February Wrap-up

Besides celebrating birthdays and enjoying the snow, here are some more fun February memories:

Anabella making some cookies with her Easy Bake Oven.

Yum, right?!

My ninja sidekick helping me pick up the recycling that had blown down the street.

Look out now, it's a ninja in spiderman slippers!

Daniel likes to bake too. His favorite: Rice Krispie treats!
Boy, am I ever going to miss this "special time" I have with the kids while the other is at school. Whether we're running errands, collecting trash from the street (ha- that was just that once) but we do walk the street when we're out with Solomon, baking a special treat, doing their weekly homework or simply playing together one-on-one, I am soaking up every minute of this last year of preschool!!  

Another thing I'm going to miss next year: keeping S & S after school. 

Solomon said he just hopes we get to drive them to school next year because he REALLY likes to go out in the van. But, if not, he'll settle for a walk to the bus stop (as long as it's not raining).

A few more snow days in February meant having Daddy home for some extra snuggling and playing around the house. 

Look at Solomon turning his head instead of saying cheese- wonder who he gets that from?! 

Love the trampolines year round but especially in winter!! 

Practicing with her Nerf bow

Anabella REALLY likes to choose her own clothes. Here's one of the outfits she put together. She loves this jean vest and would wear it every day if I let her (sometimes we can't find it though....shhhhh).

Plenty of fun play time with our neighbors this winter- both outside and in. Here the girls are having dinner one night, in dress up, of course.  

They love the Stretchkins Aunt Allie and her family got them for their birthdays. Even came with a workout video- fun!

Yes, Daniel has slept with the shield. 
Nope, not kidding. 
It is pretty soft. 

Lots of practice writing in February- between the 16 times they had to write their names on their valentines for school and the 15+ thank yous they had to write for their birthday gifts, they had plenty of practice with those fine motor skills. I would have loved to have helped, especially with the Valentines, since the space they had to write on was so small, but we were given strict instructions from the school "to please have your child write his/her name on each card. It is good practice." And, in case that wasn't clear enough (for parents like me, I suppose) they also included, "Do NOT write their names for them." Okay, then. 

I did draw lines on the back of the cards, so they'd have a place to write. The space on the front was so small I couldn't have written their names if I tried. Not that I was about to, of course. :) 

Anabella writes her name with ease. She gets a little sloppy sometimes, but for the most part she has good form and writes legibly. 

This was Daniel's best bud's thank you: best he's written his name yet (at home anyway). The "e" is always tricky, and sometimes I help him with that, but this one he did all by himself. He writes BIG.  I personalized all the thank you cards by including a picture of the birthday boy/girl with their friend on the front. We got several compliments on them, so I think they were well received. Kids love pictures. 

Mommy's night out (for making it through the parties, valentines and thank yous). Beth treated her friend Ashley and me to an Edwin McCain concert at Wolf Trap. We even took a cab to and fro so we could enjoy a brew or two without worrying about a DD. Fun, fun fun, till I had to return to being a Mommy the next day (as if I'd trade my day job for anything; well, maybe that day; Ashley took a sick day; Moms don't get sick days).   

MaMaw also has a February birthday, so we celebrated her the weekend the Credles came in February.

Happy Birthday, MaMaw!

PaPa's birthday was in March, so we made sure we gave him extra snuggles  and kisses (and sent him home with a present to open later) since we wouldn't see him. Thanks to Facetime, though, we were able to "see him" and wish him a happy birthday on his real birthday. 

Such a cute picture- at Wendy's before dropping off MaMaw and PaPa at the airport after a fun filled birthday weekend!

At MoBu Kids in Falls Church on the way back- we went to MoBu a few times when the kids were toddlers but hadn't been in a the last year or so, so they were happy to return.

Saturday mornings are typically Daddy's "special time" with the kids as that's when I do my tutoring. Here they are at Panera enjoying a bagel and some "screen time" while waiting for the truck to be inspected at the shop next door. 

Daddy's a clever one making sure they each brought along a backpack with some activities to keep them entertained. Wait, or was that  Mommy's suggestion? Hmmm. Either way, they were well occupied, and from the looks of it had a pretty good time chillin' at Panera that brisk Saturday morning. 

I think the highlight was riding in Daddy's truck. For real this time. With car seats. Usually they just take a spin around the neighborhood, but this time we had to put in car seats since they were going out of the neighborhood. I couldn't believe they fit! 

Daniel with the train he made out of Legos.
I like this picture even though it's not a great one of him (closed eyes never make for a good picture), but I love that he's wearing the Captain America pjs he got for his birthday, which he wore literally every night they were clean the entire month of February. March too. I do a load of laundry just about every day, so if they weren't in his pj bin, then he'd get them out of the dryer. No, not kidding. They must be THAT comfortable. That, and he IS Captain America, y'all.  

This is an airplane Daniel made one day while I was gabbing on the phone on one of the mornings when Belle was in school.  Used glue and everything. Quite innovative if you ask me. It flew too- see  its wings.  

Each month on Wednesdays they have "chapel" at school where they learn a Bible lesson. February's was Daniel in the Lion's Den. 

This is what I wake up to some mornings.
What dog sleeps with his head on a pillow?

Every week the kids bring home a handwriting sheet to complete for homework from Little Lambs. Anabella also gets a book to read and a book to color, cut and put in order. Recently, they've both been getting number sheets. Practice writing the number and then finding the number in a series of random numbers and circling it (number recognition). As if that's not enough (trust me, that IS enough, they're in preschool), they have a "monthly" assignment that comes home with the calendar at the beginning of each month. This is usually a fun/focus on this at home this month activity. This month's was to learn their address and phone number and write it down on a piece of paper to return for a sticker. All the homework is to be returned for a "sticker." Where's my stickers, that's what I want to know?! Anyway, Anabella insisted on writing her address and phone number (both of which she memorized pretty easily) herself. I was lucky to get Daniel to write his name on the paper where I wrote his address and phone number. He had no interest in learning it, and hey, that's okay by me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE their preschool, but man, they get more "homework" than S & S some weeks.  

This was the other February activity: coin rubs (and identification). They were also supposed to do a coin toss and count how many times they got heads/tails. They had fun with this. 

Nehnenenennene.....BatMan! 

And, in case this February wrap up post hasn't been random and piecemeal-ed (is that even a word) enough, here's a picture of a lovely, all natural, I might add, ice sculpture which formed on a bush at one of the houses where I tutor.   

Stay tuned: it's almost the end of March, and while we're Florida bound in less than 5 days, and my to do list is never-ending, updating this blog with a little (you know it's not little) of what we've been up to in March is on it!