UPWARDS HAS STARTED

This is Trent's first year playing basketball, he is super excited to play!  He isn't sure how to control his body or his energy so it can be very funny to watch.  They had their first game on Saturday and they won!

It took some elbow bending but we got Sydnee to sigh up for something.  We didn't care what she did (between basketball or cheer leading) but she was going to do something, she picked cheer leading.  She was being a stinker and when people where talking to her about it she would say "My Mommy made me do it."  We are now 2 weeks into and she is LOVING IT!

Report Card Day

I am going to show everyone my humble side here.....I HAVE THE BEST KIDS EVER!

Both kids have been working very hard this school year and it has been a challenge going from one school district to another.  Plus when Paul and I moved we made it a priority to move into the best school district in this area but what that means is they have every high standards.

After about 5 minutes this was the best picture I could get.  His friends were waiting outside for him to go "Riding."

Language Arts                    91% (A)

       Mathematics                87%      (B)             

Characteristics of a Successful Learner     ALL SATISFACTORY

Science         95%  (A)

Social Studies           92% (A)

Mr. Kendall has also upgrade Trent's AR (this is the reading program that this school district uses) level.  He started the year with a range of 4.0  - 4.7, this means that he was reading beginning year 4th grade books, to 4.7 - 5.6.  He was very excited because this means he is at grade level!  Trent has made the Honor Roll at his school and despite that look in the picture he is on cloud 9 about it.

Language Arts          P

Mathematics           P

Characteristics of a Successful Learner  ALL SATISFACTORY

Science        P

Social Studies         P

For those of you who do not remember from my previous post P means proficient at grade level.  Sydnee is also reading AR books and her level is 0.8 - 1.4.  This means that she is reading low level 1st grade books.

Sydnee's Christmas Program

For the last several weeks if you were in my house you would have heard Sydnee singing many Christmas carols over and over and over and over and over and over (are you getting my point?) again.  At first she started singing them soft and low but the longer she practiced them the louder and louder she got.  She wanted to make sure that she was could sing these backwards and forwards.

Thankfully, Aunt Susie and Uncle Gary every year sends Christmas outfits.  

The morning of her performance we got up extra early to make sure her hair was straight (she did not want any bumps in it) and that her clothes were winkle free (because Mrs. Davis told her that.)  The whole time we were getting ready she was belting out all of the Christmas carols she knew.  Doesn't she look pretty?!?!?!?!

She was in the second row and was so excited.

The program was a mix between carols and poems.  

She was so excited that she was bouncing off the walls and would not let me take a good picture.

Here she is while she is doing her solo in one of the poems.

Great job Sydnee.  She worked so hard and was so proud of herself!  We were very proud of her as well.  Trent was also very happy that she finally had her program.......because he was "sick of hearing the same songs all night every night." - Trent

A Real Snow Storm

       Paul and I crawled out of bed at 6:00 this morning to check outside and to our surprise everything was white.  Shortly after we found out that the kids were actually getting a full snow day!  The kids were so excited and at 7:00 this morning they wanted to build a snow fort.  I was able to hold them off until 10; it may sound stupid but I was thinking it would be warmer by then, it wasn't.

All of us were socked to see that we actually have several inches of snow on the ground when we opened the garage.











     



Stella was NOT happy about being put outside, apparently she prefers 90 degree weather.

Even while playing in the snow she has to be girlie!

Heaven forbid my boys dress weather appropriate!  We are lucky the young one is in boots and a winter coat.

       No one had there eyes open because it was snowing so hard.  I took this picture 4 times but with all the snow flakes coming down and the wind we were destine to take a bad picture.

      We were going to play outside but after 10 minutes of having the snow blown into our faces we were all frozen solid.  We decided that a Star Wars marathon and hot chocolate was better suited for the day.

Sugar, Ten 6 Year Old Girls and a Cotton Candy Machine.....

   



       In true Allen form we can not have a birthday party without a winter storm.  For the last 3 days the buzz around town was about the wind/snow storm we were going to be hit with, the buzz in the Allen house was about Sydnee's birthday party.
      Sydnee was very worried that we were going to cancel her party so when it was finally here she was so EXCITED.  She decided to move a "Drive In" movie theme and have it at the Bridge Building at church.  We made cupcakes, girl band christian music, cotton candy and watched her favorite movie.

Sydnees favorite movie is Mickey's Once upon a Christmas, how appropriate for this time of year.

After the movie and cotton candy we had cupcakes and ice cream sandwiches....you know just more sugar!

This hat was knitted for her, goes with her new earrings.

Sydnee's friends and family spoiled her roughen this year.

I would call this one happy 6 year old.  She got to spend the afternoon with great friends, lots of sugar and she was the center of attention.  Yup, it made Sydnee's day!

Decorating the House Prt 1

Yes you looked at that right.... it says part 1.  One may think that it is because we have so many decorations or even that our place is that big.....neither are correct.  We are so busy that we have to do it in parts, inside first than the outside.  Outside is Paul's least favorite part so that always take some time....

