Blessed!

Tonight the girls and I went along with Poppy to family night at the Burke County Cattleman's meeting. Pete had an area Ag Teacher's meeting and met us there after dinner. I always love this meeting because the kids have such a wonderful time playing with the other children from all over the county. Some go to public school, some go to EBA with my girls, and some to the local Mennonite school. I LOVE watching them all play together. What if we adults could all be like children? What if we could meet each other, make no judgments, form no prejudices, and just enjoy each other's company? Addie told me right after dinner, "I'm going to find someone to play with!"  I couldn't help but think of the verse from Matthew that reminds us that we must become like little children if we are to ever enter the kingdom of heaven.

We also had the pleasure of meeting our new Burke County 4-H Agent, Heather Savelle! I've watched Heather grow up, as I taught Agriculture for several years and I knew her father, who was also an agriculture teacher. We are SO excited to have her in Burke County! After seeing this raucus bunch of kids, she may be having second thoughts about coming here!  Ali Grace cannot wait to start her 4-H project on honeybees. We had a great evening and I feel so blessed to be planted in this place. I know I've said it many times, almost to the point of being boastful, but I just love it here. My little slice of heaven.

Terrific Tomlinsons!

We had a great day today! The girls always love to see the Tomlinsons pull into the driveway. Addie Belle literally SCREECHED when she saw Cohen come in the mudroom door!  The kids had a blast playing on the hay bales and tinkering around together today. Brian, Alicia, Pete and I all took the opportunity to catch up and solve the problems of the world while the kids played. 

Tomorrow afternoon I have a tea with the ladies of the DAR. Don't laugh. My Mama steamed cleaned my floors to guilt me into going with her! I'm only kidding. I'm actually looking forward to it. Addie Belle is going to her friend Mary Joyce's birthday party at the country club and then I have a mountain of laundry to fold. After five weeks, I think we're getting back into the school rhythm. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!

Writing it Down so I Don't Forget

 We'd promised Ali Grace we'd go eat crab legs for her birthday but we just hadn't gotten around to it until tonight. Ali Grace can eat a grown man under the table when it comes to crab legs! She cracks 'em like a pro!

Check out this photo of Addie Belle. If you know Coleman Lake, you'll recognize this door as the entrance to the BAR!  The conversation preceding this photo went like this:
Addie: Mama I want to go to the bar.
Me: Addie you are not old enough to go into a bar.
Addie (pouting): Well how old do you have to be?
Me: Twenty one.
Addie (pouting more): Well that stinks. I am at least going to peek inside.

I may have my hands full with her!

We are so excited about seeing the Tomlinsons this weekend! They are arriving in the morning hopefully in time for Pineland Bakery donuts! Have a great weekend everyone!

Back to Normal (Whatever THAT is!)

Thankfully, Pete checked out fine at University Hospital and he's heading back to work tomorrow. The girls have enjoyed being able to sleep a little later the past couple days but I love a routine and so it'll be good to get back in the groove. The girls hung in there like troopers with Pete in the hospital since Gran and Papa came to help out. They've had a great week at school. Today the girls had a very reasonable amount of homework and it was sooooo nice to be able to sit down and eat dinner and then watch a movie together.

We are anticipating a hurricane sweeping just north of us over the next few days and it reminded me of my Effingham days when I taught Connections. Whenever a hurricane would come close to us, we'd have a "hurricane party" during our planning. We'd order pizza, and I'd print out placemats with the hurricane projected path. Remember those days Kiley Purvis Hodges? Those were the good ol' days! Good times!

Ali Grace has to do a cell model project for her science class so we're looking forward to heading to Joanne's or Michael's this weekend to get our craft on! She is really excited about it and wants something unique and not just the normal clay model. Any ideas??

Check out Addie Belle in her new "Addie" shirt! She LOVES it! Thanks Aunt Bonnie!!
 

Unfortunately, as most everyone knows, Pete has been in the hospital. The girls miss him SO much and since they can't go visit because they aren't 12, they have been quite upset today off and on. Gran and Papa came up today to help out until Pete can come home and that seemed to take their minds off of things. Poppy grilled ribs and Nanny made potato salad. I will admit I felt a twinge of guilt eating pork ribs while Pete was laid up in the cardiac unit at University Hospital. I got over it quickly though.

