Landon's Recorder Concert

Landon had his Christmas Recorder Concert his last week of school before Christmas break. Jaysen and I were able to make it even though the concert was in the middle of the morning on a school day. I love that my son is having fun with music, I just wish those dang recorders weren't so loud and squeaky. Maybe honky is a better word for the noise. I don't know. Oh well! They all played well for Mr. Gibson and it was fun to see Landon play his songs from memory with all of his friends.

Good job Landon!

First Day of School

Monday was the first day of school. Because my sister, Crystal, has been staying with us her daughter, Genea, got to be able to go to school with Landon this year. Normally I take my kids to school on their first day, but both Landon and Genea were WAY too excited to ride the bus to want me to take them. So, instead I waited with them at the bus stop. :0) Landon, being the almost 10-year old boy that he is, decided that the studly outfit I had picked out for him for the first day of school was not the right choice. He did wear the shirt I wanted him to wear....but he covered it up with his BSU hoodie. The brand new stylin' jeans I wanted him to wear....got shoved aside for some old worn out shorts. His reply when I asked him why he wasn't wearing his jeans?......
"WHAT? I like these shorts."
Yeah....good times.

Here is Landon, our next door neighbor Noah, Genea, and a new friend that just so happens to be in Genea's class. They all wait together at the bus stop and it has worked out so well.

The boys were super excited to see that their favorite bus driver, Shane, was their driver again this year. Apparently Shane is the nicest bus driver out of all them. That's what the boys say anyway....

The report at the end of the first day was a good one. Genea made friends in her new class at school and LOVES her teacher. Landon's friend, Hatim, apparently came home early from Africa and so he was able to be at school on the first day. Hatim and Landon get to be in the same class this year.

I guess this means so far so good. Of course we haven't even gotten through week 1...

December craziness continued...

This month is almost half over! Holy cow! Is anyone else tired?

I feel as though I've been going a hundred miles a minute for the last several weeks. We had the Arnold family Christmas party at my Grandma Casperson's house last weekend. This event always includes a rousing game of gift bingo. Me and Mackenzee went home with our arms full of fun treasures {a Dora letter book, Hello Kitty light up stamp, Dora necklace, oven mitts, iTunes gift card, coasters, and colored pencils to name a few}. Jaysen....he won a tube of chapstick. :0) Oh! And because my grandma felt sorry for him she gave him the gift certificate to Cold Stone that she had won.

I had my annual Christmas goodie making day this last week and have so much sugary sweet goodness in my kitchen right now it's scary. This year I ended up with fudge, sweet Chex Mix, White Chocolate Popcorn, Orange Creamsicle Fudge, chocolate truffles, peanut butter cups, peppermint patties, oreo cookie bark, peppermint bark, and crispy peanut butter balls. I broke my no sweets rule that day, too. :0) I HAD to sample everything to make sure it tasted good!

I also helped the kids make gingerbread cookies. In the past, they have both wanted to help roll out the dough but couldn't because my rolling pin is so heavy. So, I was so excited when I found a junior wooden rolling pin and a mini plastic rolling pin set in the dollar section of Target this year. Both my kids each rolled out their own dough and made all sorts of Christmasy shapes with cookie cutters. Sure...I couldn't tell you what each cookie came from which cookie cutter...but they had fun. And, they had even more fun frosting and decorating them. Me? I got to have "fun" cleaning up the mess left behind. Can I tell you how glad I am that we don't have carpet in the dining room anymore? :0)

Mackenzee watched the Polar Express for the first time this year and is infatuated with it. The day after she first watched it she NEEDED to go and see Santa Claus. Landon was with Jeff and so it was just her we took this year. :0( She was so funny about it though. She could hardly contain her excitement and picked out a special outfit to wear for the occassion. She told me that she was going to give Santa a hug and tell him that she loved him. And, actually, she was sure she needed to take Santa a present. It was cute. She told Santa that she wanted Dora for Christmas. I'm not sure if that means she literally wants Dora to come to our house, or if she will just settle for a Dora toy. I'm hoping for the latter. :0) After we left she became really upset because she didn't get to see Santa's reindeer or go on a train ride like the little boy from the movie did. Silly girl.

Last night was girls night and we did a gift exchange similar to the kind we did at my grandma's house. Everyone went home with something fun and we got to eat lots of yummy treats {again!} Insanely, at 9:15 the girls remaining decided they wanted to go to the movies. I had to finish up a homework assignment and so I told them to have fun. Apparently this was unacceptable to them. After we found out we had 20 minutes to get to the theatre, I was told that they would help me finish up my homework so that I could go too. So, we all crammed into my computer room down here to get it all done in time. Let's just say that this was the first "educational" girls night I think we've ever had and those girls are WAY more informed about proper nutrition throughout the different stages of life than they were before. We made it to the theatre about 10 minutes after the movie had started. CRAZY! Thanks so much ladies for your help though! That was the quickest I have ever finished up a power point presentation. I'll let you know our grade! :0)

Tomorrow is Landon's birthday party, so we will continue to be busy as the week ends. I am going to be attempting a Ben 10 birthday cake today...so wish me luck. Next week: Landon's Christmas play, my Grandpa's birthday, family Christmas, and class party.

