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!

Sweet Memories

My scanner is finally working!  I have no idea what was wrong with it or how I fixed it, but it is working now!  I had planned to post these prior to Halloween but the technology in my house didn't cooperate so here goes.

Three months old and dressed for her first trip to the Galleria in Dallas.

One year old and not liking the hot costume. She wore the same costume when she was 2.

Age three...Here froggy costume...you may have seen Preston wearing this a few weeks ago.  She was sick with the stomach flu in 2004 and didn't get to wear this costume again!  This picture was taken minutes before she stripped out of the costume to her underwear right in the church parking lot because it was nearly 80 degrees...it is not unusual to have pretty hot weather in N. Texas on Halloween.

Sweet princess at age 5

Again, age 5 with 4 month old nephew Michael...he has on her baby costume but we had to squeeze him into it for photos! Annie's friends wanted her to dress him up as Charlie Brown...see the likeness?

Age 6 princess again...this is Erica from Barbie's Princess and the Pauper with best friend ever Taryn.

These are the ones I can find...she was a cat at age 7 and a Zebra at age 8.  If I ever find those pics I will post them. I may not have any because I was working booths both years for the women's ministry. 

What a Day!

Wow!  We had a great day yesterday!  A very busy traditional Halloween.  We carved a pumpkin, made caramel apples, went to the church carnival, trick or treated, passed out candy, ate too much candy, hung out with friends and changed our clocks back. Here are some pictures of the fun.

Sydney, cleaning out the pumpkin.

We decided to to something simple like a bat or smiley face...I walked in on this.  She wanted a deer...a white tail deer...she is resourceful!

This is what we got...not bad for a 9 year old

Waiting on Trick or Treaters and her big sister...she really wanted to pass out candy this year and she did after some time trick or treating with friend Angel and big sister Courtnay.

Big sister Courtnay took her trick or treating and I stayed home and passed out candy with Gary and Cindy Fort. Angel stopped by to trick or treat at our house and went with Courtnay and Sydney around our neighborhood.  Next year she wants to pass out candy at Nana's house because there are so many trick or treaters on her street.