Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tate

"The magnet school program of ** City Schools is one of the most outstanding programs we offer. It is our pleasure to inform you that (Tate) has been selected to participate in the program at BD Elementary School for the 2006-2007 school year..."

Yippee!! I received this letter in the mail today. Lake was selected last year and after much deliberation and praying we decided to pull him out of the neighborhood school and send him to the magnet school. It is strictly invitation only. Tate has been asking me where he'll go to school next year. He wants to know if he'll be at the same school or go with Lake. I've just told him we would wait until the end of the year and then decide. I can't wait to get him from school this afternoon and tell him that he will go with Lake next year.

He will go to BD elementary school for first and second grade and then GB for third, fourth and fifth. As of right now they will go to the neighborhood school for middle school with some magnet classes. I'm hoping that there will be a dedicated magnet school for middle and high school by the time my kids are ready.

I've never told Lake that he's at the magnet school because he is smart. I just told him that he got an invitation to go. He never asked why. Any input in case Tate asks me? He's very perceptive and if either child is going to ask 'why' it will be him. I don't want them bragging to their friends. There are 19 days of school left and probably only about 4-5 kids from his class of 17 were invited.

For those of you following the baseball and t-ball games, Tate's team won on Monday night 19-7.

Also, Lake's team website has pictures loaded. He's in one of them - standing on third base. If you want the link, let me know. It's the one I e-mailed to family a few weeks ago.

I feel lucky when...

This is a sentence that Lake had to complete while at school. The parents didn't have any input - this was just a daily activity. He had to complete the sentence and then draw a picture to go along. Let me remind you that he's seven years old. He's a boy (in case you forgot!) He likes sports. He likes to read. So, how did he finish this sentence?

I feel lucky when....

I have lots of brothers and sisters.

Then he drew a picture of a house with a garage, a sun in the corner, a tree with a large trunk and small leaves, and himself with his brother and sisters. He even labeled each one. The boys are wearing blue shirts and the girls are wearing pink dresses. They are all smiling. The sky is blue with little puffy clouds.

I often wonder how each child feels about being part of a large family. He feels lucky!

Yes, I will keep this picture forever.

What's for lunch?

Today Daisy asked for ketchup, cheese and yogurt.

She wanted the ketchup in a bowl by itself. She ate it with a spoon.

Gross.

Alarm clock

The boys received an alarm clock/night light from GiGi this weekend. Tate thought it was nice but was not overall impressed. Lake thought it was the greatest thing. Together we decided what time we needed to set it for so that he could wake up in time to get ready for school without rushing around. I get up at 6:00am and get a shower so we decided to set his alarm for 6:30am. That gives him 45 minutes to get ready for school.

IT WORKED!

He heard it (it's not really loud) and was out of bed AND in a good mood!

Now there are only 22 more mornings left to get ready for school and then school's out!!

The best mother-in-law

I simply have the best mother-in-law. Yesterday John Henry's mom came down for a visit. John Henry had gone fishing so Grandma suggested that we take the kids to the park for a picnic and some playing. The weather was perfect for a picnic. The kids played for about an hour. Then Grandma took them to a cute little toy store downtown. Each child picked out a dress-up outfit. The boys picked out armor outfits and the girls picked out dance clothes. Rosie also asked for a pack of chocolate coins. Then we went for ice cream and then came home. In between all the stops and while the kids were playing, Grandma and I talked about lots of things - books, family, friends and upcoming events. We even laughed about some things. It's good to hear her laugh. I know she misses Papaw. It's been six months since he died and at the time I didn't know how she would handle it. She's doing fine.

Afraid to look

"Mommy, look, my hair is on the floor."

This is not a phrase I wanted to hear. However, there is red hair on the floor. While I was getting lunch for the girls Rosie was cutting out a picture.

The picture is unfinished.

I guess it was her turn as the other three have already cut their own hair a few months ago.

I suppose I should survey the damage.

I could post a picture if I could figure out how! I think something is wrong with our system because I can't e-mail pics either.

^frustration^

Another tie game

This time it was Lake's team that played. After eight innings the score was 16-16. These kids usually play four innings. The time limit for this age group is an hour and a half unless there is a tie. The coaches finally agreed to continue the game next Saturday. We didn't get home until around 10:00pm. Around 9:00pm Daisy wanted John Henry to hold her. She fell asleep shortly thereafter. Rosie fell asleep on the way home. The boys were surprisingly easy to wake up this morning. That could have been due to the thunder and lightening.

Today, I am staying home. I have finally gotten over a headache that lasted for three days. During that time I was only able to take care of my family. Today I need to catch up on everything and everyone that has been neglected. I think today would also be a good day for a 'dress-up' tea party!

Grand slam

Tate hit a grand slam at his t-ball game on Monday night. This was the last play of the game and it tied the score. We should have played another inning but we had a young umpire and he just walked off the field without checking out the score. Later when Tate called my mom to give her a report of the game, he said, "Nano, I hit a grand slam. You know, that's when there's a runner on every base and I hit a home run." He made it sound like it was 'grand' because HE had hit it. Five year olds and t-ball. Too cute!

