Wednesday, April 29, 2009

her big sister will be jealous


Ainsley's new flip-flops.  As if her sweet, little feet weren't cute enough already...

Friday, April 24, 2009

on fire



This picture was taken by my good friend, Kara, in Myrtle Beach.  To put this in perspective, for those of you who visited us when we lived here...This road is Carolina Forest Boulevard.  And if you were following that white truck for about a half a mile you would arrive at Carolina Forest Elementary, where Ryan and Emily used to go to school.  And if you turned left at Carolina Forest Elementary and drove about about a half a mile, you would arrive at our old condo.  I've talked to my friends there and everyone is safe.  It's just amazing to see our old stomping grounds like this.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

he's five! no jive!

It hardly seems possible that it has been an entire year since I wrote about Jack's 4th birthday...

And yet, here he is...my 5-year-old!




More details to come about his fun day.  Hopefully tomorrow...after I've slept and have half a chance of forming complete, coherent sentences...




almost had to call the fire department



Doug's birthday cake!

Jackson:  "How old is Daddy now?"  

Me:  "He's 38!"

Jackson:  "Whoa!  That's a way bigger number than me!"


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

unreliable

So, yesterday I checked weather.com and there was a 100% chance of rain starting at 5:00 pm.  And guess what?  It didn't rain.

This morning, I checked weather.com and there was a 15% chance of rain at 10:00 am.  And guess what?  When I walked out of Target at 10:00 am, it was raining.

Weather.com Weatherpeople, you should not get paid for what you do.  

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Your Spring/Summer Reading List.

     Hey everybody!! Ryan here. I know that I just guest- blogged, but while I was in Indiana, I got a request to do another reading list, so (drumroll please) here are the


TOP 10 READS FOR SPRING AND SUMMER.


10. Peter Pan in Scarlet, by Geraldine McCaughrean- Who knew there would ever be a sequel to Peter Pan? In this story, Wendy, her brother, ( notice I didn't say "brothers". If you want to find out why, read the book ) and the lost boys return to Neverland to find it horribly wrong, the effects of WWII. Can they save Neverland?

9. The Sisters Grimm Series, By Michael Buckley-  After Sabrina and Daphne's' parents disappeared, they'd been sent from foster home to foster home. Until finally their Grandma, who lives in a town known as Ferryport Landing, takes them in her care. The girls are shocked when their Grandma tells them that Ferryport Landing is a town filled with fairy-tale creatures and people. And that every fairy tale is an account of something that happened. 6 books in the series. First one is The Fairy Tale Detectives.

8. The Name of this Book is a Secret by ?????????? ???? -  Shhh! I can't tell, it's a secret!!

7. Swindle by Gordan Korman-  What would do if you found out you got swindled out of a 1,000,000 dollar baseball card that could solve your family's' financial problems? If you were Griffin Bing, you would recruit a team, and steal it back. Oh, did I mention that the card is guarded by a VICIOUS DOBERMAN, AN ALARM SYSTEM ONCE USED BY THE MARINES, and A SAFE?

6.The Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar-  This series is one of the wackiest series I've every read!  Wayside School was accidentally built sideways. Instead of a one story building with 30 rooms all in a row, Wayside school is 30 stories high with one classroom on each story. The builder said he was very sorry. Need I say more?

5. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney- Greg Heffley's life stinks. He can't work up the courage to talk to a girl, he can't even do a pull up in gym, all he gets for Christmas are sweaters, and embarrassing things happen to him at every turn! Hilarious book series!

4. The Regarding The... Series by Kate Klise-  Well, it all starts when principal Walter Russ of Dry Creek, Missouri writes to fountain designer Florence Waters for a new drinking fountain.  

 Dear Sir/Madam

    Would you please send a catalog of your products to our school? We need a new drinking fountain.*

And Florence replies...

 I'd be delighted... but please understand that all of my fountains are custom made*

Talk about custom made! She makes a simple drinking fountain a pool, complete with a water slide and ice rink! Florence remodels the fountain in Regarding The Fountain. She also:

Remodels the Cafeteria sink
Trims The trees on the school campus
Remodels the school bathroom
Adds a Bee farm on the roof.

3.The Percy Jackson And the Olympians series. by Rick Riordan- What if you found out one of your parents is a Greek God and that Greek Mythology is all real? And That your best friend is a satyr? And That Zeus' master lightning bolt is missing and if you don't retrieve it in 10 days, WWIII will begin? It all Happens in The Percy Jackson Books. The First book is called The Lightning Thief.

2.The Pig Scrolls By Gryllus the Pig by Paul Shipton- Gryllus the Pig was once a human turned into pig by Circe the enchantress. And he'd like to stay a pig. but when he's captured by a Junior-Assistant-Assistant- Pythia- in-training to save the world his life is turned upside down. Oh did I mention that Gryllus can talk? The sequel is The Pig who saved the world. But personally I think the first book is better.

And The Best all time series this year is...

1. The 39 Clues Series by Multi- authors-  When Dan And Amy Cahill went to her grandmother's funeral, they thought they would inherit her house. Instead, they and 38 others are given a choice: $1,000.000 or a single clue that will lead them around the world in treasure hunt. The Prize: something that will make you powerful beyond belief. If you're Dan and Amy, you take the Clue and begin a dangerous race. Many Authors write the books but the first one is by Rick Riordan and is called The Maze of Bones.

ENJOY!!!

** copyright  1998 by Kate Klise. All rights reserved