First Day of School 2013

Well...we officially started school today! I know we are still in the middle of July but we decided to go ahead and get started early.  We take a lot of field trips in the fall and we really enjoy being outdoors when it is cooler outside.  We have to make up for all of those days off so we started early.  The kids don't mind.  We aren't starting our Classical Conversations group until the end of August so we are just starting "part time" right now...math, reading, grammar, spelling.  

My sister in law gave this old school desk to me the other day.  I have been thinking that it would be fun to take some vintage style photos of the kids with it.  What better time to do it than on the first day of school.  I was lucky enough to just have all of these vintage toys on hand - I use them to decorate the schoolroom.  I had old copies of Highlights magazines from the Friends of the Library sale.  Those old hardback children's storybooks are mine from when I was a kid.  I remember they sat on our bookshelf all while I was growing up! :)  

I'm such a newbie when it comes to my camera...I had fun with the pics, though.  There are a few that I really like.  I need to pick my favorite of each kiddo and have a print made to frame.

Galveston Island!

Well...we've officially started SUMMER over here!!  We took a week off in May and headed south....alllll the way down to Galveston Island.  The kids were SO EXCITED to see the ocean for the first time!!  I was really anxious about the drive but everyone did great!! We had one leaky Pull-Up incident before we ever got out of Oklahoma, though.  That was okay...gave me a chance to stop at McDonald's and get a sweet tea.  I will not lie and say that the hotel room wasn't a little stressful.  With four young kids and a small hotel room, it got a little cramped.  Fortunately, we were out playing most of the time.  

The kids really enjoyed the ocean.  We found several different types of sea shells and crabs.  We rode a ferry for the first time and saw many dolphins in the water.  We saw several pelicans and feeding the gulls was so fun.  If you started to feed one, then TONS would fly over.  They hover over you just waiting for food.  A few even ate right out of Matt's hand.  

Hoping that this was just a prelude to a summer filled with lots of fun and many happy family memories!! 

What are you plans for summer?  

(((Anxiously awaiting Oklahoma to be DONE with tornado season.  It has been a devastating year here for those....feeling very blessed that we have had no damage to our home and praying for those who have lost everything.)))

Springtime At Our Place...

Thought I would post some pics of what has been going on here lately.  Mostly these are from Easter.  Since I have deactivated my FB account (temporarily??) I have nowhere to post pics.  Thought I would post a few here for those that follow and enjoy seeing the kids :) 

Did Someone Say Spring?

I know that Oklahoma weather can be unpredictable but this is getting out of hand!!  This has been the winter that will not end.  I keep hoping for Spring...it will get warm for a day or two...and then this!!  This is NOT what Spring is supposed to look like!

This cedar tree looks like it can't handle much more weight from the ice!

This poor tulip was frozen in the north wind.  :(  So sad.  

Toddler Art

We were in Target the other day over in the cosmetics section so I decided to let the big girls pick out some nail polish.  You know...the cheap .84 cent kind :)  When they got home, SuSu painted her nails and Vi's nails.  So...I'm guessing, Violet thought it was okay to play with the nail polish.  Susanna left her bottle within reach and Violet "painted" their sink.  She didn't pain anything else - Just the sink.  When I brought her in there to ask what she had done she showed me how she got the polish out and started flicking it around in the sink to see the pain splatter.  She said, "It's funny????"  I had to explain that, no, it was not funny.  I had to give her some  grace because I had never explained to her that she was not allowed to play with the nail polish.  So, now she knows.  She can't touch it.  This stuff was DRIED ON by the time I found it.  Thank goodness, some nail polish remover got it right off!!  

My Day. In Pictures.

Influenza infection.

Third Grade Math.

Contrails across the Sky.

Crayons. 

Sanitizers.

Bouquets of Henbit. 

Pan Starrs Comet.