Project 365: Day 244 - August 31

There are several things to note in this picture.

First is the look on Caroline's face - priceless because she can't help but show that she's never seen anything like this dessert before in her life.

Second, the look on Molly's face, which is also priceless because I never get a scowl from her!!

Finally third, is Andy's incredible dessert, which followed a simply scrumptious meal.

Natural

Project 365: Day 243 - August 30

Cosmo was a delight to have around today!

The Pied Piper of Foxfield!

The kids completely forgot about having been dragged out of bed too early in the morning and followed him everywhere! At some points, they were so distracted by him that they also forgot about handing out water to the passing runners!

Women's Four Miler 2008

We all volunteered at the Women's Four Miler this weekend. Usually we leave David and Will at home, but this year, the volunteer tech shirts were black and not very small so I picked one up in David's size instead of a too big one for Katherine. I figured that if he was getting such a cool shirt he'd better work for it, so he and Will came out with us and helped hand out water to the masses.
We filled 2000 cups with water. There were 3000 runners and many of them took more than one cup. I felt really sorry for the walkers at the end of the pack, since they had to resort to getting water poured into their hands.
The kids all had fun serving and cheering, and even cleaning up! Morgan's team volunteered together so we didn't see her after parking the van, until the very end of the race. We were at the first water stop just before the 2-mile point. She was at the finish line!

After all that hard work we just had to find some pancakes and bacon! Because that's what we do sometimes!

Project 365: Day 242 - August 29

So Will did find a birds nest to take to school for his "share." Did he find it in the front yard or the backyard?

Neither, he found it in the playroom. Huh?! Yup, it is the same one Caroline found outside three years ago. She took it into her 4th grade class for their nature table and for some reason felt the need to bring it home again and keep it forever! It's been in a box in her closet ever since. At least it was in her closet until I cleaned out her room back in June. Anyway, having endured two class visits, the still-intact and well-travelled nest has now been returned to the outdoors. Until the next time we need a nest anyway!

Project 365: Day 241 - August 28

Who needs a horse?

What Do You Do At Home All Day Anyway?

Now that Will's in real school all day, I've had several people ask what I'll do all day. What a hoot!!

Now, to be honest, this day was not a typical day. I don't usually clean bathrooms, vacuum, scrub cabinets, and do laundry all in the same day.

I also don't do a whole lot of sitting around, eating, drinking, and gabbing. But it was a whole lot of fun! For our twice-rescheduled first day of school celebration Susan (arm pictured) brought champagne to toast the newly freed kindergarten moms. Kathleen brought a wonderful egg dish made with - you guessed it, Keswick chicken eggs! Neighbor Jill took a break from painting (had she started?)to join us!! What fun! We will be doing that again!

Project 365: Day 240 - August 27

ISO

Homework this afternoon involved reading Frindle. No problem, right? After all, the book was handed out in class, and we even have a copy here at home. No problem.

But then, the school copy is still at school. And the home copy is nowhere to be found. Even Keswick Chicken's copy is AWOL. Thank goodness for the boys next door - all K had to do was run over in the rain to collect it!

It's so nice to have a lending library on our very own street!

Project 365: Day 239 - August 26

Our own little version of Into the Wild!

Will is dead set on finding a bird nest to take into school on Friday for his "share." Katherine helped him find his way, and guided him back out when he claimed to be lost!!

Doesn't his headgear remind you of that creepy, crazy guy in The Deer Hunter??? It's actually the method used by the K1 teachers to get the kids onto the correct buses in the afternoons.



The kids had great afternoon playing outside - they and their friends played pirates in the treehouse. I'm hoping we can have many more wonderful outside afternoons before the cold weather comes. We've already had one tree on our road drop all of its leaves!

Fifteen Candles

Tonight we celebrated Morgan's 15th birthday. Time is really flying by!

The proof is in the necklace - all we have to do is count the pearls and we know how old she is!!

Project 365 - Day 238 - August 25

Rather than frost the cupcakes and have the frosting get all over the baggies, Caroline dug out the centers, filled the holes with frosting, and then plugged them back up.

Great idea.

This method allowed her to eat the extra cake pieces! With Caroline, it's always about the food!


**Will declared the whole thing "odd," but ate his anyway!

Project 365 - Day 237 - August 24

Today was Promotion Sunday.

Will is officially out of the Preschool Department and in the Childrens' Department.

He is the only one of our children to change Sunday School classes this year. He's moving into a class of 9 boys!! It should be an adventure for his teacher!

Project 365: Day 236 - August 23

Can you type your name with your elbow??

Making the Cut

This girl has been a bit anxious about getting her hair cut since the first grade when the lady cut way too much off and she ended up with an icky bob. Not that a bob is icky, just that one!

