Parent/Teacher Conference

Dash and Colt had their first Parent/Teacher Conferences of the year mid-December.  Makes sense to schedule them then, right?  Between the holiday hustle and bustle, we headed down to the elementary to check in on our boys.  

Colt's conferences (he had two, one with his classroom teacher and one with his reading teacher) were scheduled at a time when Brandan could attend.  So by the mouth of two witnesses, I will attest to hearing some of the most surprising news about our little Colty.  Colt has always been our goofball, our little ham.  Since he was tiny he would purposely walk into walls just to get a laugh. Imagine our surprise when both his teachers commented on what a "serious" (their words!) student he is.  Miss Morrison said she almost never has to redirect Colt and she can usually use him as her example of what the class should be doing.  Mrs. Argyle, his reading teacher, said he always sits down at his table with a furrowed brow and a studious look.  Can this really be the same child that finds a way to use the word "poo" during every dinner time conversation?  

In addition to being well behaved, Colt is excelling academically.  Brandan and I have both been impressed with how well he reads and his teachers also commented on the fact that he is above grade level in math, reading and writing.  Miss Morrison he is very meticulous and will spend double the time most students do trying to color his pictures perfectly or form his letters just so.  

You just never know, do you?

Colt's Kindergarten school picture.

Dash's conferences were more brief than Colt's.  No news is good news and all that I guess.  And also because both his teachers were either taken ill or had family emergencies the day of his scheduled conferences.  I was able to catch up with his teachers at different times though and received very favorable reports.  Mr. Erickson said Dash is a good student with lots of friends.  He also said that though Dash can be social, he usually knows how to reign it in and will do most anything to avoid being corrected, including sitting quietly.  Dash has been placed in the high math and reading groups and is at the top of his classes.  

Dash's 2nd grade school picture.

Fa La La La Laaaa, La La La Laaaa

We've been lucky enough to have Christmas songs ringing through the house since October.  Both Dash and Colt have been practicing their Christmas concert songs at school and bringing them home to share with the rest of us.  I believe Sport had both programs memorized before the big performances.  

Colt was quite nervous about his Christmas concert.  The night before the show, he had a minor meltdown at bedtime.  The pressure was just too much.

Colt singing his sweet heart out.  The auditorium for the K-1 program was completely packed.  This was the absolute best picture I could get.  Colt is in front with the red and green hat and white star above his head.

Colt right after his performance.  Its still a mystery to me why all the kids were given headgear to wear during the performance.

 Dash's program was based on the Disney movie, Frozen. During his dress rehearsal at school, Dash was chosen to help lead the sleigh full of ice off the stage.  He thought it was pretty cool.

Dash walking with the sled of ice blocks.

Singing!

Dash (and some others) after the performance.

 The first week of December started basketball practice for Brandan.  He spent the last two weekends before Christmas break at tournaments.  The kids and I had to find ways to keep ourselves entertained.

Playing on the trampoline in the middle of December.  Yep, Sport is barefoot in shorts.

Coloring Christmas pictures and listening to carols before Christmas.

Thanksgiving 2014

We had some beautiful fall weather this November.  One particularly nice afternoon, Sport and Sis and I went for a walk along the creek through the park.  We collected several different plant species and then came home and made a Thanksgiving sign.  Sport liked organizing the letters, but he quickly learned that hot glue can be a pain, literally.

Sport by his Thanksgiving sign.

All good things must come to an end, including nice fall weather.  We had a snow storm before Thanksgiving which inspired the boys to start making paper snowflakes.  Colt made an especially nice flake.

Colt and his special snowflake.

 We had Thanksgiving with the Clayson family this year.  We headed to Idaho the day before, spent the evening doing some food prep, and then met all the family at the Middle School on Thanksgiving Day.

Sport coloring the tablecloth and Colt finishing his dinner.

 Along with rousing games of Lightening and dodgeball in the school gym, Dash had also organized a Turkey Bowl for the family.  He spent the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving writing up team rosters and creating a trophy out of his old soccer trophy.  The game was played, the cheating was rampant and the winners were declared.  I believe Dash is already working up a new game plan for next year.

Gym games.

Several young grand-kids roped Grandma and Grandpa into an involved board game while the Moms sorted through the Black Friday ads.

 We made a full weekend of our Idaho trip.  After some shopping Friday morning, the adults met Mom and Dad at the Idaho Falls Temple during their shift and did some sealing work with Dad officiating.  It was an awesome experience to be in the temple with so many family members.

Friday night, Brandan and I headed up to Brady and Angie's house to meet Brand's siblings for dinner, a chat, and a cousins' wrestling match.

Saturday evening, Dan and Jill, Cam, Mom and Dad, and Brand and I, dumped our kids at Cam's house with Boe and Kyle in charge and headed to dinner in Idaho Falls and the Forgotten Carols play at the Civic Center.  We all loved the performance and the kids only had one major moment of panic when the wind knocked the power out for 15 minutes.

Sis and a little Thanksgiving indulgence.

What's better than holding four lollipops in your hand at once?  Eating four lollipops at once!