Shanks Family Valentines 2010!

We are planning a trip to Dallas this weekend to visit with some good friends (yea!) so we had a little Family Valentine's dinner tonight, and I had some little gifts for the girls & Chris. I didn't tell Chris about getting the little gifts, and then he came home with balloons for the girls and flowers for me, too!
Very sweet!

One of Gracie's favorite meals is fettuccine alfredo, so I decided to make that (soooo easy!) For some reason, I always think we need to have peas with this meal. Not sure why, but I do, so we had that, too. We also had bread and some Valentine cookies.
Since it was a 'special' dinner, I decided we would eat in the dining room and use my grandmother's china. I love her china and am so honored to have it to use. Not all of what I have is hers; it has been added to over the years.

Gracie & Katie each got some fleece Valentine pj pants, along with some candy. Ellie got some pj's and Pop Tarts. I didn't really want to get her candy, and Pop Tarts is her fave thing right now, so I figured she would be happy! She, however, was in a BAD mood tonight, so she went to bed before we got to gift opening. She will get to open hers tomorrow. I gave Chris a Reese's Peanut Butter heart which he nicely shared some of it with me!


Gracie gave Chris & I a sweet card, and Ellie "made" us a card at Friendship School. I love her little fingerprints! Of course, when Katie saw that Gracie had made us a card, she made us a "maze." Very sweet!


Here are some pictures of my sweet girls!

I love Kindergarten!

This post is all about Katie and sharing some of her Kindergarten work. I have been impressed this year with some of the things she has come home with. It is much higher level learning than I expected to see in Kindergarten. I love it!

I took the time to look at this one yesterday and found it to be so sweet! They did this to help celebrate the 100th day of school which was last week.


This assignment amazes me! I asked her teacher for clarification on it b/c Katie told me that they read books & watched a video and then chose on their own what they wrote. This is what her teacher said:
"Penguin research: Our class did a week-long project on penguin research. We split the class into four research groups, and each group was able to take turns gathering information from video clips, magazine articles, pictures and books. We recorded the information on a graphic organizer, and then wrote our information as a story. Katie found and recorded her information independently, and compiled the information independently. It was SUPER fun!! This week, we are creating a "how to" book; Katie should be done with hers by tomorrow or Friday."

Maybe it's the teacher in me or just being a proud parent, but I love this! I am thankful for teachers who challenge students in fun ways! (Click on the picture to see it better.)


Apparently, they also studied Polar Bears. Katie told me there are only a few left because people are killing them to make coats & stuff! hee hee

Here is a sweet picture Katie drew of her sister, Gracie. "My sister has a violin."

I'm thankful that Katie is having such a fun Kinder year! I love Kindergarten!

Yesterday, I dusted, vacuumed, & straightened Katie's room, along with changing her sheets. When she noticed it, she came to find me and said, "I wanted to say thank you for cleaning my room." Wow!

Katie had allergy testing last week where it was determined that she is allergic to dust mites. We take her back next week to have additional testing (and to have Ellie tested as well.) After the additional testing, we will decide on a long term plan. Poor thing, I think it may involve regular allergy shots. I think they would really help her.

Mac 'n Cheese!

I find myself blogging more often lately. I think it's because of one of my Christmas presents from Chris. He had my blog from 1995 made into a book, and I have loved reading back over those family stories & memories. We plan to have the other years made into books as well, and we noticed my blogging had been decreasing a lot over the last year or so.

Reading through those family memories & stories has renewed my love for recording all the daily little things our family experiences. Sometimes what seems like the smallest things are the best things to remember later. I love my life as a stay at home mom (with a part time job) to my 3 sweet girls and a wife to the most wonderful husband ever. I am so happy and feel so blessed to be able to be home with my children; to be the one who takes them to school each day and picks them up. Yes, there are moments when I get frustrated & tired & need time alone, but this is my life, and I love it. (Don't anyone leave me out of the next Girls' Night Out though! LOL)

I wanted to post these pictures of sweet Ellie. She has discovered a love for macaroni & cheese, and she can really put it away!

Tummy virus got #3

Yesterday started out as a 'pajama day,' although we ended up going out & about. Ellie is taking Wii lessons from one of the best...our Katie!

Ellie loves giving out kisses these days! Just watch out...they may be open mouth! LOL

Such sweet sisters!


Katie decided to get her hair chopped yesterday. I think she looks really cute with a little bob!

Last week, Ellie & Katie were both sick. Early this morning, around 5 a.m., we woke to the sounds of Gracie being sick. :( Katie ended up in the ER Wednesday night/Thursday morning where they were able to give her some meds to stop her vomiting, and they sent us home with 2 prescriptions. We never had to use them for Katie, but today Chris got one filled to use for Gracie which was able to make her feel better enough to keep down both some Sprite & Gatorade thankfully. She still feels icky though and is just laying on the couch after waking up from a pretty long nap. Poor thing.

This was her this morning.


Ellie is just too cute, so of course I had to get some pictures of her while the camera was out! She seems better from her bout of sickness last week other than having some interesting diapers from time to time and not having her full appetite back yet.

Chris is pressuring me to get her hair cut. I know she needs it, but I'm nervous about where to take her and about her losing her curls.