We wish you a Merry Christmas

The girls and I decided to take our picture in front of the Christmas tree again this year instead of sending out Christmas cards.  When I say the girls and I, I mean me.  Also everyone is on the Internet now, so there should be no excuse for not reading our blog.  Not only that by posting pictures on the blog they are more likely to stay around longer then a real Christmas Card.  Admit it, you usually throw those out by January 1st, anyway.  In other words, I don't want to pay for the cards or the stamps.  But humor me, it's Christmas.  Either way, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Here we are...

Merry Christmas and...

 

...Happy New Year!

 

This picture was supposed to be, come on girls stop fooling around, but I was to busy laughing.

 

Drea took this as a practice pic, it's cute, but notice how much
better the lights look in her picture compared to the ones I took.
Wish I knew what setting she had the camera on, and I thought
Charlotte was the ham...speaking of which...

...here is one of Char, by herself with the normal lighting, but
still showing off for the camera

 

 

Making Christmas Cookies

Today the girls and I decided to make some Christmas Cookies for Santa.  He needs them.  How could anyone expect him to travel all night and deliver all of those packages and not have a snack.  So we made some and it was fun.

Here is the girls cutting up the dough

Rolling it into balls

Taking a bite on the dough

Decorating with icing...

...and sprinkles

Drea finally looking at the camera

Our end product

Yummy Fun!

Christmas Recital 2013

This years Christmas Recital marks the first time that Charlotte actually danced in the recital.  She has made cameo appearances in other recitals, but has never danced.  As we were headed for her last practice before the big day, she informed me that she didn't want to go.  I told her she had to because of the recital.  "But Dad, I don't want to get on the stage, there is all those people!"  Well, she made it and was very helpful at the end...Enjoy!

I think Drea was pretty excited for her sister.  She had to sit in the front row and watch.  Of course Drea had to dance too! 

Halloween

I have come to realize that Halloween costume shopping is like shopping for a prom dress.  We spent several hours picking out costumes one Saturday afternoon.  The reality is, it wasn't the only time we looked for costumes.  There were the countless times we looked at Walmart during our weekly shopping trips.  After all was said and done, the girls decided to be characters from Monster High.  Drea was Howllean Wolf and Charlotte was Rochelle Goyle.  Stacey came over and did the girls make-up and we both took them trick or treating.  I would say they did pretty well.  We wound up with 4 giant bowls of candy.  It didn't even matter that there was a light rain the entire time.  Well, it may have matter a little since Charlotte slipped coming down a hill and wiped out.  She got over it pretty quickly though.  Overall, it was a good night.

Getting your make-up on

Drea's first layer of make-up

Charlotte in full costume

Drea in full costume

The girls posing together

Up close photos of their make-up

 

Drea, Charlotte, Barrett, and Tyler

 

Being Sisters

I have sisters, but I am not quite sure what it is like to be sisters.  However, I think it probably goes something like this...

Last week Charlotte was having trouble falling asleep.  This happens on occasion.  I was laying with her and we started to talk.  This is one of my favorite things.  I would prefer that she just fall asleep, but our best conversations usually happen then.  We were talking about a few different things, when I decided to ask Char who her friends were.  She rattled off 5 or 6 names of friends from school.  I then asked her, why they were her friends.  She again rattled off a bunch of reasons.  As the conversation was ending, I asked her if she had any other friends.  She named some people from church and then paused.  "Daddy, can I say Drea?"  I told her of course you can say your sister.  So she did.  It was a good conversation and I was happy to know why she was friends with her friends and proud that she included Drea.

The next night I decided to ask Drea the same question.  The main reason I wanted to ask her, was to try and get a feel for the type of kids she was hanging out with at school.  Again, it followed along the same lines as the night before with Charlotte.  Drea shared friends from school and church.  I asked her why they were her friends and  I was really listening to her responses.  I mean, this is what I wanted to know.  As she was wrapping it up, I said is there anyone else.  Just like Charlotte,  she asked, "Can I say, Charlotte?" 

Even though they don't always get along.  They fight over everything in the car.  One of them can't have something the other doesn't.  It is always a competition for everything.  What it comes down too, is regardless of all of that, they are each others friend.  No matter what.  So I guess that is what being sisters is all about.

WVU vs. Texas Tech

I know.  We lost.  It happens.  You know what, though, I won.  What did I win?  A day with the girls at Milan Puskar Stadium.  That's what.  Sure, the outcome wasn't what we hoped for and Drea almost came to tears, but I still won.  The girls are funny.  Drea is a die hard.  She loves the Mountaineers.  She loves everything about game day.  She was mad because we didn't tailgate before the game.  She cheered when she was supposed to cheer, did the first down chant, and the Let's Go Mountaineers chant as well.  She is into the game, asks questions, and has her eyes on the game the entire time.  Charlotte, not so much.  She made it though the game and I think had fun, but not without asking every quarter if it was time to go.  What Charlotte enjoyed was the people.  She made friends with everyone around us.  She knows no strangers.  That is what got her though.  But either way, I still won.  Whether they were into the game like Drea or just wanted to socialize like Charlotte, I still came out on top and really isn't that all that matters. 

