Kansas Day!

The kids both had celebrations for Kansas' birthday at school and both came home knowing more about our state than I have known since 3rd grade. They have a new game- find a Kansas and America flag- when we drive and really have gotten into it!

In Big Boy's class they dressed up like cowboys and cowgirls. Well, lucky for us we just happened to have a cowboy costume! It was even show-and-tell day so he took Woody since they looked so much alike.


Sissy dressed as a prairie girl, and didn't she totally look the part?!?!






The best part about celebrating Kansas' birthday is that when they got home from school it was 60 degrees out! We headed to the park to meet some friends and enjoyed the gorgeous weather... before the sub-zero temps returned. It was the perfect day for a Sonic stop and a cherry limeade!

Winter funk

Ahhh! I'm so over this weather! I think January is definitely the worst month of the year. It's cold, multiple snow days, nothing exciting going on. Blah!

A lot of our focus and attention lately has been on deciding which school Sissy will be attending next year for kindergarten. We are technically part of Wichita Public Schools and our designated school Gammon is not an appealing destination for my child starting out school. Luckily, Wichita does have a magnet school system that we have looked into in great detail and it does include a few good schools. When we bought our house 3 years ago Sissy seemed so young and we thought we'd for sure have time to move into a better school district. Well, that 3 years flew by fast! The market is not how I want it right now for selling a house and we aren't really sure if we are going to be staying in Wichita long enough to make a move financially smart.

It is kind of a defeating feeling moving Sissy from a wonderful school (and expensive) to another where she will not enjoy the kind of opportunities she is provided now, even as a preschooler. A couple of the magnet schools I toured- ugh. However, we have to make a move and I have done enough research and tours now to feel like she will be in a place we are comfortable with. We've got two very strong options for this fall and will know in April for sure where she is going!

Other than that, we are business as usual. Pat and I are heading back to Manhattan on Saturday for a quick weekend away which will be nice. The kids are splitting up and having their first weekend away from home- my sister is keeping Big Boy and Gma K is keeping Sissy and taking her to a birthday party. They won't miss us a bit!

Snow day today. As Sissy said yesterday, "everyday I wake up and say, 'what the heck God, why is there no sun?' " I complain like crazy the night before because I hate when school is canceled on days they both have school; I love my free days! But we ended up having a great day. I have done 10 loads of laundry and cleaned out 2 closets. We're having a great dinner. It's a good day!

Sissy played "Rapunzel, caught in a rainstorm, playing in the snow".

SNOW DAY!

My kids woke up with only one thing on their mind this morning:


And after an hour of digging up clothes and adding 4 layers we were finally ready!


Sissy is all about the snow- laying in it, eating it, throwing it. That is, until she gets cold. And then she wanted to go in.




Big Boy, surprisingly, is not a "lay in the snow" type boy. He likes to run in it and that is about it. However, he would have also stayed outside all day if I would have let him.


Didn't have to worry about the ball rolling in the street!


We even made a mini-snowman. Mommy is definitely not great at building snowmen, but we did our best and came up with something the kids were happy with!






We came in, dried off, drank hot chocolate, and took naps. An ideal snow day!

Countdown

It is official! There will be a long wait but we are officially booked to go to Orlando next November!


We are only a little excited about the thought of spending a week here...

and lounging by the pool while it is 32 degrees back in KS...


And, of course, the biggest draw- DISNEY WORLD!
Mommy is excited to do this:

(odd, I know- I just love It's A Small World. Like, adore it. And I love the incredibly annoying song! My second fave is Pirates of the Caribbean. I can't help it!)

Daddy is excited to do Space Mountain (and never ceases to remind Mommy that when they were dating and rode on it together she cried)


Sissy is most excited to see THIS! And to "hug princesses"...


Big Boy is most excited to see this, and ride Buzz's spaceship ride...


Pat and I haven't been to Disney World since college and obviously it is a whole other thing to go our kids. We can't wait to share it with them! We are going with Pat's parents and my brother and sister-in-law and their kids and it will be a really great trip for the cousins to share!

So, yes, it is still 10 months away. We are going the week before Thanksgiving to try to avoid crowds but still enjoy weather in the 70s. There will be lots of Disney, lots of beach, lots of seafood, and nice tans next Christmas. Oh, and Disney will be having their Christmas celebration so we'll be able to do all of the Christmas activities. What a start to our next holiday season!