School's In Session

After a month and a half break, school is back in session for the kids. We had a great summer of BBQ's, get togethers with friends, bowling, a day spent at Cowabunga bay water park, scout camp and a trip to Lagoon with Aunt Misty and Uncle Rex and a few house projects that kept us busy. I can't believe how big the kids are getting. Kaleb is in 5th grade and wasn't too excited to be starting a new year. I attribute that to his age and the teenage hormones kicking in. Karmindy, however, was so excited to be starting 2nd grade! Both kids were assigned to A track this year and both the kids got assigned to have some great teachers. Kaleb has Ms. Bator as his teacher this year and is in a portable outside the school since Midas Creek Elementary is growing and running out of room. He was excited to be out in a portable the first few days but the "coolness" factor quickly wore off once he realized that they have to leave the portable and get a special badge  that grants them access into the school to get a drink or go to the bathroom [since their isn't a bathroom or drinking fountain out in the portable]. I don't think he will like the portable come Winter time either since they will have to trudge out in the cold and snow to go into the school for bathroom breaks, lunch and drinks. The schools entrances minus the main entrance remains locked during the day due to safety reasons.

Karmindy got Mrs. Butikofer for her teacher this year and I think she is the perfect fit for Karmindy. Mrs. Butikofer has her credentials for additional training in reading and math, two areas that Karmindy seems to love but struggles a little with. I am glad she has a teacher that can help her do well! After attending back to school night this past Thursday, and getting to know both the teachers a little better, I am confident that both of their teachers will be great fits for the kids and they will be receiving the best education.

In addition to the kids starting school and starting a new chapter in their lives this year, I have also started a new adventure and applied for a job at Midas Creek Elementary[the kids school] and I am spending 2 hours a day helping out in the lunch room during lunch time as a Lunch monitor. I have been wanting a small part time job to get me out of the house since the kids are gone all day to break up the day. This week was my first week and I really enjoyed it. I work from 11:30 to 1:30 everyday. I oversee the kids helping out in the lunchroom, stock napkins, silverware and lunch trays, help with safety, keep the fruit and veggie bar stocked and cleaned and help with some small cleanup after the kids/grades have all gone out to recess to play. It is a fast 2 hours and I have enjoyed it. The only downside to the job is that it falls smack dab in the middle of my day, so before work I don't have time to get too much done and after work, I just want to sit and recoup before the kids get home from school and the business of homework, piano/dance practices, and extracurricular activities and dinner begins. Over all, I am liking the new opportunity and the out it gives me. The extra money isn't bad either!

Each year, I have tried to make a little collage of the kids on their first day of school which includes them in their new school outfit on the first day and their favorite things. Here are a few pictures of the kids on their first day of school.

Kaleb with a couple of his friends on the first day of school. LTR; Damion Ohlson, Aidan Dressen and Kaleb.

And last but not least my sweet baby girl, she was so incredibly excited for her first day of school!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!

The kids arrived home from school one afternoon this week, with some exciting news to tell me. They were both beaming!! Kaleb and Karmindy both shouted, "Mom, we won!" Karmindy proudly held up her puffy heart shaped pen and Kaleb held up his brand new scooter! The kids have a reading program at school and depending on how many minutes of reading they do each week they get to put their name into a drawing to win prizes at the end of each quarter! They both had won prizes and were so excited! I don't blame them because we really never win anything as a family!  I was so proud of them both. I was also so very proud of Karmindy who even though her prize was a lot smaller was equally excited that her big brother won one of the big prizes. I sure do love my kids and all the hard work they put into their studies at school. They are both such hard workers and are doing really well this year in their classes. Mark and I work with them at home and that makes a huge difference but I also know that their love for learning stems from having great teachers! Great job Kids!

Wax Museum

One assignment that all 3rd graders at Midas Creek Elementary have to complete is the Wax Museum. The students choose someone that they want to learn about and then are asked to do a written report, oral report then participate in the Wax Museum. At the Wax Museum, the kids have to recite a 30 second diddy about the person they are reporting on. The kids are also asked to dress up as the person they are reporting on. Kaleb chose Abraham Lincoln to report on. Kaleb worked so hard on his written report and oral report. I helped Kaleb make a stove pipe hate to wear with his black suit and bow tie. He really looked the part and played the part of Honest Abe. We are so proud of Kaleb and how hard he works at everything that is asked of him. Way to go Dude!

