Wednesday, November 28, 2007

It's Raining! It's Pouring!


Indoors, that is. Wednesday after arriving home from Bible study & errands I was finally settling into enjoying a yummy lunch - a sub from Subway. E-boy was curled up in my bed getting ready for a nap. He had gone into the bathroom right before coming into my room which was part of the normal routine. Sweet Pea came up a few minutes later chattering away. This is also the normal routine. *grin* On her way back downstairs something caught her attention and she glanced into the upstairs bathroom to discover that the floor was covered with water! The sink was on full blast & the stopper in the sink was in. I asked her to start cleaning up and intended on helping her in a couple of minutes. Well, here is where the day went downhill in a hurry. I then heard Boo yelling downstairs. She's yelling something about pee. I asked Sweet Pea what she was saying & she listened as Boo came to the bottom of the stairs and they laughed & laughed. I still couldn't figure out what Boo was saying. Sweet Pea then said, "She said it's peeing all over the table! All over their lunch!" Still I was confused. I thought maybe they were referring to Bugs & the way he takes off his diaper all the time? But that didn't make sense. Finally it clicked! She was saying that the ceiling was peeing all over the table!!!!!!! I couldn't believe they were both standing there laughing about it! I started barking out orders as I ran downstairs! Water was literally pouring out of a small hole in the ceiling!!!!! I got a bucket to catch the water and towels to soak up the mess. My biggest worry was that the light fixture was filling up with water!!!!!!!!! I called Dave at work and told him he needed to come home. He didn't argue and told me he'd be there right away. He arrived home about 3pm. We got everything cleaned up and by that time i was exhausted. (I only slept a few hours the night b/f too.) Dave sent me upstairs for a nap. I called my Dad before that as he has worked with electricity and got some tips of what to do to make sure the fixture was safe. What an afternoon!


And yes, E-boy was disciplined. It really hit home with him when we explained that this whole mess could have started a fire and the losses that could have occurred. Praise God He kept us all safe. The only damage is to the drywall which we will be replacing very soon.









More Reading

E-boy is still loving these Bob books! Yay! They are growing to be more challenging but that doesn't stop him. It is encouraging to see all our phonics work pay off.





Reading to Mommy


He gets a big laugh out of the last page. Lol!



Reading is F-U-N!






Monday, November 26, 2007

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. We hosted it at our home & I loved that. Thursday my parents came over for Thanksgiving. Tim was in Florida. Dave & I decided to have our meal at dinner time instead of lunch time. Neither of us wanted to get up at 4a.m. to start cooking. Plus we like having a slow morning. We watched the parade & looked through the pile of sale fliers. Then the kids were bouncing off the wall so Dave took them outside for awhile. What a relief! It was a blessing too b/c the forecast had been for rain all day but it was sunny almost all day. The kids enjoyed the fresh air & exercise as they rode their scooters up and down the sidewalk. After grabbing a quick shower I tried to concentrate on making my Christmas shopping list for Black Friday. I kept getting interrupted though & didn't get much done. Before I knew it, it was time to start cooking. Dave & I worked together which made it easier and more fun. My parents arrived while we were still cooking. This year I added 2 new items to our menu - Cherry Crisp & Annie's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. We didn't have any pumpkin pie and we forgot to buy the cake mix needed for the making of Tami's Pumpkin Crisp so I made the muffins instead. After all how can it be Thanksgiving without anything made with pumpkin? Lol.

The kids had a blast and E-boy prayed this adorable prayer at dinner thanking God for pretty much everything. He was especially excited about the food. Lol!

My Mom brought a simple craft over and after dinner she got the kids to work. Sweet Pea, Boo & E-boy all LOVED it. They like anything creative & this was a hit. It was also nice for them to have a planned activity and not running wild around the house. A way to channel their excitement and energy. I also like that it was my Mom teaching them. They love that Grannie-time.

