Lil V and her Buddy Club.

My daughter, Little V, has a big heart. She is friends with everybody and works hard to make sure everyone feels included and loved. She and 7 other 2nd graders at her school even started a club with this very purpose. They founded the Buddy Club after hearing a bully prevention lecture in class. 

In
 the
 students’
own 
words,
the 
purpose 
of 
the 
group 
is
 “to 
watch 
out 
for
 bullies, 
prevent 
fights, 
teach
 kids 
to
 stand up 
for 
themselves
 and 
look
 for
 kids that
 are
 sad”. 

To
 advertise 
this 
group, 
the kids 

made 
posters
 that 
are 
hung 
around
 the
 school, announced 
on 
the 
school
 intercom
 encouraging
 all
 to
 join
 the
 club, 
presented 
to 
each
 class
 the 
purpose
 of 
the
 club
 and 
made
 a
 link 
to 
our
 school 
website 
for 
parents 
and
 students 
to 
view.

 Because 
of 
this 
group, 
a 
“Buddy
Bench” 
was
 ordered
 and
 placed
 on 
the
 playground
 so 
group 
members
 can 
help 
those at 
the 
bench.

 Any member 
of 
the 
Buddy 
Club
 
will 
come
 to 
the
 aid
 of
 anyone 
in
 need. 



The
 group
 meets
 at
 least 
once 
a 
month
 over 
lunch 
to
 brainstorm 
techniques 
in
 helping 
on 
the 
playground. 



At 
the 
beginning 
of
 each 
new
 school 
year,
 the
 club 
will
 talk 
to 
the
 student
 body 
about 
how 
to 
be 
a
 buddy 
on 
the 
playground. 


This 
student 
led
 group 
is now 
a 
permanent
 part 
of
 our
 school. It was an amazing success. My daughter used it more than once. When Little V's friend "Mary" got a new best friend "Lexi", there was some conflict. Lexi did not like Little V and didn't want to play with her or let Mary play with her either. So, my Little V went and sat on the bench. Soon, fellow member "Carlos" came running up and listened to the problem. Then, they went together to talk to Lexi. With a neutral third party, the problem was quickly worked out. This is a way for kids to work their problems out on their own. This is kids supporting each other. It is amazing! The counselor wrote up what they did and submitted it for a Kansas Promising Practice Award. We won! We were then entered into the national award and we were selected as a 2014 Promising Practice award winner by the Character Education Partnership. This is what she wrote about the impact this has had on our school so far after just one year: "Students 
are 
becoming 
less 
worried
 about 
specific 
clicks 
of 
friends 
and 
are 
becoming 
more 
interested 
in 
helping 
out 
others.
 For example,
 instead
 of 
fighting 
over 
the 
soccer 
ball 
at 
recess, 
they
 are
 learning 
to
 teach 
each
 other 
how 
to 
play
 soccer. 

Because 
of
this club,
 office 
referrals 
are
 going 
down 
as 
students 
are
 spending 
their
 energy 
on 
helping 
instead 
of 
hurting 
others. 

The 
more 
students 
see 
they 
have
 the 
peers
 on 
their
 side,
 they 
will 
feel
 less
 worried
 about
 recess, 
bullying 
and 
friendships;
 this
 will
 then
 lead
 to
 fewer 
students 
missing 
school
(an 
increase 
in 
attendance 
rate)

Daily, 
students 
are
 asking 
to
 join 
the
 buddy 
club
 and 
are 
excited
 to 
be
 a 
part
 of
 this 
movement.


 There for 
a 
strong 
sense 
of
 community 
and
 pride 
is 
being
 created
 in 
our
school.
" That, my friends makes this Mama so proud. She has already said she can't wait to plant a new Buddy Club at her next school. I can't wait to see her making a difference anywhere we go.

The thoughts that run through my head....

...while cleaning my kids' playroom today before the maintanence guy showed up.