Yesterday Tate's class finally made it to the zoo. The weather was miserable. It was also half price day at the zoo. You can just imagine how many people were there. Instead of splitting the kids with the parents and letting us explore on our own the teacher wanted us to all stay together. So, we had to maneuver through crowds with 16 kindergarteners and 12 adults. The temperature was in the lower 90's. We couldn't find a working water fountain for over an hour. I felt like the trip was very rushed. I can't tell if Tate had a good time or not. We'll just have to go back as a family.

The girls stayed with John Henry while we were at the zoo. What did they do? Well, they took lunch to the park. Then they went to the mall and John Henry bought both girls a pair of shoes. Then they picked up Lake from school and came home and washed the truck. I would have loved to spend a day like that with my dad. They are so blessed.

Resurrection Sunday

We have a had full day. The day started early. Lake woke up around 6:00am. I was in the shower. He said, "Mommy, I don't think the Easter Bunny came to our house. I went into the living room didn't see our baskets." I told him to check in the kitchen because I had lined up the baskets before I went to bed last night. When he didn't come back I guessed that he'd found his basket. He then proceeded to wake up his brother. Of course it wasn't long before the girls were up, too. We were able to make it to church on time. I had invited T and her family to come to church with our family (I extended the original invitation over a year ago) and they finally came today. They are looking for a church to join. I'm hoping that today will spark the interest and that they will start looking more seriously at the churches in our area.

After church we went to lunch at my aunt's house. Yes, Genius joined us and brought a (famous) cheesecake. He makes/bakes the most delicious cheesecakes. I had requested a heath bar cheesecake probably six months ago. I had all but given up on it. Never fear, though. It appeared today.

We were back at church by 5:00pm to prepare for the choir musical. It has lots of lovely music that does wonders for my heart. I'm a little sad that it's over now but I'm sure there will be more wonderful music to follow.

Now I'm dog tired. I'm not quite sure what 'dog tired' is actually but it just sounded good. I'm also ready for a regular day. No crazy running around. No sick children.

*sigh*

Better now...

Yesterday Daisy had a high fever. When we got to the doctor yesterday her temperature was 104.5. The only other symptom was a croupy cough. It evidently was a virus and thankfully it only lasted 24 hours. So far no one else is showing any signs of it.

Sometime today we are going to color Easter eggs. We also have a little shopping to do and I have choir rehearsal at 6:00pm. No ballgames today (no practice either!)

Lake had a game last night and they won. I think the score was 13-8. Lake had several good hits. At one point he was on third base and the coach sent him home. Well, the catcher caught the ball when Lake was about 10 feet from the home plate. He was able to run back to third base with the catcher chasing him. He was able to score during the next play. It was a very fun and exciting game to watch! Oh, and the little boy on the bike wasn't there last night.

Still no potty training success

Yesterday while Rosie was at school, Daisy and I went shopping. I thought if I let her pick out 'cinlella' underwear she would try harder to keep it dry. Well, she picked out a pack and seemed content. She even said, "I don't pee pee in these. No." Before we checked out I grabbed a pack of pull-ups - I only had one left and knew I would still need these at night. Once she saw them, she wanted to put the underwear back.

"Really? Don't you like these?"

"No. I want cinlella pull-ups."

"But these are big girl panties. Are you sure you don't want them?"

"No. I don't want them. They're Rosie's."

So I put them back.

*sigh*

Two wins at the ballpark

Both teams won last night! The Bronco's score was 17-7 with five of the players hitting homeruns! Tate was one of the homerun hitters. I was so excited for them especially after the previous night. The National's score was 8-3. Lake struck out once and got a single. His coach has set up a website with all of their stats. If you're interested, let me know and I'll e-mail the information to you.

So, what do the girls do at the ball games? There are several smaller children and they usually play with side walk chalk or play hide and seek under the bleachers. There are a few children that bring bicycles but I feel that it is too crowded for them to be doing this. Last night as we were gathering our things and preparing to go home, a little boy (probably 4 or 5 years old) was riding his bike (no training wheels) and he ran over Daisy. He didn't stop afterwards. When John Henry caught up to him he asked him if he knew that he'd run over her. The little boy replied, "She was in my way." EXCUSE ME?? After further investigation and a talk with the grandmother, the bike was put away. The little boy screamed and kicked - it was quite a sight.

18-16

That was the score of the t-ball game last night. The Broncos lost. The other team had three more players than we did. We only had nine last night. In t-ball ALL the players are on the field - no one sits in the dugout. So, they had three more that could chase down the ball. However, Tate hit a homerun! He was so excited. The coaches and the other teammates were all giving high fives! I'll have to miss tonight's game because Lake plays at the same time and they are at a different park.

Another birthday surprise!

Just when I thought we were finished celebrating my birthday, too! My mom cooked my favorite meal - lasagna, salad and bread. She also prepared a yummy dessert with chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, whipped cream and cherries. My sister and her family came for dinner. For my birthday they are treating me to a pedicure. I'm going on Friday and will be counting the days until then! My cousin Trixie got me started on pedicures and now they rank near the top of my list of favorite things to do! Speaking of Trix, I got a lovely surprise birthday card with a gift card to a book store from her and WaWa. I have had a great birthday week thanks to my family and friends!

