PTA Reflections Contest

Last year both girls entered the PTA Reflections contest and Hannah won the visual arts category for our school and advanced to the district level.  This year she decided not to do it, but Olive entered in the choreography category and won both the school and district and then advanced to the state level! You can see a little of her dance in this video of all the district winners.

The theme was "Within Reach" and Olive wrote: My dance was about reaching every way to can to get the thing you want to get.  I did the circles in the dance because sometimes when you think you walk in circles.  When I reached up it is like when you are reaching for a high goal.

She is showing off a still from her video.

So excited she was jumping up and down!

Since she was a district winner we went to a reception at a board meeting and she got to shake the superintendent's hand.  She was very proud.

The littlest girl is also a first grader at Olive's school.  She won the literature division.

Olive's journal after the reception: "I won the Reflections.  I got a prize.  I got to shake the superintendent's hand.  I'm famous."

Valentine's Day

The girls made their own valentine boxes this year!  I helped look up ideas and cut the heart, but Hannah did the rest on her own.  I covered Olive's box, but she did all the markings herself.  She taped on signs that said "Olive's tiger.  Feed me!"

Shooting cupid's arrows.

 Making valentines for nursing home residents.

Perfection.

Trying to put a "ring around the roses."

I'm the only room mom in Hannah's class so I planned all the parties this year and ran them.  Unfortunately that means I didn't get to see Olive's party. :(

The weekend after Valentine's Day we made a Chillicothe trip to visit the great-grandmas.  

Girl Scout International Fair

Hannah missed last year's fair because she was sick, so she was very excited to attend this year.  Our troop researched Kenya and made paper bead necklaces and bookmarks to sell.  Olive shopped with our troop since her troop didn't have a booth.

Chinese New Year

Zoo

Family trip to the zoo in the winter.  It's been awhile since we were at the zoo and even longer since we went with Steve.  Our main objectives were to see tigers and pandas.  Check and check.  The girls wanted their pictures taken EVERYWHERE, so we have a lot.  

The tigers were more active than we've ever seen at the zoo.

A tiger and a tiger.

A panda and a panda.

Baby penguin!

Olive Quotes

"Some things are 'the more the merrier,' but not raisins.  Raisins in cookies?  Yuck."

(she went to a birthday party where they watched Disney Descendants 2)
me:  How was the movie?
Olive: There were too many sassy people in it.

me: You need to clean out the stuffed animals from your bed.
Olive:  I need them so I won't be scared.
me:  How many do you need?
Olive:  Thirty.
Hannah:  That's not a reasonable number.

me (teasing):  What book did you get from the library?  Is it called "I Love My Mom?"
Olive:  No, that's not a book.  But if it was everyone would check it out.  They would have to take a number to get it.

Olive:  I'm glad you are my mom and not my step mom or divorced.
me:  I'd still be your mom if I were divorced.  But you don't need to worry because Dad and I won't get divorced.
Olive:  That's good.  Because if you did we wouldn't have adventures.
me:  Why?
Olive:  Because Dad is all about adventures and taking risks.
me:  Oh?  I like adventures, too.
Olive:  You are more about cuddling on the couch and watching a movie.  I like both.

Hannah:  The world is like Minecraft survival mode.
Olive:  Except there aren't any giant spiders or zombies.

Art Wall

I hang up the girls' artwork and school projects in the playroom.  Usually it collects for the school year and then I take it down and start over.  This kindergarten/second grade wall went a little long.  I took pictures before I took it all down.

Science Night