Art For Everyone!

Katherine is taking a Saturday class called Art for Everyone! The intent of the instructor is to show the kids that they don't have to be good at drawing to be an artist.


This assignment involves assemblage. The kids were asked to bring a shoebox and some random things from home. When they got to class they learned about several artists who used this form of art and then they began their own assemblage. Morgan, Caroline and I* got to visit for the last half hour of class today. We enjoyed the peek!

Here are two of the completed projects! Katherine was pleased to find that she knew 3 other girls in her class, one from school, one from camp and one from church. This friend is also on her DI team.

*What?! Where were Will and David?? Will was at his own class which we'll get visit in a few weeks. David is toughing it out in New Mexico...for work, he says. We'll see what kind of tan line he has when he gets back!

Ice Delay

Two hour delay today - I guess most roads are not as icy as ours. We got the little ones onto their bus at 9:30 and then had a few minutes before these two needed to meet their bus.

So much ice, so little time.

Ice Day

Today was an ice day for sure. With ice came the reality that we'd just lost our second holiday in February. Does anyone out there remember built-in snow days? Were they such a bad idea? Shouldn't there be at least two or three snow days built into the school calendar?? We always use at least that many.

I love snow days as much now as I did when I was a kid. At least way back then we didn't always have to lose days or go longer into the summer.

Anyway, I'll stop. For now. There was ice. Plenty of it! Our front step never gets any direct sun. It's a dangerous spot. Salt would be good thing to keep handy - I'm sure we have some but nowhere that I could find it! So we just had to slip and slide our way around the front of the house today!

Snow Day?

No school today - a snowstorm was coming our way. It did end up snowing a little but mostly we got ice. Ice. Ice. Ice. Will lamented "We didn't do anything outside!" What was there to do? The kids borrowed cat food from our neighbors and came back home right away. There wasn't enough snow for snowballs or sledding. The ice was downright dangerous. Besides, inside there was warmth and hot chocolate and movies!

The Revolve Tour Weekend

This weekend my friend Tara and I took three of our six girls to Greensboro for The Revolve Tour. We snuck the girls out of school early and drove down to NC, arriving at the hotel in time for some "let's act like we've never been in a hotel before" fun and a quick dip in the pool before heading to dinner.





We ate at a place called Oh! Brian's Ribs. We'd gone there last fall when we came down for the Women of Faith Conference over Halloween weekend. That time it was the only place on High Point Road that did not have a line. Back in October we were desperate and walked just hoping the food would be good. We were not disappointed - at least those of us who weren't depending on dinner at The Olive Garden. This time we knew it would be good. We ate plenty, and vowed to return later that night for dessert. I don't think our waiter believed us - he seemed a bit surprised to see us again later!


After dinner we went to the coliseum, made out way to our seats and spent the next few hours being entertained by drama, speakers and bands. We saw Krystal Meyers, Natalie Grant, Group 1 Crew, Chad Eastham. Danielle Kimmey, Jenna Lucado and more. The noise was amazing. I'm not talking about the noise from the bands, which was a bit more than I'm used to. No! I'm talking about the screaming from the girls sitting around us! I taped it but I won't subject you to it - amazing.



Afterwards, we went for dessert. Why? Because we could and those enormous desserts were calling our names. The only sensible one among us was Bailey - she ordered a scoop of vanilla ice cream! What she got was an enough for four people!

After falling into bed we all slept really well - except for that part in the night when someone yelled out and I jumped out of bed ready for battle. We were up early for the ginormous and filling Embassy breakfast buffet!

Saturday we were in for more of the same - really good drama, inspirational speakers and awesome music! Our treat on this day was Hawk Nelson! Apparently some of the girls came only to see this band because the level of screaming went off any chart available!


When the whole event ended we headed to Winston-Salem to see Bailey's Aunt Ellen, the most gracious hostess around. Who else do you know who'd allow a bunch of people - only half of whom she knew - to invite themselves to stay the night!?

Well she did let us come and we had a great time! We totally made ourselves at home - can't you tell!? We ate good food, and more ice cream, slept well, and then ate more, before heading north to our own Cville this afternoon. On our way though we did discover the straight shot to the coliseum, which will help us when we head down for the Women of Faith conference next November.

Chess Tournament

Today the middle school held its winter chess tournament. The kids meet every Thursday morning for an hour before school, and then play in tournaments twice a year. Caroline won two of her four games this afternoon. She was one of just 5 or 6 girls playing. One of these days we're hoping to see a girl in the top three!

A New Day

We spent our day huddled in front of the computers watching every little thing that happened! It was a great day and we were thrilled that the kids were so excited about it. My cousin's child was actually in DC as part of a youth leadership group. He came all the way from Washington state. We never heard from him, which meant that things went fine! What a memorable day for him!

Celebrating Bill

Friends

These girls are growing up so fast.



