Back to School

I can't believe another school year has begun. This year we have kids at three different schools!

Ashley and Madison are both in Primary School.

Ashley is in 2nd grade this year.

Madison is now in 1st grade.

Welsey is in 4th grade at the Elementary School.

Allen is embarking on the adventure known as Middle school, in 6th grade.

They are all so excited to be back at school! We are so happy with the teachers they have and their choice in friends. This is going to be another amazing year:)

As for mom and dad...Chad returns to school the end of the month, and Aubrey will be Substitute teaching again as well as spending time with PTO for all three schools. Nothing slows down around the Pena home.

Merry Christmas!

If you didn't get your card yet, its on its way...if it doesn't come, let me know:)

Happy Halloween

Direct from Alice in Wonderland...I Present to you-

Allen-as the Mad Hatter (yes everyone got this one right)

Wesley-as the Caterpillar "Who are yoooou?"

Ashley-as the Queen of Hearts "Off with their heads!"

and Madison- as Alice!

Hope you had as much fun last night as we did!

(Thank you Grammy for our amazing costumes!)

Happy 6th Birthday Ashley!

My Little Girl...Princess of Pink...Ms. Ashley

How is she six? Where did the time go? I feel like each day is just slipping through my fingers. Each moment slipping away too fast! Ashley is our munchkin. When she was a baby she decided to stop growing. She didn't stop eating, her body just decided not to do anything with it. We had her in the doctors office at least once a week for height and weight checks. She was just a pinch away from being classified as "Failure to Thrive." Not a good thing! The turning point...she was 9 months old. After the nurse let me take her off the scale, Ashley climbed off my lap and proceeded to walk around the exam room checking out everything at her level. Nothing on her charts changed, but the Doctor's were convinced at that point, that the charts can't tell the whole story. (I know one day she will be in therapy to discuss her height complex. We are always telling her to grow...get taller...get a bum-she has none)

(at the emergency room for one of her visits...)

She is so full of energy and that coupled with her ridiculously high pain threshold is such a bad combination! She is always getting hurt but just brushing off each occasion with a shrug with a little bit of worry that she may have gotten her clothes dirty.

Ashley is in 1st grade this year. Her teacher sent home an "It's all about me Tee" for us to fill out for her birthday. So I thought I would share some of her favorite things with you on her birthday...



Favorite Color...
Pink

"Places I like to go...
Home Grammy's house in Gilbert Church School The Temple


Things I like to do...
Read Barbie books Watch Barbie movies Play with Barbies Play outside


There are six people in my family...
Dad Mom Allen Wesley Madison and Me


My favorite Subjects are...
Reading Writing Math


I like to eat...
Goldfish crackers"

We love you Ashley Paige Pena!!!

"Summer Fun"

Allen, Wesley and Ashley with their Summer Fun teachers.

Allen and his Summer Friend-J.J.

This summer we found the most amazing summer school program for the kids. They were separated into groups not by age, or grade, but so that there was an assortment of each in every group. The groups rotated through each of five teachers everyday of the week.
Mrs McGruder taught Computers. Ms Lee taught cooking. Mrs Martinez taught us about our bodies. Ms Morelos directed our Reader's Theater. Mrs Uttergaurd taught us exercise.
They had a blast and are excited to go again next summer. Madison is especially excited since she will be old enough to go next summer!

Last Day of School

Wesley was so blessed to have the same teacher in kinder and first grades. I would say we are going to miss her, but Ashley will have Mrs Feerick for Kindergarten!

Allen also had an awesome teacher this year. Mrs Miller cared so much about the students and their progression throughout the year. We were so sad when she was on the list of teachers let go with the budget cuts.... She will always hold a special place in our hearts!

The Christmas Tree Nazi....

( NOTE: Not a personal account, but I didn't want my

children to write a version of this in the future!)

"My mother is The Christmas Tree Nazi. Where most families decorate the Christmas tree as a family, my mom does not like anybody decorating the tree other than herself. As a kid I would decorate the Christmas tree and then my mother would say:
"Oh Baby that looks nice. You did a wonderful job. But you know if you just move this piece here and this piece there...."
And before you know it the whole tree would be rearranged as mom saw fit. It was disheartening. My poor little feelings would be hurt. Now I don't even try to decorate the tree. I have learned that there is no hope that I will ever decorate another Christmas tree as long as I am at home with my mother. It's just not possible.
We (well my mom) just managed to decorate the tree tonight even though the tree has been up for a couple of weeks. And what can I say, she stayed true to form. She put the kids to be, begin to decorate the tree, and didn't ask for my help until she needed me to fill in some holes on the side and the back of the tree. You know the areas where no one is going to look.
Yep. That's my mom. The Christmas Tree Nazi."

