Christmas E-Card 2012

A free newsletter design by Smilebox

A Celebration: Sadie

Sadie and Eli go to a charter school called Schoolcraft Learning Community that is located in the French Village of Concordia Language Villages. Their school is an expeditionary learning school which basically means that there is an an "expedition" that each crew is on which is theme/project based that encompasses state standards as well as follows expeditionary "design principles."
Sadie's crew, being kindergarteners, had the theme: Knowing Where We're Going--What it means to be a Schoolcrafter. They spent their expedition time figuring out where all of the buildings are, who all of the teachers and staff are, what makes Schoolcraft unique, and they learned all 10 design principles and what they mean. At the end of the expedition they have a "Celebration of Learning" in which they share all of their work and learning with parents and students.
Last night was Sadie's celebration and she was so proud of all the work that she has done. Here's just a small sampling.
In art class, they worked very very hard drawing self-portraits:

They used a technology tool called comic life to make an All About Me scrapbook page:

There was a list of all of the design principles and Sadie told us all about each one and why they are important. This one is service and compassion:

She said that "The Natural World" design principle is her favorite design principle because taking care of our world is very important. The earth doesn't need us, but we need it:

These are jars that they keep in their classroom. Every time they read a book or see something that has to do with a design principle they add a rock to the jar:

This book is a take-off of "If I Ran the Zoo" by Dr. Seuss and it is based on the design principle "The having of wonderful ideas". Sadie's animal is a elephantgiraff. "It ets levs and met."

This is a picture of a video that the kids made. They took short videos of each staff member so they could get to know them all a little bit better. The kids also made and recorded skits demonstrating each design principle.

Here is Sadie and her teacher AnnaMae.



Thank you Schoolcraft for being such an amazing place to learn!!

Visiting Santa!!

While in Fargo over Thanksgiving we went to Santa's Village to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. I'm thinking that this will be the last year that Eli believes as he's already asking questions like "Is it you who puts the presents under the tree for Santa?". Neither of them were thrilled about sitting on Santas lap, but they did tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Sadie wants a remote control puppy that you can walk. Eli wants a real football in his size and a Giants football helmet and jersey. He's a big Eli Manning fan--imagine that!

After visiting with Santa the kids decorated cookies with Mrs. Claus. Mrs. Claus loves telling jokes so she and Sadie got along very well as Sadie is ALWAYS telling jokes.

The kids also made an ornament, went on a wagon ride, and wrote letters to Santa. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon!

 

On the way out, we stopped in the barn and visited the reindeer. They were frisky little guys who were chasing each other and butting antlers!! It as a great way to start the holiday season. Thanks, grandma, for taking us!!

Fall Piano Recital 2012

After Sadie's birthday party, we quickly cleaned up and headed to Eli and Sadie's piano recital. It's amazing how nervous I get at these things so I imagine that they are nervous wrecks! Actually, Sadie seems to take it all in stride and Eli seems to get super-nervous but seems calmer with each recital. A bithday party + a piano recital + grandma and grandpa coming to stay the night = a very crazy, but fun day!!! Enjoy!

Sadie Turns 6!

On Saturday, we hosted Sadie's 6th birthday party at our house. She wanted a rainbow/fairy theme so we invited a ton of girls and decided to do crafts. Sounded like a fun party to me!! Well, fun and maybe a little bit crazy. We invited 13 kids and some parents and grandparents too not to mention Eli and Sadie and me and Dennis! I was beginning to wonder what we were thinking, but it all turned out great. The kids were so sweet and I can see why Sadie just had to invite them all.

First, we made these rainbow ribbon wands!

Sweet Clara!



Auntie Talia and Anissa

Grandma made the cake once again. Sadie requested a rainbow with some pink somewhere so that is what she got (the cake was pink)! This one is the cake for her actual birthday on Sunday.

All of the girls!

And the boys too!

Sadie and her cousin Anissa!

Zoe enjoying cake!

Look! Dennis and I are in the same picture! That never happens.

We also made flower fairies!

The fairies! 

Opening the presents! She did not get one toy, only crafts and clothes! I think her friends know her well. Is she really already at the age where she's out-grown toys?!? I can't believe how fast the time goes and that my sweet Sadie-girl is six. It's been a great ride with this girl who makes me laugh. Here's to a life-time of laughs. Happy Birthday.



School Pictures 2012

School pictures arrived yesterday. They both turned out charming with their missing teeth and all. Love them.

