tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40408906948528214562024-03-05T05:23:24.497-08:00In Layman's TermsSheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-8130159488724935452013-10-06T20:26:00.001-07:002013-10-06T20:26:50.631-07:00Better Late Than NeverTomorrow starts week 7 of the school year and I spent a big part of today looking at my reading textbook and trying to figure out how it all works. We use Reading Street by Pearson and I gotta say, I think I like it!<div><br></div><div>I've been using different stories and bits and pieces while trying to follow our district curriculum and I've had to create a lot of my own materials and search for things online to fit it all together. It's kind of like forcing a square peg into a round hole.</div><div><br></div><div>Well, I've already covered all of the objectives for the first benchmark, and I've still got two weeks to go. So I kind of felt like I had a bit of freedom to do what I want to review before the test.</div><div><br></div><div>Well, I discovered this little link on the Pearson website called Teacher Resources. You can probably guess why this post is titled better late than never! Yes, I just today discovered the teacher resources. Let me tell you, a whole bunch of treasures fell out! Haha!</div><div><br></div><div>To make a long story short, I think I have a decent grasp on how this is all designed to work, and I've decided to be a bit of a rebel and abandon the so called curriculum our district has provided and try out a week using the book our state spent a fortune to provide for us. I'm going to try to use a chapter in the book as designed, as closely as I can, because I want to see how it all works. </div><div><br></div><div>This could be a disaster, jumping in like I am, or it could be exactly the stress relief I have been looking for... No more searching and creating anymore. Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to use the amazing resources provided, and it just might work beautifully!</div><div><br></div><div>Stay tuned. I'll let you know how it goes...</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-85797398037037938612013-10-01T15:38:00.001-07:002013-10-01T15:43:58.086-07:00My Time IssueThere are never enough hours in the day. And if there were, I don't know if I could get enough caffeine in my system to make the most of them!<div><br></div><div>Today at school, we learned about a really neat (really expensive, I'm sure!) resource called LLI. I can't even remember what that stands for! Leveled Something-that-starts-with-an-L Intervention. (I just remembered! Leveled Literacy Intervention) It's basically guided reading lessons for below grade reading groups. It's really cool and comprehensive and teacher friendly. I have seven kids in my class of thirty reading below grade level. I am supposed to be reading with them every single day. Sounds perfect, right? It would be, if I had the time to use it!</div><div><br></div><div>I basically have an hour and a half block of time for Reading/Language Arts. I spoke to our reading specialist and asked her how we could fit this into our day. She said, ideally, you'd have a two and a half hour block for Reading/Language Arts. I'm missing an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>So I have a choice. I can do guided reading groups and get/keep my kids reading on grade level, or I can teach them the learning goals they will be tested on throughout the year on benchmarks and in April on our state test. </div><div><br></div><div>The best compromise I can see is teaching them the tested curriculum and try to fit in reading with my kids one on one, hopefully once a week.</div><div><br></div><div>That's my current plan. Keep your fingers crossed, imaginary readers. Those LLI boxes will be sitting in a corner of my room collecting dust. Every once in a while, I shall glance longingly in their direction...</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-81742517176945330432013-09-23T18:00:00.001-07:002013-09-23T18:00:41.088-07:00HIMYMI'm about to meet Ted's baby momma!<div><br></div><div>That is all.</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-59257965602761322102013-09-22T15:43:00.001-07:002013-09-22T16:00:03.302-07:00ProductivityI've been busy today. After a lazy, sick in bed day yesterday, I really had to kick it into gear today. I worked all morning on school stuff. I found and printed worksheets. I made and printed notes pages. I printed and read over lesson plans and the spelling list. I organized it all, ready to go back to school tomorrow.<br />
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Throughout the day, I had the kids clean their rooms, the kitchen table, the dining room table, the easel area, and work on their laundry.</div>
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This afternoon, I went to Walmart and bought some things to help me organize my life. I cleaned out a couple of clutter spots and took the polish off my nails. I took meat out for dinner to thaw and I cleaned the kitchen.</div>
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I did not finish one single list. I still have papers to grade. I still have clutter spots. My nails have not been repainted. My laundry is not done. Theodore is still in his room not cleaning it. I had a whole list of things that I should have gotten at the store, but I only bought the few things that I wanted.</div>
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I have one hour to go before dinner is supposed to be on the table and we start our nighttime routine of dinner, dishes, baths, setting out tomorrow's school clothes, and getting to bed on time.</div>
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I worked hard today. The to do lists never end. Even so, I almost let myself feel like a failure because there is still much to do and not enough time to do it all. There is never enough time to do it all. Rather than focusing on all that did not get done, I am going to focus on all that did get done. I'm going to praise my children for being such good helpers and send them out to play a little longer. I am going to sit for a few minutes and enjoy my quiet house and then start dinner for my family. When my husband gets home from work, I'm going to listen to him tell me about his day instead of making a mental list of what I need to do tomorrow. I'm going to sit with him, hold his hand, and watch TV. I'm going to go to bed on time.</div>
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We were productive today.</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-44816986932988547412013-09-22T12:10:00.001-07:002013-09-22T12:10:30.068-07:00In which I talk about school incessantly...Since nobody reads my unknown little blog, and I'm okay with that, it's kind of like my online journal. I've been working on school work all morning long, so it's on my mind and I want to "say it out loud" to someone. This seems like the best place for it.<div><br></div><div>I teach third grade this year and I love it! But being at a new school in a new grade, there is a lot of work to be done. I like to think that all the work I am putting in this year will make everything a lot easier next year. I will beg and plead (and refuse to move, if it comes down to it) to stay in third grade forever. I know my principal likes to change things up, but that is not a worry I need to focus on in September! So I am working very hard these days just knowing this will all pay off in the long run.</div><div><br></div><div>Let me lay out my system for you, dear imaginary readers. I teach third grade language arts and social studies. My partner teacher teaches math and science. This year, we are team teaching. We have classrooms that have a "curtain wall" dividing them. We've open up the curtain and mixed up our classes. Basically, we have thirty kids and two teachers in a self contained environment. Only I am still only responsible for language arts and social studies and she is responsible for math and science. We just take turns teaching and supporting each other. So far, it works beautifully. We've been doing it for two weeks and we've pretty much ironed out all the kinks.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, here is my plan for teaching. Each week, I choose a reading strategy, a grammar skill, and a story from our reading book. </div><div><br></div><div>Monday is word study day. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I give the spelling pretest and then the list of vocabulary words. My students look the words up in the glossary and record them in their personal dictionary. Then they listen to and follow along with the story on audiobook. (Different spelling activities are assigned for homework each night.)</span></div><div><br></div><div>Tuesday is reading strategy day. I have a prepared half sheets of notes about the chosen strategy. These are the things that are tested on district benchmarks throughout the year and the state test in April. We've already covered summary, inferences, and character relationships. This week we are doing locate facts and details. So I introduce the strategy, they glue the notes into the reading section of their reader/writer notebook, and we do a crafty/hands on/fun activity to apply the skill. This is usually a foldable or graphic organizer or the like. They read the story again with their table groups then we do the application activity.</div><div><br></div><div>Wednesday is Critical Thinking Questions day. They read the story independently, then answer the 5 critical thinking questions from the book after their story. These are also done in the reading section of their reader/writer notebooks.