Go Barack!

Homework is such a pain in the tuchus. Yes. This teacher is saying it. I do whatever I can to make it easier. Not only do I have to grade it. I get double whammied from my kids' homework nightly. H has one easy enough way to cut out some of the bulk of homework. She can write a paragraph about a current event or a visit to an educational place. We have been talking on an off about the elections for a long time with H because it is such an exciting time for our country. 

Tonight I told her she could write a paragraph about the elections that are happening next Tuesday. I asked her to tell me what she knew about the elections. She knew quite a bit so I told her to get working on it. After reading her paragraph...she also proved she has been listening to mommy quite a bit. Here's H's paragraph. Hope the teacher is a Democrat.

In two weeks I am going to elections with my parents. There are two men that are running for president. Their names are John McCain and Barack Obama. I think Barack should win because he didn't pick an unexperienced Vice President like John McCain and he is black. Obama is a Democrat and McCain is a Republican. I cannot wait to see who wins. I will cross my fingers for Barack Obama. 

Don't forget to get out there and vote on Tuesday. I know you will make the right decision. How could you not?

  OR  

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins!

I was worried we wouldn't be able to squeeze in the annual pumpkin patch trip this year. Phew! We made it. We went to Moore's Pumpkin Patch today. A new one for us. Our usual one decided to give their fields a rest this year so we had to venture elsewhere. This one had loads of rides (at $3 a pop...what can you do?) and the kids had a great time. It was further out from our part of the bay so it was quite warm (hot in my opinion). We hit the rides first and then went on our search for our pumpkins. H decided she wanted a little pumpkin (after I told her she couldn't have the $30 giant pumpkin). N has been saying he wanted a white pumpkin for weeks. He seems to prefer them. He got to choose a few of them since they were so small. 

Darth Cowboy

N raided his costume drawer and came up with this mix of Darth Vader, cowboy and prince. He was very insistent that I take a photo. 

A few layouts while I'm here. These are from when my sister was visiting in late July. 

Feeling Scrappy Challenge

As part of a blog challenge for Feeling Scrappy I am including their link here http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com/. I took one of their classes this summer and loved the techniques. I hope to take their sketch class at the end of this month.

A few recent layouts

This one is for a Becky Fleck Sketch challenge from her blog. Here is her sketch:

Here is my interpretation. I stretched her 8 1/2" x 11" sketch to a 2 page spread (12" x 24"). This was H and N at the KODA picnic we went to this summer. They loved wading in the creek at the park.

These final two layouts are of H's Jungle Book Kids drama camp this summer. The paper piecings were done for me by an online pal (thanks Holly!).

Aw nuts!

H tried out for her school's winter production of the Nutcracker last week Friday. By Monday the cast list was posted. My dear girl has been cast in a singing/dancing/speaking role as one of  "the naughty children". I am anxious to see this script. I didn't know there were naughty children. I am a bit concerned as H tends to get very into her roles and would hate to see her take on too many "naughty" traits. Her first practice is this Friday. She can't wait. 

It's as easy as riding a bike

Who ever said that has not met my daughter. She is a challenge with new things. N at 5 is much more ready than his sister I think. But at 8 years old she is totally capable of this. I told Don yesterday that he is shirking his dad duty because both kids still have training wheels on their bikes. I told him it is in the Dad Handbook that he should have been out running up and down a sidewalk by now holding onto the seat of a bike. I remember my dad doing this with me. He remembers his dad doing this with him. It is a dad thing. 

So, today he took off the training wheels and we went across the street to the school parking lot and took turns practicing on their bikes. 

N fell down immediately and ran off screaming. I got him calmed down and ready to try again. H tried twice and said she was done. I told her she was not. I had to compare it to when she learns lines or a song or a dance for a play -- that she keeps trying even though she makes mistakes. She was not entirely convinced. 

On N's next turn he started to find his "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!" His bike is so low to the ground though that it is very uncomfortable for Don to run scrunched over with him. He is so short though that he can't do a bigger bike. H kept grudgingly give it another try. When N kept giving it longer tries and showing more success I had to plant the seed...such a mean mom..."How will you feel when you 5 year old brother can ride a two-wheeler and you can't?" I'll let her chew on that a while. We'll keep practicing. After all practice makes perfect right?