First Grade and Baptism

 Abby started 1st grade two weeks ago! She was excited and ready to see all her friends and explore her new classroom the first morning. 

Two weeks in and we are still mostly excited! Some days she really wants to stay home and play with her toys or the dog. Some days, she is up early and ready to go! We are discovering that first grade is a lot more work than Kindergarten! The teacher reviews her work and gives a smiley face, she will have spelling tests starting soon, she is already doing a lot more math each day, and she is learning cool facts. When at the high school football game on Friday, the national anthem started playing and Abby immediately whispered to me it was written by Francis Scott Key. I love when school facts collide with real world stuff!

We have three kinder friends in our classroom and that has proven to be good. Abby loves that she knows someone and luckily, she sits in a pod of desks with two sweet girls from her Kindergarten class. I love that both of these girls are quiet which is a good influence on my chatterbox!

I did not request a teacher for Abby through the school. I really prayed about it and left it up to God and He answered in a couple of cool ways. First of all, Abby's teacher has a peanut allergy! How cool is that- she is new to our school and a first year teacher and the decision makers didn't even know that! I love that God matched them up! In my mind, I had hoped for Abby to get a certain teacher and now that we are two weeks in, I am already seeing why she would not have been a good match for my child. Nice reassurance to not try and plan everything for Abby, but trust God!

Speaking of trusting God, after Abby accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior on July 31st, we scheduled her baptism and it happened on August 30th. She was baptized by her Daddy with our children's pastor, Mrs. Patty, sharing a little about Abby and her walk to Christ.

We are so proud of her and her decision to want to grow in her relationship with Christ. She is deep in her questions, big in her worship, and she is sensitive. We've taught her the phrase "break my heart for what breaks yours" and she is already trying to see the world differently. I have no doubt this will make parenting her my biggest challenge and my greatest reward. 

We gave her a little angel necklace to remind her little people can be big messengers for God. I hope she never forgets that. Her best little buddy Michael and his Mom Natalie came for the service. Natalie has been a wonderful example to Abby of the kind of love Christ has for us!

I so glad my Mom and Chuck were also able to drive over for the morning.

Our family on her big day! Congratulations Abby for making such a big decision and trusting God with your life. We are so proud of you and look forward to helping guide you toward Him.

Winter Break Recap

  Like many of you, we've had a busy two weeks with parties, playdates and presents!

Abby's class had their holiday party on the Friday before Christmas. The kids decorated cookies and played pin the nose on Rudolph. It was cute and low key!

Abby sits at Table #5 with Jonas and Sawyer. Brook sits with them, but poor thing had the flu! I'm so grateful Abby already has such great friendships built. They protect her from peanuts, help her each day and she has missed them like crazy over the break! She has already asked why they can't all be in first grade together.

Marcus worked the first two days of the break, so we girls planned fun! We had a friend over and did lunch with another friend on Monday the 22nd and then did lunch and painted ice cream cones with Addison and McKenna. Carrie and I laughed we would have never entered a ceramic store last year. Fun things are ahead as littles get bigger!

We have explored lights in our area and downtown all month long! Jammies, Starbucks and a doll are requirements.

The week of Christmas, we even drove to nearby Georgetown to see the lights and visit an old-fashioned toy store. I love Georgetown!

 Marcus was off on Christmas Eve, so we took a train ride downtown and had lunch at Uncle Julio's. Abby brought along her camera and captured each train station and all of the big buildings! I love her interest in photography. It's cute!

Wednesday night, we got dressed up for Christmas Eve service. I love that service- everyone is full of cheer and we sing carols together before a good reminder about Jesus' birth and the importance of His plan for our lives.

Abby was excited to wear makeup and have her hair curled for the first time. I love having a girl!

It was fun to run into friends at service!

I love our church and loved seeing them do family photos on stage after service. Such a nice gift to have.

After church we ate an easy dinner and sent this one off to sleep. We kept presents pretty simple this year and since we don't do Santa, everything was already wrapped and ready. We just had to stuff the stockings.

Abby was up at her normal 6 AM and we were opening presents by 6:15. One day, she'll sleep in!

Her big gift was a new bike... she opened the helmet and then Marcus rolled the bike around from our bedroom closet where we tucked it the night before. It had been fun for Marcus' co workers for a few weeks now.

She has taken it for a spin a few times and it doing great! She rides very slowly and cautiously, but without us holding onto her!

