'Tis The Season

This weekend was full of exciting events and is continuing throughout the week!  I hope I do not forget anything or anyone!

Friday was Ethan's 2nd Grade Winter Party and his class also collected food for WARM food pantry and new hats/gloves for needy kids at his school.  Of course I am the party coordinator but this year I had a co-lead who is fabulous and wonderful volunteer parents so it was a breeze!

Then Friday night as our family tradition, we drove through the Fantasy of Lights at Alum Creek.  It is always so beautiful and nice to drive through and look at those lights!

Saturday evening Ethan had his first sleepover at his best friend Warren's house with his other BFF Aedan.  They had a blast and Warren's parents even gave them gifts to play with to keep them busy.  I was worried but he really had no issues.  Of course they did not go to bed until 2 am and get up at 8 am!  Crazy boys!

Sunday afternoon, went spent the day at my Parent's house for their Christmas and also my sister Jessie, nephew Tyler and niece Mandy.  We had dinner, open presents and I brought supplies to make our flat gingerbread houses!

Then today was the busiest!  This morning Ethan had rehearsal to be an innkeeper on Christmas Eve at our church.  Emma and her BFF Emily had an appointment as Sweet & Sassy for go see Annie at the movie theater and get makeovers!  Erik took Ethan and I took Emma and Emily!  Fun had by all!

Then we ran over to W.A.R.M. to deliver Ethan's 2nd grade food drive items.  They collected 25 lbs of food!  Very proud of those kiddos!

Dancing & Decorating

This past weekend, Emma danced in her 4th show of The Westerville Christmas Spectacular for her dance studio.  It is always a little stressful week but she does well and loves every minute of it.  The dancers start rehearsing at the end of October until the show which is the first weekend of December.  There are 6 shows total.  Last Friday, the dancers perform 2 shows during the day for the community for fee...such as other schools come to watch, nursing homes, etc.  Then Friday night is a full performance and 3 on Saturday.  I help out backstage for most of them but Emma now does not need me as much so I mostly help out the little ones!  Emma did great and we are very proud of her!

Then on Sunday afternoon, we baked and decorated our annual Christmas cookies for friends and neighbors.  The kids love doing this every year and we will continue this tradition!

Trees & Turkey

Well this weekend was a whirl wind of events but fun!  Erik took a couple days off to help me put up the Christmas tree and decorations.  I still went to work but it all got done!

Friday Emma had her 2nd school "dance" and she had a blast!  I still cannot believe she is in middle school!  Here is a pic of her before she went to school.  Her dances are right after school from 3-5 pm and it is meant to just have fun...not a "date" thing like it was in the 80's for me!

Saturday Emma had her Christmas show rehearsals from 8:30 am to 5 pm and Ethan went to the movies with his Nana to see Big Hero 6!  So Erik and I did a couple of errands and just watched the OSU football game and napped!  Best day ever!

Sunday we attended church and Ethan made his Chrismon (angel) for the church Christmas tree.  He loves making them each year and hanging them on the tree!  I still have all of Emma's ornaments she made each year at church!

We also attended our annual Turner Thanksgiving dinner!  My step-dad's family gathers at my Great Grandpa Turner's party house for the celebration.  I cannot believe he is 96!  You go Pa!

Here is a pic of my parents, sister, niece and Erik and my kiddos!

Trick or Treat

This past Friday was Ethan's fall party for 2nd great and I was Room Mom.  I had a ton of parent volunteers so it made my job so easy!  Fun was had by all!

Then Friday evening was Trick or Treat!  However Emma had choir rehearsal for her Christmas show from 4-5 pm and then I ran her over to her friend Emily's house so they could go together.  Ethan went with his friend Warren in our neighborhood.  It was cold and rainy but Erik worked from home so he suffered with me taking the boys around!

Sunday afternoon we went to my friend's son's 9th birthday party.  He had a Mr Game Room truck and Ethan loved it of course.  Emma however also learned how to use a "real" bow and arrow and wants a small one for Christmas.  Not sure on that one since she has a Nerf one but we will see!

Midnight Madness & Candy...

This past weekend was a lot of fun!  Friday night Emma danced in her final Westerville 4th Friday performance of the year.  She performed some of her new competition dances AND it was not cold this year!  She did very well considering they are still working on them!

Then on Sunday we were in a Trunk-N-Treat with our church.  I made a monster out of our trunk and passed out candy.  Emma helped with games and attend a middle school party afterwards.  Ethan had has best friend Warren come and they jumped in the bounce house, played games and had lots of fun.

Boo!

This past Friday night I took the sillies to Boo at the Zoo.  They had the day off from school (me too) and after our family room carpet was installed, we got dressed in our costumes and headed out.  Erik was working and wanted to cut the grass so we left him here.

