Okay I have to share this with all of you because I am just so proud of my stinking little Redhead and my crazy Bug!

Yesterday afternoon we had another (but hopefully the last - as Hubby put his foot down with them) run in with the neighbors. Walking across the yard with the boys Red said something about Ms. Neighbor being a bad person - I immediately said, Honey Ms. Neighbor is not a bad person - it's just her choices we don't like. He looks at me, takes my hand in his and says "In Cowboy church this morning my teachers told me that when people make bad choices God wants us to love them anyway". I said Yes, that is right, we need to love Ms. Neighbor anyway - we need to pray for her and ask God to help her make better choices. So we come in the house for lunch and Red says, Hold on I need a pillow. He walks to the couch and lays down and puts a pillow over his face. Then after a few moments he uncovers and looks at me. "Momma I was praying for God to help Ms. Neighbor make good choices." My heart just melted...

Later in the afternoon Bug and I went in to town for choir practice. Red and Daddy stayed home to clean on the garage some more. Hubby calls me while I am in town and tells me that Kaden is making a surprise for me. He tells me this is going to get you. (Mind you I am standing in the UMC parking lot at this point!) He tells me that Red was in the house while he was outside and he saw him come outside 4 different times. He said he watched him come out onto the deck and look up at the sky with his hand clasped together in front of his chest. Hubby said I know he was talking but I couldn't tell what he was saying. After the 4th time, Hubby said he went to the playroom where Red was and asked him what he was doing. Red said, "I am creating a surprise for Mommy". Hubby's reply was, "Oh really and what is that." Red tells him "I am cleaning up the playroom." Hubby tells him I will be so excited. Kaden then tells him that at Cowboy Church he learned that sometimes you just do things even if they are hard to show someone you love them. Then Hubby asked him why he was going outside and looking at the sky. Red tells him he was "praying to God to give him the muscles to put away the heavy boxes of toys." (The drawers that go in the toy dresser were out). Then he told Hubby that He was cleaning up the playroom so he could show me love.

What a baby! I love that kid! When Bug and I got home Bug was so excited to reveal what Red had done for me - when I hugged Red and told him thank you. His response was I know I know you like it when I love you. Crazy kid - he gets embarrassed so easily.

His little act of love also motivated big brother to show some love. When I came back into the kitchen (the back door was open as usual these days) Bug was in the yard loving on Lady (our German Shephard). He was petting her and loving her and then he filled her food bowl. I could hear him dumping the dog food in the bowl as I filled tea glasses. I called him to come wash his hands for dinner and as I walked out the back door he was scrubbing up Lady's water bucket and giving her fresh water. I asked him to come wash up and he said "Okay Mom, let me finish loving on Lady first". I watched as he filled her bucket with fresh water, went over and patted her head and said, "Okay Lady there you go girl". Then walked inside. What a sweet boy.

I am so blessed...

So pear bread it is! I found a great easy recipe for pear bread and thought - cool I can do this and I can use my new brownie pan! My sweet Hubby got me one of those brownie pans that has the spacer thingy in it. It is absolutely fantabulous! I love the perfect little rectangles it makes!

As part of our school lessons today I decided the boys and I would make pear bread.

The boys helped stir and measure and mash...it was messy and loads of fun! Bug helped with most of the measuring - (fractions!!!!) and sifting and crushing the walnuts! Red helped with the stirring and sifting and mashing the pears. It was great fun and so enjoyable to be in the kitchen together...creating something yummy!

Bug was in charge of the flour - he measured it all by himself and leveled it off and everything! He did a great job! It was a little messy, but that's okay! We chatted about fractions and discussed how many halves in a whole and such. We also did quite a bit of adding throughout the process.

Here is the finished product! So pretty and sooooo yummy! You can see the pan here - it is awesome! I let the bread cool for a few minutes, then popped out the little breads and put them on a cooling rack. I had to wash the insert since I had to half the batch to fit. It only took about 25 minutes in the little oven - which I thought was much better than 60 minutes in loaf pans!

The wonderful smell was so inviting! The whole house began to smell like pear bread! It was sooooo yummy! Even Bug was excited to try it. We

gave Daddy the honors of trying the first piece. He declared in delectable and so we all dug in! The boys both said it was fabulous!

What fun we had...and I am sure we learned a little something too!

