Basketball Performance at BNHS

Avery with the Bobcat

This year Avery had the opportunity to participate in basketball club through her school.  It was just two after-school practices and then a performance during halftime of the girls varsity basketball game at Byron Nelson High School.  She really had a lot of fun learning the tricks and the routine, which was made up of dribbling and ball handling techniques set to a Justin Beiber song.  The kids (all 85 of them!) did a great job and seemed to have a lot of fun.  Judson loved watching all the action of the game and performance, but I think his favorite part was seeing the Byron Nelson bobcat mascot and getting his picture taken with it.  If they are still doing basketball club when he gets to 2nd grade, I'm sure it will be on his must-do list!

passing it between the legs. . . and jump, switch

. . . and more between the legs

I think this move was called the candy cane because they had to pass the ball around their body starting at the feet and moving up to the head.

Bouncing the ball through her legs and catching it.  It was so cute and funny watching all the kids do this one!

Dribbling around her legs.  It helps it you hold your tongue out.

There was a small little dance part, which was probably her favorite thing. It was to the part of the song that says, "bigger, better, stronger, power".

Avery and one of her BFF's after the performance

Judson with the bobcat.  He loves to look at this picture on my phone and show it to people like his teachers at school.

Kendall- Kid with Character Award

Kendall with her "Kid with Character" yard sign

The day before the 3rd six weeks awards, I received an email from Kendall's teacher saying she wanted to give us a heads up that Kendall would be receiving a special award at the program the following day, but not to tell Kendall because it was a surprise.  I thought it might be the Kid with Character award because Avery's teacher last year also let us know ahead of time when she was getting that award.  But of course I wasn't 100% sure until they actually announced it.  So along with her Bell to Bell award for perfect attendance and her Good Citizenship award, she was given the Kid with Character award for the trait of citizenship.  On her certificate, Ms. Schindler wrote, "Kendall demonstrates good citizenship by always following the classroom expectations.  She works hard to make our classroom a better and cleaner place to learn.  Thank you Kendall!"  Kendall was very surprised and of course very proud.  She loves having her sign in the front yard just like Avery had last year.  And speaking of Avery, she also received a special award for the 3rd six weeks.  Along with her 'A' Honor Roll, High Attendance, and Good Citizenship awards, she also received an award for outstanding student in PE.  It was funny because she had told me just that morning how she had been working really hard in specials so that maybe she would get an award in music, art, or PE.  Apparently she was doing just that!  I was really proud of her and happy for her.  Great job girls!  You are both wonderful students!

I even got my picture taken with the proud award winner!

The 3rd six weeks Kindergarten "Kids with Character".

showing off her certificate

Avery was really surprised and elated about her PE award

The End of an Era (of Thumbsucking)

Just before Christmas Kendall decided to stop sucking her thumb.  I think it was originally because she had a loose tooth in the front and so it felt strange or maybe she couldn't create the same suction, but then she made the conscious decision that she did not want to suck her thumb any more.  A few nights into this decision she was having a hard time going to sleep, so I promised her that we could go do something fun as a family once she reached the 2 week mark of no thumb sucking.  So after much debating about what she wanted to do, she decided that she wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese for her reward.  We went on a Friday evening there together as a family, and it actually wasn't too crazy.  In fact, we had a really fun time together as a family.  We are so proud of you Kendall!

Bedichek Christmas 2013

Cousin picture- Bailey, Brooklyn, Avery, Kendall, Braden and Judson

After a nice Christmas morning at home we headed over to Doug and Sheila's house in Coppell to spend Christmas Day with the Bedicheks.  We had a great lunch and then the kids spent the afternoon jumping on the trampoline, playing Just Dance on the XBox, and just playing and hanging out with their cousins.  While Judson took a nap, Avery, Bailey, and Brooklyn did a little piano recital for us and then Scott and Memaw took a turn playing as well.  Avery did a great job on her songs and we were really proud of her.  Then, adults played our usual gift card exchange game, only this year I added a twist.  In order to steal someone's gift card away from them you had to correctly answer a Christmas trivia question.  Not sure if we will do it again next year, but it was kind of a fun little twist.  The younger kids opened their presents and then spent the rest of the evening playing with those.  Avery, Scott and some of the others played Crazy Uno while Kendall, Memaw, Dedaw and I played Cootie.  One of Judson's favorite things about the day besides playing outside was playing with all of Brooklyn's toys.  She had a huge lion that he loved to sit on and pretend to ride.  It was a fun day together as a family!

