Dragonfly project for Mrs. White

Ainsley recently had her last Family project due for Mrs. White...to study, write a report about and create an insect. Ainlsey saw a dragonfly in the yard the other day and followed it for a while. This spurred her interest in dragonflies, which was perfect timing for her report. Ainsley was pretty specific about how she wanted her dragonflies to look...and picked out her supplies; at the craft store. We painted clothes pins, added a pipecleaner, some ribbon wings (mom helped with the hot glue gun) and of course, jewels for the body. We made a few too many...if anyone would like one, let us know!! PS- daddy we missed you while making our family of dragonflies!

Kaley at Project HOPE

On Monday, Kaley met with Lori Amenta from the MDUSD to donate her birthday pasta to Project HOPE. Lori did a wonderful job explaining to us about Project HOPE (who it benefits, why and how it is disseminated). The girls really enjoyed their time spent with Lori. What a great service our school district offers and what an amazing opportunity for Kaley to be exposed to charitable giving!!! We filled nine boxes of food with cans of beans, fruit, veggies, rice, pasta sauce and PASTA!!! Thank you to all Kaley's friends for helping to stock the Project HOPE food pantry with lots and lots of pasta. What a wonderful memory.

Bubbles with Kai

We spent a very enjoyable evening with Michelle, Mark, Kelly and Kai. Michael, we missed you! The three children got along so well and had a ball playing Batman and bubbles. Coming home, Ainlsey got sad and said that she felt like she was just getting to know the Tuffos and now we are moving. I felt badly for her....

Bay Bridge

Traveling across the Bay Bridge. I love the span on this bridge.

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell and Nurse Elizabeth Kaley

The girls were playing animal hospital the other day. Ainlsey was Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell and Kaley was Nurse Elizabeth Kaley. Together, they wrapped their stuffed animals legs and ears with T. P.

Cake for cake walk

Going out with a Bang- so last year, the cakes at the cake walk were elaborate and my little bundt cake was one of the few simple cakes. So, this year, remembering last year, we decided to make a doll cake (quick and easy) for the cake walk. Well, things swung the opposite way and my cake from last year was more of what people brought....so here was our blue doll cake with Sequoia Trees sitting with the store bought cakes in disposable tins. I just have to laugh.

SF with the girls on Mom's Day

Some views of and from the Golden Gate Bridge on Mom's Day.

Western Railway Museum with Rapelas

Sunday, we went with the Rapelas to Suisun City to check out the Western Railway Museum. We rode the electric train 5 miles out to a pumpkin patch where the wee ones played on a hay stack, meanered their way through the hay maze, hitched a ride on a hay ride, played old fashioned games and even ran into our former neighbors- Adam, Lisa, Noah and Zack. We had a really enjoyable time riding the rails and visiting the museum http://www.wrm.org/

Melody and Ainsley got new guitars to strum along to music by the Hipwaders. In Ainsley recap of the weekend, one of her 2nd grade assignments, she wrote that she loves her new guitar.

Southern Belle and Fairy

Nana made the girls' Halloween costumes this year. Ainlsey decided she wanted to be a Southern Belle and Kaley, a pink and purple fairy. Wishes do come true! The costumes arrived early last week and fit perfectly. We went to a bowling party this past weekend....here are a few photos of the girls beforehand. Ainsley and a couple of her friends won prizes for their costumes. Kaley should've won a prize for her sad face when Ainlsey was picked and she wasn't. Those watching the couldn't help but feel Kaley's sadness when Ainlsey was picked and she wasn't. She is a pretty cute fairy in my book!!

Ainlsey and Mrs. White, her 2nd grade teacher

Pippi Longstocking

Ainlsey has had a couple of family projects due this year. Her most recent one, decorating a pumpkin in the likeness of a character from a book, is due tomorrow. Ainsley chose to decorate her pumpkin like Pippi Longstocking. We had fun working on it together.