What's on the 'to do list' for this week?

Mail package to Atlanta. It's finally ready and I now just have to remember to take it to the post office for postage.

I have to purchase Easter basket things. I already have baskets but still have to fill them.

Get the girls socks to complete their Easter outfits. Also, get the boys either ties or sweater vests to complete their Easter outfits. I also have to exchange Rosie's shoes for a half size smaller.

And, let's not forget the boys ballgames this week. Tate plays on Monday and Tuesday while Lake plays on Tuesday.

What are your plans for the week?

Zoo report

On Wednesday I was able to go with Lake's class to the Birmingham Zoo. This was the first field trip that he and I have been able to go on together. The weather was absolutely perfect. Mostly blue skies and cool breezes at just the right time. When we arrived at the zoo we had a demonstration that lasted about 30 minutes. Then we went to the picnic area for lunch. After that we were split into groups to explore the zoo. Since there were several parents we only had three people in our group: myself, Lake and Logan. Logan is a very well behaved boy. We had about three hours to check out everything. We all agreed that the coolest thing at the zoo was the white alligator. I had never seen one and was amazed that even its toenails were white. Very cool. When we returned home around 6:00pm we were very tired. It was a 'good tired', though! Oh, one last thing - this was the first trip (of my adult life) to the zoo without a stroller.

Today I was all set to go with Tate's class to the same zoo. This is one of the frustrations of children being at different schools - it's too bad that the magnet program doesn't offer kindergarten. Well, we got to the school and waited around for about 30 minutes and finally got word that the principal had decided to postpone because of the possibility of bad weather. Several mothers decided to check-out the kids and take them to the park. It seemed like the best thing to do because: everyone already had a sack lunch, the weather was lovely at the time, and the teachers probably didn't have anything planned for the day. We had a really nice time and the weather is just now (it's 6:09pm) starting to get bad.

Not one, but two

Birthday cakes, that is! Last night's birthday did come with flowers on top! Today I was invited to lunch by Ms. V. Afterwards she wanted me and Daisy to come to her house (you can walk to her house from the restaurant.) She had an entire table decorated with a birthday cake, party napkins and a gift bag as well as a wrapped gift. Inside one was a cute notepad cube. Inside the other was a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant and a devotional book. This relationship has sort of filled an opening. She has not taken the place of my Grandmother and Granny but she has similar qualities of these two beautiful women that I have SO missed since they have passed away. The next time Trixie visits I want her to meet Ms. V.

What's the plan for tonight? I'm making tacos for dinner and then it's off to the ballpark for Lake's baseball game! Tomorrow I get to go to the zoo with Lake. His class is going on a field trip. Guess what? I get to go again on Friday with Tate's class!

Do you want a flower on your cake?

This is what Rosie has asked me several times today. Yeah, it's my birthday - I'm 36. I have not seen the cake yet but I'm guessing it will have a flower on it. So, what have we done today?

I took Tate to school this morning.

Then I called the doctor to see when they could see Lake.

Rosie had a dental check-up at 9:30. Her teeth look very good. One of her front bottom teeth is loose. On the x-ray you can see the adult tooth pushing the baby tooth. This seems very early to me especially since Tate hasn't lost a tooth yet. I don't count the tooth that had to be pulled.

After that we took Lake to the doctor. He evidently had some kind of fever virus. The fever lasted approximately 72 hours and was followed by spots on his trunk. The fever and spots are now gone and he's acting much like his old self.

John Henry took us to lunch. It was yummy!

We picked up Tate from school and went to the park for about 30 minutes. Lake is now begging to go to baseball practice. His practice is at 5:00 and Tate's practice is at 6:30.

What a day!

Opening Day Success

We had lots of rain last night but the baseball league decided to continue with the Opening Day ceremonies. It all started with a parade at 8:50 this morning. Tate's team is the Broncos. Their uniform is purple and white. They carried purple balloons, bags of candy (to toss to folks on the sidelines) and the parents that walked with us also wore purple. Lake's team is the Nationals and their uniform is red and white. They carried red balloons and candy and even a few posters. All in all the league consists of about 25 teams so it was a lengthy parade from the local school to the baseball fields. The Opening Ceremony was short and sweet. Then Tate's team took pictures. Lake's team took pictures earlier this week.
Tate's game was at 10:30. The field was very wet. So wet that when the ball was hit it often stopped when it hit the grass. Besides being a very messy game everything went fairly smoothly. And, they won!!! The score was 15-20.
Immediately after that game we had to go to the next field for Lake's game. His game was good but they lost. I'm not sure what the score was. We could tell that Lake wasn't feeling well after the game. He was shivering and it was in the mid 70's. He has a fever and his throat isn't looking too good.
The girls are fine. They got a little muddy at the ball field but it's not anything that the new washer can't take care of!