the damPier familY

Pre-K so far

 

At the beginning of the school year, I was a little worried about going through Pre-K again.  Em said, "All these kids are babies, I know everything already!"  I told her that even though the kids seemed younger than her...they would be the kids that she would go to Kindergarten with and she needed to learn to fit in and make friends.  Of course she didn't have problems making friends, and the teachers made her and Anna feel special by using them as peer examples when it came to teaching new songs.  Those 2 are really good for that kind of role as they can still be inclusive of the kids without seeming like "know-it-alls"!  Geez...what are we going to do without Anna next year, it's making me weepy right now as I type.  Here are some things that she is expanding on this year in preparation for Kindergarten next year!

• learning to spell lots of words and everyone's names (she taught Carter to spell his name!)
• still expanding her Spanish vocabulary
• learning addition up to 10+10
• recognizing some sight words

School picture day was while we were in Europe, and Nama was in charge....GREAT JOB NAMA!  She said, "Mom they only had to take one picture of me, because I'm such a good model!" lol

 

Rocket Races 2009-2nd Place

This past Saturday was the Boy Scout's annual Rocket Derby.  Jackson loves this competition!  This year he built and designed his rocket with very little assistance from Bill.  Since it was on Halloween he went with the spooky bat theme, and he won 2nd place overall for design.  But he was most proud of his 2nd place SPEED win!  I'm not quite sure how he seems to win with his rockets every year, there isn't a science to it...but he sure does have fun!

Chip and Bill, who did think think that there was a science to judging...they took their part very seriously!!  lol

Countryside Halloween Party 2009

Well the rain finally quit last week just in time for Em's Pre-school Halloween party!  And it's a good thing, because the best part of the whole thing is the costume parade!!  Carter and Mac both came along in costume...they are in good practice for next year!  Carter sat so still on Sissy's lap, and she mothered him perfectly during the costume sharing time!!  Miss Presleigh made the cutest little Dorothy with her grandma's little yorkie in tow as her Toto!!  

Mummy, Spider, and Witch

This year I couldn't get Jackson to give me a pre-Halloween photo shoot like I always do...I'm glad that Halloween was on a Saturday and we had nice weather so we could have one before our party and Trick-or-Treating.  This year all the boys his age seemed to go the "scary" route.  The uglier the better.  Several people at the party didn't even recognize Jackson....I dare say I don't recognize my sweet guy in these pics either! 

We went to our friends the Jones' for their annual Halloween party.  They have 2 coffins in their front yard, and the boys have been planning for weeks how they were going to scare people by jumping out of them on Halloween night!

 

Jackson's best buddy Blake.

 

His big sister Madelyn...who Em adores! She was a dead cheerleader!

 

Madelyn and Elinor

 

 

The whole crew before Trick-or-Treating...about 25 kids in tow!

I wasn't too sure about Carter a month ago...he wouldn't even put on his costume, or even entertain the thought.  Luckily Nama and Papa (and Anne) coaxed him into putting it on and liking it!!  He didn't even want to take it off earlier this week!  Last night he bounced from house to house trick-or-treating like a pro, following all the big kids.  On the way home the kids deemed this year the best Halloween EVER!  

Happy Halloween!

Whew...what a busy week!  But so thankful for the sunshine the past couple of days!  I have lots more to post, but for now have a safe, fun and SPooKY Halloween!!

Operation School Bell

I recently joined the Assistance League of Mid-Mo as a charter member of their Junior organization.  They are an awesome group of women that raise money for women and children in Mid-Mo.  This morning I participated in their Operation School Bell program.  It is clothing school children with 2 new outfits from GAP or Children's Place...they also get new underwear, socks and and winter coat.  The school counselors identify the kids that they think would most benefit from the program and then they bus them over to our office where we have it set-up like a store.  Today I had the privilege of helping 2 little girls and 3 little boys...but one little boy tugged at my heart the most.  He was 8 years old, in 3rd grade and had blonde hair and glasses, just like Jackson.  He picked out his 3 t-shirts, and after trying them on, he looked at me and said, "I think that I would like to trade these in for some church shirts."  Let me tell you...no one wants the button-up "church shirts" so he was in luck!  But how sweet was that?!?!  All I have to say is....I am grateful.

Pumpkin Carving 2009

Saturday was perfect pumpkin carving weather, so we took advantage!  It was nice to do this annual ritual outside on the patio vs inside on my dining room table...today the rain washed away the goop left behind!  The kids had a great time as always, Buggie was TOTALLY into, all over, around (eating) and on top of it this year!  Have I mentioned how much I love my rental's backyard?!?!  It's awesome, we will miss it!  Here are the creation's that we got this year...Daddy is the master! 

The goopy hand pics...my fave!

 

      The master at work!

 

Carter's new favorite thing to do is say, "I cry!" and then fake cry...(he of course wants me to take his picture while he is doing all this B.S.) and then he says..."I see Carter cry on camera!"  He wants to see himself on my LCD!  What a freak!!  And then in the next frame he is smiling....I swear he is bipolar...hmmm!?!   

 

Our sparkles

Often the kids look at our wedding pictures and ask, "Where were we, didn't you invite us to your special party?"  (Hee hee) And my response is always the same....you were always there...as a sparkle in our eyes!  Of course Em, at the literal age that she is, wants to know which eye, and wants to {see} the sparkle in my eye AND Daddy's...because she isn't too sure about this concept...she thinks we left her home from a really fancy party!! 

Today is our 11th wedding anniversary, and I have to say this past year has probably been the most challenging one of the eleven...but I'm thankful for a great partner like Bill to get through these times...I'm looking forward to the 12th to be a much more exciting one!  

Proof that nutball IS their middle names!

New specs {-OO-}

I was caught off guard with the scary news of Em's potential eye problem at the optometrist a couple of weeks ago that I didn't even get a chance to post a pic of Jackie's new glasses.  Of course Jackson is usually the one that I am most concerned about during our trips to the eye dr., and this year his prescription did get a little worse, but they were able to get his glasses tweaked to 20/20 vision which made me super happy!  Here is the gooffy guy in his new eyewear.  When we were looking at new frames he kept trying on each of the samples and then saying, "Nope these won't work, I can't see a thing!"  Hee hee!  Goofball!  Then when I told him that he wasn't going to be able to see out of any of the samples he gave up on me....so I picked what I liked the best!  Of course they had a million choices for girls and about 6 choices for boys...such is life! 

Do you know he actually said "Peace out!" to me?  What the heck?

Eiffel Tower

Bonjour!  These are for Jackie and Sissy, they have been patiently waiting for pictures from the Eiffel Tower...and I went today.  It was a gorgeous day here in Paris!  Miss you guys bunches...off to Germany tomorrow...been there so many times it feels like home, but really I can't wait to get home!