</div><div><br></div><div>Thursday is Writer's Workshop day. I have a prepared notes page for the weekly grammar lesson. We've done singular and plural nouns and we are doing common and proper nouns this week. I introduce the topic then we brainstorm and make a class T chart/poster. They glue their notes into the writing section of their reader/writer notebook and then write a story on a given topic that relates back to the story of the week. This week it's about things we collect. Then, they use two colored pencils to search for and underline their common and proper nouns. Later it may be verbs, adjectives, compound sentences, whatever. They are applying the grammar lesson to their own writing. Then I have a worksheet to complete on the topic.</div><div><br></div><div>Friday is Poetry day. We do our Spelling Test. Then we read a poem. I have been searching online for various poems that go along with our weekly story. We read it as a class and discuss the poem. Then they glue that in the reading section of their reader writer notebook, write two sentences, making a text to self and a text to text connection, then they illustrate their poem.</div><div><br></div><div>Whew! I also have two or three social studies lessons during the week. We take turns teaching science and social studies. Luckily, another teacher on my team plans those. We also have a set time for a read aloud and independent silent reading each day. That's a school wide initiative. We also spend fifteen minutes at the end of each day writing in our reflection journals. Basically, writing about what they learned each day. That's also a school wide initiative.</div><div><br></div><div>Stations is the last thing we are working the kinks out of. We are trying to set aside about forty-five minutes in the afternoon for stations. The current plan is to have eight stations. Two Language Arts (one independent/hands on activity and one reading with the teacher), two math stations (again one independent/hands on and one with the teacher), one science, one social studies, and two computer stations. Since we have combined our classes, we have 8 student computers. The plan is for the kids to do two stations a day and get through all eight stations in four days. Friday's station time will be spent on Ketchup and Pickle Time.</div><div><br></div><div>Today, I made a list of all the things I need to do to prepare for the upcoming week each week. Since I am determined to follow this weekly routine, my prep work should also become routine. Then I made it cute and printed it on card stock, of course. I broke the list down by day, Friday, the weekend, and Monday. So far, it made things feel less overwhelming and I should be pretty well prepared for the week.</div><div><br></div><div>Well, that's all my current thoughts on school. I still have papers to grade and a quick trip to Walmart to do. I need pretty plastic folders and another bowl for taking my lunches. Plus laundry to work on, finger nails to paint, a movie to watch, and dinner to cook. I better get going!</div><div><br></div><div>Until next time...</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-86699510577647937202013-09-22T06:24:00.001-07:002013-09-22T15:44:23.530-07:00Good MorningI wake up this morning to the sounds of Charlotte and Theodore fighting. Loudly. So, without even getting out of bed, I call out, "Go to your own rooms! Go back to bed! It's too early!" It gets quiet. I snuggle back down into my pillow, proud of myself for how easily that worked. I close my eyes to drift off back to sleep... Then a sound jolts me. My eyes snap open. It's Charlotte's TV. And it's loud. I smile to myself, roll out of bed, and head to the coffee pot. At least they aren't fighting now. Let's get this day started, I guess.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-82718598762626184222013-09-21T18:32:00.001-07:002013-09-22T06:27:38.831-07:00Gone Mobile...I am so high tech that I am updating my blog from my phone. How cool is that? I know. People have probably been doing this for years, but it's brand new for me! Maybe now I will be able to keep up with it better! Maybe.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-89195231073691618642013-09-21T14:19:00.000-07:002013-09-22T16:16:35.336-07:00Things I LoveI don't love just everything, so you really should take this list seriously.<br />
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1. Southern Sweet Tea for my Keurig. It really is perfect.<br />
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2. My brown boyfriend cardigan from Target. It's so soft and comfy that I have even slept in it. In fact, I am wearing it now.<br />
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3. Iced coffee. When I want a treat, I go for an iced vanilla latte from Starbucks. When it's a regular day, I make my own. Caramel Vanilla Creme coffee (again from my Keurig) with french vanilla creamer, poured over ice in my favorite insulated cup. You can't beat it.<br />
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4. My insulated cup. It's just a cheap $5 cup from the Wal-mart, the plastic kind with the screw on lid and a straw. But mine has pretty pink flowers on it and that makes it special.<br />
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5. NYC New York Color Smooth Skin Perfecting Primer. It's like a clear foundation/lotion that I bought at Walgreens. It didn't cost a lot, but it really does smooth out my skin and makes my foundation go on nicely and stay on all day long!<br />
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6. My iPhone. It's my first ever iPhone, it's a 5 and I just installed the new iOS 7 software. It's neat. Don't delay. Get the upgraded software.<br />
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7. My bed. It's rather new. I've only had it for about 6 months. I had never had a pillow top mattress before, and I highly recommend one. I've never slept better. Also, my fluffy pillows from IKEA. They are inexpensive and keep their fluff, despite the fact that your whole head sinks down into them. It's like a little slice of heaven.<br />
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8. Woody Allen movies. I'm a big fan. When I am having a lazy day at home, they are my new go to. I've nearly run out of choices on Netflix, but my birthday is coming up. I think I know <strike>what I am getting myself</strike> what my husband will be surprising me with. There has got to be a nice boxed set out there on the Internet.<br />
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I really wanted to come up with 2 more things so I would have a nice list of 10. But like I said, I don't love just everything. Maybe I can think up 2 more things later. Stay tuned.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-32099126873514576352013-09-21T13:09:00.000-07:002013-09-22T06:37:14.455-07:00Popping in to say hello...Hi friends, <br>
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It's been a while and I've decided not to promise anymore when my next post will be. I read a friend's blog this morning and it inspired me to write a new post. It's been so long, I thought I'd just give a quick update.<br>
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So after I changed my blog colors and edited my layout a bit, I figured it was time to get to the actual post.<br>
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I'll start with the children. They are all in school now. Alfred is 11 and in 6th grade. Middle school is a whole new world for us all. We updated his bedroom over the summer, because a dinosaur comforter is cool when you're 4, but not when you're 11. It was a whole room makeover with new paint, curtains, furniture, TV, all of it. He is still playing baseball, but it's the off season now, so he's decided to try the drama club at school. Because that is just what we need. More drama! Haha! He is adjusting well to his new school, making new friends, and is even experiencing his first crush! He's really growing up into an amazing young man.<br>
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Oliver is 9 and in 4th grade. His class is self contained again this year, and I love that. His teacher wrote a note last week that he is "on fire." I love that too. School, while he is good at it, has never really been his thing, so I'm glad he's off to a good start and has a teacher who likes him and he gets to have her all day long. He's looking forward to the running club starting up again, and has decided to try out for Destination Imagination team. I'm not sure what all that entails, but he's excited about it, so I am too.<br>
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Charlotte is 7 and in 2nd grade. She still loves school, piano, jewelry, make-up, and her bunny. She is such a sweet girly girl and I am really looking forward to our girl weekends coming up. Deer season is just around the corner! She's been taking piano lessons for a little over a year now and seems to be a natural at it. Since she wants to grow up to be a music teacher by day and a rising star by night, she's off to a good start, I think!<br>
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Theodore is 5 and in kindergarten. I had mixed emotions about this. He's my baby and he's in school now. On one hand, I want to keep him a baby forever, at home where he belongs. On the other hand, he is so smart and ready to learn all the things school can teach him and I can't. He's loving it, even though he gets in trouble more often than I'd like. I have to remind myself that he is growing and changing, and in time and with patience, he will adjust. I just hope he isn't driving his teacher crazy too much! He hasn't joined any clubs or activities yet, but remember, he's just 5. I am trying to keep him little for just a bit longer.<br>
