29 October 2010

KidBits October 2010

KidBits is my way of posting a little about each of the ladies and Jay. It's nothing huge, and mainly for the grandparents, but, feel free to come along...

Rachel dressed like this for school. Groovy. Homecoming week in Junior High included a court and dressing up in different themes through the week. This was Rae on decade day. I wish I had taken a picture on nerd day. She rocked that one, too!

Samantha went our to feed the dogs last week and found this beautiful chicken on the hood of her Dad's car. Really? She wanted to keep it. James and I wanted to serve it with BBQ sauce. In the end, we gave her to our friend who has a roost of six chickens in her backyard. Red Velvet, as Samantha named her, will be very happy there.

Charlotte is our resident chef-in-training. This lady is all about the kitchen. Last week she made French toast. Her specialty is sandwiches and she always reminding me what we need at the store. She wants to be a chef one day and we are thinking that it's a great idea!


Josephine had her first field trip, which meant her first ride on a school bus. She saw the Wizard of Oz at the high school, put on by the drama classes. The very next day, she had a second field trip, this time to the pumpkin patch. Kindergarten is great fun!


Jay is speaking in paragraphs now and sings along with the radio, which is dang cute. He loves anything that involves a ball. He has even caused a delay of game at Rachel's soccer game, because he was on the field chasing their ball. That's my boy. He throws, kicks, punts, catches, bats and chases any ball he sees. This sometimes includes round fruit. Whenever I say, Jay, let's go to the van. He always says, Ball come, Momma? So sweet.

And, a few goof ball shots. Just because the kids like to act like goof balls in public.....

27 October 2010

Demonaters

How fitting that a girls soccer team with a Halloween-ish type name - DEMONATERS - should end it's season so close to Halloween! Rachel was one of two goalies and played in every game mostly as the goalie, and occasionally coming out to play defender. She is pictured here with her friend Kayla. At the end of the year pizza party, Rae's coaches said a little bit about each girl on the team. Coach said Rae was spunky, worked hard at practice and was not afraid to get after the ball, no matter how many kicks she took. Demonators lost only two of ten games and traveled as far as an hour to play some talented teams. Great season, Rachel. I bet you have many more!

26 October 2010

Hick's Farm

We found a local taste of the season: Hick's Farm! We'll show you...


haybale mazes for the little guys. Sorry Jay's eyes are shut - it was a bright sunshiney day.
cornfield mazes for the big kids - it was about three acres. I got lost...



farm animals to feed


Samantha used her whole hand as the calf's bottle...



hayrides - nothing haunted. Except those goat's eyes. Creepy...



digging for treasure


friendly scarecrows in the field



pony rides
Local friends can call me and I'll give directions. We had a great day out with friends and fresh air. But I didn't take any pictures in the pumpkin patch...

04 October 2010

Joey is Six

Six fingers? Six years old? Can it be? Yes, it is true. Josephine Lisette is SIX! For Joey's sixth "purse-day" she wanted to make purses with her friends and eat Boston Creme Pie. And so we did just that. Plus doughnuts on a string; great fun.

Decorating Purses :::: No hands!

The "loot" :::::: Sign from school
The paper Joey is holding is the teacher's notes to the kids on what will happen that day in kindergarten. Joey got to bring it home on her birthday and it reads: "Happy Birthday Josephine. Today is October 1, 2010. We will make applesauce today. We will go to P.E. today." Joey reports that the applesauce was fun, but not too tasty. She was really excited, too, because hers was the first birthday of the class so far. She felt like everyone at school knew it was her birthday. Her teacher made a big deal of it. Line leader, seat up front for storytime, helper to pass out snacks, all the good stuff!

Later we went shopping with the gift card from GrandDad and GrandMa (thank you!) and Joey picked out a FurReal Bear Cub that makes noises and snores when it sleeps! She named it Savannah.

At six, Joey can ride a two wheeler (to school, even) and write her full name. She is still reluctant to get out of the van or out of the house to head to school in the morning, but, her teacher reports that she is happy and involved while she is there. Joey says she is a "popular" girl and she has lots of friends. She can set the table, put all her clothes away and change diapers, although non e of those activities are really what she wants to do. Joey loves to dance, sing and be outside. She is funny without even trying and has quite the imagination. We all love you, Joey!

03 October 2010

Maryland

I have an amazing sister in law. Her name is Tina, but, since that's my name, we call her Abbie. She is feisty and sweet, all mixed in the perfect proportion. This picture with her and my brother, Eric, was taken while they were enjoying a Caribbean resort after one of Eric's many, many deployments. Army life might not have been her choice, but, she makes it work because Eric IS her choice. They act like newlyweds, still.


So when Eric was about to turn 40 I was asking her what outrageous idea she had. I knew it would be big. It was. She said, Beans, I am flying you and Sydney (pictures later, Eric's daughter, who lives in New Hampshire) to Maryland to surprise Eric - you'll be here for four days, okay? I told her I could be packed and at the airport in less than an hour!

For four days I was in Maryland. I met Eric at the airport, spent the next two days with our parents and other brother, David, at our folks house. We relaxed and chatted and chatted. It was great. And thanks, Ma, for the scrapple for breakfast - fanTAStic!!

The next two days were a different kind of great - the saltier kind. We went down to the shore, where we all grew up, and Eric had his birthday bash with Abbie's side of the family, and I had some down time with the ocean. Ahh. I missed it.

Some photo highlights:

I think I had crabs with almost every meal - steamed, crab cakes, crab balls, crab dip, crab imperial, ahhhh, yum! ::::::: Me with Ma and Dad, September 2010

Eric's Kids: Sydney (18), Tyler (15) and Gavin (9)
Eric with an Ocean City staple - Thrasher's Fries.

Me in the Atlantic and the Kites on the beach.
It was raining and misty, so the pictures aren't good.

Thank you , Abbie and Eric - I had an amazing trip. Oh, and Eric, Happy Birthday, by the way!
Eric, Sydney, Me, David, Ma and Dad: September 2010