Little Blue Box...

A few weeks ago, Chris called me about 4:00 on Friday afternoon and told me that he was leaving work early and he would not be home until about 9:00pm. He said he was going to go get a Christmas present for me and it was going to take him a while. WHAT?! Most of you know I can't stand surprises. I like them...it just kills me to not know! What was he doing and where was he going?

On Christmas morning Chris gave me a small box to open. The box had a green paper loop in it. It was one that Carson had torn off of his Christmas countdown chain and given to me a few days before. Carson had said it was a gift from his heart...a new earring for me. I was puzzled. Chris explained that he wanted to do something for me that was really special. Something I would be able to give Lauren someday. Then he gave me a small blue box with a red bow. I KNEW that box!!! I just could not believe that I was actually holding one.

I tucked away my old silver hoops in the little blue box and replaced them with the gift my husband and children gave me. He could have given me anything in the world and I honestly would have loved it because it came from his heart (the best kind of gift). He amazes me at how thoughtful he is.

Someday they will belong to Lauren...but she can't have my box! :)

More kitchen pics

Please follow this link for my Pink Saturday post. I am not sure what happened to my link, but it is not correct.....thanks for visiting! This link will take you to a slide show of my daughter's pink room!
http://grubefamilyblog.blogspot.com/

Facelift...

Over the last 8 1/2 years we have spent countless hours in the yard planting, replacing floors, painting, etc. One night we decided on a new project. We had a cedar arbor and shutters built for our house. We knew the perfect person to consult. My brother-in-law, Rick, designed and installed them. Chris applied the timber oil. Every project gives us new ideas. I have a few new ideas in mind, but I have to wait until the "dust" from this project settles.

Santa...

Here are a few pictures from Christams Eve and Christmas Day.

Carson decided to dress up as Santa...himself. I think he did a good job organizing his costume.

Santa brought La a kitchen, which she played with ALL day...go Santa!!!

Carson wrote Santa an extra letter asking him to please bring him some sunglasses. CUTE!

Really?

You have to be kidding...Lauren needs new shoes. This kid's foot has grown faster than any I have ever seen. I figured that it was time for a size check when she started pulling her shoes off in the car each day after school. Yep, here we "grow" again. I don't remember Carson's foot growing so fast.

We went to our favorite shoe store (we need stock in this co.) and they measured little big foot. Size 7. However, they had NO size 7 brown shoes. REALLY?! Did I miss a rush on shoes? So, I am now online searching for a brown & black pair...not to mention a pair of tennis shoes. Wonder if it's too late to call Santa?
:)

Another Santa video:
http://portablenorthpole.sympatico.msn.ca/watch/b5f2b5ae4752c0be72fe7c6f5e15b42e

You should have seen Carson watching this. He hid is face each time Santa said his name. We also saw Santa at the mall the other day and he did the same thing...pure excitement!!!

Enjoy it!

Santa's NICE list

Looks like Santa put Carson and Lauren on his NICE list:
Carson
Lauren
(PS- all my non-tech buddies...Click on their names...they are hyperlinked...)

One of my "parents" at school told me about this....what a clever idea...I can't wait to show Carson and Lauren!!!

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Spend time with those you love and enjoy your blessings.

I thank God for mine each day...

See previous post...

Didn't I just post about NOT turning your back for a second??? Who knew that Lauren could find my purse, sift through all the junk, & find my lip gloss in approximately 3.2 seconds? Well, she can...the picture proves it. Guess I need to invest in the clear stuff....

Don't turn your back...

Our children have taught us many things. Probably one of the most important, DON'T TURN YOU BACK...not even for a minute. This is what I found as I was making them lunch today. Don't even ask how they managed to get the jar away from me because I did not even see it. Notice who actually has the jar! Caught red-handed.

We are still in our PJ's...the best kind of Saturday!

Holiday excuses

I would love to blame the holidays on the fact that I have not posted in 3 weeks, but they are just getting started. With a few days off from school I am going to try and take advantage of the time and update.

Yesterday Carson had been planning a special day...decorating the house for Chris while he was at work. He made me promise not to tell of our plan. So, we decorated it and when Chris got home it was all sparkly and "Christmased" out. I think Chris was a little suspicious when we asked him to get all 4 tubs of decorations down from the attic.

