While Jeff was outside mowing the lawn this afternoon, the following exchange occurred inside the house ...
Joe: I want Daddy to stop mowing.
Mommy: Why is that?
Joe: 'Cause it's terrifyin' me.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Twister!
Okay -- how cool is this?? We had a tornado in our town! I know, not very cool for the ones whose property was damaged, but it was awfully exciting for the rest of us. There were quite a number of trees down, and some damage to homes, but that was minimal. It was mostly limbs and branches, tops of trees twisted off, and a few power lines down. The one area that was the most torn up was ... you guessed it -- a trailer park. There were a lot of trees down in that area, which had damaged many of the trailers.
Jeff and I watched the tornado form from our street, but the actual funnel was below the tree tops and we weren't able to see that. Naturally, after the storm passed, Jeff couldn't wait to jump in the car and drive around town! Our house is about a mile and a half away from the start of the damage.
You can see in the center of the picture where the very top of the funnel is. You could watch the clouds being sucked toward it.
Here, the tornado pulled a section of metal roofing off of the building and flung it into the tree to the right.
Jeff and I watched the tornado form from our street, but the actual funnel was below the tree tops and we weren't able to see that. Naturally, after the storm passed, Jeff couldn't wait to jump in the car and drive around town! Our house is about a mile and a half away from the start of the damage.
You can see in the center of the picture where the very top of the funnel is. You could watch the clouds being sucked toward it.
Here, the tornado pulled a section of metal roofing off of the building and flung it into the tree to the right.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Pittard Family Visit
This past weekend, we had a wonderful visit with Jeff's family. His twin brother Joe is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army and will be deployed soon, so he and his wife Jennifer came for a visit before that time comes. It was good having everyone there -- Joe and Jennifer; Jeff's older brother Jason, his wife Paige and their three children, plus us and Ken and Cheryl. Definitely a full house, and we all stayed over Friday night. Our kids especially enjoyed the time they got to spend with their cousins, which just doesn't happen often enough.
Jason, Joe, and Jeff, watching a video on Joe's phone.
Kaity and Joel had pallets on the dining room floor under the table. That brought back my memories of sleeping wherever there was space on the floor at Granny's house.
Paige and Jacob, their younger son. He and his fraternal twin Sarah just turned two a few weeks ago.
Jennifer playing on the floor with the twins.
Jeff wanted to play a game and was attempting to get Jason out of the recliner. Obviously, the comics were more important! Jason said, "I'm fine! Perfectly comfortable!" Or some such nonsense.
Joe and Jason put Katie and Joel on their shoulders and played chicken with them! Ah, the joys of having uncles.
The Joes. Little Joe thinks it's really neat that Uncle Joe has the same name as he does. He even named one of the army soldiers that he got for his birthday "Uncle Joe".
Joe and Jeff, identical twins. Jeff is older by nine minutes -- sparking the family joke that at birth Joe hit the snooze button and sent Jeff on ahead.
Jason, coolly keeping an eye on the children while they play.
Jason, Joe, and Jeff, watching a video on Joe's phone.
Kaity and Joel had pallets on the dining room floor under the table. That brought back my memories of sleeping wherever there was space on the floor at Granny's house.
Paige and Jacob, their younger son. He and his fraternal twin Sarah just turned two a few weeks ago.
Jennifer playing on the floor with the twins.
Jeff wanted to play a game and was attempting to get Jason out of the recliner. Obviously, the comics were more important! Jason said, "I'm fine! Perfectly comfortable!" Or some such nonsense.
Joe and Jason put Katie and Joel on their shoulders and played chicken with them! Ah, the joys of having uncles.
The Joes. Little Joe thinks it's really neat that Uncle Joe has the same name as he does. He even named one of the army soldiers that he got for his birthday "Uncle Joe".
Joe and Jeff, identical twins. Jeff is older by nine minutes -- sparking the family joke that at birth Joe hit the snooze button and sent Jeff on ahead.
Jason, coolly keeping an eye on the children while they play.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Now I Know My ABC's ...
This is Joe taking the states from his puzzle and placing them on the big map of the U.S. It's one of his favorite things to do.
Joe and Kaity are playing with something called Mighty Mind. It's a set of colored shapes that you fit together to make different pictures. Sort of like tangrams, but with all the shapes.
Kaity is learning how to use the computer more and more. She has a math game that she plays, as well as her new "learning-to-type" program. There are also a couple of select websites I let her play games on, like www.pbskids.org.
A very familiar sight at our house -- Kait sprawled in a chair reading. In this picture, she's actually doing some schoolwork -- vocabulary questions.
Joe and Kaity are playing with something called Mighty Mind. It's a set of colored shapes that you fit together to make different pictures. Sort of like tangrams, but with all the shapes.
Kaity is learning how to use the computer more and more. She has a math game that she plays, as well as her new "learning-to-type" program. There are also a couple of select websites I let her play games on, like www.pbskids.org.
A very familiar sight at our house -- Kait sprawled in a chair reading. In this picture, she's actually doing some schoolwork -- vocabulary questions.
Monday, August 18, 2008
First Day of School!
Today, Kaity started third grade! She's studying the history of the United States this year, starting with Native Americans. She's also writing completely in cursive, learning how to type, and studying biology.
Look how ridiculously long her legs are! For Pete's sake ...
Joe has "school" to do, too. Basically, it's just stuff to keep him occupied and interested while I'm working with Kaity. He listens when I read books out loud to her, and he plays with "educational toys" like tangrams and puzzles. He also has some books to read. They both have chores to do as well, like putting away the dishes, bringing me laundry and putting it away, etc.
