Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Birthday treasures
Had to celebrate with an iced cookie - of course!
My favorite gift:
Vera Bradley Java Blue ~ I love the vibrant combination!
Troy shocked me with these! What a nice surprise!
My favorite color.What a special birthday it was! For a "celebration," I asked Troy to take the night off work, and all four of us be together. (He usually does not get home until 9 or 10.) My greatest gift in life is a loving family, and I especially wanted to be with them. Troy picked up a favorite - pizza & breadsticks, topped off with a colossal cookie. (Healthy way to begin a new decade! :-) It was fun to finally open all the cards and gifts that had been tempting me. We ended the evening by playing some games.
Thanks to all three of my men for a wonderful evening!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Really - I'm not posting!
"Hello. Hello. Testing. Testing." Pardon me as I test my thirty year old voice! As of 11:10 last night, it is official. Aren't you impressed with the thirty year maturity you are now sensing?! (Cough. Cough.) Notice how hard I am working and not posting or reading blogs or commenting. Especially not commenting. I even wrote it on my calendar to remind myself of the new found maturity I possess. I am diligently working on bills, correspondence, homeschool grading, needed phone calls, but most of all, I am not posting or blogging or reading blogs or commenting. Especially not commenting. I desperately want to post a picture of my Vera Bradley tote, but I am not. I am not even writing about it. See? Not even about the excitement and fun from last night. Not even the dozen roses I received. Nope. I am too busy working like a mature thirty year old would. Aren't you impressed with me? No more sarcasm, funny jokes, silly comments. All maturity and seriousness. Not even mentioning the Vera Bradley bag! Nope. Too busy. Not even posting a picture of the beautiful teal and brown colors! Nope. Too busy. Oh, where did I place my camera?!
Did I mention that I took two Benadryl last night instead of one?! :-)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Finally here. . .
Today, January 29, is the day I actually turn 30.Sigh. . .
I am not sure what to think. . .
That is probably due to the fact I have a cold, and my mind is a little foggy.
Maybe that is a sign of turning 30! :-)
I am excited about tonight, and all the gifts that have been
sitting here tempting me!
Thank you for all the kind wishes.
I have received numerous e-cards and mail
from family and friends.
It was so kind of you to take the time to send them,
and they mean a lot to me.
To all of you - - - best wishes for a happy Monday!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
My other growing boy
1 month old
6 mo - Look at those chubby cheeks!
Mommy's pal
November 2004
Seth and his buddy, Cale Manley
My favorite portrait of SethMy little (?) 9 lb 13 oz baby turns seven years old today! I never imagined my heart could love someone so much! Seth is my "cuddle bug" who is always ready for a hug but gives them just as quickly. He is all boy with his love for rocks, sticks, snakes, bugs, basketball. . . He is very strong willed but has a soft heart underneath that will. We are always finding the sweetest letters and compliments from him, and he really knows how to brighten our day. He is my knight and can't wait to protect me from some "bad guy." :-) He is a good student in school and is excelling on the piano. I am so proud of you, Seth!
I love you very much, Buddy, and I am so happy to be your Mommy. Have a happy birthday!
Seth's Birthday Celebration
Poor guy was not feeling well, so we cancelled the party. After a few Saltines landed in his belly and a glimpse of his new basketball
hoop, he recovered.
He was ready to enjoy the meal of his choice:chicken, baked mac/cheese, green beans, bread and strawberries.
His dessert was basketball cupcakes. (Surprise! Surprise!)
His "birthday outfit." Yes, that is what we will call it! :-)
From pin striped suit to shirt and tie,Seth was excited and proud to match his Daddy!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Decor update - the Window
Here it is - the finished product in its rightful corner. (Pardon the glare.) I had planned on putting photos behind the glass, but I want all of them to be black/white. For now, I am enjoying this look. The reactions to the window are interesting. Adults (females) tend to like it. It was another story when my six year old neighbor boy got his first glance at it! :-)"Why does you have yours window hanging on the wall?"
"Well. . .I thought it looked neat that way."
"I don't." The conversation continued in this direction, and I had to chuckle at his brutal honesty. Do you recall some of your childhood opinions? I certainly do - all too well! Ha.
Well, another birthday party tomorrow (Seth's), so I am off to start preparing.
Have a relaxing Friday evening.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
In the mail today
Okay, Sarah, I get your point!
Busy, busy Thursday
You are correct! Here is my early morning table.
My little "knight" was happy to have more companions today. I believe he was pretending to be "Peter" from the Chronicles of Narnia.
I took the time to make myself some goodies. :-)
I took the time to make myself some goodies. :-)I consumed far too many in the first hour!
