The other preschool

Along with Tuesday/Thursday preschool at the presbyterian church, I also did the co-op preschool with my friends on Wednesday mornings. It was a little crazy (NINE KIDS) but was also really fun. On the last day we met up at the neighborhood playground for an end-of-year party.

 I had to document this moment because Chase always.finds.money. It drives Nick crazy, but it seems that wherever we go he spots pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters on the ground.

 Here are the kids in their silly face picture; although I'm pretty sure this is what Chase was doing in every picture; and I don't know why I don't have a better one than this. Bottom row: Cooper, Lorraine, Bella. Middle row: Chase and Joshua. Upper middle row: Isabelle and Parker: Top: Cole. Rhett is missing from the picture.

 After popsicles and scrapbook pages these boys got to doing what they love best: wrestling! We had the best friends in PA!

Memorial Day 2012

I've blogged about my little towns Memorial Day festivals a time or two before, but as it's something we attended each of the five years we lived there, I couldn't possibly leave out our last Memorial Day HURRAH. We attended the overly-priced-semi-ghetto carnival on Friday night where we smelled-but-did-not-partake-of every fried concoction on the face of the planet, rode some rides, and chatted with our neighbors and friends. 

Chase fell in love with the fun house and spent all of his allotted tickets going through it (except for one...as per above dragon ride picture). He was pretty bummed when all his tickets were gone.

The next night we attended the fancy-shmancy parade, complete with 5 baton twirling groups and about twenty gazillion fire trucks, and that's about it. Oh, except for this tow truck, a real gem that made us all chuckle.

 Doesn't Cora look like my mom in this picture...and all the time?

 It had rained earlier in the day and there was mud-o-plenty for this girl to get into. I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself (the candy being thrown by the gazillion fire trucks helped as well).

We miss PA!

Granny Shanny

My dad travels a lot for business. This doesn't affect me all that much, seeing as how I haven't lived near him in almost six years. But I know it's hard on my mom and my siblings and I know how much I hate it when he leaves when I'm visiting UT. The one and only plus side to all of this travel are the frequent flier miles and the fact that they send my mom to visit me every other month or so. My parents are the best. I feel so loved and cherished by them and I know my kids do too. It means a lot to me that they spend every frequent flier mile to come visit us. And I love that the birthday packages, holiday packages, phone calls and face time on the ipad allow my kids to feel close to my family, despite the fact that they have never lived close to them. It takes effort, but it is so worth it. 

My mom came for one last visit to State College at the end of May and got to be there for both boys end-of-year programs. Every time she visits she also spoils my kids with one-on-one dates which usually includes a visit to the restaurant of their choice and a trip to Target toy section. I tried to snag a photo of my mom with my kids, but as you'll see, I didn't succeed. I kinda think it's funny to see them all together; each kid looks good in the one picture where the other ones aren't looking. Oh well, better luck next time!

Chase's pre-school  program was the day after Nick's and it's quite the opposite experience. He fully participates with a smile on his face (but since I was working the video camera, Brad was on real camera duty and didn't seemed to get one of his smiling face)...

 The only time he tried to hold his smile in was when I either bribed or threatened (I don't remember) him to get his photo taken with his teachers. Chase really likes school and enjoyed Ms. Valerie and Ms. Sharon this year.

 This photo was taken the day that Cora decided that running away from me out into the street was the most fun she'd ever had in her life. In fact, it's so fun that was played it again yesterday (4 months later). Isn't she so cute in orange?

End of year programs

I was soooo excited for Nick's end-of-the-year kindergarten program. I volunteered in his class twice a month and knew all the kids and loved his teacher. Plus he's just so dang cute; he gets all shy and won't look at us in the audience but I can tell he loves it and I love when he steals glances at us and how he tries not to smile the whole time. 

 Saying his part, oh so perfectly...

 Doin' the actions...

 With good friends Jacob, Kaden, and Daniel

 Mrs. Rockey and Nick.

Let the catch-up posts resume (aka, What Chase likes)

In Chase's preschool last year he was assigned a 'shining star week' where he got to bring in a poster all about him. I loved fishing through all his old photos but realized I didn't have many photos of him doing his favorite things; sticker books, legos, and puzzles. So I pooled them all together and made my darling pose.