Parents Watch Day, Ballet

So Monday was the day we parents were permitted to watch our budding dance stars.

actually all week is so I will get to watch Cloe in her tap class on Saturday as well.

I have enjoyed watching Cloe and her ballet for 3 years now and it just makes me smile.

I took a few pictures with my new phone, trying out some of the features.

They are not great as I am still figuring it out but they are enjoyable.

Take a Peek :)

 

Tax Helper?

This little brat keeps jumping up on the table while I work on a friends taxes.

Sparkles will bat at my own and lay down on my paper work.

Good thing I love this little kitty. 

 

Garden Project Update

 So my plants were looking good until they didn't.

First my corn plants started to go and I am not exactly sure why. I think they didn't like to be in the humid plastic wrap for as long as they did.

Notes to keep in mind for next year as with our short growing season here I am sure I don't have time to restart them.

 

 

So the day I started losing my Corn I noticed it was a warm and sunny day outside so I figured maybe some sun would help save some.

not a bad idea and all my plants seemed super happy with the extra sun.

That is they were happy until I got super busy and forgot to bring then in that night and it dropped really low.

The next morning I woke up and ran to check on them. They were all wilted and sad and gone.

Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, last of my corn peas, and tomatoes.

all that survive was a few tomatoes because they were still covered and that is it.

Makes me so sad. Going to restart what I can this weekend and hope I don't muck it up again.

 

 

So my other project is to give the house a front sidewalk.

The people who lived here before us just had everyone go to the back door and that seems backwards to me.

I like people coming to my front door where it is more welcoming than my back stairs.

So this is what my front yard currently looks like with the work I want done started.

 

 

This is the pattern I am thinking of going with for the brick because I think it will work better with trying to get a curve in the sidewalk.

I think I might still be a little sharp but I am working on it.

 

This is how I am thinking of setting the flower bed border.

I am extending it out so I can make the sidewalk bend less.

I might need to bring it out more before this is done which would mean I will need to make a stepping path to the mailbox..

 

I am sure it will all come together.

Sick Little Cloe

 

So my princess was very sick this passed weekend.

She slept almost all day with just a few moments of being awake.

 

 

When she was awake she tried not to look and act sick, which is usual for her, but you could see it all over her face.

That didn't stop her from having her sense of fun and humor and making funny faces for the camera.

Oh how I love this funny little girl of mine.

 

Easter Pictures

I know this post is a little late but we had a nasty little virus go through the house and even doing Easter was almost put off.

It wasn't until about 2:30 in the afternoon that Cloe was feeling up to moving but she really wanted to do it.

 

 

Phoenix and Jordan stopped by and hid all the goodies for the kids and had fun with it.

They did such a good job that I am sure we are going to be finding eggs well into summer!

 

The kids all came out ready for the hunt.

We went with a color theme this year where each kid had a certain color to look for that way the people who are better hunters don't get more than others.

They enjoyed this new challenge and so I think we are doing it this way from now on.

 

I took this time to also play with one of camera settings on my new cell phone.

This is called the action shots and I like how it shows the stages in the action.

can't wait to play with this more during some of their sports activities.

 

 

We also had a nice Ham dinner and read the scripture stories that go with the true meaning of the day.

It was one of our more quiet and laid back Easters ever but it was nice.

Lunch Out

 

Today I enjoyed a Lunch out with some of my favorite Teens, not all but some.

Phoenix usually only gets to visit with me once a year during the summer but I am able to enjoy her company twice this year since she came out to celebrate Easter with her Mom.

Maryanne is one young lady who I use to babysit and now I just get to have her come over every once in a while as I have claimed her as another daughter ;)

And of course my special and Amazing Sam :D

They were all either not in school, done school, or waiting to go to school so we went out to eat.

 



 

Denny's here was having a special celebration of 23 years in PG.

They were selling their Grand Slam breakfast for just $2 and all the proceeds went to the SPCA.

That makes it both affordable and a good cause. Who could pass that chance up. 

 



 

The kids also enjoyed a Milkshake each while I had a cool and refreshing glass of Strawberry Lemonade, YUM!

I Love spending time with the special kids in my life any chance I get :)

Family Home Evening

 

 So we have never been the best at having a regular Monday night Family Home Evenings.

It is not that we didn't want to but life is so crazy that it would be so much work and frustrating that by the time it rolled around everyone was all wound up and it was like world war in the house just to sit down.

Then my Aunt sent me some old books that she use to use with her family and all of a sudden it all seemed to get easier.
 

  

This week it was Tommy's turn and he loved having it all laid out and knowing what to read and study.

 

There was even a fun family game that Sam took the lead for.

 

Afterwards we enjoyed the muffin treats made by Matthew and we left feeling filled spiritually

 and full of smiles.

Sam Time

So many of you know the many struggles we have had with Sam and helping him connect with society. This also makes a lot of one on one time hard because we are always having to work on something.

I started PVRing the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon when he started because I just love his comedic work.

What does this have to do with Sam you ask?

Well one day Sam walked into my room while I was watching an episode and he just sat down. He started commenting and asking questions, he got involved in the show and we enjoyed it together.

We had fun but he learned a little from it because he related to Jimmy's comedy and point of view of some things. He started to understand more about society, something we have been trying to teach him since he was little.

It has since become "Our" show and we watch everyday when he gets home from school. He has started handling things better with a more positive outlook on them.

So I would like to say Thank-you to Jimmy Fallon for helping my son see that you can turn any frustrating or upsetting situation around if you look at it with a sense of humor.

 

Wrong Roads

Back into Blogging

So I haven't blogged in a long while.
It wasn't that I didn't want to or have things I wanted to share, but I am just so busy that I forget about the things that I want to do.
So now that we have that out of the way let me tell you about my project for this year.
I have decided to really get into gardening and growing our own food this year so I have plans for building some raised garden beds and have already started some of my own seedlings in the house.
I will admit I did NOT expect the seeds to grow so fast!
I planted them in the little peat pellets on April 1st thinking it would take a week or so the really see them grow. After 3 days I had sprouts and after 7 I had to move some to bigger mini green houses that I made out of some planters I have for my porch in the summer, wooden dowels, and plastic wrap.
I thought that with these new tall green houses I would have some time but more than half my plants are getting to tall for them. Going to have to look at transplanting them again but I am not sure I have the space to keep them in the house. Think I am going to look into building an affordable green house for next year for all these plants.
I am crossing my fingers this goes well. I have the worst luck with growing plants and having them turn out nice.