AWARD

So, I was nominated and won an award. I. I attended a banquet that honored me, retirees of the CF district and some others. Here is a copy of the amazing speech that Jim Young, the teacher I work with every single day, gave. I was moved to tears and had to share the nice things my friend had to say about me.



Maggie Grinstead
CFEA Education Support Professional Award
April 15, 2011

I am privileged tonight to honor Maggie Grinstead as our CFEA Education Support Professional for 2011. I knew from the first week of school that I’d nominate Maggie for her work, and every day since, my students and I continue to be blessed by her presence in our classroom.

I tried to write about Maggie in a regular type of speech, but it was getting too wordy.. (who would ever guess that from me? )) so finally I came up with the idea to come up with an alphabet list to describe Maggie. (which is still probably too wordy.)

A- advocating for children is her number one priority. She is looking for accommodations that will allow students to show what they know and build their skills.

B- Busy.. she likes to have things to do.

C – caring and compassionate; the kids know that Maggie is a person they can go to for help, she will answer their questions, give a well-deserved compliment, and always a friendly smile.

D – doer .. she is always willing to do something to help anyone out. She is dedicated to doing her very best!

E – extraordinary and exemplary in every way!

F- family is very important to her. She’s a great mom. She and her husband Scott have two kids - Jacob and Allie; Maggie is close to her parents, sisters and brother, and her broader family.

G – goals for her students –she comes up with modifications and accommodations to meet their academic, social, and behavioral goals and needs

H –heat.. something she’s not had much in my classroom.. it is always cold.. this winter she’s usually had several layers on and even her cuddle duds..

I – intuitive .. impressive, and takes initiative,

J- jobs around the school.. she is willing to help out other paras and do things for others.. if something needs to be done, she can do it

K – kid oriented: She will often say, “This is what I would want for my son and daughter.”

L –love you.. this is a daily ritual her kids have as they leave to go to the playground.. However, Maggie and I have learned to be careful about our conversations being taken out of context…we were walking down the hall one day, Maggie was telling me the story about catching her son Jacob running in the hall.. when he saw her, he said “love you” thinking that would be a way to soften her reminder of school rules.. Well … another associate heard the “Love you” part of that story.. she came to Maggie to ask what was the reason she said “love you” to me!

M – mentor to other ESPs in our building- She has helped compile a check list of items to go over with new staff members regarding the contract, a tour of the building, how to access email , and to make sure that they feel welcome and knowledgeable about their new position. Their hope in turn, is to have less turnover and better morale among the paraeducators at Hansen. She serves as a familiar face to go to with questions and concerns.

N – neat and organized.., she has put up with my messy desk and piles.. at times it is my sense of organization..

0 –observant of students – she keeps an eye on every student and notices things that help explain changes in students’ behaviors. Her observations are perfect in gathering data for IEP and GEI students…. She’s great about giving those “I noticed” compliments to the students too!

P – PTA –she has done a lot for Hansen’s PTA as carnival co- chair, secretary, the fundraising queen for our school playground; talent show committee, the giving tree, and she’s a fantastic room mom according to Laurie Wyckoff.

Q – quiet and unassuming.. she doesn’t like fussing about her

R – Robert – a young man that she’s worked with now for several years; she’s watched him grow in his skills, shared in his humor, tolerates his changing moods, but most important… he knows he always has her!

S – Shawtez – another young man she supports; she is always trying to teach him manners and encouraging him to make good choices; a real tribute to what she’s done for him.. he’s asked her if she could be his mom.. I owe her some adult beverages!

T – treats.. Maggie is a great cook.. She is always baking and making goodies for staff gatherings. the recipe is usually posted on email soon afterwards.

U – understanding of the role of the Association. Her mom has been a member of the “union” in her hometown. Maggie remembers growing up and seeing her mom be part of the negotiations team. Maggie is the CFESP treasurer – it is what she can do right now as busy as she is with her kids and other activities.

