Smiles from School

   Two cute things have happened to my kids lately - here they are:

 

   The first was from Logan's music teacher.  She had told the kids that she wanted to do a fundraiser to earn money to buy 3 xylophones for her class.  They recently had a program where they sang this cute little carmel apple song, and they sold carmel apples to earn money.  They also had little tin buckets out for donations.  Kids also brought in money from home.  For weeks I got the xylophone update from Logan.  Then I got this email from his teacher:

 

"Here is the update on the xylophones:  Even with the sale prices, shipping and handling would have made our total needed for the set of three xylophones $1300-1400.  WELL, I decided to call Suzuki directly and see if we might be able to "wangle a deal".  I told them how great my kids and parents were, that my kids had been bringing in piggy bank money for a month, that we gave "sidewalk concerts" as a fundraiser and raised $1000 for a set of three xylophones.  I asked if there was any possible way they might be able to sell us those three instruments for our hard earned $1000.  They said.........YES!!!!!

YAHOOO! So a big truck will deliver them the Monday we get back from break!  (They won't fit in the mail box :) )

I just wanted to thank all of you as families for sharing in this exciting adventure!  THANK YOU!"

 

Isn't that so cute?  I love cute/excited teachers.

 

The second cute thing happened to Tyler last week.  He went into one of his teacher's classrooms during lunch to borrow a book.  Ty didn't know what book he wanted to read, just that he was looking for a new book.  His teacher was there, reading a book.   So his teacher started asking him what kind of books he likes, they started chatting, and his teacher said, "Oh you should read this book...".  The book the teacher was reading, as in the book he was reading seconds before Tyler walked in.  Isn't that such a great, giving teacher?   I told Tyler it isn't exactly "the shirt off his back", but it's close. 

Logan's Kindergarten Program

Yes, it's October.  Yes, Logan is now in first grade.  Yes, this is 4 months late.  Yes, I'm ok with that.  I had these videos of Logan's kindergarten from last May, but when I uploaded them to Blogger the
quality wasn't very good.  Like, not even worth it.  But now that I'm this YouTube expert, I thought I'd put them on YouTube. 
    The first link is to the classic "I'm gonna be a part of it - 1st grade! 1st grade!".  All of my kids have sang this at all of their kindergarten programs - and it always brings the house down.  Logan's was more sad than cute - because he's my last.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z8uLcE888c   
    The second link is to him singing this song about how glad they are that we're all there.  They say, "I'll jump up high, slap my thigh, touch my nose, wink my eye ..." His wink is so cute, it might just kill you.  Kill you dead.  It's that cute.  Don't say I didn't warn you. 
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2XeUpjeQ3M&feature=youtu.be
   The last one is his Wiggle Worm song - I'm just adding this one because Logan loves to watch it. 
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr16DFXdbmM

Pancake Party

   This fall I was able to switch 3 of my kids to a charter school.  Only Bailey hasn't been able to get in yet. She's number 3 on the waiting list, so I don't know if she'll get in this year or not.  It doesn't really matter to me, I'm completely happy with the school she's at.  The only thing I don't like is that Bailey is on a traditional school schedule, and my charter school kids are on a modified year round schedule. Besides Bailey starting a week later, we haven't had any different days.  Until yesterday. 

   Bailey had the day off, and the other 3 had to go to school. Bailey and I decided this was such a rarity that we had better do something to make the most of it.  

  We decided the most fun thing would be to invite her closest besties over for a pajama pancake party. 

   Four cute girls came, I cranked out a bunch of chocolate chip pancakes, and happiness ensued. The party ended with a Freeze Dance game, and lots of laughs. 

  After our party it was back to normal: running errands, getting flu misted, and all the rest.  But having my buddy, Bay, made the normal much more fun. 

Education Week

  I feel like this is my 'goodbye to Education Week' post ... which makes me sad.  I have gone to Education Week almost every year since I was pregnant with Tyler.  That year, Jen and I went to BYU-I for our first time.  Man, did we have a good time.  Except for when Jen took my towel while I was in the community shower - one bathroom for a whole floor full of women, and I was an extremely 9 months pregnant (Tyler was born the next week), and I had visions of me walking completely naked back to my room.  Thank heavens she gave back my towel before I sent everyone there to therapy!  But I have gone every year for 14 years except the 4 years I was nursing a baby.  I've gone with my mom, sisters, sisters-in-law, and friends.  It's always been a highlight of my summer. 

  But, this year my kids switched to new school, where they are on a modified year-round schedule.  Education Week at BYU is always the third week of August.  And at our new school, we'll start school that same week now.  I'm not willing to miss my kids' first week of school - so Education Week has to be shelfed.  For now at least. 

   So I wanted to give a shout out to Education Week in this post.  I grew up with my mom going to Education Week at BYU every year.  Every year.  She would go to class from 8 am to 10 pm and eat an apple in between classes.  She was an Education Week diehard.  Me, not so much.  The last 4 years I've gone with friends - and while we certainly go to a lot of classes, we also squeeze in a bunch of fun.  We always go out to fun restaurants, go the temple, hike the Y, maybe see a movie or squeeze in some shopping (thank you IKEA!), and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. 

   2011 was the first year I went with friends.  What's been fun is every year it's been a different group of girls.  I'm starting to forget who I went with when, so I have to write them down to help my sad memory.  My first year was Andrea, Kristen, Kim, Lisa B., Becca, and me.  2012 I went with Becca, Kim, Katie, Lisa B., Lisa T., Kalie, and Melissa. 

 



2013 Education Week

Katie, Becca, me, Kristie, and Kim (Andrea was missing from our picture)
I.  Love.  These.  Girls.

 



 2013's Y hike

Becca, Kristie, me, Kim and Andrea

 

 

 The Y overlooking BYU

 

 2014's Education Week

Shannon, Katie, Becca, me, Kristie, Kristen

 

 

  It's so fun to be back on BYU campus - it's like no campus on earth, and I love being there.  I always bring home souvenirs for my kids - BYU t-shirts, hoodies, pj's, mint brownies or Y donuts.  A little subtle brainwashing never hurt anyone, right mom?  :)

 

So until next time Education Week - where I will welcome you back with open arms!

Piano Recital



 A few weeks ago my oldest 3 kids had a piano recital.  They all got assigned really hard songs for them - and they had to work, for months, to get these songs ready to go.  But work they did, and they did such a great job!  Bailey played a medley from High School Musical 2, Emily played "Let it Go" - I don't care who are you - you love that song, and Tyler played "Norwegian Concerto".  As you watch these videos keep in mind, our piano teacher is in our ward, all of her students are in our ward - so these recitals quickly go from 'recital' to 'party' - so there's lots of yakking in the background.  Oh well ... these are the most fun recitals we've ever had.  Enjoy!

   I put them on YouTube - my first time ever doing that (post worthy it isn't, though it proved to be more challenging than I expected, but shout out worthy in a separate post - sure!).  Here are the links:

 

 

Bailey:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE7ASfLW-hQ&feature=youtu.be

 

Emily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvwghTLaYJc&feature=youtu.be

 

Tyler:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb_LnCEz8tU&feature=youtu.be