Mittens and Homework....

I am always amazed at what Karmindy comes up with. I would love to be able to peer into her brain sometime and see what she is thinking and why she comes up with some of the things she does. There is never a dull moment around the Frisbey's when Karmindy is around! After begging nagging one afternoon for Karmindy to get up to the table and get her homework done, she finally obliged. She told me her hands were cold and she would be right back After a few minutes, I went to check up on her and found her up to the table with mittens on doing her homework. This little one cracks me up and always knows how to make me smile. I hope she never loses her creativity and whit.

Room Mom Halloween Party

 This year, I volunteered to be Karmindy's Room mom for her kindergarten class. It has been so fun to not only volunteer and help out with centers every other week but it has been very fun to plan her class parties. I have really enjoyed it and Karmindy has enjoyed having me come into her class room to help out. On the day of Karmindy's party I had several fun centers for the kids to rotate around too. The kids played boo bowling where they rolled a Styrofoam pumpkin into paper towels dressed up like ghosts, the kids made spiders out of paper plates, ate donuts and apple juice, read a spooky Halloween Story and colored cute coloring pages. The kids had such a fun time and seemed to enjoy all the centers that I had planned. I love being a room mom and hope to be Kaleb's room mom next year!

Picture Day at School!

I can't believe how big the kids are getting! They are growing up right before my eyes. I wish I could just make time stand still and enjoy these years and make the moments last a little longer. I sure do cherish my time with Kaleb and Karmindy and hope they will always know how much I love and cherish them!

Karmindy our Kindergartener!

 My baby is a Kindergartner! Gasp! When did this happen?! Life keeps pushing on and my sweet babies keep growing up. I am so proud to be Karmindy's mother! I truly admire her stubborn yet free spirit ways! She keep me on my toes and I am thankful for that! I love her "Spirit!" with all things and life! Today was Karmindy's first day of school and she loved it! She loves her teacher, Ms. Calhoun and is lucky to have a few friends in her class. Carter Anderson from our neighborhood is in her class and she also has her friend Avery Wallin in her class. Avery lives several neighborhoods away. 

Here is Karmindy with some of her friends on the first day of School: Ashley, Sienna, and Avery Wallin.

Another highlight of her first day of school was riding the bus home with her big brother and Adilynne Hagen (Kaleb's best gal pal). All Karmindy was focused on that first day was riding the big Yellow Bus. She was so excited! 

Some of Karmindy's interests right now at five years old include:

Movies/TV: Harry Potter, Curious George, Seasame Street, Super Why

Color: Pink, all things Pink! And Purple and Gold. In that order. You have to make sure you get it right too!

Toys: Lalaloopsy Dolls, Paper dolls, Dress Ups: makeup, fancy dresses, and necklaces. Also, Karminy has a huge collection of stuffy's (Stuffed Animals) each with their own names. She hates to lose any of them and when she does she gets very worried. She loves to be a caregiver and has the best little mother, caregiver, bedside manner.

Books: Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Pink-a-licious Series, Little Critter Series, The Berenstien Bears Books.

Interests: Dance, Karate.

Favorite Foods: Peanut Butter Sandwiches, McDonalds Chicken Nuggets, Mac n' Cheese, brownies, cookies, cupcakes and chocolate chip pancakes. She loves all desserts (like her mom.)

Karmindy we are so proud of you and the wonderful little girl that you are turning out to be! We love you sweetie!

Kindergarten Testing

 The day finally came and Karmindy and I headed to Midas Creek Elementary today for her kindergarten testing! Karmindy has been so excited to start school and go to school like her big brother. Karmindy loves school and learning and it was such a big and important day for her. We arrived at the school mid-morning and found her classroom and of course took a few pictures while we were waiting for her teacher to finish up with testing another student. When it was our turn we headed in and Ms. Trish Calhoun, Karmindy's Kindergarten teacher, tested Karmindy. She asked Kamrindy about her letters, numbers, had her count, read words, colors, and did other tests with Karmindy. Ms. Calhoun said Karmindy was certainly ready for Kindergarten and was VERY PREPARED.  I am so glad we made the switch to Small Wonders Preschool last year for our daughter. Mark and I feel that making that switch truly prepared her for this year! Karmindy is so excited to start school and cannot wait to ride the bus and make new friends. We are so proud of you little Miss! Look out World here comes Karmindy!