I came outside this afternoon and Addie was standing on the picnic table like a goat...

She said she was standing on the table so that she could see down the driveway and would know when Gran and Papa arrived!

Keep calm and carry on....

Until ants start biting!

We sure appreciate all the calls and well wishes from our friends. We are all fine and I really can't think of anything we need right now. Pete is doing well and should be home Tuesday Lord willing. 

It's good to know people...

It is GOOD to have connections! My Aunt Bonnie (My Mama's twin sister) has a supersonic embroidering machine. I think it will do housework for you and even converts into a riding vacuum cleaner.  :)  This summer I bought a few tee shirts and left them with her while we were at the beach. Today they came in the mail! The girls LOVED them!  

Ali and I had a great evening watching "SuperNanny". The girls always watch certain shows like "How It's Made" and all sorts of things with their Daddy. Ali and I watch Supernanny. We both sit there with our mouths hung wide open for most of the show. It makes me thankful for well behaved children.

We are doing well around here and getting back into the school groove. The girls have had a fairly good start to the school year and they love their teachers. They absolutely cannot wait for the weather to cool down a bit. We are all anxiously awaiting the sweatshirt, firepit, crockpot, and football weather. This heat has run its course and we want to see some changing leaves!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Alison Grace!

Ten years ago today I became a Mama and even though I love both my girls equally, Ali Grace will always hold that honor. I thought she would NEVER get here. I was more than a week overdue with her when I threatened to burn my doctor's house down and he agreed to induce me. No one was at the hospital when she was born other than Pete and me. We had no idea she would arrive so quickly and honestly, that's the last time I've ever seen her be in a hurry.

She got up early yesterday and went into town with her Daddy to get her new bike. I am so thankful that the girls still love running around and playing outdoors. I was more than happy to get her a new bike for her birthday!

She picked out her bike but didn't like it because it had tassels. Pete promptly removed the tassels and Ali Grace gave them to Addie to wear in her hair. 

I love this sweet pic of my girls!

We were soooo glad to see Colten this weekend!! He got the award for singing Happy Birthday the loudest and cutest!

Ali Grace got a huge birthday breakfast cooked by Poppy and Nanny this morning!

Check out these pics of Ali over the last few years...

Tybee Island Pre-K Trip

Happy birthday sweet girl! You're beautiful inside and out!

What Research Says About Homework...

I hate homework. I despise it. I think it is totally useless and I resent the loss of family time caused by it. There. I said it. Again. I know I tend to harp on things. Homework is one of the sacred cows of the educational establishment and because teachers have done it for SO long, no one seems to reflect on whether it makes one iota of sense to assign it at all. Now before everyone has a fit and says "I did homework and it didn't hurt me.."  Children go to school longer than you did. Research says that students in 2003 did TWICE as much homework as students just twenty years before. Why? Total worship of standardized testing is part of the problem, but even in private schools where testing is not emphasized at all, homework continues to be the 500 pound gorilla in the room. Every parent and every educator should read the books "The Case Against Homework" and "The Homework Myth".  In both books, the authors cite studies showing that while certain types of homework DO help achievement in high school, there is scant if ANY evidence that homework has ANY impact on achievement at all in the elementary grades. We do it because we've always done it but in fact, our children have less free play time to develop creativity, to burn off extra calories, and to strengthen the bonds of family. Yes, this is something I am passionate about and had I not already delved so deeply into my currrent dissertation topic, I would change it to determine the detrimental effects of homework on elementary aged children. With that, let me say.... I am in love with Ali Grace's teachers this year. Praise the Lord Praise the Lord and Thank You Jesus! She has had homework this week a few times. It has been a VERY reasonable amount and it's given me an opportunity to really keep up with what she is studying in school. Beyond this, in my opinion, homework is a total waste of time. Busy work. Crapola. Thank you so much Ms Winkler, Ms Daniels, Ms Johnson, and Ms Hogan for returning my child to me in the afternoons and evenings. I've missed her. 