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Then there is Robert. He is still on patrol in his favorite part of the county. He is still loving his job that he is so good at. Some days are stressful, busy, and long, but I know he'd never want to do anything else. My dad has pretty much given him the opportunity to manage their beloved deer lease and he has big plans for it and is very much looking forward to the new hunting season. We're still a good team and are trying to put more effort into spending more time alone together, now that the children are a bit more independent. I'm loving that the most! Hopefully, I will have the attention span to blog about our revived date nights! Plus, I just have to throw in there that he bought me flowers last week for no reason. I nearly cried. They are beautiful sitting proudly on my kitchen table. It's the little things. <3<br>
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And then there is me. I've finally gotten a new job. I am teaching 3rd grade and loving it! I have a partner teacher who I really click with and we've been team teaching; that is, teaching both of our classes together much like a self contained class, only with 30 kids and 2 teachers. It's working out great and everyone at my new school seems to really like, value, and appreciate me. That's taking some getting used to. Coming off of more bad experiences than I care to remember, this change has been really good for me and I am thankful every day for it!<br>
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So, that is us for now. To whomever might actually read this, I hope you too are doing well, and maybe if you happen back by the blog, there will be more new posts before another year goes by!<br>
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Until then...Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-82088034955175197272012-05-19T06:50:00.000-07:002012-05-19T06:58:59.836-07:00Remember Me?Wow. It's been a while. Not exactly a whole year. But definitely a whole school year! This school year has been a roller coaster for me. But all that is drawing to a close in 2 short weeks and then we get the best time of the year. Summer. The light at the end of the tunnel is certainly growing brighter. I learned this week that I will have pretty much the same teaching position next year as I did this year. I was not exactly thrilled with this news, but I have all summer to come to terms with it. This year has been a huge learning experience, so at least I can start back in August knowing what to expect. I have a plan in mind and a few things I want to work on over the summer. But that's enough about my job. It takes up too much of my thoughts and conversations lately and quite frankly, I am tired of the topic.<br />
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A much better topic is my family!</div>
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Alfred is finishing up fourth grade. I can't believe how fast this is going by. I remember the days when he was an only child. That was a short 16 months. Days filled with play dates and Kindermusik, a pile of baby toys in the living room floor and lots of snuggling. Now he is nine years old. I had to buy him a new shirt for a school project this week and I had to go to the men's section. Really? My biggest boy now wears a men's size shirt. He will be playing baseball again this summer. Baseball is his passion. He is doing kid pitch for the first time and he is a little nervous about it. But I know he will do great. He is a natural. It will be hot, sweaty, and a lot of fun. I hope I have the attention span to blog about it.<br />
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Oliver is finishing up second grade. I think the only plan this boy has for summer is playing video games and riding his scooter with his friend who lives down the street. Oh and checkers. Lots and lots of checkers. He is really good and beats me every time. Oliver is still crazy about Star Wars and Big Time Rush. I can't believe how much he has grown. Taller only. He is still a skinny little bean pole. I know he is excited about the upcoming summer, mostly because he will be free of homework for about 3 months! Let me tell you, he is not the only one. </div>
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Charlotte, my sweet girl, is almost done with Kindergarten. She went from a sweet baby girl to a sweet big girl in such a short time. I look back over the year and she amazes me. My smart girl reads like a first grader, loves to write stories, and has probably given me every detail of each school day throughout the year. She loves her teacher almost as much as she loves me, and this year has been so much fun for us both. She has become quite the social butterfly and loves to spend her weekends playing outside with all of her little friends who live on our street. I am so thankful we chose this neighborhood when we moved. It was still pretty empty when we moved in two and half years ago, and now there are kids everywhere! Charlotte has a date with a boy who lives down the street today. She just brought in one of her church dresses and asked if she can wear in on her date. She has also requested a hair cut and a special hair do. Braids. Oh my. This should be fun!</div>
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Theodore is four now. Four. (Mostly) Gone are the days of the terrible twos. Four is such a delightful age. We still get one more year with him as a preschooler before he joins the ranks of big kid school. I try to soak up all of his sweet little cuteness every day. Four year olds say the funniest things. He is still wishing me Happy Mother's Day, and I am happily taking all of his special Mother's Day hugs and kisses. He is crazy about the Avengers, especially Crushing Man, aka Hulk. He is a whiz on the computer. He is practically reading already. I guess that comes from having a houseful of readers to look up to. I am pretty sure he will ride a two wheeler bike before his big brother, Oliver does. He also has glasses now. I laugh now, thinking how we dreaded getting him glasses, afraid I would be making daily trips to the store to have them repaired. I guess it is another sign his toddler days are behind us. He is a very responsible glasses wearer and takes very good care of them.</div>
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Last, but certainly not least. The handsome hubby. He is back in his favorite district in the county. Back on the day shift. All is right in his world. He is good at his job and he takes it seriously. I do not love how often he ends up working late, but I do love to hear his stories about work and see the sparkle in his eye as he tells me about a job he loves. He takes such good care of me and the children and I am thankful everyday that he is mine.</div>
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So that is the update on the family. Hopefully, I will be back again before another nine months goes by to fill you in on the goings on around here along with whatever random thoughts cross my mind.</div>
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Until then...</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-7094420059260783602011-07-24T21:59:00.000-07:002011-07-24T22:04:18.717-07:00Charlotte's PrayerCharlotte likes to say the prayer(s) before dinner every night. It goes a little something like this:<br />
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"God is good. God is great. Thank you for our food today. Amen.<br />
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Thank you God, for making the sun, the moon, and the stars. Thank you for making the seasons, like summer and spring and fall, and... Daddy what's the last one? And thank you for making winter. Thank you for making the clouds. Thank you for making the grass and the flowers. Thank you for making Mudder's Day and Fodder's Day. Thank you for making the buildings, well, most of the buildings. (???) Thank you for making Bunny. Thank you for making our dinner. Thank you for making our souls and our hearts, and our brains, and our bodies. Thank you for making Kindergarten. Thank you for making ankles. (???) Thank you for making Santa Claus and Christmas trees. Thank you for making Christmas and Easter and the Easter Bunny. Thank you for making the beach called Galveston. Thank you for making books and songs. Thank you for making my family, Momma and Daddy and Theodore and Alfred and Oliver and Grampy and Spotty. Thank you for making Grammy and Uncle Michael and Aunt Angela and Steven and Michelle and Matthew. Thank you for making Lilly and Caitlin and Grace and Miss Becky and Miss Jill. Thank you for making TV. Thank you for making milk. In Your Name. Amen.<br />
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Little children here and there, little children everywhere. Thank you for our work and play. Thank you for our food today. Amen.<br />
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Thank you Father for our food and family. Amen."<br />
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Then we reheat our dinner in the microwave and eat.<br />
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I hope my girl always keeps her passion for prayer. I love her so very much.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-72764322975315829332011-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:002011-06-25T07:24:18.967-07:00Summer FunHi loyal bloggy friends! Remember me?<br />