Look who is in 3rd Grade!

I can not believe I have a 3rd Grader! This year, his teacher is Mrs. Rachael Greenwood. I hope it will be a good year for Kaleb; especially since I have heard not many positive things about his teacher. Today was Kaleb's first day of school and he really enjoyed it and seemed to have a great day! He wanted me to drive him to school and so I did. I am glad that he is still okay with having his mom show up with him on the 1st day of school. I am sure our years are numbered though when it comes to having his mom go with him on the first day of school! He is such a "BIG GUY ON CAMPUS" that I am afraid he may not need his mom come next year. When we got to school, we found where to line up for his class and we just hung out in line for a minute. Karmindy stayed home with my sister, Kamberee and my mom who were up for a visit, so it was nice to have that one on one time with Kaleb. I didn't want to embarrass Kaleb, so after waiting for a few minutes with him, I asked him if he was okay and if he needed me to stay. He told me he was okay and that I could go. I quickly gave him a hug, told him to have a good day and left. I cried on the way home. It is hard to watch your kids grow up. I know Kaleb still enjoys my company but it is hard as a mom to let go.

I am so proud of you Kaleb and the young man that you are growing up to be! I am so glad your first day of 3rd grade was a success!!

Some of Kaleb's interests this year include:

Movies: Harry Potter, Star Wars

Favorite Color: Orange and Yellow

Video Games: Minecraft, Zach & Wikki

Books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Favorite Foods: Corn Dogs, Chicken Nuggets, Curry, Hard Shell Tacos, Lettuce Wraps, Orange Chicken

Favorite Treats: Popsicles, Suckers, Smarties, Tootsie Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls.

Interests: Piano and Karate

Last Day of Preschool

I can't believe that Karmindy is done with preschool. Even though Karmindy had her preschool graduation on the 10th of June, they still had class until June 19th! It was hard for her to go a week and a half longer than her brother. It was also hard on mom because I was ready to have my babies home with me. Karmindy did enjoy her last few days of preschool though. They had "Summer Camp" at school and made smores, put together a Camp Bag that held a water bottle, binoculars, a map they made, and a few darling crafts that she had made. On the very last day, they played with play-doh, ate popsicles and celebrated the end of the school year. On the last day of school, we took Mrs. Gaylene a present. Karmindy wrote her a note thanking her for being her teacher this year. Karmindy has come along way with her handwriting this year. She was writing her name so BIG because well her name is a BIG  one. So Mrs. Gaylene and I both spent extra time helping Karmindy write small. So it was a big accomplishment for Karmindy to write her teacher a note. For Mrs. Gaylene's present we gave her the cutest scentsy sock monkey candle warmer. It really was cute and Karmindy picked it out all by herself. We both thought it would be so cute in her classroom next year. When it was time to say goodbye to Mrs. Gaylene, Karmindy got a little teary eyed. It made me cry. She had both her teacher and me crying towards the end of the day. Goodbyes are so hard to say especially when you have formed such great friendships with friends and educators. I will always be grateful to Mrs. Gaylene for helping Karmindy out this year. She always had patience for her and really worked with Karmindy to help her succeed and prepare her for Kindergarten, and prepared Karmindy is.

 Here is Karmindy with her amazing preschool teacher, Mrs. Gaylene Rose.

We are so proud of you Karmindy and all that you have accomplished this year! We love you Sister!

Preschool Graduation Program

On June 10th, Karmindy had her preschool graduation. It was held at Herriman Elementary in their Auditorium. It is so hard to believe that our baby is graduating from preschool and moving on to Kindergarten. I don't know where the time is going. It is definitely passing us by quickly. For the graduation program the kids from several morning classes put on the program together. The kids sang songs, recited poems and a short slideshow (set to music) was shown that featured pictures of the kids that were taken throughout the year. It made me cry. It is hard to watch your kids grow up and let them go but it is also exciting as a parent to watch them grow and learn and experience life. Karmindy did a fantastic job during her program. She sang her little heart out and we were so proud of her and all that she has accomplished and learned this year. She has grown so much this year and has improved so much academically and socially. It is amazing for me to see the growth that has taken place in her and as her mom I couldn't be more proud. I am very grateful that we enrolled Karmindy in Small Wonders Preschool this year. This preschool was the perfect fit for her. She has learned all her letters, numbers, colors, can count to 100, and even left reading small books. She has grown leaps and bounds this year!