I have been totally consumed by my new position as instructional coach at our school. I am really loving it y'all but I am exhausted. I'm really going to have to work harder on time management and on prioritizing. It's been tough but I have LOVED it for the most part. 

Here are some pics of the girls from the first few days of school. 

Check out Addie's cutie patootie matching shoe charms.

Love her pose here!

Ali Grace so grown up and ready for the first day of school.

She is in Vera Bradley overload.

Pete didn't start back to school until Wednesday so he was able to have some "chair time" with the girls before school earlier this week. He was also able to drop them off and walk them to class.

Ali Grace smiles because she has no homework, so we were able to enjoy supper with grandparents!

Addie smiles because she had a reasonable amount of homework and she was so proud of herself for reading her story to Nanny!

What can I say? Rotten. That's the word.

Ali Grace is laughing here because she's making fun of her Daddy's shoulder injury! (he can't raise his right arm as high as his left. I told her it was rude, but it was kinda funny!)

Have a wonderful weekend with your families folks. I pray that your kids had no homework over the weekend!!

in a van DOWN by the RIVER~

 ALL of the school clothes were washed, ironed and hung up today!  Addie has a couple of dresses from last year that still fit, but overall BOTH girls had to have all new clothes. They both really grew over the summer!  My Aunt Bonnie made this too cute dress for Ali Grace:

   I love it! Ali does too and I'm hoping it will be one of those dresses she can wear virtually year round. Here's the fabric up close:

Aunt Bonnie and her supersonic sewing machine also created this cute tee shirt:

My sinuses are crazy and I am almost ready to concede that I am in fact, allergic to MYSELF! I am so tired of sneezing and I really felt yucko today! Which brings me to this.. Today Pete and the girls helped clean the house this morning when I got back from the hair salon. In an hour or so it was just Pete and an hour after that it was just me. Me and my post nasal drip doing the laundry... How does that happen? Ladies out there- does your husband look at you and your post nasal drip ironing away and make a kissing motion at you? I don't know what to say about that. Hello! women don't want you to blow them a kiss! They want you to help put away the laundry!  I have considered that sometimes it may be best to live like Chris Farley, in a van DOWN by the RIVER! I mean seriously, not that much space, couldn't be too hard to keep clean. Or... maybe I could stay here and just send my husband and children to live in the van down by the river.  Since I am seriously the only one in this house who seems to care whether or not we live in squalor, I think this may be a viable alternative. I'm going to see if I can find a suitable van, and then get back to you all on that. 

Open House!

Snapped these shots before we took off to open house at EBA tonight. The girls are finally so excited about going back to school. Their teachers seem really nice and enthusiastic.

When we got home, Addie called Nanny and Poppy and asked them to come over for a fashion show. They both did a second runway show for the grandparents showing off all their new school clothes. Addie did a toe touch once while she was on the runway. She has to add her own special touch to everything.

We got a chuckle out of the number of kids and adults who barely recognized Ali Grace from last year.. I think she gets the "I grew up the most  over the summer award".  

New Eyes!

Ali Grace got contacts today! She was so excited that she could get them before school started back. I'm glad too. I know nothing about contacts since I've never worn them, but Pete feels sure she can handle the responsibility. Just one more rung on the ladder of babies growing up I guess.

School started for Jefferson County kiddos yesterday and so far it's been a smooth start to the year. I must say I am really enjoying my new position but I am totally overwhelmed with the constant "so and so needs you to call about this", and "could you fill out this form for that" and "could you please talk to someone about so and so?"... Wow. Today I visited a science classroom and I got so involved in what they were doing that I totally missed a 1 o'clock meeting. This job and my ADD are going to bump heads I'm afraid. It's an adjustment for me, but so far I really like it.

The girls start school on Monday and they have Open House tomorrow night. Some of their new clothes came today via UPS and they had a great time trying them on. They turned my living room into a runway. I don't know if I'm ready to start the craziness of the school year for them. Cheer practices, football games, etc...  Guess Monday is coming whether I like it or not. May as well have a good glass of wine and relax about it!