Fun with Dad

Ride em' cowboy!

Grateful thursday

Okay, so now I realize I have missed a couple of grateful thursdays! It wasn't that I didn't have anything to be grateful about, I just simply forgot! Today I am grateful for the simple pleasures that bring fun into our lives. This week Cody and I met up with his brother Kenny and Kenny's Mom (and my friend) Monica. We ate a good meal and then the kids wanted to go bowling. $3.75 a game these days.....yikes. Used to be a $1.50 back when Tom and I bowled. With that aside it was fun to watch them try and get spares, or get over excited when they got strikes. That was one simple pleasure. The other was getting to sit down with my friend and have a conversation about anything and everything. It's those simple joys in life that should mean the most to us. I was trying to think of times when my kids said or did something that just hit me with such fun. One particular time I remember was once when we were at Kings Family resturant not very long ago, we were all talking and out of the blue Jordan said "Mom", to which I was in the middle of eating and could not respond. So he tried again, "Mom" he said in a very sly voice, making me wonder what was coming next, "I'm not wearing any underwear"! "Want to see"? Well at that moment I just looked at him and as it processed through my head I burst into laughter. Those are the times I mean, those silly not expecting it kind of times when joy sneeks into our lives. My wish for everyone today would be that you feel that today in some way, underwear or not!

"leftovers"

Here's a couple of "leftover" pictures that I forgot to post. Cody with easter baskets and Jordan playing with his marbles game while home on vacation! It's really fun to see him problem solving and using critical thinking while he's playing it. Oh how fun it is to watch a 7 year old brain doing its thing!

help

I got a little help with meals on wheels this week. Oh the ladies just love when he comes. They give him candy and love on him. I have a couple on my route who have been married for over 70 years!!!!!! Can you imagine? They are so cute. ANyway, Cody was back to school today so Jordan came to help. Now if spring would come back we would really be happy. Yesterday was the Pirates home opener and it was in the 30's. They have a thing they do at the game where the crowd has 3 choices of songs and according to how much applause each one gets they then play the winner. Well yesterday instead of a song the crowd picked a virtual fireplace to try and keep warm at the game!

Egg nite!

So tonight was egg dying night. We had three dozen. I think there will be alot of egg salad sandwiches next week! Tom was gonna let his soak overnight, and as you can see we make quite a mess. But then again that's half the fun!

Looks like Cody is treating his like fine art, taking his time and making each egg just right!

While Jordan is just going for the quick dip method!
Okay so who's method do you think worked out the best? Actually they all looked nice but Jordan got just a little greener! Hope everyone has a blessed and very Happy Easter!

by the way that is a portrait of Cody that Tom did in the front there! He said "Dad, you gave me glasses, big eyes, a small nose and a big mouth. I'd say it's just about right!

Projects

Here is one of my newest "Crafty projects" as the kids like to call them. These are both made from a wool sweater that I bought at the Goodwill store. The purse is made from the body and the camera case is made from the sleeve. It is felted in the washing machine and then it can be cut and made into something else. I even sewed small seed beads onto the bottom of the purse but you can't see them well in this picture. I just wish I could figure out how to make money doing this stuff!

Cody's ballad

Cody had to write a ballad for school. He could choose any subject. He chose to write about the first time we went to the beach and he was in the hotel room and was in this "frenzy" where he was running around like a crazy person and he saw the ocean out the patio door and ran to see it and ran SMACK into the glass sliding door. So here now for your reading pleasure is "Ballad by Cody".

On my way to the beach
What a blast it would be
I thought very little
about what Mom would do to me.

When we reached the room
I was quiet at the spot
My Mom was good at pranking
And I knew I was caught

That night before dinner
My Mom cleaned the glass door
She knew I was going to hit hard
So she put a cushion on the floor

When she finished cleaning up
She would make some ham
She dissappeared on the spot
Then she yelled "Do you want that with jam"?

After we ate Mom's dinner
I kind of jumped the gun
I didn't know where I was going
And I got a hole in one

As I lay on the floor
My Mom's face was tearstained
I got all red in the cheeks
And my back was in pain

My Mom helped me get up
I l;aughed at myself in pity
She said she would remember this
The time I was so giddy

As my vacation came to an end
I never forgot the day
I ran into the door

And I put on a big display!

Disclaimer:

Contrary to what it says here.......I did not plan for him to run into the door! He did that all on his own!

new game

Anyone like connect four? Here's a link to an online game just like it. Have fun!



http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/balls/balls.html

park too

King of the hill!

One Cool dude!

Park

Its our first trip to the park since last fall. Cody was in school. It was 70' and we figured all the "big kids" would be in school. Look a one hander!