I wore a witch hat, Emma has a corpse prom queen and Ethan as a ninja veterinarian  Yes, why you ask?  Why not?  He was a ninja last year and still wanted that but received a "vet/dr" outfit for his birthday so both it was!  He is a striving vet some day so that was that!

Kids had fun visiting animals and of course getting candy at the treat stations.  It was a nice night and not too crowded!  It was a win-win!

Weekend fun!

Last weekend was another busy one!  Saturday night I had my annual Girls Night Out for March for Babies at my house!  I had a ton of direct selling consultants with food, drinks and fun.  Emma stayed at my house to hang out with some of her friends and Erik took Ethan to dinner and Toys-R-Us.

 On Sunday, we decided to sleep in and go to a pumpkin patch.  We went to Freeman Farms in Galena, OH close to our home.  The kids have fun picking out pumpkins, riding on the hayride and petting some farm animals.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Erik needed to get some work done.  The sillies and I headed outside for some soccer and trampoline fun.  

Goooaallll!

Last night was Ethan's last game for U8 with WASA fall season.  He had a great time with all his soccer friends and they played really well!  We hope to see them all again in the spring!  Way to go Golden Dragons!

Busy Beavers...

My kids always seem to have a busier social life than mine but that is okay since I did at their age's too!  Friday after school Emma had her first middle school "dance".  They called it a "Night Out".  The school had a DJ, games, food, karaoke, etc.  This is to make it so kids do not have to just dance and NOT have it boy/girl dancing as well....thank goodness.  This was NOT like my dances in middle school where it was boy/girl dancing and slow dancing too!  I did not chaperone this time since Emma had a dance performance afterwards but maybe at one of the next 2 dances...lol!  She had a great time with her friends and did dance a little but I think she gets embarrassed dancing in front of her non-dance friends than at her dance performances.

Ethan also had a Walk-A-Thon to raise $ for technology devices for his school.  I was working but got to walk his class over to the track so I took a few pics.  He had a great time and the school raised a lot of $!

 Then Friday evening Emma danced at 4th Friday in Westerville 2 dances from the previous school year her last time!  She had a hip-hop song and her favorite tap.  It was a great day but exhausting.

Emma and I had to get up early so she can have breakfast at her dance studio to meet her big dance sis!  This will be her mentor for the remainder of the school year.  She had a great time and also had to audition for 2 dances for the Christmas show this year.  We are keeping our fingers crossed!

Emma & Addie

Fall has arrived!

We are finally getting some fall temps even though it is truly not fall yet.  However on my watch, the kids are back in school so it is time for fall!

Ethan has started U8 soccer this fall.  He loves this sport and even gets to be goalie!  This is his position and has some mad skills!  Who knew???

We also went to Lynd's Fruit Farm this past Saturday to pick some McIntosh apples.  I always want to pick the Honeycrisp but that is this coming weekend and you have to be there before they open and wait in those crazy lines.  We like most apples so the ones we picked were great with us!  I plan to do some apple recipes with the gazillion that we gathered!  Wish me luck!

Summer is almost over...

With the kids back in school and me back to work, we are still used to our new schedule.  Emma now gets up an hour earlier and walks to her bus stop by herself (me watching from the garage).  Ethan is also getting up a little earlier but both are doing well.  Now I am still sleepy but will work it out.

Emma also has dance 3-4 nights a week and Ethan is starting soccer and he will have soccer games 2 days a week.  So now I am the Mommy cab running from dance studio to soccer game and making sure we eat and homework is done.  Crazy stuff but my kids love it!

We celebrated Buckeye's 2nd birthday at the beginning of the month with some special toys.  I know it is silly but the kids are in love with him!  Now that Emma is 11, she is more moody and emotional.  Buckeye will climb on her bed and she can pet him and it makes her feel better!  He also sleeps with Ethan at night and he loves to cuddle!

This past weekend, Emma and her studio performed their previous year's dances for Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Grove City, OH and a festival in Sunbury on the same day!  Here are some collages...

Summer Vacation & School Starts!

The summer seemed to fly by so quickly.  Maybe due to we were so busy having fun!  I love being home with my kiddos and enjoy every second of their summer!

The last week of July we took a vacation to HHI, SC which is our favorite place.  Emma and Ethan have a blast their and request to go their each year.  We also celebrated Ethan's 7th birthday at the beach!  Here are some pictures of our fun time...

Then last week school started for the kids and work for me!  Emma is in 6th grade middle school and Ethan in 2nd grade.  Both love school and Emma is really enjoying middle school.  Hoping for a great school year!