LarkExaltation

I’m doing major catch up on posts here, and I added two others for the 13th and the 14th. In this post we have my work Easter egg hunt from the 15th. With out “Onala” and “Ahmee” I don’t think that day would have turned out so well. We were running so late. It was nice to have a couple pair of extra hands… Thanks Ladies! And then the kids Easter baskets and the eggs we decorated. The Easter bunnies decided to not do too much candy. Each child got a hollow bunny and some long awaited prizes. I think the most expensive thing had to be the Elefun game that made it into Libby’s basket. Sam has been asking for that for a couple of years now. They really have a trunk full of fun playing it. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)

It’s really hard to believe we actually got snow. Sam was so excited. He had been waiting for this all winter. They closed our schools at one o’clock, which I thought was hilarious. It didn’t even stick, much less stick around, but neighboring towns got hit pretty hard so I suppose it had potential for damage. Or maybe it’s just so rare, they wanted the kids to be able to play in it?! In my videos, it’s hard to believe the kids were even home. It was so quiet… except for my cell phone ringing a couple of times.

After quite some time at home and a serious case of cabin fever, we decided to go out to lunch with the kids and some friends. It was a very enjoyable time and the kids were well behaved considering they’ve been cooped up for so long. Saturday the doctor said the baby was about the same as she saw her Thursday, but Thursday she had said that Evelyn sounded better than she had expected. We got instructions to stay out of daycare two more days and then she could return on Wednesday, with a re-check on the 31st. Today has been a clingy day for her though. The most she’s been since she’s been ill, though she has not had a temperature or coughed much. Perhaps she’s just hitting a growth spurt, or just getting back on schedule.

girl in the hood

quiet at last…

…or not so much

Costumes in order by age…
PD:Red Riding Hood, Bec:Bad Wolf in Disguise, Sam:Blue Power Ranger, Libs:”Punkey”, Evie:Granny

We also spent a good part of the day working on a “Wendy’s” wig. I think it turned out really well.
PD thinks he is going to wear it for Red Ribbon Week next week at the junior high for “Crazy Hat Day” on Halloween.

We had a field trip to a local “pumpkin patch” and then to the park for lunch. I was so happy I was able to make it. Sam and his class had a really great time, watching the pumpkin carver, listening to a story, and taking a walk through the pumpkin maze. After our pumpkin fun we went to the park, had our lunch and played and played and played.

The kids even got to go home with a little pumpkin of their own. Sam was very excited to show me his “perfect pumpkin” and talk about all the fun things we would do with it like washing it, carving it, put a light inside of it. He even told me that we would scoop out the “insides” (I hope he means the actual meat of it) and make a pumpkin pie. I think these sound like wonderful ideas.

Ms. Libby is going to have a pumpkin patch picnic at her daycare on Monday. We’ll probably get our family pumpkin that evening and work on it… pictures to come! (as usual)

It was a blue afternoon for me and I’m going to blame it on the lovely hormones before anyone else does. Events that we attend lately are not with a group but more like we see people we know when we get there. I’m miss my close group of friends planning, meeting, going, doing. Lately, we get to a place knowing that others may be there. You go one way and when you finally meet half way, they’ve already been where you’re headed. I can’t seem to remember when the go your own way, see you if we see you thing started. I suppose I could be more of an initiator? That’s an area I’ve always lacked in; conversations, outings, groupings. We jokingly, but lovingly, referred to our group as “the commune.” Not only for meals, but movies, game nights, road trips, even random trips to the store was just the thing to do. Once we’d finish with that there was the question of “what now?” You’d get out of class, church or off of work and ask “so what are we doing?” “what’s for supper?” “cooking or eating out?” But never questions for a table for two but a table for six, plus. Usually gatherings occur at one home in particular but life situations change that make for a new question of “who’s home?” So for three years now, maybe a little more, I’ve noticed gatherings becoming more an more sparse. We just don’t go and do anymore, or even stay “home” and play for that matter. You’d think after a couple of years of it I’d finally get the hint. Maybe this is what growing up means. Focus more on your own family, plan small events for “the group.” But that’s just not how I’ve pictured my adult life. I’ve always wanted the long table to seat anyone who wished to join. To have the house to come and go from at any time…

… so anyway, here are some pictures from last weekend and today. Last weekend was the Celtic Festival that I was so excited about. I’ve filed the pictures under the Zoo in my album because there’s not one from the actual festival. I really hate that I missed the singing, dancing, bag pipes, highland games… I joked with PD about getting his mom to watch the kids the next day so we could sit and take it all in, but that didn’t happen. I guess when there’s a zoo to be seen, there’s not much else you can convince the kids to sit through.

My sister’s birthday was also last Saturday - I got to make the cake! A yum yellow cake and chocolate frosting recipe I got from the Southern Living website.

of course my favorite part would have to be my kid with “let me count the smokes…”

Beth managed to cut a batman shape out of it - and Sam says, “hey, it’s the same as me”

Today was the 10th Anniversary of the Friends of Black Bayou Fall Celebration. We didn’t spend as much time there this year as we have in the past, but we had some sleepy kids that were on the verge of sleeping before we even got out of the car.

