February

January and February had a LOT of basketball games, which can be challenging when it comes to the girls.  JKK has been coming home early to stay with them, since most were away games.  The girls wanted to go to a game though, so FINALLY I took them with me and gave them a bunch of concession stand treats to keep them happy. ;)  They are such good girls and I don't have to worry about them misbehaving or running off.  Note: see this stuffed cat Millie is holding?  My cousin's wife, Kristen, was very nice and sent that to the girls after Jasper died.  Millie has really latched onto it.

Only cat child is bored.  She snuggles a bit more.  I think she misses cuddling up with Jasper.  We've talked about getting her a kitten to play with some day, but not right now since we are trying to sell our house.  Soon, Lily...

Funny story: I found this in Millie's backpack and it was an exercise about being kind.  The words she wrote at the top say "You find a note that calls another student a very bad name."  And then under it is the word slushonion.  I asked Millie "Is slushonion a bad name these days??", and she says no that word is SOLUTION. Ohhhhh, hahahaha.

Millie's class is learning about a lot of presidents this month!  Also known as prestents ;)  Isn't this drawing she made so great tho?!

And Syd's drawing is lovely too <3

While packing up the house, I found some old CDs.  This was a favorite tape of mine when I was little, and mom had it put on a CD for me.  The girls love it and want me to play it in the car nonstop.  So funny and innocent.  On top of spaghetti, and how much is that doggie in the window, and do-re-mi...

Look at this angel

Such troopers at basketball practice

100 days of school means you gotta dress up like you're 100 years old.  I struggle with anything dress-up related.  It's just not my gift.  But Millie was pretty pleased with how we put this together that morning.

carpool!

Millie's teacher had some sort of 101 celebration also where they made dalmation costumes and watched the movie.  Such a fun year for Millie!

Her dog name was Molly ;)

Sometimes when having a hard morning, I walk Syd into class.  She enjoys showing me around her room and which art and projects are hers.  She's still struggling with a bit of anxiety and has seen the school counselor a couple of times.  She starts tutoring after school this week to help with some work at school that she thinks she's behind in.  I don't think she really needs the tutoring, but if it makes her feel better, we are up for it!  She doesn't like feeling like she's failing at something.

This is a family quilt square she had to make for class, which tells our family's favorite activities and traditions.

On President's Day, when the girls were out of school, I took them to Chuy's to celebrate Millie's math progression.  She's been working so hard on her gumball math, wanting to get to multiplication.  She did it!  It was a fun little lunch, and I cherish those memories with the girl, celebrating the little things.

Earning those patches right and left!  Girl Scout World Thinking Day was pretty cool. There were booths from tons of different countries set up.  The girls had to go around and pay a dime to taste that country's treat or buy something they were offering.  Syd loved it!

It was really great for these two to be paired up - both shy and had never really talked before.  Now Grey and Syd are comfortable with each other and are friends at the meetings!

Troop 5163 at your service

Parent teacher conferences were interesting this time.  Millie's teacher said she's doing great on schoolwork and progressing how she should be, except her listening skills are terrible.  She has trouble knowing how to do an assignment or what to do next because she doesn't focus when the instructions are being given.  I was like gurrrrl, I know.  So we are working on having her repeat back our instructions at home to get her in the habit of listening better.  Unrelated: saw these cute pictures on the bulletin board outside where the kids had to pick a word for the year.

Dylan is adorable.

More girl scout fun: making girl scout build-a-bears with the troop!  Meet cookie!

We got our living room fireplace fixed and everyone is loving it.

Beautiful, Mills!

Feeling herself - she got to pick out something from the treasure box at school.  She picked these fancy earrings and wore them to the theater one day.

Saturday afternoon family outing in Fayetteville to see Frog and Toad in the theater and eat dinner on Dickson with these fancy girls

Just thought she was cute in this little ringer tee

bathtub wrestling?

Random gorgeous winter day means park time.  Monkey bar queen couldn't stop and her hands got sweaty and she ended up ripping her whole palm off from a sweat blister.

