Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Wild animal heaven (by Leo)



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


We thought that this Squirrel feeder would be A good idea. About a month ago,Our grand mother gave Henry a bird feeder that he saw at Lowe's ( That he was literally BEGGING to get) for his birthday. We filled it up with bird feed and hung it in the side yard. It was going fine until the squirrel discovered it. We didn't like the squirrels on it, because they ate like a quarter of the bird feed at a time. so while i was at school, mom and Henry went to Lowe's and baught A little half-dome that hangs over the bid feeder and stops the squirrel from getting the feed. but then the squirrel started eating the feed that the birds dropped on the ground. that really annoyed us, to. so, we went to Lowe's and baught this squirrel feeder. the good thing was that the feeder came with food. we hope that the squirrel will eat this instead of the bird feed.




Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


While we were at Lowe's, Henry saw this bird bath. you hang it from a tree, and the birds can have a bath. So we said " eh, why not?" and baught it.





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing



This is what they looked like when we were done. The squirrel feeder, the bird feeder, and the bird bath. This is Animal heaven.

Monday, June 04, 2012

Summer Day 1

I'm not planning to write up every day, but, hey....who knows? I don't have any pictures today, but here is what we did.

5:45 - I ran. I'm going to be running first this summer so I can get a shower before Todd leaves. I have decided that some of the craziness starts when I shower after he leaves - by the time I get dressed, they have worked themselves into a frenzy.
8 - Todd left for work. We started working on the house. We stripped all the beds and put sheets in the washer. Leo unloaded the dishwasher and drying rack and reloaded the dishwasher. Henry had a chore, but I can't remember it. Henry and I folded a load of clothes and towels, and Leo helped at the end. We picked up all the rooms and remade their beds. (There was LOTS of whining and arguing and talking under his breath (Leo) at the beginning of this, but we got it done.)
9 - We started some school work.
9:45 - We left for a playdate. When we got there, I remembered that this place had a sprayground, but we didn't have bathing suits. Oh well. It was one of those spraygrounds where it is just lots of water shooting straight out of the ground. All the kids stand right over the shooting water so that it hits their anuses. I am NOT making this up. It is such a bizarre sight. Leo was showing the younger kids how to make it look like urination. Which earned him some time on the bench, of course. Summer is such a special bonding time.
11:30 - We head home.
Noon - Todd comes home. We eat. I sent them out in the backyard for 30 mins and did some dinner prep.
1pm - We finished up our morning worksheets. Then Henry did some pattern work with manipulatives, and Leo did multiplication and division flashcards.
2pm - DEAR time. Drop Everything And Read. Leo read his book. Henry did some reading to me out of some BOB books, and then we read 3 books from the TLA 2X2 list.
3pm - I sent them out to the backyard. It's not too hot yet. I worked on dinner for tonight, and prep for tomorrow night (we'll be having marinated tofu).
3:30 - Well, our (my) goal was to make it until 4pm without TV, but I was ready for a little Friends comfort TV by this time (and sick of classical music on Pandora), so I turned on the kitchen TV and told the boys they could have tv time.
5pm - Todd came home. I had dinner on the table b/c of swimming lessons. We ate quickly. Black bean burgers, sweet potatoes, and edamame. OK, probably too many beans, but it's what we had.
5:25 - We left for swimming.
6pm - Dropped the boys off for swimming lessons. Todd and I went on a date at Target. I looked at shoes, and he looked at electronics. And we looked at coolers b/c one of ours broke last wknd. The one I liked was $60, and I need to think on that a bit.
7pm - Picked up boys. No one cried! Oh my goodness, that is a huge milestone! If you remember, Henry cried and hyperventilated for the first 3.5 days last year....and then at the beginning of this summer, he had forgotten all of his skills. It is nice to know that I will not have to sing Be Brave! Be Strong! (Mr. Rogers) over and over for the next four days! Picked up milk at the Market Street drive thru on the way home.  Todd put the boys to bed, and I finished putting tofu in marinade and made our bed.
8pm - Sat down!

Whew!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Just my opinion

I'm going to be vague and get this opinion off my chest.

We recently saw a choir concert (not Leo; not church) where there were young teenage girls singing and dancing to Adele songs. A very amateur venue. Think....school concert. Then, I saw an acquaintance's post today about her child singing an Adele song as a solo in a concert at a school across the metroplex.

I like Adele songs. I love her voice, and I never really gave the lyrics a second thought until now. Heck, I think they're fine for teenage girls to listen to. I think they would have to live on a compound to NOT hear them. But there is something that really bothers me about a 13 year old singing and dancing on stage to a song about an adult love affair gone wrong. It makes me sad that people have little girls singing about this on stage and dancing to them. And I'm not talking "jazz hands." I do not have a daughter, and I had huge alarm bells going off in my head. And then I feel like a grumpy old lady. But I still think it's really tacky.

I remember when I briefly took voice lessons from Mrs. JoAnn Leubkeman in high school. One of my selections was the theme from Ice Castles. I was so thrilled to sing a radio song and felt so grown-up. But it was so tame. "Since I....found.....you............Looking through the eyes....of love." That is scandalous enough for this grumpy old lady. Good thing I don't teach MS choir. Everyone would probably drop out.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Just another Manic Monday

edited to add: ok, well, I guess it's tuesday. it FEELS like Monday.

Whew, I am tired this afternoon. I was going to write out everything we've accomplished today, but it's just too much. This was Henry's first day of the summer. We did laundry, stripped beds and put on new sheets, got a few groceries, picked up some school supplies I ordered, blah, blah, blah. Here are a few pictures.

This one is from this wknd. They just can't ever keep their hands off each other. It's cute but gets old fast. Lots of screaming, grunting, whining, etc.






Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


This is what I put Henry to work doing so I could get a shower this morning. I'm going to try to get showered before Todd leaves and see if that is better.






Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Trying on a hat in JoAnn.






Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Sorting while I made a grocery list.






Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing







Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Doing some artwork after school. Later we went to the library and turned in 25 things and checked out 25 more.




Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing






Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing



Thursday, May 24, 2012

Final Day of Preschool EVER

Bittersweet!

Today was Henry's last day of preschool! Ever! I got a little choked up when we said bye to the teachers....we have been going there for four years, after all. BUT, I have a lovely, hot, long summer stretching before me with two boys who get up at 530, so it doesn't really seem like I'm sending him out into the big bad cold dangerous world quite yet.

They had water day today (big blow-up bounce houses), and he was so excited.





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


I am sure that other mommies stayed and took their pictures and savored every last moment of this. In fact I know they did, b/c they were there....all sweaty and worn out....when I returned at 2:01. You know me - I just couldn't stand the emotion. ;) To escape this amazing moment, I met my long-time mommy friends in Plano and had lunch on a lovely patio. And I got there a little early, so I killed some time in Nordstrom Rack. It is just what I HAD TO DO to get through the amazing significance of this monumental day.

Did you know that they have these amazing little handheld dealies at N'Strom now where they can just check you out right in the middle of the store??? Hand them items....hand them a card....they give them back to you in a bag and email you the receipt! Now THAT is monumental.

Ahem. Anyway....

With the lovely Carla and Allie. Counseling for the price of lunch. It's a good deal.





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


I can't find H's official first day of preschool picture, but here he is that Fall....b/c when Leo started K, Henry started 1 yr old preschool. Sniff.





Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing