Saturday, May 30, 2015

RCA

I was lucky enough to be asked to go to the Ron Clark Academy the weekend of May 8th.  WOW!!!  It was amazing!  I would go back in a heartbeat.  I had a great weekend and got to go with some great people!  I love when I am away that I get to get texts of my sweet kiddos.  At one point, Olivia asked John what they were going to eat since I was gone.  She also told him she worries about me because she doesn't want me to get hurt.  Melt my heart!  They survived with Chick-Fil-A and things I had made earlier in the week.  I was literally only gone for 24 hours.  We left after school on Thursday and my carload came home Friday night and got back around midnight.

Olivia is a great big sister!  She helped give Easton his nightly medicine!

She took a selfie with Oscar and sent it to me!

Easton dumped all the puzzles apparently, but she kindly helped pick them up.

Out for the nightly walk for Oscar. 

The team I got to travel with in front of a building at RCA.  If you aren't familiar with Ron Clark, look him up.  He is amazing!

We got to sit in on classes and this is really the daily energy!  I want to go back so badly!  I can't wait to incorporate some of this into our school.  We gotta bring back the fun to learning and these kids have it!

Friday, May 29, 2015

Teeth, teeth, teeth

This kid has lost 6 teeth!  I mean really?!?!  The tooth fairy is gonna be broke!  Her teeth are loose for about 2 or 3 days then fall out.  I guess when you get 11 teeth in 2 weeks as a baby you are bound to lose them all at the same time! 

                            John tells her he can pull his truck through that big ole hole!  Noodles are quite                                                                                 entertaining!


 Her teacher sent me this in a text mid day.  All I could do was laugh.  

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Swimming Lessons

This spring I decided it was time for Olivia to learn how to swim....without floaties.  Pretty sure she should be doing that by now!  So, I contacted a girl use to swim at the pool where I was a lifeguard.  I gave many swimming lessons, but I knew I couldn't teach my own child.  That would be an epic fail!  So, off we went.  She was pumped!  She got goggles for Easter and swim lessons started 2 weeks later!  I introduced her to Ms. Lindsay and then said, "see ya in a bit!"  A year ago that would NOT have been possible!  She has come SO far!  She took right off with Lindsay and did pretty well.  At this point it is a practice thing and now that we are on summer break, I told Lindsay I wanted to do 1 or 2 weeks of everyday lessons to get Olivia confident in the water.







John and I have taken turns taking Olivia to lessons.  Easton always seems to be with whoever takes her.  I let him play on the racquetball courts.  He loves it!  John walks him over to the softball fields and he loves to watch the girls play for a bit.  

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

End of Pre-K

                                                 

Olivia went to two different Pre-K schools this year.  We started at one, but I decided she needed more structure.  With that, I was able to get her into a 2 day a week program.  Let me remind you, this is the child that use to have to have a "puke bucket" just for my mom to be able to leave her.  She finished her first day and couldn't wait to return!  So, I posed the question, do you want to try another school similar to this new one or stay at your first school.  Without hesitation, she said, "the other new one like the one I went to today!"  So, the following day, she did just as amazing and went into her 3rd new class in a matter of weeks.  New place, new kids, new teacher, new everything!  She did it!  She spent the year at these 2 pre-k schools and LOVED them.  She excelled in many ways and I truly feel she is now ready for kindergarten, minus not being able to say 's' words.  It may be because she has minimal teeth in her head right now because she keeps losing them, but that is something I will watch since 's' is a 5 year old sound.  Graduation time came and she did great!  The first time she got on stage she stayed, and fought away tears.  She had a speaking part and couldn't do it.  It is a real fear that she has.  She literally couldn't do it.  I felt so bad for her, but she was on the stage and stood like a big girl.  Once that was over the other classes sang their songs.  Then up she came on the 'razors.'  She had been telling us about how excited she was to stand on the top 'razor!'  (riser)  She got up there with her buddy and the next thing we knew she was singing, smiling and even giggled some.  HUGE people, this is HUGE!!!!  One by one they came forward and had to walk across the stage to get their diploma.  She did it!  In a large sanctuary with a lot of people, she was able to do it.  I was so proud of her because I knew how proud she would be of herself--and she was!  I cannot thank her sweet teacher enough for all her hard work, love and support that she gave Olivia this year.  What a blessing Mrs. Kim has been in our lives!





Slow down kiddo, you are growing up too fast!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Springtime Saturdays

John teaches high school math.  Each spring he offers Saturday morning tutoring to all of his students for the upcoming end of course testing.  Not many ever show (shocker....a teenager doesn't want to get up and do math on a Saturday morning!), but he goes.  Credit where credit is due, that is pretty impressive.  He doesn't get paid, but that's what teachers do.  
Olivia delights in this time with her daddy.  I told her I was going shopping with Mammy and would love to have her come.  Nope, she said she had promised daddy she would go with him.  We both told her it was completely fine to come with me, but she was determined to keep her word.  I love this girl and all that she is!  She has an amazing heart!  So, Saturday morning came and she popped up fresh as a daisy and got ready.  She could hardly wait!  John is good to send pictures whenever he has the kids.  This is over several weeks.  

Week 1 she sharpened pencils and helped with other little jobs.  

Week 2 she did some flipping, drew on the board, and hung out with the students (I won't post their pictures.)





Exhausted from a busy morning!  

Week 3
 She didn't go shopping with us, but I got some great deals!  Easton was so pumped about his new shirt he took it and put it on!  



After a full day of shopping he was worn out!  We told him to not let his balloon fall or it would pop.  He held on tight with it up in the air the whole time.  We got home and he saw Olivia out on the driveway playing.  He lowered his arm and POP went the balloon.  I couldn't help but laugh.  Luckily, he loves to get a laugh so he also laughed once he saw I thought it was funny!





Monday, May 25, 2015

More competitions

This competition was at a local gym on May 3rd.  She got 2nd on this particular event.  I think it was vault.  Overall she got 4th.  

Here is Olivia and her buddies.  They all just made the Bronze team, so they will be spending lots of time together!

This competition was on May 17th.  She scored 5th overall.  

Warming up.....


(mid air of a backwards roll--floor routine)

I love this picture!  She is so happy and has really come out of her shell with gymnastics!

On the way home she said, "you know what?! I sure am proud of myself today!"  To me, that makes it all worthwhile.  We will continue gymnastics as long as she is happy and loving it.  She is good at it, and the more she comes out of her shell the better she will do with it, I think.