Back to School

School started today and this year I have a first grader and a third grader! This is the first year that both girls will be gone all day, from 8am-3:30pm. And I miss them! I'm anxious to hear how their first day went. I want to know how Camryn liked eating lunch at school, if Avery found her classroom ok. The girls ride the bus together and I hope they took care of each other. Only 3 1/2 more hours until they get home!

It's hard to see in this pic, but that is Cam looking out the window

My Kids Are Famous!

Ok, not really, but their picture was featured in a local paper today. You can see the article here.

We went to an Arts Wave Sampler at UC with alot of free kids activities. There was a woman there doing AMAZING face painting and that is the picture that accompanies the article. The girls originally wanted to be a cat and a bunny but she was able to talk them into doing something more abstract and artsy. She promised them that if they didn't love it, she would wash it off and redo what they wanted. But of course they loved it. What 8 and 5 yr old girls wouldn't love all this colorful makeup??

You can check out the artist's webpage HERE. My girls are already asking about her coming to their birthday parties.

Past Updates

I can post pictures now! I guess I forgot to update that we were able to get a new computer a few weeks ago and after getting everything off the hard drive of our old computer I now have all my pictures (Yay!), my iTunes music (Yay!) and all of the business information for our taxes (Phew!).

Hmmm so what all has happened since then...Avery turned 8, Christmas, trip to Columbus with the family, and Camryn got her ears pierced. Those are the major events at least.

Avery had her 8th birthday party at Mad Potter, a pottery painting place. It was a lot of fun even though I thought the staff would actually help run the party. They checked in every now and then to see how the kids were doing but Jesse and I mostly had to help with everything. I was happy that I didn't have to clean up anything after and we could just leave. :)

Then we had Christmas...we bought a Wii for the girls with a few games and extra controllers. It's been a pretty big hit in this house.

Christmas Dinner at Aunt Katy's

At the end of December we headed downtown to the Duke Energy Center to see the annual train display.

On January 16, Camryn decided she wanted to get her ears pierced. A few days earlier we were at Claire's so Avery could use a gift card she had gotten for her birthday and I had said something to Camryn about piercing her ears. She said she wanted to think about it. That morning she woke up and the first thing she said was "I want to get my ears pierced today". So we made absolutely sure and then headed to Claire's a little later. And she did it. With no tears at all.

Command Center

As you all probably know I have two school-aged kids. This means that on any given day I am overrun with papers coming home from school. Worksheets, reminders, important events and dates, etc. For other parents, I'm sure you are familiar with this as well. Last year when just Avery was in school all day I tried to get more organized to prepare for the day when both girls were in school. I had an OK system of things and I felt semi-organized.

I have since changed up my system and now I have a "Command Center". And yes, I do actually call it that. I'm a dork. It's probably not the most visually appealing but I'd rather be organized and not running around like a crazy person.


I bought a large bulletin board and divided it in half, one side for each kid. I then took some of those manila filing folders and taped up the sides and then stapled them onto each side leaving it as a pocket. On each side I have the kids calendars that they get from their teachers with their specials listed and other important dates, and the school lunch menu for Avery so we know when she wants to pack lunch or buy. In Avery's folder we keep her Spelling Notebook and her homework packet because she gets these every Monday and they are turned in on Fridays. This way we always know where it is. I use push pins to attach any papers that come home that have deadlines that need to be returned.

I get rid of A LOT! I don't save the busy classroom work that they do or worksheets. I always try to save art work or any writing assignments that are really great. I just don't have the space to save every little thing that comes home. The papers I do save get filed away in a folder in one of those plastic boxes made for file folders.

On the opposite wall I have a large calendar that I write in appointments and activities. I color code each person's events as well. It really helps to see everything that's going on. There is a child-size desk in that corner too that sometimes gets used.

So there you have it..my way of trying to stay organized. I love to hear how others stay organized so comment and share your ideas and tips!

Camryn Rae turns 5

Camryn turned 5 on July 31st, but we celebrated the weekend before with a pool party. And boy was I glad that we did. It was a hot one. We swam, had a cookout, opened presents, had cake and ice cream and swam some more. Camryn received so many gifts that she had been asking for and we are so blessed that she has so many people that care about her.

Here's an awesome pic that my sister got of Camryn jumping in. She really has no fear and has become a pretty good swimmer on her own. She is wearing a float in this pic though, because she makes me pretty nervous when she jumps in.

Camryn with her new Pony in my Pocket toys. These are the newest obsession in our house

The cake...hmmm there are really no words for the cake. So I'll just leave it at that. And if you were at the party, then you will understand why. :)

So now that Camryn is 5, she can start Kindergarden this year and will in about 6 days! She is so excited to ride the bus and I know she will make a lot of friends. She is very social and doesn't have a problem talking to anyone!

Butterfly Show 2010

I mentioned the Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory in my last post, so I thought I would post some pictures. If you live in the area, you should definitely check it out. There is a printable coupon on their website for $1 off admission per person.

I am in love with these flowers...

Camryn holding a Blue Morpho

Jesse and the girls by a waterfall