Today was the last day of school for Aidan, and tomorrow he and I will go to my mother's house for week long visit; we enjoy visiting Grandma and Aidan likes attend Vacation Bible School at her church. We learned yesterday that my sister-in-law, Tammie, and nephew, Michael, will travel down from Michigan for part of our visit - what a treat!
Talk to you in June - don't miss me too much!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Move over, Tyson Beckford
Yesterday was Beach Day at Aidan's school, part of the three-week long end-of-the-school-year-not-doing-any-work program. When I asked Aidan if I could take his photo in his beach outfit, he started posing:
Okay, so that isn't exactly a Tyson Beckford signature pose.
Work it, work it, own it:
And, finally, a "normal" shot:
Okay, so that isn't exactly a Tyson Beckford signature pose.
Work it, work it, own it:
And, finally, a "normal" shot:
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Oh, baby!
I looked out the back window a few minutes ago and was treated to this sight:
The baby is tiny, so she can't be very old at all. The photo is not great, because I was trying to sneak out on the deck without scaring them too much. I snapped the photo then crept back inside; as you can see Mommy Deer was keeping a very careful eye on me.
The baby is tiny, so she can't be very old at all. The photo is not great, because I was trying to sneak out on the deck without scaring them too much. I snapped the photo then crept back inside; as you can see Mommy Deer was keeping a very careful eye on me.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Under the sea
Aidan created this lovely drawing at school this past week. When I asked him about the sea creatures in it, he told me that there are two jellyfish, two octopuses (or is that octopi?), a skate, a king crab and a shark. For those of you who are as ignorant about sea life as I am, the skate is the triangular-shaped rainbow-colored creature.
I particularly like the octopus with the smiley face.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Grilling in the rain (with apologies to Gene Kelly)
We adore a good hamburger on the grill at our house, and today's downpour right at grilling time didn't dissuade James:
Despite the deluge, James cooked three delicious burgers, which we enjoyed with baked beans and red potato salad.
After much trial and error, we have hit upon a hamburger recipe that makes our taste buds happy every time:
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Mix gently with hands, form into patties, then grill to taste. YUM!
Despite the deluge, James cooked three delicious burgers, which we enjoyed with baked beans and red potato salad.
After much trial and error, we have hit upon a hamburger recipe that makes our taste buds happy every time:
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Mix gently with hands, form into patties, then grill to taste. YUM!
Monday, May 18, 2009
A wolf in the family
Yesterday, Aidan "crossed over" from being a Tiger to a Wolf Cub Scout. As with any event that involves boys and chattering parents, the ceremony was a bit chaotic, loud and hard to follow at times. Aidan added to his Cub Scout belt loop, patch and bead achievement collection.
What was most notable for me is that we left with a few good photos of us! And since I am usually the one taking photos, I rarely appear in any.
For your viewing pleasure:
What was most notable for me is that we left with a few good photos of us! And since I am usually the one taking photos, I rarely appear in any.
For your viewing pleasure:
Friday, May 15, 2009
Good notes
Aidan has had his share of behavior bumps this past school year, including the recent vegetable up the proboscis incident, so it was nice to hear some good news this week.
On Wednesday, the first thing that Aidan told me when he got off the bus was that he had a note for me from Mrs. M. He saw the look on my face and said "No! It's a good note! I didn't even get in trouble today!" Sure enough, here is the note I found in his backpack:
He was so thrilled with the note and himself that it is now proudly displayed on our refrigerator. I am pleased that his teacher took the time to tell us that he did well.
Yesterday he came home with yet another positive note from the teacher:
A.R., or Accelerated Reader, is a program where students read books then take computer-based quizzes. A point value is assigned to each book, based on the length and reading level, and how much of that point value a student earns depends on how many questions he/she answers correctly. The A.R. goal for first graders was 30 points; Aidan ended up with somewhere around 59. While I monitored his progress throughout the year to make sure he would easily achieve the 30 point goal, he can take sole credit for such a high score.
Aidan was so excited yesterday afternoon when he told me that Mrs. M was getting lunch from Zaxby's for him and the other student, and that they would get to eat with Mrs. M in the classroom! Let's just hope he doesn't put a fry up his nose...
And remember the STAR Reading diagnostic from last fall? Aidan brought home the spring test results and his grade equivalent score is 5.3; in other words, he reads at a level comparable to the average fifth grader after the third month of the school year. Not bad for a child just finishing up first grade!
On Wednesday, the first thing that Aidan told me when he got off the bus was that he had a note for me from Mrs. M. He saw the look on my face and said "No! It's a good note! I didn't even get in trouble today!" Sure enough, here is the note I found in his backpack:
He was so thrilled with the note and himself that it is now proudly displayed on our refrigerator. I am pleased that his teacher took the time to tell us that he did well.
