Another tooth gone!

Today Sydney had the second of two teeth pulled to make room for her big girl teeth.  They have been slow in coming out and the new ones so far have come in on top of one another. Nice. We have an amazing pediatric dentist in our area so it is as pleasant as possible and I do my best to make the day special!

First of all we had donuts at our favorite donut shop which happens to be right around the corner from the dentist. Sydney LOVES her some donuts!  We don't eat donuts very often anymore because I don't like the donut shop near our house and Krispy Kreme is gone:(

For Sydney it's only chocolate covered donut holes, a chocolate donut and a chocolate twist!  She always gets all three but doesn't eat it all at once!

After the dentist we came home and I made her a chocolate shake! Notice the vintage blender! Nice. I got it new! Vanilla ice cream, milk and chocolate syrup....

Voila! A chocolate shake for my little girl!

 Aren't my little canisters cute? I got them at Wal-Mart for $6.00 each and I love them!

We are going to have a quiet day today but it's back to the books tomorrow! Also notice that I went solo today...no hubby, no mom and I DID NOT faint or even come close. Last week I got all clammy just thinking about it.  I sat down and read a good article about Jillian Michaels in the Ladies Home Journal and she was done. We don't go back to the dentist until July!

The faces of Haiti

When Sydney was in 1st grade, her class mission project was to fill shoeboxes and send them to Haiti. It is actually a project that the school and our church take on every year. We had so much fun going and getting personal items and a toy for the 3-year-old little girl that Sydney chose. The father of one of her classmates went on the mission trip to deliver the boxes and I know it changed him forever. Sydney was particularly interested in how the Haitians lived...no plumbing (bathrooms), no running water, unpaved roads etc. Mr. Hoffman sent these pictures to Sydney after she expressed interest in becoming a missionary because of this experience. She also wanted to work at Build a Bear that year. Nonetheless, this experience had and effect on her. This morning I woke up thinking about these children and explained the tragedy in Haiti to Sydney.  We pulled out these pictures and prayed and cried for these sweet innocents. I urge you to do the same.

Here are some of the pictures Mr. Hoffman sent Sydney:

While we are all focused on this and other tragedies, please remember to pray for those who are suffering and in need in our own country, state, neighborhood.  There are people all around us who need prayer and the truth is suffering is suffering whether it is because of a giant earth quake, hurricane or the loss of a loved one or even the loss of a job.

Yesterday and a couple of blogs for you!

Yesterday my baby had to have a tooth pulled to make room for others.  The weeks leading up to this event were dramatic and we were both nervous.  It was orignially scheduled for last week but was cancelled due to snow and ice.  Anyhoo, yesterday was the big day and she was a champ.  While I was in the waiting room crumpled into a ball, she was back there with the gas and never knew when the tooth came out!  Seriously, I felt a little faint when we first walked in but thankfully, my mom to the rescue again!  Yea!  Way to go Sydney for being so brave and strong.  Tooth number 2 is scheduled for next Wednesday...I hope it goes as well.

Speaking of my mom here is what she looks like and what I will look like in 20 years.  She is holding my sweet dog Belle!

Today I recommend that you read Buzzings of a Queen Bee  she has the cutest ideas for quick winter decorations that are not red and green. Also please go to Coco's Cuckoo World and read today's post. Not only is she beautiful, she is a good will ambassador. I might be a little predjudiced because she is a cousin of mine and she has two of the cutest and most entertaining babies in the world...outside of my house!

After school today we will have a play date with Angel and Cindy...ahhh adult conversation? In the middle of the day?

Soon I will recommend a cookbook and diet that my sister in law lost a lot of weight on...REALLY! I stayed up late last night and read some of the cook book and the recipes look awsome but easy!

A new day and a tip!

Most homeschooling days for me are far from perfect.  Imagine a family filled with ADD and a child with ADD and dyslexia, which has a tendancy to curb her enthusiasm because it makes core subject harder than they are for most of her friends.  Due to foot dragging on both of us, I realized that we had stopped following the plan that kept us in line and worked so well for both of us.  As a family we sat down and went over our plan again which is as follows on school days:

Get up
Eat breakfast with no cartoons
Get dressed
Begin school
Eat lunch
Finish school if needed
Pick 3 or 4 rooms and spend 10 or 15 minutes together tidying up
FREE TIME!