Speaking of car… we have a new (to us) car! A 2000 Hyundai Elantra that our lovely friends decided to give us. There are a few repairs to be made, including a slippery transmission that we’ll need to get looked at/repaired, but at the moment it is running just lovely. All reviews I’ve seen online say it has about three or more inches of rear hip room than the Escort, but with the placement of the seat belts, it’s about the same. Either way, it’s white, not navy, so it won’t get so hot. Even if it does, we won’t be cooling a whole station wagon, just a front and rear seating, AND the A/C seems to be significantly cooler, however it’ didn’t get much over 80 degrees today, if that.

He was such a sweetie. All of the kids were so well behaved.

When I met the class and he finally noticed me, he called out and motioned for me to stand by him.
When I was closer he wrapped his arms around me and said “This is my own sweet mommy”

We saw cows and pigs and goats….

We ate popcorn and drank sodas…

….rode the merry-go-round and walked through the haunted house

I saw several people I knew and I had a few good chats with his teacher. We may be planning an educational field trip out to our favorite bayou spot.

of course he was not ready to get back on the bus, but they were going back to school for lunch.
I told him I’d pick him up at daycare after work.
And he told me that I was going to get him a HUGE Lightning McQueen present.

… we’ll see.

I’d just rather stick with bowling with friends tomorrow night.

This is what I hear from Sam just before we head off to school. Today is his snack day, leader day and! we’re going on a field trip to the fair to see the animals. And this year, I plan to make it to as many outings as I possibly can. I missed all of them for lack of transportation, or reliable transportation. I plan to take LOTS of pictures. We’ll see how that goes.

sam: ok, here’s the plan. I’m going to get the snack and *makes package opening hand motions* and give them all to my friends and…

He trailed off at the end, still talking but too quiet for me to hear from the front seat. I’ve been giving him motivational plans all week to get him out of bed, or get him to go to bed. Today, snack day, leader day, field trip day. Tomorrow evening, bowling! He’s so excited. I told him that we have invited two of his friends and he said “yay! but what about their mom, dad?” “they’re coming too honey” “Yay!”

I suppose I should go get ready to go. I’m meeting them at the school and following the bus. It’s not going to be a very long trip, they should be back by lunch, but anything to me at this point is better than the ones I went on last year.

Saturday we had a fun family day at the park. It would have been a good day to take the kite out, but of course, that’s one of the two things I didn’t think to bring along. It was a spur of the moment thought to go, I did good to remember to bring a cooler of water.

She was singing herself to sleep, as she sometimes does. Both kids were so tired by the time we left. I told Sam to run up to the gazebo and wait on me there, and we would wait on daddy to get the car. He three running steps and then stopped and held my hand again. He did have enough energy to swing a little before PD made it around with the car, but both kids were asleep before we made it back onto the main road.

The weather was perfect, we couldn’t have asked for better temperatures for the picnic Saturday morning.

The afternoon was so nice, we couldn’t see going back inside, so a group of us decided to take a trip out to our favorite local wildlife reserve. We just love sitting on the porch of the visitor center, there was such a nice breeze. The lake was as beautiful as always, it really makes me want a boat.

We saw lots of fun wildlife in the education center and out on the trails.

After a late lunch we went for a swim at a friend’s house. I would have to say this will probably be the last swim of the summer, if this weather keeps up like this. It was very …. refreshing! Libby and I didn’t stay in long, it was just a little too chilly for my little girl. She was having so much fun she didn’t want to get out, but she just couldn’t make herself stay in the water. She got in and out a couple of times before she decided she had enough.

This morning was even a bit chilly, though very nice. Sam made it two steps out the door and was saying that his hands were “freezing.” It wasn’t really that bad, only around 66 degrees. We made it to school and just as I pull into a parking place he informs me that he is “very hungry.” The events to follow have been the most nerve wracking since the first day of school (which really wasn’t that bad for me emotionally). I asked him if he wanted to have breakfast in the cafeteria and he said yes, but when I told him I didn’t think I’d be able to sit with him and wait to walk him to class, he said he didn’t want to go alone. Once we got in the cafeteria and he looked around I gave him a dollar and had him confirm he wanted breakfast and reminded him that I wouldn’t be staying. He seemed fine with it. He put his backpack on the table and made his way to the line, and I made my way to his teachers class to let her know where I had left him. She said she thought he’d be fine. That their class sits near the stage at lunch and she figured he’d go right there to eat. When I made my way passed the cafeteria to leave, he was standing at a table his class ate at last year, the seats were folded up. So, I stood in the door and smiled at him until he realized I was there. He smiled, but continued to stand there, so I made my way in. I directed him to the table where his teacher said they usually sat for lunch and told him, once again, when he finished to put his tray where it belonged, to get his bag from the table in the back, and make his way down to his class. On my way out I let the duty teacher know it was his first time for breakfast alone and she said she’d keep an eye on him.

Leaving him on his own in a room full of people I don’t know, for him figure things out on his own was very hard for me. He is still so very young. I only assume he made it to class, hopefully on time, no one has called to tell me otherwise. It wasnt’ that large of a breakfast, so it shouldn’t have taken him too long to finish. Perhaps this will build his confidence to let me drop him off at the font to the school, to walk to class on his own. I really don’t know why I’m so comfortable with the thought of him walking there on his own, but not as comfortable with his having breakfast before he went to class? Just one more series of steps for him to work through before he gets to his destination, I suppose.