The pictures that I took during the program were really poor quality but I was able to take some cute pictures of  Karmindy afterwards. She was so proud to be a graduate!

 Our little family after Karmindy's Graduation. I love her grin. She was so excited to have received her certificate, a graduation cap and a lei from her preschool teacher, Mrs. Gaylene Rose.

 Karmindy and Kaleb together after the ceremony. I love this picture of my two cute kiddies.

 Karmindy made many friends this year at preschool but her two besties were her neighborhood gal pal, Emilia Pidcock and new friend, Jake Simmonds. Karmindy and Jake got to know each other pretty good throughout the year and formed quite the special bond. Mrs. Gaylene (Karmindy's teacher), would often comment on how cute they were together. I know that Karmindy appreciated Jake's friendship this year. Jake was such a sweet boy to Karmindy and is also very tender-hearted like Karmindy, so they were the perfect fit for friends. It is always nice to have friends who stays by your side and never leave.

Here is our Graduation Gal! I can't believe how grown up she looks. I love that cheesy smile! We are so proud of you Karmindy, we can't wait to see what Kindergarten, as well as, all your school years hold in store for you! We love you sweetie!

The Puppet Master

Kaleb has become an official puppet master! Over the past month, his teacher, Mrs. Goodman has worked with her second grade class to write their own puppet plays and make their own individual puppets. The class was split into groups of 4 to 5 and they were assigned to come up with a mixed up fairy tale. Kaleb's group chose the Bear and the Goldilocks Family. Everyone of the students wrote their own parts for the puppet play and made their own props. After writing their own parts, each student made their own puppet character. They made the puppets body out of paper mache, sewed their own costumes and added their own embellishments like hats, hair, lips, wiggly eyes and earings. I was able to go in on the day that they were putting on the embellishments and it was so fun to help the kids and see the puppets come together. I am also grateful that I got to help Kaleb a little bit with his puppet. He was Papa Goldilocks! I also was able to help Kaleb put hair on his puppet. He seemed so happy to have me in his class helping and I am so grateful when I can go in and  help.

Last week, the parents were invited to come and view the puppet plays. It was so fun to watch all the plays and see how creative all of the kids were with writing their own parts and putting a spin on the traditional fairy tale. I loved all their mixed up fairy tale stories! So cute and creative. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any pictures of Kaleb while he was performing his play but I did get a picture of him with his puppet when he brought it home from school today. I am so proud of Kaleb and the hard work that he puts into each of his projects at school. He is a very creative and so hard working!

Little Miss V.I.P

 This past week Karmindy was the VIP in her preschool class. Her teacher invited me in to come and talk for a few minutes and share a few special things about Karmindy with her class. Karmindy was so excited and we worked together and made a poster that was all about her! She was so excited to share it with her class. We also made little goodie bags for each one of her classmates that had a Ring Pop and a Ice Cream Cone Shaped bottle of Bubbles.

On the Day of her VIP she was super excited and was so excited that Mom could be there in class with her. I was excited to come into her class too!

Karmindy helped talk about her poster and was a big helper!

Some special things about our Little Miss V.I.P.:

1. Karmindy is very tender- hearted when it comes to people, especially, Animals. She loves our puppy Kozette and is always very sweet with her. I, often times will find her holding her in her arms and she is lovingly singing to her or petting her. 

2. Karmindy has the biggest sweet tooth like her mom. She loves Chocolate Chip Pancakes, cookies, and cupcakes. If you are eating a dessert, she will come over and say "yummy!" and beg for a bite!

