Everywhere I Go...

::::::::::::This Sketch from SNL is Hilarious:::::::





:::::::::::::::::Book Review:::::::::
I just finished reading this book about baffling science mysteries and I am totally out of my depth reading about them. I am a glutton for mental punishment, though, because I really enjoyed trying to figure out the logic and science behind the many theories and questions presented. Some of the topics are Life, A Giant Virus, Death, Free Will, The Placebo Effect, Homeopathy and Cold Fusion. Amazing read, but I need a translator.
For the section on Free Will, Michael Brooks, relates an observation by William James,
"We know what it is to get out of bed on a freezing morning in a room without a fire, and how the very vital principle within us protests against the ordeal...now how do we ever get up under such circumstances? If I may generalize from my own experience, we more often than not get up without any struggle or decision at all. We suddenly find that we have got up."

Truly a fascinating read! If you need a science translator, just give Michael a call.


:::::::::::::::::::::::Video Pick of the Day:::::::::

Halloween is Almost Here!

Halloween is almost here. The pumpkins are carved and molding on the porch. Candy is being eaten...bought...eaten. The kids have their costumes finished. Not bad.

:::::::::::::::::::Book Review:::::::::::

The kids and I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The characters are pretty funny and clever. The plot is filled with brave efforts from the orphan children that pass a very bizarre series of tests. Oh, of course, there are orphans in this book. The kind and narcoleptic father figure, Mr. Benedict, is a very interesting guy. Milligan, who has lost his memory, is Lurch crossed with James Bond...yep, truly! This was a super cool read! I recommend this one.

::::::::::::::::Someday My Prince...ss will come::::::::::::




All of these are by Rachel Designs at Scrapartist.com

Take care! :)

Elvis Sighting

I know...I'll be a Baked Potato for Halloween!


I know...I'll be a mushroom for Halloween!

The Teen Grim Reaper.

And meet... BUDDY the ELF::::





Dad the Costume Designer:




Now for a little Jailhouse Rock:

Elvis is alive a doing well in Georgia!

We went to Trunk or Treat at church. There was Chili, cupcakes, hotdogs, and games for the kids. Then, everyone opened their car trunks and the kids came by for candy. My mom came and helped the kids at the games and walking with them, while Michael and I gave out treats. They are all bathed, but Noah who fell asleep. Fun night!

Sleep tight! :)

Announcer Girl:

Here is the photo of Rachel doing some of the morning announcements at her elementary school:



She has had a very good week at school. Today she found out she got a small speaking part for the 5th grade Christmas play. She will be Jangle (2)and her friend, Sabrina, is Jingle (2). There were several kids wanting speaking parts, so the music teacher shortened the parts. Rachel is so excited. Another note came home saying she was chosen to help the Kindergartners through second graders during Field Day because she was dependable, trustworthy, honest, and hardworking. Music to my ears, as a parent. I look forward to taking photos of the kids next week.

::::::::::::::Mystery Reader:::::::::::::::::

I got to be a mystery reader for Eve's Kindergarten class, today. The kids were so cute on their big, colorful rug with their faces turned up to see the pictures in the book. I took one of my favorite books, Stellaluna. Such a treat. I had my photo made with the kids.

::::::::::::::Other Stuff This Week::::::::::

On Wednesday I went to help with a service project led by the scouts in our troop at Church. I have a friend at Church who needed assistance with her dog run that had become extremely overgrown and she couldn't take care of due to poor health. I took photos and presented the plan to the scoutmaster and one of the young men spearheaded the rest. I brought loppers, a weed eater and leather gloves. Much of what was needed to be cleared was done. She was very appreciative and made the boys some scrumptious chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles. The boys kept thanking her for the great cookies.

:::::::::::::::Halloween Costumes::::::::::::


Michael worked through lunch and was able to come home early and start sewing the annual Halloween costumes. He made Eve a great hat so she could be a mushroom. She came up with that idea a couple of days ago and we all thought it was so cool.

He is working on Noah's Elf costume, right now. Rachel's Baked Potato costume has a foundation of brown sweats and I look forward to what Michael comes up with for the rest. Aaron decided to be a teenage grim reaper. He found glow in the dark skeleton gloves and black hoodie to go with a plastic sickle. He has a black shirt and pants to complete the outfit. Michael will paint his face for him.