Look how ridiculously long her legs are! For Pete's sake ...
Joe has "school" to do, too. Basically, it's just stuff to keep him occupied and interested while I'm working with Kaity. He listens when I read books out loud to her, and he plays with "educational toys" like tangrams and puzzles. He also has some books to read. They both have chores to do as well, like putting away the dishes, bringing me laundry and putting it away, etc.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Funny Quotes
These are unrelated, just two funny things the kids have said lately.
Katie, this morning: "C'mon, Joe, we need to get dressed straightaway!"
And Joe has a habit of making the very sincere comment, "O-oh, that's 'insta-string'!"
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Joseph Riley Pittard
Four years ago today, Little Joe was born! I had gone into the hospital to be induced, which I had heard takes FOREVER. The doctor planned to start at 9 in the morning, and told me that our baby probably wouldn't arrive before 2 in the afternoon. I told my parents not to rush, and they told us they'd be at the hospital around lunchtime. Well, another patient of my doctor had a baby in the early morning hours, so he came in at 6 a.m. asking if I wanted to go ahead with being induced. We agreed readily and the process was begun. After just one tiny dose of medicine, the doctor was shocked to find that I was in full labor! Joseph Riley was born at 9:05 a.m. The doctor made sure that I knew that if I had another baby I didn't need to waste any time getting to the hospital once labor started -- Katie in 5 hours, Joe in 3 -- It would be interesting to see what would happen with number 3!
My parents arrived at about ten minutes after nine -- I guess when a grandbaby is on his way, you don't wait around 'til lunchtime! They asked a nurse if the room they were in front of was Jennifer Pittard's, and the nurse said yes. My mom said, "But there's a baby crying in there!" She couldn't believe they'd missed Joe's birth by just a few minutes.
Joe, contrary to popular opinion, is NOT named for his Uncle Joe, Jeff's identical twin. Though he does have a remarkably similar personality, which Jeff finds pretty funny. And a little scary. He is named for my maternal grandparents, Riley and Josephine Floyd, otherwise known as Buddy and Jo.
So happy birthday to my baby boy, who thankfully cannot read and correct my assertion that he is my baby!
My parents arrived at about ten minutes after nine -- I guess when a grandbaby is on his way, you don't wait around 'til lunchtime! They asked a nurse if the room they were in front of was Jennifer Pittard's, and the nurse said yes. My mom said, "But there's a baby crying in there!" She couldn't believe they'd missed Joe's birth by just a few minutes.
Joe, contrary to popular opinion, is NOT named for his Uncle Joe, Jeff's identical twin. Though he does have a remarkably similar personality, which Jeff finds pretty funny. And a little scary. He is named for my maternal grandparents, Riley and Josephine Floyd, otherwise known as Buddy and Jo.
So happy birthday to my baby boy, who thankfully cannot read and correct my assertion that he is my baby!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A Visit with Nannie and Papa
Thursday, Ken and Cheryl came over for lunch and to pick up their grandbabies. I wanted to surprise Jeff with an evening without children so that we could go out to dinner for his birthday. His birthday wasn't until Sunday, but that leads to the other bit of news ... The reason we couldn't have just gone to dinner during the weekend is that I have a job! I am working at a locally owned restaurant, The Fat Finch. For now, I'm "kitchen help" which means that I wash dishes (which my mother finds hysterical), plate soup and dessert, and occasionally help Kim (my boss, the chef)by fixing baked potatoes and keeping an eye on the stove. Her goal is to get me ready to handle cooking everything on the lunch menu for Saturdays -- so she can actually have some time off. I'm only working on Friday night and Saturdays because that's when Jeff can be home with the kids. Anyway, it's a job and will help us be able to pay off our debt more quickly.
Note the extra "grandchild" Nannie has on her shoulder!
Note the extra "grandchild" Nannie has on her shoulder!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Hawaiian Luau
Last Saturday, the College and Singles ministry at our church had a luau! Just like our Stone Mountain trip, it poured rain, but this time we had a huge party tent up so no one got soaked. There was a speaker and live music, a banana eating contest and a limbo contest, and of course there was hula dancing. Best of all, one of our college students gave her life to Christ!
Not the best picture of Jeff, but the only one I have of him in his (borrowed) "Hawaiian flowerdy shirt".
Alan doing the limbo.
The boys doing the hula contest -- Kris is the last one on the left, Robby next to him.
The guys competing to see who could eat five bananas the fastest -- note that there were NO women involved in this. :) That's Andy on the right. The guy on the left is the one who won.
Not the best picture of Jeff, but the only one I have of him in his (borrowed) "Hawaiian flowerdy shirt".
Alan doing the limbo.
The boys doing the hula contest -- Kris is the last one on the left, Robby next to him.
The guys competing to see who could eat five bananas the fastest -- note that there were NO women involved in this. :) That's Andy on the right. The guy on the left is the one who won.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Best Apple Dip Ever.
Nutty Apple Dip
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Sliced apples
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Serve with apple slices.
I could eat my weight in this stuff! It combines all the ingredients that we in this house cannot get enough of. I use the reduced-fat cream cheese, because then I can pretend that it's better for me. :) However, I have not yet succumbed to the temptation to leave off the apples altogether and go straight for the dip with a spoon.
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Sliced apples
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Serve with apple slices.
I could eat my weight in this stuff! It combines all the ingredients that we in this house cannot get enough of. I use the reduced-fat cream cheese, because then I can pretend that it's better for me. :) However, I have not yet succumbed to the temptation to leave off the apples altogether and go straight for the dip with a spoon.
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