The funniest part of the visit was when my parents left. Dave had dressed Bugs in his p.j.'s but clearly Bugs did not want to keep them on. Lol. He isn't a big fan of clothes, socks or shoes. He loves to either run around nude or in his diaper. Lol! He kept trying to strip and we kept re-dressing him. He was in the living room when my parents walked out the door but I didn't realize it. See Dave was standing at the door yelling, "Bugs! Bugs!" (well he was yelling his real name) and I thought he was on the front steps or something. Turns out Dave was calling the wrong name. Lol! He was calling E-boy but mistakenly said Bugs. You know how that goes, don't you? Lol! I started for the front door and out of the corner of my eye saw someone walk past. I wondered who it could be since I thought everyone was either outside or on the front porch. Well, it was Bugs! And he was stark naked! LOL! He just stood in the doorway naked as the day he was born. I told Dave to call my Mom to see and he did. She burst out laughing! He looked so innocent and terribly funny!

It was a good day & one that we will remember always. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you E-boy must have enjoyed it because he wanted to do the entire thing over again the next day. Lol!



Toys!
The kids browse the fliers with Daddy.

Bugs peruses them on his own.


We LOVE a parade!




The Turkey Express
I got a big kick out of this float. That looks like such fun!



Jumping on Daddy





The children make their Christmas 'Wish Lists'




Time for Thanksgiving Dinner!



Turkey Time for Tucker & Tinkerbelle
The kittens had their annual turkey dinner too.




Saturday, November 24, 2007

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

*************************************************************************


I have always loved that hymn, 'Count Your Blessings'. It is a catchy little tune & a reminder to me to daily count my blessings. I would like to take a moment & list some of the things I am thankful for.



1. I am thankful for God, my loving Father.



2. For my children & husband. My husband tells me daily that he loves me. How special that makes me feel! My children give me hugs & kisses every day. I am blessed to have these wonderful, special people in my life.



3. My Family = Parents, brothers, Nana, cousins, aunts & uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, etc. ~ God has given us a special, loving, family.



4. My Friends ~ We are uniquely blessed to have such wonderful, loving friends. I truly do not know what we would do without them.



5. Our Home~ God has answered my prayers. I love our home - the room, the decor, the coziness, the way it "fits".



6. Our Church Family ~ What an amazing blessing they have been!



7. Our Van & Car ~ Our van is the one we have wanted for years. Thanks to some help we are able to drive in safety & comfort. Our car was a gift. I still am in awe when I see it in our driveway. It is an older car but a perfect fit for our needs.



8. Our Country ~ I think every day of how privileged we are to live in this great nation. I remind myself never to take for granted our freedoms.



9. Our Military ~ Growing up as a Navy kid I have been taught to have a deep respect for our soldiers. That respect has grown over the years & now it is an ingrained part of me. Especially now we need to be thankful to our soldiers and their dear families.

10. God's Provision ~ It always amazes me how God provides. He truly has a wonderful way with timing. I am very thankful to Him for all He has given us and he many ways & special people He has used to do so. I can honestly say that He has never failed us! God is good!



11. For the Freedom to Homeschool ~ How thankful I am that I can have my dear children at home. Though it is not the easy road to take I know without a doubt it is the best one for our family. I am thankful that we have this choice.



12. Dave's Job ~ I am thankful that Dave's job has been saved! He was told last week that he will NOT be laid off but will continue on into next year & beyond. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!



13. Health ~ Though we have little issues we are very blessed to have overall good health in our family. I am reminded of this often & thank God for this gift every time.

14. Salvation ~ I am dearly thankful to our Lord for dying on the cross for us. Hallelujah, He is risen! Thank you for the gift of salvation. What a comfort it is to know we will be with Jesus in Heaven someday.

15. For Everyday Blessings & Joys ~ I thank Him for these. Sometimes they are the one thing that turn a bad day completely around. A hug from my little ones; the thrill of seeing a beautiful sunset; my silly smile when I see the garbage men have once again taken away all our garbage; the warmth of my nice, winter coat; a yummy, filling dinner; a sweet card from our adorable nieces; my cozy bed; snuggling with Tinkerbelle & Tucker; watching & laughing at a movie with my kids & hubby............the list goes on & on. Thank you, Lord.





Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Way to Go!



E-boy has hit a new level in his reading skills. He is now sounding out words by himself with little to no help from me. I am thrilled! He is very proud of himself as he should be!

