Avynlea's Fifth Grade Music Concert

On Friday I went out to lunch with this awesome group of Ladies to celebrate Carma's 87th birthday. It is my privilege and such a blessing to have these friends in my life. I love all of them and am thankful for their light, love and friendship!

Left side: Ashley Jones, Elizabeth, Leara Leasure and 

Right side: Winnie Freeman, Judy Kinzel, Carma Hamp, Nila Brown and Dianna Herrera

After lunch I needed to go to a dance meeting and then to the elementary school for Avynleas fifth grade music concert. Before I went to my meeting I stopped by the school with the intent of saving a couple of seats so I could attend more of my meeting and not feel in such a rush to get to the concert. Unfortunately they did not have the seats set up yet so I went to my meeting for about 30 minutes and then went back to the school to sit and wait for the concert to begin. Alison showed up about 5 minutes after I did which was nice to visit with her for a bit.

The kids did a great job and it was a really cute concert. The theme was "America from the beginning" and all of the songs they sang told the history of America starting with  the early settlers leaving England. They sang, danced, played instruments and it was a lot of fun.

Avynlea wore her new birthday dress for the concert and then paired it with her tennis shoes. I figured she was taking her church shoes and would change for the concert but she said she was not and was just planning on wearing her tennis shoes. She looked super cute and did a good job singing and dancing!

Family Fun

On Sunday Avynlea wore her "Belle" dress to church and I did her hair up in a sock bun and put in the Belle clip that Brit made for me. She looked so cute!

During FHE on Monday night Kefford decided we needed to do a family pyramid. I have been having back issues and I used that as my excuse for why I was not going to participate. I was really happy to have an excuse because I was not keen on the idea. Keford has strange ideas sometimes. Kenedy was not loving the idea either but had to go along with it because she is a kid and has to do what she is told. Ha! The pill hid under her blanket the entire time. They were not able to pull off a perfect looking pyramid but did good enough to satisfy Keffords need for a family Pyramid.

Isn't it fun when kids take your phone and snap strange photos of themselves.

For Avynleas most recent book project they had to read a biography and then write a report on that person. They had to turn the report into a 5 minute speech and give that report to the class while dressed up as that person. Avynlea chose Annie Oakley and spent a lot of time writing about her life. We really didn't have any cowgirl clothes for Avynlea to wear and so she borrowed a hat, a pair of boots and a scarf from her friend Halley to wear for the presentation. Avynlea looked so cute dressed up the day of her presentation. After school I asked her how it went and she said she felt she did really well. She said she was pretty nervous and had shaking hands but that everyone in the class had the case of the shaking hands while they were presenting and most shook more then hers. She was very well prepared for her speech and I was really proud and impressed with all of her hard work. I never had to get after her to work on it and she showed great time management skills. She gave the borrowed items back to her friend at the end of the day and told me she included a thank you note in the bag. I was so happy to hear that she did that without being told. What a great kid with really great friends!

In most of my dance classes I have at some time or another observed kids picking their noses and eating what they find inside. I get pretty grossed out and tell them to get a tissue or get their finger out of their noses. One little girl takes it to another level with her nose picking skills. This kids tongue is so long she can stick it up her nose and she does it a lot. I have to tell her multiple times during class to get her tongue out of her nose. I finally had to get a picture of her doing it so I could show my family. I don't think that she does it to dig out and eat boogers, at least I really hope that is not the case. I choose to believe it is just her habit like the kids who constantly lick their upper or lower lips. 

Not to long ago I mentioned to Avynlea that she needed to start learning how to do her own hair because she is almost a middle school kid and probably should be doing it herself. She decided that was a good idea and has been trying to do her own hair for the past week or so. I was not quite so ready for her to take on this project so fast and am now trying to tell her to slow it down a little and that I should still do her hair. I like doing it and,  apparently, despite what I said don't feel ready to give this up. When I did her hair in the sock bun on Sunday I told her this was a hairstyle easy enough for her to learn and do on her own. This morning she told me she was doing her own hair and proceeded to do a really pretty sock bun. I sure am proud of this girl. I asked Rylee if she wanted Avy to do her hair and she said yes, so under my supervision Avynlea tried doing a twist into a ponytail on Rylee. I thought she did a pretty good job for a beginner and feel that practicing on others helps us get better. 

