More Mouths to Feed!

At Easter I put an adorable garland on my porch, it stayed out for 2 days. We discovered birds trying to build a nest in it! Then they tried to move into our porch light which has a broken piece of glass! Chased them out of there! My front porch was looking like a nest with all the pieces of twigs!!

While painting wood yesterday in the front driveway I noticed a Mom and Dad Robin quite upset. Investigation revealed the picture above! The birds moved to our side light fixture!!! Guess we were destined for renters this year!

Cozyflier

Tennis Anyone?

This is what happens when the school sends home a note stating there is a free tennis clinic! AJ decided he wanted to get back into Tennis. He hasn't had lessons since Kindergarten- he's going into 5th grade. After 2 hours of being 'introduced' to Tennis, AJ told me he wants to do camps this summer. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, $25 not a bad deal!

Cozyflier

GIS Outstanding Student!

Last Friday Tyler came home and said next Wed Mrs. Carpenter is giving me an award if you want to come over to the Advanced Technology Center. Well, this was more than just come over to the lobby of our ATC!



You all know how much Tyler loves to have his picture taken! Stephanie, my niece, had to pull his hand out from his face!!!





Tyler getting his award from school dignitaries!




Tyler & his Dad!!




The three of us. I'm having a bad hair day! Just don't look!!

I was not expecting a sit down reception with finger food! I was expecting to go in and have the teacher do some little presentation in the lobby! This was filmed for the school television channel!

Cozyflier

Amelia's Recognition

Today as you can guess was Amelia's recognition and banquet. However, we were blessed by cousins visiting from OKC, so Amelia decided she wanted to spend time with her family. She abstained from the banquet.



Coming in and all the 5th graders are getting ready to sing. This is the last recognition of elementary school.



In 5th grade the kids aren't given their awards by homeroom class. Instead they are done by height! Amelia's group is ready to receive their awards.




Achievement in language arts! This year I had both kids pegged!!!!




The special thing they do, each child gives their Mom a flower! Awe, how sweet.



After all 85 students were finished, then they presented the class gifts. One of which was this outstanding sculpture done by one of the Moms. We are the Smith Stars, so each spike of the star has one of the teachers and each student's name engraved on it!





Mother & Daughter after the ceremony!



Amelia and her teacher, Ms. Thomas.




A bit of family fun! Check out my heals!! I don't wear heals but they are comfortable!

I still can't believe that I made it through the ceremony without crying! Wow, third child must be getting easier.

Cozyflier

Play Day!

Every school year our elementary school has a BIG play day for all the kids. The PE teachers set up stuff to play with all over the school field and we have a day filled with carnival type games. Face painting, jumpers, water slide, snow cones, candy for sale, etc.

The 5th graders get to help the pre-K and kindergartners get around during their 2 hour play time in the morning. Then the room moms feed all the kids lunch, and in the afternoon, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders get to go play for 2 hours! Here are a few pictures. I didn't get many, I was working a station!



The local gas company brings over a big cooker and cooks all our hot dogs for us!!!


This won't surprise any of you! This is how AJ had his face painted! And, YES, I know he needs a hair cut, I haven't had time!!!



Amelia near the bottom of the really tall inflatable slide!






AJ on one of the inflatables. I don't know the name of this one, but you had to go to the back wall and spring out on a tether and try to grab the bean bag on the wall!





Just before the 3 O'clock bell the kids were given Silly String!! Oh what fun was had and what a mess!!

I was at school from 9am til 3pm! I was tired and burnt. I didn't have on enough sunscreen, DANG! Next week we have 1 full day of school and 2 half days then summer break!! I think all of us moms are more ready than the kids!

Happy Summer everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cozyflier

Shed Update

OK, I know it has been awhile, but that is how our life goes. The other night we got the old roof disassembled, the old floor pulled up, and nails taken out of the lumbar we are going to recycle!


This was the roof! Also the floor!




Getting the framing of the roof apart, sorting 2x4s and removing nails!




Do we need the skill saw to take things apart???