March madness

This is what you look like when you stay up till 2 o'clock in the morning playing games at church. Cody went to march madness at church last night. It's a super fun, super cool sleepover at our church. He got duct taped to the wall, played army dodgeball where if you are hit in the arm, say, then you lose that arm and can't catch anything with that arm, ect. And tons of other fun games. I think the best part was staying up "late"! I don't think anyone's underwear got frozen but you can ask him next time you see him!

spring

Look what I found in the yard!!!!! Yipee, bring on spring!!!

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Here's a link to all those who "be wearing the green" today. Go to this site you can click to see the St. Patrick's day parade live from Dublin! Cool Huh? http://www.ireland.com/events/st.patricks/

2nd place

Cody won a 2nd place ribbon in the science fair. Each project got some kind of ribbon, honorable mention (which is like an A), 3rd place (which is like an A+), 2nd place (Which is like an A++) and 1st (which is like an A+++). So for his project he earned a 2nd place ribbon. Unfortunetly he didn't place in the overall standings but we are still thrilled with his earned ribbon. And it boosts his science grade. Way to go!

science fair

The mad scientist strikes again!!! Rahhhhhhhahaha! Okay he isn't mad just relieved to be done. Here's Cody's entry into the 6th grade science fair at school. It's next week so I'll let you know how it goes. Science isn't really his cup of tea, he's more a math "man". Wish him luck!

Grateful thursday

Here we are again......another grateful thursday. My kids have had their bath and gone to bed for the night and all is quiet in the house. Yet even while they sleep thoughts are still running through my head about the day, the week, the month. I can't help thinking about their education. Cody has been having a rough time at school lately, bullies, having his stuff stolen all the time, learning "new, colorful" words and phrases (and even some nice gestures to go along with those words). And so we are faced once again with the dilemma of homeschooling. But I am also grateful tonight that we live in a country where there are too many choices when it comes to our kids education. Public, private, homeschool? I don't know if many of you saw the Oprah special the other night about the school that she built in Africa but I was so moved by the strength and determination of those girls. How they are able to overcome so many obstacles in their life. Most of us would give up or blame our circumstances for our problems, maybe we would say that it wasn't God's plan for us, but not these wonderful young women. We take so much for granted in our lives. So today I am grateful to God that he has put us in this place at this time. And that we have choices and that we have SO MUCH, we are some of the wealthiest people on the planet, we just need to recognize it more. (by the way if anyone is wondering we are 95% positive we are homeschooling next year. It is so great, they learned so much and so did we. And they are learning about life, not by reading books but by actually experiencing it)

evenings excitement

We lead such exciting lives. Jordan is in the tub and Cody and Tom are playing checkers. (Of course Tom can't just let the kid win, as you can see here he's all serious about his next move) wouldn't want to be out "kinged" by a 12 year old! If you want to know the results it'll be on ESPN tonight at 11.

Grateful Thursday!

Today I've decided to start something new. Grateful thursdays. As I sit here with one of my sons upstairs in bed because he is home from school with a fever, I must stop and give gratitude to God that this is the major problem we are having today. I can give him some medicine and send him to bed and in a few hours or so he'll be up running around the house being the rambunctious boy he always is. But I can't help but think about my cousin and his daughter, Jenna, who was diagnosed with AML at age 9, in 2004. She underwent chemotherapy and was in remission for 16 months. Then in May of last year they discovered she had a relapse. In July of 2006 she underwent a cord blood transplant and was in the hospital several months. She is home now but cannot go to school or be around other kids very long for fear of exposure to germs. Her immune system is still recovering. We have been so blessed as a family. That God would even bring us all together in the first place, that he would entrust Tom and I to the care of 2 of his very own. That neither boy has ever seen the inside of a hospital. If you have a healthy child today, give them an extra hug. Tonight when you say your prayers give thanks to God for all he has blessed you with and for the strength to endure whatever lies ahead. Stop for one moment today and be grateful for those who bring blessings to your life!

Here is a fun online game that was sent to me. It's called catch thirty three. In tiny red squares the numbers from 1 - 32 come up all over the screen adn the object is to touch each square in order with you cursor. It's a timed thing. It'll drive you crazy and at the same time keep you thoroughly amused! try it.

http://flash.abunawaf.com/2005/12/game33.swf

Birthday Party

As you can see from this super cool skateboard cake today we had Jordan's 7th birthday party!

Make a wish...............

Uncle Dayne and cousin Alexis

Best buddies from school. Class of 2018!

Checking out all his new nascar collector cards.........

Get the ball!!!!!!! They played basketball and soccer. It was more running off energy than anything but fun was had by all!