Introducing Ollie & Ginger

Callie helps stuff Ollie, the Owl

Callie with her new friend, "Ollie."

"Mommy, take a picture of Ollie on my head!"

and a friend for Ollie....Ginger

Callie with Ollie & Ginger....her new playmates.  She was over-the-top excited about these 2 new toys I made for her this morning!  Had I known they would be such a hit, I would have saved them for Christmas! :)

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

A need met in a bright blue way!

A week ago Monday, I unexpectedly had a student quit.  It was a rather unusual way to tell a teacher they no longer wanted to take lessons.  It went like this.....(names changed)

Renee came to her lesson.  I was finishing up some dishes in the kitchen.  She looked around for a pen to write in her practice time.  I let it slide that she should have already written that down during the week.  She got her violin ready and asked if I wanted to hear her orchestra songs for her concert later that week.  Keep in mind this is her school orchestra.  She had already played the songs countless times for me.  She had played them by MEMORY the previous week.  These were the only songs she ever wanted to play at her lesson.  I asked her to pick out another one of her orchestra pieces that she hadn't mastered yet.  We worked on that for awhile and then went on to her solo that I had assigned her.  By the time we were to the end of working on that piece, her mother, Laura shows up.  I am writing down what I want her to practice at home.  They start making all sort of hand gestures.  Renee is mouthing things.  I finally ask if there's something Laura needed to ask me.  She says, "no."  She said they were signing and using mental telepathy to communicate with each other!  I'm thinking to myself, WHAT!!!  I'm sensing that all is NOT RIGHT, but continue with the assignment.  Finally, I hear Laura say, "Is that your final decision?"  Hmmm...I'm understanding things a little more clearly now.  Mom sends daughter to violin lesson.  I'm guessing that how the lesson went that day would determine whether or not she would quit with absolutely NO NOTICE to me!  I guess I was too mean of a teacher on Monday...LOL!!  In all reality, I have been seriously trying HARD each week for the past 2 months (when the girl started taking from me), to correct poor posture, poor technique.  She had been playing for the past 3 years with NO chinrest on her violin, no shoulder rest and a bow hand that was angled totally backwards!  They finally got a chinrest put on the violin, but still no shoulder rest.  The bow hand has improved a tiny bit, but only with constant reminders.  It's hindering her ability to play fluently.  I just hope someone/someday will be able to get through better than I did.  I was just greatly astonished at the method mom/daughter used to quit.  Anyways....on to the point of my very long drawn out story.  Needless to say, the abrupt departure of a student decreased my income immediately.  I was hoping for a little extra money this month for a mattress for Samuel's bed.  We had put his toddler bed mattress on his twin bunkbed and that was working, but oh for a REAL twin mattress for him.  Fast forward to Friday......I worked for 5-6 hours uploading photos and designing a photo album for a special Christmas gift.  I checked e-mails periodically and noticed that on FreeCycle someone had spotted a mattress out by the curb on their morning walk.  This was WAY late in the afternoon.  I figured it surely must be gone, but decided I would go by on my way to the store to pick up a few things I needed.  I had butterflies in my stomach all the way there.  I pulled down the street of a section of town I would live in only in my dreams.  I spotted a beautiful, bright blue mattress propped up against a mail box.

My heart-beat quickened as I pulled into the driveway of a house that resembled the White House.  (ok....so maybe it wasn't quite as big and didn't have the pillars, but it was BIG and white and I definitely wouldn't want to have to clean that all by myself!!! :->)  Keep in mind, I'm driving my van.  Also, I'm feeling a bit awkward out picking up things out of people's front yards.  I look around for people.  See no one.  The mattress very clearly says FREE and is in wonderful condition!  I pop open the hatch of my van.  I pick up that mattress.  Stumble over to the van.  Give a big heave and push that mattress in.  about 2 feet are still sticking out the back.  I open the side door.  Start pulling on the mattress.  All the while, my 3 year old darling daughter cheers me on!  My 4 year son, sleeps peacefully through all of the commotion.  I keep sneaking glances about, hoping desparately that no one is watching.  It fit perfectly!!  I backed out and away we went.  God answered a need before I even was able to voice it.  He filled in my loss of income for the month with an item that would have cost far more.  I had tears in my eyes as I saw the pure joy in Samuel's eyes as he got to sleep on a REAL mattress for the first time!  (plastic covered baby/toddler mattresses just can't be as cozy as a soft plush fabric covered one) He LOVES going to bed now.  At first, I was worried about the loss of a student.  But now, I realize had I not lost the student, I would have missed out on something so much bigger....a reminder that God's knows what we need....and exactly when we need it! 