I read this and decided that I needed to relinquish my throne. The kids are having a blast, and they definitely have some of my obsessive tendencies. Our tree is looking better than it ever has!

Ashley's "Day Off"

To have preschool four days a week, we enrolled Ashley in two separate programs. One through Parks and Rec. and the other is a private preschool. The Parks and Rec preschool takes a ridiculously long break from before Thanksgiving until after the New Year, so for the next month+ Ashley doesn't have a set schedule Monday or Wednesday.

(Stage Set)

Picture: Sunday evening, Ashley sitting on the recliner - legs up on the arm...

"Mom," she says with an exaggerated sigh,

"I am so excited to have a day off tomorrow with you!"

Is this what she thinks we're going to do?

Halloween

We're off to see the Wizard!

Allen was a perfect Tin Man. Wesley was a great Scarecrow. Madison was made for the Role of the Cowerdly Lion, and Ashley pulled off Dorthy like no one else!

First stop Mrs Feerick's house.

On to the heart of the trick or treating with Deni as Glenda the Good witch, Blair as the Wicked witch of the west, and Chad, Pam, and I as the Lollipop Guild. Madison and Deni really got into the candy collection this year - running from house to house, sampling the goods, it was a blast!

The Kids looked AWESOME. I know I'm going to miss the themed Halloweens but I promised the kids they could pick anything they wanted next year and that they didn't have to have a theme.

The end of the night...one more picture before the sugar feast!

Dance-Mania and people's weird questions

"No they are not twins...Yes they are sisters...Yes they are both mine..."you get the idea!

The girls are in the same dance class this semester and loving it. They have this crazy teacher named "Mr. Rogers" (totally his real name) who plays games and teaches them all kinds of fun things. But you would be a little appalled at some of the questions I field each week. I just have to remind myself that I live in Tucson and people are different here!

We've already had our ER visit this year!

We were on our way out the door this morning, when the screaming began.... Ashley and Madison both wanted to get to the car first, so Madison grabbed Ashley's backpack trying to slow her down, and instead Ashley fell and hit her head on the bench in front of the window. So we dropped the boys off at school and off we went to TMC's Children's ER. No stitches (YEAH!) Just Derma-bond, pretty much the same thing that comes in the Liquid Band-aid box only with a hospital price-tag! Gotta love the health-care system! So she's totally okay, and mostly just sad that she missed preschool.

I wonder though, does this mean that we don't have to go to the hosptal at all next year?

Happy Birthday Ashley and Madison!

I can't believe my babies are 3 and 4! I just brought Ashley home from the hospital and now she is in Pre-school! How did that happen?

And Madison was my heart stopper with her delivery issues and her time in Nicu and now she just tells you how she wants it and makes sure that is the way things happen!
I think Ashley's reaction was something to the effect of

" what is that and why is it here?"

The day we brought Madison home from the Hospital...yeah there wasn't much difference in their size then. It's no wonder that Madison passed Ashley a while ago!

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I've learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
(Ruth Hulburt Hamilton)

"Even if the water balloons are gone, there's still water in here mom!"

At any rate, I don't know what I would do without my sweet Princess of Pink and Princess of Purple. They have both been able to roll an adventurous and fearless attitude with a girly charm into two amazing packages. I love you Ashley with all of your strong will and fiestiness! I love you Madison with all of your patience and observance for detail. This will definitely be a magical birthday!

What time is it?...SUMMERTIME!

It wouldn't be summertime at the Pena house without swimming lessons!




The kids look forward to their pool time and it is a great
bargaining chip if their chores aren't getting done!

Sonoran Desert Museum

Wesley's joke last week was..." are all the animals tired since it's the snorin desert museum?" -insert bent over giggles here. So, with that we decided to spend the morning checking on the "sleeping" animals, and make good use of our family pass! Saguaro Cactus blossoms

Ashley with the fish.

(She totally fell off right after we took the picture!)

Wesley got a little tired so Allen

volunteered to push him in the stroller!

The blessed backpack!

Madison just being so stinkin' cute!

Ashley's Ears

Ashley made these ears in Sister Butler's class! She just looked so stinking cute!

The Last Day of School!

Wesley's last day as a Kindergartener...it was one crazy day!

Wesley and our favorite Kinder teacher- Mrs. Feerick!

Allen and Ms. Anderson - Goodbye 2nd grade!What would we have done without Ms Anderson?