Picture post

Just posting a few pics...I'll be back to actually blog a bit later, or tomorrow : ) Enjoy!

Oooo, David's become a teenager. Lord, help me!

Yes, he did his hair like that on purpose! They were having so much fun with the pomade...LOL!Derek is so proud of his new funny face!Yes, that's a praying mantis and yes it's as big as it looks and yes it was on our property. In fact, it was right by the front door, I think it wanted to come hang out for game night...LOL!

Back soon with some actual stories about our antics here. Love to all! ~K~

Look What We Did for Daddy!

For as long as I have known Dan, he's has this old musty milk crate full of old bottles that he's found here and there. They are dirty, smell and just plain gross, even though some of them are interesting shapes. He's never had a place to display them, so once in a while (generally when we are packing to move) he digs them out and mentions sadly that it would be so nice to have them on display. And I always think, "I don't think so, buddy" I know, I know...bad wife award for me. Feel free to leave me some hate mail in the comment box. Anywho, while he's been gone this month, I got to thinking about something nice we could do for Dan as a welcome home gift....but it had to be inexpensive and readily available. So...what to do, what to do....and then I stubbed my toe on, wouldn't ya know it, a musty old milk crate. So I spent the better part of the day scrubbing old bottles and then Pat and David helped me arrange them. Ta~Da! Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself : ) So, welcome home Daddy! It's only taken me 15 years to get it right.

Pat did all the climbing, David directed and I took the pics : ) That's what I call team work.

I'm Gonna Miss This....

...When Dan gets home. The boys and I have taken to piling into the master bedroom after having dinner and enjoying a board game so we can hang out together. Derek gets his jammies, his pillow and blanket along with a few books and gets cozy in the bed and after a book or two, is almost asleep. Pat serenades us with the keyboard that Lauren lovingly left behind for him to use. David checks on his Frontier on FB and they all listen while I read aloud to them for a while. Then I goof off on FB while the older 2 get comfy on the bed with a book. *sigh* It's just so cozy. And while I'm ever so anxious for Dan to get back home where he belongs....I'm gonna miss this.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY October 6th, 2010
Outside my window... it is dark and quiet except for an occasional car slipping past
I am thinking... that being a parent is ever so much harder than I anticipated and yet, so rewarding.
I am thankful for... The time I'm spending with the boys while Dan is gone. We've started piling into my room after dinner and a board game. David checks his e-mail and such, Pat serenades us on the keyboard, Derek snuggles in close beside me while I read aloud to them. I think I shall miss that once Dan comes home and turns on the TV again. Maybe we can convince him to join us once in a while ; )
From the learning rooms... Math, math and more math. We are doing little else at this point while we labor to end the never ending school year. I know, it's October and we are still working on last year's math, but it is just the way the year worked out. Both the boys struggled with math this year and it's been slow going. HOWEVER, we can see the end, and we are excited to finish this year and start on next year's things. Schooling year round is wonderful....why didn't we start doing it sooner?
From the kitchen... Oh my, what a day we had in the kitchen! Pat declared it a baking day, I decided that baking counts as practical usage of math principles and we hit that kitchen hard! On my counters are banana and pumpkin bread, caramel apples, brownies, oatmeal bar cookies with chocolate frosting, caramel corn and pumpkin muffins. OH MY WORD {happy dance}} We wrapped up the baking frenzy with BLTs for dinner and then tasted our goodies : ) As for the rest of the week, we are eating simply due to Dan's absence and the kids are happy with easy meals.

• Thursday~ Soup and grilled cheese
  
• Friday~ Veggie tray and munchies for Game Night
  
• Saturday~ Pizza
  
• Sunday~ Pot Roast
  
• Monday~ Not sure yet...probably something really simple like spaghetti, mac and cheese or leftovers

I am wearing... Orange 3/4 sleeve Henley, navy jumper, hair in bun, feet BARE, of course
I am creating... As stable an environment as I can for while Dan is gone. Also, a scrapbook for my Sister-Girl, Karen and a PILE of finished books on my bookshelf headboard : )
I am going... Everywhere and No where...LOL! Tomorrow holds Gymnastics class, TaeKwonDo class, picking up and dropping off Ebone, probably Kohls to check my schedule and maybe the park.
I am reading... Raising Boys and Loving It, and starting the Left Behind Series as well.
I am hoping... that Dan calls. I miss him so much! I have new respect for those 'left behind' when a spouse is away on military duty or long business trips.
I am hearing... Kenny G in the background and a car starting down the road. Near silence is a beautiful thing.
Around the house... Boys are sleeping, heaps of dishes from our baking party wait to be washed, and the night beckons me to rest.
One of my favorite things... BIRTHDAYS! David turned 13 on Sunday...where DOES the time go?? We had a very small celebration as David wants to wait for Dan to return before he has a real party.
A few plans for the rest of the week: The Taxi Mama run tomorrow, Sam's Club on Friday along with GAME NIGHT, working at the gym on Saturday morning, church on Sunday morning and then preparing for a new week.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...The sun rising on the morning of David's birthday. So pretty!

Come by and read other posts like this one over at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Fall Into Reading 2010~Weekly Question #2

The host of the Fall Into Reading challenge over at http://www.callapidderdays.com/ is posting a weekly question to keep the fun flowing. So here's question 2 and my answer

What do you think of e-books? Do you engage in e-reading or do you prefer to stick with good ol' physical books?

Hmmm, good question. I do not have a kindle or any other type of e-book media storage except my computer and when I want to read one of my e-books, I tend to print it out so I can pick it up and read it anywhere. I do love the convenience of e-books, the instant gratification of clicking the ORDER button and having my book in 30 seconds instead of 3 weeks. However, they can't replace my 'regular' books. So, I guess the short answer is I stick to physical books, even if they start out as e-books. I love the smell of a book...the paper, the inks, leather cover if you happen to have any of those these days. Mmmm. Plus I enjoy the thought of other people having read the book before me and those that will read it after me and feel like I've taken part in the 'life' of a book, if you will. Plus, I can't curl up with a blanket, a mug of hot tea and my desktop computer...LOL! Nothing is better than being in front of a cozy fireplace, with an afghan, a comfy hubby and a good book, with the littles all scattered around the hear the story.

Great question...keep them coming. I need to update my FIR list since one of the books I have on my list is missing. Can't wait to see next week's question.

Blessings,

~K~

Back to Blogging...seriously!

I took a break from blogging this summer and while it was a good thing, I missed it terribly. So I've been trying to get back to it, and now I'm having trouble doing that. Seems to me that with Dan gone to Washington for weeks, I'd have PLENTY of time to blog, read, scrapbook, and goof off. OK, I admit to the goofing off part...at least a little. But my reading rate is WAY down, I've scrapbooked 2 pages in the 2 weeks that Dan's been gone and I've just barely touched my toes into the blogging pool. So...what gives? I don't know either. Guess I'll have to just keep plugging away at it as I have time and see what happens. Thanks to my faithful readers for your continued patience. I'm working on it, I really am!
Blessings,
~K~

PS. My friend Dani says that she likes to throw a random picture in here or there just for fun...so there is my random picture. : )