Reli's World

End of the Year Ceremony and Celebrations

Last week was a big week around here - Kiki graduated from kindergarten and Yaya finished 2nd grade with awards in tow.

Yaya's awards are for highest achievement in 2nd grade in language arts and in physical education. Both girls got straight E's this year, Keeks in conduct as well as academics (Yaya likes to chat).

Ya and her 2nd grade homeroom teacher, Ms. H:

Keeks and her kinder homeroom teacher and most of her classmates:

Keeks during graduation:

Kiki decided that the perfect way to celebrate graduating from kindergarten was to have a cake, and fortunately, she let us know this ahead of time. She didn't really want to EAT the cake (she had about 4 bites) but it was important that there WAS a cake (she has played with the mortarboard and diploma from the cake every day :) As to the small mousebite out of the pink icing, I'm not sure who did that - but if I had to guess, I would say the top suspect is a little mouse who did NOT finish a grade of school this year.

And, last but not least, a few pics from the end of school water day the girls had last week. This is Kiki's reading teacher with their class looking out over Yaya's class playing in the water. It wasn't Kiki's classes' turn yet, but they were doing a writing activity about the water day. (Keeks is wearing a "1st line leader" badge around her neck, which they can earn as a reward for good behavior. The 2nd person to choose it gets the #2 badge and 2nd position in line. The cutest thing about the system, is that it goes up to #15, which is the last person in the class - but the kids don't even care. As long as they have a "line leader" badge, as far as they are concerned, they are leading the line - even in the last spot).

Yaya with pals during water day:

 

Home?

Actually, it feels kind of like someone else's house at the point. Seeing the changes take place over the last few months have helped us all say good-bye. It's still hard at times; after all, we brought all three kids home to this house as newborns, but we can't live squished like sardines based on sentimentality. BTW, this house looks NOTHING like our house looked a few months ago. The transformation started February 1 and we wrapped it up in mid-April. I will try and find some before pics and add some additional pics early next week.

This was the first iteration of the living/dining area (which used to be a playroom). We love the green paint, but people kept saying that this room looked disconnected from the rest of the house, so we changed the paint one weekend, and after that, everyone who saw the house made an offer. I'll have to post a pic of the update next week.

This is the girls' bedroom - there is a pull out bed under the one shown.

Girls' bath:

Master bedroom:

Laundry room:

And I'll have to post pics of Andy's office/fake nursery and the TV room next week. Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

 

 

End of the Year Bentos

These are the last of the set for this year. The girls finished up their last "real" day today; Kiki graduates from kinder on Friday and Yaya finishes up 2nd grade. Tomorrow is a party day - they actually get to go on the same fun field trip and then Friday morning is the award ceremony and we're done. I wish we hadn't had the move thing to deal with, but other than that, the kids have had a fantastic school year. Kiki's kinder year exceeded all expectations. Yaya did fabulously. Couldn't be prouder. Anyway, here are the lunches:

Same day and theme, slightly varied:

Crazy hair day lunch (cheese quesadilla)

Forest lunch (w/ bean and cheese quesadilla)

Bento design by Keeks:

We haven't been able to do bentos every day, but we've had tons of fun making the ones we have made (and I say we because it has become something the girls and I do together). This is a tradition we will definitely keep.

Mother's Day Bento Breakfast

Courtsey of my 2 favorite bento artists. :)

Eggcellent Crazy Hair

The girls saw this hairstyle on my Pinterest account and immediately decided this was their 'do for crazy hair day at school last week. It took 3 adults and a can of Got2BeU (basically glue that you heat up and it hardens), but we made it work.

This Little Bird Was On My Doorstep

singing sweet songs about the house being SOLD. (Well, under contract anyway.) That was a long 2.5 weeks, and we feel so lucky to live in a place where things are selling that fast!! Crossing my fingers it goes through.

There's a funny story about this fountain - we borrowed it, and so it was the one thing that we told our realtor a buyer couldn't have. We have really enjoyed it. Yaya, in particular, has been hanging out by it to relax during this really stressful time. This baby bird moved in for awhile which thrilled the kids. We've gotten much more enjoyment out of it than I would have thought. So we get the offer, and what is the ONE thing they ask for? Yep, the fountain. Which we got permission to give to them as long as we get another one for the lender. Pics of the house tomorrow. :)

After Party at the Park

What do you do with a 2-year-old on a birthday cake sugar high? Take him to the park!

Buddy Turns 2

We celebrated Buddy's birthday at Little Gym with a Yo Gabba Gabba party and a bunch of his little baby friends. This is such a fun age - he's catching onto everything and really enjoying learning about the world.

Favors (sticker design by Designdream on Artfire.com)

Cowgirls

The girls got a horseback riding lesson each for Christmas, and its taken this long to get it set up on a day when it was not pouring rain (yay for rain, btw). To say they were excited is putting it extremely mildly - it was like Christmas morning and Halloween and Easter and birthdays all rolled into one. Each girl got a pony to learn to brush, saddle, and ride.

After riding, the girls got to give their ponies carrots.

The girls agreed that this was the best day "ever, ever, EVAH!!" so I think they kind of liked it. Now if they can just invent a miracle drug to cure horse allergies, we'll be in business.:)

Overheard v. 54

One night recently, the girls were having fun taking turns dancing and cheering for family members. When it was your turn, you were supposed to stand up and dance. 

"Go Kiki, go, go, go Kiki! Yay!"

The biggest fan of this was Little Guy, who LOVES dancing (a la Yo Gabba Gabba!) The next day, I caught him standing in the floor dancing and singing his own name clearly - Go Buddy, Go Buddy, Go Buddy! (except his actual name) We've never heard him say his actual name until now. :)

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Yaya: Mama, these worry lines on your forehead are getting kind of, eh, worse lately?

Keeks: Yeah, there are 4 of them!

Me: One for each of you. This one is for Yaya, this one is for Buddy...

(Keeks points to the deepest one and giggles): This one is for ME - it's the biggest one!!

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Me: Who's Mama's Sweetest Little Boy in the whole wide world?

Buddy: ME!!!

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 Yaya: Are you a baby?

Buddy: Nooooo.

Yaya: Are you a toddler?

Buddy: Nooooo.

Kiki: Are you a kid?

Buddy: Nooooo.

Yaya: Are you an adult?

Buddy: Nooooo.

Kiki: Wait, we forgot teenager. Are you a teenager?

Buddy: Nooooo.

Yaya: What are you?

Buddy: I a COWBOY. Yee-Haw!!

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Yaya, after her bumping her head on the passenger-side car mirror: "It should say 'mirror is closer than it appears' instead of 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

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Yaya, to me: One does not simply get to Saturday without having to pass a bunch of tests first. (Her first internet meme. Cute!)

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 Yaya, to me, after school: Today we built a tower of pizza boxes during PE, and I said it was the Leaning Tower of Pizza. Then Coach told Ms. P and Ms. P said that they need to follow me around with a notebook and write down things I say. Why did they say that? (Gee, I wonder) ;)

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Keeks, playing with a Barrel of Monkeys (you hang monkeys off of each to form a chain): Mama, I know I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but I'm hanging around 'til you can help me. (Keeks ROTFL).

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Buddy, to me, during a shopping trip that was postponing his snack: "Need food, pleash."

Me: "You're hungry? Would you like some goldfish?"

Buddy, clapping: "Yesh, pleash. YAY!! Go-fish!!"

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Buddy: Go home, NO!

Me: Where do you want to go?

Buddy: Moosha house. Go car! (Wanting to drive the little motorized Jeep and run free through the yard and play with the dogs :)

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