Yesterday he came home with yet another positive note from the teacher:
A.R., or Accelerated Reader, is a program where students read books then take computer-based quizzes. A point value is assigned to each book, based on the length and reading level, and how much of that point value a student earns depends on how many questions he/she answers correctly. The A.R. goal for first graders was 30 points; Aidan ended up with somewhere around 59. While I monitored his progress throughout the year to make sure he would easily achieve the 30 point goal, he can take sole credit for such a high score.
Aidan was so excited yesterday afternoon when he told me that Mrs. M was getting lunch from Zaxby's for him and the other student, and that they would get to eat with Mrs. M in the classroom! Let's just hope he doesn't put a fry up his nose...
And remember the STAR Reading diagnostic from last fall? Aidan brought home the spring test results and his grade equivalent score is 5.3; in other words, he reads at a level comparable to the average fifth grader after the third month of the school year. Not bad for a child just finishing up first grade!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Grand opening
Does every child on the planet hate to brush his/her teeth?
Aidan started out great in his tooth brushing career but has struggled lately to do a good job. I bought Listerine Agent Cool Blue rinse to help him do a more thorough job. He tried the rinse last night for the first time and was very excited. He called down the hall “Daddy, hurry up or you’ll miss the grand opening of my teeth turning blue!”
Aidan started out great in his tooth brushing career but has struggled lately to do a good job. I bought Listerine Agent Cool Blue rinse to help him do a more thorough job. He tried the rinse last night for the first time and was very excited. He called down the hall “Daddy, hurry up or you’ll miss the grand opening of my teeth turning blue!”
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Pampering me
It is a good day when the postal service delivers a package that is full of lovely goodies! Just as my swap package was out for delivery in Canada, I was tearing into a box full of pampering goodness.
My friend Noelle drew my name in the Pampering Mom swap and that was my lucky day:
First and foremost, can you see the knitted socks? They are the first pair of knitted socks I have ever had and Noelle knit them out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in - wait for it - The Ohio State University colorway! She said in her note that when she saw the colorway, she had to get it and make socks for me. How kind and thoughtful was that?
She also included two skeins of Superfine Alpaca Yarn, 189 yards of reclaimed Peruvian alpaca yarn, two patterns for fingerless mitts, a cool rainbow wine bottle stopper, salmon pate, truffles (that have been hidden away for my personal consumption only), a paperback mystery and copies of the local satirical newspaper.
Now if I can just get rid of the guys in my house for an evening, I will put up my feet in my Go Bucks socks, read my book, sip some wine and eat pate and chocolates. Ah, bliss!
My friend Noelle drew my name in the Pampering Mom swap and that was my lucky day:
First and foremost, can you see the knitted socks? They are the first pair of knitted socks I have ever had and Noelle knit them out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in - wait for it - The Ohio State University colorway! She said in her note that when she saw the colorway, she had to get it and make socks for me. How kind and thoughtful was that?
She also included two skeins of Superfine Alpaca Yarn, 189 yards of reclaimed Peruvian alpaca yarn, two patterns for fingerless mitts, a cool rainbow wine bottle stopper, salmon pate, truffles (that have been hidden away for my personal consumption only), a paperback mystery and copies of the local satirical newspaper.
Now if I can just get rid of the guys in my house for an evening, I will put up my feet in my Go Bucks socks, read my book, sip some wine and eat pate and chocolates. Ah, bliss!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A happy ending and beginning
Tomorrow is going to be a very special Mother's Day for my friend Susan. I met Susan 10+ years ago when we both worked at Glaxo, and then worked together again at SciQuest. Susan was a great coworker; a talented writer and project manager, she was someone on whom I could always depend to do her portion of the work and to make us laugh at the same time. I soon learned that Susan is also one of the kindest, more caring people I have ever met.
Susan and her husband, Lason, wanted to be parents and I can't think of many couples better suited to be great parents. After much trying and praying, little Gayle was born in October of 2004; she was, unfortunately, born with a host of medical issues and died just ten days after her birth. Susan and Lason were devastated and we all grieved with and for them. Few things in life seemed as unfair as the sorrow that had been inflicted on them.
Fast forward to this past March, when we heard the happy news that Susan and Lason had been matched with a birth mother for the adoption of her baby boy. They met the birth mother, who wisely realized that her baby boy would have the best of parents in Susan and Lason. Little Jack was born on 8 April and after a week with a respite family, arrived at his new home on 16 April. Were hearts ever more full of joy that day?
If you would like to see Jack, go on over to the blog that Susan is keeping for him, Jack's Life. You will see photos of the adorable baby boy and his proud parents, and read how they are all settling in together. Every time I pop over to read how Jack is doing, I am reminded of just how talented a writer Susan is!
