Gym Boyfriend and Rose Hill Friends

 Frank's pool is one of the boy's happiest places in the world. Probably because he lets them do the stupidest stunts with his toys. He has always been the 'shark' in the water that attacks the boys...I thought this year Obe Wan would give him a run for his money, but because my eldest doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body and doesn't know how to use his size to his advantage, Frank still took them both down! It was super fun to watch. Maybe one year they will gang up on Frank, but for now, they let him win! I think it is also a respect thing. They look up to Frank as another family member--I would say glorified Uncle. He spends time and money on them both--not to mention the harassment he dishes out. There are those few people in life that God gives you that aren't family, but at the end of the day, they are closer to you than some of even your family. We are blessed to have Frank in our lives. Who would have thought the old guy at the gym who RAN while watching the History Channel would become such a good friend? HA! Who knew?!?!

Unfortunately, I didn't capture the picture where the boys had three rafts piled on top of each other and they were sliding off that one. We took one of the Arheart boys with us and that added another level of fun! Too bad there weren't that many warm days this summer! It was the coolest summer I can remember. It was also the summer where I bought a pool pass--never again will I do that.

At the Andover Y with our RH peeps! 

Special K one year later

 I don't think I need words for these pictures. The little puppy is gone....the puppy however is still very present in her actions! She is a beautiful and wonderful golden! Both shots are taken at the Arhearts home--I think I will try to get this picture every year of her life. One was in May and one was in July--the mums reflect they weren't liking the warm KS heat.

J-Bird and his love of tumbling

I haven't quite figured out why J-Bird loves this, but he does. He will spend hours on the trampoline perfecting his stunts. I wonder if this is influenced by YouTube, but who knows? I don't really have an idea on this one. It is a costly, not going anywhere sport for him. He is going down to once a week as I can't be in two places at once. ObeWan has Spanish tutoring at the same time J-Bird has his tumbling lessons. He will get to do one a week, not two. He is handling it okay as he didn't have ONE free night of the week. It was exhausting to both of us! 

Picture Day on the Knobs!

 My preppy little boys got 'un' matching Under Armour shirts for their pics. I had bought these at the Outlet mall in hopes they would wear them this summer when we had Tobie pics, but unfortunately, her prices have jumped a bit too much for me to do every year. I have a camera--I can just take their pictures. Or not?!?! I ordered LifeTouch pictures and that will work for this year. You can really see the size difference in the two of them when they stand next to each other. J-Bird is in the 50% for his height and so is Obe Wan, but since he is in 6th grade (and should be in 7th due to his age) he is actually short. SHHHH- we won't tell him that. ;)

My Fundraising quest: Capeless Crusade

I am the Fundraising Director for our Middle School. The main fundraiser is a Walkathon which we do in the fall. Each kid is asked to get sponsors for them to 'walk.' There were four tiers of donations in which the kids could get free stuff! For $5 a kid got a superhero dum-dum. I made (with the help of some amazing mommies) 1,000 of these suckers! Every Friday the kids who have donated $5.00 or more get their name in a candy drawing. 

You can check out the fun on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HHMSPTO/

I made the shirts for J-Bird's teacher! The teachers can win the Superhero shirts. I am enjoying doing Iron-on Vinyl. It makes everyone's day when they get a special t-shirt! This is a good way to see what goes on at the boys school too. You don't have to have a FB account to see everything that goes on at the school. I like this as I don't ever want a FB account again.

The beasts of the Knobs

 

 It is always fun to drive down the road in the Knobs and see the wild life. I still haven't gotten the red fox to stop and pose long enough for me but I did manage to get these deer and these dogs!  We are watching precious 'Tinkerbell' for my Father while he is away in Japan and he requests pictures. Whatever. I figured I'd add her to the blog too. She is an attention whore, but in a different kind of way than Special K!

Middle School times two!

Well, at the end of July my two babies are officially both in MIDDLE SCHOOL. We have a 5th and 6th grader. One who is grinning from ear to ear because he is so happy to go to school and he other one who 'is much more interesting on the Internet.' I think there expressions truly capture their attitude about school. They are such polar opposites. Obe Wan is now measuring 5'3" and is taller than his Mama. I got to ask him to get something off a high shelf the other day and it was bittersweet.

U11 Soccer Game LIFE!