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Wow. I can't believe 3 weeks of summer has flown by already. We have been busy having lots of fun every day. I could type out an incredibly long blog post telling you about it all, but... a picture is worth a thousand words right? Well, get ready. Here comes about twelve thousand words, in no particular order...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyTiMcVLAGesUIFkPmrsw7vM61usvPFLuSXTFNPsjJ2I_o21gSs2dEAO9SGgh-VimIYy8RO_gGINcyTzK-wEmAIRJfvXrJrPXjuPaLRMtDhvV8Ds2YleVbwxPA4_eCEoFAsVO_GlOwy-E/s1600/IMAG0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyTiMcVLAGesUIFkPmrsw7vM61usvPFLuSXTFNPsjJ2I_o21gSs2dEAO9SGgh-VimIYy8RO_gGINcyTzK-wEmAIRJfvXrJrPXjuPaLRMtDhvV8Ds2YleVbwxPA4_eCEoFAsVO_GlOwy-E/s320/IMAG0164.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alfred joined a baseball team for the first time in his baseball career. He is a proud member of the Bats. This probably makes this the greatest summer ever for him!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieChmjYljPdVYuL3zdryim1pzuanYCG6ViQpp40gaoGFG6X4hB3rHJgq8erfrI_KMrM4tOSp0e9dau5w7mEl5QoFiWIV4BbZMZoeRXgLg5XZbbHXdXiydqkTEF6uX6Fcb2ClDQJRrPSLA/s1600/IMAG0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieChmjYljPdVYuL3zdryim1pzuanYCG6ViQpp40gaoGFG6X4hB3rHJgq8erfrI_KMrM4tOSp0e9dau5w7mEl5QoFiWIV4BbZMZoeRXgLg5XZbbHXdXiydqkTEF6uX6Fcb2ClDQJRrPSLA/s320/IMAG0181.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The littles are crazy about going for walks. And for some reason, they always feel the need to pack a bag when we walk to the mailbox and back. I guess you never know when you are going to need some toys...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj2sMsukJTm9pVfNr7rYJYnJgN0WXi9w0dUGIJ6zwqdONyUdhwq0mJtm2FEWVLhOMnsn7sjnKf8j72LJ4-3yr3gi6DclV3c1dK_et4vJBbJ6yQ7hX3-N6qb0HpjwHhHZwD_MrEvDw1FYl/s1600/IMAG0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj2sMsukJTm9pVfNr7rYJYnJgN0WXi9w0dUGIJ6zwqdONyUdhwq0mJtm2FEWVLhOMnsn7sjnKf8j72LJ4-3yr3gi6DclV3c1dK_et4vJBbJ6yQ7hX3-N6qb0HpjwHhHZwD_MrEvDw1FYl/s320/IMAG0189.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This picture serves two purposes. We go to the movies every week for Summer Movie Clubhouse, as we do every summer. This summer, though, Theodore is potty training (actually, he is not even training anymore. He is trained!) and he finds it necessary to take a bug box full of underwear with him when we go. Again, you just never know, I guess...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD4XVIf-3timf_byMYHxfyDBNBfXVGVkCTXPOmBFvhZ9tay4rnZR4SGHlCW-8LWJm_cXxUo3GK5ASRoXHdS0cATMKgQwIRX15hBf9wshaOxR9yAuoAI7wTotPkjzorYYHVJRiq7kWc0g3/s1600/IMAG0194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD4XVIf-3timf_byMYHxfyDBNBfXVGVkCTXPOmBFvhZ9tay4rnZR4SGHlCW-8LWJm_cXxUo3GK5ASRoXHdS0cATMKgQwIRX15hBf9wshaOxR9yAuoAI7wTotPkjzorYYHVJRiq7kWc0g3/s320/IMAG0194.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On really hot days like this, we like to go to the pool with the bestie and her girls or the splash pad. Of which, I sadly have taken no pictures. I need to fix that...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnPtRSj8jTNFC5Q9j9vJHLk5kRSiHa1sCHjymRHz_0gyWqz4nOrI2PJR6WQHnm60NPxG8kgUoNttgKuCbNM2LWv32269tsIn1pjwWdghy03Ju9HLuXP0-E1aTrcKW7ab9PdoR9v5xHFay/s1600/IMAG0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnPtRSj8jTNFC5Q9j9vJHLk5kRSiHa1sCHjymRHz_0gyWqz4nOrI2PJR6WQHnm60NPxG8kgUoNttgKuCbNM2LWv32269tsIn1pjwWdghy03Ju9HLuXP0-E1aTrcKW7ab9PdoR9v5xHFay/s320/IMAG0197.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since we spend A LOT of our evenings at baseball practice or games, the other children find lots of fun ways to amuse themselves. We take sidewalk chalk to the games with us and Oliver, Charlotte, and Theodore play with the other kids there "watching" their older brothers play baseball. Charlotte has been obsessed with hopscotch since she played at her little besties' house a few weeks ago. She's getting pretty good at it too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyIaKYgWe4qPIJfIH93PeRCj8ETDgM9jTLLE-NdKgqMXkkd0B7BaOpMwUQRAeyrgpPUd44febzNR8ncg2nS1bdoDJkqbOmKfbQ7uDcx8O0rU1khEnXL-D9AyXsjQeTCvNpvzkaj7bNjNJ/s1600/IMAG0202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyIaKYgWe4qPIJfIH93PeRCj8ETDgM9jTLLE-NdKgqMXkkd0B7BaOpMwUQRAeyrgpPUd44febzNR8ncg2nS1bdoDJkqbOmKfbQ7uDcx8O0rU1khEnXL-D9AyXsjQeTCvNpvzkaj7bNjNJ/s320/IMAG0202.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of Charlotte's new favorite things to do is to put on singing and dancing shows or puppet shows for us. These are great fun for the whole family. She is definitely our little entertainer. I should make a movie of one of these!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC4l6oW1pGgb_zPN1uXEMOeD0HithUt1WQ1NhIPvdt49m9FUKJWdJKG4K4xV7VsKfDDCGXeK4QFywaxRXLUTaL21raWLeqGFZNx6axZenyd5DP7CGYk3WmcIoSYDKvhZA7JqPODvnjBLW/s1600/IMAG0203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC4l6oW1pGgb_zPN1uXEMOeD0HithUt1WQ1NhIPvdt49m9FUKJWdJKG4K4xV7VsKfDDCGXeK4QFywaxRXLUTaL21raWLeqGFZNx6axZenyd5DP7CGYk3WmcIoSYDKvhZA7JqPODvnjBLW/s320/IMAG0203.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bunny is worn out from all the summer fun, and is taking a little nap. Shhh...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO5SK9-snfr6DDFcbVCPRE_67yrRkQF2XgerKlIvq33mjrXQB7bTsEAEDPmRGFq12FgWOjYMV4dSZAfdmsLuUq8n61pBqPHGkS2agQKN4fOkfd1kSP2qAbD3HX07Qw4xSO4DxykAeujl7/s1600/IMAG0216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeO5SK9-snfr6DDFcbVCPRE_67yrRkQF2XgerKlIvq33mjrXQB7bTsEAEDPmRGFq12FgWOjYMV4dSZAfdmsLuUq8n61pBqPHGkS2agQKN4fOkfd1kSP2qAbD3HX07Qw4xSO4DxykAeujl7/s320/IMAG0216.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Father's Day was celebrated at the beach. (Again, no pictures at the beach.) The kids got Daddy an icecream maker and all the fixins for Father's Day. YUM! We love making homemade ice cream. Well, Daddy loves making it and we love eating it!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgAVZdqTbiWCoAb3_9O-X-pR6k-NNDavKiB6xY58eFzvsu0-zu7a4e5C5tCvBY6syl_4vovOvoiNPVsb94KgP1LQkCrLubvaxCZuXvcHfgN0NK2hjNs1mUPQX-WzvyuyD-4iA7s7sVJeK/s1600/IMAG0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgAVZdqTbiWCoAb3_9O-X-pR6k-NNDavKiB6xY58eFzvsu0-zu7a4e5C5tCvBY6syl_4vovOvoiNPVsb94KgP1LQkCrLubvaxCZuXvcHfgN0NK2hjNs1mUPQX-WzvyuyD-4iA7s7sVJeK/s320/IMAG0228.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The big boys spend hours creating scenes like this one with elaborate stories to tell about what is happening with "the guys." They are so imaginative. On this day, Oliver said, "He plotted his revenge for weeks..."</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda-6M52ea0IbqUnPuZ57KA04eCDuYF7EOwlqpiODeYXWIFwVlReVRBsW0t8n6f7zVUcrkKopTx0MFUlRvmMppKipGJrYHy5AcPvut1skx5G4BCREt9xX5DzAA7zV6hSgh1sNuhLZ0MZHf/s1600/IMAG0232%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgda-6M52ea0IbqUnPuZ57KA04eCDuYF7EOwlqpiODeYXWIFwVlReVRBsW0t8n6f7zVUcrkKopTx0MFUlRvmMppKipGJrYHy5AcPvut1skx5G4BCREt9xX5DzAA7zV6hSgh1sNuhLZ0MZHf/s320/IMAG0232%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We spend a couple of days each week at Bouncin Bears. This place is awesome. The kids run and jump and play, and I get to sit at a table and dole out water and snacks and read my books or chat with my best friend. I love Bouncin Bears!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvKHflSyS4d1H5K0BoKe68EITL37NFw0Y9SgiEnypvr2jYLE4jw8xptyw2K3zc-H74aQsHwC0aULjU_o-SYRio7BrEh5TiD5U8MX75MaXjHz-I_FUU3Rxa3zHklaPbD6maQ2UJS7U_pn4/s1600/P1040466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvKHflSyS4d1H5K0BoKe68EITL37NFw0Y9SgiEnypvr2jYLE4jw8xptyw2K3zc-H74aQsHwC0aULjU_o-SYRio7BrEh5TiD5U8MX75MaXjHz-I_FUU3Rxa3zHklaPbD6maQ2UJS7U_pn4/s320/P1040466.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Daddy took the big boys on a big fishing trip! They went on a big boat into the gulf and came home with two sharks and a black drum fish. Fish Feast at its finest. I am also proud to say, that depsite the 4 hour fishing trip, my boys did not come home with a sunburn! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks Daddy!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ikOtaQyI5wgwJZfr8wOI7B5Gs36cK3noiEioPDSdS4W_udAOcWd03vLFrZye4hwAz0Vodc2VZlTJbPuyK_owF2fOz-qgZKzOkD006CJjxusBzSTOAYuSADZyqjQ3IO1kcNiB8L4Ac5lR/s1600/IMAG0242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ikOtaQyI5wgwJZfr8wOI7B5Gs36cK3noiEioPDSdS4W_udAOcWd03vLFrZye4hwAz0Vodc2VZlTJbPuyK_owF2fOz-qgZKzOkD006CJjxusBzSTOAYuSADZyqjQ3IO1kcNiB8L4Ac5lR/s320/IMAG0242.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More playtime at home. See Jedi Theodore sporting his Buzz Lightyear Big Boy Underwears? Yessss!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that has been a sample of all the summer fun we've been having with the kids. I have also spent time reading (I highly recommend <u>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet</u> by Jamie Ford. It was delicious!) and watching Sex and the City. I had only ever seen a few episodes here and there, so I thought, with the lack of summer shows to watch, that it would be fun to start with episode one and watch all six seasons. I am about half way through season one and I am loving girly mindless TV! My bestie and I also decided that our sporatic coffee dates are now going to be a weekly event. I look forward to regularly scheduled girl talk sans kids!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My biggest news of the summer is our upcoming cruise! We celebrate 10 years of marriage in just a couple of weeks and we are setting sail for the first time ever! I can't wait for our big vacation. I will certainly have to blog about that... And remember to take lots of pictures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love summer.</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-35791846847985347882011-05-27T16:20:00.001-07:002011-05-27T16:20:47.719-07:00NeglectMy poor, neglected blog... That is all for now.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-89462219232654539812011-04-30T14:38:00.000-07:002011-04-30T14:38:08.058-07:00Book Club, Lone Star List, and Other Good ReadsAKA: "A post in which I talk about books incessently."<br />
