We had to go visit with Santa yesterday - Ladybug asked him to help Pop feel better, and bring a few toys to our house.... God bless her.

Time for joy, time for cheer

Well people, here we are .
The Lady bug is counting down the days every morning - marking them off the Hello Kitty calendar in the kitchen. [ she is really a week ahead, but don't tell her just now] She is more than fired UP about this Christmas - being five years old is the best thing, ever.
The Monkey is being so sweet. He keeps researching Pop's illness , and reporting to us each time he finds something . God bless him. He is such a precious child.
The man is hanging in there - kind of hard to get excited about a holiday when your father is ill.

We were discussing Luke's version of the birth of Jesus in Sunday School today, and another person in the room said " I have given it a lot of thought , and I just have to say this - it was only children who saw the Angels and witnessed the birth of Jesus - all the men were away, being taxed." Now, I am not a theologian, but it has never , ever occurred to me to question any part of this story. I am good with it, right out of my King James. Why would anyone feel the need to question it? It happened, people !

The last thing I have to say is this - at Christmas time, I have always felt a bit sorry for people with 20/20 vision - I think a tree is so beautiful when you take off your specs and look at it all fuzzy. Rupert Holmes wrote a song about it, back in the 80's - 'Nearsighted' , I do believe.
and on that note, I will send my warmest Christmas wishes to all of you out there. Be sweet!

Third day in - Thankful , Thankful, Thankful!

     Oh, the wonder of it all!
Here we are on the third day of a nine-day holiday ! We are living the dream here, people - I am folding the largest pile of laundry in a tri-county area, the man is mowing up the leaves in the front yard, the ladybug has on her 'fifties' outfit and singing up and down the hall, and the monkey just got around to waking up. Nothing like an eighth grader - he wakes, says good morning, asks for breakfast, cranks the heat up, and gets back in the bed. Love. Him.


     We are headed on a journey this week - as long as the weather does not stop us. The man has made our travel plans, and we are going along for the good time. I hate that we will miss our lovely school in the playoffs Friday , but I am sure they will do their very best.

     Today we will be making the traditional pasta necklaces, which I am sure our founding fathers wore. I will , of course, post pictures.


    

six weeks down! 30 left!!

This semester is going at a fast pace , already ! Cannot believe we have already been in school for six whole weeks! The ladybug is loving school, her teacher, her friends, and that bus ride over to the high school every afternoon. I hope she keeps on loving school for a l-o-n-g time!
The monkey is having a good semester, too . He is too cool to show his emotions, of course.
We are already planning our holiday vacations, and our summer trip to Europe - who wants to join us?!

We ran in to this sweet face at the grocery this week. We are SO fortunate to have a family from our travel group living so close to us. I love that these two get to grow up together!

Here we go , again!

This. Who can believe this just happened?! Where did that sweet and little baby go? Oh, I just don't know what to think. She rides a bus to the high school every afternoon - always smiling when she struts off , too. So much charm . I don't know what we did before her.
And then there is the monkey - oh my goodness. Eighth grade?!

I have to say, I honestly give thanks to God each and every day for these two beautiful children.

One more for the road

The MYF group will be leaving tonight for a back-to-school road trip. Big fun! Atlanta! The man and I spent the first two years of our married life there ..... and that was for ever ago. So, I helped the monkey pack, I picked out clothes for the ladybug, and all I have left to do is pack my own clothing. I am sure we will have many fun adventures on this trip! I just hope we all make it back to our town next week!

What Color Are You?

What Color Are You?

Rest In Peace, M G

Our group from our 2012 Spring Break trip to Europe. Just felt like posting it, because Mary Gardiner is in it. She was so silly. And dorky. And unashamed . She will be missed.

School's out , for summer!!!

Oh, what a great week ahead! The monkey is still playing ball, and has made the All-Star team ! We are looking forward to the tournament later this summer. He will also be turning 13 this friday, and has still not told us how he wants to celebrate . [ no, he is not having a Hello Kitty or Barbie party, even though someone keeps asking him to]

The ladybug will have her school musical Tuesday morning. The man and I will be going to it, and we are looking forward to it. We have not been able to attend much at her school this year , and it will be fun.

Our exams are this Monday and Tuesday , and we will just have to go to three days of workshops the next week. Then ----- we will have some big time family fun !!! I am working on my list of summer goals, and will post them next week. Until then, stay cool !

Sixteen days, you say?!?!

Oh my word - sixteen days of school left ! That. Is. All. This year has flown by. In less than a month, my sweet little monkey will be thirteen. Who would believe that? Even now, I still see that tiny little boy sitting on that table in the orphanage. He is so precious.And a little silly.