Enjoy the pics...yes, all 10 of L by her tree...I couldn't decide so I just included them all! :)
Oh, yes you will see an appearance by Darth Vader as well if you are really paying attention.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lauren's new job

Lauren has a new job at our house. She loves to do laundry which is great for me because I always seem to have a ton to do. You can tell by the pictures that doing laundry is very tiring!!!

Festival

The kids had their Fall Festival at school on Friday night. Here are a few pictures of Little Red Riding Hood and Luke Skywalker.

Not from a can...

Don't tell anyone that I can actually cook...then I might have do do it more often! I admit it. I really enjoy cooking. I think a lot of people don't. One of my husband's favorite things is cinnamon rolls. We received the new coffee maker we ordered this week so I decided to make his favorite treat to accompany them. YUM, homemade cinnamon rolls.

New Book...

Carson brought this book out to me the other night and said, "Mommy, I think you will be very surprised when I read this to you!" He was supposed to be sleeping. He does not like to sleep. Why would he? There are more interesting things to do.

Yes, I was very surprised when he read the book to me. He read it to his Nana when she stopped over on Friday afternoon. He asked us a while back if he could have quiet reading time each night before bed. So, we allow him to read in his room for 30 minutes alone after family storytime. I am so glad he loves to read!

Little Bow

Somehow the nickname "Bow" has stuck. Maybe b/c she always has her bow in her hand, mouth, and sometimes in her hair. If it falls out she runs up to us and says, "Bow, Bowwww, Bow". Here is Bow in her new Pj's...she kept staring at her feet and trying to get them off.

Full of questions...

Carson's question of the day.....
"Mommy, does our body have gravity inside it?"

Honestly he must get this stuff from his Dad....he cracks me up!

Update

I figured I would update my blog a little bit. I was getting bored with the old background. I have lots to post this weekend.

Check back soon...

Family

They mean the world to me...

Boys

Just wanted to post some pics of Carson's room. I love his room. It just makes us smile. It really fits him. Inspired by his Daddy, but created by Mommy...

A little of this & that...

Don't let his cuteness fool you! :) We went to the book fair at his school today. Carson picked out some books and I got Lauren a book called, "Pinkalicious"! I was eyeing it at our book fair this week. I figure she will enjoy it once she will sit longer than five minutes to hear a story. Carson is going on his first field trip next week. Yes, I am nervous. Funny, I am a teacher who is always reassuring parents that their children will be safe, not to worry, etc...when the tables are turned I understand EXACTLY how they feel. I may need to do some extra yoga or something next week!

They are going to Master Kim's Karate...he is so EXCITED. Oh, I meant CHRIS!!! I bet you thought I was talking about Carson. I think he is going to go. For those who don't know, he is an avid Kung Fu student. A huge passion of his. So, I will send him with the camera if he decides to "crash" Carson's field trip.
Stay tuned...

Pig Tails

I have waited almost 19 months to post this! OK, so I did not have a blog 19 months ago, but I HAVE waited 19 months for PIG TAILS. No, not mine, Lauren's...drum roll please!!!!!

Yes, I am really "that" excited about them. I just think they are adorable. Any moms want to give me advice on how to fix her hair w/o having to wrestle her to the ground? Right now I give her a toothbrush and turn on the water so she can play in it, but it is still so hard to get them straight!

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little."
~Plato

Quite an interesting picture...
I am sure you are wondering why in the world I am posting a picture of a blurry dollar bill, in an old frame, that is matted with corrugated cardboard...

This is the first dollar I ever made...well, from a REAL paycheck. I babysat quite often when I was younger, but this is from my very first paycheck. I worked at a daycare center and taught the after school children. I loved it! This type of job continued through college when I taught after school kids again for several years through the Boys & Girls Club.

OK, so why the dollar?? My Dad asked me to give him the first dollar from my check. For the longest time it was "thumb tacked" on the wall beside his bed. It used to make me smile when I would see it just floating on the wall beside the closet. My dad framed it himself and gave it to me about the time I left for college. It sat in Carson's room until last week. I discovered him trying to put it in his bank...I explained why it was so important to me. We have always taught Carson the value of money and why hard work is very important. Also, nothing is truly free & money does not grow on trees! Blah, Blah, Blah...boring parent talk! Now, it is on the bookshelf up high enough so little hands can't reach it. Especially little hands that realize that money does not grow on trees, but "'finders keepers" :)

September 3, 1940

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood.

