Generations PAC Parent Observation

Twice a year parents get to watch their dance students during a class. I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it! This year Aidan is taking a Ballet/Jazz Combo, and a Ballet/Tap Combo both classes are taught by Ms. Nicole(who we adore!) I have even been learning her dances with her and practicing them right along side of her at night! I wondered if she would be able to learn all of the dance and perform three times in the recital, but she seems to be catching on very well. Aidan's improvement since the observation days in the fall has been amazing, she has done a very good job and has been working very hard. Here are a couple of pictures from her Thursday Jazz combo class. Keep in mind that this girl will not take pictures currently without making this buck-tooth beaver face with her new adult front teeth...it drives me crazy! This class was constant motion...as you can tell from the progression of the pictures!On Friday's she has her Ballet/Tap Combo and normally there are only four kids in the class which I like because it is nice and quite in the waiting room! Aidan was starting to get sick, as you can tell from the pictures and did not make it through the whole class. By the evening she was running a high fever...poor baby...sometimes I like it when they are a little sick, they just seem to need me a little more.....

The Perfect Sunday

Perfect....a word used too much, to describe too little. However this day was almost perfect, the weather was beautiful, I was not consumed with school work and we had no where to be. I sat out on my lawn chair read a book and listened to my kids play. Blaise opened a flying air hog toy that he got for Christmas and managed to get it stuck on a roof in the first five minutes of flight, we eventually got it back. Blaise worked with Aidan to get her riding her bike much better, and he did an amazing job.That is just how much that she looks up to him for everything, we often hear her yelling for Blaise to help her in a given task. Aidan is definitely the princess in this house. I would not have done anything differently today....I would not want to be any other place on Earth, I love my family. I realize I included many pictures I just couldn't pick which ones to leave out!

Brownie Overnight Event

Aidan went to her first sleep-over as a Brownie. The older girl scouts sponsor the event for several Brownie troops.....which was held at Wilder Elementary. Isn't that cool? She got to sleep in the elementary school! We managed to scare her before she left by telling her to watch out for the leprechaun that her kindergarten class failed to catch the year before! I know that it is cruel...but oh so funny! The theme was Ancient Egypt and the girls got to do all kinds of fun activities...I had to work so I did not get to stay for the fun. Somehow Aidan managed to lose her jeans, after losing her jazz shoes the night before.....so to say the least she is driving me crazy!!!!!!! Here are a few pictures the the group leader sent to me.

Another Quarter Done

Winter quarter 2009 is finally complete....this one was a monster! I had many breakdowns over the last ten weeks...partially from sheer exhaustion, and partially from disappointing grades. This was the first quarter that gave me a real challenge. I took Organic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry Lab, and Multivariable Calculus IV. I spent so much time on OChem...I am just glad that I only have one more lab to go!

The great thing is that I had many wonderful friends that helped encourage me through the quarter...I don't think that it would have been as easy without them to study with, bitch/gossip about the professor to, and make trips to the North Market. The next two quarters will be exponentially easier....followed by two years of difficulty.

I thank my family for helping me to keep things together, I would not be able to attempt pursuing my dreams without them.

Momma's Favorite Winter Outfit

Wishful thinking...will I be able to put away our Winter clothes soon? That is the hope, so this morning I put Aidan in one of my favorite outfits for her this season. There is something about this sweet white sweater with little pink and red cherries and khaki's that are a little too big that I absolutely adore, and even better is that they both came from Once Upon A Child. Blaise was making her laugh...she is not usually a cheerful child in the morning.

Baseball Sunday

It is almost spring...and that means family fun outside! Here is Ohio you never know when you will get spring or if you will get a Spring at all. However today we got a little taste of spring weather. Matt took us to buy brand new baseball gear for the upcoming season...and today we got a chance to try it out. It is Finals week for me and I needed a break from studying to clear my head...and it really worked. Here are a bunch of pics from our afternoon at the baseball diamond.

Westerville's Fourth Annual Lego Competition

Legos, Legos, Legos everywhere.....what would Mom's do without Legos? They have been an endless source of entertainment for my kids since they were old enough to know not to put them in their mouths. Except for the occasional Lego in the vacuum cleaner...we have thoroughly enjoyed building blocks of all kinds. Westerville has had a Lego competition for the last four years, we have not participated until this year....it was very well organized and enjoyable to be a part of.

The event was held at Heritage Middle School which is the middle school that I went to...so it was quite a walk down memory lane...I was even able to show Matt my eighth grade class picture.