V – valued volunteer

W – Wonderful; willing to do whatever .. she’s done all the putzy tasks for my grade level and me like counting out lots of print orders, filing, taking notes, googling information for me while we’re discussing things in class.. and a zillion other things

XYZ.. like etc.. there is so much more about Maggie I could share.

Maggie, I respect the work you do.. You are truly an extraordinary and exceptional professional. I have tried to make sure I’ve said thank you every day for everything you’ve done for my students and me.

Tonight, with great appreciation for your contributions to our school and the lives of children, CFEA is honored to present you with the 2011 CFEA Education Support Professional Award!

I THINK SPRING HAS ARRIVED... Yep, I think Spring has sprung and I couldn't be happier. Our heat is off, the flannel sheets are gone & there is no snow on the ground. I even have a lone daffodil blooming. Yep, it's finally here! Here's our what's gone on since my last post:

• Jake has had baseball practice twice a week. He loves everything about his new team. He comes home happy & positive. Yay!


• Allie is still going to UNICC weekly. They are preparing for 2 performances in May. She can't wait.


• Both kids are finishing up religious ed for the year. Next year, we are switching churches. I am enrolling them in a program through the Lutheran church. Jake's basketball coach is one of the people in charge of the youth programs and the programs seems to fit my kid's needs more than our current church. Both kids are thrilled to switch.


• Allie is still going to tutoring for math once a week.


• I got my hair cut and colored. I went crazy and got some bangs cut into my hair. I love them and will go with more at my next appointment.


• We had a week off for Spring Break in March. The kids and I spent a few days with my family. We went out for dinner to celebrate Kim & Will's birthdays. We went to Incredible Pizza to play, it is like Chuck E Cheese's on steroids! The kids loved it! They also got to play with their cousins and their friends that live in Uncle Michael & Aunt Kim's neighborhood. Overall, we had a nice, relaxing trip.


• I had my yearly doctor appointment. The doctor found a lump in my left breast. She suspected that it was a cyst, but just to be sure I had a mammogram done. The mammo came back normal and no further tests were run. I was quite relieved. It was a very LONG couple of days waiting for the mammo results. Your mind sure does wander and mess with you. Lot's of "what if's" were going on!


• Allie & I went to a bridal shower for my co-worker Amy. It was a nice time.


• Jake went to his friend Mason's birthday party. They saw a movie and had a sleepover. He was exhausted when he got home.


• Jake played in his last basketball tournament of the season. They won their first 2 games very easily. The won the last game in OT and it was a nail biter! They won the whole tournament. He played on a team with just a few of his normal teammates and then some other guys from another team. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they all did considering that they really hadn't played together. Jake looked really good during the tournament. He scored a bunch, had tons of rebounds and played great defense. We were pretty proud!


• Allie went to her friend's Tessa and Sami's birthday parties. They were held together at the pool.


• Allie had a Brownie meeting.


• Jake ran in a 5k. He ran the race in 25:05 and placed 2nd in his age group. Pretty good for a kid that didn't train!


• Jake had an end of the year basketball party. All of the 5th grade Tiger ball boys got together for pizza, desserts, soda and dodgeball. Jake loved every minute of it.


• Jake spent the night at his friend Paul's house. They also saw a late movie and had a good time.


• I had the stomach flu. I was quite sick all night long. I can't remember the last time I felt so awful. Scott took great care of me while I was stuck in bed (for about 48 hours).


• Allie had a doctor appoint to get a planter's wart removed from her toe. That stinker won't go away!


• I went to a girl's night dinner at a new restaurant. The food was good, the conversation was great and being kid free for a few hours was wonderful!


• We went to the Godfather's night fundraiser with our friends Kristin, Cathi, Karen & their kids. Good thing we went early and were almost the only people in the place. We were a loud bunch.


• I went to a Lia Sophia party at my friend Denise's house. I ordered way too much jewelry, but had a ball.


• Scott & I went a hockey game with some of my coworkers. It was lots of fun getting out!


• Allie went to her friend Beth's birthday party.


• Allie & I went to see the play Beauty and the Beast. It was awesome. We had such a great afternoon.