I'll post photos of the completed costumes tomorrow.

::::::::::

Here are a couple of new layouts of older photos:







_{Designs by Rachel Young at scrapartist.com}

Take care!

Buying Halloween Candy Before the 31st Should be...

BANNED! I have no will power. My foot aches, but I'm going to need to walk a gazillion miles to burn off the Twix and Milky Ways that I have consumed.

:::::::::::::::::::Report Cards are in:::::::::

I promised Rachel a chipmunk Webkinz if she got straight A's on her report card. She was thrilled to come home and ask when we could get to the store to claim her furry, trophy. My favorite part of her report card was the comment section that stated, "Rachel is a good role model". Michael took her to the Thrashers hockey game thanks to free tickets from Reuben and Angela. I also took her to get her hair cut.
Noah's teacher must suffer from amnesia because his report card looked like he was doing better, then the work he brings home for me to sign. His comment section was not so glowing, "Needs to show good manners". Preaching to the choir...!!!
Eve's said she was doing okay in math, but needs help with identifying letters and their sounds.
Aaron's report card comes home this week. I think I'm off the hook for chipmunk shopping for him!

:::::::::::::::::::Dr. Who::::::::::::::::

The kids were watching Dr. Who with Christopher Eccleston when he was trying to stop the Daleks (for the umpteenth time) and he said the line, "If I activate this signal all living creatures will die!" To whit Eve exclaims, "Even ponies?!"

:::::::::::::::::::::Announcer::::::::::::::::

Rachel will be on tv in her school this week. She is one of the announcers. She is so excited. I'll see if I can get some pics.

Reading time! Take care! :)

Let Them Eat (Little) Cake!

The neatest trick was learning to make flowers on the flat end of a bamboo skewer, then poking the sharp end through the petit four and through the base leaving a rose on top.
::::::::::::::::::::Daisy Days::::::::::::

A layout of Eve using Rachel Young designs from Scrapartist:


:::::::::::::::::Tagged:::::::::::::

Seven random facts:

1. I think 3/4 length sleeves are one of the coolest designs in clothing. If I had great upper arms I would say capped sleeves were the coolest.

2. I think walking 2 miles to get a malt that has more calories than the actual walk burns off is still way worth the trip!

3. I am always looking for something when I take photos that I can't explain, but know when I see it.

4. When I see a bluebird fly by it really makes me happy!

5. I wonder why people find it hard to make eye contact with people and smile.

6. I have plantars fascitis in my right foot, so I walk slow as Christmas.

7. I watched a cool video about a tribe where the men paint their faces and do wild expressions to impress the woman. I ask Michael to do the facial expressions, sans face paint, and he obliges sometimes. He is a hoot!

It's Nice to Have Neighbors That Have A Similar Sense of Humor:

I was invited to a (Wall Paper) Stripping Party at my neighbor's house. She was tired of looking at the floral wallpaper in her bedroom. She also promised lunch for my efforts, so why not! Two of her friends came over to help for a few hours, then had to leave to pick up their kids from preschool. I stayed until my kids came home a couple of hours later. I was able to help her finish up the third wall and clean up. She used her enthusiasm and adrenaline to finish up the wall a little while later. Michael called me down stairs to say I had a message. This is what my funny neighbor left on my walkway:


CLASSIC!

I'm going slightly out of order because I have a few things going on. The wall paper dealy was on Wednesday, but this next blurb was on Monday:

Spotlight on Specials:

This was a night of going to school with the kids and learning about some of the classes devoted to certain subjects. We didn't get to go to every Specials class, but Noah showed us the Math Specials room in this photo:
Eve caught some air time in the gym:


Aaron and Michael checked out their hand/eye coordination:

Everybody checked out the keyboards in the music room:






When we got back home Noah was still climbing the walls...literally:

The Kindergarten had a field trip to Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Ga. I drove up separately in my minivan and got there shortly before the buses arrived: I got a photo of Eve's eager face at the bus window:




Pie pumpkins are small and sweet. This one is destined to be a pumpkin pie filling:


::::::::::::::::::Thursday::::::::
I had a workshop day with our Josten's yearbook representative. There were only a few people that could make the training class, so I was able to ask my questions and get some help with the software. Come to find out I was the most involved of the advisors in working with the program. I was able to point some things out that frustrated me to another advisor and give some ideas on what worked well. The Josten's rep laughed and told the other advisor that I was anal about getting everything right. It's true. I also was looking at other yearbooks and they are cookie cutters of the year before with big photos and no journaling. It goes against my grain to not tell the story, or bits of it at least. I have a hard time asking people to buy something that I have not put my best effort in. I'm not a slap and go kinda person. I have been indexing the photos as I find out the students names to try and make sure everyone is in the book more than once and can find themselves. I've had kids ask me to take their photos and saying they have never seen themselves in more than the student class section. I'm now the yearbook lady and I have teachers smile and grab my arm to show me a great shot, or just be polite and tell the kids to keep working. I also get kids saying, "Hey, there is Eve's mom, (Noah's mom), (Rachel's mom), and I get the biggest grins. I wish I could get all of the great photos into the book in the end. I have never done this type of book before, but I hope to be up to the expectations of myself and others.

::::::::::::::::::TODAY:::::::::::
I took another Wilton Art class. The lesson was on making Petit Fours. It was a 2 hours hands on class. We all got to decorate 5 petit fours. We used poured fondant for 4 of them and white chocolate for 1. I brought them home and my mom photographed them, so when I get the photos I will post them. I shared them with my eager family. Everyone was complimentary. I particularly like petit fours and the limitless decorating possibilities.

:::::::::::::::::Reading::::::::::
Still enjoying the The Mysterious Benedict Society. I'm also reading a book about science and I had to have Michael explain to me the difference between gravity and the strong force as it relates to the presence of dark matter. I'm still confused. Gravity is bending light like it shouldn't by our understanding. I find this stuff fascinating, but remain sooooo clueless!

I grabbed a book on the Magna Carta that I will add to my Shelfari. It looks pretty cool. I have to run and pick the kids up from a birthday party...so later, gators!

Sky Hike

Michael and I took our kids and some of their friends to Stone Mountain for a belated birthday. I don't have photos of the event because you aren't allowed to have loose objects on you and I was participating with the kids. Eve got really nervous and one of Rachel's friend's mom watched Evey. The play area looked super cool and challenging for those who weren't tall enough for the Sky Hike, or didn't like heights. Aaron's friends Ysabel, Molly and Kasey all got along, or know Rachel's friends Lydia, Sabrina and Julia. So the kids all got along. Noah was off like a shot once he got fitted for his harness. He skipped the first level and went up to the second level to wait. Michael finally found him after he quickly finished the first level. I was the caboose, so I could make sure the kids were okay. Rachel did all of the hard elements and I was really impressed with her tenacity. Aaron, Michael and I finished all the levels, too. Rachel asked me if I was scared and I said no because you were sufficiently harnessed and short roped from the top. The different ropes and were really cool sets though and kept it fun. We went ahead and purchased memberships for each of us so we can go back. Next time I will be taking photographs.
After the Sky Hike we went to the parking lot where they have adjacent picnic tables and we plied the kids with chicken tenders, watermelon, chips, brownies and cake. Then, we set off for the Laser Show. I stopped by the Dollar Store earlier in the day and grabbed some glow in the dark sticks and necklaces that were a big hit while the kids ran around on the large lawn in semi dark. We all enjoyed the show. Everyone got back home safely.

The kids are still trying to figure out what they want to dress up like for Halloween. I am partial to Eve going as a California Roll, but she isn't convinced.

......Eve is calling me to wash her hair so...I'll check in later!

Sweeeeeet!

Well, my class is over. I came home to put the finishing touches on the cake:




After finishing up the basket weave I have a new found respect and admiration for Aunt Peggy. She was generous enough to make my wedding cake. Her decorating was perfection and I remember, fondly, my beautiful cake! THANK YOU, PEG!

:::::::::::::Last Pages for Noah's Book:::::


:::::::::::::::::::::Reading Time:::::

I am really enjoying reading The Mysterious Benedict Society to the kids. I look forward to reviewing it in a couple of weeks.

I'm finishing up the book on Science by Kaku. I have to turn it in Friday, so I'm pushing through to get it done.