The girls headed immediately for the trampoline when we arrived.

Jumping with Brooklyn

Judson headed for the slide first

Then he hit the trampoline.

Someday I should do a post of nothing but pics of my kids on the trampoline in Doug and Sheila's backyard.  I have taken pictures of them on it since Avery was a baby, and now I've got 3 babies jumping on it!

Judson riding on Brooklyn's lion.  Sheila tried to get her to part with it so Judson could take it home, but she wasn't quite ready to give it up.

Avery and Brooklyn playing Just Dance on the XBox

Braden and Kendall dancin' it up

Just the girls!

Avery and Kendall each got a Lego Friends set from Uncle Mike.  Aunt Sheila and Uncle Doug gave them journals and coin purses with their initials from Justice.

Memaw and Dedaw gave the girls cozy bathrobes.

Uncle Mike gave Judson this Jake and the Never Land Pirates sword and spyglass set.  Memaw and Dedaw gave him the Jake Lego set that's beside him.  Aunt Sheila and Uncle Doug gave him a singing Christmas puppy and a Little Man Shaving set.  Now he has to shave every time he gets in the tub!

Avery taking her turn in the piano recital.  She played Star Wars, Crunchy Flakes (which is the same as Jingle Bells), and Lightning Ranger.

She did such a great job!  I was super proud of her.

Then Scott took a turn and showed off all his hard work gaining his piano skills back.  He played Linus and Lucy, Great Balls of Fire, and some others.

silly Kendall!

Scott introduced everyone to Crazy Uno.

Avery gettin' her game on

Judson had some leftovers for dinner while Crazy Uno was in full swing.

Cross-eyed Kendall ending the evening on a silly note!

Santa Came!

Since we were in Red River last year over Christmas, this was our first year to spend Christmas morning at our new house.  It started bright and early around 6:45 AM, maybe 7:00.  Santa brought all the kids bean bag chairs this year as their big gift, and of course filled their stockings with all kinds of good things. The girls had candy, gum, nail polish and bath fizzies, earrings, hair clips and rubber bands,stuffed animals, and stamps in their stockings, while Jud had Cars cups, a tube of dinosaurs, chocolate and suckers in his.  The kids each got a few small presents from Scott and I as well.  Avery got a password keepsake box and a new backpack, Kendall got a Boo dog and a Frozen magnetic set, and Judson got a cuddleuppet, a nerf gun, and a t-ball set.  the girls also got a Lego friends book/building set to share.  one fun surprise that Scott had for me was that he had taken the van to Car Toys and had them program a new remote for it which locks/unlocks, opens the back passenger door, and starts it.  It was a very thoughtful and useful gift!  After breakfast burritos and banana bread, the kids played with toys and we all got ready to go spend the rest of the day with the Bedicheks.

Avery's bean bag and owl from Santa that was in her stocking

finding more goodies in her stocking

Judson with his tube of dinosaurs

Sitting in his bean bag with his Cars cups

Avery's happy already and we hadn't even tackled the presents under the tree yet!

Kendall trying out her bean bag chair.

Avery's password keepsake box.  You can record memories on each key to match up with the items you place in the box.

Kendall with her Boo dog.

Not sure who likes the Nerf gun bettter- Scott or Judson.

Kendall's "Frozen" magnetic set

Showing off their Anna and Elsa dolls from the movie "Frozen" that Aunt Amy and Uncle Chris got them.  The dolls have magnetic hands and when you put them together they light up and play music.

Judson opening his Lego farm set from Aunt Amy and Uncle Chris