Candy!!!!!!!!!

Our church had a Halloween Alternative for the kids this year.  They played different games and were given 'money' to buy candy and toys.  They had a blast and came home with a bunch of candy!  Callie talked ALL day long about getting a pair of fairy wings.  Miss Angie had told her about them on Wednesday night, and Callie did NOT FORGET!!!  She was VERY happy to buy them!!!  Mommy has plans to make her a fancy fairy skirt to go with her wings for a Christmas gift. :)

Samuel

Simon

Seth had to sort all his candy.

All 4 kids and their stash!

This is what I did on Thursday morning, instead of cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc....  I made myself a shirt and skirt to wear.  The picture is compliments of my 11 year old! :)

Samuel's new bed.  We finally found exactly the kind of bed we wanted for Samuel on Craig's List.  Went to look at it on Monday.  Tuesday morning, I drove the van 45 minutes away to pick it up.  It was a tight squeeze, but we managed to pack it in.  The older boys helped me unload it and set it up before daddy got home.  Samuel just LOVES his new bed!!!!  I'm happy because of the wonderful deal we got on a solid oak loft bed!!!  It also forced the boys & I to re-organize their room.  We took 2 loads to the Salvation Army. 1 load to a used kids store and got $65!!  Several trips to the trash can filled it up with broken toys, papers, etc.....  It's AMAZING the amount of stuff one kind find in 3 boys' room when moving around furniture! 

Memorization

Today, Seth & Simon had a mini-competition at their school. Simon recited a poem by memory. Seth recited a short story. They both did great and mommy was proud of both of them. Simon won 1st. place for 3rd. grade and Seth won 2nd. place for 5th. grade. Simon will go on to compete against other area 3rd. graders.

Gotta love church directory family pictures!!!!!!

The title says it all......

Back about a month ago or so, we were obligated to once again sign up for an updated church directory picture!  We signed up for 6:30.  We arrived 15 minutes early.  They had told us to arrive early.  Imagine my shock in finding that 3 other families still had not had their pictures taken ahead of us!!!!!!!!!  Imagine trying to keep 4 children from running helter skelter and tearing apart their clothes while waiting until after 7:30 to sit down for our photo session.  They were tired.  They were cranky.  One had been sick ALL week long with a mysterious illness and was week.  They were hungry.  (we were going to eat after our super-quick photo session--BAD IDEA)  Mommy & Daddy were tired, hungry and I don't know about Daddy, but I was one cranky Mommy!!!!  The guy calls us back and then proceeded to put us in the most uncomfortable, unnatural poses I have ever experiences (unless I can count childbirth & pilates!lol).  When I walked out, my body was screaming in pain!!!  My head was one way, shoulders another, back twisted, legs turned this way & I was suppose to get close & personal with Duane(or so the photographer said) all the while smiling like I was gloriously happy!  Oh, did I mention that the photographer had positioned the ear pieces of my glasses up into my hair instead of over my ears where they are supposed to be!!!! grrrr......If you look closely, I'm sure you can see the true pain reflected in my eyes!  What did we gain from this experience.  A free 8 by 10.  At some point we'll get a copy of the new church directory where everyone will see our picture perfect family pose! lol  Oh....I guess a good night's sleep was had by all.  It plumb wore us out!  I think we'll definitely have someone else take another photo of us this year......Any volunteers????? 

Ya see.....I look like a giant marshmallow all puffed up and striped.  Not to mention the STRANGE shadows on all of our hair!  You'd think the whole family was going gray by this photo!  Also the picture isn't even centered!!!

After I cropped it & changed the color....a little better, but still.....(shudder)...to think THIS was the very BEST one they took out of over a 12 shots they kept, not to mention all the ones they deleted!!!!!

Alright, enough of my complaining.  Back to my lunch.  A bowl of vanilla ice cream, smothered in dark chocolate & melted peanut butter.  Yeah....you read right.  I'm living life on the edge today! :)

My little drama queen.

Been busy sewing some new things for Callie for this winter. She loves to go outside for a photo shoot with each new garment completed. Here are a
few pics from this week.
Look mommy, a squirrel!

A cute close-up of Callie.

My polka-dot princess playing hide-n-go-seek with the camera!

Mad at mommy...I took her photo prop away. A princess figurine...that she threw...on the driveway!

Happy again....she's the jumping princess!