Picture from 8/10/11: William with his head underwater? Willingly? With the teacher's back turned? Hardly seemed possible at the beginning of this summer....!
Look! I drew a car all by myself! Proud boy on 8/7/11
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Is this my kid?
Picture from 8/10/11: William with his head underwater? Willingly? With the teacher's back turned? Hardly seemed possible at the beginning of this summer....!
Look! I drew a car all by myself! Proud boy on 8/7/11
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Camping...brr!
We were actually supposed to go camping last weekend. But, the weather forecast was for wet, cold weather. So, we rescheduled!
Poor Amelia fell asleep on the way and slept for awhile while we set up our picnic lunch.
The kids always enjoy the small park in the campground
We squeezed in another family hike, this time with Amelia in the backpack.
Poor Amelia fell asleep on the way and slept for awhile while we set up our picnic lunch.
The kids always enjoy the small park in the campground
We squeezed in another family hike, this time with Amelia in the backpack.
In the evening, there was a special ranger presentation about SNAKES. William was totally enthralled. Amelia and I stepped out after 45 minutes. William was NOT ready to leave! At the very end, William decided he did want to touch the small snake the ranger brought in.
We hiked, we played at the park, we cooked, we played games, we listened to the ranger talk and slept all night long in the tent on the ground. What we didn't do is take pictures!
Goal accomplished: camping 2 times this year with the kids in a tent!
We hiked, we played at the park, we cooked, we played games, we listened to the ranger talk and slept all night long in the tent on the ground. What we didn't do is take pictures!
Goal accomplished: camping 2 times this year with the kids in a tent!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
More catching up....
I've been working late night here trying to get everything tidied up. I just don't think I'll ever be caught up! Here are the handful of posts I finally finished!
Amelia is 2! Thank goodness completed before she turned 3
The Flintstone Event
Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa
Labor Day Weekend
First Day of School
Camping Churchy Style
Conversations with Kids
And, I've updated the Picture day
Amelia is 2! Thank goodness completed before she turned 3
The Flintstone Event
Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa
Labor Day Weekend
First Day of School
Camping Churchy Style
Conversations with Kids
And, I've updated the Picture day
Picture day!
Today was picture day at the kids' school. I set out clothes last night and tried to make for a smooth morning.
After breakfast, I reminded William to get dressed before playing and indicated the pile of clothes in the living room for him to put on. He took one look and ran for his bedroom. With a sigh, I followed to find him digging in his dresser drawers.
Mama: What are you looking for?
William: My necktie shirt. I am the handsomest boy you know when I wear that shirt. It will be perfect.
Mama: Who can argue with that?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Balloon Glow
The St Louis Balloon Glow is one of our favorite events. When fall rolls around, we try to make sure it gets put on our calendar early so we don't book other, less fun things.
It was sprinkling on and off. William got inventive with his kids' meal bag and made a rain hat.
We weren't there too long, when the first balloon started filling up
Daddy and William with just a few balloons early on
Pretty balloons, all in a row!
Once it is totally dark, the balloons are very beautiful. I especially love the ones with geometric patterns.
Mama and William ( I promise Amelia was with us. She just wasn't being as...cooperative about taking pictures)
Pretty balloon
This one might be my favorite this year...gorgeous stripes. Makes me want to pull out my fabric and start sewing...hmm.....
In the same area as the balloon glow event was a Sept. 11th Memorial. None of our pictures really do it justice, but this was pretty amazing.
This hill was totally covered with flags. There is one flag for every person who died on September 11th during the terrorist attacks.
Blurry, but beautiful
It was sprinkling on and off. William got inventive with his kids' meal bag and made a rain hat.We weren't there too long, when the first balloon started filling up
Daddy and William with just a few balloons early on
Pretty balloons, all in a row!Once it is totally dark, the balloons are very beautiful. I especially love the ones with geometric patterns.
Mama and William ( I promise Amelia was with us. She just wasn't being as...cooperative about taking pictures)
Pretty balloon
This one might be my favorite this year...gorgeous stripes. Makes me want to pull out my fabric and start sewing...hmm.....