One of his new favorites are the Bob books. I love these because unlike many readers that say they are for beginner readers these truly are. I was amazed when he sailed through 4 books during reading time! All our hard work is paying off. He is enjoying his success & it is such a joy to watch his eyes light up as he reads all by himself. In addition to reading he is spending a lot of his spare time sounding out and writing words. It is such a joy to watch him have this love & excitement for learning!


Oh, and something cute to add, while E-boy was sounding out the words & reading Bugs climbed right up in my lap and insisted upon "reading" too. He parroted everything E-boy read. Even when he got down to play he wanted to take one of the Bob books with him. He loves doing everything that his big brother does. Hey, maybe we'll have an early reader on our hands in a year or two. Lol!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Grandmas & Grandpas

On Friday we went with our Heritage Homeschool group to a local assisted living home. We have been wanting to do this for some time and one of our members, Lisa arranged this for us. We were able to make our own cookie dough, bring it in & help the residents bake cookies for their fundraiser for the local Hospice. This was indeed an honor. It was fun working with the residents.

While the older ones helped with the cookies I took Bugs into the other room to meet with some of the residents. In our family we call them the "Grandmas & Grandpas". I feel it gives my children a closer connection to the residents & a better respect for them. The ladies LOVED Bugs. He was so adorable and charmed them by shaking hands, saying, "How are you?" and even dancing for them when one of the ladies played the piano.

Sweet Pea interviewed two of the residents about their memories of World War II. She is going to write an article using the interviews for our paper, The Heritage Bugle. She is very excited & was touched by their stories. World War II has been a special interest of hers these past several months and to be able to talk to others who had lived through this war amazed her.

Dave was able to join us for the visit which made it even more enjoyable for us. We stayed for about an hour and a half and had a great time. Our whole family is looking forward to going back real soon.



I only got a couple of pics b/c my batteries went & dummy me forgot to bring any extras along.


Making cookies with some of our new friends.


Here are the little ones rolling cookie dough with some help from the bigger kids. E-boy is in the middle. He had a blast and was so proud to be a helper.




Yo, Yo, Yo!

Last week Dave had an appointment in the town we live in & stayed home a little later in the morning because of it. We enjoyed the treat of this extra time with Daddy. At one point Dave asked E-boy to go upstairs and get dressed. We couldn't help but roll on the floor laughing when we saw the outfit he had selected. This kicked off a bunch of goofing around, laughing, & fun. What a great way to start off the morning!



An Original by E-boy
This was his outfit: Sweatpants, his brother's fleece vest (too small), sunglasses & his knitted winter hat I made for him.




Cool Dude
A close-up of our jammin son. Lol!


Daddy Time!
Dave couldn't resist joining in. He had an original dance that had us all laughing until our bellies hurt.


Yo! Yo! Yo!



Cute But Tough
Not sure if you wanna mess with this cool dude.
(In case you're wondering, yes this is our sweet little Bugs!)





Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Lookie!

Yesterday I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures of the new shelves Dave built. He knew that since we've moved in I've wanted shelves in the downstairs bathroom for linens & towels. There is not a closet in there and this was badly needed. While I was in Florida he built these floor to ceiling shelves. These were not from a kit, Dave made them from "scratch". There are all high ceilings downstairs including the bathroom and having them reach this tall gives a lot of storage. I LOVE them! They fit perfectly into the space & are just the right width. He did an amazing job!

Because of the size of the bathroom I couldn't get the entire shelving unit into one picture. Here is the pic from the floor up to the shelf that is 2nd from the top. Dave added 2 extra shelves at the bottom per my request. I was happily surprised at how easily he added them in.


This picture shows the shelves from a little over halfway up from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. Did I tell you how thrilled I am with these? Lol!




