Story Hour

In case you don't remember the books (or can't understand what he is saying):

We're going on a bear hunt.
We're going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We're not scared.
Oh-oh! Grass!
Long, wavy grass.
We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
Oh, no!
We've got to go through it!
Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy!

We're going...
...A River!
A deep, cold river.
Splash, splosh! Splash, splosh! Splash, splosh!

...Mud!
Thick oozy mud.
Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch!

((then there's more that we skipped))

A cave!
A narrow, gloomy cave!
Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Tiptoe!
What's that? One shiny wet nose! Two big furry ears! Two big goggly eyes! IT'S A BEAR!

Quick! Back through the cave...

Can you tell we've been reading this book alot lately? I think we could both quote it in our sleep.

Gotta Love the KJV

We've been reading a new devotional book during Bible time. Well, it is new to us. It was actually written in 1962. It is short enough to hold Fletcher's attention, but has some good questions and a Bible passage to look up. It teaches some important basic truths of our Christian faith. It also has a hymn at the end. Now I grew up in a Baptist church and we sang lots and lots of hymns, but most of these are so old even I don't know them. (Insert joke here)

Tuesday night we were talking about how there is one God but three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Only the book called it the Holy Ghost because this was written in 1962 and it uses the King James Version of the Bible (we substitute the NIV so Fletcher can understand it). We had to explain that it wasn't a ghost like in Scooby Doo or Halloween, but that "Ghost" was referring to "Spirit". Fletcher seemed ok with that. The Trinity is a hard concept to understand even for adults so you can imagine how hard it must be for a kid.

Well, the hymn for the night was The Doxology. Since I actually knew that one I sang it for Fletcher.

Mom: (singing) Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Fletcher: Mom! Could you stop with all the Holy Ghost stuff?? You are really freaking me out.

Ahh...yet another successful evening of Bible time.

Crockpot Gardening

There's a crockpot cookbook called "Fix-It and Forget-It."

I wish gardening were that way. I wish I could just buy the plants, plant them, turn the garden on then reap the harvest in 7-8 weeks. Wouldn't that be awesome? But if gardening were easy, everyone would be doing it and we wouldn't need produce sections of grocery stores.

After our miserable attempt at a garden last year, we are trying again this year. We are gluttons for punishment I suppose. I decided to skip the spring garden altogether since we planted on Feb. 15 then it snowed on March 1. Yeah, snow isn't good for brand new plants.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to mess with it again this year. But then something happened.

We had four blueberry bushes in pots around our garden. I bought the plants at Sams so I didn't exactly have high hopes for them. They sat in those pots through freezing temperatures and three snowfalls. They were nothing but twigs sticking out of the dirt. But when spring came, Kevin walked in one afternoon and said, "Your blueberry bushes have leaves on them."

Seriously? I hadn't done anything with them all winter. I assumed they were dead.

So my interest in gardening was renewed.

This year's crop includes: tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, yellow squash, California bell peppers, yellow banana peppers, sugar baby watermelons (the little kind), cilantro, basil, and some slicing cucumbers. We decided to skip the strawberries this year.

It is raining here so I didn't get a picture yet. Stay tuned for updates.

500

Today is my 500th post.

Wow!

I had no idea when I started this little blog almost two years ago that I'd have 500 things to say. I'm thankful my kids provide plenty of subject matter! And I'm thankful they can't really read or navigate the internet just yet. Not sure what the blog will look like when Fletcher hits those awkward preteen years when everything his mother does totally embarrasses him. I somehow think writing about him on the internet for all the world to see might not be on the "approved" list.

To celebrate #500 and since I'm a sucker for a good cheesy dance video, here's Hanson's latest. (Remember them? The MmmmBob kids. They are all grown up now.)

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON MySpace Music Videos

All Stuffed With Fluff

Fletcher's school had a fundraiser and used book sale this past weekend. The students also performed "The Great Book Revue" which included excerpts from favorite children's books (Pooh, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, etc). Fletcher helped open the show with a rousing rendition of the Pooh theme song (I guess that's what it is called). He's come a long way since his performances from his preschool days. He is on the back row in an orange shirt.

I know you get tired of hearing this, but please excuse the poor quality of the video. It was taken in the evening when the lights in the sanctuary were already low. And I couldn't quite seem to remain steady and focused during the 30 seconds he was up there.

Welcome To This World

Happy Birthday!
Evie Mae
April 22, 2010
7 lbs, 1 ounce
Welcomed by Mom and Dad (Traci and Cade), big brother (Bear),
grandparents (Denise and David) and great grandparents (my mom and dad) and a host of other "friends and relations" (as Winnie-the-Pooh would say) including a very proud great Aunt Rachel and great Uncle Kevin and cousins Fletcher and Luke.

She sure is cute!
And I think she might have a pretty good set of lungs.

I love her already!

That Can't Be Comfortable

This is how I found Luke the other day during his nap. Face down with his legs hanging off the side of the bed sound asleep. When I opened the door to take a better picture, he stirred a little bit but his little legs were still hanging off the side of the bed (picture #2). He is not a conventional sleeper. I find him turned around the other direction in his bed with his head way down by the foot of the bed all the time. I've given up trying to keep covers on him because no matter how tightly I tuck in the sheets and blankets, they end up balled up at the foot of the bed or on the floor.

(As you can see, I am still searching for the right paint color and the right twin bed for his room. )