Big day

 

My Grandma celebrated her 80th birthday last weekend.  It took me the whole week to go through and edit the bunches and bunches of photos I took.  I was assigned the job of photographer and I took it seriously. People were probably rolling their eyes about it, but I knew I needed to take a bunch so that I could get enough keepers.  It kept me out of the kitchen.  Except when they needed someone to taste desserts.  I was in the kitchen then. 

Here's my Grandma and one of my Aunts. I'm sure they are busily going over last minute details.  Or wondering how many pictures I will take or if there will be enough dessert left after my kids were done begging in the kitchen.

 Exhibit 1:  Bee's cheeks are full of brownies but she's picked out some cake she wants as well. 

 

My youngest sister helped keep Bee and Lou entertained.  

Here she is, my youngest sister. Isn't she cute?  She's a senior in high school this year- which makes me feel young... or old... as hubby reminds me, she used to be a baby when we first started dating. 

Lou and daddy:

I know my grandma is wishing I had not posted as many pictures of her here, but here's one of the 150 shots I have of her mingling with her guest.  150 is just the keepers.  

 Here's the kitchen staff hard at work.  The party had a picnic bbq theme.  The food was SO good.  I have changed my mind about coleslaw and lima beans. Not together of course, I would not change my mind about that.

My Aunt and uncle are on the left front sort of.  My grandma then is in the striped jacket.  My dad is in the back left next to my stepmom.  My youngest sister is in the middle in pink. Bee and Lou of course there in front.  Hubby is in orange and I'm next to him. My oldest younger sister and her boyfriend are on the end at the right.  Hubby says I should mention that I am wearing flats and the sister next to me must be in tall heels. I can't really remember though.

socks math at preschool

I had a 'fun with math theme' at preschool to plan for. I really prefer a more specific topic!  I have some domino activities that I'd like to get in, but I don't think we're ready for them.  We enjoy the story A Pair of Socks at our house and I've used it with little people several times.  I've used this book even with my second graders one year, but it's really a preschool book.  It about a little sock looking for his match.  

 I had all the preschool friends wear a pair of silly (or colored) socks to school this day.  I had several extra pairs from my own kiddos in case some came unprepared.  During circle time, we talked about everyone's different socks and I had each friend complete the sentence, "____'s socks...."  If we were farther along in the year, I might have them broken up their sentences for them for another activity.   I also could have turned it into a class book, but everything lately seems like it could be a class book, so I'm being selective.

Then we all threw the extra socks into a basket and shook them up.  It turns out that my own kids have an unusual amount of decorative socks.  I may have a problem.  We spread the on the floor and one or two kids at a time searched for matches.  I had the kids hang them up on our drying rack, but it proved difficult.  The kids had a hard time opening and holding open the clothespins to fit on the drying rack bars.  We counted the socks repeatedly as more kids added socks.  Counting by two could also have been done with older friends.

Here are a few pages I've used to extend this book to older kiddos in the past.  I didn't need any of these pages this time around.  One page lets the kids decorate socks to make pairs, one has then find and circle pairs and the other has them count how many sock would be in different numbers of pairs.  They are just pages that I've drawn. 

Thankfully from now through the end of the year, our topics are more specific.  Apples, Bees, Bears, etc.  It much easier that way.

bathroom shutters

I had the shutters already, so when I kept seeing shutters as memo boards on pinterest, I just needed a spot for them.   I put them in the bathroom, which is a weird place for a memo board.  

 They used to be Bee's headboard, but her room is now a similar green color and she has hanging princess sheer curtain things hanging around her bed.   To the bathroom shutters, we added little notes that Bee writes, some pictures from Lou and some bible verses.  

Our shutters had a bar running down the middle.  I had to pull them off so that the shutters would lay flat against the wall.

Here are a few that have been all over pinterest. Here's one from Martha Stewart.com .

Here's another cute one that doesn't seem to link back to it's origional source.

happy yard sales find

I had some interesting yard sale finds.  An old rusty rake head, awesome, exactly what I was looking for, $1.  The next size baseball cleats for Lou, exactly what we needed, $1.  A white wooden something holder, exactly not something I was looking for, but totally wanted, $1. 

The man I bought the rake head from said he had to ask what I could possibly do with it.  I told him all about using it as a belt or necklace holder.  I needed something for belts. 

They've been all over pinterest, like this and this.   I hung it behind my bedroom door with this earring holder.  It's larger than the old one I had, but made the same way.

I added some teacup hooks at the bottom, but only had three on hand.  I'll have to add some more some time.

Old garden rakes can go on my list of all the reasons that I love pinterest.

t ball

Lou finally joined a sport.  He's in a parent/child t-ball.  

He is one of the older kids (I guess kids his age, join a real league), but he is the best player on the team (says his mama) and is one of the best listeners.  

It's been a good start for him and a real confidence builder.

I love this picture of him drinking from the jug because he asked to do this.  I brought him a water, but the other boys were getting cups and drinking from the jug.  I told him I thought it was hose water and he said boys liked hose water.

Bee and I go and watch.  We cheer him on.

Daddy is one of the more involved parents in the group.  He usually ends up helping all the kids.

We are hoping this is just the start.  Next year, I think we're ready for a real team.

Hubby got me a new camera lens for our anniversary next week.   I took about 200 photos of Lou at t-ball all in the name of experimenting with my new lens.

  

I can't help myself

This post could be either about the container of lemon squares in my fridge or kittens. I've indulged in both today.   If you enjoy a good kitten picture, indulge with me.  Sorry, I'm not sharing the lemon squares.  Those are going to be my calories to run off!

These are my friends kittens.  We've seen them each week for three weeks, although I guess they are close to about 3 1/2 weeks in this set of pictures. 

There are 4 girls and 1 boy.

Bee is in LOVE with this one that she has named Sweetie.  or Cuddles.  or Love.

Thanks for joining me on this guilt free indulgence!  Do you want one of these lovelys?   Only the boy is spoken for!