Valentine's "Dance"

We've been talking about Valentine's Day and all the fun things the girls get to do this week at school.  Unfortunately some of the fun will be cut out from all the snow we will get Wednesday night into Thursday but hopefully they will get to exchange valentine's at least.  Payton has music class on Friday on Valentine's Day and her music teacher said they would partner up a girl with a boy and dance. We were asking her who she would want to dance with and she got all shy and wouldn't say anything.  Payton told Tung this afternoon that Reagan told her if she had to pick someone in her class to dance with that she would choose James because he is cute, sweet and he listens.  That is so funny to me because James really is cute and sweet, he always wears the same grey and lime green sweatshirt when I see him at school, it makes me laugh for her to say that he listens because if you know Reagan, you know she likes a good story.  I'm sure James has heard more than a few of these stories.

Homework

Payton's homework last night was to ask 4 adults what they were afraid of so they could use the information today to do a graphing activity in Math.  Payton asked her Grandma, she said snakes.  She asked Grammy, she said spiders, I said I was afraid of flying and Tung said snakes.  We asked Reagan what she was afraid of, she said Monsters.

Reagan said to Tung this morning, "I know what you're afraid of Daddy, you're afraid to wrestle someone bigger than you because they would crush you".  Then Payton says "yeah, they would crush his glasses too" and then they both crack up.  I love when they both gang up on their Daddy to make fun of him, he needs a little joking back to balance what he gives to everyone else all the time!

First Day of School

The day Reagan has waited for finally arrived, she was so excited about going to school and riding the bus! She stood outside for 15 minutes this morning asking when the bus was coming, she could hardly stand it. As soon as Mrs. Evans pulled up she ran right up the steps, she had to tell her to stop and turn around so I could take her picture!  She sits in the first seat right behind the bus driver.  Payton asked if she could sit with her but they all have assigned seats, and said maybe they could sit together later on.  When Reagan got off the bus this afternoon she sat and watched it drive away like she was so sad to get off and wished she could ride it longer, so funny.

They both had a great day of school, Reagan took a tour of the school and got to be the line leader because she is the shortest in the class! Payton got to search the school looking for Isabelle the Important Fish, they found her in their classroom the most important room in the school, they had to write about her and then got to eat the special snack she left for them, Hershey kisses. Payton's teacher Miss Altieri has an ocean theme for her classroom and she has taken it to the fullest extent, referring to everything in ocean/sea terms, it makes it a lot of fun.

 Payton picked out her outfit herself and her new scarf that goes with "practically everything" she says.  I'll never forget her saying that, so cute!

Reagan ate all of her lunch, we were worried about whether or not she would have time to eat it all and would she just eat her fruit by the foot, or if the sandwich would be gone? But she ate everything, she packed it herself and wanted to pack it again tonight she thinks taking her own lunch is a lot of fun!  Payton already wants to buy lunch tomorrow, they are having cheeseburgers.

I'm so happy they love school and it's so fun to see Reagan excited about being independent and doing things herself!  Before she went to bed tonight she told me that she was tired at school today, 15 minutes later she was asleep, she fell asleep the earliest tonight she has maybe ever, no nap at Kindergarten wore her out!

Carrying her backpack that is as big as she is!

Nabeel and Nazeem came to see them before the first day.

Taking care of her little sissy.

The Big Girl

I am so proud of Payton, she learned to ride her bike with no training wheels last Sunday April 21. She had not been too interested before, but asked Tung to take the training wheels off about two months ago, it was cold but she tried riding down the road, she was not excited and scared to try by herself, I guess she made up her mind because on Sunday she wanted to try again and within 20 minutes was riding all over the place.
She has decorated her bike with streamers to make it pretty and I need to make her a new basket for the front.

She loves tennis, she has been a little thrown off because for the past 2 weeks we couldn't go on her night because of things at school so she has had different coaches and different kids in her class and it has made her a little upset not knowing who was going to be there each week but next week will be back to normal.  I'm glad she likes it and I'm having fun learning about tennis while I watch her too.

It's interesting to watch the kids learn forehand and backhand, since Payton is left handed she is backwards from everyone else, this coach was left handed too so was showing her how to hold the racket for a backhand.