Sometimes stories have a happy ending. But this ending is just the beginning...
Susan and her husband, Lason, wanted to be parents and I can't think of many couples better suited to be great parents. After much trying and praying, little Gayle was born in October of 2004; she was, unfortunately, born with a host of medical issues and died just ten days after her birth. Susan and Lason were devastated and we all grieved with and for them. Few things in life seemed as unfair as the sorrow that had been inflicted on them.
Fast forward to this past March, when we heard the happy news that Susan and Lason had been matched with a birth mother for the adoption of her baby boy. They met the birth mother, who wisely realized that her baby boy would have the best of parents in Susan and Lason. Little Jack was born on 8 April and after a week with a respite family, arrived at his new home on 16 April. Were hearts ever more full of joy that day?
If you would like to see Jack, go on over to the blog that Susan is keeping for him, Jack's Life. You will see photos of the adorable baby boy and his proud parents, and read how they are all settling in together. Every time I pop over to read how Jack is doing, I am reminded of just how talented a writer Susan is!
Sometimes stories have a happy ending. But this ending is just the beginning...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Boys will be...well, gross
Today at lunch, my darling boy stuck a carrot up his nose, pulled it out and then ate it. It apparently caused quite a stir among his classmates!
His teacher is a bit up in arms about it and the lunchroom staff is making him have a "silent lunch" tomorrow. While gross and unsanitary, I think it is rather funny and quite normal.
Two of my friends (both the mothers of boys) reinforced my feelings. Nikki said: "Boys hardly do things alone. Aidan was probably not the only one. Just the only one that got caught!"
And Kathy said: "Why are they getting all up in arms over that?! I love it. Gabe has just started realizing he can put his finger up his nose. Boys will be boys. :D"
ETA: The funniest comment came from my former boss, also named Cathy: "I think they should all take carrot out of their butts and get over it. I would have laughed and snorted milk out of my nose!" To which the aforementioned Nikki then added: "And this is why Cathy has been banned as a motivational speaker at elementary schools. Can you imagine? When she finished with them...Aidan would have been telling the teacher just that. 'If I take the carrot out of my nose, will you take the carrot out of your butt?' LOL."
I have a funny child and funny friends!
His teacher is a bit up in arms about it and the lunchroom staff is making him have a "silent lunch" tomorrow. While gross and unsanitary, I think it is rather funny and quite normal.
Two of my friends (both the mothers of boys) reinforced my feelings. Nikki said: "Boys hardly do things alone. Aidan was probably not the only one. Just the only one that got caught!"
And Kathy said: "Why are they getting all up in arms over that?! I love it. Gabe has just started realizing he can put his finger up his nose. Boys will be boys. :D"
ETA: The funniest comment came from my former boss, also named Cathy: "I think they should all take carrot out of their butts and get over it. I would have laughed and snorted milk out of my nose!" To which the aforementioned Nikki then added: "And this is why Cathy has been banned as a motivational speaker at elementary schools. Can you imagine? When she finished with them...Aidan would have been telling the teacher just that. 'If I take the carrot out of my nose, will you take the carrot out of your butt?' LOL."
I have a funny child and funny friends!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Mommy swap #2
No, we don't swap families (although there are days when any number of us entertain the thought briefly) but we swap goodies between mommies. I had so much fun participating in last fall's Motherhood Later Rather Than Sooner group swap - both giving and receiving - that when the leader proposed another swap this spring, I didn't even have to think twice.
The swap is not really a swap between two people, but is more like circle: A sends to B, who sends to C, who sends to D, who then sends to A. And this time around we are doing a secret swap this time; the recipient does not know who is sending them a package until it arrives.
I sent off the package to my swap recipient yesterday and since she does not know that I am the person sending to her, I can go ahead and talk about it here. Of course, I suppose there is always the risk that she might figure it out if she reads this post, but I will take that chance.
The theme of the swap is Pampering Mom, so I chose to knit a back scrubber and a soap sock:
The soap sock is much bigger than I anticipated; she can almost use it as a shower mitt, too.
I addded a few other goodies, such as spa socks, a bar of handcrafted Cafe Latte oatmeal shop (purchased from Karen's Soap Co.), a skein of Malabrigo in the luscious Tiger Lily colorway and a bar of Dove dark chocolate. Aidan was with me when I went to Sugarfoot Yarns last Saturday and was very excited that I let him choose the color. He chose a great color!
I chose items that I would like to receive, and I hope my swap recipient likes them, too!
The swap is not really a swap between two people, but is more like circle: A sends to B, who sends to C, who sends to D, who then sends to A. And this time around we are doing a secret swap this time; the recipient does not know who is sending them a package until it arrives.
I sent off the package to my swap recipient yesterday and since she does not know that I am the person sending to her, I can go ahead and talk about it here. Of course, I suppose there is always the risk that she might figure it out if she reads this post, but I will take that chance.