Today would have been my Dad’s 68th birthday. I cannot believe that it has been almost 3 years since he passed away. I vowed that his birthday would always be a special day. I know that he had a much bigger calling. In my Dad’s passing he inadvertently taught me many lessons much like when he was here. Those lessons I will pass on to my own children. My son only remembers his Papa through pictures. He calls him his Angel Papa. My daughter never got to meet him. Although I like to think that he kissed her when she was sent from heaven to be our tiny princess! I smile when I see him in them.

Here are some of the best memories I have of my Dad…in no particular order of course:

· Every Monday when I was in high school he put my lunch money and gas money on the counter in the bathroom.
· He read the paper every day.
· My Dad loved to grill. Every Saturday night we had steak…EVERY Saturday night.
· He loved his front porch swing.
· Sometimes my Dad could be really silly…not very often, but often enough to know that his hard exterior was not so hard.
· He hated to be late!
· I never remember him missing a day of work when I was young.
· My dad dyed his hair once to cover they gray and it turned black…then it turned orange when he tried to fix it… It was really funny! I don’t think he appreciated the humor of the situation until years later.
· I always knew how proud I made him even if he did not always say it. Some things you just know.
· He made sure I always had what I needed & much of what I wanted.
· He bought me an apple tree. When that one had to be cut down, he bought me another one.
· When my Dad said I could not have a cat…I asked Santa! Santa gave me a cat that year.
· Every birthday I received a card filled with money representing each year of my life. My last card held $29.
· The last time I spoke to my Dad we talked about my son, ate life-savers candy, and laughed because I told him I was sorry I could not smuggle a Snickers into the hospital.

OK, I could go on forever. Whatever life throws your way today be happy that you are alive to enjoy it. Learn a lesson from something and reflect on how it can make you a stronger individual. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Life is way too short!
Happy birthday Dad…I miss you! ~BB

PRAY

To all of my family & friends:

Please say a prayer for my friend Amy's sister, Ashley. She is about 1 hour north of New Orleans riding out Hurricane Gustav. Last I heard, she is at the veterinary hospital w/ her belongings. I can't imagine how scary this must be for her.

She was also in the Caribbean (sorry I can't remember the name of the island) at vet school when Ivan came through a few years back.

Please pray for Ashley and her family! I know they would appreciate it!!!!

Lauren SINGS

Yes, I know I am posting like mad, but I don't really have time to during the week now with school starting back....so I am determined to keep you busy for atleast the next 5 minutes reading about things the kids are up to....

Lauren's new accomplishments:
She is a singer. Well, not really words, but the tunes. She can now hum ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, and Wheels on the Bus! My favorite is Wheels on the Bus. She does the hand movements. Very cute when she hums: The baby on the bus goes Whaaa, Whaaa, Whaaa...& rubs her eyes.

I figured it out on the way home from Hendersonville yesterday. I heard her singing and turned to watch her. I picked up the tune as I saw her moving her hands for the wheels, "shushing" for the parents, & crying for the baby.

Carson's BIG leap

OK, not so much a leap, but a big feat! Carson learned to cross 9 "monkey Bars" today! That is what Chris told me. I was not there to see it. :(

ALL BY HIMSELF.

Now, some of you may be thinking that is not a huge thing, but if you know Carson it totally is. My little guy is TINY! He is barely 30 pounds and a munchkin compared to some his age. This kid has a huge heart and tons of competitiveness to go with it. He has been determined to cross the monkey bars for a while now. In true "Monkey" fashion (you may recall that has been our nickname for him since he was less than a week old) he crossed them with ease.

Way to go tiny Monkey!

Weekend Adventures

Yesterday we ventured up to Hendersonville, NC. We went to the Apple Festival. My good friend Amy is always great about reminding me about upcoming festivals. I can never keep them straight! Carson loved walking around. I t was pretty hot, but we had a cool breeze blow every now and then. Lauren loved riding in the stroller looking around at all the people. On the way home we did one of our favorite things...we found something to explore. We followed the signs to Campbell's Covered bridge. If you look at the pic below you can read about it. Carson got to explore a little. The men who were also there saw a huge black snake. Carson and Chris went to check it out, but it was nowhere to be seen...YIKES...glad Lauren and I opted to stay in the truck. I am not fond of snakes....enjoy our adventures!