Today we took Red to visit Dr. J - we are calling it a Field Trip! LOL - 'cause that is what home schoolers do - we turn EVERYTHING into a learning opp! ;)

Anyway we took Red in for his 5 year check-up! We were late b/c I forgot back in Dec and then we just got busy and crazy and I am sure you know how that goes. Fortunately we don't seem to take our kids to the Doc much so we a lot of times "forget" to schedule well visits. Dr. J laughed when I apologized for being late! He said Red was the picture of health! Awwww... He got his hearing and eye check-up too. We are scheduling an eye exam in 6 months - just to check. His vision was 25/30 in one eye and while that is still in th

e "normal" range - the nurses said this is the age when vision really starts to change and we should stay on top of it. Red and I had a heart to heart about making sure to tell me if he was having trouble seeing or if things looked fuzzy or blurry. He is the type of kid that is sooooo worried that he will be singled out (even by me) in any way at all he will keep it to himself. That is a worry for me! We set up the 6 month check already so I won't forget! Dr. J also told us about Manchego cheese which is made from sheep's milk. Since Red is allergic to cow's milk - this is an option. He said it's much milder and not as "stinky" as goat's milk cheese. So we are going to try it out...oh to be able to have pizza with cheese again - such a blessing for the little guy! He weighed in at 44 lbs and is 46 inches tall! He got one "owwie" as Ms. Pam calls them, and didn't even cry. What a trooper!

Red sporting his Tazmanian Devil Band-Aid!

Since today was a "field trip" day we didn't have regular school time. We did reading, bible verse recitation and math fact review in the car on the way to Dr. J's office.

When we got back home Bug decided to do some art - he chose one of the sand art pictures from the kit I got him for Valentines.

Very Pink Elephants by: Bug

This afternoon I am spending time (trying to stay awake since I was up very very early) doing laundry and trying to get some things done on my to do list. Bug is sitting in the recliner reading a star wars book....sigh...love that baby.

Off for now...blessings to all, we-

Well here it is months later and I am just now taking the time to put the words to the blog...lol. Oh well, I suppose at least I can laugh at myself!

A lot has changed in the past several months - crazy how time does fly!

Bug turned 7 two days after my last post...Wow! Seven...I can't imagine...he is about 12 foot tall these days (not really - but he does seem that way) and skinny as a rail! He is smart as a whip and just trucking right through 2nd grade like it's nothing. He is an excellent reader - I am so proud of him. Although he doesn't gravitate towards books as I do - he reads very very well. I love that! Crazy to think he's growing up so fast on me. We certainly have our trying days, but for the most part we do our thing and get through our work well. He is attending RA's at CCEC and LOVING it. We are working though his Lad 1 book and he is learning so much!

Red turned 5 in December...that just floors me - my baby...my last one is 5 - Oh My! He's still red headed with a temper to match. LOL - gotta love that Red. If you ask him "What am I gonna do with you? " His reply is, "Love me for who I am". LOL...of course Bug's reply is "Sell him to a band of gypsy's". LOL My Bug! Red is stout as an ox and still loves Davy Crockett. He is currently working on Pre-K/Kindergarten. I don't think he is ready for full blown kindergarten yet so we started slow with Kinder math and science. He also does letter of the week and some "workbook" stuff from Rod and Staff.

The boys (and I) are into wrestling these days. Our favorite wrestlers are Rey Mysterio and Big Show and Kane. The boys (and I) love the "619" move that Mysterio does. We usually find ourselves watching "Friday Night Smackdown" as a family with Daddy.

Our family made the choice to change Home Schooling Co-ops this winter. This was a difficult decision as we had been with our old co-op for five years. But we felt it was the right thing for our family and this January we decided to try out Ellis County Christian Home School Organization. I have to say that God certainly had His hand on us! ECCHO is a wonderful, Christian group of people and we find ourselves very lucky to be a part of it. From the first outing (a fall party) to the current classes it has been a wonderful decision. We feel so welcome and loved just the way we are. The people are loving and friendly and supportive. What a great group.

Bug is currently taking a drawing class - which he absolutely LOVES!!!! I can't say that enough - it is wonderful for him. He loves to draw and create and do "art" so this is certainly right up his ally! Dena (the teacher) is so kind and supportive and encouraging to the kids - I just love her. He says this is his favorite class! The he goes to Theater Games - Sarah is the teacher in there and she teaches the kids all kinds of "on stage pointers and stuff" through fun games. His third class is called "Dance Around the World" - Dena teaches this one as well. It is just the coolest idea for learning about culture. The kids are learning a new "dance" each week from various cultures. Dena shares with them a little about where the dance came from - what it's all about, etc. and then teaches them the dance. Then they practice the dance to the music - it is great! After a lunch break Bug goes to gym class with Heidi. He really enjoys this class - of course anything "athletic" or involving movement he thinks is wonderful! They played a "catch the dragon's tale game last week that was just hilarious. There are 41 kids in the class with Heidi and 4 helpers and it was quite a funny site! LOL They also played games with the parachute which was great fun for them!