The theme of the swap is Pampering Mom, so I chose to knit a back scrubber and a soap sock:
The soap sock is much bigger than I anticipated; she can almost use it as a shower mitt, too.
I addded a few other goodies, such as spa socks, a bar of handcrafted Cafe Latte oatmeal shop (purchased from Karen's Soap Co.), a skein of Malabrigo in the luscious Tiger Lily colorway and a bar of Dove dark chocolate. Aidan was with me when I went to Sugarfoot Yarns last Saturday and was very excited that I let him choose the color. He chose a great color!
I chose items that I would like to receive, and I hope my swap recipient likes them, too!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Just traveling through
I glanced out a back window a few minutes ago and saw a turtle motoring through the backyard. They may not be quick like a bunny, but turtles move faster than I thought they could, and this guy was on a mission.
I snuck up behind him:
When I moved to his side, he spotted me and started to draw into his shell:
Surprisingly, I was able to get this photo before he drew completely in:
I snuck up behind him:
When I moved to his side, he spotted me and started to draw into his shell:
Surprisingly, I was able to get this photo before he drew completely in:
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Gay fun
This morning we made our first trip to the Cotton Pickin' Fair and we had a delightful time. The fair is held twice a year - the first weekend in May and the first weekend in October - in the tiny crossroads of Gay, Georgia.
View Larger Map
Unless you are going to Gay on purpose, I can't imagine how you would just stumble upon it - it is way out in the middle of nowhere.
Here is what the web site says about the fair: "Return to 1910 where the Farmhouse, the Cotton Gin, and the Cotton Warehouse form a unique backdrop for a great day of 21st century fun. Amidst skilled artisans and antique specialists, the Fair shares remnants of farm life in days gone by. New talent keeps the festival fresh and interesting while returning artists welcome loyal customers seeking to add to individual collections."
Honestly, other than a blacksmith (who made a tiny sword for Aidan), we did not see any remnants of life on the farm or in 1910 and the "skilled artisans" were in the minority, but we still had a great time. We arrived around 9:15, so it was still uncrowded and relatively cool. We quickly perused all of the vendor exhibits and bought the cutest pink flamingo made out of partially recycled items:
Truman is now happily ensconced between the peony and rosemary.
I purchased an adorable batik bag:
I need another bag like I need another wrinkle, but for a mere $15, I could not resist. The hippie chick from whom I bought it was very fun and we had a great conversation about not caring if the colors we wear "match".
We also heard some good bluegrass music, but the best part? The food, of course! We started the fair with delicious homemade biscuits sold by a church group. For lunch, I devoured a plate of black-eye peas, tomatoes, onions, cole slaw and cornbread; James ate a barbecue sandwich that was nowhere nearly as tasty as NC barbecue but still good, and Aidan ate a grilled hamburger. We sampled then bought some fabulous pickles sold by Mickle's Pickles and picked up a bag of James' favorite kettle corn.
It is safe to say that we had a cotton pickin' good time at the Cotton Pickin' Fair!
View Larger Map
Unless you are going to Gay on purpose, I can't imagine how you would just stumble upon it - it is way out in the middle of nowhere.
Here is what the web site says about the fair: "Return to 1910 where the Farmhouse, the Cotton Gin, and the Cotton Warehouse form a unique backdrop for a great day of 21st century fun. Amidst skilled artisans and antique specialists, the Fair shares remnants of farm life in days gone by. New talent keeps the festival fresh and interesting while returning artists welcome loyal customers seeking to add to individual collections."
Honestly, other than a blacksmith (who made a tiny sword for Aidan), we did not see any remnants of life on the farm or in 1910 and the "skilled artisans" were in the minority, but we still had a great time. We arrived around 9:15, so it was still uncrowded and relatively cool. We quickly perused all of the vendor exhibits and bought the cutest pink flamingo made out of partially recycled items:
Truman is now happily ensconced between the peony and rosemary.
I purchased an adorable batik bag:
I need another bag like I need another wrinkle, but for a mere $15, I could not resist. The hippie chick from whom I bought it was very fun and we had a great conversation about not caring if the colors we wear "match".
We also heard some good bluegrass music, but the best part? The food, of course! We started the fair with delicious homemade biscuits sold by a church group. For lunch, I devoured a plate of black-eye peas, tomatoes, onions, cole slaw and cornbread; James ate a barbecue sandwich that was nowhere nearly as tasty as NC barbecue but still good, and Aidan ate a grilled hamburger. We sampled then bought some fabulous pickles sold by Mickle's Pickles and picked up a bag of James' favorite kettle corn.
It is safe to say that we had a cotton pickin' good time at the Cotton Pickin' Fair!
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