Campbell's Covered Bridge built in 1909

Looking for the black snake

Lauren...awww...isn't she cute!

10, 9, 8...BLASTOFF

This is Carson & Lauren watching a video of a space shuttle launch. Carson is fascinated by space...Lauren was just along for the ride! Carson told me that he and Chris were going to go to space one day...

K4...Here we come!!!

Carson started K4 today. Yeah, I know I have been talking about it for weeks! He had a super day. On the way home, we stopped at my favorite place (can you guess where) and he got a cookie. He said, "Mommy, I will share w/ Lauren b/c that is what you do in K4." What a sweetie.

Breakfast before school...

Carson outside of K4

Carson & his teacher....we LOVE her!!!

OK, this is totally Carson's personality! "Quit it D-A-D-D-Y!!!"

A girl can never have to many...

SHOES!!! Lauren, Gigi, and I went to the mall today to buy Lauren more shoes. Hey, a girl can't live in tennis shoes. About a month ago I think I posted about this very subject.....GIRLS! WOW!!! My boy is easy to buy for. T-shirts, jeans, khakis...boys are really easy. Girls on the other hand have too much "stuff". Yeah, I know I am a "girl", but I am pretty simple. I am not a big fashionista. I just don't get into fashion. Now, that brings me to shopping for L. A different story altogether. We went in search of brown & black Mary Janes. I sure am glad that Carse does not need a pair of shoes in every color under the sun to match all 900 of his outfits. A slight exaggeration, but if you have a girl you know exactly what I mean! She looks adorable in them. Hmmmm, maybe I should have bought the super cute red pair too. ;)

1 year ago

Time flies. This was them a year ago...I know, it is really hard to believe. I appreciate every day & thank God for all my blessings.

Yep, that really is my cell phone.

Artwork

I picked Carson up from his last day of K3. He begins K4 on Monday! He is very excited. When I picked him up he had a very interesting collection of "stuff' in his cubby. First, he handed me a leaf he found on the playground. He told me it was for me to wear in my hair. So, of course I had to try and keep it in all afternoon. Next, he showed me a nut & bolt, some twigs, a quarter, a piece of red felt, 2 dead leaves, and a few strands of mulch. It really made me laugh. He told me he had been saving them all week to take home and make a skeleton. Below is his skeleton. We worked together to complete it this afternoon. If you look really closely, you can see that the head is that of George Washington. I was quite interested in his choice for the hair too. He told me that it was really me once we put the "hair" on. :)

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
Thomas A. Edison

LONG DAY...

We had our "Meet the Teacher" day today. I got to meet all but one of my 18 students. They are all so very cute. I have a set of twins in my classroom. Ironically enough I also have a students who has twin baby brothers. I need to get those mama's together!

I realized two things:
1- My "baby boy" is so close to going to school. This is the year of "the lasts"...last year going to school alone, last year going to PTA alone, etc.

2- Most parents see their children with the "same eyes". Teachers "see" them differently. My new students were doing the same things my own children would do. As a teacher I saw them playing & exploring their new home. Their parents saw them getting into things. I realized the parent side of me would say the same things some of them did. Only I would probably include "the look", but my teacher side told parents, "You know, I have a son almost their age. Let them play they are having fun." It is really funny how we see things so very differently when it is our own.

Enough of my philosophical insight. I am just constantly reminded of how much children teach us about ourselves every day!
:)

It is FINISHED!!!

My room is done. I put the final touches on it today. I just need to add my students' names to my bulletin board on t-shirts & hang them on the clothes line. I hung the window curtain that my Mother-in-law so graciously made. I also arranged some throw pillows (lets hope they don't actually get thrown) & a couple of bird's nests (thanks again Gretchen!!). I LOVE it. I also had a couple of my very good friends stop by. They brought their kids. I loved watching them in my classroom. I think they O.K.'d it & I passed the kid inspection. I also picked up Carson & Lauren a bit early and brought them to see it. Carson was SO excited. I took him by a K-5 class where he proceeded to give it his O.K. He talked about it all afternoon. So, here's to another great year....minus all the old comforts of home (WES). Most of you will understand that!

Enjoy the pics...it could be a while before I post again. My life is about to get VERY busy...at least until Christmas. 135 days till my next big break...but who's counting??