3. Karmindy loves to travel with her family. Our last big trip was to Disney World. She constantly asks when we can go again! :)

4. Karmindy's favorite foods are of course, anything sweet. She also loves Mac n' Cheese, Chicken Nuggets from Mc Donalds, Chocolate Milk, and Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

5. Karmindy's  favorite toys right now are her Princess Legos and Her LalaLoopsy Dolls, she also loves to read books.

6. Karmindy loves to watch Movies. When she finds ones she likes she will watch it over and over and then will get sick of it and move on and watch something else and the vicious cycle continues.

7. Her favorite colors are Pink, Purple and Gold.

8. Karmindy is a friend to everyone. She tries really hard to be kind to everyone and hates when others are mistreated and hates when people mistreat her. She will often times ask why people are so mean.

9. Karmindy loves to help cook when I am in the kitchen. When I am making dinner she will always pull up a chair to the counter and beg to help out. She loves to stir and crack eggs into the bowl for me. She is a big helper!

10. Karmindy loves to spend time with her big brother and emulate him. Karmindy is very daring and loves an adventure. I think that having such a fun older brother, has helped her to develop these traits. She often tells me that he is her best friend and Kaleb often tells me that Karmindy is his best friend. Melt my heart....

I am so grateful for my two beautiful kids; especially this little sweetie!

Karmindy we love you and are so proud of the wonderful little girl that you are! What a special little spirit you bring into our home. We are so grateful to have you apart of our family.

Fairy Tale Theatre

Kaleb has really enjoyed having Mrs. Goodman for his 2nd Grade teacher this year. Mrs. Goodman is invested in the ARTS Programs and has done many fun art projects in her class this year. Two of Kaleb's favorite subjects are Art and Math.Kaleb has really enjoyed all the fun Art Projects that they have done in class this year and always comes home so excited from school to show us what he has been working on! One of the things that Mrs. Goodman does besides Art Projects in class are putting on plays for the Parents and other grades at school. This is the first play that they have practiced for: FAIRY TALE THEATRE. Fairy Tale Theatre is a collection of small plays that are intertwined with other fairy tales.

For Fairy Tale Theatre, Kaleb was assigned the part as the 3rd Little Pig in the mini play, "The 3 Little Pigs." We have been practicing with Kaleb for the past 3 weeks and he has been pretty excited to perform. Yesterday, he performed for some of the 1st Grade classes and I was able to go and help out as they ran through their parts. I had such a fun time being able to help out with the kids and help que them if they needed help remembering their parts.

Today, the parents were invited to the school to watch the performance. It was a darling play and all the kids did really well for how old they are. Kaleb did an amazing job as well too. We are so proud of him for trying something different and rising to the occasion and doing such a great job! We are so proud of you Kaleb and the effort you put into making your part a success! What a great kid and performer you are!!

Kaleb's friend Zach Edwards played the BIG BAD WOLF. Here is Kaleb and Zach after the performance. They are such cute boys!

The 3 Little Pigs Cast-  LtR: Momma Pig- Macie Taylor, 1st little pig- Macy Smith, Man/ Seller Toby Atkinson, 2nd Little Pig- Emma Horn, 3rd Little Pig- Kaleb Frisbey, Big Bad Wolf-Zach Edwards.

Leprechaun Fun at Preschool

I truly LOVE Karmindy's Preschool that she has been attending this year. What a great preschool they have been for our daughter. Kaleb attended Small Wonders Preschool as well and I just have really felt they go above and beyond for a preschool. They always have the cutest Art Projects, Songs and curriculum for the kids. Karmindy has truly grown so much this past year and it has been so much fun to see the growth in her. Every month, Karmindy's class learns a new poem that pertains to something that they talk about in class. This months poem talked about a Shamrock since we celebrate St. Patricks Day this month. The poem says: "I found a Shamrock on the floor. It had three leaves but no more!

When you find a Shamrock, you may say, "This will be my LUCKY DAY!!"

It is always so fun to listen to Karmindy at the end of the month recite the poem she has been learning. It so cute to hear her say it with her gruff little voice.

Also, along with the poem they have been working on, they have also done some really cute art projects. The kids made their own Leprechauns and then the Friday before St. Patricks Day they had a party and made Leprechaun hats and looked for gold that the Leprechauns left behind. March has truly been a fun month at Preschool For Karmindy!

