I am excited! I have been working on our curriculum for next school year. I found the Pathway Readers we are going to use on vegsource.com for a great price! I got both 3rd grade readers with brand new workbooks and the 4th grade reader, brand new workbook and TE for $23! Woo-Hoo! I also found the TE's for the 3rd grade books on vegsource for $4. So we are all set for reading! Yeah!

The weather the past few days has been really unpredictable - lots of storms and tornadoes around Texas! We saw these clouds outside and thought it looked something like a toasted Marshmallow. You know those really good ones that have been burned on the outside...ummmm...I think I want to toast a marshmallow! LOL

Here's Daddy's porch redoing project. He had to jack up the corner of the porch so he can replace the corner boards. After he jacked it up using the ladder and a cinder block - we got the cedar pole stuck in place. Now he just has to get the old board replaced and the underpinning put around the bottom. We are also going to paint the porch.

Here is the other end of the porch - the front board had been sitting on the ground so it rotten out and the boards were sinking with out any support. So Daddy dug it out and put cinder blocks under the porch to support it and replaced the front board. It is much better now. The underpinning with make it look all uniform and pretty.

Here's a close-up. Good Job Daddy!

Daddy, the boys and I went up to Lowe's last Saturday for their Earth Day celebration. We got a bag filled with goodies while we were there and had lots of fun!

The boys each build a window birdhouse, we got 4 samples of laundry soap, some candies and five baby trees! We also got another reusable bag and lots of good coupons! Woo-Hoo!

In Red's story time class they read stories about animals and got to stamp with animal stamps. Red got a blue zebra. Here you can see the zebras and the wrestlers! LOL - He drew in wrestlers so they could keep the zebras in line. Funny kiddo!

In Bug's drawing class they were working on drawing trains this last week. He just lOvEs that class! Check out this good drawing!

Here is another - check out all that detail - man!

This cute little guy showed up in our yard one afternoon - Bug just fell in love with him. We called him "Sam" while he was here. I think he lives around here....somewhere....we've seen him up the road before. I hope his owner gets him a collar and tag. He sure is cute. We are hoping to get the fence fixed in the next few weeks so we can get another dog - Bug really wants one to "play" with. Poor Lady - she's just so old and doesn't get around too well these days. Every now and then she gets a wild hair and will play chase the ball or play with the water hose - but Bug really wants a dog who will run wild with him. Daddy started on the porch redo so hopefully the fence is next.

One of our Meals on Wheels clients celebrated her 83rd birthday last Thursday. We found out that she was planning on being at home alone that day, so we decided to make her a card and take her a cupcake for her birthday.

Here is the front of her card.

Red decorated her card and when I asked him what he wanted to write in it he came up with this "I wish you get a wish you wish". What a guy!

For our soldier cards this month the boys and I decided to decorate eggs to include with the cards - we also put in some easter grass. Here are some of their decorated eggs. Pretty!

Red was talking about Eskimos this last week and how God loves them. He colored the Eskimo boy, sled and dogs and put them together. Fun! He was very excited to find "Corn on the Cob" yellow in his color box - so the entire set ended up being "Corn on the Cob"! LOL

At Cowboy Church the kid's Sunday School classes adopted a little girl from France, her name is Dodo. The classes have been collecting money to send her. She wrote a letter to the kids a few weeks back so Bug wrote a note back to her. "It says I hope you stay healthy." What a sweet boy. He also drew her a picture as well.

Hubby broke out his new mower for the first time this season...he said mowing season is open now. LOL It is so dry around here that he had huge dust clouds going everywhere.

Here is my man after the dust mowing escapade. LOL

Here he is behind the barn - the light is reflecting off all that dust! Ewww!

Junkin'!!! I had planned to originally sit and post all my updates in one blog - well after several days of "Okay you gotta get this done today" I am giving up on that strategy and just gonna start updating a little at a time. It's been crazy the past couple of weeks. Not that it isn't always crazy - but crazier than usual it seems. LOL.

This post is all about our junkin' outing we took a couple of weekends ago. Antique alley is a semi-annual event held in April and September - from Maypearl to Cleburne there is literally 25 miles of garage sales! Oh my goodness - this junkin' families dream! We love it. We've been going the past few years and are always amazed at our finds! We give the boys a bag of quarters to spend as they please - which means they are in heaven! We usually take off early - about 7am - and head down the road with an empty trunk, plenty of snacks and water and our eyes pealed for a sale!

Here are some of our finds! I picked up these three "little things shelves" (which I have since then leveled after seeing them in the picture- haha) for the boys room. They love to put their "little finds" on them - and it keeps it off the floor! :)

This is one of my favorite finds - this old crock cookie jar - isn't it gorgeous - and yes I only paid $1.00!!!

I was on the hunt for "Texas" themed items to include in our Texas Geography boxes. At one sale a lady had a ton of Texas stuff from a kitchen "redo" project. This was one of the things she had - all the decorations for a mini tree - it is absolutely precious - something we decided to keep for our home and not include in a box - $2.00 for the set - what a deal!!!

Red found this little baseball player (to decorate his room he said) for a quarter. I picked up the Texas flag plaque for a quarter and the stationary for a quarter. Bug found the paper weight for a quarter as well!

Hubby picked up this Ostrich egg and stand - I can't remember for sure but I think he might have paid $1 for it.

The little pewter jewelry box was something else my Hubby found - I think he paid 50 cents. :) It's lined with Red velvet inside. Very pretty!

Hubby also found this pretty snow babies collectible for $1!

I found these and just thought they were the coolest - I am not sure all the pieces are there but none the less they were totally worth the .25 cents I paid.

I also picked up a couple of frames for .25 cents - I can always use frames! Yeah!

