For the love of Rudolph!

In fact, Sydney would love to be him...I bought her these cute antlers and the first thing she does is go paint her face...she did this all by herself.

This is sad Rudolph when the others were making fun of him.

My daughter is seldom bored thanks to her fabulous imagination. She and Robin's kids were playing Polar Express all through the house the other day. Sydney loves her computer games and movies but what she loves the most is to play and pretend and that makes Christmas magical for me.

I hope everyone is finished shopping and enjoying the week.  I know for some, it isn't Christmas if they aren't scurrying around at the last minute...I'm not one of them.

Cookie Party, Chili Dinner

Yesterday was such a fun day! Sydney and I started out with lunch at Taco Bueno...our favorite.  Then on to my friend Robin's house for cookie decorating and a chili dinner.  Her 3 kids and Sydney all play together so well when we get together so we get to have quality mommy time with each other.  When you homeschool your mommy friends become especially important and so dear.

We started off with a present exchange with Brooke, Preston, Shelby and Sydney...we need teach them to slow down and enjoy the moment a little better but at this age, it's just too hard to slow down and savor the moment.

A flurry of ripping open gifts!

Oh! I wanted these so bad! Says Shelby about her Dora bubble bath...so sweet.

And Preston loved his Spiderman bubbles too! Check out the dimples.

Cookie decorating is serious business...

...and so is eathing them!

more dimples...

Sweet Shelby and yes, the whole family has dimples

The finished products!  Yummy!

We finished off the evening with a chili dinner prepared by Robin's husband Kevin.  By the way, they both have dimples just like their kiddos!  We were joined by my hubby Rick and our friends Jacob, Rhonda and their sweet little Kaylene.  We had way too much fun.  Sydney and I arrived at their house around 1:00 and left about 9:00 and not one meltdown...not even the 3 year olds!  We were in heaven!  To top it off, Sydney spent the night with Brooke and they went to Mrs. Baird's bakery to see Santa today!  Sydney had a blast but I think by nightime she will be worn completely out...I sure am.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It sure is the busiest. We have been baking and partying and having a great time the past couple of weeks.  We have had 2 Christmas field trips and a party with our homeschool group, a dance recital and party and 2 choir programs and parties and a visit to the hospital to visit a sick friend.   I have done very little shopping and wrapping.    Here are some pictures of the fun we have had lately...church, family, friends equals one happy little social butterfly!  This little homeschooler is 100% socialized.

Playdate with Taryn our favorite goof-ball!

Baking with me...she's dying to turn the mixer on high! PLEASE!!!

The best M&M cookies in the world!

Love these colors

My choir angel

Cindy and Angel watching my choir angel

She's so brave...I could never do this!

I hope you are taking time this season to be with those who mean the most to you.  I know I am!

Dancing and Big Sis

Sydney and I had us some weekend fun!  First there was her Christmas dance recital that was held at a local church.  Then Saturday night we stayed with her big sister Courtnay who just had foot surgery.  It was fun to stay at Courtnay's house because it reminded me of all the weekends she and her sister spent with Rick and I when they were little.  We were broke back then so there was always Mr. Jim's Pizza and movies from Take it Home video store up the street.  We always manged to have a good time and now we have some awesome memories.

Sydney strikes a pre-show pose

Jazzy

Playing Wii at Courtnay's

We made cinnamon rolls for breakfast (from a can)

Courtnay's dog Diablo

Look at these guys!

I have two cats...Buddy and Noel and they are indoor/outdoor kitties.  When the weather turns cold they become total house cats!  Noel loves to snuggle with any of us but Buddy doesn't like people so much but occaisionally I catch him being oh so sweet.  Buddy lived in a kennel for a year until we rescued him and I think that accounts for his anti-social antics.

Noel came to us as a kitten from Sydney's kindergarten teacher Angie Smith.  The kittens were found in the wall of their house one cold night and her dad had to cut a hole in the wall to get them out.  No one really knows how the momma cat got them there or how she got to them.  He is called Noel because we got him the day after Christmas.

Sydney and Noel sneaking some snuggles!

Today is a recovery and re-loading day!

It seems that the past few days have been a bit crazy and busy.  Two full days of field trips, play dates and dr. appointments has left me really tired and my house really messy.  Today we are going to focus on our real life which is school, laundry and tonight is dance for Sydney but not until 7:00.  So we have a couple of days to get caught up on life before Saturday which is Sydney's Christmas dance performance and party.

Isn't this picture awsome?  After the play yesterday our lunch at Central Market turned out to be only Sydney and I doesn't this look yummy? Seriously she did eat real food first but look at the soda and icing...probably too much red dye.

Here is a picture while we were lining up to go into the play.  Sophia, Sydney and Angel...it's hard to get a good picture of all of them at the same time. Love Angel's hat!

We did have a great couple of days and now it's back to reality and laundry piles and math facts.

All Aboard the North Pole Express!

Our home school group had our first holiday field trip of the season. We took a ride on the North Pole Express. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad has a one our trip through Cowtown and we took 86 home school kids yesterday. The weather was cold and rainy but we had a great time. Hubby joined us and took pictures. Here are a few...