New friend, Shannon Webb, visited for a couple of hours.
It's a "busy, busy" day again, but this is the last one. Ethan has enjoyed having another boy his age. Seth has been a huge help and has earned a little cash along the way. My "double quiver" has made me more tired, so I am anxiously looking forward to my comfy bed tonight! ZZZz
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Normal, normal Wednesday
~ Beds to make~
~Student to teach~
~Laundry to fold~
~Groceries to put away~
~Bathrooms to clean~And all the other tasks involved with running a house. . . It's just us today.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Busy, busy Tuesday
Pictured is the cute little group that found themselves at my table - - - early this morning. Busy, busy Tuesday. . . My "quiver" is doubled until five o'clock this evening, and the kids are having a great time. (Do I hear an echo?!)The difference is that today happens to be our 100th day of school, so I am attempting to have a special time with Seth. As soon as the baby goes to sleep. . .
Monday, January 22, 2007
Busy, busy Monday
Pictured is the cute little group that found themselves at my table - - - early this morning. Busy, busy Monday. . . My "quiver" is doubled until five o'clock this evening, and the kids are having a great time.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Friday Treasures
I am not a "patterned handbag" sort of a person; I prefer solid because I feel it creates more harmony with my clothing. Well, there is one exception - the Vera Bradley collection. (Thanks to Nancy Lambeth, I now know they actually exist.) In the entire series, there are only three or four that I like, and one happens to be the Petal Pink. During our Friday outing, we happened to browse through a craft store, and my jaw dropped when I saw this! It looks quite a bit like the Vera Bradley one that I like, so out popped the Christmas money I had been given. Now I am the proud owner of this bag. The cost??? $8.00. :-) (Did you notice it even has a wallet to match?)
I could not resist this striped vase, so out popped the Christmas money ~ again! It goes perfectly with my dishes! (Old Time Pottery treasure)
I finally found some candlesticks that appealed to me, and all for the low price of $10! (Oh, where did I place that Christmas cash?! :-)Now that it is Saturday morning (yawn), I am a bit exhausted and sore. Yawn. Stretch. Last night, Troy and I did something special for the boys. Yawn. I slept on the top bunk with Seth. (He is our little cuddle bug and thought it was the greatest thing I could do!) Consequently, (yawn) I did not sleep as well. Pardon me as I rub my eyes. There were several reasons involved, and one of them being the fact I slept with my glasses under my pillow and kept worrying that I would find them reshaped in the morning. (What else is a person to with their glasses when they are on a top bunk?!) Ethan had the honor of sleeping in "Mommy and Daddy's big bed," and I have a feeling that group slept better than I did! Eventually, my aches will go away. . . I will get more sleep, and there is a little six year old boy who will never forget the time his mother slept on the top bunk with him!
Well, the cinnamon bread has a few minutes left to bake, and I have to get the smoothies, bacon, eggs and fruit prepared. . .
Have a blessed weekend!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
"What Animal Is That?"
What Animal Is That? puzzle"A fun test of puzzle skill and knowledge!" (So says the box)
An interesting way to spend hours of time resulting in the questioning of your personal animal knowledge. (So says the Martha Castle)
This puzzle looks quite simple - now that it is together. I thought it would be a great way to add some spice to our homeschool schedule. Added to the fact I love jigsaw puzzles, I also thought it would be a great way to learn "100 fascinating animal facts." I am usually quick with puzzles, but since we had no picture as a guide, it was slow. Now, most of us think we have a grip on the animal kingdom, correct? Well, when you are staring at 100 "out of this world" facts, you will begin to question yourself. Out of 100, I think I safely knew 10-15 and made educated guesses on a few others. Let me give you a sample:
Fact - Can sometimes be seen in a group called a "Parliament." Um. . .not sure, but I do have 100 choices in front of me!
Fact - Has eyes at the end of its arms. Hmmm. . .I think we can safely eliminate the whales, sharks, snakes. . .
Fact - Was sacred to the ancient Egyptians. Let's see, it's definitely not the polar bear!