Happy 11th Birthday Avynlea!

Avynlea turned 11 on February 2nd. This girl is getting too old and needs to quit it! Avynlea requested pancakes for breakfast and wouldn't you know we were all out of pancake mix. I would have just made them from scratch but we did not have a lot of time this morning to do that and so I looked on Pinterest and found a "pancake" recipe using cake mix. I think it was just the mix and milk. It was kind of hard to cook on the griddle but they tasted fine and Avynlea liked them. She got to use the Beauty and the Beast special plate and that made her pretty happy. I took her to Target the night before to let her pick out a new top and to get her a pair of pants. She asked if she could open her clothes in the morning so that she could wear them to school and I thought that was an OK idea.

Avynlea wanted a special birthday hair do and so I did a curly bun and added a crown since she is the birthday girl. 

Saturday night Kefford and I were at the grocery store and we got some frozen orange chicken to take home for dinner. Everyone loved it and Avynlea especially loved it so much she requested it for her birthday dinner. I went back and got another bag along with some kung pao chicken. The kung pao was pretty spicy and none of the kids really wanted that which was fine because it meant Kefford and I could have it all. I also made some fried rice to go with our dinner. Avynlea's primary teacher stopped by with a birthday treat but had to come back later because when she came by Avy was at piano lessons. She saw that we were having a chinese dinner and so when she came back she brought some chinese party favors. Her daughter served a mission in Taiwan and they had some things they wanted to contribute to Avynlea's birthday. Avynlea tried eating with the chopsticks but found they were too difficult so she stuck them in her hair for some added flair.

After we ate dinner Avynlea got to open her gifts.

A new dress

Hand sanitizers. I found this pack of hand sanitizers on double clearance at Fred Meyer and i got them for Avy because she is always wanting me to buy her some along with the sanitizer holder, I thought this would be perfect for her. It would have been perfect if the sanitizers smelled better, they smelled so bad that there is no way she could have used them. Now we know why they were on clearance for so little. Avy was ok with it because she got the holder and was able to put her other sanitizer in it.

A new Belle Doll

Avynlea wanted an Eos she spotted when we were at Target so I bought it and let it be from Rylee.

Avynlea has been wanting some Calico Critters and so I bought her the Hamster Family and the Hamster twins. She seemed pretty excited about that.

On Sunday I was asking Avynlea what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday and she told me she wanted a colored cake with fondant. I immediately felt some stress because I did not see how I was going to be able to ge the ingredients for fondant, make it and have time to decorate a cake. I felt really guilty about not having the time because of my dance classes I teach and did not know what to do, I hate disappointing my kids. I was talking to Kefford about it and he said that he could take care of it. He is the best! On Monday I bought a purple cake mix at the store which Kefford made while us three girls were at dance. While at the store I was collecting ingredients for fondant when I found pre-made fondant for about the same price that I would have spent for all the ingredients, that plus the time savor from not having to make it made it very easy for me to put in my basket and put back all the other things. When we got home from dance Kefford helped me mix color in the fondant and we decorated the cake. It is not fancy or pretty by any means but Avynlea liked it and we did an ok job for the time we had and the skill level of the two of us.

Avynlea also requested Birthday Cake Ice-Cream which Kefford picked up on his way home from work on Tuesday.

