Thanksgiving Feast at school

November 18, 2009 was the big Thanksgiving Feast at Z’s school. It was a big Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family during lunchtime. There were tons of parents and grandparents at the school to spend lunchtime with the kids. It was so sweet. The kids had made head dresses and pilgrim outfits. Z had on a head dress that he made and it had a really pretty black feather in it. It gave me chills to see the kids wearing their art. He kept it a secret from me too. Once we connected with Z, we went through the lunch line together as a family. It was Z’s first time to purchase his lunch at school. He was thrilled! He couldn’t wait to try all the foods. (He hates Thanksgiving dinner normally but wanted to bad to like it this time.) Well, this occasion was no different. He tried everything and was excited to but in the end didn’t eat his lunch. But he does want to buy his lunch again another day.

Thank you for having a nice lunch with us Z! Mom and Dad had a great time with you today! We love you very much!

Mom and Dad waiting on Z to get to the cafeterria.

Z and his Daddy!

Mom and Z!

I don't know who is more excited to go through the lunch line for the first time.....me or Z.

YEAH!!!! I can't wait to try all this yummy looking stuff.

One of the teacher assistants took this picture for us. Turned out really nice.

Packing care boxes for the troops in Iraq

November 12, 2009 was a great day for us! We went to A’s house and packed boxes for the troops in Iraq. Each mom supplied 24 items of things to put in boxes. The kids drew pictures and made cards for the soldiers over there. Even the moms made some cards. It was a great giving moment! After we packed the boxes, the kids played on A’s stairs. They had a blast jumping from the steps to the floor. I know….not very safe…. but they did have fun!

On our way home, Z asked why the troops were in Iraq. I explained to him we were at war and that the really bad guys attacked our country on Sept. 11, 2001. He continued to ask questions, so I explained it all to him. I told him that we even had old newspapers from that time. When we got home, I pulled up everything I could find from the attacks on the computer and showed him everything. He saw all the terrorists and Osama Bin Laden and understands that he is a bad man. After checking out the computer, we looked through all my old newspapers. He just loves to learn about new things.

Turns out the next day at school, Z drew some pictures of the attacks during free draw time in class. He is so proud of what he has learned and says we will find Osama Bin Laden and kill him. I hope so honey!

Read to make cards for the soldiers.

Z made a very sweet card to the men. He even wrote "USA ROCKS" on his card.

Proudly displaying his work.

Packing boxes.

They turned out very nice! I know the men and women will love them!

Yeah...it isn't safe, but look at the fun they are having!

Look Mom! I can fly!

This picture shows the twin towers and the airplanes going through them and the fire above the towers. Those are emergency vehicles at the bottom of the page.

This was the title of the picture above. On another drawing, he said over 100 died.

Check out Z’s classmates

Ok, I had a little project to do for the teacher during book fair week at the school. I had to make a book box for her wish books. Anyway, I decided to take pictures of all the kids reading and stuff and that is what I put all over our class box. Here are a couple pictures I took of the class. They are sure some cute and very sweet kids! Pictures taken on November 12, 2009.

What a great looking class!

Mrs. V reading to the kids.

Ahhh....they are all reading.

Z reading with D. They read "EEKK" elbow to elbow and knee to knee when they read with buddies.

Second early release day from school

November 4, 2009, was another early release day for the kids at school. The teachers use a couple days out of the year for lesson planning and school meetings so the kids get out early. Well, we had plans to play with a couple friends from other classes. A and A were in Z’s preschool class last year and they also go to his school now. Their mom invited T and I to join them at Kiddie Acres. We had a nice time and the kids had a blast riding all the rides. Everyone got along great. Thank you for the invite J!

These kids were thrilled today! They couldn't wait to ride the rides.

Ferris wheel was the first choice.

Airplanes next.

They couldn't wait to ride the train!

L is such a cutie pie!

Z is riding on Tyler.

Riding in the cars.

Check out my boat.

Merry go round and round and round!

Now Z is riding Copper.

This is one happy boy!

Z and I rode the train one last time before we left the park.

School Carnival

After many hours of volunteer work and preparing for our school carnival, October 24, 2009 finally came!!! YEAH!!!!

There was a silent auction for the school and each class was to donate a basket of some kind to put in the auction to help raise money for the PTA. Our class picked Build A Bear as our theme. We arranged 3 separate baskets for the auction. I think they turned out fabulous! We also had a booth at the carnival to run for our class and we had to work the Alien Coke Toss. We had parent volunteers from the class work our booth during the carnival. We played a ton of games, saw lots of school friends, and we even got to see D and her family there. We invited M and her family to join us at the carnival since she helped me last-minute with watching Z that week while I worked on carnival stuff. We got to bid on a Lego basket and a ceramic tile party for 4 at the silent auction and won those items. I also won the duck race for the school volunteers. It was a super fun time at the carnival.

After the carnival was over and our booth was closed down and we picked up our auction items, we headed to Chuy’s with M and her family. And it was nice to see B again; she joined us for dinner too.

We are ready for the fun!

Fishing game

Strong man game.

Launch pad game.

Our class booth – the Alien Coke Toss.

Z and L from school.

Z and M from playgroup.

About to ride on the train.

Wiggle train ride.

Z with the P sisters from playgroup.