• Coming up: practices, PTA, ISEA banquet, Talent Show tryouts and waiting for my brother's baby to arrive!

Cousins at Osaka (taken on my cell...hence the poor quality) Tournament winners

Happy birthday Kim!

Jake at the pizza place

Al at the pizza place over break

Drew & Maddie decorating Kim's b-day cupcakes.

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!

I can feel it in the air, spring is just around the corner. I can't wait for the warmer weather! Here's what we've been up to the past couple of weeks.

• Both kids had conferences and both kids did really well. Jake got 3 A's and 2 B's. Allie got all B's and 1 A. Both teachers told me how nice & polite my kids are. That means WAY more to me that their good letter grades.
• Allie finished up basketball for the winter. I am glad that it is over and we can free up a couple of nights. Actually, we just replaced those nights with other activities.
• Jake had 2 basketball tournaments. One in South Tama that they won (barely) and another in Waverly that they pretty easily won. I believe we may play in one more tournament and then be done for the season.
• Allie is still going to UNICC each week. They are scheduled to perform during the Gold Star Teacher awards in May.
• Jacob started baseball practice. They are working indoors. He loves the new coaches and team. It has been a great change so far.
• The kids and I each had dentist appointments. I had to get a tooth filled (bummer) and the kids had 6 month check ups. They each had a cavity, so we will go back in a few weeks.
• Jacob and Scott had to go to the 5th grade boy's meeting. They learned all about puberty and other things. Jake's only question after the meeting was "Why would you ever need to use a condom? I mean don't you ONLY have sex to get someone pregnant?" So innocent!
• Allie had a Brownie meeting and her cookies are in. We've been working on getting all 200+ boxes delivered.
• I had a PTA meeting. We set our Talent Show audition times.
• The kids had 80's day at school. It seems wrong that they are having a fun day at school that is mocking how I dressed as a teenager!
• Kim, Mandy & I held a baby shower for Tesha. She had a huge crowd and got so many wonderful gifts. She sure has a nice group of friends.
• Scott had outpatient surgery last week. It was a minor hernia repair. He is healing nicely and will be back at work on Monday. I was shocked that he took several days off to heal. I'm lucky to have 2 friends that took care of the kids for me while we were in the hospital after school. Thanks Kamie & Kristin!
• Allie attended 2 birthday parties. One for her friend Maddy and the other for friend Caitlyn. Both were at the pool and she had tons of fun.
• The school math fair was last week. Both kids had entries in the fair that they did with friends. I wasn't able to attend because I was taking care of Scott, but the kids went with our neighbor and had a nice time.

That's about it for now. Hopefully my next post will be in 60 degree weather!

Miss Tesha at her shower.

Allie & Morgan with their math fair project.

Winners of the Waverly tournament.

Jake dribbling the ball.

Nick, Jake & Paul with their fair project.

Winners of the South Tama tournament.

HALF WAY THROUGH FEBRUARY!!

February is flying by, I can't believe it is already Valentine's Day!

