Jack and the Beanstalk

Abby's class put on the play "Jack and the Beanstalk" for families and other classes at the end of the school year.  This was actually something Abby remembered seeing as a first grader, and what she mentioned when she got her teacher letter last summer.  She was excited to play the role of "Narrator 2" and her whole class did a great job.  They had several different shows, so Dave and his parents were able to make it to one, and I snuck away from school for a bit to see another.  I love that she made some great memories like this in second grade!

Dance recital

The girls did a great job at their dance recital!  Abby's group performed "Heroes" and "True Colors"--I loved both of their dances and costumes so much this year.  Norah danced to "Silly Willy" and "Say Say Oh Playmate".  She was definitely the one that the audience was laughing at on Saturday night, as she was distracted by a fraying ribbon on her costume, picked her nose, and ended a song backwards...  She loved being on stage, though!

ECFE

Norah wrapped up her last year of ECFE in May--crazy to think that we are done with that stage of life completely after 8 years!  Norah loved her teacher, Ms. Jodi, and is excited that she'll have her for preschool next year, too.  We have worked with Ms. Pam as a para since Abby was a baby, so will miss her a lot!  Norah had a great year with no separation issues, and always loved any opportunity to do projects, painting, writing center, puzzles, etc. at class.  She is ready and excited for preschool!

Carley State Park

This spring, we had some amazing weather, and Dave had a tip about bluebells at Carley State Park.  We decided to meet up with Dave's parents for a Sunday afternoon to check it out.  I camped with my dad and brother when we were younger at Carley, but hadn't been there in years.  It was beautiful!

Abby is 8!

Abby celebrated her 8th birthday on April 2nd!  It was perfect that it fell on a Saturday, and Dave was off as well.  We got up and had donuts for breakfast, then Abby opened her presents.  After we got ready for the day, we headed up to the Mall of America to meet my parents.  We were able to get a great deal on Nickelodeon Universe tickets from AAA, so ended up just getting the girls wristbands.  Norah had to have a "chaperone" on most rides, so my dad, Dave, and I took turns (as well as Jenny and Tracy when they joined us).  We even ran into one of my kids from Focused on Friends at school (another 2nd grader) and she rode a couple of rides with Abby.

For lunch, we ate at Ruby Tuesday.  Abby was given an ice cream sundae since it was her birthday, and was nice enough to share it with Norah.  However, Norah kept taking huge spoonfuls really fast...probably 10 spoonfuls to Abby's 1 or 2.  We had to eventually cut her off, which made her mad!

After lunch, we did a little shopping with some birthday money the girls had saved up and brought along.  They each picked out an outfit for their Bitty Baby at the American Girl store, then checked out the Lego and Disney stores.  They ended up finding something at the Disney store.  My parents headed home after shopping, but Jenny and Tracy stayed for a couple more rides.  It was a little crazy at Nickelodeon Universe after lunch, so we didn't stay too much longer.

On our way out, we stopped by Barnes and Noble for Abby's free birthday cupcake, which we stayed and ate with Tracy.

Back at home, we needed a low-key night after a busy day, so we ate supper and watched a movie, then let Abby blow out the candles on her birthday cake.  Abby woke up with a stomachache that night--she is not used to so many sweets in one day!  (Funny it didn't bother Norah!)

Abby brought treats to school and daycare on the Monday after her birthday, then had her friend Olivia sleep over on the next Saturday.  They had fun playing, made their own pizzas, had brownie sundaes, and watched a movie.  The easiest sleepover ever--they fell asleep so quickly and didn't wake up too early.

Abby visited Dr. Mark on Thursday--routine well-child check up with no issues or shots, which Abby was the most excited about.  Here are her 8-year stats:

Weight:  47.25 lb. (12th percentile)
Height:  50 in. (45th percentile)
Personality/interests:  quiet, reserved, sensitive when she's tired, great big sister to Norah (most of the time!), LOVES to read, play board games, and watch movies; loves going to daycare after school each day and riding the bus--especially loves the babies at daycare!

Still can't quite believe that she is 8 already!  The years are flying by way too fast...

Albert Lea birthday party/egg hunt

The day after Abby's birthday, we went down to Albert Lea after church to celebrate Easter and the girls' birthday with Dave's family.  Everyone gathered at Gerald's assisted living home for an Easter lunch, presents, and cupcakes/ice cream.  Dave's mom had chosen a Shopkins theme for the party, and had printed out Shopkins cupcake holders to tape around the cupcakes.  Tracy made the cupcakes.  It was nice to catch up with everyone!

After the party, we went over to Betty and Ron's for the egg hunt.  Dave's parents had gone over a little earlier to hide the eggs.  It was windy, but the air was warm, so it was perfect for being outside.  Everyone found lots of eggs and had fun opening them inside.  We stayed for a little while to chat with people before heading back home to get ready for another week.  Fun day!