Z and K from school.

Z and C from school.

Cake walk game.

Bounce house

Z dunked the principle in the dunking tank.

Pictures of our class baskets.

WATCH D.O.G.S.

My husband is a volunteer with the school and is part of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program.  WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a father involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering that organizes fathers and father figures in order to provide positive male role models for the students and to enhance school security. On October 16, 2009, my husband worked his first day as a Watch Dog at Z’s school. He first met with the vice principle and was given a schedule for the day and then worked in many different class rooms and at recess. WATCH D.O.G.S. make the rounds throughout the school and kids really notice their presence. They get to eat lunch with their child and at some point in the day, they end up working in their child’s classroom. When a “watch dog” walks the halls children are in AWE and give high fives and are thrilled to have them there. When I walk down the hall, I may get a “hello Z’s mom” if I am lucky. For more information on WATCH D.O.G.S. please visit the following link: http://www.fathers.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=60

On October 16, Z’s principle did the school wide morning announcements from his class room. The kids were thrilled. I worked in the library that morning and then joined Z and hubby for lunch. It was a great family day at school.

Crafts and Bats

Friday, October 9, 2009 was a fun Halloweeny day for us! After school we went to a M’s house for a playgroup craft. We called it a witch craft. Apparently it was a melting witch made out of pudding cups. The kids just loved it and it was so cute! M had so many yummy snacks for the kids and moms. The kids all played very well together and it was a super playdate! Thanks M!

After playgroup, we picked up hubby and went to a Kindergarten field trip to watch the bats fly out from under the bridge at dusk. We got there a little after 6pm. Tons of kinder kids came and Z had a blast running around. There were even a few teachers there and the kids thought that was awesome! Well, after playing until dark (almost, we realized the bats weren’t going to fly so we called it a night. But not before heading to McDonald’s for a yummy/fast dinner.

This is going to be fun!

Check out my witch craft....

I am just going to eat worms....

B is here. She loves to hug on Z.

A classmate, N with little R in the background.

This is L, another classmate.

Not sure if daddy is being scary or just goofy.

You can't hide B.

Another classmate, J.

Ok, it is dark, time to stop horsing around.

New Build A Bear

Let me back up a bit and explain this one. Z’s school does one super huge fundraiser in the fall and it is the carnival. Each class at the school is to come up with a ‘basket’ idea and get donations from that class to make the ‘basket’ for a silent auction at the carnival. Since I am one of the room moms for Z’s class, we got to choose what ‘basket’ we wanted to do for our room. S and I picked Build A Bear for our ‘basket’. So on Friday, September 25, Z and I went to Build A Bear to pick up some coupons that I will be passing out to each parent in our class in hopes that would help get in more donations. So it is nearly impossible to take a child into that store and leave empty handed so I set a limit of $10 that Z could spend. He really looked at everything and after a long time of weighing all his options, he selected a dark brown bear. He named him Chocolate and has cuddled him everyday since.

 

Bear has been selected and getting ready to be stuffed.

Z is pressing the pedal to help with stuffing the bear.

Holding the heart that goes in the bear and making a wish.

Putting the heart in the bear.

Giving the bear a bath.

Scanning the bar code on the bear to create a birth certificate for the bear.

First day of Kindergarten!

It is finally here! The first day of Kindergarten! August 24, 2009! Z woke up excited about his first day! He couldn’t wait to get to school. Daddy went with us to school that morning. He helped Z put his stuff in his locker and got his lunch bag put away. Then they found Z’s seat and we kissed him good bye and we left. It was such a smooth drop off and we left there beaming! Our little guy is a big Kindergartner!

When I picked Z up from school, he said he loved Kindergarten and couldn’t wait to go back! He said he had a great time at lunch with this little boy that lives down the street from us who is in Z’s class. And he got to play with some of his playgroup friends during recess on the playground. This kid LOVES going to big kid school! In fact, that night he told his daddy he was a big Kindergartener and in a flash he would be in first grade. Slow down there buddy! We aren’t ready for that!!!

I am so ready for Kindergarten!

Check out my cool dude backpack and lunch box.

FINALLY here!

Daddy helps unpack the backpack.

Thanks T for getting this family picture!

Z just loves his teacher, Ms. Vail.

At school pick-up. He just loved his first day!

Open house at school

August 20, 2009, was open house at the school. Before the open house, my friend T invited us to the school to have one on one time with Z’s teacher and to help her prepare the room (her daughter and Z were put in the same class on purpose). Z was thrilled to go meet the teacher! I was thrilled that we got the teacher we had hoped for and it was great to get some alone time with her. We helped with the giving tree and some work room stuff. We also got to meet all the special class teachers (art, music, theater arts, and PE). So by the time the evening came and it was time for open house, Z was so proud to walk his Daddy around the school and introduce him to all the teachers.

While in his classroom, we got to organize his school supplies and put his name of them. We got to do a few checklist things and then we headed home. It was a special day and night for Z and I think he is really ready for the big first day at Kindergarten! He can’t wait!

This is my locker.

Checking out the globe on the teacher's desk.

I love putting my stuff in my locker.

Getting a snack from the cafeteria line.

I am going to read all these books this year.

Computers are in every class and even in the library.

Drill team girls.....