• I had a meeting with my boss about this year's Talent Show. Yes, I signed on to do it yet another year. This will be year #6!
• UNI Children's Choir started up again. Allie is excited for this semester's songs. They meet once a week on campus & sing their hearts out.
• We had our first baseball meeting and figured some things out. Practice starts in March already.
• Jake attended 2 UNI basketball games. One game, he got to sit in the box seat. He thought he was hot stuff.
• Jacob spent this night at Paul's house one night & Adam's house another night. Allie spent the night at Aliah's house. Allie also went to her friend Madison's house for a play date.
• Jacob attended a baseball hitting clinic on Wartburg's campus. He came home so pumped up about what he learned. He can't wait to start batting practice.
• Allie and the UNICC sang the National Anthem at a UNI women's basketball game. They sounded wonderful.
• Allie is still going to tutoring each week. It is really helping her out a lot.
• Allie sold almost 250 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. WOW! She hopes she is the top seller in her troop.
• We were supposed to go see Blue Man Group at GBPAC in January. The show was cancelled when a sprinkler pipe burst and flooded the stage. The show has been rescheduled for September.
• We had PJ Day at school. I'm not sure who was more excited to wear comfy clothes to school, me or the kids.
• Scott and I went to a charity event at PIPAC. Our friends are the people who oversee the charity and it takes terminal or very ill kids to Disney once a year. It is called Magical Mix Kids. We had a great time bidding on things during the live and silent auction. We came home with plenty of things while support our friend's cause.
• Scott and I also attended a surprise birthday party for one of my co-worker. Her kids threw her a great bash for her 60th birthday. What fun.
• The kids and I went to my Uncle Dave's house for our annual Fischer get together. It was so fun seeing my aunts, uncles and cousins. There are now 14 great grand kids and one more on the way. The little ones had so much fun playing together. We will get to see everyone again in August when my youngest cousin Brooke gets married.
• Allie played in her first basketball tournament. Her team did pretty well considering they had never played in a game before! They also played older kids & held their own. They didn't win any games, but improved in each game.
• Jake had to do a big report on President Taft. He wrote a report and then had to dress up like Taft and give an oral report. He got an A!
• We had 2 snow days because of a blizzard over a lot of the US. We got about 10 inches of snow and lots of cold air too.
• Jacob had a basketball tournament and placed 2nd. I was supposed to take him and woke up in the middle of the night with the stomach flu. Luckily, I had good friends and someone took care of getting Jake to and from the tournament for me. Thanks to Jenny!
• We spent the Super Bowl at our friend's house. We cheered for our Steeler and darn it, they couldn't pull out a win. Jacob & I were pretty disappointed.
• Jake had Safety Patrol duty during the bitter cold days last week. Many mornings the wind chill was -30! He said he was freezing.
• Allie had her vocal music concert. They sang songs about segregation and did a great job. My mom came up and saw her concert. We also celebrated my birthday that night with dinner at Beck's.
• Our school got to make a video called the "Interlude Dance" with some UNI students. It is a dance that they do at the UNI basketball games and it is a big hit with Panther fans. The creators came to our school & we had a school wide dance. The kids thought it was great.
• Scott and I had a date for my birthday and Valentine's Day. We went to a fancy restaurant in Waterloo and then out for a couple of drinks. It was nice to be kid free for a few hours. We went out as a family for my birthday to the Brown Bottle. YUM!
• I had Jake's conference. He got 3 A's and 2 B's. His ITBS scores were great in math & science. He dropped significantly in reading though...I'm not sure what that was all about.
• Allie is home sick today with a fever. She was so sad that she had to miss the school party. Jake got his "girlfriend" Claire a Valentine's gift this year. He's so thoughtful.
  
  

Allie during her duet
Allie at the concert

Jake as Taft

Allie & neighbor boy Will in their tent on a snow day.

Allie's ball team

Allie with her hands up!

Allie & friends waiting to get into the game

Allie & her friends after the National Anthem

LIFE IS GOOD!

The beginning of 2011 is off to a wonderful start!

