So this happened yesterday... Ainsley and I had to go shopping for fake eyelashes!! I seriously had to ask where to buy them... ha!

I never thought in a million years this would be on my to do list yesterday but we found them and while I jokingly tried to convince her to get some spiderwebbed eyelashes, she opted for something a little more subtle... Ha like fake lashes are subtle!

To make sense of all this... Ainsley got a new cheer coach last week, she is a dance instructor and has requested that the girls wear the eyelashes and red lipstick for competitions... thankfully it is only at these functions.  I am a little freaked that they might look like hookers but talked to Ainsley about it last night.  I went with the "less is more" talk about makeup and that she would not be allowed to wear this daily or really anywhere else but during a performance. That she was performing a part and putting on a show just like she would be if you were in a play and playing a role that required you to wear certain clothing or a wig.  Body image I tell you hard... so much harder to protect her from than when I was her age!

I will say that some teachers commented on the girls in their uniforms the other day and let's just say that not all the girls are Ainsley's stereotypical cheerleader shape.  The hand-me down uniforms look ill-fitting on others... they're 13 year olds with growing different body shapes... and I actually am glad that they have all types of girls I just wish they could order uniforms to fit them better instead of having just one size!! I'm actually proud though that Ainsley's first thought was that teachers were concerned about the length... Bless her heart... Yep we are raising a good one!!

So the first performance is tonight at the ISU arena during half time with all bands from the district's Middle School and High Schools as well as all Cheerleaders and Dance teams from all district Middle and High Schools.  Should be fun to watch!!

I'll report back about how those eyelashes actually got on and of course pictures... stay tuned!!

Last week the kiddos had mid-term grades sent home... Walker's first ever grades posted for Middle School...

Lovely huh... an F in Science of all things!  Parent Teacher conferences were scheduled a couple days later but of course I was all over finding out what exactly happened since Walker's response was, "I don't know... I turned everything in... she didn't say anything to me!"

Long story short... I had 5 emails back and forth to his teacher and it was resolved... he actually had a B in the class... his teacher didn't enter in some redo assignments before returning them to him (she's new this year) and he didn't question the fact that no new grade was listed on the corrections!!  It was a good life lesson to remind him to be active in his education... ask questions, find out where to put things for corrections, if you run out of time for an assignment don't just turn it in... find out if you can take it home for homework or can go in early to finish.

Life currently revolves around cheer...

It's an early start Tuesdays and Wednesdays as I drive to school...

Then it's games to cheer at Tuesdays and Thursdays...

Someone asked if we go to all the games Ainsley cheer's at... um... "Yeah we are one of those parents" I said.

It's funny how quickly we adapted to be Cheer Parents... We know the cheers... clap after every cheer and stunt... actually respond when the girls say, "Hey crowd... yell FMS"... listen to the endless Cheer Drama... and oh my is there drama... adults and students combined!  We may have been a wee bit excited when the girls got their pom poms last week!  Seriously how cute can she be!!!

Excited to see what sporting event is next to cheer at as volleyball is winding down in the next couple of weeks.

Things are slow on the blog since this is happening to the blogger...

ugh... fall allergies and school crud!  Just when I think I'm better... I feel worse!

It was the yearly Back to School night at the kiddos school... a chance to meet teachers and see lockers etc.

Hard to Believe this is her last year of Middle School!  She loves all her classes and has some really awesome teachers this year!  With two, year long choir classes this year she isn't able to have any Art classes. The Art teacher gives her a bad time each time he sees her and jokingly says she's a traitor!

I love taking pictures that show time changing...

Walker who had a first week filled with no locker issues... all of a sudden has a locker with a mind of it's own!!  So glad he knows and does ask a teacher for help to unlock it... ahh... the locker woes at Franklin!

He has made a couple new friends at school... is really excited to be involved with Lego Robotics and surprisingly to me his favorite class is Choir... Science is a close 2nd and Keyboarding being the "ugh" moment of the day! Luckily that is only a required 1 trimester class.  He is a good foot taller than most 6th graders and happily acts more mature than said 6th graders.

Here is his start to the Traditional Back to School Wall Pose...

Love these kiddos to pieces and am excited for this years adventures!!

Ainsley had her first cheering gig this week. I gave her a little talk before we all went..

"Yes I will be taking pictures... No I will not embarrass you at least not on purpose... Yes we will smile and clap each and every time you do a cheer... Yes I will ask your friends to pose for pictures as well."

She was a good sport... I tried to snap away without being annoying and it must have been fine because she said she didn't really notice!  NOTE TO SELF:  Take headache medicine before you go... front row cheering means extra loudness!

Most of the game her back was to us... watching/rooting for their team...

Every time their team scored they did a cheer...

She definitely has this cheer thing down... and loved every single minute... I seriously couldn't stop smiling because she was so happy... Seriously can she be any cuter!!

I am so very happy she will have these awesome... fun memories of her 8th grade year to share with these sweet Bestie girls...

Another game and cheering tonight... us parents will give her a break since we will be at a Lego Robotics event with Bug.  Next week though I'll be there taking pictures again!!

The picture of the day... kiddos Student ID cards...

A big week this week... Walker is going to Lego Robotics Club and Ainsley Cheers at her first School Sport!

This is currently the early evening view at our house...

The table has been overcome with emptied backpack items... snacks are being consumed... both have headphones on... both are listening to music... and both are working on homework... ahhh... wouldn't miss it for anything!!

It took a bit of time for the Papa parent to let the yard domain go but as of last week the "passing of the torch" so to speak has happened.  The kiddos have been mowing the lawn... in fact it is a joint effort... they actually both like to do it.  Sometimes they each pick an area to mow meaning front yard or back or sometimes they each do so many rounds before passing it off but regardless it's a win-win for us all!  I just need to get them excited now to take over my job of "poop patrol" in the yard!

This picture is becoming more frequent each time they mow...

The perfectionist in him slips out a time or two but that's to be expected when you've done it for so long and like it a certain way.  Realizing your kiddos are on the way to becoming adults... whew that's scary!

This happened this week... two off to Middle School!  Ainsley had 7am cheer practice first thing Wednesday morning... which made me a bit worried since I was planning on her to look out for Bug the first day... make sure he got to where he needed and overall just to make him feel a bit more at ease. All I could think of in my head was previous first day jitters and tears. Turned out he is much more sure of himself and confident then I gave him credit... he'll always be my baby in my eyes I guess.  He had a good first day... got his locker on the 2nd try... made a new friend and was most irritated when he tried to leave his desk by pushing back in the chair... only to realize in middle school the chairs and desks are attached... something he will have to get use to.

Ainsley was over the moon excited to be back at school.  She had jitters about performing in front of the school at the morning assembly... mostly because her stunt group kept dropping her in practice.  There was a bit of craziness in the morning with who was bringing what outfits and problems with the music which caused them to change their performance 7 minutes before the assembly... but all in all it was successful and she was a happy girl that her stunting group came thru for her.

First day with Bug ready and Ainsley in cheer workout clothes...

The group of cheer girls ready for the first day...

Lastly the traditional "first day of school picture" with both kiddos on the 2nd day of school...