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I am an avid reader and book lover. Lately, I have been binge reading. My reading ebbs and flows and I love when I get hooked on books. They are like dessert to me. Since I have been on this reading binge, I wanted to post about all of the delicious books that have consumed me over the past few months. I read a lot of young adult literature and working in a middle school, I have a virtually unending supply of books at my fingertips. I am also a friend of the library, and my favorite librarian and I have the same taste in books, so she is always recommending books to me that I love! It usually only takes me two or three days to devour a book, so this may not be a comprehensive list, but this post will include all the ones that stand out in my memory.<br />
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But first a bit about my new love; my book club:<br />
I have wanted to be a part of a book club for most of my adult life and a couple of months ago, I finally started one. It's as simple as book clubs get. We meet once a month at Barnes and Noble, and over coffee, we dish about the current book and then choose next month's book. And since we meet at the bookstore, we can go ahead and pick up our newly selected book. I have a special relationship with my books. I typically read library books, but there is something so special to me about owning my own books that have become a part of me. We have our second meeting today. I love my book club and the ladies who are a part of it. It's definitely a highlight of my month.<br />
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So without further adue, here are my latest reads, in no particular order...<br />
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The Gallagher Girl Books by <a href="http://allycarter.com/">Ally Carter</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuecPEP41sP_t0zpAB6yKO_u68-uuE85s8sZWY5dJ9aP7zXRP5pLVhyIKvk8rfAIOxPsTIk5Is8VbG83VG-srmR96MReeDS38gbraqzCh4PpqmV1MtqzwnDVK1KHO88O-Ct1UAnPhWq1Q-/s1600/ITYILY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuecPEP41sP_t0zpAB6yKO_u68-uuE85s8sZWY5dJ9aP7zXRP5pLVhyIKvk8rfAIOxPsTIk5Is8VbG83VG-srmR96MReeDS38gbraqzCh4PpqmV1MtqzwnDVK1KHO88O-Ct1UAnPhWq1Q-/s320/ITYILY.png" width="212px" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX5W_E5EU7VX6Ouz9-qiaielgAqfvyCUFR2eIkUEOcsyXdh_sz6T8gXCA2clIVaev7PsNpwc7hAkd2dlszsJtnd131A4r04p3GykqN08sOlQxxp3e8I_dFKK99kIQpoMDnPztPjhf8PJ7/s1600/Cross_My_Heart_CAT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX5W_E5EU7VX6Ouz9-qiaielgAqfvyCUFR2eIkUEOcsyXdh_sz6T8gXCA2clIVaev7PsNpwc7hAkd2dlszsJtnd131A4r04p3GykqN08sOlQxxp3e8I_dFKK99kIQpoMDnPztPjhf8PJ7/s320/Cross_My_Heart_CAT.png" width="196px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xr6qI08NDI4aoX_7SF6MNuOy8C391xmnglsGUZGOCd7Zek675SPyrtn8eEzhscCaEJ5KgRK_XPwkAerdtqwJ1gIA8wEhqU3e-3hW1MTEdXzyhs1kd8y3UZ7v7hActe-GJMr5Tfx47AAP/s1600/DJG_FINALcvr_CATALOG%252520copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xr6qI08NDI4aoX_7SF6MNuOy8C391xmnglsGUZGOCd7Zek675SPyrtn8eEzhscCaEJ5KgRK_XPwkAerdtqwJ1gIA8wEhqU3e-3hW1MTEdXzyhs1kd8y3UZ7v7hActe-GJMr5Tfx47AAP/s320/DJG_FINALcvr_CATALOG%252520copy.png" width="214px" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-cqOxY_8EJ6e_K2a5aqDO2rk4A6GsSo7Jta8KGNgw69vs7yf_Hm3hPUbHBI4ZMNjhsQFB4TX9zS0sKltEbufjjjc2CMn-a5doLY9ZoWI3PRikItJY35MdSJrzMY2SEDP48a73aCLgrNy/s1600/OTGSY_CVR_CATALOG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-cqOxY_8EJ6e_K2a5aqDO2rk4A6GsSo7Jta8KGNgw69vs7yf_Hm3hPUbHBI4ZMNjhsQFB4TX9zS0sKltEbufjjjc2CMn-a5doLY9ZoWI3PRikItJY35MdSJrzMY2SEDP48a73aCLgrNy/s320/OTGSY_CVR_CATALOG.png" width="215px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These were recommended to me by my librarian friend, Dawn. This is a series of books that started a few years ago. There will be six, when all is said and done. And there is a possibility that they will be made into a movie one of these days. In this teen chick lit series, the main character, Cammie, goes to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, which is a code name for an elite school... for spies. The first book begins at the start of Cammie's sophomore year in high school and the first semester of the much anticipated Covert Operations class. These books are adorable. Cammie and her three best friends, Bex, Liz, and Macey have wild adventures, try to understand boys, jet out on their own secret missions, and try to solve mysteries, like what really happened to Cammie's father? Is there really an all boys school for spies? Why were Cammie and Macey nearly kidnapped and who is really after whom? And why are boys such a mystery? All the while growing as friends, young women, and spies! I love the storytelling in these books. Cammie's voice is heartwarming, charming, clever and funny. The next book in the series comes out in January. It is definitely on my extended to read list.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Heist Society also by Ally Carter</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGEJ8L5Z_qE4Fvg8tHmJw3dKRL1xY_FFur6DJPN6rd8Qr1KuNpEu3NC1R4CjFepoXlkI8F3yEW4uUuCEq1lmc-Pz5Ve-V06vvFixq_PXnijVW0eqE0YzkbcjIpfJqHUcOWl5O0B61FexW/s1600/cover-heist-large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGEJ8L5Z_qE4Fvg8tHmJw3dKRL1xY_FFur6DJPN6rd8Qr1KuNpEu3NC1R4CjFepoXlkI8F3yEW4uUuCEq1lmc-Pz5Ve-V06vvFixq_PXnijVW0eqE0YzkbcjIpfJqHUcOWl5O0B61FexW/s320/cover-heist-large.png" width="219px" /></a></div><br />
I actually discovered The Gallagher Girl books after reading Heist Society. Heist Society is on the 2011 Lone Star List. The Lone Star List is a collection of books for middle school students chosen by librarians from around the state of Texas. These are the best of the best for the year. Most of my summer reading comes from the upcoming Lone Star List. This year I have gotten a head start. And I have not read one yet, that I haven't enjoyed. The main character in Heist Society is a girl by the name of Katarina Bishop. Kat comes from a long line of high society thieves. In Heist Society, Kat's father is accused of stealing a set of paintings from a very rich, very dangerous mobster. Kat believes her father when he says he is innocent of the crime. How could he be stealing from this man, when he was doing a job in France that same night? Kat and her friends set out to steal the paintings back, clear her father's name and set things right. Another teen girl adventure novel that had me hooked from the first page to the last. There is also a sequel to this one, Heist Society 2: Uncommon Criminals coming out in June. It's definitely on my to read list for the summer.<br />
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Forgive My Fins by <a href="http://www.teralynnchilds.com/">Tera Lynn Childs</a><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxQ-EqLi1PN8QWBet4LvYO8hyphenhyphenb-RHwAYNT-InTqE7HPWi2gLNuCEW-n4pyQuQvDh837Mtz1-kiXMcknMhWNAbvfZmGK4ioNK8xHC6GU_Nrsm1zDMAG89k8keBCq4M1j8bf6owdzbSykvM/s1600/Forgive+My+Fins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxQ-EqLi1PN8QWBet4LvYO8hyphenhyphenb-RHwAYNT-InTqE7HPWi2gLNuCEW-n4pyQuQvDh837Mtz1-kiXMcknMhWNAbvfZmGK4ioNK8xHC6GU_Nrsm1zDMAG89k8keBCq4M1j8bf6owdzbSykvM/s1600/Forgive+My+Fins.jpg" /></a>Also from the Lone Star List, Forgive My Fins is a cute teen love story with a twist. Lily Sanderson is also a mermaid princess. Half human, half mermaid to be exact. I wasn't sure about this one at first, it sounded a little too "Little Mermaid" for me, but when Dawn handed it to me and I gave her the "Are you kidding me?" look, she cried, "They are just like the rest of us, Sheila! Just... underwater." I knew I had to give it a chance. I am glad I did. In Forgive My Fins, the mermaid/human relationship is much more complex and so is Lily's life. She is tormented by her biker boy next door neighbor, and has a crush on the star of the swim team. And mermaids are not the casual dating type. When they "bond," it's for life. Lily soon finds herself with a tsunami sized delimma and a very short window of opportunity to figure it all out. This novel is written with cute sea-lingo with phases such as "son of a swordfish" and "he bugs the carp out of me." Like the others, there will be a sequel, Fins are Forever. It's also coming out in June, and it's also on my summer list.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Matched by <a href="http://www.allysoncondie.com/">Ally Condie</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsfaRL9oldqcUmnqF4-ozBUNfZ4MICEshOGKGWfZ52Q9A9ZMlLpP29PpqV_6CHr4_dJrLSgpZ_bu5sUG_EdF1-8sIpovE-E4WHcJxw8PlN-jmmJlJ8HheM4FG5nvb4zxaKqbdJ3XS2luN/s1600/Matched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsfaRL9oldqcUmnqF4-ozBUNfZ4MICEshOGKGWfZ52Q9A9ZMlLpP29PpqV_6CHr4_dJrLSgpZ_bu5sUG_EdF1-8sIpovE-E4WHcJxw8PlN-jmmJlJ8HheM4FG5nvb4zxaKqbdJ3XS2luN/s1600/Matched.jpg" /></a>This has been my favorite Lone Star book so far. It has the same flavor of The Giver or The Hunger Games. I am a sucker for books about future societies. They always make me wonder just what our world could be coming to. Matched is the tale of a future society in which the people are given their meals, their careers, even their spouses without any choice. They are told when to be home at night, when to have children, and even when they will die. The Society has prearranged every decision following the best in probabilty and statistics in an effort to give the citizens "the optimal life." Cassia is happy and content in her nearly perfect life and her Match Banquet couldn't have gone better, since she was matched with her lifetime best friend, Xander. But then she gets a glimpse of something The Society never meant for her to see, another boy, Ky, as her match. Doubt in the system begins to creep in and Cassia is left wondering if the Society's way is really the best way. Maybe having a choice would be better. The sequel, Crossed, will be out in November. Sounds like a great birthday present to me!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