• Jake has had several basketball practices, a scrimmage & 2 tournaments. His team blew through the New Year's tournament in Waverly. They won each game very easily and took first place. Jake played SO good. He had numerous steals (over 5 in one game), he scored a lot and rebounded a ton. Every one of the players had the games of their lives and they were a ton of fun to watch. Last weekend we had another tournament and didn't do so well. We were short 3 players, couldn't make a shot & no one had good games. It is amazing that we were watching the same team as the previous tournament. Our team has decided to keep on playing in tournaments through March.
• Allie & I both had hair appointments. Allie looks so adorable with her straight hair. She loves leaving the salon without curls. Too bad I can't get it as straight as they can. I got some bangs cut in my hair & love them! I may go more drastic in March at my next appointment.
• Allie's class had computer camp their first week back to school after break. They spent numerous hours learning to type correctly in the computer lab, had "camp" snacks, had reading time in a tent in their classroom and learned cool camp songs. I was able to help out in the lab several times and brought in some yummy snacks for her class.
• I'm still doing step class after work several times a week. I love sneaking in workouts in the afternoon as well as my usual morning routines.
• Allie is still playing basketball. That ends in February. She has a tournament at the end of the month, but may not be able to attend. We already have something on the calendar that weekend. Bummer.
• We went to our neighbor Will's 5th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's. Allie had a ball. We haven't been there in about a year, so it was a fun change of scenery!
• I had a PTA budget meeting. We agreed to spend a large amount of money on technology at Hansen. I will step down as PTA secretary after this year. I agreed to take on Spirit Sales though.
• Jake turned 11 on 1-11-11. The local news came to his school to do a report on his golden birthday. He and his classmates were on the evening news. We also celebrated by eating at Sakura as a family the weekend before his big day. Jake & I dined at Carlos on his birthday while Allie was at ball. He had 4 friends spend the night in honor of his big day. They spent the whole time in the basement playing video games, texting, watching movies, eating & messing around. They were up until about 3 am.
• My parents, sibling & their families came to visit last weekend. They took in Jake's tournament, celebrated his birthday and had a nice time. I love, love, love it when they come for the weekend. Michael & Will took Jake to the rec center and shot some hoops with him and taught him a thing or two.
• Jake has been spending quite a bit of time at the rec center playing basketball with his friends.
• Allie is still going to tutoring on a weekly basis. It is helping her so much.
• We didn't have school on MLK Day. I got TONS of organizing done around the house. I just need another week to finish it off!
• Jake is sick today. He told me he had a sore throat this morning. I took his temp and it was fine. I gave him a throat lozenge and sent him down to eat. He ate a muffin, got upstairs and vomited on my carpet RIGHT outside the tiled bathroom. He felt awful! I've been scrubbing the RED throat lozenge remains out all morning. He still isn't feeling well. I feel so bad for him. Hopefully it is short lived!
• The kids are still going to religion class and Allie is starting back up with UNI Children's Choir.
• Allie is selling Girl Scout cookies. They have a COOL program where you can buy boxes of cookies to send to the men and women serving our country overseas. Her troop is supporting a father of one of her troop members who's unit is overseas.
• Jake places in the top 5 of his class for a spelling bee and was able to compete against the other 5th graders at Hansen. He ended up not qualifying once he competed again his grade level. He got 7th & needed to be in the top 5 to go to the actual Spelling Bee in February. I told him he should still be proud...there are about 75 kids in his grade.
• We've decided to switch baseball teams this spring, there were some problems with our coach and we felt it was best to make the move. About 6 guys from his team are making the move with us.
• Coming up: religion, basketball practices, baseball meeting, step class, baseball camp, UNI game, UNICC, Allie's choir sings the National Anthem for a sporting event and Brownies.

Drew blowing out Jake's candles
Cousins!

Jake opening a card for his b-day

Maddie helping Jake blow out candles. Drew wanted ALL the candles we had on the cupcakes. Including the number 6!

Jake with his new iPod touch.

The winning team at the Waverly tournament

Jake going up for a shot. He had an AMAZING game!

Allie & I on NY Eve. We are ready for a night out.

60 Reasons Why We Love Our Papa!

As promised, here is the letter my kids gave to my father for his 60th birthday.

