Presley's behavior during the holidays had gotten a little mischievous so Mom and Dad held their breath each day when they picked her up from preschool. Some days they had to go talk to the teacher,
and other days she behaved so well she got a STICKER!
She loves going to school to play and interact with her friends!
Most people don't realize how cold it gets here in the winter, but we do get snow locally. 30 minutes north west of our house there is even a ski resort with a pretty decent annual snowfall. Check out this picture of the Red Rock Mountains right behind our house after the weekend snow:
Mid January Aunt Hayley and Cousin Jensen came to Las Vegas to visit us for a whole week. It was so much fun having a baby in the house again. It was also a good reminder to Mom and Dad that babies are a ton of work and having another one is not in the cards.
Having Jensen around was fun for all of us!
Nixon loved having another little boy to play cars with. It was really neat seeing the two of them interact with each other.
Macie and I really enjoyed spending time with Aunt Hayley. We did lots of puzzles and played tons of board games. There were lots of silly shenanigans including planting bean sprouts in Mom's upstairs plant without her knowledge. Surprisingly they all sprouted and grew out of control within a short week.
Pa and Great Grandma Jean came to stay with us later in the week and we could not have been happier to have a full house!
We enjoyed a ton of relaxing indoors.
A couple short days after everyone left Grandma Judy came to stay with us for a week while Dad went to San Diego to help Pa with his house. We were all thrilled to have Grandma and her fun back at our house.
Grandma Judy surprised Presley with a special pink pig/bunny that had belonged to her mother. Presley named her Margaret after Grandma Jensen and absolutely adores her.
She even brought Margaret to school for her sharing day at school.
Our school week continued as normal with Grandma here but each was filled with extra fun and laughter.
Even though it was bitterly cold (in the 30's) Grandma Judy was a trooper and played with the little ones at the park after school during the week.
At the end of the week our school held its annual Apex Fun Run and all of us were excited to dress up and participate. Thanks to my glitter tattoo and makeup kit we all had glitter eye brows and lips!
Mom, Grandma Judy, and Nixon spent the whole morning at school cheering us on.
Presley and her preschool class ran with the first group and Presley could not stop smiling as her excitement and anticipation built.
The little kids had fifth grade friends that ran alongside them to help and encourage them throughout the race.
Nixon even jumped in to help Presley for a few laps.
Presley did a fantastic job and completed all 36 laps!
My class went with the next heat and Nixon enjoyed being a part of the fun.
Mom couldn't believe how well I ran this year. Not only did I quickly complete my lap goal, but thanks to conditioning from soccer I wasn't nearly as tired as I was the previous year.
Macie's class ran after mine and Macie couldn't wait for the whistle to blow.
As expected Macie smoked by everyone. Mom swears that she saw smoke coming off of Macie's sneakers.
One the sidelines the rest of us were getting tired and restless. Presley was too worn out to run around but had too much energy to sit still. Instead she bopped along to the music and got some laughs from the crowd when she "dabbed."
After Macie completed twice the amount of laps she set out to run Mom packed up the little ones and went home. All of us were exhausted that evening and enjoyed some downtime reading and playing with Grandma.
That weekend we enjoyed some fun sledding at Snow Day at the community park. Grandma and Mom both joined us on the sleds and by the sound of it Grandma had more fun that anyone!
The following week we went about our days as usual with a few appointments her and there. Nixon loves appointments because most doctors, dentists, etc. give him lollipops! He really is a sweet boy.
At the end of the school week Mom took the little ones on their weekly trip to the museum.
Mom adores it when Presley gives Nixon attention.
So does he. He absolutely adores his big sister...
That Saturday evening I had my very first Cotillion class.
Mom had the biggest smile on her face as she watched me walk into the room. I was unsure about the classes but has so much fun that I wish I had cotillion every single week for the rest of forever! Not only do we get to dress up fancy (sleeved dress, heels, gloves), we get to learn about etiquette, manners, and proper behavior while also learning new dances (foxtrot, meringue, etc.) and other useful social skills.
The next week at school the weather warmed up and we all enjoyed the time we got to play outdoors.
Even Nixon was thrilled to be able to go to the park and play in the sand without being bundled in winter clothing.
At the end of the week Dad came back from San Diego and we couldn't have been happier to see him! For the first 20 minutes he was home we bombarded him with hugs, kisses, and praise.
That next week at school was filled with a little more love and laughter with Dad around. When he is gone Mom becomes a Sargent (its understandable considering the time and effort it takes to get us all out the door clean, fed, dressed, and prepared on time). The aura around the house was just happier!
Presley even got a sticker EVERY single day that week!!!
Macie's class was so well behaved that they earned a crazy hair day that Friday. Macie wanted to look like a Dr. Suess character so Mom did her best with the 5 minute notice she was given...
That weekend Dad and Nixon spent some guy time together playing drum and rocking out.
On Saturday night I had my second Cotillion class and once again absolutely LOVED it! I am thrilled that Mom is insisting all of us complete the classes through high school.
The family enjoyed playing at the park together while I was in class.
On Sunday morning we went to Lifetime for some haircuts. We hadn't been to the club in a while and enjoyed the simple experience of riding up the elevator and shrieking at the people on the rock wall.
Unfortunately for Mom, the shrieking did not end when we left the elevator.
We all couldn't help but notice how grown up our little buddy was getting. He really is an awesome addition to our family.
The following week life got really busy. Soccer practices began for Macie and I, and with dance, piano, choir, cheer and school work our extra play time was minimal. Mom was grateful that all of us were able to help out on days when she spent most of her time either in the kitchen (preparing and serving meals) or in the car (driving to, dropping off, picking up, etc.). It was definitely a wake up call for what is to come with 4 active and involved kids.
After a long week of activity I had my first Cheer performance for school on Friday. At Staton Elementary the 4th graders are able to cheer for special school events. Next year, in 5th grade, we will get to compete and practice together on a regular basis.
That morning we preformed at the pep rally before school.
That afternoon our football teams competed in the final game of the flag football season and we were able to cheer in front of the whole school.
During the day Mom took Presley and Nixon to the museum to spend some time at the new rescue exhibit. Presley was thrilled they had a water rescue station with a ball pit!!!
The museum was pretty quiet that morning so Presley was able to spend tons of uninterrupted time in the ball pit.
The exhibit was pretty cool. They had all sorts of fun things to ride, climb, or play with.
The new year is definitely off to a good start and only promises to bring more fun and experiences for the Frankwick's. With a big family its easy for all of us to get overwhelmed, but when life is good it sure is great!
This year we are trying to focus on the simple things in life that mean the most. Sometimes the best memories are the ones that come from sitting at home all day in our jammies.