This is where things got funny. Elke, Moms dog that we are watching, proved that the name Dachshund means 'badger hunter'. When the wooden floor came up and revealed rocks like it should, the bugs came running!!!! Elke had a field day chasing bugs, burrowing for them, 'chewing' them, and killing them!



With Elke interested in chasing bugs we didn't have to worry about her roaming off into the neighborhood! I think Amelia took about 30 pictures of Elke, it really was quite entertaining! She slept well that night!

More updates will come, pray the rain holds off or this new shed may never get built!

Cozyflier

Recognition

Well, this is where part of my week has been spent! AJ's recognition ceremony was Thursday afternoon. Let me just say, I think this might be a bit overboard. A recognition ceremony every school year! Each child receives a certificate of achievement in some subject. With my older 2 boys by the time they reached middle school, going to recognition was a bore! I had to force Chris to go to graduation from High School!!




Anyway, here is AJ with is award. Achievement in Problem Solving!!! AJ was happy!




AJ with me, the friend taking the picture was sitting down, bad angle I think!



AJ with his homeroom teacher, Ms. Ray.

I have another ceremony next week, Amelia's 5th grade recognition!

Have a great relaxing Weekend!

Cozyflier

Uplifting Experience!

Playing around Sunday in the warm weather, I was in the garage tidying up. Amelia found the stilts that Kevin had made for the 'big' boys when they were little. She gave 1 set a try and got the hang of them really fast!

Some toys never go out style :-)

Cozyflier

Summer Time???

Is it summer yet? Saturday it was 52*, misty, and cloudy. Yesterday it was 90* and sunny! The kids played and played, and finally couldn't resist. I get a call while I'm at the store for my Mom. Can we hook up the Big sprinkler and play in it???(we have built in sprinklers) Sure, why not I told them!

So, this is what Amelia and AJ did for over an hour in the heat! Yep, that is my pretend backyard! Stephanie, you really think a trampoline is going to fit back there?!?



Didn't realize until I uploaded the picture that I caught them in the air!!

Take a guess at what they tried to pull before bed. I don't need a shower Mom, I played in the sprinkler!!!!! Oh, the joys of motherhood!

If I'm absent this week, please forgive. I have a crossover lunch, another meeting, recognition ceremony, and Play Day, plus take Mom to a Dr. appointment! I might see ya'll in June, after graduation!!

Cozyflier

Car Wreck - OUCH!!!!

Thank the Lord, he wasn't hurt. Tyler had a wreck Thursday. This is the result.
A big honking pick up with a tow ball stopped suddenly because the car in front of it stopped for no reason! The car then took off. Tyler put on the brakes, skidded for 30' but didn't get stopped. The ball went right through the radiator and crumpled the hood. Oh my! No ticket was issued because the 3rd car left, not knowing it caused a wreck.

Tyler is very upset. This was his first car. Yes it was a 2000 model, but he had it for 14 months and it was a reliable car.

We are playing the waiting game AGAIN with the insurance company. We just got done with them totaling Chris' car because of hail damage!

Will they total this one?? I'm not holding my breath. Stay tuned!


Under the hood!



Another view of the car!

Guess it was to much to ask that Tyler make it to age 21 without a wreck? He will be 19 in July. I'm tired of insurance claims! The Hail Storm of April 16th means we will be getting a new roof, gutters, and repairs inside from some leaks! Kevin's car just had $5ooo of damage repaired. As I said, Chris' car is totaled from hail dents and now Tyler is devastated.

Can life get any more exciting? No, wait, I didn't ask that!! Well, you know where you'll find me, I'll be at OTB having a frozen margarita!!

Cozyflier

Profiling

My son said something to me the other day that really upset me. Tyler is graduating HS and it seems that over the years in school the kids have given him grief because his dad is a Doctor and he is considered a RICH kid!

Amelia and AJ heard this and agreed, the kids assume that since their dad is a Doctor, everything is easy for them.

Why does the world profile or stereotype?