It's hard to believe that they used to be so little - here they are when they were in the 5th grade.

...and here they are back in the 4th grade. I'm not sure we have pictures going back any farther. They've been friends at least since the 2nd or 3rd grade, but they were never in the same class until the 5th grade. Thank goodness for Gateway and DC word study!

Reading Buddies

Will is reading Bears on Wheels to Fluffy, f.k.a. Charlotte.

This is just one of many Charlottes in our lives, all named by Will. Even Charley used to be a Charlotte. Fluffy is a really strange name for this particular animal since he is not at all fluffy! Try explaining that to the boy. Steadfast and stubborn could be his middle names!

Welcome to Munchkinland

No, this is not the wicked witch. It's only Katherine cleaning out the clutter from under her bed!

Demolition Boy

So what do you do with your gingerbread houses?

This is the house that Will and all of his sisters made together - each took a side and they shared the roof. When we decided that the time had come to take down the house, we just couldn't throw it into the trash. Oh, no!


So Will lugged the thing out the front door, around the side of the house, down into the yard, back beyond the treehouse and placed it gently at the base of a big tree. We removed all the candy that would end up creating a sticky mess and were ready to leave the house to the beasts.


My thought was that it would be a nice treat for the birds and animals. His thought was the same. Our thoughts differed in just how we would leave it behind. This is how I left them, the boy and his house.


When he returned to the warmth of our house, he let me know that he had smashed the gingerbread house all up with his boots so that it would be easier for the "aminals" to eat it. Nice.

Post-Christmas Circle Christmas Party

Every year we scramble to find a December date for our circle Christmas party - the catch is that everyone must be able to attend. This was a much simpler endeavor when there were fewer of us. Now that we've grown in number, we've also grown out of December. The upside of a January Christmas is that we have one fewer obligation in December, but the downside is that Alice has already taken down her tree.

And so we gathered, bringing our secret pal gifts and our edible offerings. And we ate, and talked, and laughed. We tried to guess who our secret pals were and no one knew, so most voted for Jane. I picked Jane too and I was right!! I'd like to claim I knew for sure, but it was just a lucky guess!

Mouser

Upon arriving home after an incredibly yummy, yet mind numbing dinner, David and I found notes on the door saying "Don't let Charley in!"

Apparently the girls were utterly grossed out by the fact that our brave Charley had caught a mouse! Not only that, but he'd brought it to the door! Ick! Morgan took this picture as ammunition for her argument that the cat should be banned from the house forever.

That's not going to happen I'm afraid. Look at him. Doesn't he look so proud?! Can't you just hear him now? "Hey guys, look what I brought you!"

45 and Still Alive!

Today is my birthday!

Caroline and Katherine spent the afternoon working on my cake - I could be in the kitchen and take pictures (of course!), but I could not look at their creation until later!






So here it is! See that cluster of pink off to the right of center? It's a troublemaking cluster of pinkness. Just wait!






Katherine, in charge of transporting the cake from counter to table, almost lost her eyebrows in the process. She handled it well, and did not drop the cake!




I did not blow out all of the candles in one breath, maybe not even in two!

After all, now that I've hit the middle of my forties I shouldn't be expected to do much more than hang on for the ride, right?!

Hmm. I'm kidding, though if that means being pampered all the way to the end, I might consider it!

Our kids on my birthday

Katherine turning 10 1/2 today, Caroline just over 13, Morgan so very close to 15 1/2 and her learner's permit, and Will on the downhill side of 5 1/2!

Christmas Take Two

It's been years since we've celebrated Christmas twice. This year, "Christmas Take Two" was made necessary by Great Grandmother Canady's illness and passing. Because she was so ill her children needed to be with her, and therefore Grandmama and Granddaddy could not be here for our usual Christmas day festivities.

So once every one was back at home and rested, we celebrated here, with some non-traditional food, but some very traditional gift opening!

Will is modeling the tree man's lips!

Granddaddy get a lot of help opening his gifts - check out his warm Go Deacs!/Go Mustangs! blanket!



What could Grandmama be opening?

Gracie was blessed with a lint roller back massage.

With the presents gone, Wonder Dog Gracie claimed her special spot under the tree.

**That tree has its own story, one claimed by Wags Outside, but never told. You'll have go there and bug him about that. I'm just happy to have a tree that holds ALL of our ornaments - from my red yarn doll that I made in Girl Scouts in the 70s to the snowman straw hat that Will made this year in Kindergarten, and all those lovely handmade ornaments from the years in between.

Feed the Dog

The new year started out all sweetness and ice cream for the dog in our midst. She seems to appreciate the treat yet behaves no better than before. As we celebrate our third new year with this unruly beast I've come to the conclusion that she probably does have the upper hand. All she has to do is bark or scratch and she gets what she wants - maybe I should try that!

Happy New Year! I'm expecting the best in 2009!