Unfortunately, right after the park was Syd's slime party that she won in a raffle.  She was allowed to bring 4 friends and she has been so excited about it!  I was so sad for her that she was in such pain and couldn't use her right hand.  I had to do her mixing for her, and she just couldn't recover her attitude.  Sigh...

Syd was so generous to bring along Millie and Bradley, and then of course Sawyer and Sabrina were first on her list!

Sometimes Millie reads the bedtime stories.  Sometimes Syd pays attention.

Rise and Shine!

Fun Friday Night at Young Chef's Academy for the girls and some friends!  They learned how to make pizza dough and made some little pizza pockets.  They also made cake balls, all while JKK went out to a lovely dinner on our own.

Everyone in Millie's class had to make a drawing with star stickers.  I'm unclear on the instructions, but Mrs. Harding said the class voted Millie's drawing as the winner!  Very creative

Syd has been busy whipping these up lately!  She's a natural crafter

Syd's little story made me smile

Sleepover dance routines with Dylan - apparently they stayed up until 2am, which makes for a very grumpy millie the next day

2nd annual valentines party with friends <3 This year only our AAA friends were out of school.  We played bingo for prizes, enjoyed fancy unicorn hot chocolate, and then danced their booties off. Pictured in the best pic of all time: Syd H, Sawyer, Syd K, Millie, Dylan, and James

Valentine's night, our little family of four went out to eat.  It was really lovely.

Syd REALLY enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries ;)

Guess who finally lost her first tooth??!!  She was so determined to get this one out before bed one night.  All three of us were crowded around cheering her on!  She did it all on her own!

To celebrate my dear friend Ashley's 40th birthday, we spent a weekend at Blackberry Farm outside of Knoxville TN.  It was pretty darn incredible.  The moment we arrived, we took off on a farm tour in the fresh snow!

Hello friends!

Sally the white donkey serenaded us all weekend

These baby lambs were just born that morning!  The tour was definitely MY kind of tour - looking at farm life and checking out all of the animals, garden, and cheese shop.

Because I had to leave for the airport at 5am and JKK has an early meeting every Thursday, the girls got a mid-week Nana sleepover.  She does everything and does it well - bathing them, feeding them, loving on them, and she even took them to school the next morning.  I loved receiving this still sleepy Syd pic with my old cabbage patch doll <3

JKK does everything and does it well too!  He planned a super fun outing after school on Friday to the brand new Momentary museum.  Special after-school snacks...lucky girls.

KK & Ashley, now both officially forty.  Mind-blowing!

It was the best girls weekend!  We hiked, we meditated, we ate gourmet farm-to-table food, we drank super great wine, and we laughed so much.  I made many new friends.  So thankful for the experience and Ashley's generosity to host us for her bday!

Missed these babies

While I was away, JKK got to watch Syd's class play about penguins and seals.  Syd was a seal and her only line in the play was to say "arr arr arr" (seal speak). Doesn't she look just like a seal?!  This picture will forever be one of my faves, I think.

It was superhero day at school this week, and in a surprising twist only Syd wanted to dress up.

But isn't she the cutest batgirl you've ever seen?!

This gal is getting extra love these days.

While packing up a closet, I found this tiny unicorn LOL doll that I bought for Syd's birthday LAST YEAR and then I hid it...and then I was never able to find it again.  Until now.  Yikes!  

It's a leap year!  On our extra day of February, which turned out to be beautiful, we went to Tulsa to see my dad and also his dad!  Papa Tyson is moving back to Arizona, so it was good to see him before he left.  We had a feast and played outside and enjoyed the day together.

Dad and I drove him home and I got to see my old stomping grounds.  Lake Keystone not looking too shabby!

Wicked cool, Mills!

Jasper's shrine on the mantle continues to grow.  :(  Everyone is doing better.  Millie is able to talk about him and smile.  Love her sweet tender heart.