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, there is a big difference between been a heart surgeon, or dermatologist, or an OB Doctor compared to being a Family Physician.

FP's don't get high copays from the insurance companies, they don't get paid well on allowable charges from the insurance companies, and doctor bills are often considered optional to pay! The Dr. bill gets paid last and has to wait the longest. At least here in TX people are in a mind set that if they have a $300 bill that insurance didn't cover or it went to the deductible, they can pay the doctor $5 a month!

But I digress.

NOT all doctors are RICH, not all lawyers are RICH, and not all _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are poor either. Can't think of a job! But we profile and stick people into these little slots where they belong.

There are other instances where people are profiled, I'm just using this one 'angle'.

I think it is sad when the kids are affected. Sorry, I had to voice my opinion and get on my soapbox.

Cozyflier

The Walls Come Tumbling Down

Our shed hasn't been a shed for years now. We are planning on rebuilding in 13 days when Stephanie and Shawn and family arrive from OKC for graduation. Shawn likes to have a project! What better project than building a shed, right???




Tonight, we played demolish the existing structure! Even Ashley our neighbor lent a helping hand. We hauled everything out of it, mostly trash, and started kicking, swinging hammers, and crowbars!



Amelia is strong, but you can see this shed has had it!!! Peeling the walls off wasn't very hard.






We are going to recycle as much material as we can. This not only helps the environment, but saves money! So, the 2x4's and such will be reused in the new shed.



This is the 1st load of garbage taken around back to the dumpsters!

Oh my, 15 years in that shed and some of that stuff was horrible!

Stay tuned for progress reports as we get the flooring/base laid and done. We have to get that built and prepared before Shawn comes from OKC. Then, we should be able to build a scratch built shed in the 3 days that he will be here to help!

Building a shed, graduation, and a graduation party all at the same time. I must be crazy!!!

Cozyflier

On The Border

This is my favorite place to eat! Lately you can find me lunching at OTB at least 1x a week and sometimes more. The day crew knows me quite well, and one of the waiters has my standard order written in his order book!

Dirk is the friendly host who seats us, I prefer the patio, Issac is the bartender - best frozen Margaritas in town, the waiters usually are either Roger, Robert, or Patrick.




When Stephanie came to town, we of course had to eat lunch. Where else, but OTB! Sadly, due to food allergies, Stephanie can't eat Mexican, but she did enjoy a beverage!



OK, Tyler took this picture of the three us. It was very humid for Lubbock, and I let my hair go natural!!!!!!! This is Stephanie, me, and Kevin.

So, if you come through Lubbock, stop by OTB, chances are you'll find me there!

Cozyflier

Girl Time!

What do you do after a weekend of hard work? Get pedicures of course!!!!!!!!! The weekend that Stephanie came to help me clean my Mom's house we put in a lot of hard work. So, when we were finished we took my daughter and neighbor, Ashley, and got Pedicures. Then, Stephanie and I went out with a bunch of my girlfriends for Girls night out!

Anyway, here are a couple pictures of the fun during the pedicures!





I wasn't fast enough with my camera to catch Amelia and Ashley with their fingers in their mouths trying not to laugh when the bottom of the feet were being scrubbed!!

The massage chair is worth the price of the pedicure!!!!!

Have a great day!

Cozyflier

Enchanted Enchilada

Believe it or not this was AJ's get up for math!!!!!!! She had the kids bring aprons, wallets, trays, food, and 'order books'. AJ wanted a chef hat! I guess the kids took turns being the waiter and the customer. Then they had to total up the bill and figure out a tip!

Why was it called Enchanted Enchilada? That apparently was the name of the restaurant! No note home to parents, just my son coming home saying, I need, an apron, a chefs hat, play food, a tray, a ticket book, a money holder!!!!!!!! Thank goodness we have a 2 yr old next door who had play food! So, this is what he wore in math class. I never had such fun in 4th grade. My 4th grade teacher was a 1st year teacher and couldn't control the class. We would sit and copy pages from the social studies book!!!!!!!!


Do you have school memories?

Cozyflier