 

Apparently all the classes got to do a funny face picture. I'm pretty sure they messed up and sent the funny face instead of the sweet, innocent one. I think this one is perfect though!

Take note of all those boys!!! See the little boy sitting in front of Sadie? Sadie came home from school one day and said that the little boy said "Ooolala" to her. Then she asked what "oolala" meant.

Enjoying Fall

Several weeks ago, fall was in full force in Northern Minnesota. We had to go out and enjoy the fall colors. We went to a place in the national forest called "the lost forty". It was beautiful. The reds, yellows, oranges and browns were other-worldly. It was a cool day, but the sun was shining so it felt good in the sun.

Collecting leaves

This tree has a nose.

Biking on the trail. In hind sight, this was a bad idea. It was really hilly and rooty.

Dennis riding Eli's bike.



This past weekend was even more colorful and the weather was in the 80s. We took our last canoe ride of the season on the Mississippi. Eli informed us that this was his last canoe ride ever. You see, we tipped the canoe in Lake Bemidji and the water was cold--really cold. We let the kids sit in their little lawn chairs in the canoe and that was the reason for the tipping. They both looked over the same side of the canoe at the same time and the lawn chairs slid, then came the big splash. Luckily, we were relatively close to shore and our car. We just had to take a brief stroll soaking wet through downtown Bemidji, but we are all laughing about it now!
And today, it's snowing (yesterday too)! Fall went too fast. I'm hoping for a brief warm-up because I'm not ready for winter yet. We did have a great before-school snowball fight. It was a blast.

Sadie's Missing Something!

Last Sunday, September 16, Sadie lost her first tooth. Actually, I pulled it, but only because she wanted me too. It was awesome!

The tooth fairy has been visiting our house a lot lately!

Also, Sadie got her ears repierced this weekend. Yes, last year Sadie got her ears pierced on her birthday, but they got really infected in December so the dr. made her take them out. They healed up nicely and she decided it was time once again to get them pierced. They look great!

Happy 7th Birthday Eli!

Somehow Eli managed to get 3 parties out of this birthday. You have to love a birthday that just keeps on giving!! The first, as pictured previously, was a mini-celebration at Grandma and Grandpa S's. The second was his actual birthday. The neighbor kids came over for cake and icecream.

Then we went to Putt-N-Go for a little mini-golf and go-kart action before heading to the mexican restaurant where, according to Eli, they serve the best chicken strips! Ha! Yes, that is my jumbo margarita and yes our server was nice on the eyes. The kids love being sung to almost as much as they love the icecream!

The last party was a pool party with friends. It was 10 days after his birthday, but better late than never!

Abby, Sadie and Zoe

Ryan, Abby, Will, Zoe, Ella, Sadie, Nile, Simon, Eli, Reid and Anissa

Presents!!

Abby, Nile, Sadie, Zoe, Ella, Eli, Will, Simon, Ryan, Reid, Darren, and Anissa

Yellowstone Vacation: Part 5--This is the end, I promise!

Day 11: We packed up very early, as in just-throw-the-kids-in-the-car-still-snuggled-in-their-sleeping bags early, and left Yellowstone behind. We didn't take take the shortest way, as that would be too easy, we took the "scenic route" which involved curvy mountain roads. We left through the northeast entrance of the park and headed to Cody, WY from there. There were lots of scenic stops along the way, but we were truly far too tired (or nauseous in my case) to enjoy them. We made it to Gillette, WY that night. The kids were excited for a hotel with a water park, more Olympics watching and the Chinese buffet across the street from the hotel.

Day 12: Another lllllloooooonnnnnggggg day in the car with a brief stop and picnic at Devils Tower National Monument. At this point, we were all kind of ready to be home. Thank goodness we made it to Grandma and Grandpas house that evening!

Day 13: Grandma and Grandpa S. in Napoleon always have special treats for Eli and Sadie. This time, the special treat was a birthday cake! We enjoyed going to Nita's attic, trying on Paula's hats, playing on the teeter-totters at the Napoleon City Park, watching the Olympics and not spending a single minute in the car!!

Day 14: We left one grandma and grandpa's for another. We stopped in Fargo for school shopping.It seems that Eli's shoes were 3 sizes too small. Yikes!! Then, Dennis and I went on a date-- dinner and a movie and shopping-- all while Sadie and Eli were being spoiled by grandma and grandpa!
Day 15: We made it make safe and sound to our house and our own beds... just in time to celebrate Eli's seventh birthday!