Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Last Night...What Fun!

Tay is not too old to enjoy the fun.













Can you guess what she carved?

Rose is learning to use a lighter to lite the pumpkins...but it gives her blisters.
Rose carved a classic design.
Byrd gets into the job.
Byrd carved most of this by herself.
Sissy just starting the job.
Her final product... Heath and I helped some, but Sissy did most of it.


Butch would have nothing to do with the guts, the mere thought of touching them would send him into a fuss.


Butch used a new technique, its the Light Brite version. There are clear pegs (similar to a golf tee) you hammer into the pumpkin, then you use a LED light to light it. It was quick and easy, for those with short attention spans.
The whole bunch of them...completed and ready for the moose to eat...the pumpkins not the kids.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Funny thing

…I decide to go back and see what was happening last year at this time. Today, October 24, 2006 we plan on carving pumpkins…last year, October 24, 2005…I will try to post pictures tonight.

Where’s god?

There are two young brothers and they live in a small little town in Alaska. These two boys are especially bad and are always in trouble. One day the two boys got caught for stealing, their mothers sent them to talk to the town priest.

So the two boys went to talk to the pastor. The pastor asked the smallest child to come in and talk to him. The Pastor sat him down and asked the young child "Do you believe in god?" the young boy answered shyly "yes" so the pastor said asks "Do you know where god is?" the young boy had a puzzled look on his face and said "nope" so the pastor said again "Do you know where god is?" the boy looked back and said "I all ready told you no." so the pastor asked a last time "Do you know where god is?"

At that time the boy ran out the room and to his older brother. The older brother asked "What’s wrong?" the young boy answered "We’re in big trouble now!” The older Brother replied "Oh well, were always in trouble what’s the big deal?" the younger boy answered "Well, now God is missing and they think we've done it."

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Special guests

We had some special guests show up at our Girls Scout meeting last night…who knew cooking chicken stir fry in the school art room would set off the fire alarm and that there is no way to call off the fire department?....and NO I was NOT cooking!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Today…

Field trip we tested the water quality of Chester Creek. This portion of the creek is a portion that the city straitened, so it is more of a cannel. I am not sure why they straitened it beside the fact that it runs along the back side of Prevos church/school. The water level today was a little high and we noticed a log jam (cut trees) at the culvert running under Baxter Road. Walking up steam with 3nd graders with higher IQ then most adults I know (Byrds gifted/IGNITE classmates) it was noted that the straightening of the stream was bad for the fish that there was no cut banks or pools for any fish to just hang out in, let alone the invertebrates the fish call food. It was also noted that the trees were sparse on the south side of the stream, just a few select trees separated Prevos back parking lot and the creek, also not good for any life forms in the stream. Remember these are 3rd graders.

As we climb down closer to the creek we found 6 to 8 inches of leaves covering the entire southern bank. In some slower areas of the creak that leaves made false banks, the leaves were that thick. It was interesting not getting wet in this situation. As we finished testing the oxygen level, current speed, temperature, Ph, and organism sample collecting, we climbed back up the bank, as we all reached the top a 3rd graded noted that in a few select places small drainage ditchs ran from the parking lot to the stream and that the grass was clear of leaves and manicured. It appears as if Prevos grounds crews decided not to bag their leaves…I wonder …is that good for the creek…will it help with bank erosion…the city will have to clean it up eventually as it continues to dam up the culverts…

one year ago at Bloggled Thoughts

…and today
The War In Iraq Costs

$333,223,840,628


Instead, we could have insured

199,535,233

children for one year.


Monday…

Shopping and errands….thanks Donny for the company…I think I did this once with your mom.

Sunday….

Tay had a band test today due by midnight tonight. It was supposed to be done last weekend. No one did it last weekend and so the teacher gave them an extension. Tay has computer software that analyzes her saxophone skills and then assigns a grade to her skills. She then emails the results to the teacher. The teacher just made the saxophone section switch to #3 reeds, which I guess are more difficult to play. Tay is having a little trouble using this new reed and could not get the computer give her a good enough grade. As I was discussing this situation with her and found that last weekend she had tried to fake the system out. She downloaded the practice demo song and played it back to the testing software…she received a zero (the computer knew she cheated) and she did not email the results in. I know what you are all thinking that I promised Tay I would not blog about her any more. But this time I am allowed to talk to you, I even told her I was going to do it…because she cheated….she “hummed” the test song and doubled her previous saxophone score…and emailed the results. I was impress that the voice lessons helped in some way. But now I guess I better so some research on this issue… the ways kids cheat have come a long way since I was a kid. She promised the sax would come home more often and that see will ace her next test.

We went shopping today…a much needed break from chores…we had to barrow Shanas rig to get there…everyone got something new but me… Mom thanks Butch and Sissy played with the gift you sent….JD has found a new way to feed us al winter. So if I loose weight talk to him.

Saturday…

Rose mowed up the leaves and earned ten bucks. Byrd and Tay fought all day. I cleaned Poop. Butch and Sissy played with Lou Lou. Heath scrubbed the back of the house sparkling white again. JD swapped tires and patched the roof . So with the chores done we ate dinner and went to the Baxter’s for drinks …

or Mary Janes?

Shana

got a new pet…

just watch your kids closely…

oh yeah....Ask Shana what she did Sunday.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Some Good Hard Work

I had a great time this weekend with Roses Girl Scout Troop we volunteered for National Parks Day. Something we will defiantly do again next year. Our project was to help create a new trail in the Campbell Airstrip trail system. Our project was a new trail opposite the head of the Smoke Jumpers Trail. It was our job to haul the pre-cut trees away from the trail. Although, we did get a chance to do some shovel work, some girls had trouble focusing on one job for three hours. It was a nice clear morning and an eight am carpool time doesn’t work for 5th graders all we heard was I am cold, I am hungry, I am tired...and the ever so popular "I AM BORED". Only four of the nine girls were prepared, not good…good thing GS doesn’t have a “no child left behind” policy. Not only were they not prepared, but they knew nothing about “Leave No Trace” one girls kept leaving a soda can laying around. Seeing how we were surrounded by 100’s of naturalist (not the nude kind) it was not a good thing. During the three hours I had to harass 6 of the 9 girls to get them to do anything, also a leaders failure…what about Considerate and caring, Respect Authority, and make the world a better place. Despite all the nagging I had a great time. I was proud of Rose what a worker bee. She and I make a good team and we really enjoy getting out there and physically help out the community. And some good hard work is a great way to get stuff off your mind. I can’t wait till clean up day….come on MAY….I am waiting for you!!!


PS ... I think I smelled snow today...