so thankful

I am thankful that our cousins live close, and that we get to play with them often!


This girl makes me smile every time I see her!

I am thankful for my family (the ones you see here and the ones who aren't in this picture). They are true blessings to me!

I am very thankful for this girl (and her momma). She has made my days after school so much easier by taking care of Andy for me, and Andy loves every minute of it.

This little man made his appearance earlier this year...I am thankful for him and his mommy and daddy!

I am thankful that we had the opportunity to take the boys to Disney World this summer. It was hot and crowded, but totally worth it. The kids had a great time.

There are about eleventy-million things I did not include on this list. I am abundantly blessed in every way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

alphabet zoo

Alligator

Bunny

Camel

Dinosaur

Eagle

Frog, Giraffe, Horse, Iguana

Jaguar, Kangaroo, Lion

Monkey, (tiny) Nightengale

Octopus, Pig, Quail, Rhino (hard to see because it's sooo tiny, Snake, Tiger, Unicorn, Vulture, Whale, X-Ray Fish, Yak, Zebra

Andy and Ben made an alphabet zoo tonight! If they couldn't find the animal they wanted in their closets, they just drew them! Then, they took Kevin and me on a tour of the "zoo." It was super fun!

(And you can just go ahead and ignore those spots on the carpet that look like stains...there MUST be something wrong with my camera. Because I DO NOT have stains on every square inch of the carpet in this house.)

halloween...yeah, I know it's late!

long time, no blog/kindergarten

It's not that we have nothing going on, it's that by the time I get home, I don't want to think about the computer. But I did want to list a few things about Andy's Kindergarten year:

* He LOVES his teacher (and so do I)!!! She is so calm, and I am in awe every time I visit her room.
* He can READ! We have been working on sight words for a long time now, but it was always a chore for him. Now, he can't wait to get home to read something. He reads out loud to me, he reads to Ben, and he really loves for Daddy and me to read to him. He even loves to listen to chapter books! (This makes my heart happy!)
* He wants to write stories all the time. And they aren't too bad, considering he is 5. He stays on topic (usually animals) and puts his whole heart into it.
* He knows and UNDERSTANDS how to use the words respect, trustworthiness, and character. And he is SO proud that his class won Character Classroom for the first six weeks.
* He falls asleep on the way home almost every day. He is worn out after all that learning!
* He refuses to buy his lunch. Even on chicken strip day, I have to pack it. Which is a bit of a bummer for me, but I guess it's better for him.
* I get to see him during the day, and that is so cool! I love having him on campus with me. My class and his class are "buddies," so we get to hang out and do fun stuff with them every couple of weeks.

Here are a couple of pics (not related to Kindergarten!) that I took of the boys while I was cleaning the pool. They decided it would be okay to swim, though the water was a little chilly for my taste! Normally, they would wear actual swim trunks, but sometimes...

boys

Tonight, I walked to the boys' bathroom and heard a lot of laughing--never a good thing (right, Miss Estes?). Here's how it went:

Andy: Ben just flushed a TOY down the TOILET!!!
Me: WHAT??? What kind of toy???
Ben: (laughing, still) A dinosaur!
(Ben was quite proud!)
Me: What kind of dinosaur???

Okay, I was looking for stuffed, squishy, big, little...

Ben:.......a triceratops!

I was laughing too hard to be mad, and I went to tell Kevin the story. While I did that, Ben also flushed a car. As of now, the toilet is still working, but I'm sure soon enough we'll be seeing some aftershocks!

one, true God

I was in Andy's room praying with him last night, and he said, "Mom, our God is the ONE true God.".
I said, "Yeah, he is! How do you know that?"
"Well, when Daniel had to get in that lions' den, God made their mouths stay closed so they wouldn't eat him! And they were HUNGRY!"
He then went on to tell me that he also knows God is the one, true God because Shadrach, Meshach, and "A-ben-dee-go" didn't burn up in that fire!
***not sure if those names are spelled right, but I don't have time to look them up!

