First day of school for my little Princess

Here are a few pics I took from My little princess' first day of Transitional Kindergarten. Transitional Kindergarten goes into effect in California next year but, we our city was lucky enough to receive a grant to start a year early. this is a program designed for young kindergartners.
It doesn't matter at what level of learning you child is at, the program was designed to give the younger kids another year to mature and be ready for Kindergarten. My little Princess LOOOVVEEESSSS school (thank goodness one of my kids does) and has been blessed with a wonderful teacher.

Here she is all dressed and ready to go.

Dissmissal time. She runs to me like this everyday! I love it!

Here is a little video of the first song she learned in class.

This is a little video made on my little princesses first day of school.

Oh my negleted blog

I have been so incredibly busy since school started. I thought I would actually have more time on my hands. Boy was I mistaken. I seem to still have just as much to do and more. I have to try and fit all my errands into a small window of time before I pick everyone up from school, then make dinner, go to soccer and got o work...wha?? yes, I've been working so much more which yes is a blessing because I love what I do but, that leaves almost no time to blog.
 I did take first day of school pics and even recorded a little video but haven't had time to do the editing. I'll try to get those done tonight and post them later. Now that face painting has slightly slowed a bit I should be able to get caught up here.
I hope to have at least 2 new posts this week for you. Thanks for hangin' in there with me.

Love and busy days,
Shawna

School is almost here

 This summer was a busy one. I barely had a minute to blog..boooo. As you may or may not know I've been face painting up a storm this summer so, my weekends have been jam packed. We also moved at the begining of the summer which sucked and by the way I still have 6 unpacked boxes and no more room for anything!!!
 The kids will now be in better schools and my little princess will be starting Transitional Kindergarten!!! AHHHH!! When did she get to be so big.....booooo times two. I have begun the process of getting them ready, shopping for supplies, clothes, shoes and here comes the fun part.....accessories!! WHOO HOO!! You all know how much I love to make fun, girlie stuff. I started making my princess a few hair clips and a fancy new bracelet, which I think she may need a few more. I mean a girls gotta have options especially considering she'll be wearing a uniform(I think)...bleh. That's no fun! So we have to jaz it up a bit with cute accessories...Here is some of what I've been working on....

 I made a princess bracelet too but haven't had a chance to take a pic yet. I will when the sun is out. She has bows to match each of these OMG!! so cute!

Josh's 12th Birthday

Yesterday was Josh's twelveth birthday. Although we promised to have a beach party for him later this summer, we could'nt just let the day go by without doing something fun. Here's a little slideshow video I put together showing you how we spent our day....Enjoy.

Happy Birthday Frida!

Yesterday would have been Frida Kahlo's 104th birthday if she was still alive. To comemorate her birthday the kids and I read a great book for kids called Frida by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Ana Juan. It is a wonderful book that tells us the story of her painful life in a way that even young children can understand.

 It is important to share stories like these with my kids to show them a way to deal with their own feelings of sadness or pain. Sometimes, we don't realize that children have these same feelings and need a way to express them. I feel like painting , drawing and just being creative can help children work through these feelings.

 My kids were so impressed that Frida painted on her own torso cast and had so many questions after we finished reading. We will make a trip to the library tomorrow to find a more in depth biography to answer some of those questions.

 I purchased this book at a local bookstore called "Gatsby Books" that sells new and gently used books. I do believe in helping out local shop owners and this shop is great. Normally we would make our way over to the library but, I just couldn't pass on this jem.

 Friday we plan on painting our own self portraits like Frida did. I will post some photos of our masterpieces.

Getting my face painted

After painting a bunch of kiddos today I got to come home and get MY face pained by my princess...Like mother like daughter. I let her use a $5.00 eyeshadow compact from Wet n Wild. I really liked that one too.What was I thinking..oh well, good thing it wasn't Christian Dior LOL!

Baby Princess

I just came across this pic of my sweet little baby Princess from 3 years ago...My how time flies. I still see her this way and wish I could just freeze time especially when she tells me that she's a big girl now. This has got to be one of my favorite pics of her.

Face painting my little Princess

This is what we do on a daily basis now. It was all fun and games when we first started but, after a while face painting gets old so, I now have to trick my princess into being my little model. I tell her that we're going to surprise Nana with a new face painting, then we go next door and show off her cuteness and she loves it.
 Today she was Tinkerbell, Yesterday she was a flamingo who knows what tomorrow will bring?

The biggest splinter ever!

 If you're easily grossed out stop reading this and go read this. If you're still here please read on.....

 I told you that we live in an old craftsman style house with old pipes and old wood floors. Well this is what happens when you have boys running through the house. My son yells "mom I have a splinter!" And knowing that they always act like they're dying whenever they bump themselves I yell back "oh you'll be okay. Let me finish folding the clothes and then I'll come take it out." So, he hobbles into the living room and this is what he shows me........

 You better believe that sucker bled. We had to cut the skin covering it so we could pull it out. And yes, mommy felt a little bad for thinking it was a little splinter, no big deal. I guess that means I should jump to the rescue next time. My bad.

Thanksgiving Gracie style

The Princess was full of laughs and giggles while playing with her baby cousin Owen. I would've taken pics of the boys but they're too cool for pics...whatever!

My Beautiful Birthday Princess

Here she is with a picture of "mommy" that she made on the art easel she got for her birthday.

 

Four years ago today my little beauty was born. I waited a very long time for this little Princess and boy was she worth the wait. She is everything I was missing in my boys. Boys are crazy balls of testosterone filled fun but, girls really are sugar and spice and everything nice except, for the occasional outburst of defiance but, I chalk that up to living with two older brothers. Of course she feels the need to explode every now and then. What woman doesn't?
 She loves the color pink,dressing up in her Disney Princess shoes, glitter paint, flowers in her hair, pink Barbie or rather she means (Sleeping Beauty), The movie Coraline, Olivia and her Daddy but, most importantly her Mommy. We are two peas in a pod. She really is the nicer, cuter version of me and I LOVE IT! I hope that our blissful love for each other remains and never changes.
 My Princess is 4 years old today and I can't believe it! Seems like just yesterday she was sitting in her Bumbo chair taking her first bite of rice cereal all the while smiling and laughing  because it was a good, fun mess. My baby will always be my baby even though she tells me "I'm not a baby, I'm a big grul". She's the cutest thing ever and she's ALL mine!
 And Daddy if your reading this I'll share but, only at night when she wants to snuggle with you. That's all you get though! I think that's enough considering I did all of the work! I love you babe and Thank You for helping me create this precious gift we call Grace.