I've been waiting for a girl like you

What a weekend!
The ladybug had her birthday party yesterday - oh my word. She has planned the themes for her parties until she is 26 - and this was the year of the "Hello Kitty" party. I was happy. [ Did you know I have been collecting Hello Kitty since around 1978? True story !]
So , I decided to just let the girl tell me what she wanted to do at her party this year - I thought it would make it even more special . She wanted
1. "pony on the tail" [ instead of the usual 'pin the tail on the donkey' , I made it 'pin the bow on Kitty' 2. a craft - I painted beads white and drew Kitty's face on them - we made bracelets and necklaces
3. Hello Kitty twister - and they LOVED that one !
4. coloring - one table had each child an HK coloring book, plus one of my HK lunch boxes full of crayons
5. bingo - this is the one that got me. I made an HK bingo set, and it was so cute. Ladybug walked up to me while I was making it last week, and asked what it was. I explained that it was the bingo she wanted, and she proceeded to inform me that 'bingo' is small pillows filled beans, and you throw them. Uh , yeah. I think that would be 'bean - go '

She picked the foods. She helped me fill the goody bags - rings, candy, bubbles, and I made each child a felt Kitty doll. That would be 40 of them. She helped me with the decorations . She really really wanted those pointy party hats . I have to say , I think she had the best time, ever. Our church family has been so wonderful to her - everyone at the Wednesday night service sat and listened to her tell her party plans, then sang to her. She was grinning all evening.
I honestly do not know if any one else had a good time, but I do know that my sweet baby did.

Today was just as special - the monkey had confirmation. There were 8 children in the group, and they were all so sweet . I am so proud of that sweet boy. He is amazing.
And that was our weekend. I am exhausted.

Sunday, Sunday

Would you like to know how much fun it is to have two ill children in one house? Gotta love the stomach bug. The monkey is laying low - won't eat, won't do much. The ladybug is still up and running, but she just stops everything and runs to the bathroom every now and then. So far, the man and I are safe. I went to church alone this morning, and I tried really hard not to breathe on anyone else. This was the PERFECT way to spend our Spring Break Stay-cation.  Perfect. I am very thankful that the man and I did not take a trip this year . It would have been awful leaving two sickly sweeties.

I am sure there will be great times this week - and I am sure I will be posting them on here. Until then, there is laundry to fold and hot tea to drink...... and a few art projects to finish. Have a good evening!

two more days - the end is near!

Only two more days of school before spring break?! How exciting is that? At our faculty meeting today, we were given freshly baked cookies ---- oh, the joy.
And that's about all I have today !

lovely weather we're having

Cold.
Oh my word, it is cold.
We are one week away from Spring Break, and it is utterly freezing . The ladybug and I are working away at her birthday party decorations, gifts, and invitations. [ or , as she calls them , "tumations"]
We have made our list more than once, and she STILL keeps inviting every waitress, waiter, salesperson, bus driver, passer-by, and every one else whom she thinks is deserving of a 'tumation' to her party. Good times. It would be quite the scene if every one of these people she has invited actually showed up. Today at church, she invited an elderly lady, simply because the lady complemented the pink dress Ladybug had on. Bless it.
We are looking forward to our first Spring Break at home in years. We have made waaaay too many plans to actually accomplish, but that is beside the point. Sleeping in ! Pajama days ! No bed times !
Who wants to come hang out with us?!?!
Now the Grandparents have asked to take the monkey to Nashville, for some S E C games. Wow. Even more exciting for every one !
Have a great week - take a break !

don't it make my brown eyes blue

So we went to the Chinese New Year Party this past Saturday. Ladybug was really looking forward to it. We walked in along with a family from our orphanage group. Very exciting for the girls. We had a nice lunch, and it was time for the Dragon parade. Ladybug and her sweet friend got in line behind a few girls who were slightly older. Just a little older. Maybe two years. I was snapping photos and using my phone to tape the parade, and the sweet scene between Ladybug and the others. Then , I saw it. One of the older girls in front of her [ that we have known since she came to America] turned and said something really ugly to my baby. I saw the hurt in my baby's eyes. I would have given anything in the world to have saved her from that. She did the best she could - she walked through one lap of the dragon parade, and then she stopped, looked at me, and put her sweet little hands up to her sweet little eyes. I ran, picked her up, and held her very, very close to my heart.

So , why is it that little girls have to say ugly things? I know it isn't just little girls that do it - I teach High School, and I see it in older girls as well as teachers. It happens. I get it. But I sure hate that it has already happened to my baby. My four year old.

I am catching on that 'developing a more forgiving heart' is going to be my lenten focus this year , and I am okay with that.

Again and Again

Well, I just don't know why we have not updated this blog in so long - guess we have been extra busy with school, holidays, decorations [ and putting them up is STILL more fun than taking them down.]

At any rate, my dear friend Leigh Anne sent us a box of Christmas-ish gifts, and in the box was a flash drive containing photos from our trip to Italy in 2011. It was a wonderful experience, and I have loved looking at all these pictures. What I did not love so much was looking at the size of my backside in some of these photographs! At least I know I have lost some weight since then. Thank goodness!
Second semester is humming right along - we are all settled in , and looking forward to some good times. This will be the first year we have not gone out of the country in quite some time, but that is not such a bad thing, really.  Plenty of fun to be had in our wonderful country.
Today I was helping a student write her own 'declaration of Independence' and I was reminded just how fortunate we are to live where we do. By the time we finished the paper, several students had joined us, and they agreed that America is quite a wonderful place, really.  Made for a great day.

I am looking forward to getting to sing "Again and Again" during the early service next week - Sherry is preaching, and asked me to sing that, along with "Bless the Lord, oh my soul" - I have been singing it in my classroom , to prepare. [ in case you hear something coming out of the art building, it's just me]