Camryn and Aubrey: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!

We finished off our busy holiday weekend with *several* trick-or-treating adventures! We started at about 3 p.m. at Daddy's work, SSHS, where the high schoolers put on an event for the littles. By the time we were done there, the girls' treat bags were already literally overflowing, but we still had several stops to make!

We then headed over to Great Grandma and Papa's house for some more treats and a short visit. After that, we were off return to the Portland area, where we surprised our former next-door neighbors. They too, were so excited to see the girls, and rewarded them with full size candy bars(!) (Yikes, I can see the dental bills in our future!)

After that, it was time to head home for some yummy pasty pie, and then we hit the streets around our own neighborhood with Aunt Lacey and Uncle Dan. By the time we returned, the girls were exhausted, but couldn't fathom going to bed without sorting their loot. Aubrey practically could have swam in her pile, and Camryn just kept debating over whether small tootsie rolls could be grouped with large ones, and whether Smarties and SweetTarts were the same thing. Decisions, decisions... :) Both girls were very generous though, and kept bringing Brian and I bits and pieces of their pile, since we were obviously lacking in comparison. It was very sweet. :)

When I finally insisted it was time for bed, both girls were actually happy to soak in their bubble baths, and hit the hay. Camryn even said it was fun being a witch all weekend, but that she was looking forward to being "just Camryn again" tomorrow. I sighed and said, "Me too." :)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Kids' Halloween Party

During the school year, we miss our play group friends tremendously, so this year, we decided to set a date early to get the gang together for a Halloween party! Most of the crew came over in costume today, and we enjoyed seasonal treats, silly games, and lots of squeals and giggles. Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloween 2010

Hooray! Hooray! It's Harvest Party Day!

Today was the first in a string of special days to celebrate Halloween. The girls each had a party planned at their respective schools; A Harvest Party for Camryn, and a P.J. party for Aubrey. I took the morning off to volunteer in Camryn's class, and even though the girls were able to sleep in a bit, they both woke up early with anticipation! Before we left, I had to capture their attire on film. Can you believe they're going to school like this!?!?

Scary

Sweet

Ready for school!?

I was in charge of the spider cupcake station!

It was so fun to spend the morning with Camryn and her friends. They were all very sweet. By the end of the two and a half hours though, I was exhausted. I have no idea how her teacher does it every day! Thank goodness for Mrs. Doughty and her never-ending patience!!! :)

Preparing to be a witch

It's hard work to look this good (or bad!)

Before...

And after...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Parent/teacher conference

Tonight was Camryn's first-ever parent/teacher conference. Brian and I were both able to go, get a tour of her classroom stations, participate in activities with her, and also visit with her teacher.

Happily, she got a glowing report, with Mrs. Doughty stating, "I wish I had more Camryns in my class." Her assessments show her reading at about a 1.9 grade level (end of first grade), and her work was fantastic. We are so proud of her! Not surprisingly, the only "thing to work on" is knowing when it is a talking time, and when it's not(!) However, Mrs. D. also noted that with the new Math curriculum, and it's strong "Math Talk" component, it's kind of nice to have a student who's willing to share and talk about her work. :)

The other observation we made was C's status as a "social butterfly." Just steps inside the front doors of the school, she greeted her first friend, and as the night went on, she greeted by name at least half a dozen students in the hallway and library, several of which had to be in the third or fourth grade. When we asked her, "Who was that?" she would nonchalantly reply, "Oh, that was so-and-so. She's my friend." She struck up a conversation with the librarian, PE teacher, and several parent volunteers too, and pretty much marched around the building like she owned the place.

Overall, I think it's safe to say that she feels pretty comfortable at Deer Creek, and is continuing to love the learning she does there every day. Way to go, Camryn! :)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

French Prairie Gardens

We made a second trip to the pumpkin patch this weekend, this time to French Prairie Gardens with Aubrey's preschool group. Since we already chose our pumpkins last weekend, we spent most of our time visiting the animals, sliding down the giant slide over and over again, making our way through the hay maze, and riding around in the "pig train."

The most interesting part of the day had to be witnessing the pig races(!), but Aubrey's favorite part was visiting the sheep, goats, and "Llama, Llama" (a favorite book character) several times. It was a beautiful fall day, and the girls were exhausted by the time we left. :) Lots of fall fun with friends!