We were lucky enough to have some friends who had an extra tree that we could use this year.  To be honest it is the best fake tree I have seen in a long time.  Trent is great at fluffing.....

The best part of the tree.....

Sydnee wanted to put the angle on the tree.  I am pretty sure she wanted to do it because she felt that Trent had more stuff to put on the tree.  (Each kid gets to put on their own items.) When Paul tried to explain to Sydnee that it was because Trent was older she didn't find that an acceptable argument....

The Allen family tree is not one that you would find at Pier One or Dillard's.  We have colored lights because the kids love all the color and nothing matches.  A third of the ornaments are handmade from the kids and they are allowed to put them on the tree where they want.  All of this equals the Allen family tree.  The kids are always excited to see the tree complete.  I am very happy this year because I was actually able to put out all of my decorations.  We are all looking forward to seeing what the front of the house will look like.  Will post more later........

Jet Tub Night....

     The bath tub in our apartment in Oregon was the size of a match box.  We move to New Mexico and BAM we have a jet tub! Sunday night is called Jet Tub night, both kids love Jet Tub night.  Sydnee enjoys it because she feels like she is swimming and loves the jets because they are like waves.  Trent enjoys it because he has a room all to himself where he can blast his music and zone out.  Mom and Dad love it because we do not have to actually buy bubbles.  All that form is from shampoo!

Progress Report Day

Today was progress report day at the Allen house.  Needless to say Paul and I are very PROUD parents.  Sydnee is NP on; Language Arts, Math and Science.  If anyone was like me and has no idea what NP means I will save you the embarrassment of asking, it means Near Proficient.  I learned after having an awkward conversation with Sydnee's teacher; Mrs. Davids,  NP means that Sydnee is right where she should be and I should not worry.  (My kids have now been to 4 different school between preschool and private/public school and let me tell you---EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO TO THE SAME GRADING SYSTEM!  Just saying...this Momma gets confused.)  She is P in Social Studies, which means Proficient, just in case you didn't caught that. (I didn't.)  The comment that Sydnee got was that she is doing great!







Trent has always had a love/hate relationship with school.  He loves recess, PE, math and lunch.  You know all of the important things.  He has always worked very hard for his C's.  This year it really feels like everything is coming together for him.

Lang Arts:  89.85% (B+)

Math: 89.15% (B+)

Science: 95% (A)

Social Studies: 91.67% (A-)

This I understand!!  Trent is doing awesome,  he is very proud of himself and all of his hard work is paying off!

The Epic of Sydnee's Hair.....

BEFORE

       For those of you who know my daughter I would bet that you would agree that she has no problem communicating what she wants.  When she went to the 3's program in preschool every little girl in her class had long hair, I am talking down to their mid-back section.  At that moment Sydnee decided that her bob she was rockin wasn't good enough.  Her hair MUST touch her butt before she would be happy.  For all of you mom's out there you will understand my reaction; "No, no, no, no, no way."  She proceed to look at me with these huge brown eyes and says "but Mommy my hair would look so pretty, PLEASE."  I caved.....
       As long as she kept her hair out of her face and did not throw a fit every time there was a knot in her hair she would be able to grow out her hair.  Sydnee has done a great job keeping her end of the deal up, I however did not think my end through at all!  Did you know that Sydnee has a ton of hair and that it is very thick.  This translates into; I have spent HUNDREDS of hours doing her hair over the last 2 years.  The day that I spent more time doing her hair then mine I made a plan.  I will out smart my daughter (she was only 4, it shouldn't be that hard) and talk her into chopping off her hair.........

AFTER

       Sydnee will be 6 on November 29th and every time we get her hair cut I start planting the "chop it off" seed.  (To be honest I have been shocked that I have not been able to talk her into it in 2 YEARS.  I would also like to say that this does not reflect on my "smooth talking" skill, she is just that stubborn!)  I have tried pointing out other little girls with cute shorter hair cuts, reminding her how many tangles she gets into her hair and how many hours we have spend sitting on the bathroom flooring doing her hair.  Her response has always been,"no" or "Mommy I keep it out of my face and do not throw fits about the tangles.  I just want a trim."  So to my disappointment....we trim her hair.  UNTIL YESTERDAY! YEAH! YES! RIGTH ON!  She was sitting in the Stylist chair, the Stylist asks her how much she wants to cut off.  Sydnee says, "up to here."  The Stylist had not been briefed on the Epic battle of Mom VS Sydnee's hair so she blindly says, "oh but honey your hair is so pretty.  Are you sure that you want to cut off that much?"  I ran across the room, before Sydnee has a chance to answer and bark "just do it NOW!".  Looking back I probably responded to harshly and am lucky that I was not kicked out of the salon.  After we left the salon and Sydnee had left 10 pounds of hair on their floor I asked why she was ready now to cut off so much.  This is what I was told, "Mommy I am pretty no matter what my hair looks like.  Beside you couldn't see my beautiful face behind all of it."  Self confidence is not going to be an issue.....WATCH OUT WORLD!