That, my family and friends, is a winning smile. After 12 losses last spring and another loss yesterday, it was a well deserved win. Of the 25 minute halves, J-Bird played 22 minutes of the 2nd half! He was on fire. Coach took him out and had him on the line to go back in when the ref blew the whistle for game. When you play hard and GOOD you don't get set on the bench. It was much a nice feeling for everyone!

We went out for pizza and beers to celebrate. Obe Wan was at the game and read a book. At least he was there for the win?

J-Bird, theactualperson has a YouTube Channel

Now, I think it takes a village to raise children these days. ESPECIALLY with Social Media. SO, I must tell you J-Bird has created his own YouTube Channel. Please let me know what fun things he posts on the Internet. I told him the whole world sees these and once it is online, it is forever online. (God help us.)

J-Bird blows it up!

 Mimi called me on the 3rd to wish us a Happy 4th! She was reminiscing about when her little boy used to stay inside and watch cartoons with his Mimi because fireworks petrified him. I fondly remember those times. He wanted nothing to do with the lights and the loud boom.

This year was the first year where he wanted to light the whole world on fire. He was a grinning fool. The neighbor kids came over and he kindly shared. (I think he was afraid of my wrath if he didn't.) I stayed out of it as I didn't want him to share, but he did the right thing. Good for him! I bought the fireworks for J-Bird, not his friends. Sigh!

We invited another soccer family over on the 3rd for dinner and drinks. We all enjoyed having a display of Fountains being lit up for our enjoyment. Obe Wan just watched and talked politics with Prince Charming and Andy. It was quite amusing to listen to their conversation. Obe Wan thinks fireworks are a waste of money. Such a fiscally responsible young man! :)

Placing a cheap Place, Show, Win Bet at Churchill Downs

 Okay, so we went to Churchill Downs when our Rose Hill family came to visit. I'm not going to lie....I truly like watching the horses and the thrill of placing a bet! I won't go too often as I'm already I may gamble away our house. HOWEVER, I usually place $.50 to $2.00 on a bet. I'm not losing the big bucks any time soon.

I usually place a $2.00 bet for a Win, Place or Show. This means whatever horse I select has to come in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. This is a total of a $6.00 bet. I usually let the Jedi Knights pick a horse and place money for them to. Obe Wan is more cautious with my money whereas the J-Bird would bet the car! Apparently, I was feeling brave. I was going to up my bet to $20 TOTAL dollars! I told the lady at the gambling window---$20 Place/Show/Win for #3. He was picked to win and the odds were 2/1. She tells me my total will be $60. WWWWWWHAT? Yep, when you say $20 it means across the board unless you specify differently.

You can only imagine how intent on that race I was. WOWZERS. #3 stayed in the last freaking place till 2 seconds before the race was over and pulled ahead and won it all. DARN. Why didn't I bet $1000????

I won back all my expenses for the day, including lunch and the general admission tickets. All in all a valuable lesson was learned. I had a good, no great, day at the tracks!

Ms. America Reviews: One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn is an author I quickly give to any Middle School student asking for a ghost story or wanting to be scared by a wicked (evil) story. I never hesitate as she has never disappointed. Her newest book, One for Sorrow: A Ghost Story, can fall onto the genre of Fantasy as well as dabble in the area of Historical Fiction. The flu epidemic of 1918 was a reality for the United States and, thanks to flu vaccines, one our young readers are not well acquainted. Within 24 hours of flu symptoms, its victims were dead. A simple black wreath would adorn the front door of the deceased allowing neighbors to know the house was in mourning. A tragic time in our country and one not taught often as it was shadowed by the oncoming of World War II.

One for Sorrow gives us Annie, an only child who has recently moved to a small town. Annie is immediately greeted by Elsie who demands instant friendship. At first Annie is appreciative of the friendship until she realizes Elsie is a social outcast and not liked by anyone. Elsie is mean to Annie, but has instilled the fear of God in Annie if she vacates the friendship. The other girls, lead by Rosie, play the games Annie likes and seem to be having fun, but Annie knows better than to leave Elsie despite her mean spirit until the week Elsie is missing from school. Annie flees the friendship, joining the other girls performing an alliance in the taunting and cruelty towards Elise.

School is soon cancelled due to the outbreak of Influenza and the girls take advantage of this by attending wakes of those who have passed enjoying the free cakes and cookies. It isn't until they go to the wake of Elsie when Annie discovers she is being haunted by Elsie's lost soul. Annie is taken away to an insane asylum in hopes of removing Elsie from her life, but instead she does mean and cruel things to poor Annie.

