Preschool–Letter M

I got to teach the Letter M for preschool.  I was excited about this letter for some reason!  After talking about the letter M and what sound it makes, the kids practiced writing M’s and they colored a monster. 

Then we read Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberely and made our own Big Green Monster as we went.

After that the kids added M&M’s to monster cookie dough.

While the monster cookies baked the kids made monsters out of an uppercase M.  They turned out so cute scary!

Then we did the math activities in the M&M Counting Book.  The kids got a little impatient with this one, they just wanted to eat the M&M’s!  But we made it through.

They finally got to eat a few M&M’s and their freshly baked monster cookies.

Then we discussed that M is also for music.  So we made maracas to make music with!

That led to a march up the stairs to see where Mexico is on a map. (See? M is so fun!) 

Before recess time the kids made more music with the bells.  We tried a few simple songs and they did pretty well.  It was a good day at preschool (even though we were missing one student). 

Later that evening I did a project with the twins that we didn’t have time for during preschool.  We made monsters by blowing paint with straws.  I am so glad we didn’t do it for preschool, it would have been quite the mess.  We had fun though and Isaac and Grace were happy with their monster creations.

Worker Isaac

Dave Gibb took Isaac out to work with him on New Years Eve day.  They worked on moving some big logs, but they weren’t able to finish the job.  Isaac suggested to Dave that they need to get the excavator to finish it.  Dave had to break it to Isaac that they didn’t have time that day to get a bigger rig and that he would pick him up the next week to finish the job.  Isaac kept insisting that it was light enough and they had enough time, but Dave finally convinced him that they could wait until another day.  A few days later Dave came and picked Isaac up in the dump truck that was pulling a front end loader.  Isaac was beyond excited.  Even better?  Dave had bought Isaac his own set of worker gloves. 

They went and got the job done.  Both Isaac and Dave had a great time!   Dave said that Isaac got right in and worked hard.

I got a text from Ashley saying that Isaac was DRIVING the backhoe.

Then Shannon sent this video.  He really was driving!

Isaac came home totally happy and excited to tell us about his day.  Dave had even paid him for his hard work.  Isaac immediately paid his tithing and then put the rest in his savings for his mission.  Way to be a worker, Isaac!  Thank you Dave for being a good example of hard work for Isaac and for the great pictures for me!

Ringing in 2014!

We didn’t have any big plans for New Years Eve.  Lee had to work that night and Emma planned on going to the New Years Stake Dance (her first!).  I could have taken Isaac and Grace to parties we were invited to, but I wasn’t feeling all that great that day so I just decided to stay home.  Isaac and Grace ended up playing at the Gibb’s house most of the day while I got a ton of work done.  Isaac had the best time going out with Dave to “work”.  Before I went to pick them up I took Emma to her friend Ashley’s house to get ready for the dance.  I couldn’t believe my Emma Mae was going to her first Stake Dance.  I swear that it was just yesterday that I was going to my first!  She was so excited and also so nervous.  An older girl from our Stake was going to help Emma and Ashley do their hair and makeup.  I got texts from Emma with pictures like these:

Meanwhile, Isaac and Grace and I were having our own little party (even though I was feeling progressively worse).  We ate a pizza dinner on a blanket in the family room while watching a short movie.  For some reason they wanted to watch by flashlight and headlamp. 

Then they made some noise with noisemakers and I took some silly pictures of them.

I got them some poppers that they threw outside, and then they were asleep by 8:00!  Awesome!

I was excited for the quiet time and planned on getting some blogging done.  I finished a few posts, but by the time Lee came home a little before 11:00 I was most definitely sick.  That nixed the idea of watching a movie together, and instead I went to bed.  Lee stayed up and rang in the New Year by himself watching a movie.  Sad!  Emma was having a much better time than her boring parents.  I got this text from Pres. Leptich before they left for the dance.  Beautiful girls!

