All About Lauren

Lauren's teacher picks a child each week during the school year to feature on a special bulletin board called "All About Me". You supply pictures of your child doing their favorite activities, with their family, a baby photo, and anything that is special to them. The child fills out a questionnaire about their favorite food, sport, television show, book, etc. At the end of the week all of the classmates fill out a half page "Lauren is..." sheet and the teacher puts them all together in a book as a keepsake. Some of the things her classmates wrote about her: funny, silly, cute, smart, nice, cool, and fun to play with!

I've mentioned before that Lauren's current teacher is the same woman who taught me third grade. I was her very first class, and back then she did a similar project called Super Kid. I still have my Super Kid book!

County Fair

We surprised the kids with an afternoon trip to the county fair - and we were all surprised when it started to rain almost as soon as we walked through the gates. I'm usually on top of the weather, but this storm snuck up on us. Luckily we had dressed warm enough and had a couple umbrellas in the car, despite Mother Nature's attempt to drown us out. We had a good time watching a seal show and a small circus of imagination. The kids enjoyed the farm animals and magic distortion mirrors.

At one point while we were waiting for the pouring rain to stop, we ducked into a tent and listened to a live band. The kids were hopped up on kettle corn and were dancing to the music:

We ended the afternoon with the demolition derby. The kids were so enthralled, they just could not believe people were crashing their cars on purpose. For the last week whenever we see a car that has even the slightest dent on it they both gleefully exclaim, "That car belongs in the demolition derby!"

Four and eleven twelfths

We celebrated Owen's 5th birthday at preschool a month early, since his birthday falls during summer vacation.

Preschool Open House

Country Fair fun

Family dinner

First grade girlies being silly

Park fun with friends from out of town

Lauren's class party

Lauren wanted a party with her whole class, so we decided a bounce house party could handle that craziness. All the kids had fun and worked up an appetite for the Funfetti cupcakes.

Little brother, all smiles

The class being silly

Birthday Girl

Our girlie is now seven years old! Here are a few shots from her birthday.

Getting ready to head out to school.

Lucky enough to sneak in a quick visit with Great Grandma after school.

The night before she and Daddy had made their own one of a kind birthday cake: two chocolate bundt layers with strawberry jelly in between, and they tinted some Funfetti icing pink.

Blowing out seven candles

Obligatory cake shot for Auntie Michelle!

Daddy even made her some pink milk to go with it!

A wind chime from Great Grandma

New Tinkerbell summer jammies

A mosaic art project from Auntie Louie - which Lauren finished that very weekend!

Stirring peanut butter, the manly way

Down to two wheels after about 10 minutes with Papa

Heart attack

From another room, as I'm in the kitchen making dinner: "Mama, I can skip!"

"Sis, don't be silly, you've known how to skip for years."

"Yeah, but I have my roller skates on!"

Best Mass of the year

At Lauren's school every class is responsible for putting on one Mass per year. 1st Grade was in charge of May's and they did a fabulous job, so full of enthusiasm! Lauren was part of the bell choir.

Adam put together this video:

If you hack my phone...

...prepare to be blogged.