Head of the Herd

We have loved the girls school in Arkansas. One of the great things they do is a monthly "Elephant Extravaganza". The school mascots, Eddy and Ella the Elephants come, the specials teachers give out class awards, the principal usually speaks and different classrooms do some performances. Parents are always invited and I love going to watch. My favorite part is when all the kids sing the school song. It's like a little pep rally for elementary kids.

A big honor that they award each month at the Elephant Extravaganza is the "Head of the Herd" award. It is an award for excellence, leadership in the classroom and citizenship. Each teacher chooses one monthly winner.

Both Addison and Reagan won "Head of the Herd" the at the first Elephant Extravaganza. They were super excited and we were bursting with pride for them.

I love that they can come into a brand new school and make such a great impression so quickly. These girls adapt easily....thank goodness.

Reagan's teacher sent me an email 2 days before, to let me know she had selected Reagan and to make sure I could be at the awards assembly. Being the new mom, I had no idea it was supposed to be a secret. So, when she got off the bus that day I had a little celebration for her. She saw the card, flowers and cookie and instantly said, "Mom!!!! Your not supposed to tell me!". I told her to look surprised at the awards.

That's Ellie the Elephant.

Addison's teacher sent me an email the next day, after Reagan filled me in on the surprise thing. So, she had her celebration after school on Friday. She was surprised.

These girls are hard workers. The are smart and make great grades, but even more importantly, their character shines everyday!

First Day of School

Back in August, I sent my babies off to their first day of 4th grade, 2nd grade and Full Day Kindergarten. The full day kindie schedule was my biggest concern in moving to Bentonville. The other girls attended a 1/2 day kindergarten and that is how this mama prefers it! Despite my concerns, Gracyn was ready to go.

I am so proud of my children's resiliency. It can't be easy to move every few years and go off to a big new school without all your old friends. We had especially close friends in Ohio that have been in class with the girls for 3 straight years. They don't even remember school without them. So, I was extra proud when they jumped in, all smiles and no fear.

We wanted to keep their routine straight, so they decided to ride the bus from the very first day. The compromise was that I put them on the bus and took off walking to school to meet them there. I arrived a few minutes behind the bus and walked the halls for 10 minutes with no luck finding any of my children! The only thing keeping me from complete panic was the fact that I couldn't find ANY of them. I knew wherever they were, they must be together. Just as I was beginning to get really worried, I found them running down the hall. First day problems.....they got off the bus and entered the 5th and 6th grade building that is next to our school. I think Addison was first off the bus and asked someone where to go. I think they saw her height, assumed she was older and sent her the wrong way. Thankfully they all stuck together and eventually made it into the right building. I took a few pictures, got them settled into their classrooms and headed home to the longest, quietest day I have had in years!

Gulf Shores, Alabama

I give up on fully catching this blog up, but I did want to record a few highlights since it is our family memory album. Recording summer memories and looking at all these beach pictures in January is not doing anything to lift my winter spirits! Is it too early to start the countdown to spring?

This year, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on a family vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama. My beloved Hilton Head is too far to drive from Arkansas. I was so sad to give up that tradition, but excited to explore something new. The water is gorgeous in Alabama. It is crystal blue water and white sand. However, there is definitely a "Red-Neck Riviera" thing going on there. It made for some interesting people watching. And, we have never seen so many smokers in one place. I think we learned if we go back to shop for a condo on the Orange Beach side of things. It bumps up to Gulf Shores, but seems to have a very different feel. We spent all our days swimming in the ocean and playing in the pool. I loved my daily workout in the exercise room overlooking the ocean, then running the 18 flights of stairs back to our room. There was a daily dog show at a restaurant that was a big hit with our girls. We got hair braids and caricatures. Tommy and Addison tried parasailing for the first time. The Gulf Shores zoo was a family favorite. And, we ate at Lulu's cafe several times and loved it.

I don't know exactly what our schedule is going to hold this year, but the beach is definitely my happy place, so I am hoping we can squeeze it in sometime this summer!

Cupcakes

Some sweet friends dropped off a yummy surprise last night. Not only were the cupcakes delicious, but she also offered to fill out a small pile of paperwork, so that she could babysit for us if we need it, after we get a placement. They came just as I was finishing a big pot of soup for dinner so they stayed and spent the evening with us. Thankful for sweet friendships!!!