Home alone!

Yes, it finally happened. I had my first day home alone. No children. No husband. I didn't even get emotional. It was just blissfully peaceful. I listened to good music and worked around the house doing "whatever" all day. Ironing was even enjoyable for the first time. Crazy, I know. Oh, and my husband took me out for Chinese. What a sweet guy!

As for the children, they started school today. Luke is attending a Pre-K class all day, and my girls are in 1st, 3rd and 5th. Everyone had great first days. Eliza gets a locker this year and changes classes. Sarah's teacher reads Junie B. Jones every afternoon, and Leah was excited because her teacher reads Bible stories to them everyday. It delighted Leah to no end. Hurray for happy children and a great first day of school!

Summer veggies

My generous neighbor shared a little from her garden this week. She shared enough that I got to prepared these veggies for the freezer. Blog worthy? No, but they looked so yummy I had to snap a picture and share. Enjoy or ignore. Your choice.

Teeth business and the last week of summer vacation

I wasn't joking when I said Leah had more loose teeth. She lost another this week. Now she can stick her tongue out at you with her teeth clenched. Two more are loose on the bottom.

The rest of these photos are just some from our week. My children are growing up so fast.

One semester down . . . more school to come

It is true. I took my last exam today. My brain feels like mush, but I think I did well. I was told my grades will be mailed to me. I will now be applying to the Univ. of Phoenix to begin the master's in Education K-8 program. It is a 20 month program including teacher observation and student teaching. First I have to apply though, and I am putting that off until next week because . . . School starts next week!

Yes, it is true! My children begin school Monday, so I am going to devote the last few days of summer to them. Everyone will be attending school full time this year. I will have Luke in Pre-K, Leah in 1st, Sarah in 3rd, and Eliza in 5th. Scary and exciting and scary all at the same time! I obviously have mixed feeling of euphoria and guilt. My husband has promised to take me out for lunch Monday, so I hope I'm not a basket case. I keep thinking about all the tasks that I will be able to accomplish without my kids around: family history, food storage menu, file organization, writing, sewing, painting, etc. then I get overwhelmed and sad because I won't have anyone to share it all with.

I'm afraid I'm not going to handle this well. Please pray for me!

Summer 2009

The frequency of my posts has been pathetic this summer. With school beginning again in a week, (I know crazy how time flies, right?) I thought I ought to share something from our busy summer months. Here it is:

Check this out. Blueberries. These are from a plant in my own backyard. I originally planted 3 blueberry bushes, but the last several summers have been very dry and this is the only one that survived. These are the first berries we've eaten. Yum!

Eliza and Ezra, my nephew. So cute! He loved Eliza.

Sarah had fun climbing trees after a hike with the family in NC. We had so much fun hanging out with family this summer!

Leah and Luke were modeling this day for me. I love the hat especially.

Paul is jamming out at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in this picture. He and a bunch of friends played for the company picnic. I will try to upload the video so you can hear him singing and playing. He did amazing! My husband ROCKS!

While I went to Girl's Camp, my mom and sister took care of my children for me. When I got home, we spent a day having fun together. Here we are in the house we built at the hands on museum.

Leah has had a very fruitful summer. She started the summer with one missing tooth and has lost 2 more. Cha-ching! That totals three missing on the top. She another loose on the top and two more loose on the bottom. You'd think she was having a difficult time eating, but she isn't. Where there is a will. There is a way.

This photo is of the climbing wall at Girl's Camp. I very nervously climbed to the first platform. No big deal for those of you with no fear of heights, but a big accomplishment for me!

My siblings and I at a lake in NC. Don't ask me which lake. My memory isn't that great anymore. I'm so glad we didn't kill each other as children. I love you all so much!

Lastly, my sweetheart and I at the Mint Museum. We went on a double date with my brother Mike and his wife, Erin. How cool to have a picture of my husband and I together. It is a very rare thing to find. Thanks Mike!

Grateful

I am grateful for many things, but tonight I am especially grateful for dollar movies, popcorn, bite size candy bars and chocolate chip cookies.

Paul is off playing guitar with friends, and Eliza and Sarah are spending the night with their cousins. Sleepovers are a very rare thing around here, so this is especially exciting for my girls. It also means that it is especially difficult for the younger siblings. So to appease Luke and Leah I resorted to the above mentioned goodies. I even let them pick out their own movie. That is also a very rare thing around here. After renting the movies we came home, made the popcorn, turned off all the lights and watched Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit until way passed their bedtime.

We (mostly I) decided one movie was enough for tonight, so we are going to watch Bee Movie as soon as we wake up in the morning. We will have to make some special letter B and actual bee shaped pancakes to celebrate our morning movie madness.

Preschool

My mom came for a visit and shared these photos with me. The first is one of my childhood homes. My family lived here when I was born, and we didn't move until I was in the middle of first grade. I have so many fond memories of sneaking down the staircase when I was supposed to be in bed, riding Tonka trunks down the drive, stepping on a nail in the old silo pit, sliding down sand piles (a gravel pit was located a ways behind our home), and sliding in snow too.

I was especially happy to see this little red school house standing though. This is where I went to preschool. I remember playing Farmer in the Dell, playing musical chairs and singing "I Know an Old Lady." So Fun! I'm so glad I have decided to become a teacher so I can go back to school.