Me- walking through the room
*Uh Oh, what's this? What kind of party was going on at this dollhouse last night???

*Prince Eric and Gaston are kicking it in the living room. Never really saw them as besties, -huh-

*Magic Carpet is passed out in the bath tub. Poor guy, that's always rough.

*Beast is face down in the front yard. There's always 'that' guy

*OH! OH! Belle is totally taking advantage though, because she has locked herself in the attic with Jafar. (Man, she has a SERIOUS bad boy complex!)


..........ahem........looks around to make sure no one was there..........sheepishly goes back to picking things up.............

I need to get out of the house more. I have resorted to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Plastic, brought to you by Disney. Now being featured at a toybox near you!

Going upstairs to do homework now. Move along, nothing to see here!

Sometimes it is the little things

Doing a 30 day photo challenge on Facebook. It got me thinking. Thinking about my favorite memories, my favorite people, my favorite moments. This video is of my oldest daughter a few years ago. Sometimes it is the little everyday moments that stick with you. The funny quirky most amazing things that happen on a tuesday night....

Valerie's first bumper car experience

Photobooth

We went to a friend's wedding and they had a photo booth at their reception. You got to go in and take as many pictures as you want. They print them out and hand you a copy and then at the end of the night, the bride and groom get a cd of all the pictures of their guests. I thought it was the CUTEST idea! Here are some of our pictures. It was an outdoor wedding so we may look a little warm. Yes, my little ham went in and did some herself.
NOTE: For some reason Blogger is cutting these pictures in half. If you click on the pictures it will take you to the page where you can see all of them and other photos from the wedding.

Valerie strikes again....Pow!

So, we have been working on Father's Day cards and getting them out. The other day I was having them write one out to a gpa that lives farther away and I told Valerie that she could put it in the mailbox. So she runs out there and Steven lifts her up so she can reach. She opens the front flap, slides the card in, sticks her little face in there and says, "Please send this to my papa!" Then hops down and runs off.

We were sitting at dinner last night and talking about our pet fish. We had just told the kids about a fish we got to put in Valerie's nursery before she was born. Steven stuck it in the window and it died. Valerie asked us what we did with the fish. I said Daddy had flushed it down the toilet. She looked at Steven with a confused look on her face and says, "You didn't eat it?" He chokes on his food a little and says, "No, you don't eat fish that small baby." I said that when we were kids I had a fish that died but we buried it in the back yard. Valerie whips her little head around and says "Gross, mom. That would make your fish taste like dirt!" I don't think we got through to her....

In other news, Valerie has decided to follow her father around the house and call him old. A LOT! He will yell from the bedroom "I can't find my pants!" Valerie walks by and tells him "Thats cause youare old daddy" He got a pretty wicked sunburn Thursday. He was hobbling around and bumped his knee. "AGH! My knee is killing me." "That is cause you are getting old Dad" I laugh every time. Hasn't stopped being funny yet.

For Father's Day my Mom got my Dad the original Batman movie, with Adam West. Valerie asked if they could watch it too and my dad said that was fine. They could have a movie night.(It is all my kids have talked about for three days by the way!) Valerie grabs the dvd case and says "Oh My Goodness! Is he naked?!" I grab the case and check. "No baby he is wearing tights and a body suit." "Oh, well he kinda looks naked." God help us all.

Why?

Have any of you moms ever had this conversation?

Setting the scene: Driving down the road, a few minutes late(I won't lie), trapped in the car with your kids and nowhere to run.....

Vanessa-"Mommy, what's dat?"

Me-"Daddy's shoes"

Vanessa-Why they Daddy's shoes?

Me-Because he wanted them

Nessa-"Why he want them?"

Me-"He needed them so he asked me to get them"

Nessa-"Why daddy get shoes?"

Me-"he had to have something to wear on his feet"

Nessa-"Why he need somfin' on his feet?"

Me-"Cause everyone wears shoes baby girl"

Nessa-"Why everyone wear shoes?"

Me-"To keep their feet protected so they don't hurt their feet"

Nessa-"Why people hurt their feet?"

Me-"Sometimes people step on something without shoes and that can hurt their feet"

Nessa-"Why they step on somefin'?"

Me-"Ahhhhhhh!!! No more why questions!!!!"

Nessa-"I got boo boo on my feet....."

My girls have been busy

My kids have both been pretty busy in the last few weeks. Valerie finished up her first year of preschool and we are nearing the end of the dance year. We are a week away from recital. Life has been going full steam ahead.

Mondays are our chill days. The girls and I have a tendency to stay in our pjs all day and don't leave the house until it is time to go to the gym in the evening. So, the girls were downstairs watching Dora and I was at the table drinking tea and reading a book. Now, all you moms of young children will understand this next part. They got to the end of their episode and Dora and Boots are talking about everything that happened on their adventure. Then they look out and say, "What was your favorite part?" Which is followed by about thirty seconds of silence and then, "I liked that part too!" This particular time Dora asks her question and then looks expectantly at my children. My darling Nessa looks at her and says, "My favite part waas Dora's hair!" She is sooo my little girly girl.

Today I went to a luncheon for a sweet wonderful lady at the church. We ate a lot of delicious food and then when my children got a little restless we decided to take off for naptime. I put both of the kids in the car and told them to sit in their seats. I buckled Nessa and then went and climbed in on the driver's side. Valerie started screaming from the backseat, "Mommy!! Mommy! You can not drive yet!!! I am NOT buckled!" I hopped out and went to strap her in. "Sorry baby, Mommy forgot you weren't buckled yet. Silly me." "I know", she says, " That's why I like Daddy better. He never forgets things."

OUCH!

Dirt Salad

Oh, Valerie has been doing so many funny things lately that I can't blog fast enough to keep up!
Lately, I swear she has morphed into a boy. (If you don't believe me read previous blog.) Yesterday the kids were playing outside and Valerie was using a stick to draw in the mud. All of a sudden she stands up, holds the stick n front of her face and says, "Wanna see me eat mud?" and before Steven could say no she licked it. Not a little lick either but one of those huge, I just got my favorite ice cream licks. Then she gagged a little and started spitting. Steven grabbed her and told her she needed to go in and wash her mouth out.
She was coming in and she said, "I really thought it would be delicious but it was disgusting!"
Really? Really?
Today Steven re-enlisted. We went along to see it and take pictures. It wasn't too big of a deal but exciting for us. On the way back out to the car Valerie grabs some leaves off of a hedge. She is studying them the whole way to the truck. I buckled her in and shut her door. Steven and I talked for a minute and then he got back in the truck to give her kisses. She was spitting out the leaves right as he opened the door. "Ugh, I thought they would be food!" Steven-"Stop eating stuff!"
Me- Why? Why Lord why?

Oh Yeahhh!

Little Nessa has had us in stitches all day. A lot of stuff she does/says wouldn't really be funny if I just rewrote it here in blogworld. You have to see her little facial expressions and her wild hand gestures to get the full picture. But she has had some pretty hilarious stuff today that I had to share.

Tonight at dinner the girls put on a pretty spectacular performance. There was singing and dancing. Vanessa was mostly harmonizing with Valerie and echoing whatever she sang. All of a sudden she grabs her stomach and belts out "Yoooooouu don't want a tummmy ache! Yooooooou need my piiiiiiiggy tails!!" My piggy taaaaaaaails!" My mine piggies!" While rubbing her little hands on her head.

She has this cup that she drinks out of that is a kool-aid man cup. So, tonight she is drinking and she points to his face and says "This is mine porcupine and she says "OH YUM" in her deepest little two year old voice. I almost fell out of my chair. To my knowledge this child has never seen a kool-aid commercial. It was so funny!