WVU Marching Band before the game

WVU Marching Band at Halftime

Daddy's Girls

 

Applying Chapstick

Just focused on the game

Yes, she is drinking a slushy...I told her it was too cold...she didn't care

Cheesing it up

Charlotte being a ham

Carving Pumpkins

The girls and I decided tonight would be a good night for carving pumpkins.  Okay, really I decided it would be a good night.  It was cold and rainy outside, plus tonight really was the only night we would have a chance to do it before Halloween.  As we were eating dinner, I told them I had a surprise for them after dinner.  Of course they tried to guess.  I told them I was not going to tell them.  If you know them, you know that they have to know.  They are funny, they love a good surprise, but they do not want to wait for it.  We had bought pumpkins two weeks ago and to be honest with you, I think they forgot.  It wasn't even one of their guesses.  However, they were very excited.  Once we were finished with dinner and clean up, the fun began...

Charlotte cleaning out her pumpkin

Now Drea's turn

I wasn't surprised Drea didn't like the pumpkin guts, but I was
surprised that Charlotte did not like them either.

Then after a wardrobe change they drew on their pumpkin faces 

Char just took her clothes off...the girls drew the
faces on the pumpkins using dry eraser markers

Here is the end product...Can you guess who made which one?

Hint:  The one on the left has a bow

The girls with their pumpkins

The pumpkins sitting on the porch...Happy Halloween

Laugh, Think, Cry

As I noted in August, I love a good speech.  There is many good speeches over the years.  One of my favorites is Jimmy V's speech.  Of course I am referencing Jim Valvano's 1993 speech at the ESPYs awards.  Jimmy V was fighting a fight that he could not win and still though it all he managed to give one of the most passionate speeches about life.  To be honest with you, maybe that is what it takes.  Facing death, to know what life is about.  I don't know really, but there is something about all of that, that makes you think.  I suppose I am just rambling.  Here is his speech if you want to take the time to watch...

My take out from all of this, if you don't want to watch is this...obviously, don't give up, don't ever give up...but, for me at least on this night, is if you laugh, think, and cry in a day, that you have a full day.  I don't know how much I think...well, probably too much, but I love a good cry.  However, more then that, I love to laugh.   I love to find humor in anything.  Seriously, that is my go to move.  Whenever, I am uncomfortable, that is what I go too.  All of that being said, I find this next video to be funny and I wanted to share...

I haven't forgot about blogging

So I really haven't blogged about anything in quite sometime.  It is not because I haven't wanted too.  Obviously, this is my busy time of the year with school starting and getting adjusted to a real schedule.  Not that we did not have a schedule in the summer, but it was super laid back and we really did not make plans.  In the summer, I tried to do one main event a day.  That could be a trip to the pool, park, or any other event the girls would enjoy.  Some days we did more.  Overall, I was pleased with how we spent our time and everything we accomplished.

Fast forward to now and life is busier and more schedule oriented.  Very rarely did we have to be somewhere early in the morning in the summer.  Now Monday though Friday, 8am at East Park Elementary our day begins.  But really, our day begins much earlier.  In some ways, it is good.  I do like the routine of it all.  I guess to the point of my post.  I just find myself putting the blog on the back burner.  More so recently, as you can tell from some previous post, I am just finding videos that I find interesting or amusing, that I want to share. 

The girls are doing well.  Drea is enjoying second grade and I am slowly letting out the reins of visiting her in her classroom.  I can see her seat from the doorway, so I usually just walk by and wave now.  A lot of the time they are up moving and at circle time or groups and she is not even sitting at her desk.  I walk out on my lunch, during her recess and say, "Hi", other then that, we pretty much do not see each other during the school day.  To be honest, I think it was a bigger adjustment for me, then for her.  Either way, it has been good.  Next year, we will be on the playground together during recess, imagine that.  I am glad she is growing up and does not need me to visit because it won't be long before she will be moving to the middle school and I can't visit then.

Charlotte is getting along pretty good too.  She seems to be taking an interest in learning her ABC's now.  We have foam letter and numbers for the bathtub and she has asked to play with them and go over them almost every night.  She seems to really try and figure them out.  I hope this continues because I was really worried for awhile.  Charlotte also likes puzzles.  It is one of the things she goes for often.  Her comedic timing is perfect.  For example tonight, during bedtime, I was just getting on the girls about certain things.  To be honest, I was probably a little over the top.  It was one thing after another.  Then Charlotte mocked me.  It stopped me mid-sentence and really made me upset.  I calmed myself before I was about to punish her, but then she started to giggle.  Which did not help the matter.  In my head, I was thinking she is in big trouble.  Then she started giggling more.  And more.  And more.  As I played it over in my mind, I realized, I was being way to over the top.  I couldn't help but laughing.  I know it wasn't the right response, and I later talked to her about it, but at that moment, it was perfect and what was needed.


 I thought I would close out my post with a picture of the girls and me at Swallow Falls State Park from our end of the summer camping trip. 

Things teacher's Say...

Well things the teachers I know say these things...

Ok, we don't say those things....well, maybe the Jersey Shore comments...Either way, I found it funny and I am never afraid to laugh at myself. 

Second Grade and the Last Year of Preschool

Monday was Drea's first day of second grade.  It also marked the beginning of Charlotte's last year at Kids R Special.  Technically, Charlotte started back last week, but saying they started at the same time makes for a better story.  Except now that I am saying it, the story changes, but you get the point, I suppose.  Anyway, I know I have said this before, but I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  I am not necessarily a fan of how fast it is going, but it is pretty neat to see them forming their own personalities and quirks.  Here is hoping for another great year, but also a much slower year.

Drea insisted on having new pjs for the new school year

Drea and Charlotte, Sunday night before the first day of school

Dressed and ready...and of course posing

To be clear Drea doesn't have real glasses on...

Posing with each other

Complete with backpacks and ready to go!

I am not sure when others start school, but I hope everyone has a great school year.  Thanks for reading our blog and look for more adventures of the Niessner girls.