is very Math minded so she really likes to doing U.P.S. Checks {reminds me of how I used to actually enjoy solving a really big long division problem…nerdy, I know}.  Anyway, believe it or not there is a actual song that the kids sing to help them remember the process. I don’t remember the catchy tune, but something about the “U” is for Understand, the “P” is for Plan, “S” is for Solve and “Check” is for Check Your Answer.

Singing U.P.S Check

 Gracie was VERY excited that they were able to use Kazoos during the song!

Her second song was a Hip Hop Rap about a Turkey named “T”.  This was the song that Gracie was REALLY looking forward to.  There were a bunch of fun lyrics, but the gist was “There’s a turkey name “T” living on a farm.  He changed his name ‘cause it used to be Tom”.

 

Doing a little Hip Hop Groove!

The Big Finale!!!

Gwyneth’s Preschool Pictures

I couldn’t decide between the two so of course I had to buy both!

I can’t even imagine trying to get all those kiddos to look at the camera and smile at the same time.  Gwynie appears to be over pictures by this point.

Gracelyn’s 1st Grade Yearbook Picture

Gracie’s Class Tooth Journal

This past Sunday Gracie lost her 5th tooth.  The baby tooth was so tiny!  I can’t imagine there is enough room for her permanent tooth to come in…guess we will see what happens. {She lost the one that is to the right of her “front teeth”.  You can barely see the opening in the picture below}.  She told her teacher at school on Monday about her tooth and she sent her home with the classes’ “I Lost A Tooth” journal. 

I think the journal is such a neat idea!  She had a great time flipping through the pages reading about how her friends lost their tooth and of course how much money they got from the tooth fairy. {I need to have a chat with some of these tooth fairies about the going rate for teeth these days…yikes}.  Gracie really had fun adding her journal entry.   

The picture is of her laying on the couch while Daddy pulled her tooth out and the journal entry reads: “My name is Gracelyn Taylor I lost my tooth on November 8 my dad pulled it out it hurt so much and I love it and i got one dollar.”

Happy Halloween 2009

The girls had a great time on Halloween.  They both though a lot about their costumes and were SO excited to finally get to wear them.  As a kid I remember several years when I couldn’t decide what to be until the very last possible minute.  Not these girls…they decide several weeks in advance!

 

Gracie as the “Bride of Frankenstein” {her version away} and Gwynie as a Ladybug!

We were blessed again this year to have Nana, Paw Paw, Kathy, Tony, Nathan & Preston join us for Trick-or-Treating!!

We are starting to get a few Halloweens under out belt now so I thought it would be fun to look back at some pictures of the girls over the years.

Gracie from Halloweens past…

  

 

Gwynie from Halloween’s past…

Gwynie’s Hero Parade!

Today was Gwynie’s Hero Parade and Class Party!  They ask you to dress up like a everyday hero or a hero from the Bible.  Last year she dressed up like Queen Esther and this year she went as a…

Farmer!!

The parents get there a few minutes early to line up then and each class parades around the school.  They all looked SO CUTE!!  Here comes Gwynie’s class…

 After all the classes took their turn it was time to head back to Gwynie’s class for their All Saints Party!!!

Gwynie was a huge fan of the mini cupcakes.  She had two and much to my surprise she ate the WHOLE thing, not just the icing.

Gwynie and her buddy Zachary. {Zachary was in Gwynie’s class last year too. We talk about Zachary a lot. All of her stories include Zachary.  Whenever I ask her who she played with today she says Zachary.  If I ask her who she sat by at lunch she says Zachary. If she doesn’t get to sit next to him she makes sure to tell me that too.}

 

Gwynie showing me how she washes her hands at school and their classes pet fish.  She was the pet feeder this week, so she was super excited to show me!

I had a great time sharing the afternoon with Gwynie and her school friends.  We feel so blessed that she is at such a wonderful preschool!!