Avynlea's Favorite Things

1. Food: Pancakes
2. Dessert: Birthday Cake ice cream
3. Candy: Gummy Bears and Nerds
4. Color: Blue
5. Book: Put Me in the Zoo by Dr Seuss
6. Movie:  Beauty and the Beast
7. TV Show: Teen Titons Go
8. Radio Song:  "Cecilia and the Satellite" by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
9. Primary Song: I'm Trying to be Like Jesus
10. Scripture Story: Moses Parting the Red Sea
11. Friend: Rose Hostetler and Hallie Jones
12. Thing to do: Play with friends
13. Place to be: Disneyland
14. Toy: Calico Critters
15. Princess: Belle 

5 things I love about Avy

1. Avynlea has a lot of happiness and brings a lot of joy to our home. She is happy and fun

 and  typically has a great attitude about life. I love when she tells me stories she is happy about because she gets so excited and acts like she is about to burst out of her skin with joy. She makes me laugh all the time with her quick wit and the funny things she has to say.

2. Avynlea is a great helper for me. She likes to help me in the kitchen and usually is the best one at her chores. I know if I need something done that I can count on Avynlea to do it. She is a hard worker and likes to do the best that she can at home and at school. She is self motivated and even though usually has lots of homework she rarely complains and just gets it done. Avy is also really great at practicing her piano music, I love listening to her play and I hear her getting better and better all the time.

3. Avynlea is a beautiful girl and likes to look her best every day. She is starting to learn how to do her own hair and although she is just starting to learn she is already doing a good job. She is very modest and I never have to worry about her clothing choices. And those dimples of hers kill me every time she smiles, I love them!

4. Avynlea loves primary and she loves her Savior. She does a good job of reading her scriptures and praying to her Heavenly Father.  She has a good sense of right and wrong and has already started developing her testimony. She is a good example to her friends and has already started being a good missionary.

5.  Avynlea is my little buddy and I love being around her. Every time I go to the store she is right there in the car with me whether I want company or not. The seat on the couch next to me has been designated by her as her seat and she gets really indignant if someone else has gotten there first. We were watching some old home movies and one of them shows 2 year old Avy and I am asking her what she wants to say to the camera. She says "I love Mommy because she lets me sit next to her". We thought that was so cute and how funny that she is still the same way. 

This girl brings so much love and joy to everyone around her and we are blessed to have her as part of our family!

Ellis Island Reinactment

A couple of weeks ago Rylee brought home a permission slip for an Ellis Island reenactment. I thought it sounded like a fun thing to participate in so when she asked if I would come and be a volunteer I signed up. 

The kids were ushered into one room at the beginning of the day with their passports and backpacks filled with their possessions. We had an outline of a boat on the floor and they had to crowd into the boat and sit on the floor with their backpacks on their laps. A story was read to them about what the journey was like and after about five minutes I carried a poster of the Statue of Liberty around the outside of the ship to represent them arriving in New York. After they disembarked they had to follow their schedules and go to different rooms which represented different stations the immigrants had to pass through on Ellis Island. One kid from each class got a golden ticket which meant they were first class, they got nice comfy chairs to sit in on the boat and got to go to the front of the line in every room. The rest of the kids were steerage and had to wait in long lines in the "medical" room, "baggage" room and others that I don't remember. I followed Rylee for a little bit but then had to go back to the great room to be with the first class kids who got done fast. Slowly the other kids were making their way back to the room we were in after they passed through all of the other rooms. I knew some kids were being "deported" and as more and more kids came with no sign of Rylee I wondered if she was one of the ones being deported. Finally in came Rylee, she was the last one to arrive, and I was happy to see her. 

I enjoyed being their watching and observing and thought the reenactment was such a great idea. The kids learned a lot about what emigration was like for these foreigners and I thought it was an awesome way to learn history.

