My Fantastic First Grader

Flynn is doing fabulous in first grade, just as we would've predicted. She is in her class with her Daisy Buddy Madelyn. They can be seen walking in the parade behind their teacher, hands held.
Flynn has even started to adapt her cackle to sound more like her pal's giggle.

Flynn has aced every single spelling test. She has aced reading tests. Almost aced all her math tests.

She has mixed feelings about me being her class neighbor. She doesn't seem to mind being able to zip into my class when the car-riders are dismissed. Then she's able to sit in my chair, behind my desk, showing off as she picks up my new(-to-me) iPhone & starts taking photos of my little first grade sweeties who are lining up for their departure.
But the feedback I've gotten from her is, "I wish you were still at your building Mom. Then I would get to ride the bus. I miss it."
WHO MISSES GETTING ONTO A HOT SMELLY BUS & WAITING & WAITING?

My girl. That's who.

Sunday Sickie With Sentiments

My boy was sick Saturday night, 103.5 temp. Sunday morning, we were obviously (even tho he felt better) not going to take Gabe to church.
He was NOT happy. Not. At. All.
It's my month for leading worship in KidsPoint so I had to let Jeff stay home with him while my girl & I went to church.
This made him even LESS happy.

But he was thrilled when I walked in the door that morning after church. His greeting was, "I yove you Momma."
Then he told me a few minutes later,
"You are the BEST Momma."

That my little buddy, is the best thing you could ever say to your momma.

Almost As Good as my Recliner

I love coming home, exhausted & tired-footed, & plopping down in my soft recliner.

But EVEN BETTER is sitting here tonight watching Gabe...

He's playing 'DJ Hero' (a mix-master wii game) wearing camouflage cut-off pants and COWBOY BOOTS.
It's almost too much. And I love it.

Despite His Verbal Challenge

My boy managed to spit out the funniest thing tonight after dinner, even though 1/5 of what he says is unintelligible.

He was eating dinner, just him & me. He finished his delish corndog & carrots meal, wiped his mouth, asked to be excused & stood to his feet. Looked at me & said,
"I'm eternally grateful."

Lemon-AID

My girl has been gun-ho for the lemonade business ever since she laid her eyes on a street-side stand. And I've put her off a lemonade season or two.

So, when our subdivision had a hood-wide sale, I figured it was time to explore her entrepreneural side.

Naturally, we asked her what 'cause' she'd like to raise for.

This was not easy for our girl whose heart gets easily tugged...and in several directions at that. With it being school supply season, we'd been talking a lot about those who couldn't afford them.

So, that was her cause of choice (although the whole time she was trying to talk me into also raising money for "food for people who can't afford food and who are hungry").

She made the above sign. Mixed her lemonade. And hired an assistant (sidekick: brother). They asked EVERY SINGLE person who walked up our drive. And sometimes Gabe followed potential customers into the garage. You could count on the fact that if a 'customer' didn't give, they were guilted by Dick the Bruiser Bubs.

Flynn raised over $30 & was able to buy a box chalked full of supplies for students in our building who started school without supplies.

God has allowed a planted seed in her heart to blossom into a pot of love & charity.

D' Peas

It was August. It was hot.
And so was my date....

Hot Hubs surprised me with concert tickets (for my birthday) for THE BLACK-EYED PEAS. The kiddos went to Nana's & HH & I took off for the city. First we went to Chevy's for din-din. Then we scooted down to the concert for some serious entertainment.

10 years since we laid eyes on each other. 9 years since we made that official. And our love... it's... still... CALIENTE. Muie, muie. (is that how you spell it?!)

Shaking His Money-Maker

Okay, so I had been discouraging Gabe from BENDING OVER & SHAKING HIS REAR END in front of others.

The next day, he wakes up with this announcement, "alright, the Perrys not like shaking them booties anymore."

Sometimes You Don't Know Whether or Not to Laugh or Puke

Gabe: Me yike the mell of burps.

That'll make a momma proud.

Briefs or Boxers?

Today Flynn said (mid-lunch) to Jeff's Dad, "What's under there?"

Dan replied, "Under where?" [underWEAR]

I don't know which part I like the best: the fact that she had the nerve to say it...or the fact that she kept a straight face while she did it.

Puddle Jumpers

It was a very rainy May. VERY rainy.
What better to do when the sky opens up?
Put on your boots & do some puddle-jumping.

These boots are nearly the same size.

A special (muddy) rock that Flynn found (& was quite proud of too, by the way).

It's funny how Flynn seems to have springs in her feet. Of course, when you have on rain boots, everything is magical.

