The Inception of Sunday Funday.

Sidney asked for another family meeting.  She really seems to enjoy organizing and facilitating these.  She posted an agenda at the beginning of the week for anyone to add items to.  Friday night, she held the meeting.  It was a pretty good idea.  We discussed topics ranging from Dad snoring in public areas (ha!) to the girls' request for Sunday Funday.  We decided that after dinner on Sunday nights, electronics will go off and we will have a game night.  Sounds like a great idea, but watch out, I am VERY competitive:) 

I took the girls to get their pictures Sunday morning.  I always get a birthday coupon for Kendall.  Since we already take school pictures in September, I let the girls have a little fun with the January pictures.  In honor of Sunday Funday, I am mostly posting the funny outtakes.  I will include a few others to demonstrate that it was not all fun and games.

I absolutely cannot stand the current fad of tongues hanging out.  So what did the girls do when asked to make a funny face?

 

Grandma Karen this is the one the girls thought you would like.

 

 

This picture was Kendall's favorite.  She made me order extra of these.

The Hockey Hat Trick.

The girls decided to participate in the library winter reading program over Christmas break.  The library partners with the Idaho Steelheads Hockey team to encourage kids to keep reading.  At the end of the break, they had earned an Idaho Steelheads hat and tickets to a game.  Kevin and I took them to a game last Friday night.  It was a beautiful night on the plaza.  I found myself watching them with such awe.  They are growing up to be such awesome young ladies!

 

We were fortunate to get good seats! 

 

The girls even decided to borrow Kevin's camera for a selfie with the Steelhead's mascot.  It still shocks me when Sidney seems up for this. 

This picture cracks me up.  I have no idea what Sidney is actually doing.  Kevin thinks she had a mouth full of popcorn.

The game was excellent.  There was lots of action, and the Steelheads scored 5 goals, winning us a Carl's Junior hamburger. 

The High Stakes of 'Puzzling'.

The girls and I decided to put a couple of puzzles together over the holiday break.  Kevin even joined in, though he was sure to tell me that puzzles are not at all relaxing for him.  We finished Kendall's puzzle in very short order.  She glued it together and we framed it for her room. 

Sidney loved the idea of doing a puzzle for her room as well.  She picked out a cool puzzle for us to do.  One might think that the risk of missing a piece at the end only applies to used puzzles.  That is not the case.  After several days of concentration and puzzling, we came to the end only to discover not one, but two, missing pieces.  UGH!  This was a brand new box.  How can it be?  We have come to the conclusion that either Bailey ate the pieces or they got sucked up in the vacuum.  We sadly tore apart this puzzle and gave the pieces to Sidney for crafting. 

 

A week later, my mom came up with the ingenious idea of gluing a button or some other funky object over the hole.  Oh well, too late now. 

My mom got the girls each a beautiful silver earring holder from Brighton for Christmas.  They love their new earring holders.  In order to hold their endless supply of earrings, I decided to scrounge up some old picture frames along with a plastic needlepoint canvas to make them a cheap, funky backup earring holder.  What a deal at 69 cents. 

 

The girls also got a pack of art canvases and some new brushes for Christmas.  Sidney jumped right in and made this cute painting for Rebecca. 

Sidney felt I needed a nametag for my home office.  One work morning, I walked upstairs to find this little gem sitting on my desk. 

 

After a long stretch of no missing teeth, Sidney lost two teeth in a row.  The second day, she asked if she polished up her tooth, did I think the tooth fairy would leave her extra money?  Hmmm. 

The Birthday Interview.

Here are Kendall's favorites at age 11.
 

What is your favorite color?  Navy blue.
What is your favorite toy?  Drone and slime.  They are tied.
What is your favorite fruit?  Pears. 
What is your favorite tv show or movie?  Harry Potter - all of them.
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  Beef nachos.

What is your favorite game?  Wrestling with Bailey.
What is your favorite snack?  Club crackers or goldfish.
What is your favorite animal?  Elephant.
What is your favorite song?  God Made Girls (by RaeLynn).
What is your favorite book?  Harry Potter.
Who is your best friend?  Kaylie and Rayah
What is your favorite cereal?  Honey Nut Cheerios.
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Tetherball.
What is your favorite drink?  Diet Pepsi and Sprite mixed.
What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas.
What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  Bunny and Ele-Phil-ant
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Grandmas's pancakes.
What do you want for dinner on your birthday?  Chicken and Dumplings.
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A lawyer.
I am very proud because…I am smart.
If I were President I would…I would just chill (hmm...).
I am afraid to…jump out of a plane into the middle of the ocean.
Name one thing you do really well?  School.
Describe what it means to be a good friend.  To be honest, caring and always being there.
What is your favorite time of day?  School time.
Describe your favorite hobby.   Drawing.
Climbing trees is…calming.
I wish there were a law that said…school could be all day, every day (except Saturdays).
What makes you feel sad?  Daddy not feeling good.
What makes you feel happy?  Friends and family.
Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go?  Everywhere.
If I could choose a different name, I would choose…Arianna.
Where do you want to go on vacation?  Texas, Florida, Hawaii.
What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?  Puzzle.
What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?  Snuggle.
What is your favorite thing to do with your sister?  Play school.

Here is to a new year!

Birthday Party on Ice.

Wow, Kendall turned 11 years old this year.  Where has the time gone?  The morning of her birthday, Sidney woke up super early to make her breakfast.  She found her a pretty plate, made her favorite pancakes and wrote a nice little message. She had also decorated a water bottle with painted puzzle pieces as a gift to Kendall, which she wrapped up in a pretty bag.  Then she waited, oh so patiently, for Kendall to wake up.

 

The night of Kendall's birthday, Grandma Terrell made her favorite dinner, Chicken and Dumplings.  It was delicious! 

To help celebrate her birthday, Kendall wanted to invite some friends over for dinner and ice skating.  She made these cute little chocolates for each of the girls.  It was her first time using the candy melts and molds.  There was a small learning curve on melting the chocolates and coloring them.  After that, she was off and running.

The girls enjoyed a feast of mummy dogs, fruit salad and chips.  The fruit salad was a huge hit.  We did not have a lick of it left at the end of dinner.

Kendall chose a cookies and cream pie, over cake, for her party.  I absolutely love watching them blow out their candles.  It is by far, the most precious birthday tradition for me.

 

After a good time at the house, we loaded up the car and headed to Ice World.  It was me against 16 ice skates.  I wish I was not so insistent on lacing them up tight.  However, I think that well laced skates make for a better and safer skating experience.

 

The girls were ready to go just in time to watch the Zamboni finish up.

 

They all did really well.  We only had one girl who had never skated before.  Clearly she had done a lot of roller blading, because she took to it very well.

 

The girls were all smiles, all night.

 

At the end of the night, we had a lot of tired girls.  Better for sleeping, my dear!