The Packer

Here is a random thought... okay, not so random since I had to do most of the work but...

Is the Mom normally the packer for the entire family for the entire trip? I am the designated Packer. So I wonder, what would happen if I just decided to pack my own things? I say this from the kindest place in the tiny black stone that used to be my heart before I started packing. (if anyone in my family is reading this that is meant to be a joke)

Wouldn't that be a fun experiment? I am chuckling to myself just thinking about it.

Birthday Cake

I had a great birthday but the cake... WOW!

It came from the The Olde Towne Bakery in Moline. If you haven't been there than take a trip across the river to get a sugar cookie.

Brace Face

Gigi

Greta

They are so cute with their braces. I told the girls that I could have bought five or six of my first car with what their new grills cost. It is worth every penny.

Egg Toss

If you can't find the egg in this one... look at the bottom right corner of the garage.

Looking for the egg... in the grass above the trash can on the street.

Are you ever trying to come up with short fun activities to do with your kids? We struggle with that one... it has to be something everyone enjoys.

Why not an egg toss?!?!

I have to tell ya' that farm fresh eggs are much tougher than the store bought eggs. We get our eggs from Ms. Effie's and those chickens are not skimping on their vitamins. They bounced a couple of times until they broke. It made it that much more fun because we could get a bit crazy with our tosses.

It Made Me Cry

This is an NPR recording of a wife's thoughts about her husband's redeployment. I am stronger because of Gene's deployments but they hurt my heart - some moments in life change you forever.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129909819

Christmas Cards Already

We had a beautiful day on Sunday.... well, the weather was beautiful. It isn't always a good time when you go out to try to take your perfect Christmas Card picture. The girls are over it after the third click and then I have to start promising Pokemon cards for smiles.

My stunningly beautiful and disgruntled subjects took some great pics but now I have to pick one for the oh so important Christmas card. Which one do you like best?

Gigi is Crazy Good

I am guilty! I admit it. There may be occasionally a day after school while I am standing at the counter going through homework, signing planners, "listening" to pleas and bribes about chores that I may miss a few pages of their completed papers. For the most part, I find the important stuff.

It was divine intervention that I found this one... scribbled on the back of a sheet of homework that was stapled in a collection of at least 1,000 homework papers. This is exactly what Gigi wrote (except for my comments in red):

My name is gigi and I have three positive personality traits. My first one is that I'm a crazy good friend. I come up with amazing ideas and I always knows whats right. (love that one...knows!!) My second trait is that i'm a good student. I love science and reading so bad that I want just those. (true that) I always listen to my teacher too. (the teacher added a smiley face here.) My last trait is that I'm funny. I always know what joke can cheer you up!

Creepy Crawlies

This was taken at Vander Veer Park last weekend. It was chilly enough that the dragonfly was slow and didn't want to budge.

It is amazing what you can find when you clean out the garage.

This Lovely Lady or gentleman was in the corner of the garage behind the tools. I'd guess there weren't many missed meals. It was as big as my fist... and slow.

Isn't life exciting!