1. He is really nice.
2. He lets us eat cookies for breakfast.
3. He lets us drive a car!
4. He always rubs my back.
5. And my feet.
6. When I am sad, he always make me feel better.
7. We have rubber band wars.
8. He makes us malts at night.
9. He makes us popcorn.
10. And root beer floats.
11. At the Christmas game, if I have something I don’t like, he gives me his.
12. He watches movies with me, even if he doesn’t want to.
13. He’s funny.
14. He buys me stuff.
15. He’s sweet.
16. He lets us have his candy.
17. And he lets us eat whatever we want.
18. He buys me pop.
19. He buys me toys.
20. He buys me food.
21. And he loves me.
22. And Jacob too.
23. He gives us a lot of junk food.
24. He always hugs us when we see him.
25. And kisses us.
26. When his mom died and I was crying, he hugged me.
27. He sometimes does what we ask.
28. When he is trying to sleep, he doesn’t care if we wake him up.
29. When he gives us root beer floats, he puts in extra ice cream.
30. When Nana says one piece of candy, Papa gives us two.
31. He supports me in sports.
32. He is unique, just like I am.
33. He lets me go to work with him when I visit.
34. He lets us fight with butter knives.
35. He pitches to me in whiffle ball.
36. He lets us light sparklers.
37. He took us to the IMAX.
38. He ate my banana so I could get a snack.
39. He teases us.
40. He helps with the water fight on the 4th of July.
41. His birthday is sometimes on Thanksgiving (that is cool).
42. He takes us to Kid’s Day.
43. He took us to the Demolition Derby (it was SO cool).
44. When Nana says “no”, he always says “yes” behind her back.
45. When I got hit by a water balloon on the 4th of July, he hit the guys back with a balloon.
46. He jumped into the lake at the Ozarks and made a big splash.
47. He lets us call him “Papa Cha-Chi”.
48. He rode the old teeter tatter with me.
49. Sometimes we go to the park AND the ice cream store in DeWitt.
50. He took us to the circus.
51. He took us to Munchkinland
52. He fills his truck with water so we can swim in it!
53. He makes sure we get to have a fun Ozarks vacation every year!
54. He lets us throw the beach ball up and down the stairs, ‘til Nana makes us stop.
55. He lets us put as much sugar as we want on our cereal.
56. When none of the little cousins are sleeping, he lets me play the piano…really loud!
57. Once, he let me have 4 pieces of gum in my mouth.
58. He lets us wear his glasses.
59. He visits us often, so we don’t have time to miss him too much.
60. He is the coolest guy we know and we love him so!

Love,
Jacob & Allie

WHERE DID 2010 GO?

This is probably one of the last posts of 2010. The year flew by & we were blessed with a wonderful year. Here's what has happened since I last posted.

