Science Lesson

Sorry I didn't post what we did here, I was on the phone when I posted these pictures. But, I think I kinda like you guess what we were trying to do!

I am going through a 10 week series I got from Usborne Books a couple of summers ago. My friend was selling the books, and I wanted to help her out so I thought I would try it, but then it was a little over their heads. I like it b/c I can condense, or add to info depending on how much they seem to understand it! I think I will probably go through it again, the next couple of years more in depth. I love how the package set comes with about 5 books, and they are loaded with information, so you can really extend it further than 10 weeks.

Here, we made a model arm connecting it with a brad to demonstrate how joints work. The next lesson we are adding rubber bands and something for tendons and muscles.

My Barbie Dream House

I was the biggest Barbie nut as a kid. I LOVED LOVED Barbies! I don't have a definate count, but I can say I probaby have close to 100 played with Barbies. I probably played with them even up to the age of 15, (I used my little sis as the excuse then)....and when I got married and moved out, I still had all those Barbies displayed on shelves in my room. I also have a lot of display barbies that I now have put away. I bought my sister all kinds of Barbie junk....just b/c by the time she was little, they had a lot cooler stuff that I wished I had...(she is 11 yrs younger than me).

I got this Barbie house for Christmas....I think when I was 4. This quality of the pic is not good and hard to tell by my goofy expression, but I had my mouth open so big, you can actually see the uvula in the back of my throat! I was truly this excited to get this! I think my grandma also got me a Barbie car that year. At the time, I had a Barbie and Ken, and then I had my mom's old Barbie and Ken to play with....the very first Barbie and Ken that was made. Every year, my #1 request for gifts was something Barbie. My aunt always said she wasn't getting me Barbies b/c I would outgrow them....well.....I guess I finally did, about the age of 25.....when I realized I needed space for my children more than for my Barbies.

My mom saves everything. I have always made fun of her for that, b/c I am not a saver at all. My moto is, get it out of the house as fast as I can! I think I have told her several times to get rid of my Barbie stuff b/c my kids wouldn't care anything about it. Well, she didn't listen, and she organized and saved every bit of Barbie stuff my sister and I ever had, and stored all of it in our old closets. Well, I am here to tell her Thank You! I honestly thought this old house had torn up to where it couldn't be built anymore.

Yesterday I went down there, and she got it out for me. My kids were so excited! I met Clay when I got home b/c I had somewhere to go, and he got the kids, and he said the kids talked about that house the entire way home. When I got home last night, it looked like Barbie town had exploded in the hallway, a HUGE mess, but they were having a blast! And, it makes me so excited to watch them play with it, and remember all the years I played with it. My mom even saved the box that the house came in, which I also thought was crazy, until I found this picture last night to show my kids the Christmas I opened it, and it was still the same box, even in pretty good condition.....just showing the wear of 26 years of storage.

Those are also my old Barbie horses that my kids have living in that house. I don't think I ever did that.....and just a little while ago, they said the Barbies were moving out, the stuffed animals were moving in! But I sure am enjoying listening to them pretend play with it! Oh, the joy and innocence of childhood!

Day at a friend's

I am late to post these. The kids and I went down to Monticello a couple of weeks ago and stayed the night with my parents, and then went over to a friend's house for the day. She had to work, so I kept the 5 kids at her house so they could all play. It was a lot of fun! Everyone got along so well! My kids have grown up with Sarah and Samantha, and we have been missing them! Sarah is Noah's "girlfriend", and he refers to her as that too.

Rachel playing dress-up

All 5 of them on the couch together....I have a pic of them all together when Rachel was a baby, I need to find it.
Noah, and his girlfriend! He cracks me up when he gets on there and holds on to her tight....(she is a bit of a crazy driver! LOL)
Sarah and the girls put on makeup and painted toenails....this is Sarah painting Rachel's
And yes, Noah had to get in on the action too!

This is how I first discovered they were playing in makeup....they were doing it so quietly, and looked so cute and grown up!


This is Samantha

my elementary school...

Most of you know that I spent most of my life growing up in Monticello. But, I lived in Little Rock for 3 yrs as a baby, and then from the age of 3-9 yrs in North Little Rock. Last weekend, Clay and I had a wedding at Fellowship Bible North, in North Little Rock. Clay googled the directions, and as we pulled into the drive, I said, "hey, this is where my old school is!" I have been by it a few times in the past years, but I never noticed the church was beside it. So, while I was outside taking pics of the church, I snapped a pic of my old school. I started here in Kindergarten, and attended to the middle of 4th grade. I have a lot of memories here, but one of the biggest memories I have, is the 4th-6th grade classes did not have air conditioning! I can remember sitting there with water at our desk, fanning away, and being so miserable. I just think about this time of year, and how bad it would be for the poor kids to try to concentrate on learning in this heat! WOW!

I should have taken a picture of the swings on this playground. They were so cool, and I can remember the race to see who got there first every recess. Those old metal swings, are still there! They had handles and you would pull the handles in, and that would make the swing go. I think they may have some similar at the Bradley County park. Anyway, I can remember how much fun they were, and also a few kids getting knocked out by them..don't you know that hurt!

On another note, when I was working at the nursing home, I was visiting with one of my favorite residents there, and we got to sharing stories, and she told me that she used to live in NLR, and she worked at that school in the cafeteria, and I think she worked there around the time that I attended! I thought that was pretty cool!

more family pics....

This time taken by Noah, and I like these better than the ones I took, just wish he was in them!

Go to your room....