Blaise is a fantastic builder...he has built Roller Coasters, Star Wars everything, Bionicle figures, castles etc. We have thousands of Legos and for him and that still isn't enough! He is really good at looking at the directions of as much as 1000 piece moving sets and he puts them together, with great focus and attention without any help!


I thought the the Lego Competition would be great fun for him....we had a rough start because my boy is not the most organized of kids and we had to pull apart all of the Legos that he brought(even though I had told a week in advance to make sure it was done!) I had only had a few hours sleep and was to say the least very cranky...but he had a great time! Aidan was bored stiff as she put it so next year I think that I will register her too! Here are some pictures of the event.

Report Card Time

It is officially the end of the second trimester in the Westerville City School District. This is the first year that they have had a trimester, rather than a quarter system. Aidan has improved immensely since the beginning of the year...her teacher's comment was that she is a joy to have in class, but that she needs to work on being too social during morning work. That copy is a carbon copy of every elementary grade card that I ever received.

Blaise had wonderful marks and Mrs. Bartlett said that he is almost the perfect child (which is a direct quote). Both kids have done a wonderful job this year on homework and organization.

Aidan's Favorite

Aidan recently recieved this watch in a McDonald's Happy Meal...and she hasn't taken it off since! Of course she has a million expensive toys to play with but she loves the one that was free...go figure!

Blaise's Fourth Grade Musical

Bubby had his Fourth Grade Musical last night. In Westerville all fourth graders get to learn how to use a recorder, which they did very well. They also did lots of singing and dancing, the most impressive was the song where they sang about all fifty states. Blaise has had a music program every year since he was in first grade, we are very lucky because it is optional for the music teachers. For instance Aidan will not have the same memories, I'm not sure if her elementary school has one at all, (another gripe another blog!) Blaise only has one more elementary musical, and I find myself getting a little more nostalgic and weepy to see him growing so fast. I was fighting back the tears, I'm incredibly proud of him and I wish the I could move in slow motion for the next few years!

Blaise and his best friend Justin......and with a good friend Nick

Family Survey

Matt thinks that I am a total dork, but I decided to take a family survey! I wasn't very good at keeping up with the babybook and this is the next best thing. I will give the survey again from time-to-time so that we can keep up with our changing preferences.

Me (Shannon)

Favorite TV Show: Real Housewives of Orange County

Favorite family activity: bed time stories...I love to read them the classics

Favorite Sport: College Football...Go Bucks

Favorite color: shades of purple...and navy/white color combo

Favorite video game: N/A not my thing!

Favorite Superhero: Edward Cullen

Favorite Food: BBQ Chicken melt, brussel sprouts, loaded potato soup, chili...all of these have to be my recipes

Favorite Dessert: Hawaiian cake...but there are too many to list

Favorite Movie: Cold Mountain, Step-mom, 27 Dresses

Favorite Animal: Gorilla...that's why I have Matt

Favorite city: Southern Shores, North Carolina

Favorite drink: Diet Cherry-Vanilla Dr.Pepper

Favorite Book: Pillars of the Earth/ World Without End

Dream job: Nurse-midwife or Math Professor or both

Matthew Wayne

Favorite TV Show: College Football Live/ Cops

Favorite family activity: Zoo

Favorite sport: College Football...Go Ducks

Favorite color: Black

Favorite video game: Call of Duty

Favorite Superhero: Wolverine

Favorite Food: Pizza, Lasagna, anything on the grill

Fav dessert: cheesecake

Fav movie: Black Hawk Down

Fav car: 1969 Camaro Supersport

Fav animal: Siberian Tiger

Fav City: Denver Co

Fav drink: Crown and Diet Coke...which he is not allowed to drink

Dream job: US Marshall

Blaise Patrick

Fav TV Show: Common Rider Dragon Knight

Fav Book: My Weird School

Fav Family Activity: Board Games

Fav Sport: football

Fav color: red

Fav video game: Lego Star Wars

Fav Superhero: Batman

Fav Food: Punkin Pie

Fav Dessert: Reese's Ice Cream

Fav junk food: BBQ potato chips

Fav car: Bumblebee

Fav animal: Lion

Fav drink: Cola

When I grow up I want to be a teacher.

Aidan Tiffany

Fav book: Dr. Seuss

Fav TV Show: Zach and Cody

Fav sport: swimming

Fav color: pink and purple

Fav superhero: Batman

Fav Food: Chicken nuggets

Fav Dessert: Chocolate Cake

Fav junk food: cheese balls...see picture

Fav animal: Cheetah as in Chester

Fav drink: 7-up

Fav video game: Littlest Pet Shop

Fav Movie: All of the Barbie movies

When I grow up I want to be an author

This blogging is so fun! Look for more surveys soon and updates to this one in the future!