Christmas Toys....

So the girls are already bored of their new toys, but Jason is not. Santa Claus brought him a much-needed, new video camera for Christmas and has played with it non-stop since receiving it.

Last night Jason's brother Jeff and his girlfriend Kristina came for a visit and Jason and Jeff decided to film their first short, "New Year, Bad Luck". I'm sure this is worthy of entry into the Sundance Film Festival this year, but you be the judge. Hope you enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01DNzTtszsA

Gearing up for our trip to the "North Pole"

Tickets in hand and ready to be punched by the conductorWe picked up Santa and now get to tell him what's on our list
Kerry and Jason enjoying the train ride

We started out the Christmas season on the North Pole Express, traveling to the North Pole to get Santa. This was our second year doing it and while a cute idea, may be our last. The kids had fun but the adults couldn't get passes the horribly out of tune "elves". Who doesn't know the tune of Jingle Bells? I am not kidding, it was laughable! But, we drank our chocolate milk, ate our cookies and rang our jingle bells loudly as Santa came ho-ho-ho-ing through the train car. Once we arrived back at the station, Santa settled down in the caboose and the kids all got to sit on his lap and spill their Christmas wishes. This is where Madeleine asked for a purple bike and Lily, always wanting to be just like her big sis, asked for a bike as well....oh and 2 (not 1, but 2) Ariel dolls - that's my girl!

Making and Eating a Gingerbread House

My mom came over to help the girls make a gingerbread house and I think there was a lot more tasting than there was constructing. Here are a couple of pictures of them icing the roof and one of Lily looking rather impatient while waiting her turn for gumdrop placement. What a fun day for the girls!

The newest member to our family....Jasper the Elf

Last year Candie introduced me to a Christmas Miracle....the Elf on the Shelf. This year, my mom was able to find one for us and we introduced our new Elf Jasper to the girls....I must say he is able to work some wonders when it comes to Peace on Earth, well, most of the time. On the eve of November 30th, the doorbell rang and there was a book waiting for us at the doorstep, titled, "The Elf on the Shelf". The girls brought the book inside and we read it together. It told us all about our elf and how Santa sent him down from the North Pole to "know when we've been bad or good."

The elf sits on a shelf and we don't touch him because that takes his magic away. We can talk to him and ask him to send messages to Santa Claus, but he can't talk back - strict orders from Santa himself. Every night when we go to bed, the elf magically flies up to the North Pole to report the days happenings to Santa and then quickly flies back to our house before we awake, finding a new spot to sit and watch us. In our house, the elf also brings a small treat and leaves it in our stocking to show that Santa got a good report that day. The girls really enjoyed waking up to find their treat and then searching for the elf in his new spot each morning.

I am happy to report that in 24 days of live Santa Cam, via the elf, we only had one day w/ coal in our stockings - and boy were we especially good that next day!

We named our elf Jasper and registered him as the official Rupe Family elf online at http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

The girls were sad to see him go on Christmas Eve but we assured them that he'd be back next year so we better be good, for goodness sake!

Here is Jasper, looking down on us

Love those car ride conversations.

So we're running some errands after school and Madeleine says:
"mommy, it's red ribbon week at school."

Me: "It is? You know what that means?"

I didn't even think before I the words came out. Did I really want to get into a conversations about how some girls do cocaine to fit into their size -26 skinny jeans; or how some kids think the movies Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz go much better with some shrooms? No I did not, but it was too late.

Maddy: "No! What does it mean?"

Me: "Uh, it means no DRUGS", how in the world was I going to get out of this conversation?

I hear Lily's percussive tapping on her car seat.

Lily: "No playing the DRUMS?"

I laugh.

Maddy: (exasperated) "No Lily...she said DRUBS"

That's right, Red Ribbon Week means no drubs. And that was the end of the drug discussion, thank goodness!

This is Halloween...This is Halloween

On the tram and headed to Mickey's Trick or Treat! They still have no idea :)
HUAH!