She loves her friends but we are finding it challenging to figure out how to teach her to be her own person and not do or say things your friends tell you to just because they tell you to do it.  She is such a smart, caring girl and wants everyone to like her.  She was so excited one day when a girl in her class who has not been very nice to her sometimes told her that she was her friend.  Payton said she has tried to be nice to her and play with her and the girl is finally being nice back, so cute.  Love that girl.

Sleeping

Love how she fell asleep wearing the 3D glasses. The little fingers, lips, chubby cheeks. I love it all.

Payton and the Pig

This might be one of my most favorite pictures of Payton ever.  I love her smile, the little piece of hair sticking out of her hat, how carefully she's holding the baby pig. Everything.

Home Depot Bird House

 Home Depot has a project for kids the first Saturday of every month. I don't know why we never knew this before but we took the girls January 4th and had a great time.  They got to make a bird house and even paint it.  They had everything set up for the kids to hammer and paint and even had boxes to put it in to take home so the wet paint wouldn't get everywhere.  They got a pin to add to their apron that showed their completed project. They can't wait to go back this weekend and make the Valentine box. Now to find a place to hang up the bird houses!

The Collector and the Piler

Reagan has the smallest room in the house yet she manages to cram more in her room than any other.  She is protective of "her" stuff and does not like for it to be messed with too much.  Sometimes though it is just too much for me to handle and we have to clean her out so she can start over.  She is OK with that as long as she gets to keep some special treasures, like her purple high heels.  I had to take some pictures of her in her element.  As much as it drives me crazy sometimes, it is her and I will miss it someday.

After pulling everything out from under the bed.

So excited that she found her favorite dog Pancake that she hadn't seen in a while, he was in a bag under the bed!

The set up in the closet, Tung found her sleeping here this morning.

She was sleeping with all of this in there with her, I do not know how she fit!

Excited to find more treasures.

Behind the rocking chair but totally intentional, a little cat on a boa bed, covered with a doll sweater.

Payton is also good at piling things up, her forte is blankets and pillows, she has always carried around a blanket with her, covering up at the breakfast table and always has more than one in her bed.  Forget the sheets and comforter she wants soft fuzzy blankets top and bottom all around her.  This is Payton's creation in their new princess castle they got for Christmas.

Artist

Payton came home at the beginning of December with a note saying that her "Junky Portrait" was chosen to be put in an art gallery at a local coffee shop for the month of December. They had made the portrait with different recycled materials, we were able to take all the grandparents to see the art and have some ice cream!  She was so proud and the first time she found it hanging on the wall the look on her face was pricless, I wish I was quick enough to get a picture!

Pierced Ears

Payton has wanted her ears pierced for a while.  As early as preschool I had told her she needed to be at least 7 years old and in 1st grade.  She did not forget it so we told her for her birthday this year she could get her ears pierced.  Tonight was the night, I have not seen the girl so excited over something.  She even said "Do any of my sentences not have the word earrings in them?" LOL.
We went to Claire's at Short Pump and she picked out little pink flowers.  They did one ear at a time and she was hugging the bear crunched up.  The girl said she could sit on my lap if she wanted and that worked a lot better, so I held her.  It's crazy how nervous I was for someone to put holes in my baby's ears!  She did great and did not cry, I thought she was for the second one but she held back.  I guess even our sensitive Payton can be tough for something she wants bad enough!
It's been so much fun seeing her so excited to do this and I know it makes her feel like such a big girl, and makes me feel like she's too big of a girl.  It's amazing how something so small is such a big deal, it really is the little things.  I love this girl!

Hugging the bear, so excited!

Marking the dots on her ears

Getting ready to do the first ear.

Second ear all done!

And she is SO Happy!

Linking up
 

Sisters

The girls have so much fun together and I love to just watch them sometimes when they are outside and do not know I'm watching.

Wrestling??

Ring Around the Rosie?

Ready to go watch Disney on Ice, but Dress Up is definitely their favorite thing to do together.

Reading under the umbrella, they love sitting in the sun and I love how they always search for an umbrella to shade themselves.

First Day of School

Reagan with her blanket and pillow for naptime and Pancake.

Payton ready for 1st Grade!

The bus door wasn't completely open and she was ready to go!

In the hallway going to school!