That Was Then, This Is Now

I couldn't let my 10 year reunion go by without chronicling it on the ol' blog. I had the BEST group of girlfriends growing up and I loved refreshing our friendships, although we missed about half of the group! Here's to the TFHS Class of 2000, then and now.

Powder Puff football

Homecoming Parade

Graduation!

Tasha, me, Dana, Melinda

10 years later... does it show? No way hosea! Dana made a good point--we almost look better now, thanks to bronzer and hair straighteners! Ha.

We still know how to have a good time. We had a slumber party the first night, staying up till 3 in the morning catching up and laughing. The next day we got all our kids together for dinner and swim party.

Maddie and Ava (Tasha's daughter) get along really well. I loved seeing my friends as talented mommy's and watching our kids play together.

When the kids were off to bed, we had a hot tub and pedicure party!

The last night of festivities culminated with the official class reunion at the one-and-only Turf Club (hole in the wall?). Only in Twin Falls...

The girls all glamorized!

The supportive husbands banding together! They all get along well so we didn't feel bad leaving them to chat at the table while we socialized.

It was also great to see my sweet friend Nysje. Her mom was my dance teacher from age 8 until graduation and we were in the same group, so we spent many, many, many hours at the dance studio together. Love her!

This is what Mike felt like after too much bad (hilarious) karaoke. Nothing late-night ice cream couldn't fix!

So...... ten years, BYU under my belt, a sweet husband, and two beautiful daughters later, I am pretty happy with the way things stand. Until 2020!

Since You've Been Gone

Ella was sad to see Maddie go. After we dropped her off she kept saying, "Maddie Joy School. Maddie have fun!" Her world inevitably revolves around Maddie, but it's moments like this that make you realize they like it that way.

We started our weekly time alone off with a bang. Ella is about the age Maddie was when I started doing weekly letters with her, so I thought "why not?" I got out Maddie's book and we looked through them all, talking about the alphabet, colors, and textures as we went. Speaking of being floored, I am floored that my baby already knows so much.

I don't know what triggered it, but she started requesting to paint. So we got out the designated paint shirt and started making a chocolate chip cookie for the letter C.

(Want to see Maddie's first letter? Here.)

When she got sick of painting we made chocolate chip cookies. My girls love to help me in the kitchen, but it was fun to see Ella be more involved without Maddie overshadowing her.

Behold the joy of baking with toddlers. It really was a joy.

Oh boy, I've got Joy!

Maddie started Joy School yesterday! They were asked to bring Show and Tell for the first day, so when I asked her what her favorite toy was, she said her Ladybug Girl costume. I thought it was the perfect thing to show her personality. Ladybug Girl can do anything! (More history on the subject here.)

We had to take the official first day of school picture by the front door. The day was shiny and bright and full of promise. I am really floored that Maddie is already old enough for Joy School. See, I remember going to Joy School with my sisters when my mom taught it 25 years ago. I recently ordered my curriculum and as I was going through it I got a flashback of Gunny Sack eating my toys, like it was yesterday. I turned on the music for Maddie and I can still sing along... "Oh boy, I've got joy, I do I do..." Another weird thought keeps creeping into my mind. I am now as old as my mom was when I started having memories of her. It makes me feel old in a way, but it also makes me feel closer to her, because we can relate on a new level.

This is what Ella thought of Maddie leaving.

"We're in the Joy School, Joy School, Joy School! We are the children of our Joy School!" Sorry, I keep having songs pop into my head. Here's the whole group (+ one little brother). Yep, Maddie is the only girl. So far she hasn't said anything, and I don't think she minds at all because she was already good friends with Preston and was excited to be there with him.

We missed her a lot while she was gone, but I think she had a great time! She brought home ironed crayons and a picture of herself that one of the other boys drew.

I was proud to note she had written part of her own name. She has been practicing with sidewalk chalk but this is more official. Yay for Maddie!

The last few days...

We have been trying to squeeze more fun out of summer! I am in denial that it's over. When I was little summer seemed to last forever... and in Vegas summer does last forever. This is the first year in awhile that I have noticed how short the northern summer season is. School buses and cooler temperatures keep reminding me.

We picked one of the last HOT days to go to the pool, since I hadn't taken the kids all summer! They were in heaven. Maddie is very independent with her life jacket on and ventured out on her own quite a bit. I think it's time for swimming lessons... and Ella has always been a little fish. I have to watch her carefully because she doesn't always know her limits!

The rest of the week was spent working on my new calling as the Nursery Coordinator in my ward. We have 3 nurseries with 90 kids total, and it needed a lot of work! I put together some new games to spice things up a bit, and the kids tested them for me. They loved this one with bean bags--I asked them to throw their bean bag at certain shapes and colors (cut from felt).

Then we balanced them on our heads and tried walking with them between our knees. It kept us entertained for a little while. Precisely the point!


I made some play dough for the nursery kids too--so easy and fun!


Next week JOY SCHOOL begins! Maddie is really excited, but I am wondering if am ready to start the school schedule?! Up until now, I have always been on my own time as a mom, but here begins the next 20+ years of answering to a schedule! I'm sure we'll adjust, and I am actually looking forward to having some time alone with my little Ella Bella. It will be good for us all.

My (little) Ballerina!

This is a day a mom always dreams about...

the day her daughter will start ballet classes! Today was "Bring a Friend Day" so Maddie invited her little friend Audrey.

Actually last week was her first time, but my camera battery was dead. My friend Angee kindly sent this picture to me. Her daughter Karlee is Maddie's ballet buddy for the year! We are so excited to do this together.

Teacher Becca guided the girls in on high tip toes. Maddie already worships her.

Here are some cute things they did. They fly like butterflies with their knees, paint their toenails, splash with their feet, do kissing heels (first position), and my favorite are rainbow plies (they bring their arms down from fifth to second as they plie.)

I have to say I am very impressed with Maddie's ability to follow directions and execute instructions. Sometimes she has been shy in situations like that, but she seems to be very comfortable. Seeing her point her little toes and stand with her little feet turned out just melts my heart!

At the end of class they line up by these carpets and work on a sequence. They start with a bouree (sp?) turn, then a rainbow plie, then run on high tip-toe to the end, do an arabesque, and wake up Sleeping Beauty (the girl who went before). It's very cute.

Teacher Becca was distracted on Maddie's turn but you get the idea.

The girls were happy to wish a class-mate Happy Birthday. Chocolate cupcakes--no problem! :)

Songs by Ella

It's a Jungle in Here!

Maddie always asks to do crafts, so that's usually the way I introduce a theme. We started jungle week making lots of animals!

Elephant

Giraffe and monkey

Bird

At this point we went to the library for help. We found The Jungle Book (book and movie), and two Jungle back pack kits, one with a lion puppet and The Tawny Scrawny Lion, and the other a monkey puppet with a monkey book. We love the library!

The next thing on the agenda was a safari, and every adventure needs a map!


I hid all our jungle animals around the house and gave the girls binoculars to find them.


Ella really learned a lot this week. It was so fun to hear her say the names of the animals and make the sounds for each one. She is getting so big and smart.

This time we actually finished our week with a field trip to the zoo! (I had a lot of other field trips planned for the summer but they fell through for various reasons... )

Monkeys

This is baby Zuri snuggling her mama. I thought it was so sweet! She turned 1 the day after we visited.

Rhinos

Giraffes

Check out how close we got!

Tigers

Leopard

Of course we had to ride the carousel. Maddie picked the ladybug (big surprise).

Ella was content with this cat of some kind.

When I asked the girls what their favorite thing at the zoo was, Maddie said the carousel. Go figure!