Busy 1st Week of December

We've had a very busy week. We started the week off with Emily's 2nd grade pow wow, a doctors appt. for 3 of my kids, then Emily's award ceremony at school, then Ally had a field trip to All Fired Up. Busy weeks like this are always nice because they make the week go by fast but it also makes it a little exhausting when you add in the regular day to day routine.

Emily was so excited about her 2nd grade pow wow. She talked and talked about it for weeks. At home, we made a guitar out of a shoebox. We decorated it with feathers and beads and Indian signs. She loved it and used it during their pow wow.

Here she is holding her instrument right before they did a dance.
I thought this was so cute, doesn't he look absolutely bored out of his mind?
Walking around chanting. She didn't smile at all. She was very serious. I think she was nervous.
On Friday, Emily got an award for being a top reader. She's now gotten that award 3 years in a row from 3 different teachers. I think she's ready to get something different but we're proud of her. She's reading over 200 wpm and all the time. I can see why she gets this award.
After Emily's award ceremony I took Ally on her preschool class field trip to All Fired Up. This field trip was a reschedule as the lady who owns the shop didn't show up the first time. Ally was very sad. So today was a big day for her. She chose a butterfly to paint and wouldn't let me help her, not one bit. She had to coat it three times on each side and so we had to take it over to a blow dryer to dry it between coats. She wouldn't even allow me to help dry it. Very independent my girls are! The owner drew a face, eyelashes and wrote her name on her butterfly at the end. She can't wait to get it on Tuesday when it's done being "fired up"!
Here's Ally and some school mates waiting to paint.

Nathan had a 12 mo. check up on Thursday. He weighed in at 21 lbs. He was 10% in weight and 70th in height. No shocker there, seems to be our pattern. He is healthy and doing great. He is mostly sleeping all night now and is a very happy boy. He loves balls and brushes. If he has one of those things, he can play for long stretches on his own.

Next week isn't going to be much better. My first baby girl is going to be 8! That is crazy. The years are not going by any slower, in fact, it seems to have sped up. We are so very proud of who she is becoming. She is so smart and fun to be around. I can't wait to have her big birthday party at the pizza parlor next weekend. Lots of pictures to come so stay tuned! And Ally has her school play that even Emily has a part in. They are doing the Christmas Carol and Emily is one (if not all ) of the ghosts. Ally is very excited about that night. Emily is too, except she's missing the AWANA Christmas party and is learning that in life there are choices that need to be made. It's not always easy, but it's necessary.