She loved the dance and had a great time.  Even if she surprised boys that she was only 14 and in 8th grade…

I am so glad she had such a good time and that she is excited to go to another dance.  Her fun continued the next day when she had a late breakfast with the Leptich’s and went to the mall and to see Frozen (again) with them.  She started the New Year right, while I started it in bed!  Happy 2014!!

Bright Idea—December 2013

December’s Bright Idea was the perfect way to end the year and to celebrate the Christmas season.  Jesus Christ IS the light of the world. 

This is the last Bright Idea I will post.  We will continue to memorize them each month, it has been such a great thing for Isaac and Grace.  I love that as they look through old Friends they can still recite the scriptures and quotes when they come to them.  I hope they will remember them for a long time!

Current Evans Events—December 2013

Some things in December weren’t Christmas related! 

Chess became popular in our house this month.  Emma was constantly asking Lee to play with her and Isaac got a few crash lessons.

Emma straightened Grace’s hair one Sunday.  It made her look so much older!

The kids and I got to watch our friend open her mission call.  So exciting!  Isaac won the prize for picking the closest location on the globe to where she was called.  He can’t wait to be a missionary!

He’s getting ready by (still) studying and marking his conference Ensign!

I had Chapstick problems in the month of December.  The only place I can get the right kind at a decent price is Target.  Unfortunately it had been out for a long time and my supply was almost completely gone.  I was feeling a little anxious!  I Instagramed about my Chapstick plight and my sweet friend Ashlee sent me a whole case!!  My lips were singing her praises! (I really need to kick my addiction…)

Our playgroup got a special story time and tour at the library.  Isaac and Grace loved it and still talk about how they got to see where the books go when you put them in the outdoor book drop.  They love the children’s librarian, Peggy.

Isaac and Grace also did another session of swimming lessons.

Isaac and Grace spent a lot of time running errands with me in December.  This time we met Granny at Costco and she brought them some stickers for them.  They stayed happily in the cart! 

We visiting Grandma Dorothy on her birthday.  How we love her!  She had just had surgery but was doing amazingly well.  She’s a trooper!

We had some really cold days in December.  Unfortunately we didn’t get any snow, but the cold did make for some pretty frozen scenes and red cheeks and noses!

I cheered the day that the last of the haunted house stuff left our house…yes in December!  When Lee was finally done with finals he tackled the honey-do list I had for him and getting rid of that stuff was close to the top!  He borrowed a friends truck and took it out to the Sunderland’s where they store it all.  He really only wanted to make one trip so he put one of the giant cardboard doors on top of the truck.  Half way to the Sunderland’s the door flap tore off and almost hit the car behind him.  He had to pull over and run in the road to get it.  The kids were with him and Emma was scared to death! 

We also had our Leap of Fright recap party in December.  We were laughing that we had a Halloween party in December!  We ate dinner and the kids played and played while we talked haunted house.

Speaking of Halloween, I finished a Halloween craft after Christmas!  I’m just ahead for next year.  That sort of thing happens when I start to clean out my craft room after the October-December crazy season.  I find unfinished crafts and projects.  I love how these witch feet turned out!

Lee went with Emma and the youth on an early morning temple trip on the Saturday before Christmas.  The perfect thing to do right before Christmas!

Lee also tackled pruning one of our overgrown trees in the backyard.  He gave it quite the cut (with the help of worker Isaac of course)! 

He realized pretty quickly that he had way too many branches then what our little yard debris can handle.  I told him not to call Dave Gibb to help because it always seems like he comes to our rescue.  But Lee did anyway.  When Dave found out I said not to call him he got very upset with me.  Dave is such a good friend and always willing to help.  Isaac was just glad to get to see the dump truck again!

Finally, I’ll end this post with a video.  Isaac and Grace made up their very own Captain Literally skit.  If you aren’t familiar with BYU’s Studio C, then you must look it up. 

In case you can’t understand, Grace says that her pencil literally flew out the window.  Isaac comes in and restores balance by literally throwing the pencil out the window.  Five year old humor at its best!