Valentine's "Dance"

We've been talking about Valentine's Day and all the fun things the girls get to do this week at school.  Unfortunately some of the fun will be cut out from all the snow we will get Wednesday night into Thursday but hopefully they will get to exchange valentine's at least.  Payton has music class on Friday on Valentine's Day and her music teacher said they would partner up a girl with a boy and dance. We were asking her who she would want to dance with and she got all shy and wouldn't say anything.  Payton told Tung this afternoon that Reagan told her if she had to pick someone in her class to dance with that she would choose James because he is cute, sweet and he listens.  That is so funny to me because James really is cute and sweet, he always wears the same grey and lime green sweatshirt when I see him at school, it makes me laugh for her to say that he listens because if you know Reagan, you know she likes a good story.  I'm sure James has heard more than a few of these stories.

Peasant Dress

My cousin asked me to make dresses for two of her girls out of her husband's old Army uniform shirts.  I was nervous to cut them up, but he said he had more than he needed so just to go for it!  The dress she liked immediately made me think of the Perfect Peasant Dress, I have seen the pattern many times but had never made a Peek a Boo pattern before.  It was a lot of fun to make and the directions were so easy to follow! I loved finishing the sleeves and neckline with the elastic, but really need to invest in a bodkin, pulling it through the slim casing with a safety pin is hard on the fingers! I have already purchased the Lily Blazer pattern and cannot wait to make that for my daughter.

This dress is a  Size 5 for my little cousin Kenadie.  I hope she likes it.  I have one more to make in a Size 7.  I am going to make that one with the camo on the bodice and use the tan fabric for the skirt with a pink sash.  I also think I will make a pink flower to put around the neckline or to wear in their hair.  

Homework

Payton's homework last night was to ask 4 adults what they were afraid of so they could use the information today to do a graphing activity in Math.  Payton asked her Grandma, she said snakes.  She asked Grammy, she said spiders, I said I was afraid of flying and Tung said snakes.  We asked Reagan what she was afraid of, she said Monsters.

Reagan said to Tung this morning, "I know what you're afraid of Daddy, you're afraid to wrestle someone bigger than you because they would crush you".  Then Payton says "yeah, they would crush his glasses too" and then they both crack up.  I love when they both gang up on their Daddy to make fun of him, he needs a little joking back to balance what he gives to everyone else all the time!

Taylor Swift

I have a crazy love for all tween and teenage things.  I love all the Disney shows, the music, the kids themselves everything.  I especially love Taylor Swift. For a while I have wanted to see her in concert and have read she puts on a really good show.  In the past year or so I have wanted to see her even more, the girls love her and can sing the words to every song.  How can a 34 year old woman identify with what a 24 year old girl is singing I will never know.  Maybe it's just I wish I had some of her lyrics when I was in high school and it would have helped me understand others and myself more.  Music is just my thing and has helped me get through and understand a lot of thoughts that race in my mind.

Though crazy I really wanted to take the girls, Payton I knew would love it, Reagan too, she is a little young and I knew she would get tired (she fell asleep for a few songs near the end), but she couldn't be left behind, she would have been so sad. They both were so excited, we told them the night before, because I finally found tickets just the day before.

I made them t-shirts super quick in the afternoon.

Reagan wanted hers to say Red and Payton wanted Fearless

 We got there early, I had 2 pairs of tickets in the same row, so we had to ask others if they would mind trading seats with us so we could be together, 2 girls agreed no problem, so we could sit together.

Tung gets a medal for going with us to an arena full of screaming girls.  Bucket List Item crossed off.  Even if no one else ever understands it, I just had to go see her and I will always remember it!

He said he didn't need his picture taken, I did anyway

They gave out mini Diet Coke after the concert and we were so thirsty we let them drink it at 11:00 .

First Day of School

The day Reagan has waited for finally arrived, she was so excited about going to school and riding the bus! She stood outside for 15 minutes this morning asking when the bus was coming, she could hardly stand it. As soon as Mrs. Evans pulled up she ran right up the steps, she had to tell her to stop and turn around so I could take her picture!  She sits in the first seat right behind the bus driver.  Payton asked if she could sit with her but they all have assigned seats, and said maybe they could sit together later on.  When Reagan got off the bus this afternoon she sat and watched it drive away like she was so sad to get off and wished she could ride it longer, so funny.

They both had a great day of school, Reagan took a tour of the school and got to be the line leader because she is the shortest in the class! Payton got to search the school looking for Isabelle the Important Fish, they found her in their classroom the most important room in the school, they had to write about her and then got to eat the special snack she left for them, Hershey kisses. Payton's teacher Miss Altieri has an ocean theme for her classroom and she has taken it to the fullest extent, referring to everything in ocean/sea terms, it makes it a lot of fun.

 Payton picked out her outfit herself and her new scarf that goes with "practically everything" she says.  I'll never forget her saying that, so cute!

Reagan ate all of her lunch, we were worried about whether or not she would have time to eat it all and would she just eat her fruit by the foot, or if the sandwich would be gone? But she ate everything, she packed it herself and wanted to pack it again tonight she thinks taking her own lunch is a lot of fun!  Payton already wants to buy lunch tomorrow, they are having cheeseburgers.

I'm so happy they love school and it's so fun to see Reagan excited about being independent and doing things herself!  Before she went to bed tonight she told me that she was tired at school today, 15 minutes later she was asleep, she fell asleep the earliest tonight she has maybe ever, no nap at Kindergarten wore her out!

Carrying her backpack that is as big as she is!

Nabeel and Nazeem came to see them before the first day.

Taking care of her little sissy.