There are so many more books I still want to write about. This post is To Be Continued...</div></div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-24526548371143942942011-04-30T06:12:00.000-07:002011-04-30T06:12:54.795-07:00Easter EggstravaganzaIt's been a hectic few weeks and my blog has been feeling a bit neglected. As you know, last Sunday was Easter Sunday. As far as holidays go, I think I love Easter even more than Christmas. We celebrated in fine style. The weekend before, a few of our neighbors got together and threw an Easter carnival for all the kids in the neighborhood. We all had a blast. Then, I spent my day off from school on Good Friday with my bestie, Rebecca. Mani, pedi, and a little shopping is an excellent way to spend any day off. Saturday was egg coloring day at the Layman house and ended with a lovely Easter Service at our church. I just love our <a href="http://www.northsidechristian.com/">church</a>. Sunday morning the kids woke up to baskets filled with lots of goodies from the Easter Bunny and an egg hunt that lasted all of 30 seconds to find 48 eggs! We had a nice, relaxing day at home and my family came over for our first BBQ dinner of the season. Here are a few pictures to highlight our Easter celebration.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lmGkz9ht54OkUHg3vRDJ-v2d6Jj4rqkaa4P9LgtU72KkfyzUrUD2Icnxg_uHHdgTJmXvbWhdHFRvg4_vowClDhgS2Lt4Y5yQB-vAT4F-w-e-OlvC1LR92REncHMq0nCBpxU6OiIcZoPV/s1600/SAM_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lmGkz9ht54OkUHg3vRDJ-v2d6Jj4rqkaa4P9LgtU72KkfyzUrUD2Icnxg_uHHdgTJmXvbWhdHFRvg4_vowClDhgS2Lt4Y5yQB-vAT4F-w-e-OlvC1LR92REncHMq0nCBpxU6OiIcZoPV/s320/SAM_3092.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-47853731598221724552011-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:18:01.312-07:00All These PeopleIf you were on my doorstep tonight as we were all coming home, you would have overheard this...<br />
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Me: All these people...<br />
Robert: What people?<br />
Me: (pointing to the children) These people. We made all these people.<br />
Charlotte: No. Jesus did.<br />
Me: I think we did a good job.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-25984844443571489332011-04-03T10:08:00.000-07:002011-04-03T10:18:56.565-07:00Whisper SundayIn case you haven't heard, my hubby Robert, has been transferred back to the night shift. He is a deputy with a local sheriff's office. When you work for the sheriff's office, like most other jobs I suppose, they can pretty much put you where they need you. So Robert is back on the night shift.<br />
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He used to work nights when he first started in the jail, 7 years ago. And then again, when he first went out to patrol, 5 years ago. I've gotten used to the almost-like-a-regular-job day shift he's had for the last few years. But nothing lasts forever, I suppose.<br />
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The children are certainly not used to this new schedule either. And I have never had to manage a sleeping husband and four children all in one house before. It's not really a job he can go to and do well on very little sleep. I want more than anything for him to be bringing his A game to a job where not only do you work at night, but you also carry a gun and wear body armour! So today, I had a great idea. Whisper Sunday.<br />
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It's just as simple as it sounds. Nobody speaks louder than a whisper. All day. And to make it more appealing to the children, the one who is the quietest all day gets to choose our movie for Sunday Night Movie Time tonight. This idea was brilliant, if I do say so myself. I am enjoying sitting on my couch, listening to the sounds of my fingers clicking away on the keyboard, the dishwasher washing dishes in the background, and... well, not much else. I think I will take this quiet time to read a few chapters in my book and maybe doze on the couch for a little while.<br />
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I hope your Sunday is as peaceful as ours, friends.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-82336228752295231002011-04-02T07:34:00.000-07:002011-04-03T10:19:40.349-07:00Standoff<span class="messageBody">Theodore follows me down the hall, pointing a nerf gun up at me, and says in the fiercest voice a three year old can muster, "Time to die." I turn, look at him, channel my inner Grey's Anatomy, and reply in the most somber voice I can muster, "Nobody dies today."</span>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-15158652307885786492011-03-28T17:26:00.000-07:002011-03-28T17:26:13.715-07:00SurprisesI found these on my camera.<br />
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I bet you could guess who left me those little treasures before you even got to that last one of giant baby. I hope you enjoyed those as much as I did.<br />
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Now, I wonder if Theodore knows where I can find my remote control...Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-39949922136884074782011-03-22T17:46:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:46:10.924-07:00It’s Friday. Wear yellow. For teachers.The following is a repost from a blog titled "Warren's Piece." I don't know Warren, but I like his writing. This is a good read. Check it out. And if you want to read more from Warren, click here: <a href="http://warrenhanson.blogspot.com/">http://warrenhanson.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">In a few days it will be Friday again. I will go to the gym, as I do every weekday. Shortly after I arrive, my friend Don will come in. He will be wearing red. He will survey the rest of us, nodding cordial greetings to anyone else wearing red. When he comes to me, he will greet me politely, but with a slight air of disapproval. I do not wear red on Fridays.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">The first time this happened, I didn’t know what to make of it. After a couple of weeks, I asked someone. “It’s to show support for our troops.” Don is retired military, and supporting our troops is important to him, as it should be to all of us. Being in the military is brave and dangerous work.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">But I don’t think my wearing a red shirt to the gym gives any tangible support to our troops. It doesn’t send them food or birthday cards. Or supply them with gear. Or give them rest when they are weary. I don’t believe that one person in the military would benefit one bit from my wearing red on Friday. I don’t think they know whether I wear red or not. If I wore a red shirt to the gym, it wouldn’t be to support our troops. It would be to support Don.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">So why have I decided to start wearing yellow on Fridays?</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">I’m going to do it to show my support for another group that does brave and dangerous work. Teachers.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Teachers are just as important to our national security as soldiers. Maybe more important. Every person in our military has had the help and support of dedicated and hard-working teachers. We all got that help and support, whether we are in the military or not.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">But our teachers are under attack. They are being blamed for all the ills of our educational system. Their budgets are being cut. Their workloads are increasing. Their ability to do their jobs well is being stripped away. Many are losing their jobs entirely. And every single one of the attackers is the beneficiary of dedicated and hard-working teachers in their own lives.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">One high school English teacher whom I know (quite well) had a wooden barstool near her desk where she would often sit to give her lectures. One day one of her students, displeased with being asked to pay attention, picked up that heavy barstool and threw it across the room, hurled a thick textbook against the wall, then glared at the teacher and snarled, “You’re goin’ down!” The teacher reported the behavior and sent the kid to the office for the standard disciplinary regimen. The next day, back in school as though nothing had happened, he smirked at this teacher as he passed her in the hallway. As I said, brave and dangerous work.</span></span></div><div style="font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Our teachers need our support just as much as our troops do. Maybe more. It’s just my own opinion, of course, but, hey, it’s my blog. I can opine as I wish.</span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">So I’m starting my own way of showing that support. I’m going to wear yellow on Fridays. I like yellow. It’s bright. Positive. Like sunshine. I think that’s a good metaphor for what teachers give us.