57 months

School is great and there was a lot of exciting things this month. There is a little garden area out on the playground the classes finally got around to planting, C's class planted an herb garden full of  Spicy Basil, Thai Basil, Oregano and Rosemary, I can't wait until they send some home and we can cook with it (maybe not the spicy basil but everything else). The kids had their annual trike-a-thon for St. Jude's and C chose to take J's scooter in lieu of her bike. She scooted around the course and surprisingly with all the maniac bikers that were out there she only fell down once. We need to get this kid riding a big bike! They made pumpkin pie in class one day and got to put all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and then got to smash it all together, C said she tried it but didn't like it, I wish she would have brought it home for me! The two VPK classes had their annual Thanksgiving Feast, they sang a couple of cute songs and then we ate all the delicious food the families brought in. C has been doing very well with her manners of late, saying "yes please" and "no thank you" almost religiously now, I know I have her teacher to thank for this, maybe it will rub off on her sister!

Soccer came to an end with the last two games of the season. C didn't score and decided the last couple of games she wanted play goalie and the last game of the season let quite a few go by her, they lost the last game and their time of being undefeated was over! Maybe I need to get her a better hat, not sure she can see from under the Peppa Pig ball cap! She is going to try a basketball clinic after the first of the year and then we will try soccer again in the Spring, indoors this time and without daddy coaching.

The girls spent a day (and a night) with Grandma and Grandpa the Saturday after the last soccer game (and after they stuffed their face with giant donuts!). The weather was gorgeous and they took a trip to Sarasota Jungle Gardens, some place we hadn't made it to yet. They saw the flamingos, parrots, alligators and the swans. Of course a day with G&G is not complete without a trip to McDonalds and now Kona Grill should be added to that list, C loves to watch the fish in the tank. The next day Grandpa heated up the pool and the girls swam their little hearts out and played on daddy's old skateboard. Their new thing is lounging on the chairs while they eat their food (and getting Grandpa to wait on them), they are very posh! We joined them for a BBQ that afternoon followed by their first s'mores experience, they each got one and then we ran out of gas!

Nana came to celebrate Thanksgiving and J's birthday with us. The week she was here flew by and C chose to go to school instead of taking a hooky day to spend with Nana. We had a nice and quiet Thanksgiving at home with lots of yummy food. The girls enjoyed watching the Macy's Day Parade while we cooked and then spent the rest of the day coloring and playing with each other. Nana helped to put up the tree (and outside lights) the next day, C loves looking at the ornaments and helping to decorate the tree, she does pretty well spacing the ornaments out, although she wants to group them all together by type.

 

J's birthday was the Sunday after Thanksgiving and we celebrated all weekend long! First with a trip to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday followed by a birthday BBQ Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  We had a great day in Disney and C was as good as gold and let J pretty much do all she wanted to since it was her birthday trip (I hope J remembers this when it is C's birthday!). She didn't want to ride with us but watched patiently three times as we rode Thunder Mountain, we could see her with a big smile on her face and waving at us as we turned the last corner. After our last ride as we got off and walked over to her she looked at Julia and in the sweetest little voice said to her "J you looked really happy", it melted my heart and I couldn't believe that came out her mouth, she is really surprising me of late with her politeness (when she isn't throwing a tantrum!). C enjoyed sitting on the patio at Tony's and singing and shaking her booty to the parade. G&G bought her her first pair of Minnie Ears, a sparkly rainbow pair that she wore the rest of the day. We had a fun filled day with lots of laughs and love which we all needed. Sunday when J woke up she couldn't wait for her presents and C couldn't wait to give her the gift she had picked out for her. J shook the package and guess it was a new Cabbage Patch Kid, C looked at her (again with a big smile on her face, if she isn't throwing a tantrum this kid is always smiling, even with her eyes) and said "you'll have to open it and see". She was so proud of the gift she got her sister knowing how excited she would be to get her new boy baby. Later that day we BBQed, the girls swam and we celebrated J some more. Not once did C say no fair or throw a tantrum that she didn't get a gift, she was happy to sit beside her sister and let it be her day!

The biggest highlight from the month is C learning to ride her bike without the training wheels! We tried a couple of times, she almost had it but lacked confidence, and after going a couple of yards would stop and put her feet down and whine! After the trike-a-thon and seeing one of the other kids riding a two wheeler, her boyfriends mom and I decided to take the kids and teach them (or in our words make them do it), W was close too and maybe a little peer pressure would get them motivated!  At first she was a little afraid and was doing what she has done the last couple if times, putting her feet down and whining. I think when she saw that W kept on trying and was making it further each time she decided she would try harder (and not whine). So we practiced, practiced and practiced some more and within 20 minutes she was riding her bike and the look on her face when she finally realized she could do it was priceless, and of course she had that big smile! She was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to show/tell daddy (he was out of town) and J what she could do! We spent about an hour riding, finally taking to the sidewalk and she got better and better the more she rode, everyone who was in the park walking stopped to watch them and congratulated them for a big milestone. After we got home from picking up J we went outside to ride bikes so that C could show her what she learned, we also Facetime the grandparents, cousins and daddy to show them too! Everyone was so proud of her and she is the youngest of the bunch to learn, she makes it known that she beat J in riding her bike! Only problem is she can't start herself so mommy had to run back and forth and get her going every time she stopped, now we need to practice more so she can start herself! Two wheels before she is five is an accomplishment and we are so proud of you C! Mommy told you you could do it! Believe in yourself little one, you can do more than you think and are way to big for your britches. Another check off taking you from my little girl to a big girl just like your sister.

The month ended with breakfast with Santa at J's school. I wasn't sure how this was going to be but it was a great event put on by some of the dads at school. The kids had a great time, got to write note's to Santa before they saw him, we had a yummy breakfast with friends and then the three girls  marched by themselves up to see him, when we asked if they wanted us to go they said no that they had this! They talked Santa's ear off, they had plenty of time to sit and talk to him and not feel rushed. It was a great little event and I hope the school does it again next year, this is the way to see Santa!

Here are the pictures from the month.