Christmas concerts

One of the things I like best about Christmas time are the school concerts. Who doesn't like seeing their kid up on stage performing? Besides, I think it's very sweet to see children singing songs celebrating this season. Alex's concert was first and we totally scored and got 2nd row seats. I could actually hear Alex singing. The kids had their homemade maracas for the song, "Feliz Navidad" and I think they did a great job!


Can you see Alex? He's in the back row and all the way on the left.

Ava's concert was the following week and there's something about preschoolers performing that makes it so entertaining. It was a very cute concert and Ava did a great job singing all of the songs and doing all of the hand motions.

Snow!

Winter has arrived and with it comes the snow. Actually, the snow usually arrives before winter, much to my chagrin and much to my kids enjoyment. We had a couple of dustings and about an inch or so before we actually got some real snow fall. As always, Alex and Ava could not wait to go outside and play. I stayed indoors and watched from the window...it's way too cold out there for me!

Halloween

Halloween always means lots of kids, lots of parties, and of course, lots of candy. This year Alex was Anakin Skywalker and Ava was a butterfly. They had a great time celebrating at school parties, trunk-or-treating at church, and trick-or-treating with friends.

School parties



Trunk-or-Treating


Trick-or-treating with friends.

We even squeezed in some pumpkin carving. I think next year I will buy a kit!

Autumn

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp weather, leaves changing color, and the anticipation of the holidays. There are so many fun activities to do this time of year, from apple picking to hayrides to picking out pumpkins. However, it is also a very busy time of year with the start of school, homework, and activities that I always feel guilty for not doing more with the kids during this time. This year I was determined to do some fun fall things and so we went to County Line Orchard. We went on a Saturday which meant it was super busy but the kids had a blast going through the corn maze, visiting the farm animals, and riding on the tractor.

Chinese, gymnastics, and glasses

With the start of the new school year comes afterschool activities (or in Ava's case, before school activities). Alex isn't home until about 4 everyday (4:30 when it's my turn to carpool), and once homework is done, there isn't much time for activities. However, I did sign him up for Chinese lessons (his choice) once a week, which he really enjoys. He has learned numbers, colors, a bunch of phrases and how to play mah-jongg. Alex also got glasses this fall and I'm including a picture of him in his new specs. Doesn't he look cute?

Last year, Ava got to watch Alex participate in a few activities and I felt guilty for not signing her up for anything (actually, she was in swimming but didn't want to do it after a couple of lessons). So, this year I signed her up for gymnastics and she loves it. She has also been more open to swimming so I signed her and Alex up for weekly lessons. My kids love the water and I think if they could they would be swimming everyday.

First days

I'm slowly but surely catching up with my posts. I've made it to the first day of school, so I'm only 4 months behind! Anyway, Alex started a new school the end of August. I decided to send him to the new charter school that was opening, thinking that he would learn more with different teaching methods. It was a hard decision as I loved his old school and he did really well there. Fortunately, Alex loves his new school; however, I don't love it quite as much. Oh well, we'll see how the rest of the year goes.


Ava started her second year of preschool after Labor Day. She is in the same preschool Alex was in and has the same teachers. She was excited for school to start and to make new friends. I'm excited for 2 1/2 hours to myself, three times a week!

Ava's 4th

Can you believe my little girl is now 4? I can't. My kids are growing up so quickly and I am often surprised by how fast time flies. Anyway, this year for her birthday, Ava wanted to play miniature golf and in the days (and weeks) before her birthday, she kept confirming those plans with me. Needless to say, she was a little excited. Finally, the big day arrived and in the morning we went shopping and my mom got her some new shoes (what can I say, she is a girl). We ate lunch at Subway (one of her favorite places) and then we went to play mini golf. It took a while for Ava to get the hang of the game but she had a fun time. Afterward, we had dinner at Applebee's (her choice) and then home for ice cream cake and presents. Happy birthday to our little nut!

Fun facts about Ava: favorite colors-pink, purple, and brown; favorite foods-oatmeal, cheese sticks, blueberries, hot dogs, fruit snacks; favorite place to eat-Subway; favorite activities-swimming, being read to. She loves Scooby-Doo, Dora, and Strawberry Shortcake. She loves animals-dogs, cats, and especially horses; she's definitely a mommy's girl and is never far from my side; she loves to help out around the house; she likes all the "girly" things-shoes, dresses, dolls but she also likes to play outside and get dirty (she informed me, "Mommy, I like the mud".). We had a bunch of frogs in our yard this summer and Ava had no problem picking them up, while her older brother refused to touch them. Ava is also one mean Uno player and usually wins when we play (and no, I don't let her win!).