These ladies want to make sure that all kids are afraid of clowns

Here are some from Mickey's Trick or Treat last night. I'll blog later....I'm so tired I feel like I was out drinking all night instead of dancing to the "Disney" cover of Brick House with some overly peppy Candy Corn Girls.

GO H-U-S-K-I-E-S!

Two Spirited Huskies! Full of Husky Pride

Madeleine and Taylor at half time
Can you see them down on the field?
And our husky pup

Madeleine and Taylor got the chance to cheer on the Chino Hills High School Husky Football team. They went to Mini-Spiritleader camp and learned cheers and a dance with the CHHS Spiritleaders. It was so much fun to watch them out on the track, yelling in the megaphone and standing on the cheer boxes! The favorite cheer...

"Huskie's in the front, let me hear you grunt (umph)!

Huskie's in the back, show us where it's at (point to self) right here!..."

Yes, Madeleine and Taylor are definitely where "it's at!"

Ready for Kindergarten

Here is a picture of Madeleine's "big girl" room, it's been a work in progress......

I made this Sisters picture frame Madeleine's "Fancy Nancy" style bed

Every 5 year old needs a workspace

She organized her crayons by color
All ready for the first day of school!

Go Bobcats! Go Huskies! It was a day of firsts!

One of us is NOT happy about the first day of school!

1st Day at Oak Ridge Elementary School

Mrs. Einspahr's class has the the purple badges

The Bobcat Folder

Oh what to write, what to write, other than "time waits for no man." My sweet little baby girl became a kindergartner today and boy what a trooper she was. Today the parents were asked to attend with their child for a kindergarten orientation. I started my new job today as a Chino Hills Husky and after much deliberation, we decided Jason would attend orientation today and I would be at Back to School night tomorrow night. Jason had very strict instructions about getting Madeleine dressed and he did a great job, she looked adorable for her first day!





First stop was dropping Lily off at Miss Moghan's preschool. She had been there last week for a test drive but today was the first day without Madeleine, and boy was she not having it! She kept trying to coax Madeleine to go to preschool with her. So Lily put up a good fight but Jason left her in good hands and it was off to Oak Ridge for the orientation. Madeleine met her teacher, Mrs. Einspahr and was happy to find that her friend Mia was in Mrs. Einspahr's class too! She also made another friend, Annika. Jason watched as the kids worked in centers and at the end Madeleine turned to him and said:


"Daddy, I love you so much, thank you for bringing me today!"





Jason replied, "you're welcome"





Maddy, "Are you going to bring me tomorrow?"





Jason, "Yes!"





Maddy, "Will you just drop me off and go home?"





We think that's a good sign and that kindergarten got an A+ from Maddy today!





Over in Husky territory, I jumped back in and had a great first day. The kids were all very nice and respectful - Freshmen are so little and I'm not used to them - Sophomores seem to be the same wherever you go, gotta love them. The staff is very warm and welcoming and very helpful. I came home and picked up Lily - who also got an A+ report. She had fun playing with her friends and had a big smile on her face!





Overall, the three Rupe girls had a very big day. Jason had to deal with everyone's nerves and yet it was he who ended up crashing for an afternoon nap, funny since he's the only one who had a day off today.





So, by next week I'm sure the novelty of new places will have worn down and I'll be counting down the days until Christmas break. Madeleine is so excited about going back tomorrow....little does she know, she's taken the first baby step down a very long educational road. I just hope it doesn't go by as fast as it does when I'm teaching other people's kids.....deep down, I know it will. Surprisingly, I wasn't the parent that cried over our little girl growing up today....well, that is until I wrote this blog.

Doing her best bobcat impression

Taking a dance break on the playground

Lily's Words of Wisdom

It's always nice when the little sister can teach her big sister. I'm upstairs doing work (and by work I mean wasting time on facebook) and I overhear some words of wisdom that Lily felt necessary to impart on her big sister.