Dance Recital- The Virgina Reel

We have been lucky to live in a School district that has been awarded a grant by the Beverly Sorensen Art Foundation. What the grant is, is that it provides Dance/Art programs for our school. Our school has its own Dance Specialist who teaches all of the classes in each grade a dance during the year. Kaleb has been able to be involved in this Dance Program and has been able to learn some really fun dances for the past 3 years. This year, Kaleb's class learned the Virginia Reel- a square dance. The kids all dressed up and performed the dance that they have been learning for the past several months for the parents tonight. It was so fun to watch Kaleb and his classmates showcase what they have learned. The dance looked like a lot of fun! Kaleb said he had a fun time and enjoyed dancing with his friends in his class. I am sure grateful that we live in an area that provides so many opportunities for my son and daughter. I wasn't able to catch any pictures of the actual dance but I did manage to get a picture of Kaleb and his friend Zach Edwards after their performance (Shown Above).

Valentine's Day Fun

 This was the first year that Karmindy really understood what Valentines Day was all about. On Valentines Day at Preschool, each child made their own Mail truck to hold all their Valentines from their classmates.This year Karmindy gave her friends a LaLaLoopsey Valentine with a small container of bubbles. She was so excited to pass out her Valentines to her preschool friends. 

After school, Karmindy was in Heaven and enjoyed coming home and showing me all her Valentines Day Loot. I was able to pick up her friend Emilia Pidcock that day too and both girls were so hyper from all the candy they had been eating and were so excited to show me their mail trucks. They were such Hams! Silly girls. I am so glad they had a Great Valentines Day!

 

Gingerbread Houses & Christmas Trees

I have been so thankful to be able to have the opportunity to spend time with my kids in their classes. I look forward to volunteering in each of their classrooms. I was able to go in and help Karmindy in her preschool class this month. Her class frosted and decorated Christmas Trees with candy. Karmindy loved frosting and decorating her Christmas tree and took such great care in decorating it. She wanted it to look just right!!!

I also had the opportunity to go in and help in Kaleb's class too! I am grateful he hasn't reached the age yet were he is embarrassed by me coming in to help. I like that he still gets excited to see me. Kaleb also did a great job decorating his house. He is so artistic and it is fun to watch him be creative.

I love both my kids and I am so grateful that I got a chance to help out in both of their classrooms this month and spend some quality time with each of them. I am so grateful to be their mom and I feel so blessed to have such sweet kids.

Christmas Projects At Preschool

Karmindy has been busy in preschool this month making cute Christmas Crafts. She made a Christmas Stocking with her name on it. They hung them in their classroom throughout the month and then got to bring them home filled with candy at the end of the month. They also made a fun Santa Claus. Karmindy loves craft time at Preschool. I enjoy all the cute things she brings home. It has made our home so cozy to see all her cute artwork hung around the house. I am proud of my little girl!

Preschool Christmas Program

 Small Wonders Preschool puts on a Christmas Program for the parents of the students that attend the preschool. They did the same program when Kaleb attended. It is a darling program, and my favorite part is seeing the kids in their Reindeer antlers. Karmindy was darling in her antlers. For the program, the kids sing Christmas songs that they have learned, do a bell medley and recite poems that they have learned. It was such a cute program and put me into the Christmas spirit. Karmindy had a fun time performing especially the Bell Medley. She did a great job and was right on when it was her turn to ring her bell.

Karmindy loves her Preschool Teacher, Mrs. Gaylene and looks forward to seeing her every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have been lucky to have her as Karmindy's teacher this year. She is such a sweet lady who really has Karmindy's best interest at heart. I am so thankful for such good educators.

  I love my sweet girl. Mark and I were so proud of her. After her performance we took her out to lunch at Arctic Circle (her choice) and let her play on the playground. She had a blast.

 The performance was on one of the last days of school before Christmas break. Karmindy's teacher, Mrs. Gaylene sent a present home (new book) with each of the kids and a goodie bag filled with candy and little treasures. Talk about her students being spoiled!! Karmindy was pretty excited about her presents!

Karmindy has loved having a familiar face in her preschool class, her neighborhood best friend Emilia Pidcock. These two girls are as spunky as they come. I am sure Mrs. Gaylene has her hands full with these two! Merry Christmas!