Sleepy Sammy

What happens at the supper table when Sam is allowed to skip nap. He did this for probably 30 minutes!

Singing Sam

Here's Sam singing some favorite songs. The first he just started singing today and it took me a while to figure it out. It's the Hot Chocolate song from The Polar Express, which we have been watching in the van this week. Then when he sees me, he moves on to the Thomas the Tank Engine song.

Tea Party

Gabby had a birthday party for a friend today. They did a Tea Party theme and it was beautiful! They made hats and were given boas, gloves and fans. The girls had fun!

Forward Roll Video

Gabby taught Sam how to do forward rolls this week and now he's been doing them all week. Here they are practicing their rolls.

Train Tracks Video

Sam is a big train fan. We took Jordan to the dog park the other night and went over to the tracks after we were finished.

Pillow cases

I've been on another pillow case making binge. I made a bunch a few years back for Gabby, her friends, and her cousins. I did Christmas ones for all the cousins that year and Cinderella ones for Gabby and her friends. Now I'm making McQueen and Thomas, too. And I have made some princess ones for Gabby and her friends again. The last two I have made I have used as gift bags for her friends' birthday presents. I really dislike the expense and waste of wrapping paper.

Here is a good description on how to make them. As you can tell, I don't usually do the smaller accent. I have but I usually skip it. There are other directions out there - just Google it.

I can whip one up in about 30 minutes now that I've done it a few times. And it's one of those projects that making more doesn't take too much more time. It's a good assembly line project. And because they are quick they give me a little sewing fix without leaving another unfinished project lying around.

Six Months

So Robert left six months ago today. Halfway there. Halfway to go. At about five months I was doing pretty well thinking, "Hey, we're at five months. Almost halfway. Doing good." Then someone asked me how much longer and when I had to say seven months, it hit me again how much longer we have to go.

Since four months we have had Gram come visit, enjoyed a few weeks of summer, and started school and everything that goes with it. We've had a head cold and another round of the stomach bug. I've had to have the van fixed and we went to the Great Wolf Lodge for some fun.

And I had my six month meltdown. Don't know what it is about approaching six months but it seems like that is a point where things just fall apart again. When you feel like you just can't do it any longer. And it feels like you've been doing it forever. And when it seems like it is never going to end. Halfway is a bit like no man's land. Hard to look forward, hard to look back. And people start asking when he's coming back and you still have to say "March of next year," which seems like so far away. But now the time will start ticking down, however slowly.

We have two more months until he comes home for R&R in November. I tried to push it back as far as I could so that we would have less amount of time left after he goes back. So now I can focus on this short-term goal and forget about the long time still ahead. I've been making plans for fun and have already started stocking his favorite things. So I'm working on the two month goal now. We've actually never had R&R so this will be a new thing for us.

Six months down, six months to go...

Books I've Read This Year

I meant to write short reviews of books as I read them this summer but, well, you know how it is. It just doesn't get done. So, quickly, here's some of the books I've read this year and my recommendations on them:

Twilight series - OK, yeah, read them. Loved them. I was not going to read them - teenager lit. Who cares? But my lovely friend Sally gave me the first one when we visited them on our trip to Washington so then I HAD to read it. And since it is about Washington, well, another reason. Yep, it's a good book. I bought the other three and waited till Robert left to read them. That stomach bug we all had right after he left? A great excuse to sit on the couch and read the rest in two days' time. I like Twilight and Eclipse the best. Haven't seen the movie but have it on request at the library.

The Shack - GREAT BOOK! But be forewarned, it's fiction. Apparently a lot of folks I know were disappointed when they discovered this fact. But it says so right on the cover. Still, a great book to help explain all those feelings we have about why God lets bad things happen, which is a hard concept for even a strong Christian. I need to go back and read this one again.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Going on reviews from some other friends' blogs, I bought this one. Also a GREAT BOOK! Again, you get so into it, you forget that it is fiction. Set in Guernsey after WWII, it describes the occupation of this small island. Written as a series of letters, this one is a quick read and well worth it.

The Grapes of Wrath - Yes, I read it in high school (images of Lisa and a tool running through my head - LOL!) I bought a copy for the 1939 theme we used for my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary and decided to read it again. If you never read it, or haven't read it since high school, it's worth another look. Being a parent gives a different perspective on it.

The Summer Kitchen by Lisa Wingate - Grabbed this one quickly from the library a couple of weeks ago without even reading the back. Lovely book. Overall theme is that search for significance we all do at one time or another and how sometimes you find it when you aren't even looking. Or when don't feel like you can do anything for anyone else. This is a nice book and worth a read.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks - Another good one by Nicolas Sparks. For my military friends, be forewarned that the guy in it is an Iraq war vet and he does relive some of his experiences. If that gets to you, don't read this one. This was enjoyable to read.

House and Home by Kathleen McCleary - Just so you know I don't love everything I read, I didn't love this one. Also a quick pick-up at the library (I never have time to really look for something good. I just grab and go.) I had a hard time identifying with the woman in this book who is more distraught over selling her home than losing her marriage. I did stick with it and it got better but I probably wouldn't recommend this one to anyone else.

The Stand by Stephen King - Another oldie but goodie. I read the original version waaaaay back in Junior High and loved it. In fact, I've read lots of SK but this one is still my favorite. I always thought about reading the longer version but never had until Robert bought it to take to Iraq with him. I read it before he left and enjoyed it a second time. If you've never read it, please do. But maybe wait till the swine flu season is over or you'll end up even more paranoid!

I've read others this summer but these are the ones that have stuck with me. Off to the library today for another stack - I need something to read!

Game Day!

I took the kids a few weeks back to have their pics made for Game Day! My ulterior motive was to get a good one of Gabby and her missing teeth, but I have been meaning to get their pics in their Auburn jerseys anyway. So here are the Auburn ones. We'll be ready for Game Day tomorrow, even if we won't be able to see the game. WAR EAGLE!!!!!!!

First Day of First Grade

Today was Gabby's first day of first grade. She has been nervous about it since watching a Berenstain Bears episode where Sister is concerned about going to the next grade and having to do harder stuff. So for two weeks she hasn't wanted to go. Somehow last night I finally managed to talk her out of being scared and she got excited, only then to not be able to sleep because she was so excited. Argh.

So we managed to get through our morning pretty well seeing as how we have been totally relaxing the last few weeks. We get there and the school is pandemonium. Gabby was hiding behind me. And then they actually ask us to leave our kids in the gym with a teacher we (or the kids) have never met so they can take them to a room we've never seen. Come back in a week for Open House to meet and see it then. Really? I have to say, I was not ok with this, as were a lot of other parents. And a lot of us didn't listen. I admit, I went and found her room and waited until I was sure she was there and in the right place and that I at least knew her teacher's face. And then I quickly left. It just wasn't a good start in my opinion.