So, all that to say, I am thankful for my church, and the sweet girls who love Jesus and my kids so much that they share truths like that with them faithfully every week. Thanks Stacey, Heather, Neesie, Sarah, and Sasha! My boys are growing in truth because of you!

my boys are a little obsessed with star wars...

I overheard Andy saying this to Ben:

"Ben, I'll be your master, and teach you all kinds of tricks. Then, you can be just like me when I DIE!"

A little disturbing, yes, but still makes me laugh!

Disney World, part 1

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

heeellllooooo!

I'm working on my Disney post, but for now...
This is how Ben went to the grocery store today. Notice how the legs are now capris? He's had this for over a year and still loves to put it on. He loves anything he can dress up in. He is SO funny!

world's worst blogger

Well, it's me!!!
I have a few pictures to post, but nothing exciting going on. So here are a few boring details (mainly for J , who I know is thinking that I need to update!):
- I have cooked dinner the last three nights. OK, tonight I cooked a frozen pizza, but I am counting it. We have even eaten at the table TOGETHER, at the same time, all three nights.
- Andy had an accident at school yesterday, and the only pants in the school's extra closet were these tiny little jean/leggings. They were short and tight!!! I seriously could not stop laughing when I saw him.
- Ben told me tonight that grape juice is his favoritist.
- TAKS is officially over for my students. YAY!
- We are reading my favorite book at school right now, Because of Winn-Dixie. :)
- My baby, Andrew, will be 5 in one week.
- My husband is the greatest. I washed dishes last night, and I couldn't remember the last time I had actually done that. He has taken care of it for so long. I love him.

Here are a few funnies for you:

I found Ben behind one of the speakers the other night...

Here's why!

He's covered in marker!

And here is that man of mine...in all his bling!

interior design

Andy decided to use his book of one trillion Pokemon stickers to decorate his door. Awesome!

superboys

warning!

Bakugan Balls WILL melt if you hide them in the oven, and then your mom preheats it to 325 degrees without looking in it!

disney on ice

Today we got to go to Disney on Ice with some of our family. It was an awesome show! The boys LOVED it.

Here is Ben eating his $10 cotton candy. And, no, I did not type that wrong. It was $10.

Ben said, "Mmmm...It tastes like fur!"


The bank-breaking cotton candy did come with this very fun Flounder hat, which the boys did a great job sharing!



And here is a bonus picture for you...My sweet nephew, Brody.
He loves me.

picnic at the park

Today the boys and I went to the park to meet some good friends. Most of these friends are former students of mine...some were even in my class the year I was pregnant with Andy! It was so fun to hang out with them and their mommas!

Here are some pics of the sweet boys...

andy's beliefs

Thursday night, I made pork chops, peas, and mashed potatoes for dinner. Andy does not like to eat anything green. But, to that, I say "tough!" So, anyway, as we are sitting at the table, three of us are eating and one of us (Andy) is crying and says, "I can't believe that everyone likes peas except me!!! Waaaa..."
I say, "Well, believe it, and maybe you will like the next bite."
He says, "I don't believe in anything except God. (pause...) And Jesus."
So, really, in the grand scheme, I guess I would rather him believe in God (and Jesus) than in liking peas.
But I still made him eat four bites. Because he's four.

awwww

This is my baby brother and his baby boy. Oh, I love these two!!!

balance

How can you keep up with Facebook and blogger??? Can it be done?

love, part 2

Ben: Momma, I love you.
Me: I love you, too, baby.
Ben: Momma, I love you more than Ring Pops.
Me: Wow, that's a lot of love!!!
Ben: Yeah, it's the mostest love.

Ohhh, I love my boys!

love

Andy: Mom, if an angel shoots your heart with an arrow, you will fall in love.
Me: Really?
Andy: Yes.....I hope that doesn't happen to me.
Me: Why?
Andy: I would have too many girls to choose from.

A few minutes later...
Andy: If I fall in love I can't be tough anymore.
Me: Sure you can. You think Daddy's tough, right?
Andy: Who is Daddy in love with?
Me: Well, me! That's why we are married.

Wow...deep thoughts on falling in love from my 4-year-old!