AMERICAN GIRL!

We made it to the American girl store today and let me tell you.... I AM HOOKED! I was not really into the whole deal until we got to the store and then I was suckered, big time. Riley and my mom posed for pictures outside and then we were off on our shopping expedition. There are so many outfits to choose from and they all have GREAT accesories. The store is divided into sections with the historical girls section, then the bitty babies and the finally the "just like you" dolls.

Riley decided on a "just like you" doll since Nicki is gone for good. She had lots of fun picking out her new doll even though we were not able to find one exactly like her. The doll comes close and Riley loves her. We ended up buying a ballerina outfit, sporty jean outfit with matching jacket and then a spring outfit. We purchased a matching spring outfit for Riley and it's going to be her easter dress. It's a cute pink skirt and white top. So now we are home and Mimi and Riley are bonding.

I also told Riley that if she takes good care of Mimi and all her clothes that I will take her back to American Girl for her birthday and we can shop and have lunch in the cafe.

Nutcracker

We went to see the Nutcracker today at the Bridges Auditorium at the Claremont colleges. It was my second time seeing the Nutcracker there, but Riley and my mom had not been before. It was a nice girls day out. We went to lunch before the 2 pm matinee and we all had a nice time. Riley was insistent that we purchase a nutcracker to take home and she got a program also.

The boys went to the Bowers museum and saw some mummies, but since we had the camera there are no pictures to share. They had a great time and Zachary earned some extra credit for school.

Zachary's 12th birthday

He had a kind of low key birthday since half the party guests came down with stomach flu last night, but all in all he seems pleased. He has a load of cash in his wallet and what 12 year old boy does not love cash. He got lots of other nice gifts and is loving playing with his new black DS lite that Scott and I gave him. So now I have one year to prepare for being the mother of a teen. YIKES!

Report card day again!

This week was parent/teacher conference week and report cards. No surprises at the conferences which is a good thing. Zachary got all A's and two B's and all 3's (above grade level) which is based on state testing. Here are his teacher comments on the report card... "Not a bad start for Zachary! All 3's and very nearly all A's. Zachary is obviously an intelligent person and excellent student and he can probably achieve whatever grade he desires. I especially appreciate his intelligent contributions to class discussions in science and literature. Let's encourage a goal of all A's next trimester."
Riley is still not on letter grades yet, but achieved all 3's and just needs to work on her patience in class. Here are her teacher comments... "Riley is a fluent reader and her comprehension is excellent. She reads a variety of literature which accounts for her well developed vocabulary. Riley enjoys sharing many interesting facts with the class, especially facts concerning animals. Her STAR grade level reading equivalent is 4.4. and although she reads constantly Riley has only earned 20.6 AR points. She enjoys reading much more than taking tests. Her spelling test average was 99.6% and her math chapter test average was 99%. She has earned the Super Citizenship award this trimester.