Unfortunately, this is something Rachel hears at least once a day. It is usually during the time that she should be taking a nap but doesn't so she is grouchy. One day, I told her to go take her nap. Leah came by later and said, "mom, you should see Rachel, she is laying in her stuffed animal bucket". So, I said go take a picture, and this is what Leah came back with.

Our hummingbird

My mother-in-law has created herself what I would call a bird garden on her back patio. It is just filled with flowers, statues and birdhouses. I need to take my camera over there sometime b/c it is such a beautiful sight with all the birds out there. All kinds of birds, and she has taught my kids to identify a lot of the birds, and I love that! So, when we moved, they wanted that at our house. Well, this is as far as I have gotten. 1 hummingbird feeder. With 1 hummingbird that will chase anyone else that tries to come up away. My next door neighbor told me yesterday that she sees them being chase right past her patio door!

Random pics....

I was just looking through our pics today, and came across these Clay took one day when he was playing around. I don't know what it is about this one of Rachel, but it is just so her. I think I may even blow this one up for the wall.

I just like this one b/c of the genuine twinkle expression Leah has. Oh, and you can see her dimples.

Love this pic!

The kids were outside playing in our sprinkler yesterday. Our yard has been a MESS for awhile now, so when we got it cleaned up yesterday, they thought they had a new toy. I also have this storage bench that I keep all our beach stuff in that I moved back there yesterday. So, they were digging in it. I looked outside, and this is how the girls looked....so I ran outside to grab a picture....and it so, CRACKS ME UP!

Noah was excited to have our next door neighbor come over to play too. This boy is so cute, and has the most infectious laugh I have ever heard!

Our 1st Day of school

Our first day of school went really well today. We got all our work done this morning, and then thought it would be fun to go swim while everyone else was still in school. We were the only people at the pool, so I actually joined the kids and swam too. We were very productive today, and after devoting full attention to my kids ALL day long today, and keeping my day structured and on task, I am exhausted! I usually jump from one task to the next all day, and spend a lot of time on the computer working...and blogging. Ha Ha It really is a challenge for me to stay focused all day!

Daddy cooked us cinnamon biscuits for breakfast....yummy!

Noah and Leah....1st day of school! (in the doorway of the classroom, AKA dining room/kitchen table!)
Noah concentrating hard on his reading
Rachel, actually cooperating very well and working with her letters instead of disrupting us! I am very proud of her, even if she did ignore the 3 times I asked her to put on clothes!
Taking a deserved break. I told them if they did their work well, I would let them fill the Barbie pool up with water and play...I always wanted to do this as a kid!
Off to the pool....

Rachel....in Time Out...as usual

1st day of school......

So, I am up late, and it is officially already the first day of school. All day long, all I have thought about is, I am so glad they will still be home with me tomorrow! As nervous as I felt the day I decided not to register them for school, I feel total peace about it now. Sure, I am a little nervous, I am responsible for my children's education! WOW, ME! But, I do know I can do it, and I am very excited about it!

We had a wedding this weekend, and we went to pick the kids up today from Monticello, and by the time we visited with family and got back home, it was almost 9 pm. All I could say all weekend long, and especially today was, I am SO GLAD the kids are not starting school tomorrow! I knew I made the right decision. This is the best lifestlye for our family.

Tonight I was reading Noah a book he picked from the library about rocks and minerals. I tried to talk him into waiting until tomorrow to read it during school time, but he wanted to start it tonight. Just in the first 2 pages, he was so fascinated...just about rocks, and all the things they make out of them. And I was too...I had no idea, or maybe just never thought about it. So, we were both excited to be learning something new, and that is such an awesome thing, to get to learn with, and teach my children.

As much as I have struggled with so many things in the past months, I have felt more peace in the last couple of weeks, than I can remember feeling in so long. I give all the praise to God. It is such an awesome feeling to finally let myself feel happy about my life. I guess I had to reach an absolute lowpoint, (and I definately did) for me to truly appreciate the happy feelings I have now.

Us!

While I had the backdrop set up Sunday afternoon, Noah suggested that we all get "dressed up" and take a family picture. So...we did! He picked out his shirt, and mine and Clay's, and then the girl's picked out their own outfit. Amazingly, we all somewhat match! Now, us girls all kinda have wild hair, and Noah too b/c he decided to gel it, but we had fun!

This one just cracks me out the way Noah and Leah are bugging their eyes out!

Rachel looking at me...cracks me up!
This one is probaby my favorite, even though Noah isn't smiling.
Noah asked for us to please do one for him with just us.

So...this one was suppose to just be Clay and Leah.
This one was suppose to be just Clay and Noah. And where is the one of Clay and Rachel?? She wouldn't get in the picture! Crazy girl!

I took these just playing around with my lighting earlier in the day.

He looks so old to me in this picture! I ended up cutting all his hair off the next day.

Drawing

I am proudly showing off Noah's drawing. About 9:00 the other night, he was in his room with the door shut. He got mad when I opened the door and peaked in at him...later, I checked on him again, and he had drawn this. Can you tell what it is of? I have posted a pic of the poster he was looking at when he drew it. This is the most detailed drawing he has ever done, so I am so proud, and we were all amazed at the good job that he did!

And this is a drawing of.....ME! By Rachel! I love it!

Portrait session at my house...

So I won't be accused of lying when I say I don't do portraits anymore, I am posting this on my personal blog. Some friends of ours that we knew back in the Warren days now live in Little Rock.....(well are actually moving to Maumelle very close to us), came over Sunday afternoon so I could take pictures of this cute fellow! I did maternity pics, and newborn pics for them, and love to see how Braiden has grown! This is one loved little man! I always love working with them....and special thanks to my little assistant Noah whow was standing behind me trying to get him to smile!