In search of some answers, I found a picture of this puzzle on the internet, and we excitedly finished the project. Whew! Once completed, it was thrilling to read all the answers. So, as a service to all of you, here is some enlightenment:
1. The earthworm of Africa can grow up to 22 feet. (Creepy! I guess you use those when you are fishing for sharks.)
2. An octopus has three hearts.
3. The mosquito has been responsible for more human deaths than any other animal after man.
4. The archer fish shoots prey with a squirt of water.
5. The peregrine falcon is one of the world's fastest animals and can swoop at up to 217 MPH.
Could you imagine seeing one of these:
1. A 10 ft komodo dragon?
2. A giant salamander which can grow up to 5 ft 11 in long?
3. The world's longest snake, reticulated python, with one specimen growing up to 32 ft?
One last fact for all of my SD friends - The prairie dog builds the largest colonies of any animal, with one estimated to have covered 24,000 sq miles. (24,000 is not a typo! :-)
Above answers:
~the owl
~ the starfish
~ the scarab beetle
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Decor update
~ Original (and institutional) color~
~New yellow and tan colors~
~ Clothes rack in the master bedroom~ I lloovvee doorknobs, so you imagine my excitement when I saw this! My aunt (Joan Rollins) was with me at the time and purchased it (all the while protesting that it was ugly) as a gift for me. My mother and sisters (and Aunt Joan) have a running joke that if they think something is weird or ugly, they should buy it for me. :-)
~My "framed" Willow Tree figurine~
This piece was purchased as a "going away" gift by our Ohio church. The room in which it is found is the master bath. To the left is the garden tub, and the mirror on the right is reflecting the opposite brown wall. I love brown/blue together!
~ My other Willow Tree piece from my men~This frame happens to be a yard sale treasure. I placed a wallpaper scrap that matches the dresser in the background of the photo. I always like to "connect" things in my own way.
Current project involves photo frames and buttons.
It should be posted it in a few days. Until then. . .
keep guessing. :-)
Monday, January 15, 2007
All because of Angie Davis
The "bad guys" are safely in jail!
Love the beard on this guy.
The "king and queen" in their simple castle.
This is called Middle Ages Meets Old West.Yes, Angie, Ethan has you to thank for the latest Playmobil-Brio-train play land. (I even had the buzzards sitting on the carcass in the desert!) The poor child has been consistently asking for another castle, and I have not been in the mood to play Bob the Builder. Even the simplest of castles can take thirty minutes to assemble. Well, after reading Angie's Lincoln Log account, I was feeling rather guilty. So, Ethan ended up the recipient of a two hour full scale production from his mother. This one was so elaborate that I grabbed the video camera to record the reaction!
Angie, you made a big difference in the play time of a little boy! ;-)
My growing boy
9 lb 5 oz newborn - 4 years ago (I wanted my second baby to be another big boy, and my wish came true! :-)
3 months old
Months later. . .still a chubby baby! Love those cheeks
1 year old portrait
3 months old
Months later. . .still a chubby baby! Love those cheeks
1 year old portrait (The bear was a gift from his great grandmother. I try to bring my own "special" props for photos. If this bear gets lost, we will always remember it.)
1 1/2 year old goofy boy watching a DVD.
Ethan has always liked construction hats, and he loved wearing these play goggles that were so big for his little face. I love the intense look.
2 1/2 year old portrait (Notice the pitiful allergy eyes.)Wow! It is hard to believe that my little (Well, he wasn't very little! :-) baby is now four years old! Thought you might enjoy some younger pictures of him.
Ethan has definitely been my "grace tester," but I cannot imagine life without him. He is very sweet and friendly in the morning and is always telling me how much he "wuvs" me. His personality is outgoing and friendly, and he consistently smiles and says, "hello" to people in public. He laughs easily and loves to be tickled. He will pick every dandelion, weed and flower in sight and present it to me accompanied with a smile. If I get hurt, he is always ready with a kiss and, "I am sorry, Mommy." Almost every time he receives something, I am grabbed in a huge hug, and he yells, "Thanks, Mom!!!!" Ethan loves to work and is very willing to do any job I give him. He has no fear, and I am sure he will break a few bones in his life. He is always climbing, jumping, sliding, rolling. . . He loves to have books read to him and thrives on playing "construction" - especially in the dirt. He has an incredible sense of timing, and will tap or "direct" any song right in rhythm. Best of all, he is my little man, and I know he loves me. He probably is the reason I am popping a few gray hairs, but I wouldn't trade him.
I love you, Ethan!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Temporary leave.
Another cookie! You know your mother-in-law loves you when she helps you indulge!
"Office/homeschool room" and now "guest room" = very little blogging. You will find yourself in this spot when you visit. I crept in here for a few minutes while everyone is in another part of the house. I have had so little time to even look at all of your blogs, and I did not get to check the news until now. I have been a bad girl and mainly scrolled through your pictures, and I am so glad Angie has a digital camera! :-) (Thanks, Santa Gene.) I will have to "catch up" on the reading. Between all the activities, dates, enjoying a "Girls Night Out" with my friend/neighbor (Kim Russo), Ethan's birthday celebration, working on getting a customized blog, and company in my computer room, I am afraid blogging will be off for a few more days. Have a great weekend!
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