After doing breakfast, we got dressed and headed out to deliver fun little toys to area Starbucks and the police and fire department. Everyone loved getting little gifts and Abby loved the hospitality returned to her at the fire department. We went and saw Annie that evening- super cute movie!

On Friday we drove to Kingsland and spent the day with Marcus' Mom. We had lunch at the Grand Central Cafe and visited the trains. I want to come back her and do family photos. It was a near little area.

Saturday, we hosted Christmas with my sister's family and my Dad & stepmom and her Mom. The highlight had to be the Jelly Belly challenge they participated in. Nothing like a barf flavored jelly bean to make the day festive!

My sister's family and Marcus and I stayed up late on Saturday night playing cards and welcome my Mom and her friend Chuck on Sunday for Christmas #4. 

They made Abby a pink doll closet for her American Girl and filled it with clothes and accessories. She has loved getting her dolls all dressed.

Winter break has been fun and busy! We celebrated Abby's 6th birthday on Monday and party today. More to come on that!

Halloween 2014

Abby had an exciting Halloween with her first field trip and first ride on a school bus! Here she is getting on the bus with her classmates for the hour ride to Sweet Berry Farms pumpkin patch.

I was a parent chaperone and assigned to Abby and her friend Brook. These girls ran all over the place- sometimes together and sometimes in opposite directions. How a teacher keeps up with 20 kids is beyond me. How a Mom keeps up with 2 kids is also beyond me!

We have been to the pumpkin patch many times, but as a school group we had special activities and an isolated area. The kids used a wagon to race under this tunnel and pick out their special small pumpkins for painting!

It was a beautiful sunny 80 degrees to be painting pumpkins! Abby used lots of colors and painted a smiley face on each side.

The kids also went on a hay ride and then we went through the maze as a big group. We were led by a Dad chaperone and he got us lost! It was comical!

I had so much fun with them! It was great seeing how Abby interacts with all the other kids. In some ways she is better and in others, not so much. Overall, I know she is normal in her drama!

She came home from school at 3 and I made her take a nap. We had big plans that night to trick or treat with friends from church.She took a great nap, we ate soup and cornbread for dinner, and were ready to go at 7.

Abby was Wyldstyle from the Lego Movie and Marcus was Emmett! She looks mad, but was trying to look mean and official :)

I had to make Abby's costume because we could not find one she liked- all the others were with tutus, etc. In Abby's mind, if Wyldstyle didn't wear a tutu, then she wasn't going to either. So, a wig, some hair extensions, a black hoodie and two rolls of duct tape later and we had a costume! 

We had fun trick or treating with our friends and then the adults passed out candy in the driveway while the girls played inside. Fun day and fun night!

Our First 6 Weeks in Kindergarten

I could not have prayed for a more positive first month of Kindergarten. This sweet girl has impressed me in ways I never saw coming. So, know this is a shameless proud Mom post!

Abby has gotten ready for school every morning with joy and a smile! She still lets me pick out her clothes and fix her hair. As long as her clothes are comfortable, she is happy to wear them. We have done lots of dresses and on cooler days put leggings under them. She takes a cardigan most days.

She comes home hungry and in need of alone time in her playroom! She has transitioned to a shower (crazy to think!) and goes to bed with a good attitude at 8 PM. She doesn't even come out of her room at all after we say goodnight. She is up around 6:30 and enjoys playing until we get her ready just after 7. 

In her school they do rotations for "specials" with PE every other day. The non-PE days alternate between performing arts (drama, music), visual arts (arts and crafts) and library. She loves library days the most. She has been praised and awarded prizes in her specials for sitting still or sharing or listening. 

More than once she has told me about situations on the playground that occurred and her response has blown me away. She has cared for hurt friends, stood up for friends against someone being mean, and even braved learning the monkey bars. 

Numerous times at home she has responded to a disappointment with maturity. Her emotional maturity over the last 6 weeks blows me away. I don't have to repeat myself as much, she doesn't cry as much, and her awareness of her surroundings has really increased. It is just amazing!

I try to have lunch with her every other week. It is a fun time to meet her friends and make her feels special at the lonely little peanut free table. I've been told she is very responsible and a good self advocate. All the things a Mom with an allergy kid needs to hear! Her teacher even told me the other day that if she (her teacher) changes up the order of the day Abby will correct her. Here is the best part... she said she doesn't it kindly. She isn't mean spirited in her correction, but wants the teacher to know it isn't right. ha!