So, since that time Morgan has been agreeable (a term I use lightly) to getting about an inch, or half that, off at any given 6 month interval.

Until today, when she up and announced that she'd like to get her hair cut this weekend. Umm, okay. So we did. And doesn't it look pretty?!?! And just in time for her birthday~ the big 1 - 5. Oh my!

Project 365: Day 235 - August 22

Here's the youngest eating his breakfast in his own 5-year-old style - sleepy eyes, one hand on spoon, one hand on shoes, periodically looking over his first book order form!

Just beyond him on the table is the reminder that we're no longer the parents of only small children. Yikes! Those are Morgan's drivers' ed materials. Thankfully, she's just in the classroom now. The behind the wheel will come soon enough, I'm sure.

We were talking about colleges at dinner tonight - I think one of us is going to need some really good meds to get through that adjustment!

Project 365: Day 234 - August 21

Project 365: Day 233 - August 20

Project 365: Day 232 - August 19

My favorite thing to do is to make lunches...not! Actually the part I don't like is making the sandwiches. I could delegate but then that takes time away from other things like homework or instrument practice or bathing or fun! So I make the sandwiches. But this year that's all I'm doing. The rest of the lunch is self-select. Yay!!

No More Days

If you've been counting down like we've been counting down, then you know that there are no more days until school starts. Tomorrow morning when we get up we will get to go to the bus stop and wave goodbye. Some of us will go to school and yet others will go home or to work.

Will had some homework to do - he had to decorate a file folder with pictures and tell about himself and the things he likes to do. He also had to memorize his lunch code. His sisters were a great help with both tasks. The poor guy will have no opportunity to slack off until they're all away from home - that'll be another 8 years!

Project 365: Day 231 - August 18

Today we dropped Morgan and Caroline off at the elementary school to help a teacher friend get ready for the first day. We kidnapped Zach and Sarah for a fun-filled day of running errands! We also still had Emily, our chicken helper friend, with us!

We hit the library in an attempt to avoid more late charges! Almost made it - we had three MIAs which will cost me 10 cents apiece! I should learn to renew before they're due, but never do! Then after a quick trip into WW we headed to Target for more school supplies - not many, thank goodness!

Here we are at Starbucks in Target - I had to have some caffeine before heading to lunch!

This is Sarah with a big bag of ice on her face. It was really cold but she was a good sport and kept it on there for a long time. She got a good bruise at the Chik-fil-A play place after lunch today, but she smiled her way through the day!

Project 365: Day 230 - August 17

The saddest part about Will graduating from the preschool department at church is that he's also moving on from Ms. Patti's class. She's just great - see how she gets the kids moving - Will just loves to move!! And she really appreciates that!

Last Chicken Check - 4 Eggs Today

Today's is Sunday - the last official day for tending chickens...and we are going to miss it! Our friend Emily came with us today - we think she likes chickens too!

Katherine was a bit put out when I called this guinea ugly - umm, hello?! Have you ever seen anything uglier? His mama loves him, I'm sure! Anyway, Katherine says he can't be ugly because he belongs to Mary. Hmm. Ok.

This guy's a big help - he filled water containers, helped with the food, and checked on the dogs!

Brain Freeze!

Project 365: Day 229 - August 16

What you see here is the makings of thin mint ice cream.

The ice cream social is tomorrow and we haven't made this ice cream in years! We saved a box of thin mints for this very event! It is so good, we should make a double batch!

Actually it's all David's doing...except that we decide what kind of ice cream he should make and we get most of the ingredients. He gets the ice and stuff and does all the work.

Chicken Check - One Egg Today

...and one tomato! We brought David with us today - he had no idea how much fun he was missing!

Project 365: Day 228 - August 15

Caroline...
on the phone...
comparing schedules...
is there anyone out there who is in any of her classes?

Teacher Work Day

With the first day of school quickly approaching our teacher friends were looking for any help they could find to get their classrooms ready for Monday's Open House. Morgan worked all day in a K1 classroom and Katherine, Will and I helped out in a preK classroom. We did lots of fun things like clean out cupboards, wash training potties, and scrub Lego tables! Will mostly had fun playing with all the toys and swinging!

Where's Ba-gin-ya?

Note the boy is holding tight to his bike helmet! The preschoolers each got their own bike helmet last year in PE, but Will and Gabe never got to take theirs home for some reason. Today we collected both and Gabe's will be waiting for him when he returns from his very long airplane ride!

Chicken Check - 3 eggs today

Caroline really missed tending to the chickens this week. We'd usually go over before taking Morgan to practice which was before we'd have to meet the camp bus. So, for four days she missed out on the excitement! Today we ran out of time so she lucked out! The first thing she noticed was that we were missing a guinea. Uh-oh.

Project 365: Day 227 - August 14

What will this become?