On the ship sailing to New York

I planned on being at the school helping out until 12 and so I packed a lunch with the intentions that I would stay and have lunch with my girls. The reenactment finished a little early and I debated whether I wanted to hang out for half an hour or just go home and not have the lunch date. I never come and eat lunch with the girls and I knew they would like it so I decided I would just stay until lunchtime. A friend of mine was sticking around as well so I visited with her until I saw Avynlea coming through to go to lunch. Avynlea and I sat down with her class but I felt really crowded and I worried about where Rylee would sit so I suggested we move to one of the middle tables where guests can sit with their kids. Avynlea's two friends came along as well and when Rylee's class came to the cafeteria she came and sat with us. Rylee's best friend had gone home sick right after the reenactment and I asked her who she was going to hang out with after lunch. She shrugged her shoulders and said nobody. I told her she could go and play with any of the girls from her class but she didn't seem inclined to. I had to leave after we ate because I had a meeting to get to and Avy goes back to class after she eats since Fifth graders have play time before they eat rather then after. I worried about Rylee and her being all alone as I left and after school I asked her what she did and she said she walked around by herself. I questioned why she did not play with anyone else and she said she didn't want to and she enjoyed being alone, to her it was not a big deal. I guess it didn't really surprise me because she has always been more independent, but it sure did give me a little bit of anxiety because me in her shoes would have really struggled with being all alone watching everyone else play. 

I sure love these girls of mine who are growing up way to fast!

This and That

One morning before school I was trying to get Rylee to wear a coat to school. She stopped wearing one because she said her sweatshirt keeps her warm enough and she does not need a coat. She then showed me what she does if she does get a little chilly. I thought it was pretty cute. I still think she should talk a coat with her, just in case she does get cold but mostly so I don't look like a bad Mom sending my kid to school without a coat. She has always been extremely hot blooded so I believe her when she says she does not need one but boy is she crazy! Avynlea always leaves the house looking like an eskimo all bundled up. 

Avynlea looking cute reading on her tablet while waiting for her ride. She usually waits till right before her ride comes to get bundled up. 

One Saturday my kids friends Mom texted me saying she was taking her kids ice skating at the village if I wanted to come along with my kids. All of the kids had plans that day except for Rylee and I thought she would enjoy it so I agreed to go only after I made sure Devri was not planning on skating because I was not in the mood to skate, she assured me she had no intentions of skating either so we were good to go. When we got there Devri had already got her kids paid for and they were on the ice. Rylee and I got in line and right when it was her turn to get paid for they said the rink was too full and we had to wait 15 to 20 minutes. Bummer. By the time Rylee got on the ice she only had about 5 minutes to skate with her friend Sydney. Rylee is pretty independent and has never minded doing her own thing and so she was totally fine skating by herself for the 15 minutes after Sydney had to get off. Rylee wanted to take her sweatshirt off while she was skating because she said she was getting hot. I told her to keep it on every time she asked me and finally towards the end she gave up on asking and just took it off when I was not looking. Little stink.

Avynlea got a cute Rudolph ring pop and enjoyed showing me how it looked while she was sucking on it. Cute even with a Rudolph sticking out of her mouth.

Basketball

In January Ryker tried out for 7th grade boys basketball. During tryouts they were told they have an A team and a B team. A team being the better team. Most of the boys would be on B team and would be guaranteed playing time. A team would take 12 boys and their playing time was not guaranteed. Ryker had mixed feelings about which team he hoped to be on, A team was great but he would be able to play definitely if he made the B team. Ryker ended up making the A team and we all thought that was pretty great. I go to all of his games to watch and cheer them on. The coach does let all the boys play in every game but some way more then others, which I think is fair, the point is to win and you need your best players to win. 

Rylee has been wanting to play basketball for a long time and finally I signed her up for a Y-ball team. Rylee has never played ball before in her life and so at her first game she did not play very well but she has a fun attitude about it and I know she will get better as she puts forth more effort and learns the game. We found out her team colors are red and black so she had me get some red laces to put in her black basketball shoes and she wanted red socks to wear. Luckily it is Valentines season and I was able to find black socks that had red hearts on them. 

Kefford bought tickets for him and Ryker to go to a Boise State Mens Basketball game. Boise State won the game against Fresno which made it exciting and fun, they even got a picture with Buster Bronco.