Avery's Preschool 2012 ~ Portrait Preview

Avery's Portrait Preview of Preschool
It was so hard to choose just one!

Connor ~ Kindergarten 2012

Connor's Kindergarten portrait

So BIG, and serious!

Ryanna ~ 3rd Grade!

Ryanna's 3rd Grade portrait:

She's growing up!!

Back to School ~ Fall 2012R

Ryanna started 3rd Grade and Connor started Kindergarten.
They are both in school ALL DAY!

Avery started Preschool!

Halloween 2011

Avery "Thomas the Tank Engine" :)

Halloween 2011

Connor "Mickey"

Halloween 2011

Ryanna, the Waterfall Princess! :)

Fishing in the Rain

It was warm and rainy. We were on vacation, and the kids did not want to swim. They asked to go fishing!

Avery really wanted to catch a fish!
Connor was "bored" but still wanted to keep fishing.

Ryanna really had fun - even though she did not catch anything either.

Silly Siblings Celebrate the 4th of July!

Siblings - on the 4th of July! :)

Need to Blog MORE!

Wow - How I have neglected this blog!

More pictures and fun from the Miles Mob will be here this week!
Lots of updating to do!

~Kristen

Day 8 ~ Project 365 ~ Our Toy Story

Miles Mob Toy Story






We had the good fortune of meeting Woody and Buzz Lightyear at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

My children were sooooo very excited!

One of the best stories of our trip - Buzz saw Avery in his Buzz costume...was so excited, that he placed Avery where the big Buzz Lightyear normally stands for the meet & greet, then waved to everyone, and went to take a break - leaving Avery to stand-in for him! :)

It was very cute...lost on Avery - but cute just the same!

Project 365 - Day??? February - I lost track ;)

The Miles Mob had the opportunity to visit Grandma & Pa in Disney World this February!

We woke up bright and early to visit the Magic Kingdom - and waited in line to enter the park before the rest of the guests!

Ryanna had an appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to be transformed by a "Fairy Godmother in Training" into a princess!

I am going to post photos documenting the rest of our trip in consecutive blog posts...so look for them soon!

Kristen

Trains Make Boys Smile! Day 6 - Project 365

What more could Avery ask for?
He LOVES trains - and there are at least 4 different trains for him to watch at the Frederik Meijer Gardens during their Christmas event!

I wish I had video of him as he exclaimed, "Here it comes!!! All Aboard!! I found the train!"

Attitude is Everything! Day 5 - Project 365

Connor thinks that everything is wonderful!
His hair looks good (his choice to have it long) and he is living life to the fullest.

What else could a 4-year-old ask for?

Eye Roller! Day 4 - Project 365

My 7-year-old, Ryanna, thinks she can just roll her eyes whenever something doesn't meet her standards.

Hmmmmm....how can I break her of that habit?

I guess I could start by not rolling my own eyes!

Actions speak louder than words!

Tantrums - Project 365 - Day 3

The kind of day we had on Friday...

Tantrums of every kind!

All 3 kids were whiny, crying and just irritable.
Makes for a mommy of the same temperament.

Everyone was in bed really early - and I am just now recovering!

I hate days like that - but they make me thankful, in the end, for well-behaved children - most of the time!

Project 365 - Days 2

Jumping Jellybeans!

Connor and Avery are really into gymnastics right now! Connor sure loves to jump on the trampolines, while Avery is such a good jumper he puts even the older kids to shame!

I love that gymnastics tires them out and gives them the exercise they need!

Day 1 of 365 ~ Project 365 - Blogging through Photographs

Okay - so a few of my friends have started the Project 365 - where they are blogging through photos!

I am a photo-bug and love to take tons of pictures!
I think this is perfect for me - so I am going to give it a try!

Each and every day, a new photo - and maybe some reflection on the picture too.

Fun!

Preschool Pretenders - The Hairdresser

Oh how I love listening to and watching my boys pretend!

They role-play, make up scenarios, and seriously create their own little world. Each and every day is a new adventure!

Yesterday, while I was sitting at the dining room table helping my daughter with her homework, I hear the boys pretending to cook dinner in the kitchen. How sweet! They pretended to boil water, make macaroni & cheese, and get it ready for everyone in the family.

The next thing I hear is, "Okay, little buddy, sit still," from my almost 4-year-old son.

I'm listening, as my daughter continues with her writing.

Connor goes on to say, "Don't move. This is tricky."

Avery, my two-and-a-half year old, says, "Okay, Auntie Jen. Do I get a sucker when I'm done?"

UH OH!!

Auntie Jen is my sister, who is also a cosmetologist who CUTS OUR HAIR!!

Connor loves to cut paper and string with scissors. He was trying to cut Avery's hair!

I ran into the room just as Connor told Avery he was all done and could pick out a sucker.

There are a couple of spots on Avery's head where Connor actually managed to cut some of the hair. It doesn't look as bad as it could, so I guess I am not going to worry too much about it.



But, boy oh boy, did we have a talk about the appropriate uses for scissors, and that Auntie Jen had to go to school to learn how to be a hairdresser!

I wonder what adventure we'll pretend through next!

Rites of Passage...from Dora to Justin Beiber!

All of a sudden, one day, my daughter informed me she HATES Dora!!

For more than 6 years, we have had many, many fun memories with Dora.
My sweet little girl used to respond to Dora on television, in both Spanish and English. She used to role-play that she WAS Dora, and pretend that all of her toys were Dora's toys!

We read Dora books, had Dora dresses, and played with Dora toys.

All of a sudden Dora is just NOT cool anymore.
We had to purge all of her Dora toys, blankets, and everything from the house.

A book order form came home from school, and she proceeded to inform me that the Dora books were definitely NOT something she wanted to read!

Then she spots a "Justin Beiber" book - and got a huge smile on her face, saying, "Look, Mom, it's Justin Beiber!"

Who??????

Where on earth did she learn about Justin Beiber? Who is he?

Oh, right, he's a tween singer. I must admit, I wouldn't know any of his music if it bit me. I surely wouldn't recognize Justin if he walked up to me in person, either.

How is it that my sweet six-year-old knows about Justin, and I don't?
So I ask her, "Do you even know any of his music?"

She starts singing one of his songs!!!
I've NEVER heard it, nor played it for her!

Wow!

The outside influences that come with being in first grade are staggering!
She's bringing home a new taste in music, toys, and general interests.

I miss being one of the ONLY influences in her experiences.
However, I do appreciate that she is being exposed to new things at school, that I would not have the knowledge to share with her.

That's part of growing up.

She has to learn how to evaluate the value of new experiences and interests in her own mind. Her friends will and do introduce new things, some good, some not-so-great.

I am very thankful that I am still the MOST IMPORTANT influence on her interests!
As mom, I make it a point to talk to her about what happens at school, and these new influences that come into her life while she's in this crazy, diverse place called school!

I just pray that she will listen to her own heart, and that God will guide her, toward what is good and honoring to Him! She will have peer pressure to deal with. That's not going to change.

My job, as her mommy, is to make sure she's strong enough to stand up for what she believes in and to learn from every new experience.