Well this is not all of the goodies - we had a great time spending time with each other - got in some good exercise and just had a good old time spending our quarters.

Until September.... :)

I have been meaning to update our blog and just haven't made myself sit and do it! LOL - busy busy!

Here you can see the "Wrestlemania" that Davy Crockett attended. LOL - the boys set up these "blocks" to be the ring and who attended this historic match-up? None other than Davy Crockett of Tennessee. Can you believe that? LOL - you probably didn't know Davy was a world famous wrestler, did you? LOL

Another view of the ring and the match! You can see all the guys who got "throw out" by Davy there to the left. LOL Love the imagination they have!

Here we have the "egg chicks" the boys made at the Michael's Make and take. They are now sitting on the little things shelves. We have (starting at the left) Hulk Hogan, Rey Mysterio, Big Show and Edge. You can guess where they got those names! LOL

Red and I were working on the geoboards one afternoon and he got really excited about making his K!

I finally got the boys "little things" shelves and knives hung in their bedroom. Actually now that I look at this the pic with the little things shelves is not accurate - they have since filled the shelves with tons of little stuff they have collected and the pictures to the left of the shelves are all moved and rearranged because another shelf hangs there. My kids are both collectors and we found that they both adore little tiny things. So we grab these small shelving units whenever we find them to hold their goodies. The knives belonged to their Papa J and I can tell you Red is very glad that he can "look at his knives" before he goes to bed. LOL There room is really coming together nicely and I am excited for them. They are actually sleeping in their all night and really striving to keep their room picked up and making their beds and such. I am one proud Momma!

My classroom reorganization project is coming along nicely. I have a plan in my head and it's slow going, but I am making it work. Here you see the "art project" cart (the drawer unit). I have a drawer for art supplies then a drawer for projects. The shelf unit is a gift from my sweet friend Jen (and freecycle!) I thought about using it in our closet as a shoe rack (it's original purpose) but found that it fit really well under the window sill and was perfect for holding baskets of supplies. Yeah! I think this is where the pencil baskets, stencils and various other supplies will sit...for now that is the plan anyway.

Behind the door is a little indention which is perfect for a book shelf - so this is where I will store our curriculum and other books. I have actually moved a lot more to the shelf since this pic was taken. You can also see our learning clock and the little calendar that Red using during math.

Below you will see the white board - Hooray! Hubby hasn't trimmed it up yet but it's on the wall and usable! I love it! It is so nice to have a large area to write on! Below it I hung our world map and our US map. We are using the US map as part of our state geo box trade so we can see what state we are studying.

You can also see the tall cart. I have this sitting at one end of the closet. It hold various supplies and construction paper and such. I was amazed at how messy it had become so the boys and I sat down and practiced some math skills and life skills all rolled into one clean-up project! It's so much neater now. (sigh of contentment...)

The Fort in the back yard. LOL - no it will not stay baby blue forever. LOL Hubby picked up a gallon of clearance paint just to prime the boards. They got the roof and the front wall put on yesterday - now just to finish the painting. The boys are really excited about having a "fort" to defend. :)

We are working on another geo-box for our home school swapping adventures group.

We picked up a build your own cannon kit at Michaels so Bug decided to build the historic "Come and Take It" Cannon from Gonzales. Now I am sure the cannon was not so brightly colored in it's day, but hey we are being creative. Bug drew the flag all by himself!

Red and I worked on a Texas flag for the box using tissue paper. Bug helped us finish it after he had finished his cannon flag.

While I am blogging I figured I'd try to get a family update in as well. :) As always we never

slow down around here and certainly do not lack for activity and socialization! :)

For Bug's RA's group he is currently working on his Discoverer 2 patch. One of the requirements for Nature Craft is to create an object out rock, paint and glue. Bug

decided to create a car. He ended up making two because he couldn't decide

between rocks. LOL We did a lesson on using a chisel and how to chisel gently to make the "wheels" a little more round. He did well - it was fun to see him work so hard to find rocks that were similar in size then try to make them "rounder" than before. LOL

Here you can see him painting them.

I thought I got a finished pic - but I guess I didn't. I'll have to update later.

I have been working on the rearranging project again. Tackling the school room has turned into quite a job and mess and battle and ugh. But I know when I get it finished I will be quite proud of my work, so I will persevere! LOL Here you can see (embarrassing) some of the mess the room was in before. We are planning to put up some shelves for the the boys keepsake stuff - trophies, banks, art projects, etc. (Hopefully soon!!!)

Here you can see the computer desk as it was shoved into the room when we began working on the boys bedroom. This is where it sat for several days. And yes that is a string of Christmas lights - Bug wanted lights in his room so Dad hung them - and they stayed because he liked them as a "going to sleep light". LOL - yes they are now in the Christmas light box where they belong. ;)

Okay here you can see it sorta coming together. I decided to use a corner desk for the computer so it would save some space.

And here it is with the computer in place. I couldn't find Dad's electric screw/drill thingy so I was unable to hang the bulletin board, but it will eventually go on the wall above the desk. That's Bug's school desk you see there - piled with junk that didn't have a place just yet. :)

Okay so that project is not done, but slowly I am putting it together...will post more pics soon.

Red and I were working on the geoboards yesterday during math. He liked this lesson. Yeah! I think he enjoyed using the rubber bands a lot. We made a K as well as various shapes and lines. Fun!

Pictured here you see Hulk Hogan, Rey Mysterio, Edge and The Big Show (from left to right). LOL

The boys and I went to Michael's for the Easter Make and Take event (FYI - no one goes on weekdays morning events so it was very low key and one on one - and we got to make 2!) The boys enjoyed creating their little egg chicks. You can tell by the names that Wrestlemania is still foremost on their minds!

Well that is all for now...I really must hit the sack! Until next update - be kind and love one another!

Wendy