Christmas 2011

Swim Team Holiday Party- Awards Banquet on the Beach!

the kids enjoyed cooking hot dogs and making smores!

another year of blessings in our home for sure!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving luncheon, it was so cute! The children sang
3 Little Indians in Spanish.

Looking forward to some family time this Thanksgiving holiday! Last year this time we were heading to Atlanta to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family, but we will be seeing them at Christmas instead! Our Thanksgiving feast will be at my parents this year and it is going to be a low key one! My Mom and I are geared up for the Black Friday mayhem and look forward to scoring some deals around town!

Below are Mia's 6 year old pics and I must say, she is looking more and more mature everyday! Kindergarten is going great and she is loving swimming! Despite the chillier water temps, her wetsuit seems to keep her comfortable! Better her than I is all I have to say! Her final meet for 2011 will be December 10th weekend in Palm Beach and then she is on hiatus til the middle of January.

Just some cuteness I wanted to share!

Halloween parade this morning at Mia's school!

Mia's school had their Fall Festival this weekend and the weather was great for this fun event!! Liberty Magnet has a great PTA and they put on a wonderful event!
Lots of games, a Haunted House, Hay Rides,
yummy treats and plenty of booths and games!

6 year old check up DONE
48" tall- 90%
47 lbs- 75%
her pediatrician told us to keep doing what we are doing!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Beach Party was on order for Mia's birthday party this year,

but Mother Nature had a different idea!

A group of us went to Ormond Beach for the weekend and Saturday almost the entire State of Florida was experiencing some sort of tropical storm effects! We were able to get some beach time on Friday , but Saturday we made lemonade out of lemons!! Last minute change of plans included dinner out and bowling for 23! All in all, a great time was had by all! Mia enjoyed her gifts and spending time with some close friends. Mike was able to meet up with some of his old police friends who since have moved away, so it was a win-win for everyone despite the weather!

Go Lightning Bolts!

Mia is really enjoying her swimming and all that is involved. Her practice schedule is 4 days a week after school , but we are home at a good hour to get homework and some fun time in before bedtime! She has had 2 meets and is doing great! Her teammates are a great bunch of kids and it makes for a nice environment!

Stretching Out Summer!
little weekend in Cocoa Beach at the Ron Jon Resort and Mia had a BLAST!

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Aristotle

we are back to routines and schedules and boy am I happy! Kindergarten is going great! Mia has 17 children in her class and her teacher told us that Mia is very "enthusiastic" about everything and was very well prepared for kindergarten by her pre-school!! Wednesday night is open house and we look forward to speaking in detail to her teacher. Swim practice starts up again on Tuesday and fall swim meet dates are on the calendar. We can't wait!!

Friday I volunteered for the afternoon in Mia's class to assist with a project they are doing about "themselves". I was able to sit with 2 children at a time at a table and help them pick out and decorate cut out little people to give each one their own style! It was really cute, Mia was smiling from ear to ear when I walked in the class.

yesterday we said goodbye to our beloved 14 year old dog Kayla. We adopted Kayla almost 12 years ago and she has been with us through the most joyous of times and weathered the tough times with us as well! This is Mia's first experience in dealing with the loss of a pet, so it has been difficult and sad in our home right now. We know that Kayla is at peace now and she is in a better place. RIP Kayla

1st day of Kindergarten was a success! Mia was such a BIG girl and proudly marched into class and forged forward without a second thought! Mike and I on the other hand had tear filled eyes and couldn't believe we were at this point! We were very impressed on how well and organized the school was amidst the large crowds
for the first day.

We asked her how her day was and her response was, " It was cool Mom, we learned a lot of rules today" Mia chose to have lunch in the cafeteria today and she was very excited to order an ice cream for dessert. Mia's journal from the teacher read,
"Mia is a delight in class and very enthusiastic! "

summer has ended and Mia is beginning kindergarten on Monday. I cannot believe how fast the time flies!! Yesterday was orientation and Mia met her teacher and classmates. We signed a gazillion forms, bought a spirit shirt, signed up for the PTA and dropped off her school supplies in her cubby. I think we are ready to go!!! Her backpack is ready, her uniforms are hanging in the closet and she can't wait to start school! We are enjoying our last weekend of summer and look forward to a great school year. . .

Happy 5 year Family Day Mia!

it seems just like yesterday, I was a nervous wreck getting ready to meet our baby girl! Time just has a way a flying by and we are just in awe of her wit, spunky personality and her beauty! We can't wait to see what the future holds for this firecracker!!

Enjoying the summer weather!!!!