• Allie continues to go to a tutor for math. It has really helped her out. She has done well on her unit tests scoring a 100% and in the 90's as well.
• Jake has basketball practice 2 times a week. He also played in 2 tournaments. They didn't win medals in either tournament, but held their own in both. In one of the tournaments, they were the only 5th grade team, playing all 6th grade teams. The played tough & even won a game.
• Allie continues with basketball 2 times a week. She had her first "game" & did fine. She still has tons to learn, but loves to play.
• The kids are still going to Religion weekly.
• My class had museum night. We did a huge Native American unit and the kids made models Native American villages. They put tons of hard work and lots of glue sticks to make the villages come to life. It was a cool deal.
• Allie went to a birthday party for her friend Madison. It was spa themed & they had tons of fun.
• Allie also went to a swimming party for her other friend Madison.
• We had the entire week of Thanksgiving off of school/work. We spent the week decorating the house for Christmas & preparing for our Thanksgiving feast.
• We spent Thanksgiving at home, just the 4 of us. It was wonderful with great food & fun. The kids and I hopped in the car & went to my parent's house later in the day on Thanksgiving since Scott had to work on Black Friday.
• Kim, Mandy & I got up super early and went shopping on Black Friday. We got lots of bargains and had a fun day. Tesha met us for lunch since she's not a shopper. We had lots of laughs.
• We celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday with a family party. The kids had lots of fun together. My kids wrote "60 Reasons Why Our Papa is the Best". I'll try to post that in the next couple of days. It was way cute.
• Allie had 2 Brownie meetings and got her cookie order forms to start selling Girl Scout cookies. Once again, she has set big goals for herself.
• Allie performed in 4 concerts for UNI Children's Choir. Three of the performances were with the UNI Men's Glee Club and one was their Christmas concert. My mom, sister & sister in law made it up for one of the performances. Since Jake had a tournament that day, my dad made his way to Tama to cheer Jake on for me.
• Scott didn't go deer hunting this year. This is the first time he hasn't gone since I've known him.
• My baby brother Will & his fiance Tesha just found out that they are expecting a baby girl. We will welcome her in April.
• Jake had a week of safety patrol when the weather turned bitterly cold. He finally gave up on wearing shorts to school & even pulled out his winter coat.
• I started doing step class again after school a couple of days a week. We have several staff members that do it & we have a good time.
• We celebrated Christmas with my family early this year. We were all together & had a ball. We beat a blizzard to make it there & made it home after the roads were cleared. My sister wrote her annual family recap to the "tune" of Twas the Night Before Christmas. It was great again.
• My friend Kristin turned 40, her husband had a surprise party for her. We had a lot of fun out with friends, but stayed out too late.
• Scott's sisters Kelley & Tracy, along with their families came to our house to celebrate Christmas. We stayed up until 3 a.m. catching up and having a ball (I paid for that for about a week). The kids all played great together. We look forward to our next visit with them. Unfortunately, we only see them once a year.
• My staff Christmas party was a great time and it was good to see former staff members as well.
• The kids had their holiday parties at school. They said that they were fun. I got a WONDERFUL gift basket from my class filled with goodies and gift cards. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of kids & families.
• We went to Cedar Rapids to celebrate Christmas with my mom's family on our first day of winter break. It was great seeing my aunts, uncles & cousins (also my siblings, nieces & nephews).
• My parents came to celebrate Christmas with us. They arrived late on the 23rd & left on Christmas Day. It was wonderful to have them here. We put together puzzles, watched movies, decorated cookies, played in the snow, opened gifts, went to breakfast, laughed & enjoyed our time together. I was thrilled that they made it here since we got over 10 inches of snow while they were here! We had a wonderful steak & shrimp dinner on Christmas Eve.
• Santa found us this year. Allie woke up for the first time at about 3:00 and then again every hour. My mom finally went and laid with her until shortly before 7:00 when we all got up. The kids were excited for all of the stuff that they got. I got 2 North Face coats & 2 pairs of shoes I wanted from Scott & the kids. What fun. We had a yummy brunch & lounged a lot of the day.
• We went bargain shopping the day after Christmas & came home with lots of goodies.
• I had a dentist appointment & have to go back to have a tooth refilled. The hygienist that cleaned my teeth was so rough that my mouth hurt for 2 days! I won't be seeing her next time!
• Coming up the rest of the year...Jake has a scrimmage, Allie has basketball practice, I have a hair appointment, we are going sledding & we are looking forward to a fun NY Eve...can we stay up until midnight?
  
  
  Me & Delaney Rose at the Ernster Christmas party
  Allie & her friends at Madison's party
  
  

Jake with his most wanted Christmas item. Under Armour pants

Allie with a sparkly purple "A" pillow

The neighbor kids & Allie

Jake & Allie hanging out in the 10 inches of snow we got on Christmas Eve

Allie frosted cutout cookies made by Nana Terri. YUMMY!

Maddie & Jake at the Ernster Christmas party

Allie with her Winter Party treats for her class. She decorated them by herself.

Cousins: Maddie, Allie, Alex, Jake & Lucas during Christmas with Scott's sisters

Celebrating my friend Kristin's 40th birthday. (Kristin, Lisa, Me, Michele & Cathi)

Allie singing at her UNI Children's Choir Christmas concert.

Allie during her basketball game

Cousins: Delaney, Jake, Ben, Drew, Allie & Maddie during the Fischer Christmas

Family picture

The whole Fischer clan:

Front: Ben, Allie, Delaney, Jake

Middle: Mom, Mandy, Maddie, Tesha, Kim & Me

Back: Dad, Mike, Will, Drew, Michael & Scott

Allie singing at the UNI Men's Glee Club concert

Papa's 60th birthday party. Drew helping with the candles

Allie showing Papa the card she made him "60 Reasons Why My Papa is the Best"

Cousins at Papa's party Ben, Maddie, Allie, Jake, Delaney & Drew

Allie with the turkeys she made for her cousins for Thanksgiving

Jake decorating 1 of the 5 trees we had

Allie decorating a tree