</span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">This Friday I will be wearing a yellow t-shirt to the gym. Nobody will probably notice, though Don will notice that, once again, I will not be wearing red.</span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Later that day I will be meeting with an elementary school librarian (a vanishing breed), and I will be wearing yellow. She probably won’t notice either. But if she asks, I’ll say, “It’s to remind me to thank you for what you do.”</span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Wearing yellow won’t do anything tangible for our teachers. It won’t reimburse them for the supplies they pay for out of their own pockets. It won’t give them back the evenings and weekends they spend grading papers at home. Teachers will not noticeably benefit. They won’t even know I’m doing it.</span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></div><div style="color: #232323; font: 14px Georgia; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white;">I don’t expect anyone else to join me in wearing yellow on Fridays. I won’t give anyone dirty looks for not following suit. This is for me. Every time I put on that yellow shirt, it will remind me (as if I need reminding) that teachers matter. And they have my support. Every day.</span></span></div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-34508177303698732842011-03-18T22:27:00.000-07:002011-03-18T22:41:45.094-07:00Spring Break: Days Three, Four, and FiveI've been so busy enjoying my Spring Break, I haven't had time to blog about it since Tuesday. So, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?<br />
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Wednesday:<br />
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I spent Wednesday night laughing and catching up with my dear, old (and by "old" I mean, known-her-since-birth) friend, Jenny. I love how we can go 3 months or 13 years without seeing each other and we just pick up right where we left off. I can thank facebook for bringing her back into my life a little over a year ago. She graduates from college in May and is moving back home for good, so I am looking forward to many more nights together like Wednesday night. I just love that girl.<br />
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I spent Thursday antiquing in the Heights with my very best friend, Rebecca. We found this wonderful little antique shop that specializes in rare, old books. I found a treasure in the form of a children's song book that was published in 1880. It looks great on top of my piano that nobody in my household knows how to play! Thursday was fun and laid back, as most of my time with Becky tends to be.<br />
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Thursday night, Becky and Joe and their girls came over to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with us. We had our yearly corned beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread and "green coke." I hate that I did not take any pictures of this event. Well, I did get this one. Happy Birthday Joe!<br />
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Friday was spent "zoo-ing!"<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's a stork behind us. This picture seemed appropriate. :)</div><br />
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Oh and these guys were there too...<br />
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It's been a wonderful week and we still have a full weekend ahead of us. I love Spring Break!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-48037132559937923042011-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:002011-03-15T20:21:46.913-07:00Spring Break: Day Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDLTx2yd4JoONCOpmCTvZvAhGjgncdWcSdnDLEPsfRfb1bgyVsb6v8djskZsJgvlWOWk_p2xuOuAWyqHOSJ1mvMQvLurzc-8dkLgrWOzlQLmkTPmjELyme4MYpI0DfHfYYisuloAEXVYU/s1600/SAM_2765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDLTx2yd4JoONCOpmCTvZvAhGjgncdWcSdnDLEPsfRfb1bgyVsb6v8djskZsJgvlWOWk_p2xuOuAWyqHOSJ1mvMQvLurzc-8dkLgrWOzlQLmkTPmjELyme4MYpI0DfHfYYisuloAEXVYU/s320/SAM_2765.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvFK0PgMmvJnvsS8Zcua3I6-wksWUq8y-Agq15HgHniyBk-FLBYAFIQqls0nurNNaQeXh9Ckb-TEHPN1GE85fXwPUWLnmrxA5eLNfQHOAQ4zEjVziJ-cFTUfEO6u37UrJd4V1oZtvy6Ed/s1600/SAM_2774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvFK0PgMmvJnvsS8Zcua3I6-wksWUq8y-Agq15HgHniyBk-FLBYAFIQqls0nurNNaQeXh9Ckb-TEHPN1GE85fXwPUWLnmrxA5eLNfQHOAQ4zEjVziJ-cFTUfEO6u37UrJd4V1oZtvy6Ed/s320/SAM_2774.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>1 pizza + 4 cokes + 75 tokens = 2 hours of playtime, 4 happy children, 1 good long naptime, and 1 happy momma! That's that new math right there.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-28909264060904826672011-03-14T17:54:00.000-07:002011-03-14T17:57:34.324-07:00Spring Break: Day OneI am getting a little ahead of myself. I have yet to blog about last week's Open House at the boys' school, where Alfred was in the 3rd grade program and I took 101 pictures. Or about Heidi's baby shower that I gave yesterday. But I wanted to tell about the afternoon I had out with Charlotte today. And I warn you now, it's very likely that I am the only person in the world interested in this story. But that is probably true for all of my blog posts! I do love this little blog of mine.<br />
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First, because of yesterday's baby shower, the one I will write about later, our house is practically model home clean. The only messy room left in the place was Charlotte's room, so we straightened and organized all her toys today. And while I was in the middle of my OCD mania, (I mean, spring cleaning) I finally cleaned out all her clothes that she has outgrown. I've been needing to do that for weeks. So, Baby Girl was left with 2 outfits, 2 dresses, about 4 sets of pajamas, about 8 pairs of shoes and a whole lot of empty closet space! (I know. EIGHT pairs of shoes. A girl can never have too many shoes. Am I right?) I called up my friend Mandy, and gave her Charlotte's entire 4T wardrobe. Yay for Emerson and Harper! Boo for Charlotte! <br />
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So, we went shopping.<br />
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First stop: Payless. She may have 8 pair of shoes, but no white ones. And no flip flops. Charlotte loves shopping for shoes. That's probably part of the reason she has so many. After Payless, we went to Kohl's. The entire way to the store, Charlotte was very confused about where we were headed, because "Wal-Mart has plenty of clothes." That's my girl. Once we got to Kohl's, Charlotte was in heaven. There was a whole wall of night gowns! If you know my daughter, you know why that would be so exciting to her! My girl would wear nothing but night gowns and jammies, if we let her. But they kind of look at you funny at church...<br />
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Anyway, long story short, here's her new wears.<br />
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And the first thing she wanted to do when we got home was put on her new jammies and watch a movie in her bed. She said to me (hours later, at dinnertime), "Momma, I am so tired of shopping." It's not even 8:00 yet and she is in bed for the night! My girl knows how to shop till she drops!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfljirtt2WVxRnIv96RfHJ8i3LVi0V4KH0BERXG8nC_OxhAYYaUghHdcTenrJcuO31OeVNeMX98Cs75KebBtt40acLTjivAwrS38MjhAg0JeMuw_p8p9066_1ZiACZ2cYIgtSyorvbs1dx/s1600/Charlotte+Jammies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfljirtt2WVxRnIv96RfHJ8i3LVi0V4KH0BERXG8nC_OxhAYYaUghHdcTenrJcuO31OeVNeMX98Cs75KebBtt40acLTjivAwrS38MjhAg0JeMuw_p8p9066_1ZiACZ2cYIgtSyorvbs1dx/s320/Charlotte+Jammies.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Oh! And she asked my why her night gown has a "curtain" on it! I just laughed and told her it's supposed to make it extra pretty. She liked that. And she liked that her night gown came with a magic wand too. <br />
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So, I think I am with Charlotte. It is time for my jammies and some TV time. Goodnight all! More Tales of Spring Break tomorrow...Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-23463721327797184212011-03-11T23:02:00.001-08:002011-03-11T23:02:47.038-08:00Spring BreakSpring Break is here! Yay! That is all.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4040890694852821456.post-80850361248915051572011-03-08T22:40:00.000-08:002011-03-08T23:12:29.749-08:00Theodore's (sort of) BirthdayMy baby turned three over a week ago. I hope you haven't been holding your breath. If so, breathe deep. Here it is...<br />
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Theodore is a leapling. When I was pregnant with him, I hoped and wished that he'd be born on Leap Day, just because I thought it was cool. Apart from Oliver sharing a birthday with Elvis, my other children have perfectly regular birthdates. Some say that I willed myself into labor. I don't think I am quite that strong willed, but it is still pretty cool to have a leapling. It made me a little sad on his first birthday when I didn't get to have that special one minute celebration right at the time he was born, as I had done with the other three. Okay, that's a hyperbolous statement. (Is hyperbolous a word?) On Alfred's exact one year old to the minute birthday, I was right in the middle of cleaning up his baby puke in the back seat of my car. Not really a celebration by anyone's standards. But I digress...<br />
