Hula Hoops

 The girls have been working to earn hula hoops.  I thought that I would absolutely be able to demonstrate how to use a hoop but alas, I have lost any and all mediocre skill I once had at the hula hoop.  I also require a bigger hoop but that may just be an excuse. It was hilarious to watch them attempt to hula and Two Fish was expecially fun to watch. We are all equally untalented.

Art Group Week 1- Claude Monet

 This week we started with watercolor resist painting and the artist Claude Monet.  I had helped the girls make paintings like this months ago so we had tested everything and had examples. Watercolor resist is ALWAYS a hit with kids and we added dimension with tissue paper lilly pads.  It was one of my very favorite processes to do with art group. We read the book Harold And The Purple Crayon and talking about being free to draw and create anything you want and we looked at some of Monet's work and talked about him as an artist and then turned the kids loose to work.

 This year Lovely L's little twinnies are coming to art group.  It makes me happy to have babies in the group again.  I can't believe I have been doing art group for so long and that my kids were so tiny the first few years. It is fun to have tiny people back in the mix.

First Hike Of The Summer

 I couldn't resist the spin art machine for $5. It is too much fun. During the 80s I went to a birthday party at a special puff paint and spin tshirt place. This machine reminds me of that.

 We met Two Fish after work today for a picnic and hike from a park near his work.  There were rattlesnake warning signs up and New Fish was having a fit that we were going to see a snake. Sure enough, we met a rattler one minute into our hike and turned around.  We drove down the road to a nearby hike with more steady foot traffic because I assumed the snakes would at least stay off the trail because of the constant noise. I'm looking forward to a summer full of hiking. The girls are getting so independent.  New Fish loves anything steep that involves scrambling over rocks but she HATES flat trails.

The End Of School

I have no darling before and after pictures of the school year but it was Hawaiian day at preschool for New Fish.  I can't believe the year is almost over but I'm also ready for summer and still scared of summer and the complete upheaval of our schedule.  I'm a little bit in denial that I will have a kindergartener and a second grader so soon. I'm also determined not to mourn the fast passing days and try to embrace the present and all of the delightful parts of having a five and seven year old. Highlights of the last few days include-

 An impromptu shaved ice run with the neighborhood kids. Car wash parking lots are not an ideal place to entertain large groups of children who are happy to be outside after school.

 Red Fish is such a sweet sister.  Yesterday was her last day of recess and lunch at school and she asked if I would bring New Fish to the school to eat with her.  I warned New Fish ahead of time that we would probably leave right after eating so Red Fish could enjoy her last recess but Red Fish (being the very loving big sister that she is) insisted that New Fish stay and play with her friends. I loved watching Red Fish include her little sister in all of her games with her friends. Seriously, what would these two do without eachother?  If there were ever a pair who were destined to be sisters...

 Our neighborhood has the most awesome street party on the last day of school.  There is a water slide, dunk tank, snow cones, air compressor rockets and treats galore. All of the moms are out on the street talking and it is a good time. I caught this picture of New Fish mid-fall in the dunk tank.  Red Fish wants to ask Santa for a dunk tank for our back yard- never gonna happen.

Grandma's 90th Birthday

 We drove to St. George to surprise my grandmother for her 90th birthday and we threw a little party at her nursing home complete with cake and decorations.

 Red Fish put on a concert for Grandma and some of her friends.

The girls got to go spend some one on one time with her great grandmother in the nursing home. It was one of grandma's good days and she was able to talk to them a lot. I hope it is something that they remember all of their lives. They each spent a little one on one time with Grandma talking about who they want to be when they grow up and sharing special moments with Grandma. I was so glad that we got to go spend this bittersweet time with her. She has been such a huge influence in all of our lives. 

More Reflections

Red Fish was honored with a reception thrown by the school district because of her Reflections win. We had to take a picture of her sculpture because it was still on display at the Leonardo.

Temple Tour

We were so excited to take our kids on a temple tour and hopefully have them understand the temple a little bit better. Red Fish was very excited to tour the temple. She especially wanted to see the sealing rooms since she knows we were sealed when she was a baby. New Fish was so excited that she could hardly contain herself the whole time even though she was trying hard to be reverent and respectful of the temple.

Piano

Red Fish has quite a block of music memorized or performance ready right now so she has been going to assisted living centers to perform and she put together a recital for family. She has stage fright even though she desperately wants to show off her piano skills so I'm trying to give her more opportunities to perform so she won't get so nervous.

New Fish would love to take piano lessons but I'm not ready yet. So we are learning a few things together at home. She wants to keep up with her sister in every way and I am enjoying the special time together.

French Choir

Red Fish has a french choir performance and we snapped a picture with her best friend T afterwards. They did a whole Disney concert in French. It was very cute. Red Fish wants to do so many things and participate in so many things- it is very difficult to keep up with. This little choir is part of her elementary school.

Theater Kids

We have been going to plays this last year with my friend Lovely L and her daughter. It is fun to share something I love with my girls.

Daddy Day At Preschool

Winning State Reflections

 Red Fish won an award of merit at the state reflections competition. I don't think she has any idea what a big deal that is.