Busy December

It is always a busy time in December.  I love going to all the children's concerts. We still have the piano recital to go to next week. Yeah!!  Josh has been very busy working for BYU catering at various Christmas parties this year.

Goal Charts

 I just made this bingo chart for Caroline because I wanted to motivate her to complete a few projects she has already started. I have made these in the past for my children during the summer and they get excited to mark the squares off. I give them monetary rewards for each row they finish and a bonus for blackout.  I also give them a deadline to complete it. I always put a few easy and fun items like baking cookies along with the more challenging items.                            

Reflection Winners!!!

Caroline and Joseph won in their school's reflections program.  Caroline composed and played a song and Joseph took a picture.  The theme was WOW.  Joseph called his picture Pumpkin Masterpiece and Caroline named her song China dance.  They had fun and I enjoyed watching their creativity, even-though Joseph slimed my LCD monitor on my new camera with his mouth while taking his pictures.

Pumpkin Masterpiece

High School Musical 3 Premier

Last night Cheryl and I took our girls to the HSM3 premier.  As we waited in line, Caroline and her cousins loved observing all the pretty dresses worn by older girls.  It was funny to hear the audience scream when Zack's face filled the screen in the opening shot.  Natalie and Josh were extras in the movie along with their cousins Madeline and Douglas.  You can see Natalie and Madeline in the second cafeteria scene on the second level.  They are both wearing lime green shirts.  We all screamed and clapped when we saw them in the background for the split second.  I also think I saw Josh walking in the front of the school.  Josh was in the graduation scene audience also, but we could not pick him out.  The girls all said this was their favorite HSM even though it was so cheesy.  I like watching the girls' idolized expressions as they watch Gabriel and Troy singing their love songs.  So so cute!!  This picture is of the girls afterwards at Red Mango "freaking out over Zack Effron's hotness" as I heard Natalie say.

First Day of School

This year the first day of school was a little different than other years.  I was sick and Natalie was sick also and stayed home.  Usually I make a fun big breakfast and put cute notes, snacks, prizes etc in their lunch and backpacks.  I was so tired that all they received was money for hot lunch.  It was not the best first week of school and hopefully the rest of the year is a lot healthier and organized.  Joseph starts kindergarten this week and I will treat that as the real first day of school.  I also realized as the kids get older they do not enjoy first day of school pictures--notice the bad attitude of the boys.