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We created a series of birthday traditions with Alfred and followed suit with the other three children. The first birthday was a home party. The second was at McDonalds, and the third, Chuck E Cheese. After that, they are all different. Once you turn four, you tend to have your own opinions about how to spend your birthday. So, without further ramblings, I give you cute pictures of Theodore's third birthday at Chuck E Cheese. I hope you are sitting down. This kid is cute!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2-1Q9TPtK8AHaeDdFUp-eLtKlQi7eYKep7Kmi1vtpzo959_sRmCsLcUOC9832gjQB1YttZtRxZTgIuSQLEcBW-Ras6S26VgAX6MZq_ddWCcLOvslmOa7iVpiCoSIWMPbcCyIlcVxQZU9/s1600/SAM_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2-1Q9TPtK8AHaeDdFUp-eLtKlQi7eYKep7Kmi1vtpzo959_sRmCsLcUOC9832gjQB1YttZtRxZTgIuSQLEcBW-Ras6S26VgAX6MZq_ddWCcLOvslmOa7iVpiCoSIWMPbcCyIlcVxQZU9/s320/SAM_2564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My boy loves to "play bowling." I am not sure where he gets his strategy from...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHi4vDNlTJAcTzeXCCEg7JHSAtkECY_iHkexEb52y80VVOF7ohscWOoM3YarXL2LjYu9E4n-wYZtTm8CBFTMB7Ts_SVe0hMEQTR0uvdPTQzFO5BvVYQYd8qq6ILDi3dptqD6YWFPrtYVT/s1600/SAM_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHi4vDNlTJAcTzeXCCEg7JHSAtkECY_iHkexEb52y80VVOF7ohscWOoM3YarXL2LjYu9E4n-wYZtTm8CBFTMB7Ts_SVe0hMEQTR0uvdPTQzFO5BvVYQYd8qq6ILDi3dptqD6YWFPrtYVT/s320/SAM_2582.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Okay. So maybe I do. His good looks isn't the only thing he gets from his Daddy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hbZ64pDgmtq3TxTQXoLEdxoh5D5RrfN0_U0QotTFAtj6pZyV-iU8SZuq-OYsBt3n_LUiWdo5SFSWDuVJmkazrn4_gWNEEbzWLohyusMx0AVYD1jJuG-YH1_Ihjvxts_luiRO6qKi8Wc1/s1600/SAM_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hbZ64pDgmtq3TxTQXoLEdxoh5D5RrfN0_U0QotTFAtj6pZyV-iU8SZuq-OYsBt3n_LUiWdo5SFSWDuVJmkazrn4_gWNEEbzWLohyusMx0AVYD1jJuG-YH1_Ihjvxts_luiRO6qKi8Wc1/s320/SAM_2585.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His honored guests.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxR0KBOCzhKqNQvTafz71dSKtj6tD_9hogynb3zgK-hIhis11hQdB08v7m_HpqJYHD8NEDkcxde1hX_9g1rwECk3DkdUGn6ne5P4ecgchtn-4p8TaegvYmXD5Ww4-7UmrXNB1foyTM5r5/s1600/SAM_2587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxR0KBOCzhKqNQvTafz71dSKtj6tD_9hogynb3zgK-hIhis11hQdB08v7m_HpqJYHD8NEDkcxde1hX_9g1rwECk3DkdUGn6ne5P4ecgchtn-4p8TaegvYmXD5Ww4-7UmrXNB1foyTM5r5/s320/SAM_2587.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes. Those are homemade, sprinkled coated cupcakes. Did I mention I am super mom? Just ask Theodore. He'll tell you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mP6zCLvohrYIFBya7R7ltwxVelTvcLzkzFVtd5P2Td1TG1gL66z1LTUyNlsk83ylpZXocfnRVWNL_8P9CwqeUcPMkjF3gk6kKinl66QDh5j1D4CqHm_BMnlY__I4mElX6cgMT97W06Jm/s1600/SAM_2591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mP6zCLvohrYIFBya7R7ltwxVelTvcLzkzFVtd5P2Td1TG1gL66z1LTUyNlsk83ylpZXocfnRVWNL_8P9CwqeUcPMkjF3gk6kKinl66QDh5j1D4CqHm_BMnlY__I4mElX6cgMT97W06Jm/s320/SAM_2591.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love that face.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyIqsrQ2EhFOJ_ZcivoAgeSmgeuv8BHNCtkXs6VmVgYZyIpgOBJXbR28mcXXgCm6Uk0laWYMpBk3lDMROIvcZz526y0ECoPS45a4bOLcC0CgkfBj1sm93cPRKL5JI-J7pLg8lty0GQf7f/s1600/SAM_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyIqsrQ2EhFOJ_ZcivoAgeSmgeuv8BHNCtkXs6VmVgYZyIpgOBJXbR28mcXXgCm6Uk0laWYMpBk3lDMROIvcZz526y0ECoPS45a4bOLcC0CgkfBj1sm93cPRKL5JI-J7pLg8lty0GQf7f/s320/SAM_2596.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh and the candles were (accidentally) relighting candles. Those were fun. And his confused little face was precious. I was laughing too much to get a picture of that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEL6gK0_278D6WN9N7quCSapaHhnXotFMhIxzTLoAnQaZ2qt3ft_WY1ApC33SqmEHuvu-jpfzy5MCR0Ozc-jWCynpJi_sQ_CWYqoTaJRnrBTpwUThdPAfPwQ3jfqHjm3eMD6P9ZTBwV7K/s1600/SAM_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEL6gK0_278D6WN9N7quCSapaHhnXotFMhIxzTLoAnQaZ2qt3ft_WY1ApC33SqmEHuvu-jpfzy5MCR0Ozc-jWCynpJi_sQ_CWYqoTaJRnrBTpwUThdPAfPwQ3jfqHjm3eMD6P9ZTBwV7K/s320/SAM_2599.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He was all about dancing with Chuck E and friends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJhiIZN_lqsl8kQfO96bpKpWohX83Eb6hpGd7Hs5A4WzkOi_VRxRkKqnsOk7kFczaEeOdJBWYcvtK2YAVJ4IKdmgkavmnoHml25OdAEGIP-RRNsHGh-Vcm2H_q4_XQtCxLHj2iza5-oX7/s1600/SAM_2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJhiIZN_lqsl8kQfO96bpKpWohX83Eb6hpGd7Hs5A4WzkOi_VRxRkKqnsOk7kFczaEeOdJBWYcvtK2YAVJ4IKdmgkavmnoHml25OdAEGIP-RRNsHGh-Vcm2H_q4_XQtCxLHj2iza5-oX7/s320/SAM_2603.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The obligatory photo op.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4aeqdM4T7AXFxwt1QhpX4GirxbLADs5Hk5tPJ7A11JExIFr8Kfn2s40Ds9gxukcjV_sE5ZMz_sw7SwvhegKiGMtAz9dJydxNnVvrR-kC1jc7UkFDKpC1fiwhNMDTrFc9tW_p-YgAKPNJ/s1600/SAM_2608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4aeqdM4T7AXFxwt1QhpX4GirxbLADs5Hk5tPJ7A11JExIFr8Kfn2s40Ds9gxukcjV_sE5ZMz_sw7SwvhegKiGMtAz9dJydxNnVvrR-kC1jc7UkFDKpC1fiwhNMDTrFc9tW_p-YgAKPNJ/s320/SAM_2608.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love this picture. Does that boy mean business or what?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now some birthday present pictures that would probably only be interesting to those who attended. And well, they lived it... But here they are anyway!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhjk3USuQV9kohMAKSV6c15W_CUzTg5M3OjZJw5npfB4qaZzRlD7ppiNeUj0AUm9XVD0R81z5DEuSPTulqxPVBIMsi7d9uNzazqYL77hnDKZtlFrl1loVAsII2mtJLxXW_08sJr8_2606/s1600/SAM_2616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhjk3USuQV9kohMAKSV6c15W_CUzTg5M3OjZJw5npfB4qaZzRlD7ppiNeUj0AUm9XVD0R81z5DEuSPTulqxPVBIMsi7d9uNzazqYL77hnDKZtlFrl1loVAsII2mtJLxXW_08sJr8_2606/s320/SAM_2616.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDGIgIRdX5ZzH1iZB7xijygDeOwTOHb1m7EKTQfcUBD4CcBRlDiOP5_9tn0__NH4K4HA5YJm5-hZUco02hzEK8K6d634TVUQIwee7bszoBmz_MOD-WI4Uywbkr8U1x2EaEzLbK-ZwG6vo/s1600/SAM_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDGIgIRdX5ZzH1iZB7xijygDeOwTOHb1m7EKTQfcUBD4CcBRlDiOP5_9tn0__NH4K4HA5YJm5-hZUco02hzEK8K6d634TVUQIwee7bszoBmz_MOD-WI4Uywbkr8U1x2EaEzLbK-ZwG6vo/s320/SAM_2623.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_DNF9OZNLOH19sNBQdNMh5xkaHhGJ28Om_Mi1VsJZXKpEUnBWj122N3RxsJRnuenYyr-bgUnSwnbZikMhvSqmiEaiNfWTMEB7BWuCdi22kU8pgTGl1Mc7r-kFoFV7x8H1hNHquEHYDpu/s1600/SAM_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_DNF9OZNLOH19sNBQdNMh5xkaHhGJ28Om_Mi1VsJZXKpEUnBWj122N3RxsJRnuenYyr-bgUnSwnbZikMhvSqmiEaiNfWTMEB7BWuCdi22kU8pgTGl1Mc7r-kFoFV7x8H1hNHquEHYDpu/s320/SAM_2627.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-XbpjQ3NhWguLzAHSWyjeAM9xvjI7OEmurQbYlZRbugDDFDs2LLPwa6zGbVG9TT4CDCZ4dO0p5OnGvUBPCXOeHBPyBb1rxHv1zZrJIcQlnXRRJWgg2xA1F83qG-uTdicQnLDCDFSl8yD/s1600/SAM_2629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-XbpjQ3NhWguLzAHSWyjeAM9xvjI7OEmurQbYlZRbugDDFDs2LLPwa6zGbVG9TT4CDCZ4dO0p5OnGvUBPCXOeHBPyBb1rxHv1zZrJIcQlnXRRJWgg2xA1F83qG-uTdicQnLDCDFSl8yD/s320/SAM_2629.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aplQ4nb1kNFqv5ww6m_nuoWVhcjt7PbXw4AlXjYkg-b2G-IjGiPbt6oikXcn5uH9dIalblc1Bk0jTjqPVph8_kZvj9ptKFZHcuWTjcRjfCUKRkc2jmamhjCazN7BIvEswyYBl8PnSaxb/s1600/SAM_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aplQ4nb1kNFqv5ww6m_nuoWVhcjt7PbXw4AlXjYkg-b2G-IjGiPbt6oikXcn5uH9dIalblc1Bk0jTjqPVph8_kZvj9ptKFZHcuWTjcRjfCUKRkc2jmamhjCazN7BIvEswyYBl8PnSaxb/s320/SAM_2638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGwVz4xZhyw03_bzkn0tsxFzKmYHnBAvuyggQU10pMAdzuUAGTTtVMtVObhY2b36094dDku4pQDsVecFqNjBlxYpFnbJWvOoubde7WO_5U5EOmJK-hH_LW3s_o1ozKBEEg9u8SMAssSJr/s1600/SAM_2639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGwVz4xZhyw03_bzkn0tsxFzKmYHnBAvuyggQU10pMAdzuUAGTTtVMtVObhY2b36094dDku4pQDsVecFqNjBlxYpFnbJWvOoubde7WO_5U5EOmJK-hH_LW3s_o1ozKBEEg9u8SMAssSJr/s320/SAM_2639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think this was the only arcade thing Theodore did the whole day other than his favorite "play bowling."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, and the funny story I promised in my earlier post... We decided that since there was no February 29th this year and Theodore had no idea he was even turning three, that we'd surprise him with his party. We got all the way to Chuck E Cheese. Daddy whispered in his ear, "You're three now." He looked at Daddy, then at me, put both fists in the air and quietly said, "Yesss!!!" It was adorable!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So there you have it folks. That was the big day. Fun was had by all. My baby is not so much of a baby anymore. But you know, he's such a fun little guy, that I think I am okay with finally putting the baby stage behind us.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprDPdtC8Fp7C05zUpaQ55SiGcEQCaHz9AFlkVjsSBtqAn4SopVMh4jpiWOV4VGL_VvPqZ1rliv9-bUNAhlrWCT6GESevr2LyP6yVb157_Z4UIvBMhBvUMTtcuq5skgFPcpnkVnLY0Ly9a/s1600/SAM_2586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprDPdtC8Fp7C05zUpaQ55SiGcEQCaHz9AFlkVjsSBtqAn4SopVMh4jpiWOV4VGL_VvPqZ1rliv9-bUNAhlrWCT6GESevr2LyP6yVb157_Z4UIvBMhBvUMTtcuq5skgFPcpnkVnLY0Ly9a/s320/SAM_2586.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">I love you, Theodore. You make life fun, surprising, and a little bit (okay, a lot) tiring everyday. And boy, do you make me smile. I can't wait to see what more you have in store for us in all the birthdays to come. Happy Birthday Big Guy.</div>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188023186631138945noreply@blogger.com2