Letter to Karley

Karley-Girl,

Today is the Last day of school. I am so excited for summer but get a little sad when I think of how fast this year went by. I took you to school this morning and when I drove off I had a good cry because we have had such a great year. Great teacher, great class, great everything. I do this every year!! When you started and ended preschool I drove off crying. When you started and ended kindergarten I drove off crying. It should be no surprise that today the same thing happened. I keep thinking about the conversation that Papa and I had at our weddings. He said it was the most emotional day of his life because he sat in the church waiting to begin and kept flashing back to all of the memories of Aunt Jamie and I growing up. I didn't understand then but I completely understand now that feeling and just how fast time goes by.
I want you to know how proud i am of you this year.
I was just thinking this morning about all you accomplished in first grade.
Here are just a few things:
--you grew in every possible way.
--You developed strong opinions of your own.
--You led, instead of followed.
--You served others.
--You were a good friend to everyone.
--You excelled at school.
--You thought of people’s feelings before you acted.
--You have such amazing confidence and innocence.
This list, along with the many, many other amazing things you do on a daily basis is the reason I was so emotional today. You made me so proud.
I am so in awe of the person you are, and that you are becoming.
Every day without fail, you do something that blows me away.
Every day, I smile because i get to watch you show kindness to other people. Every day I still get one of your hugs and I love you's.
It's the last day of first grade and before we know it you will be headed off to 2nd grade. You will see me waving to the bus with tears in my eyes.

Happy Last Day of 1st Grade! This summer is going to be so much fun!

Love,
Mommy

looking back.....

I was organizing some photos on my computer and wanted to post some oldies of Karley. This is before my blogging days. I mentioned in my post from earlier tonight that I am going to have a 2nd grader in just 6 days. This is my reminder of how incredibly fast it really does go. (sniff....sniff)

Karley, 5 High School Musical on Ice

Karley, 5, kindergarten

1st day of kindergarten

Dance Recital 2008

Last day of Preschool. May 2007 (and first boyfriend, Cooper)

Spring break 2007

Worlds Of Fun Summer 2007

Disney World June 2007

Carnival Cruise 2007

October 2007

Dance Recital 2006

Thanksgiving in Aspen 2006Christmas 2006Cage Gymnastics Spring 2006

Fall 2005Elmo Live February 2005

Negril Jamaica February 2005

Halloween 2005September 2005

Belle Plaine, U.S.A October 2004

2004

Karley's first Christmas 2003

2003

I have missed a TON of very, very important moments but I am finished for the night. Hope you enjoyed a(little bitty) look back at Karley's life!

2010 Field Day

Today was Indian Hills Field Day. By field day I don't mean the rinky-dinky one we had when I was in grade school. This is a major production. These kids look forward to this all year! I volunteered (shocker....i know) and got stuck with the best group. Here is Sujit, Allison, Karley and Rayce.

They made today fun. (and totally wore me out!)

Aren't they cute???

The girls and boys had different ideas on what to do first. The boys wanted to go to anything and everything that gave a prize out. The girls wanted to jump on every bouncer there. I let them split up and told them where I would be in case anyone needed me. Off they went. Here is Miss Karley and Allison right before they went on the big jumper. The boys were off playing toilet paper toss---which they both won prizes for and talked about all day long.

TOO CUTE.
Here they are taking turns blowing up a balloon in a machine. It was a timed game and whoever was the fastest won a prize. Karley did it once and didn't care about who won the prize (not her) but was ready to move on. The boys HAD to stay until they won. HAHA

Here is another prize winning game. Again, Karley and Allison were so fun to watch because the object is to hit this and ring the bell for a prize. Neither of the girls could even hit the button so Chief was there to help them. Here they all won a prize. Lovely. Thanks Chief.

Here they are trying to race on the scooters. They were waiting on the boys to win the balloon popping game and did this race a few dozen times.

Snack Time for the girls. I had to drag the boys over here to get a drink and cookie or popcorn. The girls just wanted to socialize. It was so cute. Right after they got their drinks Allison asked Karley: "What is this delicious drink" Karley replied: "Ummmm. I think it's kool-aid and it is soooo yummy" Poor sheltered kids. :)

I think I have this exact same picture from last year. Only karley is much smaller and had more teeth. This is the soccer game where you use this tube around you to "kick" the ball. It was funny to see some of the boys toss karley across the field like a rag doll. She was cracking up. Poor little thing. No worries though. She loved it.

This was another race, although the girls didn't care if they were racing or not. They were trying to finish with a tie. Karley took the oh-my-God size basketball and Allison was on the soccer ball. Side note: I love this picture. She reminds me of my mom here who always sticks her tongue out when she is trying to concentrate.

I think we were at this jumper for a good 30 minutes.

Last photo is Karley and Kayden. They were all hot and sweaty and ready to go in to watch a movie. OH TO BE A KID AGAIN!