Ready......

BREAK!

I have a 3rd grader?

When did he get so old? When did I get so old? Sigh.

Today my baby started another year at school. But third grade? That means he's halfway through his elementary years! Sixth grade will be part of the middle school then, so after this year there's only two more left at Morningside Elementary. For him anyway. As soon as he leaves Morningside, it will be time for Mackenzee to start kindergarten....and then we'll start all over again. :0)

Moving on...

Today....I am sad.

Why? Because my baby just went to his last day of second grade. He is now officially moving on to 3rd grader land. Am I that old? When did this all happen? He's not supposed to be this old either! Sigh.
Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Grubbs. Can I just tell you what a wonderful teacher she has been for him? Though he has never struggled academically, he has struggled socially in past years. He doesn't understand boundaries at times, and has trouble focusing. He finishes his assignments quickly and then doesn't know what to do with himself. So, he pesters EVERYONE. At the beginning of the year I was told by numerous parents that I should request a classroom transfer. Why? Because their child didn't like Mrs. Grubbs...or so and so's parents told them she was mean. I was a little worried because I know how sensitive my kid is. But, I'm a firm believer in taking what you get. In real life we don't get to choose who we deal with. We have to work with people of all kinds. It's best to acclimate them now right? Besides, if she really was that horrible, I could request a transfer if it was really affecting Landon.
I'm so glad I didn't listen to the other parents! My son...that loves art....brought home all of his art projects for the year THAT SHE SAVED. There were stacks of them. And different styles and REAL art forms too...like drawing styles like Picasso and what not. She thinks that art helps kids develop in ways that book learning can't. So she has art projects ALL THE TIME. And though I wouldn't say she is mean....she has rules and expects them to be obeyed. My son has been so much more obedient at home this last year.
Anyone who says that teachers don't make a "real" difference need smacked in the head! :0) She has been wonderful and we will miss her.

This is Landon with his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Burton. {She's related to the Burnhams VERY distantly} He LOVES Mrs. Burton. She was his very first teacher, and they created quite a bond. He still sees her at school and always gets so excited that he has to give her a hug. We took her a teacher present today because this was her last year teaching. She has retired. And though I know she was ready to be done...Landon will really miss seeing her in the halls at school. He had to give her one final hug....

And finally....my very smart little boy finally got his Math trophy. He was so excited when he brought it home. He was literally beaming! :0) It has his name on it and everything. I think he's told just about everyone about it. He's so proud of himself...and I'm really proud of him too. He worked really hard for it and didn't give up. I hope he keeps pushing himself to be better and do better. He asks so many questions now. He's so curious about how things work, and what things mean....his little brain is working hard. I just hope I have the answers for him! :0)

First Day of School

Sniff. Sniff. This is my baby Landon just before he turned one. Isn't he a cutie? So small, so much fun............so small.

And this is my baby Landon this morning just before I took him to his first day of second grade.
Still a cutie, still fun...but so big! When did he get to be so big? Almost 8 years old? Second grade? It makes me so sad to see him getting so big so quickly. But, also so excited for the fun things that come with having an 8 year old.
Anyway, he was sooo excited for the first day of school. I didn't even have to wake him up. He was up before Jaysen! Which was good though because we had to get to his school early so I could drop off the Open Court Reading books we put together for the third grade this past weekend and then also pay his lunch money. So, we were there when the doors opened at 8:00 this morning! He got 30 minutes of playground time this morning! ;0)
Anyway...we'll be having his favortie for dinner tonight, as is our usual tradition for the first day of school. Chicken Alfredo, or as he calls it...Noodles with White Sauce. ;0) I hope he has a good day!

Open House

So, tonight was the official "Open House" for Landon's school. We got to go meet his new teacher, Mrs. Grubbs, and check out his classroom. Which, just so happens to be the exact same classroom as last year. ;0) Where his 1st grade teacher decided to start teaching in Burley where she lived, it opened up that spot. So, 2nd grade moved in!

Anyway, he got to pick out whichever desk he wanted, and he chose the second to the last row in the back. Yeah.....Oh well. And...he got to put everything in his desk for his first day of school on Monday.

I love that we do this at his school now. His first year they didn't and the first day of school was a mad house. Letting him meet his teacher and get comfortable with his classroom makes such a difference on that first day. So, we're ready for it! Bring it on!

Back to School shopping

So, it's that time of year again. School starts in less than two weeks! So, we went yesterday to buy Landon some new school clothes. He is getting so big! Though I still had to buy slims with the adjustable waist for his pants, they actually FIT him. In previous years I would buy them and they would still practically fall off of him. I barely have to adjust the waist and the leg fits perfectly. Sigh. Not that it's a bad thing, it just means he's filling out and getting older. 2nd grade! Almost 8! My baby! Sniff!


His new thing is wearing "Army" clothes. Anything camoflauge is cool I guess. So, I bought him this new camo shirt. As I was perusing the racks at the store, I came across these adorable camo pants in the little girls department. And, even though she's not going back to school.....I figured she could get a matching outfit with Landon. They are adorable you know!

And to top it off, Payless was having a BOGO sale, and so, I got them matching shoes too! I know I'm pathetic...but I couldn't help myself.