In the same area as the balloon glow event was a Sept. 11th Memorial. None of our pictures really do it justice, but this was pretty amazing.
This hill was totally covered with flags. There is one flag for every person who died on September 11th during the terrorist attacks.
Blurry, but beautiful
So many flags. So many we couldn't make them fit in one picture.
September 11th changed so much for me. This was a defining moment for a lot of people and I'm not really any different than anyone else. However, that day I did a lot of growing up. I was student teaching that day. I was just starting to take over small responsibilities within the classroom. That day I was going to be leading the breakfast discussion. The students came back from the cafeteria with their trays and we watched the morning news together as usual. Together, we watched the second plane hit the towers live. It was that moment. That very moment that I grew and changed. All twenty six faces looked to me for an explanation and I didn't have an answer. Together, we all looked toward the lead teacher. He didn't have answers either. I will never forget the realization that students would daily looking to me for answers on all types of matters, including terrible and difficult things AND I WOULDN'T KNOW the answers.
There were so many other stressful pieces of that day. Immediately after we watched the plane hit the tower, we were told TV's had to stay off during the day. Students were not to receive information about this event from us. It left the adults starved for information and whispering updates to each other while passing in the hall. A student from war stricken Ghana asked if we were going to have fighting here now, too.
John was living across the county and unavailable to me. My parents, an hour away. At that moment, I wanted all my family in a room together so I could wrap myself up in their comforting presence. But, that was not possible. So I sat home alone in my little apartment and ate my frozen dinner while watching the horrifying images from earlier in the day.
Late that evening or early the next day, a list of passengers on the airplanes would reveal another piece: a high school classmate on the second plane. The one I watched with my students. I'm not going to make more of this than what it is. Someone, an acquittance more than a friend was on one of those planes.
I was sad about her death in the days that followed September 11th. Every year since, I've taken small moments to remember her and say a prayer for her. This year it feels particularly unfair as I look around at what my life has been filled with: love, husband, children, home, and a job I love. All these are things my friend will never experience because she didn't have the opportunity. And that just doesn't seem fair. Visiting this memorial on the 10 year anniversary felt like an appropriate memorial to her.
September 11th changed so much for me. This was a defining moment for a lot of people and I'm not really any different than anyone else. However, that day I did a lot of growing up. I was student teaching that day. I was just starting to take over small responsibilities within the classroom. That day I was going to be leading the breakfast discussion. The students came back from the cafeteria with their trays and we watched the morning news together as usual. Together, we watched the second plane hit the towers live. It was that moment. That very moment that I grew and changed. All twenty six faces looked to me for an explanation and I didn't have an answer. Together, we all looked toward the lead teacher. He didn't have answers either. I will never forget the realization that students would daily looking to me for answers on all types of matters, including terrible and difficult things AND I WOULDN'T KNOW the answers.
There were so many other stressful pieces of that day. Immediately after we watched the plane hit the tower, we were told TV's had to stay off during the day. Students were not to receive information about this event from us. It left the adults starved for information and whispering updates to each other while passing in the hall. A student from war stricken Ghana asked if we were going to have fighting here now, too.
John was living across the county and unavailable to me. My parents, an hour away. At that moment, I wanted all my family in a room together so I could wrap myself up in their comforting presence. But, that was not possible. So I sat home alone in my little apartment and ate my frozen dinner while watching the horrifying images from earlier in the day.
Late that evening or early the next day, a list of passengers on the airplanes would reveal another piece: a high school classmate on the second plane. The one I watched with my students. I'm not going to make more of this than what it is. Someone, an acquittance more than a friend was on one of those planes.
I was sad about her death in the days that followed September 11th. Every year since, I've taken small moments to remember her and say a prayer for her. This year it feels particularly unfair as I look around at what my life has been filled with: love, husband, children, home, and a job I love. All these are things my friend will never experience because she didn't have the opportunity. And that just doesn't seem fair. Visiting this memorial on the 10 year anniversary felt like an appropriate memorial to her.
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