Sunday, April 29, 2012

Clayton Festival

Yesterday my friend Amber and I had a girls' day out with Kaity and Selah up to Clayton. We went to hear our friend Eli play, and to enjoy the booths at the downtown festival. We decided we definitely need to go back and check out all the little shops and to explore the downtown area.

Eli Carlan

Kaity took this picture and I fixed it up on PicMonkey.

Mmm ... Mayfield Rainbow Sherbet.

Sharing, like sweet sisters.

Reality sets in.

Amber and me!

Our friend Jacob did not want his picture taken.

Pretty Kaity!

Playing in the fountain with a new friend!

Selah-bella in the fountain.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Nobody is A Secret Agent, Chapter 1, Part 2

Chapter 1, Part 2

Before she could check it out, she heard her Dad coming up the stairs. She jumped in the bed and pulled up the covers. Shortly, Dad poked his head in.
    "Lights out, Jessica. Mom and I are going to bed." He left. Once Mom and Dad's light turned off, she got out of bed and started pushing the dresser. When she finally got it forward, what she saw was astonishing: A blue circular opening! It was high tech looking and about three feet in diameter. When she moved closer to it, The door shot open. Now she saw it was a tube... and it apparently led somewhere. She poked her head in for a better look. It pulled the rest of her in, too and she went faster than if it were just a slide. It had smooth walls, they were blue also. Using her bare feet, she finally stopped herself. Just ahead, she saw a door like the one that automatically opened in her room. She was glad she stopped herself. She heard voices behind the door talking.
     " So Lightning says his tube has too many curves- "
     " Oh yeah, I remember him saying that -"
     " He has a new complaint, his has a few forks and that apparently bugs him-" At that point, Jessica's grip slipped and she slid through the tube doorway and landed in a room with computers lining the walls. There were two people in it, two adults, a man and a woman, and they were both staring at her.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Nobody Is A Secret Agent, Chapter 1, Part 1


Chapter 1
Jessica

Jessica stared out the window of her bedroom into her backyard. A few flowers, (her mom called them weeds) scattered the ground below (her room was upstairs). Jessica saw her pet cat wandering in the woods behind her yard. She turned to face her room again. Her bed was in the corner opposite her desk. Her desk was in the center of the wall in front of her window. Her dresser was next to her closet on another wall. Right now, she was sitting in the swivel chair in front of her desk. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. 
    "Jessica, Mom says it's lunch time." It was her 15 year old brother Kyle. 
    "Coming!" Jessica replied. She grabbed her Greek Myths book off her desk and ran downstairs. Jessica liked to read while she ate. She ran down the stairs. She was glad she did because lunch was one of her favorites: mini pizzas. Jessica ate quickly. She wanted to get to her room and avoid any chores her mom would give her. When she was back in her room, she continued reading. Just so it didn't get boring, she spun around in her chair. She stopped in front of her window. She saw someone walking slowly down the street. This wasn't unusual, but he seemed suspicious. The way his hood was down, The way he kept his face out of sight, was he looking at Jessica's house? Jessica decided she should think of something else. She decided to think about the funny dream she had last night.
    And then Jar Jar Binks fell off the dirt bike and everyone was trapped in the giant chocolate egg...
She stopped thinking about  the dream because the weird guy was gone. She then continued to read her book. She kicked her feet under her desk but she stopped when she heard a click noise. What was that? She peeked under the desk. Just old papers, junk, and the pen cap she had lost last week. She finally decided that the click was the soda can in her metal mesh wastebasket. It wasn't until bedtime that she noticed something blue glowing behind her dresser.

To be continued!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Home of the ... Who?

Yesterday my friend Donna told me a funny story about our little Joe. During children's choir last week, a child ran in chattering excitedly about a baseball game involving the Atlanta Braves. He mentioned one of the players and the score, something like that. Joe looks at him oddly and says, "What's a 'brave'?"

(It gets better)

Donna explained to Joe that the Braves are a baseball team and laughingly asked if he knew how to play. Joe promptly responded, "I know how to play Jeopardy!"

Jeff's deadpan response? "I have totally failed my son."
My enthusiastic response - "That's my boy!"


Thursday, April 19, 2012

Nobody is A Secret Agent, Prologue

Kaity has written a wonderful story about a secret agent - full of intrigue and suspense and comedy. We'll be presenting it in serial form over the next little while. Stay tuned for each action-packed installment!

Prologue
Julie turned to Peter again.
    "Do you think she will find the passage?"
    "Of course," replied Peter, "from what we have seen, she is curious. She will find the passage."
Julie turned to face the screen in front of her and watched intently. She gave a gasp of surprise as the one they were watching found the passage. The dot on the computer screen was the tracking device on the girl's clothes, and it was coming closer.

TO BE CONTINUED

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Potty Training Tips

If it looks like this:
... you're probably doing okay.


Here's a sign you're doing it wrong:

You're welcome.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Picnic


Yesterday I fixed lunches for the kids and let them eat outside. I ate inside, because I don't think food and the outdoors should mix. Picnics involve bugs, uncomfortable seating, wind, messes, grass, pollen, bugs ... It's not natural. Anyway, the kids loved it!


Selah had a teddy bear cookie, a peanut butter/pear jam sandwich, Teddy Grahams, pineapple, and frozen yogurt covered grapes. 


Saturday, April 14, 2012

Teddy Bear Picnic

Kaity chose a menu for us to have for dinner one night. Flipping through one of my Taste of Home cookbooks, she saw a baby shower featured that had a teddy bear theme. We made our own pretzel rolls, arranged them in teddy bear form and served them with ham, turkey, mayo, mustard, ranch dressing, provolone, and lettuce.


I ate his arms and legs. It was fun making the tiny sandwiches!
For dessert Kaity and I made teddy bear cookies, using a simple sugar cookie dough rolled in cinnamon sugar.

The hardest part is waiting for them to come out of the oven!

Here they are before baking.

We made sure there were some with eye colors that matched everyone in the family!

Me, refusing to look at the camera.

"Are ya happy now?"
 They were delicious!







Wednesday, April 11, 2012

This Little Piggy ...

Kaity was bored the other day, so I suggested she give her mother a much-needed pedicure! With the help of an adorable but thoroughly unhelpful assistant, Kaity did a great job!


Selah used the nail brush to comb Kaity's hair.

"Joo wan design?"

She painted little flowers on each big toe, too. Such fabulous service.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Call It Macaroni

I recently made several hair clips using feathers from my friend Lisa's farm. Using my favorite little model, I took some pictures!