Lily (matter of fact): "Maddy if you eat cat poop, you'll get very sick."

What would we do without Lily protecting us all from some really bad decision making when it comes to our diets?

Quote of the Day

So yesterday we were driving around running errands and Madeleine says:
"Mommy, what's a vetinary?"

"A veterinarian?" I ask.

"Yes, a veterinarian....is it a doctor for animals?"

I am proud, "yes it is!"

"Like when your dog has a cough? Or when your kitty cat has a fever?" Madeleine asks.

I just thought that was very cute! She also wanted to know why spiders don't go to the vet. She's been obsessed with spiders since Jason showed her a black widow in the garage.

Happy Birthday Bryan!

We're not normally this white trash, I actually consider us to be pretty classy but here goes with this one....

So, it was my brother-in-law Bryan's birthday and the Weinstein's had a pool party. It was a lot of fun and I hesitate to post this picture, for fear that someone who doesn't know us all that well will call Child Protective Services, but this is just too good to pass up.

The kids were in the Jacuzzi, filling up empty cans with water and pouring them on each other. It just so happens that of all the pool toys available to them, they chose the Bud Light cans. I am proud to say that when Elizabeth (the adult in the jacuzzi) asked Madeleine if she wanted to play with the cans, my sweet little girl said, "hold on, I have to ask my mommy."

Party On!

This Bud's for you!

I have no comment

*Disclaimer #1, there was an adult in the jacuzzi with them.
**Disclaimer #2 no alcohol was consumed during this photo shoot.

Project Runway

So we've been doing these Fashion shows for almost three years now. Nordstrom puts them on three times a year in the children's department. We go the week before, pick out the outfit and then bright and early on a Saturday, the kids treat an audience full of proud parents to a runway show that probably only a mother could love - and love it we do! Everyone woke up Saturday morning in a good mood. There were no complaints about hair blow drying and even Lily said "I'm going to be in the fashion show!" This would be the first time for her since last time she wanted nothing to do with it.

We got there and got all dressed and accessorized. Lily, still wanting to be a part of it, especially because I'd chosen a vintage Disney tee with Minnie Mouse on it that said "Best Personality". I was hoping the Disney gear would get her in the mood - so far, my little model is strutting her stuff in sunglasses and Disney couture.....but we're still only in the dressing room. Maddy, Taylor, Austin, Lily and Evan are all ready to go, we're in line backstage about ready to go on and guess which little model decides to let her inner diva emerge and throw some major model attitude? My lovely Lily, of course! It's not worth the fight with Lily. Once she's made up her mind, she will stand her ground, there is no swaying her. So she went back to daddy, sat in her stroller with a muffin and some juice (what true model would eat that?) and enjoyed watching everyone else command the catwalk!

Dress up

Usually the girls get into the princess costumes. On any given day I have either Snow White, Ariel, or Cinderella roaming around the house. Today, Lily found my dress and walked up to me while I was "doing my work" on the computer (which by the way, is code for being on Facebook).

Lily: "Don't I look so pretty mommy?"

Why yes she does!

Poor Cat

Apparently they were playing beauty salon with the cat. Here she is with her "smock" on, ready for some highlights. Does she look purr-fectly happy about this to you?

S'more Please!

What is summer without a bonfire at the beach and some good old fashioned smores? Candie's brother and his family were in town so Pam, Pam Gerken (Candie's mom) invited us to tag along and play with matches on the beach. Since it was a Monday, Jason met us down there and we put the Buhac minivan to the test by packing it to the hilt. I wish we had a picture of Christopher, Evan, Lily, Madeleine and me all snuggy in the backseats. The Brady Bunch would be so proud!





We enjoyed good old fashioned fun, roasting hot dogs, marshmallows and making smores (John was a smore virgin and really enjoyed his first time). Of course, I walked away with an eye ulcer from ash getting under my contact lense, and had to spend the next two weeks wearing my loathesome glasses. I finally broke down and bought a new pair, ones that I like!