{Embrace the Camera: N'Awlins Style}

Well, if that don’t put pepper in the gumbo!

 

It’s Thursday!!!

I have so much explaining to do in the next day or so. The kids and I joined my parents on a quick trip to New Orleans. I have quite a few pictures to browse through before I make it that far. However, I didn’t want to miss Thursday’s session of {Embrace the Camera}.


I have to admit I am SUPER excited to share these pictures of just me and my 3 favorite kids!!! It’s kind of funny how excited I get now when I don’t have to run to try to capture a moment with the 4 of us together =)

Stay tuned because I have so much to share about our first N’Awlins experience.

Happy Thursday!!!

{Positive Rewards}

This school year, we have learned how to manage our time in 9 week blocks. The school year consists of four 9 week grading periods. Somehow 3 grading periods have already passed us by which means that the kids are officially in their last 9 weeks of the school year!!! It is a bit hard to believe that we are winding down to end of the year activities. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be preparing for a kindergarten graduation and a 5th grade promotion ceremony. HA, and you all thought I was in denial before when I was about to gain an 11 year old! =)



One of the things that I really love about this school is the motivational tools that are provided for the students. The teachers and the administration really go out of their way to try to provide those little extra incentives that help the students WANT to reach a little further. Students truly have the ability to shoot for the moon.


After each 9 week block, students are recognized for all of their efforts in areas such as grades, Accelerated Reading (AR), and attendance. They have special awards for the kids who worked hard at improving their grades and the kids who show great leadership roles around school. The school also has several little reward programs that are offered all around the school on a daily basis. The classrooms usually hold weekly or monthly goals that they try to meet and the ones who meet their goals are rewarded with a little something special.


This is the first year that we have all three kids receiving report cards. It has been quite amazing to watch how far they have all come. They have all done extremely well in school. So far both Bryanna and Kalyssa have made the all “A” honor roll at each awards assembly. They are both shooting for a full year of straight A’s. Unfortunately for Trav, kindergarten doesn’t get to participate in the awards assembly. The kindergarten wing hosts a special celebration for their extraordinary 5 and 6 year olds. We have participated in events like bounce house fun and chalk and bubble day.

I do have to brag just a little about Bryanna on this one because she truly busted her bum to reach her academic goal for these 9 weeks. She has worked hard at keeping her grades in every subject above 90%. There was one math test that she took that knocked her grade down to a “C”. She was absolutely devastated. She was so worried that she wasn’t going to make the honor roll. She really came down hard on herself. We sat and talked about it a lot. It broke my heart to see her so sad about one grade. I know how hard she works and how much effort she puts into school and to watch her beat herself up over one test really broke my heart. I did my best to reassure her but I am slowly learning that some of her qualities follow closely behind her moms...She wasn’t sure what was going to happen but she put one foot in front of the other and kept pushing forward. In a matter of 3 weeks, she was able to turn that “C” to an “A”!! When she got up on stage to receive her award, we learned that she was the only one in her homeroom to receive the all “A” honor roll award. Her teacher took a minute to recognize her achievements.

The AR program is quite big at school and both girls absolutely love to try to meet their reading goal. For the third 9 week grading period, the kids who met their AR goal got to participate in some pretty fun activities. Each grade did something a little different.



First grade held a "Sock Hop". The kids got to dress up in their best 50’s attire. They attended a Sock Hop full of music, dancing, and they even got to drink a soda pop.

The fifth graders got to choose what they wanted to do by voting. The winning votes allowed those who met their AR goal to dress up as “Tacky Tourists” for the day.

I love that the kids are able to participate in these little extra events for reaching their goals. I will admit that being able to wear “street clothes” is a pretty big deal for my kids but, these little touches make school that much more rewarding. I am a big believer in positive reinforcements. I truly believe that children should be made to feel as if they can achieve the impossible. They also need to be able to look forward to something. If they accomplish their goals, they should be recognized and rewarded for all of their efforts. Children need reassurance as well as positive feedback from all of the adults in their lives. This past week I was asked by the principal and the school counselor if I would consider taking a position as the parent representative for the Positive Behavior Support System Team for next year. I was so honored that they considered me to be a part of this amazing program. This school works really hard at trying to keep the students motivated. They do so many things that I have never seen before and I am so excited that I get to work directly with the teachers and the school administrators to help provide a more positive environment within the school setting.    

 If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.

~Ignacio Estrada

{11 Years Here To Soon}

It has taken me two days to get through this post. I keep trying to find the exact words to share. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot I want to share I just can’t seem to find the right things to say. I have so many emotions running through my heart. How exactly can it be that my little girl is 11 years old???



There are these little moments that happen in life every now and then that really tend to shake things up. As a mommy to three kids, I get to watch my kids grow every day. Some things I see daily, other things I notice here and there, and then, there are those things that just really take me by surprise.


