Maggie spent a lot of time planning her project for the 100th day of school.

She decided on a beehive with 100 bees.

She enlisted in Denny’s help when it came to sticking all of the bees on the paper.

They did a great job and Maggie was so proud of the finished product.

The kids had a two hour delay today due to fog. I was surprised when I got the call, but it made for a nice, relaxing morning.

There was a Paw Patrol event at a toy store near our house today, so we snuck over in between basketball games.

Annie was super excited when she realized why we were there.

The kids had a ball exploring the store and Maggie and Luke were able to get rid of some Christmas money that was burning holes in their pockets.

Adam, Luke, and Maggie brought home their second quarter report cards today and they all did so well.

First graders don’t get actual grades. They get N (needs improvement), P (progressing toward expectations), M (meeting expectations), or E (exceeding expectations). Maggie had all Ms – which is awesome for it only being halfway through the year. Her teacher wrote, “Maggie had a terrific second quarter. Her reading has grown by leaps and bounds. I am very proud of her.”

Luke’s teacher said, “Luke is a hardworking student. He gets his work completed in a timely manner. He is organized and conscientious. He is considerate and respectful. I enjoy having him in my class.”

Third graders do get actual number grades, and Luke knocked it out of the park:

• Math – 97
• Social Studies – 100
• English – 98
• Science – 106

The fifth grade teachers didn’t leave any comments on his report card, but Adam had straight As as well.

• 6th Grade Math – 93
• Social Studies – 107
• English – 95
• Science – 98

Saying we’re proud feels like a total understatement – but I’ll say it anyway. We’re so proud of these kids!

Annie insisted on wearing her Fancy Nancy nightgown today.

Toss in a pair of pants and a long-sleeved onesie and we both were happy.

She added the dinosaur rain boots all on her own.

Annie is a big fan of her new bunny slippers. She insists on hopping when she wears them. It’s pretty adorable.

We spent the past week celebrating Christmas with Dave’s family at a cabin in Kentucky. On our way back to Ohio, we stopped to visit the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln.

The three older kids earned junior ranger badges by completing a workbook all about Abe, life in the 1800s, and the National Park Service.

The country’s first Lincoln Memorial has 56 steps, representing the age Lincoln was when he died and 16 windows, in reference to his being the 16th president.

Inside the memorial is a log cabin from the 1800s, representative of the cabin where Lincoln was born.

The Lincoln family received their water from the Sinking Spring, which was also the name of their farm.

It was raining, so we weren’t able to explore the grounds as much as we’d have liked. But it was still a fun (and educational) little detour on our drive home.