In the classroom:

Middle School girls beware! The sorrow left in Elsie's soul by the mean girls is enough to make anyone second guess their decision to say mean things to a person. Even if you think the mean things, I warn you not to act on them. Poor Annie has to live with the things she did while being a part of the 'in' crowd.

Ghost stories allow creative writing to occur while also allowing Common Core to be met and all in the month of October! Read aloud passages from the text: especially the part where Rosie has made up a jump rope chant rhyming In FLEW Enza into the art of jumping between the ropes. If you miss, the flu has got you and you are dead. What chants can your students incorporate into a unit of social studies?

A Neighborly Trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN

You can never go enough times when the price is $27.99 with free parking, all you can drink FREE Pepsi products, free sunscreen and FREE WI-FI! Woot. Now I must tell you the above rollercoaster, named the Thunderbird, is an amazing steel roller coaster. When it is Monday in the beginning of June there are hardly ANY lines. You can ride this coaster NINE times in a row without any wait. When you do this, make sure you have trashbags in your car so when your neighbor kid starts puking you don't have to use your Eddie Bauer MOM backpack as the puke bag to avoid having puke in the car. Just a helpful side note from our time at Holiday World. :)

 J-Bird got over his fear of coasters. He rode every one at Holiday World. My boys are growing up!

Special K does not like fireworks!

One year ago Special K was okay with the fireworks. This year Not SO MUCH. It is horrible. The fireworks make her shake something fierce. I will stay inside with her tonight. Poor thing.

God Bless America.
God Bless the freedom we have in this nation.
God Bless our government and our elected officials.
God Bless the Veterans who have fought for us.

And God Bless the Fireworks companies who make me want to blow up my money.

Happy 4th of July 2017!

Ms. America Reviews: You May Already Be A Winner by Ann Dee Ellis

Ms. America’s Review:

Olivia Hales’ Merry-Maids-uniform-wearing mother is screaming at her to get out of the pool and help her find her sister, but Olivia is lost in a daydream. She can escape all of her loser moments because She May Already Be a Winner. Ann Dee Ellis has created a realistic world of middle school angst in her debut middle grade novel.

Olivia is stuck in the Sunny Pines Trailer Park watching her youngest sister, doing the laundry, making dinner, and trying to keep up with school while her mother goes to work every day. Her father has left the family and is living in Bryce Canyon working as some type of forest ranger, or so we conclude from daily emails Olivia sends him. Olivia wants to go back to school as she fondly watches her neighbor leave for school every day, but she knows she must be responsible for her sister and even her mom.

One morning Olivia is told by her mother that she must return to school. The truancy office has sent a notice. Olivia has missed half of the year and is behind in all of her class work. Her teachers try to reach out to her, but she is used to being independent, and she fears they are merely judging her and her family. Making matters worse her five year old sister who adores her manages to get kicked out of daycare, and Olivia is forced to offer her mother help again. She will take her sister to middle school and hide her in a janitor’s closet. When one afternoon during passing period she goes to check on her sister and give her a snack to her horror she discovers her sister is gone.

Olivia tries to maintain hope and dignity throughout the book. She is unaware of her mother’s choices, but refuses to let her mom shoulder them by herself. Her unfailing devotion to her family made me want so much more for Olivia than her parents were providing. I want to foster every Olivia out there. Olivia is a strong person and one who I kept hoping would finally become a winner. You May Already Be a Winner is a powerful book for those of us who have Olivias in our lives and want to help both the child and the parent.

In the classroom:

Like many students I have encountered through my years in the classroom, Olivia is a person I admire. Her undying hope is a mystery to me, even as my heart was breaking for this lovely young lady. She is the silent student in the classroom who has too many burdens to bear at home to do her homework. Students like Olivia have hope because sometimes that is all they have to hold on to.

As a teaching tool I would take an excerpt from this book, making students read it and decipher its “deeper meaning.” I especially liked when Olivia’s male teacher tried to relate to her and she became rude and mouthy to him. She even goes so far as to comment on his hair. She wasn’t like this throughout the book. Why is she lashing out at this teacher who is trying to help her and offer an escape?

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You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis (Dial Books | 9781101993859 | July 11, 2017)