{A Bunch of Random and a Confession}

Hello friends
Happy Friday to you!
This day is finally here...I'm ready for it...and I'm so happy!

Today is party day.
I'm in charge of both classroom parties and what seems like hours of work and thought are packed up neatly in two little bags on the table, ready to go and it feels great.
Teacher gifts are wrapped and ready to deliver and Christmas cards are sealed and ready for Mr. Postman.
Can I hear a woo hoo!:)
Today is also the girls last day of school so vacation is near and the best part is, Dave will be on vacation too!
Ahhh...I can already feel the stress melting away....

So on to the random and the confession.
Let's start with the confession...
Remember that great check off routine system i had in place?
Well, it's no longer!
I should have known myself better then that I guess.  I have never been good at those things, even in the classroom.  I look at it as just one more thing to keep track of and who needs that?  I think it served it's purpose, it brought our attention to the many things that need to be done to keep our home running smoothly, and it served as a visual reminder (I still have a smaller non-checking version on the girls bathroom mirror).  In all honestly, the routines are getting done and there is little complaining, so maybe it worked better then I thought it did.:)  It just seemed like the sweetie that didn't need it was the one who always remembered to check it off and the one who did need it...well you can figure that out.:)  I'm sure the need to revisit the area of routines and responsibilities will rear it's ugly head many times and when it does, we'll be ready.

Now for the random...
A few weeks ago before our big snow fall, we got a little dusting.
The girls thought it would be fun to run to the corner before school and let me pick them up like a school bus. Is that crazy or what??? Made me laugh.  Who wants to stand on the corner freezing??

Since I had the camera with me I decided to take a picture of them at drop off.  It's funny how you never take a picture of the things you do every. single. day.  But really, those are memories and some of them are oh so sweet and I don't want to forget them.

Janey always turns to wave goodbye and looks back as she walks up the sidewalk for me to yell one more time from the window..."Goodbye Janey...I love you"

Aubrey in her jammies, 

eating a pretzel, 

waiting to give her goodbye waves.

Riley hops out

sees some friends 

and she's off.

I have to get all my "goodbyes and  love yous" in the car.

If she walks in alone I do get a secret smile and wave from the top of those stairs.

Third grade will do that to a girl I guess

She was the same as Janey just two short years ago...

Janey's class has been studying Holidays Around the World.  We had to make a collage of our family's traditions and customs.  She was so very proud of that thing and worked so hard on it.  That little sweetie has a very strong work ethic.  She gives her all to everything. She has passion. I love that.

Riley drew this picture of us a few weeks ago.

She drew us all with a passion.

I'm decorating with a Christmas ornament

Daddy has his University of Miami football shirt on

Riley has a soccer ball

Janey is singing

and Aubrey has Elmo.

Notice all the girls are wearing peace shirts?

love it

Janey had her first grade Holiday Show on Tuesday.

To say she was excited was a huge under statement.

She talked about it for weeks.

Kept all the songs a secret and was literally busting at the seams as we walked through the high school parking lot. 

I loved watching her scan the crowd for us.

She told us just where to sit so we could see her the best.

She kept yawning and looked very sleepy on the top step of those risers...late night for her I guess.:)

it was a great night 

way to go Janey!

More snow fell again yesterday.

It was so beautiful to wake up to that blanket of white.

It's especially beautiful when you see it freshly fallen

before any foot prints have touched it.

The girls loved it.

Dave and Janey worked hard.

Riley made a snowman

So there you have it

A post filled with a whole lotta random.

Hope you have a fantastic Friday!

Enjoy the day,

Cindy