It’s always fun to see how Emma and I compare.  Last years comparison looked like THIS.

I sometimes don’t see that we look alike.  When she was younger, especially about 18 months, she looked JUST like her Aunt Mandy.  Yet I hear from others they now see how she looks like her Mama.

        Me in 2nd grade.                             Emma in 2nd grade.            

So what do you think?

Hair color SAME. 

Squinty eyes SAME.

Snaggle tooth SAME. 

The Mullet she has been spared.  I think if she still had bangs there might be more similarity.

She’s growing up way too fast.  Makes my heart sad.

is her chance to have the mic and thank the academy & her mother and father for their support. We’ve always assumed the day will come where Emma’s dramatics lead to an Academy award. For the time being her citizenship awards will have to do. :)

This one made us chuckle.  In kindergarten she earned the first girl citizenship award where they focused on Respect.  It was humorous to us b/c from her first day of Kindergarten she came home knowing more than ANYone.  We often struggled with her attitude & “respect” at home, yet she was a great student.

 

Then came the first 9 weeks assembly at her new school in AZ.  We went to the assembly unaware she was receiving anything and unaware they even had citizenship awards each quarter.  She received the “Tigress” (girl) citizenship award the 1st & 4th quarters. She LOVED Mr. Dooen.

That brings us to this year.  On the way to school Wednesday she tells me “Yea.  I’ll get the Tigress award.  I always do.” (can you say humility?!?)  I think OH NO she might be in for some disappointment b/c I just assumed some other little girl would receive it. I mean what are the odds she’d get it again. I prepped her that she may not as it is very hard as a teacher to chose just one student when you have several great ones.

Then comes the assembly.  All students lined up and they step forward as their name is called.  She received honor roll.  Good deal.  The teacher names the “Tiger” (boy) citizenship award and then I look at Emma as she is raising  her foot high to take a big step forward.  Even swinging her arm up in anticipation of taking a step. 

I’m thinking oh-my-word!!! That’s kind of persumpchious!!!  Then the teacher calls her name!!! She of course has a huge smile on her face.  Unfortunately I was taming our 2 year old monkey and didn’t get a good shot and super sad didn’t get video of her antics.

  

I later learned the teacher had told her prior to the assembly she was receiving it…so that explains the full-body step forward!! :)

Kinda worried about next year…at some point this streak might end…

Things seemed to cool off a bit sooner this year so I think the boys & Matt took their last swim of the season this weekend.

Isaac suited up and ready.  My lil goober!

Well…not actually sure you’d call it a swim. More like a get in…

then climb to the top of daddy’s head escaping the cold water.

    

Isaac a wee bit brighter opted out of water fun.  Instead he wandered around full of wardrobe malfunctions…

 

water so cold it’s best to drink it…or “lick” it as Aidan said.

         

watering plants…

throwing one last rock in the pool…

and sunbathing!

 

So here’s to fewer towels to wash, less worries about sunburns and yay to playing at the park, riding bikes & cooler weather…until April or May then we’ll be so excited for the return of swimming!!

With the weather below melting points we venture outside to play a bit more.  Friday at the park Emma hopped on a friends bike (sans training wheels) and took off!!!  So first thing Saturday morning she had daddy take off her training wheels.

Annnnnd she’s off!!! Isaac is Fred Flintstone-ing it as fast as he can to keep up with sissy.

Practicing turning around…

  

Aidan joined in the fun on his new spiderman bike.

Emma did great and never once took a fall!! For having NEVER rode anything other than his plastic big wheel bike Aidan did great too!!  By Sunday evening was peddling everywhere with minimal help!

 

Isaac isn’t ready for his little spiderman bike yet so he took over Aidan’s big wheel. :)

   

The cooler temps are sooooo very wonderful!!

I had this old jewelry box from when I was younger.  I hadn’t been using it, and my fashionable 7 year old has her current jewelry box stuffed full and a tangled mess.  So I thought I could repurpose it for her and her hot pink & black zebra room.

I completely forgot to take a true before photo…to anxious to get started.  So imagine this with glass in the doors with a “stained” glass pink rose in the middle. I used Walmart bags & painters tape to protect the fabric lining. Gave it a good coat on all sides with el-cheapo gloss black spray paint.

I had planned to put zebra print paper in the doors, but didn’t have any on hand. So, I modpodged polka-dot print onto chipboard and placed it where the glass once was.

  

My only regret was painting the door pulls and drawer pulls the same color as the whole jewelry box.  Unfortunately there was no way to remove the door pulls and I feared the tiny screws holding in the drawer pulls would strip out if I removed them.

Items used: wal-mart sacs (free), painters tape (had on hand), gloss black spray paint (97 cents), scrap chipboard (had on hand), scrapbook paper & modpodge (had on hand).  Not bad for about a buck. :)

My little jewelry diva is happy…so that makes it worth my time & $. :)

Labor Day weekend we sought out some AZ entertainment.  We learned our lesson from last year and went for something INDOORS=cooler.

Located in Arizona Mills mall in Tempe is overpriced Sea Life Aquarium.  We made a day of it considering it’s not often we go to a “traditional” indoor mall like we’re used to from KS.    Did a little shopping, ate at the food court, toured the aquarium & hit up Auntie Ann’s for a pretzel afterwards.

The aquarium didn’t allow flash photography so very few of my pictures turned out.  They kids loved it!  They have always had a fascination with sea animals.

  

Touching starfish & other animals in the touch tank.

Aidan’s biggest love next to killer whales…stingrays.  They had the BIGGEST rays I’d ever seen.  The tank was not too deep and they had a pier built above it you could go stand on to see from above.

Throughout the aquarium there were “bubbles” in tanks where the kids could look through and feel like they were in with the fish.

Largest crab EVER!!! Matt & Isaac in the tube surrounded by water & fish on ALL sides.  Isaac was not so sure.  Another mother pushed her son through in a stroller.  He was terrified clinging & gripping the edges of the stroller!!

The kids & I were standing behind a “U”  shaped aquarium…no flash = no good photo.  They each LOVED sticking their heads up the aquarium bubbles to see sea life up close & personal.

  

Not sure if you watched the show Tanked on Animal planet.  Aidan loves anything Animal Planet & sea animals so when this show was advertised he knew he wanted to watch it.  Since it has aired we’ve received several messages from people who know us claiming Matt looks like one of the Tanked guys….what do you think?  Often times in the show the guy (Wade) wears sunglasses on his head just like Matt.  Even some of their mannerisms are the same! Crazy!

 

We concluded our day in the gift shop where each kid picked a small toy.  Aidan got a snake (he calls an eel), Isaac got a stuffed shark, and Emma got a cup with fish on it.  No trip to a mall is complete without an Auntie Ann’s pretzel.  Isaac says “let’s destroy this clean white shirt with cheese sauce!!” :)