She gets to pick who sits with her each day (from the kids with a nut free lunch) and the friend she has picked the most is also the one that appears to have the most trouble adjusting to Kindergarten. He is learning the rules slowly and had some pretty severe consequences and she has been kind to him through it all. I'm so proud of her for showing kindness to other kids, especially those that most will shy away from.

I saw another Mom at her school on Friday and she told me on the first day after we had left Abby in the classroom that she saw Abby meet a crying child at the front door after his parents left and she told him not to worry that it would be okay and she walked him back to his seat. To know that she was so giving to another child in a moment when she could have been scared as well impresses me!

They have behavior clips at school and everyone starts on green. You can go up and down throughout the day. Abby has only gone up! She has been purple about 25% of the time which shows good self management skills above normal and then was pink (the top) once. She moves up for things like following directions, helping others, cleaning up without being told, etc. 

I love seeing her succeed at school and at life skills! I told everyone who asked before she started that I thought she would do well because she is smart and social. She has done so much better that I could have imagined! We have our first parent teacher conference in 2 weeks and I look forward to hearing from her teacher!

The First Day of Kindergarten

We had a great first day which I kind of expected. All summer I've said my only nerves about kinder came from Abby's peanut allergy. She is so smart and makes friends easily that I knew she would be great. She was up before Marcus and I and excited to go. 

Her sweet dress was made by my sister and Mom earlier this summer. I had bought the handwriting fabric over a year ago in anticipation of this day. It did come quicker than I thought!

Her backpack was filled with a change of clothes, emergency snacks for parties that may have peanuts in their snacks, and a favorite toy for show and tell. She packed her Palace Pet Bippidy. We bought her the large backpack and matching lunchbox from Pottery Barn. I'm thinking she will grow into it. Ha!

We drove to school and parked at a friends home that faces the school (such a blessing!) and walked on in. Abby led the way. She has been there 4 times now and knew exactly where she was going. 

Abby and her teacher, Mrs. Churchill. I took the advice of my sister who works with kids and wrote down the traits of the teacher we felt like Abby needed and am pleased thus far. She is experienced which I really wanted since the added component of monitoring food and hand washing is present and I know Abby does best in a structured environment. She likes routine and I wanted a teacher who had her routine all figured out. I love that she just came from 2nd grade. Abby can read and loves to do math I'm hoping if boredom sets in her teacher can challenge her knowing the next grade levels. 

Look how confident she looks. All good to go! After dropping her off Marcus and I grabbed Starbucks and then he dropped me off where emails, laundry and quiet time awaited me. I got a lot done including watching my favorite DVR at lunch and rushed to get her just after 2:15. 

I picked her up this afternoon with a big smile and a wave. She was proud that she had made a friend, her clip stayed on green for good behavior, and that she had focused and eaten all of her lunch. She had a great attitude all evening and was awake until 8 pm for bedtime. 

Our Valentine Celebrations

We have been celebrating Valentine's Day for a good week around here! 

On a recent snow day, Abby and I made her Valentine's. I had some cute business card size photos made with Abby's five year pictures and tied those onto a handful of pixie sticks and baggies of gummy bears for Abby's school friends.

While I was doing that, she drew pictures for each of her friends.

I also had her write each of their names and she was GREAT at it! I was so proud of her for taking the time and not complaining! She was obviously bored being home another day and happy to have some art to do!

She did Micah's first.... "because I love him". Oh boy!

The Friday night before Valentine's Day we had date night with another couple at Jack Allen's Kitchen while Abby was at the YMCA playing. We exchanged little gifts that we had picked out for ourselves- I got a new bracelet and Marcus got a pair of bluetooth headphones. 

I joined Abby at her school party on Wednesday, just before Valentine's. They all made boxes from Kleenex boxes and here is Abby's. Super cute!

The kids exchanged simple Valentines and had an ice cream sundae party.

Abby's little Valentine survey made me laugh. I attended a talk on Monday morning about love languages for kids and I can't decide if hers is gifts or touch. Clearly, I am on the right track! :)

 On Friday afternoon, we met up with other Moms from our MOPS group and delivered Valentine cards to a local nursing home. It was a great opportunity to talk to Abby about serving others!

Finally, on Friday night we had heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's and we had cupcakes from Gigis. We loved them both!