It works! This works so well for us and we have a blast doing it. School was smooth sailing until spelling but we recovered quickly and finished.  Then we ate our lunches (while watching cartoons) and as soon as lunch was over we headed for the living room which was a wreck because Sydney had a sleep over on Saturday night with life long friend Taryn.  Actually only friends since age 3 but they don't remember not being friends EVER!  They slept on an air matress so we folded that up as well as tons of king size blankets.  Sydney was having fun and not complaining because we did everything together. Soon whining turned to giggles and frowns turned to smiles!  After the living room/dining room we headed for the den and then the hall bath which we share. There is still a lot to do but I think if we do this as our routine each day maybe I won't be so stressed and neither will she.

After working, she headed for the table and the paints!  Her friend Angel gave her a sun catcher kit for her birthday (in July) and she finally painted it...she loves painting.

Tip - I bought a $5.00 vinyl table cloth at Wal-Mart and throw down when we are doing crafts.  Wipe off, fold up and put away for next time.  Beats trying to scrub paints of your antique wood table!

Baby it's cold outside!!!

It is nearly noon and the temperature is 22 degrees with a windchill of 9 degrees.  It's Texas people! My faucets are dripping and my house is cold.  We just put in 18 inches of insulation too but when the wind is blowing 30mph it is a little drafty and both bathrooms are on northern walls.  This weather is crazy but it happens every 10 years or so but this is the land where never store our flip flops, shorts and tank tops. I don't despair (too much) because next week we shall have highs near 60s again or warmer! So I am going to enjoy and snuggle up with my hubby, little girl, dog or cat...TTFN

Sometime life's most amazing moments just happen...

Today Sydney and I just planned an ordinary day of dr. visits and errands.  We started the day with a dentist appointment (more on that later this week), then buying mom new athletic shoes (not that I am athletic). We stopped in a Chick Fil A and that's where it happened. Sydney ate a little of her lunch and she was in a huge hurry to get into the playroom and play.  When I finished my lunch I looked up (we were sitting right next to the playroom) and saw the sweetest thing.  Sydney was sitting on the bottom of the slide with about 7 kids (everyone) ages 2-6 gathered around her.  I could tell from her expression that she was telling a story and they were hooked.  This went on for the longest time and you could hear a pin drop in that playroom.  Then they moved to another area where I couldn't see so I went in to check and the same crew was snuggled around her and she was reading them a story...just one of those that comes in the kids meal.  She was having the best time and felt so big.  She looked just like a kindergarten teacher in the making.  I'm so glad she likes little kids.  I'm more proud that she takes time for them.

My apologies for the quality of this pic...used my old camera.  There were several more kids back where you can't see them.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! I haven't posted for a while so here is the run down of the past week and a half...
After all of the parties and recitals and field trips we got down to serious family fun.

Our tree...there are 25 years of ornaments here baby! If you click on the photo below you can see my china on the wall in my dining room...handpainted by my paternal grandmother when she was in her 80s!  I'm very proud of them. I was very lucky to be very close to all of my grandparents...I miss them all so much.  Makes me want to be a better Mama Sue for Michael.

The first whilte Christmas in Fort Worth since 1926! Not a lot but it was fun and so pretty!

Michael our grandson...he looks just like Rick and Annie!

 A special father/daughter Christmas Eve moment...They fell asleep in the chair...they are not posing.  I'm so thankful that our 91/2 year old daughter still loves to sit in our laps and hold hands with us in public.  Each time I wonder how long before this stops...so I treasure each time she grabs my hand at Wal-Mart or at the movies.  So special.

 Santa was good to Sydney this year! She finally got her Wii...lots of other good stuff too!

And her American Girl doll "Chrissa" from her Nana!

We always spend Christmas Eve at my dad's house but due to the snow and icy roads we postponed until the 26th.  It wasn't the same but it was nice and relaxing.

I hope everyone has a happy 2010.  I have made a few goals for this year.  Some of them long term and some immediate:

Fold all of the laundry by the end of today.

Put away all of the Christmas decorations by the end of the week end.

Update my blog more regularly.

Spend more time with my hubby.

Eat more vegetables.

Lose 50 lbs this year...a pound a week...surely I can do that!

Exercise every day...I turn 50 in 2 months and I would like to do it gracefully.

Spend more time reading...my Bible.

Re-model our old house! Stay tuned for that craziness

These are just a few of the things I hope to accomplish this year!  I hope you reach your goals too!