I CAN NOT believe there is only 6 days of school left. I CAN NOT believe I am going to have a 2nd grader......she is going to be 7!

Now I am off to plan our 2nd annual last day of school party. Stay tuned!

Have a good week!

Happy (late) Mothers Day!

Happy Late Mothers Day! I had the best day yesterday. It was relaxing and just what i needed. See, I have this to-do list that is 500 miles long and i did nothing on that list yesterday. The best part of the day was how excited Karley was to tell me Happy Mothers Day....all 500 times. I adore her. I love, love, love the homemade cards and presents. I am very blessed.

In a couple of weeks I am headed out of town to a secret location (haha!) to have a girls only weekend with one of my BFF's Sarah. We are going to chill. Period. Chill with no kids, order takeout, watch movies and just chat. I can't wait.

I'm grateful...

for Mothers Day. I got to watch Todd and Karley make breakfast (hilarious!) and then take me shopping for flowers and fire pits. Don't laugh. It's totally awesome.

for...

my heater in my house....which i had to turn back on tonight. Boo to that!

when...

Karley tells me i am the prettiest mommy in the whole world.

for the roof over my head....

that is very, very wet tonight but still there. I hope my friend Sarah in Oklahoma is okay!

for my kid....

who makes me laugh every day.

that the coming week...

i have the stupid garage sale. :) I can be such a procrastinator sometimes...

Have a good week!

done. done. done

I was in at the school today running copies for karleys teacher and she told me that karley is not doing so hot on her AR (accelerated reading) tests. It wasn't a total shock---it is something that i have been noticing the past few weeks. She will come home with a score of 60% on a book that is leveled 1 (she reads at a higher level than this) where as in the beginning of the year up until a couple of weeks ago, she was flying through them with atleast 90%'s.

Not cool. Not happy and not going to fly.

Little missy and I had a good, long talk tonight after school followed by lots and lots of reading on her part and quizzing on my part. She told me she knows she isn't doing her best work at school and then wrote a note to her teacher telling her she will do better and how sorry she was. (she came up with and did this all by herself.) I couldn't be more proud.

I get it though....The shiny new school supplies I bought back in August are now old, worn out and boring. Karley gets spelling homework every week. She can spell words that amaze me and has the best memory because she has gotten a 100 on every.single.test.

Today, though, while I was there I looked at her spelling test (from earlier today) What I saw was sloppy handwriting, and a very, rushed through test.

It's like she doesn't even care. UGH!

not happy. not cool and not going to fly.

I realize it is the end of the school year and even I am so sick of work books, spelling test practicing and first grade math. I would rather have her get off the bus and play outside with all of her friends and it is soooooooo hard make her come in to take a bath and go to bed let alone do homework when the weather is nice.

I am actually done with school in general at this time of year too. Done with meetings, fundraising and homework. D-O-N-E.

Done with lunch money, snacks for the class, and Spelling tests.

3 weeks until summer though. 3 very, long weeks.

This whole parenting thing is so hard sometimes......

With that being said--I do know that since i have had a talk with karley she will do her best work the next few weeks. I think she was beginning to suffer from the

i-really-really-wish-this-school-thing-would-end-so-i-can-sleep-in-and-play-all-day idis.

I know I am!!!!!!!

It's photo pickin' time ya'll!

PHOTOS ARE UP!!!

Go to:

shelleyjensen.com

client log-on

password is springtime

If you look at them you HAVE to tell me what your favorite one is.....seriously....i need some input. If you don't want to respond here then facebook me with the answer. (I am talking to YOU Chrissy, Calli, Cyndi, Lisa, Krista, Amanda, Megan, etc....) Haha! Busted.

I am not totally crazy about the ones of all of us together....(except for the one that we are looking at karley) It seems either todd has a funny look on his face or I swallowed a hippopotamus. Both scenarios equal not so photogenic on either of our parts. However, what we lack in the not so smiley/hippo swallowing department Karley makes up for! There are way too many good ones of her to choose!!

HELP GUYS!

I am going to put my order in later this week so take a look-y look and let me know!

THANKS :)

Thankful Tuesdays

I still don't have the photos available from our photo shoot but she did let me see one more that she liked. I think It is adorable. Here's Karley and Mr. Max. It should be sometime this week that I get the info for you all to look at the photos and help me choose what ones I need to get. (and by you all i mean you, Sunni, since you are the only one who EVER responds.....) :)

I'm grateful...
for Karley's teacher this year. We are so lucky.

for...
having only a few short weeks of school left until Summer! WOO HOO!

when...
I am proud of myself for all I do at Karley's school. I know a lot of people who will look back and realize what they missed by not taking time to become involved.

for the roof over my head....
that is being landscaped this week.

for my kid....
Who has broken out in a rash from head to toe---(allergies from hot tub chemicals)

that the coming week...
I get the fence stained and garage sale ready!