Red is also attending "classes" - he goes to Pre-K gym first hour - his class is rather small (only 8 kids) and that is a good thing for him. He gets embarrassed very easily and really has a problem with people "looking at him". Ugh...we are working through this stage. But anyway...he participates well and seems to enjoy the games and all that Heidi plays with them...she definitely keeps them busy! Second hour he goes to story time. I think he likes this class, but would really like more "movement". After a couple of books he is done, but he likes the crafts and coloring

time. Third hour he goes to free play - I really like that the younger ones have the opportunity to just play on the playground or with toys. He is such a young 5 and being able to just "play" with other kids is a great opportunity for him. He loves this class of course - I do believe it's his favorite. LOL After lunch he hangs out with Dad and I and watches Bug in gym class.

You will see there is not much rhyme or reason to this post, I am just sorta rambling my thoughts away here....

Let's see other things that have happened these past few months...hmmm....

Well I began volunteering at Wedgeworth (the school where I completed my student teaching) with Mrs. Kuntz last fall. I love having a few hours to myself on Friday's to just be kid free (well from my kids anyway) and re-energize. Mrs. Kuntz always tells me what a great help I am to her, but oh man - I do believe it's the other way around! LOL I haven't gotten to go in since the Christmas Break...January was just a crazy month and it didn't work out. We have ECCHO classes every other Friday so I plan to go in on the off days. Of course the first "off" day was a snow day so WISD was closed. LOL - just my luck. So I plan to go in this Friday - I am EXCITED! It's always great to spend a few hours kid free - on the drive home I can't get here fast enough, I just miss my monkeys and want to love on them! ;)

We also began volunteering with Meals on Wheels last Fall - this has been such a blessing to our family. We deliver a to seven people in town every Wednesday. It is so sweet to see them each week and chat with them for a few minutes. I do hope it brightens their day b/c I certainly know it brightens ours. The boys favorite person is Ms. Doris. She is just precious and always chats with the boys. They literally fight over who gets to take her meal to her...LOL. We "collect smiles" along our route. What a blessing to our family.

Okay so what else have we been up too...oh I almost forgot SNOW!!! And lot's of it this winter...WISD actually has had 3 different "snow" day outs...one was 4 days! Can you believe that? Crazy for Texas - Bug LOVED it! Red wasn't so hot on it...while he "likes" the snow...he doesn't like to be cold and wet so it wasn't his favorite.

I love this picture because it shows the tree's all pretty - and Granny's clothesline all covered in snow

These are a couple of pics of the "first snow" of the year - January 9th. It covered everything and was way way way cooooolllddd! BBBBRRRR!!!! But it was the good snow - stuck together well and made good snowballs.

This is Bug's "tackle dummy". As we were building it with one of the neighbor kids - he tells me, "Mommy don't give it a face or arms. Why?, I ask. Because it's a tackle dummy and if you give him a face it will hurt." LOL - Boys! So the tackle dummy didn't get a face but he did get tackled a lot! They had a blast running and jumping on the poor thing!

But this snow was just the beginning it would seem. Less than a month later the kids were out of school again for snow days...well mine weren't, but we did enjoy the snow!

Crazy Winter Storm - February 4, 2011...This was the day we called the "Pretty Snow Day"...it was magical - beautiful white flakes fluttered to the ground and created a beautiful blanket of white...but it was so powdery that it didn't stick together so well - thus it wasn't Bug's favorite.

This is one of my favorite pictures from this snow. This chair is on the front porch - I just thought the light dusting was so pretty on it's rusty metal exterior.

Bug's bike and tractor in the snow.

One of my sweet little birds came

to visit. I kept having to throw seed out on top of the snow because it would get all covered up!

"John Wayne" The Texas

Snowman...Daddy and Bug built him to "welcome the Packers and Steelers to town for the Superbowl. Notice the guns? Their motto was "You are welcome if you come in peace". ;)

The snow fort built by Bug and Daddy!

Okay, my eyes are heavy and we have to get up early for doctor's check-up so enough rambling for now...Thanksgiving, Christmas and our "critters", couponing and more will have to wait until another day.