Baby-Lover

My girl (& boy) is a baby-lover just like her momma.
And that Morris family just quenches our baby thirst; what with their having babies every year & all.

Last month when the newest addition, Emmitt, made his entrance, we couldn't wait to get up to the hospital to smell that brand new baby breath.

We held him, stroked his baby bird fuzz, & gave our parting wishes.

We were exiting the parking lot & finding our way back to the interstate when Flynn piped up from her seat in the back,
"I already miss him."

Out of the Mouths...

Gabe & Jeff were enjoying a little field trip to Bee Tree Park when they found themselves at the fountain, spending a coin to make a wish.

They tossed their coin, with eyes closed to make their wish even more effective.

Gabe opened his eyes, looked around with purpose & quizzically said,
"WHERE ME PIDAMAN CAKE?????!!"

Poor little soul thought the wish was going to show up when that coin hit the water's surface.

Dance

This little beauty is about to perform in another recital. She absolutely loves her routines, songs, costumes, & the chance to wear lip gloss & blush.
This is before pictures waiting to go back into the studio. She's in 2 dances with her regular class, and another, specialty dance (invitation only, a'hem).
Her specialty dance is one where each little girl is teamed up with a "big" girl (a teen/tween). They're performing to "Everybody Loves My Baby" & it's one of the cutest things I've seen. Flynn's partner is Renee & she thinks she's the cat's meow. Which she is. And Flynn is the kitten's meow.

It's Like Riding a Bike

I sadly admit that the good majority of my kiddos' lives they did not play outside, driveway or otherwise, on the wheel variety.

Our driveway was dangerously steep, as was our street. And we had no sidewalks. Therefore, most of their road-rage took place at one of the grandparents.

Since we moved in w/ Grammy & Peepaw, the kids have had their freedom on the great sidewalks & level driveway.

Last Saturday, Flynn & Gabe joined Nana & Papa on a bike riding field trip to a park called ROUTE 66 PARK in the old Times Beach close to Eureka.

While Papa was working on Flynn's bike, trying to make it more comfy, Nana suggested taking off the training wheels.

And Flynn hasn't looked back

T'Ree-ific

The other night we took the kids to a near-by park called BEE TREE PARK. It over looks the river & has a fun playground. My favorite was a nearby field (part of which was unfortunately recently cut).
I saw this tree, the perfect girth to hide my skinny-mini's torsos. I invited them to stand & lean. Do you think Bubs would oblige? Goodness no. But my girl, she's always game for a good photo session.

I asked her to hold the tree & lean. That one ended up a little fuzzy, so she did this instead.

and then this...
then came up with this....

so I snapped away & laughed all the while as how we can never do anything ordinary.

Ch'ch'ch'changes

Like my decision to leave 4th grade & move to the primary bldg (where Flynn is & where Gabe will be) to teach first grade.

Or our decision to move from our little town to an even smaller one next to it, to be part of the district where I teach (& where Flynn attends).

Or how we decided to build (or have it built) a new house & live in Jeff's parents' house while we do so. (bless their hearts)

It's all a part of the changes that make sure we're where we want to be, when we want to be. In other words, THIS IS THE LAST TIME I MOVE! :)

Yes! She Blogs!

Wow! It's been a while -- there is a LOT to catch up on.
Stick around & be ready for a fast tour of 2010 so far.

8

8 years...

love that's grown

spirits that have been renewed

life that's been created

almost a decade

that you've known my heart

altho it seems like forever

i love you jeff...

thank you for all you've taught me

and helped me learn

happy anniversary

What Color is Your Parachute?

Here is a conversation I heard from the driver's seat on one of our many, many long drives...

Gabe "When me get big me gonna 'drive' a plane and be a yeacher."

Flynn: "Well, I'm gonna be a tooth fairy."

Rabbit Flynn Gets a Loose Tooth...

There was a little girl named Flynn. She didn't have a single tooth in her head until a few weeks before her first birthday.

It seemed as though her teeth were shy. They didn't like to come & they didn't like to go. When she started Kindergarten & most of her friends had lost several, she hadn't lost any.

She turned six & continued to check for any 'wiggleness' in her teeth. But nothing.

So imagine her Momma's surprise when Flynn came bounding off the bus with her finger on a bottom tooth. "I have a loose tooth!"

And Flynn wiggled that tooth so much that day that her Daddy had to give her a motrin to make the pain dull enough to sleep.

Days have went by & that stubborn tooth has yet to budge. Maybe, just maybe, Flynn will lose a tooth by the time she's seven.