Artist of the Week

 Tanner was selected as "Artist of the Week" at his elementary school.  The piece on display is an Indian style weaving.  I took in the camera when I went to help with spelling tests and got a photo for posterity.--Good work, Tanner!

Birthday!!!!

 Tanner had a birthday! 

Check out the smile on the cake.  Check out the smile on the boy!

We love you, Tanner!

Solo & Ensemble

Alia performed with a trumpet ensemble last Saturday at "Solo & Ensemble".  Martin took her and said she did great.  Her group earned the top award for their performance. (The performances aren't graded in comparison with other groups, it is just an evaluation of the individual's or single group's performance.)  Congratulations, Alia!

Art Display

Elena made a house in art at the beginning of kindergarten.  It took a while for it to get to come home because it made a detour enroute....it was part of an art display at the public library!

I got to see it in the library.  It looked great there!  I loved all the detail she put into the piece.  The windows have people in them and there is a tree and a stone walk.Out front is a cat--our Heart Kitty. 

Since the house came home it has had some artistic modification.  Tanner was added to the front doorway, the bark of the tree was decorated, and a garage was added at the back of the house.  It is fun to see the things the kids make!

Birthday Ballerina

 Miss Elena had a birthday.  The thing she wanted most was a pink tutu.  Doesn't she look great?  Grammy & Grandpa got that for her. :)

 She chose a chocolate cake with multiple layers.  The cake-maker (aka Mom) got a cold, so she used flavored cool whip instead of icing between the layers.  The cool whip takes flavoring well (chocolate syrup for the brown, three drops of mint oil and 7 drops of red food coloring for the minty pink) but doesn't have any structural integrity!  Hence the long bamboo skewers holding the cake layers together!

This is one of the few shots where all three kids are visible.  We had a fun family party (even Aunt Marilyn came!).

Happy Birthday, little one!

Grandpa's Poncho

Check out Grandpa's poncho!  Some one hit it with a "sun gun" and plugged the neck hole!  Now he'll never get it on!

Many thanks to Grammy & Grandpa M for the material for our new cuddle blanket!

Ringing in the New Year

Three of us stayed up "late" working on our New Year's Eve puzzle.  We started it around noon and everyone helped some.  By 9:30 or so, the work was done.  1000 pieces, over 40 cats....imagine all those eyes staring at you from the box of pieces! :)           Happy New Year!

Christmas Tree

 Alia helped prepare the tree.  Each year when it comes out of the box it needs "fluffing".  Alia eventually put on a pair of gloves because she didn't like being poked by the tree.  Martin & Elena didn't mind the pokies.

 A few artistic photos through the tree boughs:

Elena made a ton of ornaments for the tree this year.  Some were perler bead creations, some were pictures from coloring books, and some were three-dimensional things she made from stiff paper.  They are all on the tree now!

Another artistic shot. Tanner was excited to find his old ornaments in the box!

Lessons in the Rain

Things I learned while walking my youngest to kindergarten in the rain:

1) "There are always puddles on the driveway when it rains."

2) Sometimes the raindrops make bubbles in the gutters.  (They are pretty cool!)

3) Rain moving downhill in the gutters make "lines".

It is amazing the things you see when you are five, or when you walk with someone who is five!