Great Intentions

I've always heard that hell is full of people with good intentions. I can't believe it's been over a month since I've even looked at this BlogSpot. All the same usual busyness but with an out of whack thyroid.. I've been tired. I'm on the upswing, and back in business.

Makenzie's 9th birthday came and went.. with NO party. We are planning a skating party, but wanted to wait until after Mason's birthday party. Poor third baby. His 4th birthday was August 28th, and he's still not had a party. I had a GREAT idea to have a 4 and 1/2 party for him yesterday. It's been on my calendar for months. February 28th= 4.5 years of life for him. Perfect party time. However, he asked for 3 friends from school to be invited, and 2 of the 3 were sick. So we canceled yet once again. Maybe we'll make it a 4.75 party.

I'll keep you posted!

Giggles, Screaming, and Drama X 8 = Slumber Party

WOW~! I am tired tonight. We survived a first in our family last night. Our first slumber party. Madison invited seven 10/11 year olds to celebrate her 11th birthday with her. We went to the mall and spent a couple of hours doing what 11 year olds like to do at a mall.... eat pizza and shop. Afterwards we came home and the party began. I'm not sure why that really call it a Slumber Party. I thought Slumber meant Sleep. I'm still wondering who did much of that. All in all, they had a great time. No fights, no injuries, and no pranks (at least none that Mom knows about). Madison has some great friends, and I'm proud to say another successful party can be logged into our record book.

The Crew (minus one... she couldn't join us until later)

All in the Family

Oh how I don't have time to do this.... but will make time to write about this.

Last night, Madison presented her semester project for her TREC class. (TREC is Bentonville's term for gifted and talented) Now, we've always known that Madison was quite the creative child. I tended to pride myself in the fact that she HAD to get it from me. However, last night she really amazed us.

She had to design and build a bridge alone using skewers, cardboard paper towel rolls, and other various flimsy materials. She had talked about working on this project, but I dismissed it as a mere TinkerToy project. Last night, she had to prove her ability as a bridge engineer by allowing a fellow classmate to drive a small robotics car up a ramp, across the bridge, and down the other side. A couple of the bridges before Madison's caved in as the car made its way across. I was holding my breath as the robot car proceeded up the ramp..... slowly across the bridge, and down the other side. YEA Madison!

Her Daddy, the engineer brainy one in the family, was very impressed and proud. He might just get his token engineer after all.....

Aging thoughts...

The thoughts for this entry came to me this morning on the way to school as I watched Mason in the rear view mirror. He isn't much of a morning conversationalist. None of my family is.... And it reminded me of this.....

I vividly remember overnight trips to my grandmother's house. The house had 3 bedrooms, and none of them were for the next to the youngest grandchild.... so I had the privilege of sleeping on the hide-a-bed (who dreamt that up?!?!?!?). Then it happened..... a light would come on in the kitchen and one by one the adults would file in and join my grandparents. Full voiced loud greetings, refrigerator door opening and closing, cabinets slamming, coffee perking, mouths slurping. Yes, the adults were awake, up, and ready to socialize. I would be SO disgusted that people could be so rude to not be a little quieter around sleeping people. So when does that happen? When do you fly out of bed like Mary Poppins ready to greet everyone around you? When do you get out of bed early enough to get ready, sit and drink coffee, read the paper, and still get to where you are going earlier than expected? I am nearing 40, and I am still waiting. Stan IS 40, and obviously he is still waiting. So each day when the alarm goes off, I check to see if today is the day?? Three snooze buttons later, it's not looking like today's the day either. Still waiting..........

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I am excited to say that my blog has been revamped, and is a little more appealing to look at. Thanks Jennisa for your help in the blog design. Feel free to click on her link to see the amazing things she can do.

One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to update this blog regularly. Now keep in mind that regularly is a loose term.... some weeks it might be every other day, some weeks only once a week. But my goal is at least once a week.

Today after school we had a staff development opportunity and our guest was Clayton Scott, a poet from Fayetteville. He was talking to the teachers about becoming writers and not just being teachers of writing. He brought up the idea that our writing becomes a legacy for our children. I'd never thought about writing being part of a legacy, and I thought it was a great point. So this blog for me serves as a tool for writing that my children can have later in life, and also gives me the opportunity to show my kids off to family and friends that have the power of the internet. Thanks Clayton for the additional motivation to get going on this blog.

I will end with a couple of pictures from the holidays. Enjoy my kids!

Makenzie with her favorite cousin Danielle at Thanksgiving

Madison after dancing at the NWA mall

Madison with one her best friends, Carter

(Looks like they've NEVER had their picture taken together)

Mason and his big cousin, Kirstie (nice chocolate face!)

Mason having fun with the big girls

Madison, Makenzie, and Mason Christmas 2007

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

I think each year Christmas comes earlier and earlier. Before you know it, there will be a bill going through Congress to move the Christmas date up. Some stores had Christmas decorations out for sale on the aisle next to the School Supply lists. Santa made his grand appearance at the mall last night. Madison's dance team performed for the event and then joined in the Santa parade through the mall. It was fun, and I will admit that the music did encourage my Christmas spirit hormones to begin stirring. HOWEVER... the jolly ole man used to stay at the North Pole until the last week of November. Craziness.

BTW...When is it too early to put up Christmas lights? I understand putting them up when the weather is warmer than usual... but for Pete's sake (whoever Pete is...) do NOT turn them on. I'd like to enjoy purchasing a Thanksgiving turkey before Christmas lights are turned on. I can remember vividly climbing up on the house with my dad to hang Christmas lights. But NEVER was it before Thanksgiving. I think that there is a law on the books that prohibits preThanksgiving Christmas lights. Maybe I'll spend my vacation researching that :-)




Merry Thanksgiving~~~

Lost Photo Op

The kids had a great time on Halloween night. We hosted our annual Trick or Treat Soup Gathering with family and friends. Madison HATES the ritual Taco Soup, so Nana rescued her from that fate, and brought her some plain old Chili. She was thrilled.

Madison's costume was designed and executed entirely by herself and her father. They worked for over an hour getting her to be the best Pippi Longstocking ever. I thought she was too cute.

Makenzie decided back in the summer that she was going to be a drama queen. We've teased her that everyday when she wakes up she is ready for that role. She too came up with her costume entirely by herself. However, she would take NO adult help at all. Stan had an "Oscar" trophy that we tried to get her to carry, but she wanted no part of it. She too was adorable just as she was.

Makenzie and BatGirl (Allyn Hensley)

Of course, life wouldn't be complete without our little ball of testosterone. Mason ONLY wanted to be a RED Power Ranger. Thank goodness for Wal-Mart costume buyers :-) His character came complete all the way down to the sound effects. "Ummph, I'm a POWER RANGER." And as he would say that, his arms would fold across his chest. Very lifelike!!!!

Now 10 years ago, I would've taken 100 pictures of my costumed children and paid $25.00 to have them developed. I then would've promptly scrapbooked them no later than Christmas break. Well.... as life goes..... I didn't take ANY pictures of the 3 of them together. That would be too easy. So I'll close with the only pics that I DO have. Happy FALL!!!!

Mason without the mask. He really didn't care for it that much!

Madison and Carter Tutt