I woke up yesterday morning and asked how exactly I found myself faced with the day that I would be singing Happy Birthday to my 11 year old daughter. How can it be that we are only 2 years away from the realities of a full blown teenager? Of course it didn’t help that it was pointed out to me that we are halfway to the age of 21 at this point in the game and less than 6 months away from the start of middle school!!! Remind me again how exactly this day came to be? This sneaking up on me business really needs to STOP!!!


In our day to day routine, I try to “forget” just how much is changing. Don’t worry, I have a constant reminder who stops by quite a few times a day. She usually bats her big brown eyes, flashes her bright smile, and she NEVER lets me forget ANYTHING!!! =)


As the mother of a pre-teen girl, I can tell you that over the past year or so, things have been changing rapidly. My little girl who once liked to crawl into my lap every morning until she was ready to start her day now spends more time with her face buried in her cell phone. The little girl who had to cuddle and have "Brown Bear" read to her numerous times a day would now rather spend time in her room reading her own books.


Bryanna is now officially 11 and she is beaming with excitement. I tried very hard to explain to her that daddy made a rule that birthday’s don’t exist while he is gone but she didn’t believe me. I tried to sing her "The Unbirthday Song" but she didn’t buy that one either. I had to face the fact that she was turning 11. Yes, I had a few tears in my eyes as I crawled under the covers yesterday morning to share a little birthday song with my daughter. Her giggles made me feel a little better but it wasn’t until she put her nose next to mine and rubbed symbolizing our “Mommy & BB” Eskimo kiss that my heart literally turned to mush. It was that little moment that reminded me that she will forever be my little girl no matter how much she grows up or how old she gets.


This year Bry wanted to do something a little different for her birthday. Normally, I would end up with a house full of girls for some type of make-over, dancing like crazy, staying up until the sun comes up the next day sleepover extravaganza but, after brainstorming some ideas, Bry decided that what she really wanted for her 11th birthday was a girl’s day out with her two best girl friends. She’s such a trooper, she even let her little sister join in on all of the “grown-up” fun =)

 

Every girl deserves to feel extra special, especially on her big day!

This was a little message sent from Bryanna's bestfriend in California.

Happy birthday! You are celebrating 11 so here are 11 things I love about you. You are wonderful, beautiful, talented, smart, funny, creative, kind, a great friend, the greatest friend, fun, and a brown eyed girl. I LOVEEEE YOU mizz bb mall! I wish you a happy 11th birthday and many more!

~ Happy 11th Birthday Mizz BB ~

{Friday Fun With Military Spouses: March 25th}

 

It's Friday!!! Time to answer some questions and learn a few more things about this military spouse.

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy

Since my hubby left, I have become quite fond of my Keurig. I love that all I have to do is push one button and a full cup a coffee is made for me in a matter of seconds. It’s so simple and so delicious. I LOVE me some coffee and I can easily drink a full pot by myself. However, I am trying to be really good these days by limiting my caffeine intake. But...I do sneak a cup at night every now and then =)

2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third

When I was a little girl, I pictured myself as a wife, a mommy, and my dream job was a teacher. I’m pretty dang close =)

3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment

I’m not a huge chocolate lover. I have my moments when I like to eat chocolate but it’s not my favorite. However, I have a family full of chocolate fanatics. My kids love to make brownies almost as much as they love to eat them. One of our favorite baking recipes is Brownie Pops. We usually make them as gifts for the teachers but, somehow we always manage to save a few for our family =)

We usually use boxed brownie mix (something with extra chocolate flavor). I have a silicon brownie pop mold that I bought one year on the clearance rack at Target (gotta love those day after holiday sales) but they can be made without one of these fancy little gadgets.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the silicone molds with cooking spray so that the brownie pops won’t stick.

Make brownies according to the box. Pour batter into the silicon mold, filling it about 2/3 full. Bake about 20 minutes. Let brownies cool completely before removing from mold. Place them on waxed paper.

We usually melt chocolate chips. Once the brownies have cooled, we dip them in the melted chocolate and then dip them in different sprinkles that the kids have picked out. Place a brownie stick or a popsicle stick in the center of the brownie. Refrigerate until they set, about 4 hours.

4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be too much or too hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes

Sometimes I cry, sometimes I have a few words to share, but then I remind myself that this is my life, this is OUR life. Not every day is going to be perfect but its life. It’s not supposed to be. So, I dry up my tears, I finish up my words, and I push forward. I remind myself that everything I have ever wanted in my life, I have worked hard for. The things that I have worked hard for, are the things that mean the most to me. I'm also pretty good at picking up the phone and calling my bestie, she usually makes me feel A LOT better =)

5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad

I'm not new but we are currently facing our first "real" deployment as a family so...
Taking any and all advice =)

Greatly Appreciated!!! 

Don't forget to link up this week at Turn for the Nurse to meet other super cool MilSpouses