Happy Halloween

Snow White and Hannah Montana for the Halloween party at the gym.

Barbie Bride and Hannah Montana for Trick or Treating. Fun watching them run from house to house with their friends this year. They were all so excited. Mani collected all the butterfinger candy bars for Grandpa and was very excited to deliver all six of them.

Missing: Is the picture of Super Girl and Hannah going to school.

So much Halloween fun this year. When I asked if the girls wanted to trade their candy (they had bags of it by Sunday) for a toy. Imani looked at Nia and said you trade your candy for the Barbie movies we are missing from our collection. Then I'll share my candy with you and you share the movies with me. Nia agreed. Dang it! Smart cookies!

Pickin' Pumpkins

Yesterday was the perfect day for pickin' pumpkins. We hooked up with Stef and Kori and Karen and Janice to hit the pumpkin patch. We had a hay ride 1st then we made our way through the corn maze. Finally, everyone found the perfect pumpkin. We went back to Karen and Janice's house to paint our pumpkins and enjoy pizza. You might think from the pictures that Imani and Syd are just the best of friends (and they are) but they do have their run-in's. Last night was actually pretty good until Mani ran to Syd's room to steal her gumball machine. Boy did Mani give me a run for the money yesterday! I felt like I punished her all day. She picked on the puppies, her sister, me, Rebes, Syd, Spencer - no one was spared! Ugh. Totally wore me out, especially when Nia added her crying and screaming. Thank goodness today is a new day.

Imani and Grandma

Imani is having a sleepover at Grandma's house tonight. She is so excited. She is off track from school so Grandma and Grandpa planned the slumber party. Imani gets to choose the activities, food, crafts, movies, etc. And she doesn't have to share or compromise with her sister at all. No wonder she is heaven. I love that she has such a great relationship with my mom and dad. Tomorrow she will spend the day with her Aunt Mindy and cousins. It's so weird to have her gone. I guess I'm used to it when I go away for work or vacation but to be home is without her is odd. Miss you baby girl.... sleep tight!

Nia update

Nia loves her new preschool / daycare. She is mostly with little kids but there is one other 4 year old, Gaven. The two of them play well together and they love making color and shape books. Shurree, her teacher is great, and it couldn't be more convenient. It is so nice when you and the kids like where they go each day. This week Shurree's son has the flu so Nia has been with Lissa and Liz, Karen, and me. It has been fun to have some one on one time with her. Nia is easy-going, sweet, and funny. She can be emotional and she gets her feelings hurt easily though. Hard to say if this is just part of her personality or her age. Believe or not I was the same way as a little girl.

Nia is on a huge chocolate milk kick. This is her main food/drink daily. It is so funny. I have to bribe her to put anything else in her belly.

Imani update

Imani loves 1st grade. She is reading so well and she enjoys it. We practice spelling words each night and she gets good grades each Friday on the test. Her penmanship and math skills are right up there with the top of the class. However, Imani rarely makes it to fun Friday, an event that the kids earn during the week by having good behavior. Each Monday they start their car on the board at school at green light. If they do not follow the rules for good behavior they have to move their car to yellow, and then red light. You can only participate in fun Friday if your car is still at green light. Mani is usually at red light by Wed/Thurs. She has been in trouble for pushing/wrestling with the other kids, as well as talking inappropriately to her teacher. Yikes! We are working on it. Since this week is a short week, she did get to go to fun Wed. Anyways she is on track A so she is off school all of October.

Mani lost her 4th tooth last night! All four are on the bottom. She does NOT want to loose any on the top because she says she will look silly.

The picture above is with her school friend Emily. She had Emily and another school friend, Angel, come see her new puppies.

New Puppies

Our family has grown by two! We have added two 8 week old beagles to our group. Imani named Rocky and Lani and Lucas came up with Railey. Rocky is a boy. He is the black and white one. Railey is a girl and she is the brown and black one. They are the cutest, softest, sweetest puppies ever. The girls are doing so great with them.

Stats on the aging girls

Mani

6 years old

47 inches

48 lbs

passed hearing and vision

Nia

4 years old

43 inches (95th percentile for height)

37 lbs

passed hearing and vision

tubes still in the ears

shots complete, all ready for school next year

actually passed the kindergarten test - smart little thing

I am very grateful for my healthy growing girls! Both girls received a lecture about listening to their bodies when the signal to go potty happens, and stop holding it. I swear they can hold their pee for hours and hours! Nia got hit with the rest of her shots. She cried for just a minute and then picked out her stickers, said thank you, and skipped out of the office.