My Heart is like a Zoo

Bear

Bunny

I found this great book Called My Heart Is Like a ZOO By Michael Hall. After Bella read it, we decide we should try to make some of the animals from it. It was great because Bella learned how to fold a paper and cut a heart. All the animals are made of hearts. We are now getting into the Valentines theme around here. Stay tuned for more Valentines crafts

Is it spring/summer yet?

Ok I know I live in Chicago but this weather such. I can deal with the snow but the cold sucks. So Bella and I talked about spring and summer and started a list of things we want to do. Here they are. We are looking for other fun ideas.

1.Pool,pool pool
2. Park
3. zoo
4. Indiana State Beach Park
5. kite flying
6. feed the ducks at Lake Park
7. Mystic Waters
8. learn to ride bike
9. Ride to park for ice cream
10. Picnic
11. lots of art projects
12. Pirates Cove
13. Summer reading program
14. roller skate
15.beach
16. Navy Pier
17.milwaukee boardwalk
18. farm
19. swim lessons
20 family vacation
21. Camp in backyard

Helps to think

Bella and Stephanie

Bella and Stephanie

Izabella has always made friends very easy. This year when she started school, their was a group of girls who had been friends for a long time and were not very willing to let others in. This has changed and they are friends now. However, Bella's friend Stephanie was an outside too. They began friends on the first day and have been buddies since then. It is very interesting Stephanie is quiet and reserved not like Bella at all. They bring out the best in each other.

Bella's friends have been the same since she was little. We love them and they have been the best kids to grow up with. We think of them and their family as our family. We are starting to be that way with Stephanies. Stephanie's older sister even invited Bella to her school music program. This has been so nice because this is really her first friendship made on her own and not with mommies help.

Chore Chart

Tickets for Bella's chore chart

Bella's New Chore Chart

With Kindergarten coming up in the Fall. I decided it was chore time. Bella has been pretty good about helping when asked. However, we decide to do a ticket system. She has three choices in the morning and three in the afternoon. Every time she completes one she earns at ticket. At the end of the week she can cash them in for special family activities.

5 tickets- extra story at night

10 tickets- Family Game

15 tickets- Family Wii night

20 tickets- Movie night

25 tickets- Playdate at our house

30 tickets- Lunch with Daddy

35 ticket- Girly thing with mommy- mani, pedi, Claries

Flat Stanley were are you

Bella and I are sitting and waiting for Flat Stanley. I know some of my friends have received him and are currently working on him. Bella has her map up. If anyone know of people in other states please let me know. These are the ones we have .

Arizona- California- Florida-Indiana- Michigan- Missouri- New Jersey-Pennsylvania-Texas-Washington -Wisconsin-Washington DC

Is my child normal?

I was thinking last night - Is Bella really normal? So yes- we have imaginary friends. I know this is normal because my sister had them. However, Bella takes them to a whole new level. Let's take for example, Ella (her pretend older sister). Two weeks ago, Ella got married in Hawaii. Currently, she is living with us with her husband. He is sleeping on the couch. Ella is sleeping with Bill and I and Bella has the rest of the pretend friends sleeping in her room, stuck to the wall. I have now found out Ella is preganant with twins.

I get that she has them to replace siblings. We are working on it. Nothing like pressure from a four year old. This has also become greater since Bella knows my two closest friends are expecting. But the names- ok Ella normal. We however have Arthur and Tarantralla (yes a spider name) and our pretend dog Pooba.

I love that Bella is so creative. I hope this will be a good thing when she has to do creative writing at school. Ok I guess she is normal but I wonder- where does she get this stuff.

Flat Stanley

I know my family thinks I am nuts but Izabella really does like to do projects. One that I did when I taught Kindergarten was Flat Stanley. I read the book to Izabella and explained about the Flat Stanley Project. We talked about how we are going to do this. So we decide to start with out of state people. I think it will work well because not only do we have family out of state but Daddy travels. So here are the states we have



New jersey- many

washington DC

Arizona

Florida

Washington

Indiana

Missouri





I am going to email a few others. We will keep you up to date



Lisa

Winter fun

Day 8 of Hannukkah

Model pose at a Michigan Pumpkin farm

Bella and her Halloween candy

Bella Sledding

Bill and Bella Christmas morning

Happy New Year

I can not believe it has been so long since I have written. One of my resolutions is to blog more often. Where to begin? Well to start off lets get the bad news out of the way. On October 29th, Bill's mother passed away. As many of you know, she fell in June and quickly went down hill. For Bill, even though he grieves the loss of his mother- he is happy she is not suffering anymore. This brought Bill's family into town. For Bella, it was great to see aunt, uncles and cousins. She asked many questions but seems to understand.

On a happier note, my family is well. My sister and Antony will be returning from England in a week. 5 months went really fast but we will be happy to have them back closer to home. My folks are doing well.

Izabella is loving school. I am so glad I choose this school. She has learned so much. She has begun to read and is so excited. They have programs monthly for the parents. Bella really loves her homework. She also is going to lunch bunch, which is when she eats at school twice a week. Also she has been going to school all day on Fridays. I can not believe in the next couple of weeks, we will be signing up for Kindergarten. Where did 5 years go?

Izabella also is continuing to go to tap and ballet. She loves to dance and wants to add more class. She would like to also do cheerleading but I told her either another dance class or cheerleading. We will see in the Fall. Izabella is very much a girly girl but can definately hold her own with the boys.

The holidays were wonderful here. This is the first year, she has been born the holidays have been been at different times. During Hannukah, she was really into asking everyone if they were Jewish or not. Of course, she got way to many gifts. We also got to spend our annual New Years with Auntie Melissa, Uncle Aaron, Abby and Jack. We have done this since Bella and Abby were babiess. Next Year we will be adding another to the group. Auntie Melissa is expecting and we can't wait to meet Taylor in late March. Speaking of babies, it must be in if your last name is Johnson to be expecting. Our friends, Debbie and Mike are expecting baby number 4. Yes you read that right 4. We are so excited for both of them and mommy has already begun shopping. As for us, no news yet but we will keep everyone up to date.


Overall, things are good here. Check back regularly for updates. I hope to get some pictures up soon.