Reaching New Heights

Pre game  fun with my Blue-Eyed Boyz! 

Pregame eats-yumola! Best burgers around!

Getting autographsSpinning for a chance to win.The items won: mini bat and foam cat mask + tickets to local animal safari. Old glory. God Bless America. I never tire of taking pictures of her waving amidst the cerulean skies.

Cooling off with iced lemonade and chillaxin with Daddy.

Louie...in my face!! Literally.Running the bases after the game.

A wonderfully beautiful afternoon. Sure makes up for the way my day started. But I'll save that story for another day and an empty stomach!

Walking For More Birthdays

This year, our family will be participating in this event: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11HighPlains/743118886?sid=55931&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=28093

Each of us knows personally at least one loved one (if not more) that have battled breast cancer. Last year I posted here on my blog about my breast biopsy (which, thank you God, came back "negative"). Mick's step-sister; Jody, however, did not hear the same comforting word from her doctor. She was diagnosed last year with breast cancer and has since had a double mastectomy performed. I am happy to report that she is currently (and hopefully from here on out will be forever) cancer free!

If you are local and would like to get a little exercise for a great cause, please click on the link above for more info. If you aren't local, please consider giving to this very worthy cause. Even a few dollars can help! Thanks in advance for the consideration! Have a beautiful day!

First Day of Junior High

Yep. Can't believe I am the mother of a junior high kid! Time flying exponentially for me now.
Today was exciting and bittersweet. Ian going back to public school after three years home with me and Boo beginning his educational adventure at home with me! Honoring both of their wishes in terms of how they wanted to be schooled this year (Although don't get the idea that they had the sole say in the decision-they both knew Mom and Dad had the final say so).

Ian's Day:

• Came home with a bunch of papers to sign and more school items to purchase along with a report of 2 cursings and one waving of a digit by a few 8th graders. None of which was directed at him, but nonetheless, he was witness to it all. So much for naivete`. SIGH

Ethan's Day:

• Began very early (as he wanted to be done before or at the same time as his Big Bro) at 7:15AM
• subjects covered: spelling, vocabulary, writing, more language arts, typing, German, penmanship, math, social studies, science art and PE!
• highlights: learning about Euclid, Escher, tessellations, fractals and Sierpinski's triangle (and creating one) learning about taxonomy, Linnaeus and making an inverted pyramid of the Classification groupings as a memory aid
• Lots of energy, excitement and happily, no complaints! Here's hoping tomorrow is more of the same!

The BackFlip Flop!

So, besides having some issues with AT&T billing,  not being able to DISABLE the smart phone/internet surfing component of Ian's new phone ANd the fact that he didn't bother to check reviews on the Backflip, we decided to Back FLOP it--right back to AT&T. Instead, Ian now has this phone:

He doesn't look to worse for the wear, does he?

And that sweet little blurry puppy on his camera? Well that would be my baby girl, Bella Rosa!

MSN Homepage Today

I think, finally, those  Americans that didn't get it before are getting it now. Hallelujah! (But seriously, why did it have to take sooooo long!!!)


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38665351/ns/politics/?gt1=43001

Responsibility; Membership Has It's Privileges

A trait we are constantly working on here at home.

Snapped a pic of Ian "earning" his way to the privilege of having a cell phone. He has had to take on several more chores this year, including, but not limited to, mowing about 2.5 acres of lawn twice a week, keeping up his room, cleaning bathrooms, doing dishes and several other daily tasks like trash,  dinner dishes, practicing guitar, doing homework and reading.
So, today the Fed Ex man arrived. With not only one package (for Mick's work), but two.

This was what the second one held:

Suffice it to say he has been quite literally, doing "Backflips" ever since!

"Membership does have it's privileges"...for those who are responsible enough to earn them!

Vegas Continued

While we were winning!

Let me emphasis while! (Actually we were up about $70 at one point playing the penny slots-we're not gamblin' folks) but ended up losing our $40 ($20 each) of "entertainment money" over the course of the three days!

Playing with bathroom mirrors + lenses:

Taking it to the "Strip"