Tuesday, November 13, 2007

End of the Season

A couple of Saturdays ago Boo had her last soccer game of the season. When we got up it was raining & we weren't sure what would happen. In the past others coaches have canceled but we knew Coach Todd was known to say, "Soccer is meant to be played in the rain". I for one wanted to still go. It is such a letdown for the kids when they've waited for this special day all season only to have it not happen. See, they get a little treat, their medals and to see their friends one last time. I was thankful when Coach Todd called and said to still come. We met outside underneath a picnic overhang by the field. The kids hung out together, had their team picture taken, were handed their medals & treats and Coach said some very nice things about each child. It was decided that the kids wouldn't play because not only was it raining but it was absolutely pouring and the field was flooded. Though it would have been fun to play if it had only been raining (not pouring & flooded) that was okay because the kids still got to meet up and have their time together. They had a great season. Boo is already looking forward to next season!


While the kids waited for everyone to arrive they "treasure hunted" on the ground under the overhang. Boo found a checker and some pretty beads.



Team Picture


Boo receiving her medal & goodie bag from Coach.



Boo hanging out with her friends.



Boo with Coach Todd.






One Last Hurrah

A couple of weeks ago we took the morning off & headed to our favorite park to enjoy one of the last nice summer-like days. It was hard to believe it was October! We were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals. I don't need to tell you that this is quite unusual for our part of the country.




I absolutley LOVE this picture!


It was definitely worth taking the morning off!







Friday, November 9, 2007

New Friends

After Boo's soccer game the girls went with Uncle D to my parents' house and Dave, the boys & I went home for a quick nap. We met up around supper time again at the parent's house. E-boy was quite the host serving up a tea party for his new little friends. We later had a bonfire outside but it was windy and that drove me and the little ones inside after awhile. We left quite late and it was a good night.


Boo & Tim play video games while Blu looks on.



Dinner Time!


Tea Time
E-boy pours tea aka apple juice for his guest & new friend.




Lovin It
Jen's son thoroughly enjoyed their tea party.



Having Fun
Bugs & Jen's daughter join the party.




Cuties!
It was neat to watch how almost instantly the children became fast friends.


Poor Bugs
After the bonfire he conked out exhausted by his big day.





Cuddle Time
The twins & I came inside, cuddled on the couch & watched a movie together. These little ones are such cuties.








Thursday, November 8, 2007

Fun at the Farm

On the last day of Darin's visit we met at our house and drove over to a local farm. They had animals to pet and feed, games to play, a hayride, a hay maze, things to see in the barn, pumpkins, corn and other fun things to do. Some were free and others had a fee. We opted for the free ones. We hung out there until Darin, Jen & the kids had to leave for the airport. After saying our good-byes Dave, the kids & I hung out for a little bit longer. It was a beautiful fall day & it was nice to be out in the warm sunshine.


Bugs really enjoyed feeding the goats.


Playing around in the corn.


Our kids thought the maze was fun!




Get 'Em!
One of their favorite things to do is wrestle with Uncle D.



Darin with Jen's Son
This little guy is a cutie pie.

Our Gang


My Little Pumpkin-Pie


Pumpkins!
Grannie bought a pumpkin for each of the grandchildren. They had a great time picking just the right one. E-boy wanted to make his into pumpkin pie as soon as we got home. Lol. We convinced him to enjoy it awhile as is.



Super Boy!
Bugs was very insistent on carrying his pumpkin all by himself.


Sweet Pea & Her Pumpkin



(Above) Quite the pair, eh? Lol.
(Below) Together Again ~ Me & My Brothers


Heave Ho! Bugs is determined!


One Last Picture ~ Uncle Darin & Kids


Hay Ride!
On the way to the pumpkin patch & corn maze we rode on the pumpkin wagon.


Hi, Mommy!


Here We Go!
Dave sat under the pumpkin canopy with the younger three while Sweet Pea and I rode in the back.


On the Hunt
We went through the corn maze looking for Indian corn. Here is E-boy clowning around.




Back from the Maze
We found our corn & rode back on the haunted hay wagon this time.


Super Boy was loving the hay rides.


Ta da!
While Daddy stood in line to pay for the corn Boo, E-boy & I took turns dressing up the scarecrows. Here I am with my new bud.


Smile?
I couldn't get the boys to pose as I wanted but at least they were both sitting still here. For about 5 seconds..........



Ladies Turn!


Gertie & Sweet Pea


Just for the Fun of It


One Last Visit.........
And then it was time to go home. Another great day!