NATURE CLUB April 2016

Kimber asked at the first of the year to start a nature club.  He had a very clear picture of what he wanted to do so over the last few months we have worked together to plan a monthly meeting with some of his buddies. 

Yesterday was our first meeting of nature club.  Our subject matter was birds.  We talked about the parts of a feather, the different types of feathers, the physical differences between male and female birds and several other characteristics of birds.  We did a nature walk and spied a couple of cardinals, a wren and a robin.

It was a success I believe, though there were a few scratches and run ins with some giant pine cones.  

DNA DAY

I am blessed to work part time for a local biotechnology institute.  While I don't work in a scientific capacity I am always intrigued by the scientific geniuses that are working right here in our own little town.

We were invited to tag along on a field trip organized by a friend I work with today and we had such a GREAT experience. 

The kids got to extract DNA from a strawberry, first mechanically and then chemically....science for the win!

We won't talk about the tears that ensued over math once we got home!

My heart is "beeping" fast!

Yesterday, the baby, you know, the one who just turned 6....he ran up (and down) a half mile hill.  We live at the bottom of this hill and walk/jog/run it quite often but Kimber has never run the whole way.  Yesterday HE DID IT.  Of course this morning, there was much complaining about his legs hurting.  Lactic acid discussion ensued. 

I will fully admit that I don't do baby talk, I take this job of raising self sufficient humans seriously and have tried hard to talk to these kids like the people they are....BUT......I just can't fix K's term for his heart beating.....beeping.  While laying on the driveway after his sprint he just had to let me feel his "heart beeping".

This is probably my favorite incorrect word usage of his....it also allows me to keep savoring one of the few morsels of his littleness for a little while longer,  he is so independent and aware and OLDER than his 6 years in so many ways, I will keep "heart beeping" for a little while longer.

Within 10 minutes of our arrival back home from our run, Matthew took his first over the handlebar dismount....with minimal drama I might add.  I think he was pretty close to crying but my well disguised worry masquerading as AWE tricked him.  He got a little banged up and sported some bruises on his ribs for a few days but was back on his bike within 15 minutes or so.

Little things

It really is ALL those little things that make this life so interesting.

We played Kimber up so that both boys are on the same baseball team this fall.......after keeping up with two different schedules during spring ball this is quite the relief. 

Nana and Gramps made it to a game!

Such a cutie.

Post game snacks

Today, during our fact sheet portion of our math lesson, when each boy gets to do his sheet on a clipboard wherever he wants, I peek into the living room and those sweet boys are snuggled up together in my late grandmother's recliner working away...and I honestly don't believe they were even collaborating...just snuggling.

Between my own thrifting and my sweet mother in law's thrifting I have amassed quite the collection of cloth napkins.  There are certain favorites that make me smile....every single time we use them.  We keep a loaf pan on our dining table filled with these little beauties and those of you that know us know we are NOT fancy but they are used at almost every meal.

WEATHER, we just finished our third week of school and EVERY DAY this week we got to spend a considerable amount of time out of doors.  Mostly 70's and 80's all week.....we are definitely not in Texas anymore Toto!  I think the boys favorite daily activity is read aloud time in the treehouse, it just might be ABSOLUTELY IS my favorite too!

The BABY is 6!!!

6!  6!  6!  The baby is 6 TODAY!

This 6-year old of mine has been counting down the days to his birthday for at least a month.  I am not sure I have ever seen a kid more excited about a birthday. 

This baby of mine still loves his mama fiercely and thankfully still needs snuggles most days.  He can build the coolest creations from his Lego collection.  He will scarf down any type of berry brought into this house.  He has become quite the mathematician and is making great strides in his reading.  I am convinced that at least half the facts he knows about the animal kingdom have come from the mouths of the Kratt Brothers of Wild Kratts fame.  He loves being read to, riding his bike and playing Minecraft with Matthew.  He never forgets ANYTHING....he is certainly my most ardent accountability partner!

Don't let that sweet dimpled smile fool you, this boy has quite the stubborn streak, I mean FOR REAL!  There have be MANY conversations here about choosing your battles, and he is making progress but boy....the stubborn is strong in this one.  He and Matthew are incredibly close...when they are not trying to maim each other. 

This shot epitomizes the CAN DO ATTITUDE employed by this kid.

And that stink face...when he doesn't get his way...alive and well today!

SUMMER 2015 - Lakes-Berries-Caves-Snakes-Baseball-Dyslexia-Robot Zoo-Bugs

What a BUSY summer!

We made a bucket list for summer and did ALMOST all of it.

Our annual Honeycomb Beach excursion was quite fun.....and infinitely easier than last year.

Our trip to Jack's lake was awesome, and the fact that I finally (after 3 years) made it through a Jack's Lake day without letting the boys get sunburnt was just the icing on top!

We hit 24.75 hours of reading over our 6 week break and the boys were thrilled to turn in their reading logs to our beloved Miss Maggie at the library at the final summer reading party....which just happened to include snakes, lizards and frogs.

Creek trips always top the summer (and who am I kidding...spring and fall) to do lists for the boys.

We made a trip to Cathedral Caverns with Nana and Gramps.  No trip to the caverns is complete without a berry picking excursion.  Thankfully Nana is an adept berry picker, even when the little boys lose focus in the adjacent peach orchard.

I participated in an INTENSIVE dyslexia training at our local Dyslexia school to beef up my skills in teaching Matthew.  Nana & Gramps came and kept the boys....as a result these boys got a little spoiled and Kimber thinks all toast now "needs" CHEESE on it.

The baseball bug has hit Matthew HARD.  He has always loved baseball but I would bet we have played catch 5 out of 7 days for the past 3 months, since baseball season ended.  He also attended a 3-day baseball camp at the local high school that he thoroughly enjoyed.

The local Space and Rocket Museum has a Robot Zoo exhibit that is phenomenal.  We spent a fun day exploring it and enjoying the lack of crowds as the local schools have started.

Our new school year starts next Monday!  We are shifting from American History and Geography to a study of the ancients this year.  Add this to math, reading, cursive, biology, geology and Latin.  We will be dissecting owl pellets (poop) and crayfish in a few weeks and the boys cannot wait. 

SEVENTEEN!!!!!

Mind.  Blown.

We have been married 17 years.....how is that possible? 

17 years ago we boarded this crazy flight to the land of marriage, we had no clue what to expect. Thankfully there have been plenty of blue skies, our fair share of turbulence, some baggage lost and two priceless freckled souvenirs gained, a few course corrections, a number of destination changes and more grace and mercy than imaginable.  I have zero doubt that we were made for each other....even if I question the matching of our red-headed stubborn personalities periodically.

I won't say I haven't searched for my oxygen mask at times.  Or that I haven't wanted to just bury my face in the SkyMall magazine a pretend that it was all perfect.  I will say that while marriage is such an incredible blessing, and has the potential to be a blast, it is also HARD WORK.  You know, the kind that leaves you hurting the next day.  One thing I do know, anything worth having IS hard work.

I was told by a family member not long after we married that the odds were that we wouldn't make it...while I don't pretend to know everything, I do know that HE has brought us together and as long as HE is the captain of THIS ship we will keep flying the friendly and not so friendly skies.

 About a month before our 3rd anniversary....absolute babies!

Those cute aforementioned "freckled souvenirs" last summer.