Total Love

 Grant and I spent the afternoon yesterday talking about Christmas and drawing pictures of things we talked about. While we were talking I scratched out this picture.  I apologize for making you look at the product of my poor drawing abilities.  I was never lucky enough to study art with Norman Howell in high school.

 

 

 

The ONLY reason I would show the picture above is to let you see the picture Grant was drawing at the same time.

 

I think his is pretty great.

I'm probably biased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then to make my day even better he drew me this picture.

 

It says...."I love you mom"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when I didn't think I could be any happier than I already was,

Grant handed me this picture.

 

 

It says...."I totally love you mom."

 

 

 

 

 

I totally love you too, Grant!

The Little Drummer Boy

Grant enjoyed a balmy 40 degree afternoon this week playing outside.

You know it was cold because he bothered to even put a coat ON.

Notice though the lack of shirt, jeans or shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gentleman had been to his school one day this week playing drums for the kids.

 

The man's  "drums"  were all made from repurposed junk according to Grant.

 

 

So not to be outdone, Grant made his own repurposed drum set from things in the garage.

 

 

When his newly created drum set needed a crash cymbal, we had to get a bit more creative.

 

 

Out came Mom's lid to her dutch oven.

 

 

Let the music commence!!!!!!!

 

 

He's still playing his drum set today.

 

Maybe there's another musician in the family.

 

Hmmmmm.

 

These are a few of my favorite things

 

Grant LOVES to bead.

He has done most of these himself.

Although once in a while someone will offer to help him with one.

 

 

 

 

Here's a look at some of his handiwork.

 

Pretty neat stuff from a five year old, huh?

 

 

Part of the kindergarten learning goals includes completing two step and three step patterns independently.

 

You know....

 

circle - circle - square - circle - circle - square - circle - __________

 

 

Yeah, I think he has that skill pretty well mastered.

I think we would be better served focusing on penmanship looking at his papers from school.

 

 

 

 

 

His creativity is not limited to two dimensional objects either.

 

Grant made this too.

 

 

 

This lasted about as long as it took for Remington to walk past and knock it down with his big fat tail.

 

 

Grant was not pleased.

 

 

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

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSELYN!!!!!!!!!!!!

School and some other stuff

 

Have you missed us?

 

Mom was right.  She said whenever we travel she fails miserably at keeping up with the family blog.

Anyway, she's back at it now.  Here's her newest post.

You go on ahead and read it while I work on my homework.

 

 

 

Yeah, I have homework in kindergarten.

That stinks.  Stinks isn't what I REALLY think about doing homework, but it is the baddest word Mom will let me use.

 

 

 

Once I get home from school each day, I don't want to have to work on homework.

I want to kick back and relax in my favorite outfit....nothing!

 

Mom usually makes me wear at least SOMETHING. 

 She's a real party pooper about that.

 

What's that on my arms you ask?

 

 

 

 

I am considering a career as a tatoo artist when I am older.

What do you think?

 

 

For the record, Mom was not impressed with my artistic ability.

She suggested I use paper next time I got the urge to be creative.

 

Again, party pooper!

 

 

 

 

 



Well, back to my homework.

 

Wait...that isn't where I do homework!

 

 

 

 

This is Grace's pretend school that she set up in the living room.

That's right....more school!!

 

She even pretends that she is the teacher and I have to be her student.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's where some of her students sit.

That's my spot by my name tag.

 

She likes to give me work to do and tries to teach me things like math.

 

 

 

I tell her we ought to play army guy or football, but she thinks THIS stuff is fun.

 

I say STINKY. (HA, I got to use my bad word twice today.)

 

 

Well, back to my real homework now.

Talk soon!!

Music Making Maestros

Alternately titled:  What to do in "NO"-vember

 

 

with a little water and food coloring

 

these two did a pretty good job playing a C major scale

 

 

they tried and tried until they had it right

 

 

THEN,

(here's the part I found amusing)

 

they played duets together

 

 

one would play the glasses while the other played the piano in the basement

 

 

Pretty fun stuff

 

 

These are the things they take time to do in NOvember

when there is

 

NO television

NO movies

NO video games

NO friends

 

I've seen a lot of card playing, book reading, craft making and music playing going on instead.

 

 

The older kids are suggesting they are too old for this anymore. 

We'll see next year.

 

 

 

 

The other Maestro had his All County Concert last night.

 

 

 

They sounded great.

I am amazed at what their teachers can accomplish with a rowdy group of hormonal adolescents.

 

Hope you have a good evening!

Veteran's Day

Thank you to all who serve.

 

 

HAPPY VETERANS DAY

Lost Dog

So I dropped the kids at school this morning then came home and spent the next five hours cleaning house.  (Don't be impressed.  It could use ten more hours!)

As I was leaving to pick up Grant I decided to let the dogs out first.

Meg! Remington!



Here comes Meg.



Remington!!



Remington!!!!



Remington?



Silence.






Well, poop. (preschool approved swear word) (not what was actually being said in my mind)


Being short on time, I continued on my way out the door to get Grant. 


Upon returning home, I dropped Grant with John and Emily who were by then home from the bus stop.  I gave them orders to take turns watching him while the other twin had their piano lesson with Jarod. 

I then spent the next hour driving around the neighborhood looking for him.

I finally gave up because Grace's bus was due at her bus stop plus I had out of town guests that were going to be on my doorstep any minute to go out for dinner.


So....what happened to the dog you ask?



I found him about an hour later....









shut in Grace's closet.








Before you feel too sorry for him, let me just say Grace has a walk in closet bigger than my first bedroom (I kid you not.)(Well, maybe just a little.).  Plus it has a full window in it.

I am guessing he wandered in there while I took the kids to school at eight o'clock this morning.  The door could have easily been bumped shut once he was in there.  He then must have spent the rest of the day snoozing in the sun that comes in her closet window.  He never made a sound.  I was home all day alone in a quiet house and never heard a peep out of him.

Not the way I planned to spend my afternoon, but at least it had a happy ending.


I really would miss him if something happened to him.  (Don't tell David I admitted that!)

KOA Kamping - Kontinued

Do you notice a pattern?

We are pretty boring really.

 

 

We do the same things OVER and OVER and OVER

 

like miniature golf

I don't like to think of us as boring though....

 

 

I prefer to call it "predictable".

 

 

Emily and the two younger kids enjoyed a wagon ride at the campground.

 

Meanwhile, John challenged his dad to a game of horseshoes.

 

More pictures from the falls....

 

 

They were fascinated with the tiny shells along the banks of the river.

 

 

 

 

Later that Saturday evening we made our way to the rec building for homemade sundaes.

The kids were all for eating ice cream in spite of what the temperatures were outside.

 

I would have preferred hot chocolate if anyone had asked.

They didn't.

 

 

After eating our ice cream, we played a few rounds of BINGO.

 

Grace won one of the games.

Emily helped her gather her winnings.

 

The prize consisted of about eight full sized candybars.

Each card played cost a candybar.

So we netted a total of two bars for the evening.

Grant showing off the loot.