The train ready to board.

Singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

A visit from the jolly old fat man himself!

All warm and snug in the their jammies...

This picture cracks me up...they look like they are plotting and planning don't they?

Right now it is snowing in Cowtown and I am debating whether I should wake up my daughter.  It is snowing heavily but not sticking to anything but the grass...pretty though!  I better wake her up because a discussion of why the snow falling but not sticking would surely count as science right?

Today we are off on another field trip to Casa Manana to see Santa Claus is Coming to Town, lunch at Central Market and church this evening...will be a full day!

New Design

I just want everyone to know that my daughter Sydney designed my new header...not bad for a 9 year old. Good job Syd! I love you.

Thanksgiving was super-duper!

I am so thankful that we don't have to travel and that my brothers and sister live in the same area. Mom cooks almost everything herself. I bring green bean cassarole and pumpkin pie. My step-brother was there and it's always nice to visit with him. There are two other step-brothers who live in North Carolina so we don't see them very often but I enjoy them all.

Needless to say I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family. My brother John is one of a kind. He is very handsome, super smart and the sweetest man I have ever known. Besides being gorgeous, my sister Cindy is smart, witty and I love her more than words can express and she is a true friend.

It was a great day and I'm glad we took time out to celebrate our thankfulness.

Charley showing Sydney some cheering moves.

Sydney just being cute!

Charley being adorable.

John's family except for Sophie.

Holy double chin Batman! How do I suck that in?

I am also very thankful for these two turkeys! I love you Courtnay and Annie.I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!

Cabela's!

Yesterday Sydney and I took a trip to Cabela's to meet my husband on his return from Oklahoma. It is such a facinating store even for those of us who don't hunt or fish. We are rather like mutants in Rick's family which is full of avid hunters and fishermen. Here are pictures of our little adventure. It was a fun time for all of us.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What I thought Homeschooling would be like.

When we began this homeschool adventure we really had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be super organized and structured and we are to some degree but not like I thought. For instance here is the run down for today.

Get up
Eat breakfast
Make Sydney take a bath and wash her hair (she has tons of beautiful hair that tangles and mats like you wouldn't believe).
Devotional time for us together
Math
Vocabulary
Spelling
Reading and reading comprehension
Handwriting
History
Math (again)

Some of the experts suggest that you spend no more than 20 minutes per subject but seriously it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours for each task.  Depending on the student on a particular day.  Lately spelling can be especially intense. There are a few tasks she can complete on her own like handwriting but I need to be there with her for everything else.

Housecleaning if we get finished with school on time.

Drive 45 minutes to the Cabela's store in extreme N. Fort Worth where I am picking up my husband who is being dropped off there after a quick business trip to Oklahoma.  We will have to spend at least 1 hour at Cabela's because it is truly an amazing store and hopefully I will remember my camera. We are not hunters or fishermen at our house but this store is amazing.  They also have fudge to die for.  Mom, I will save you some!

Drive 1.5 hours back home because of rush hour traffic

Eat

Take Sydney to dance by 7:15

Come home and go to bed.

The rest of the week we are focusing on staying home as much as possible and hopefully my week won't unravel too quickly.

This time of year it is hard not to get side tracked by a cooking or sewing project as well as the dance rehearsals and performances and choir practice and performances at church oh and play dates.  l will post tomorrow about our field trip to Cabela's.  Socialization is not a problem for this girl, in fact it isn't a problem for our entire family.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go comb out wet, tangled matted hair.  I'm glad all of my neighbors work because this task usually involved screaming and yelling and always the threat of short hair. I find solace in the fact that I have it much easier than my friend Cindy whose daughter has waist length corkscrew curls...please don't think I'm a bad person for thinking that...just putting things into perspective.

Fun with Carter and Charlie and Annie turns 25!

This post took a while because I got a new camera and just now loaded the software to get the pictures off my camera onto my computer!  I am not one to enjoy sitting down and reading directions so it took a little more than a week!
Last Friday was my first chance to baby sit baby Charlie!  I kept both of Jill's little boys while she and Griffin were off  at Grandparent's day at his school.  I have kept Carter many times in his four years so he is quite comfortable at my house and was loving not having to share Sydney with his older brother!  Here is a rundown of the day.
Charlie, in his usual state...happy as a clam













Sydney and Carter not wanting to have their picture taken...can you tell?

Carter painting one of four pictures.

Sydney with her paintbrush...happier now!

Charlie fed, burped, changed and happy!

When Jill and Griffin came back the real fun started.  Sydney, Griffin and Carter made a carnival in her playroom.  Carter was not so happy to have to share Sydney but they did okay.  It was a full, fun day for all of us.  Jill and Griffin stayed for dinner and we all had a nice visit. The minute Charlie was out of the house Noel the cat did this.  Why do cats think baby beds are for them?  So I had to pack up the pack and play before going to bed.

Saturday was another big day for us.  Annie turned 25!  Yikes!  We celebrated by going to Olive Garden with the sisters and Michael, Annie's 4 year old son.
Courtnay (left) and Annie the birthday girl.  We left Olive Garden and went back to Annie's grandmother's house for homemade cherry pie and it was yummy!