Observation

Tuesday was parent observation day for Audrey's dance class and I was excited to go so I could see just what she's been learning and doing this year. She has complained quite a few times that she doesn't want to go because it's hard and she can't keep up with the other girls. I've tried to encourage her and remind her that this year is harder because she's older and the last two years were much easier because they were the "baby" class :)

Getting to watch her was a trip. Audrey has always been our quirky kid. When she doesn't know what to do with her self she just kinds flops around and makes funny faces. Even though she knows all the moves and all the terms, she does have a hard time keeping up. But it's not because she can't do it. No, it's because she got her mama's genes in the twitchy department and the concentration department. I see that in her homework.  She may not look like me, but gosh after observing her in dance it's like watching a 6 year old Amanda take gymnastics and I've been thinking ever since we started homework it's like trying to keep a 6 year old Amanda in focus. Poor baby, is all I can say. I hope she grows out of it quicker than I did. Well, I don't twitch and flop any more but I do have a difficult time keeping my concentration.

If at the end of the year she doesn't want to take again, I am not gonna make her. She says she just wants to stay home. With me. Again, 6 year old Amanda. Bless her little heart! Even though she can't keep time very well, she truly enjoys herself while she is there. Always a smile and little laughs here and there with her friends. It was a fun day! I have lots more pics but these just showcase her quirky posture and funny faces for the day! Oh and the fact the she was THE ONLY ONE who forgot her ballet slippers that day. . . .

This picture cracks me up every time I see it. I snapped this at the very end

of class. These 3 were struggling. Jon because he got the job of wrestling Olivia the whole

time so I could take pictures and video. Olivia was struggling because

she wanted so desperatly to get down and dance her self. And James 

was just bored out of his mind!!!!

For crying out loud, Charlie Brown

Children bring so many questions to the table. And not just questions of their own that they literally ask but they bring a general sense of wonderment with them every where they go. Like a swirling cloud of dust that covers them. Kinda like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown.

I bought Peach two pairs of those fancy church socks on Sunday during our outing to the mall. I took them to her room and placed them neatly in her sock drawer. That was just 2 1/2 days ago. I went up there this morning to pull out all her shorts and replace them with pants(because she is bad about putting on shorts when it's 40 degrees outside because they are cute!). I decided to just go through her entire dresser and remove all items that she could not wear any more or that didn't belong as I have found the occasional barbie doll stuffed beneath her panties before! I didn't find that this time. No, instead I discovered that 1 mate to 1 of the pairs of brand new church socks is missing. Poof, disappeared. 

I also realized that the child has so many panties in her panty drawer that it boarders on insanity. How did that even happen? I haven't bought her any panties for probably two years. 

As usually happens with me I go in to do one tiny project and end up re-arranging an entire room. No exception today. I ended up going through her whole closet and all the bags of clothes that were in there not to mention all the ones that were hanging on the double rack. It looks soooo much better and now she is set for the winter months and I wont have to tell her she has to go back up and change. Thanks to some sweet friends Peach is going to be rockin her wardrobe this year and I didn't have to buy one thing which makes it so much sweeter. I did realize though that she child's pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, and dresses now rivals her panty drawer :)

I moved on over to her brother's room to do the same and surprisingly he had very few pieces to pull out. I knew his clothes stash was considerably lower than Audrey's just because I have two friends that pass down clothes for her and none for James since since they only have girls but I did not think it was that much lower. Poor fellow. I need to go shopping for him so he can have 40 pairs of pants too :) I kid. But really I was thinking gee he needs pants. Fast forward to when I was heading down stairs and as I was shutting the linen closet door that is at the top of the stairs, I thought I saw the shadow of a laundry basket. I stuck my head in farther and sure enough, it was a laundry basket full of clothes. JB's clothes to be exact. You guessed it: That's where his other clothes were and Lord know how long they been there either. My kids are the worst stashers in the history of stashers. My mother tells me they get it honest but I'm just not sure I believe her. . . . 

And last for today is voices. Probably the greatest phenomenon in the world to me is how my kids will talk normal or less than normal in the car. They are always SO LOUD at home in the house and even outside. Like, they yell for EVERYTHING. From room to room, upstairs to down stairs. Fighting, not fighting. Does not matter; their voices are loud and shrill at most any given time. Except for when we get in the car and they are trying to ask you questions from the back seat. Then they decide to whisper or at least speak in a normal tone at a normal level. The one or two times a day that you actually need them to speak at an obnoxiously high voice level, they don't. They choose to speak normally. And then they get aggravated at you because you have to ask them speak louder please. I must add though that Miss Sassafrass keeps it consistent. She's just as loud and shrill in the car as she is at any other place and time. It's phenomenal.

The Weekend

We had a pretty laid back weekend over here that consisted of a lazy Saturday, church on Sunday as well as deer hunting and a trip to the mall. I think you can guess which ones went hunting and which ones went to the mall :) Jon got a doe and it was so great that James got to be with him. He liked everything about the experience except for the cleaning part. Jon said he sat in the truck for that!

Our Monday has been pretty laid back as well. Gearing up for another house showing though. Will be so glad for so many reasons when all this is behind us!! Today Olivia has wanted to play nothing but puppies so we have crawled around on the floor arfing like sad little puppies and pretending to take naps and then tickling the littlest puppy. Not much to blog about so hope you just enjoy the pictures!

Batman and Sofia

I needed some practice on a few specific things and much to my surprise when I suggested dressing up in what ever they wanted to and going outside to let me snap a few pics of them James and Olivia were all in!! Audrey, ehh, she declined. I've got to say that Batman, Sofia and their photographer had a great time until Batman thought it would be a cool idea to climb ON TOP of the van. We called it quits after that. Maybe I can bribe Audrey next week to get in front of the lens. Kids these days.

No Tricks for Our Treats

No pic of twins today. Since it's Halloween, they needed to wear a Halloween shirt and since we made the decision long ago to not "participate" in this "holiday" they had to go plain jane this morning. (If they had been dressing up today like last year instead of just the t-shirts, we would of let them do that. Please do not ask about the logic behind that....) I'm sure you can guess the reasons we decided not "celebrate" this "holiday" and since I too grew up with a daddy for a preacher or, a preacher for a daddy I guess that should say, it doesn't bother me that each year they are a little put out with us for making this call. I do remember how it felt to be the odd one out every October 31st ( and James and I had a nice heart to heart about it this a.m.) but I also know that it didn't scar me for life and I certainly don't have any pent up emotional problems towards my parents 30 years later :)

But and however, even though we didn't do the costumes and the trick or treating, my mom always made sure we got to partake in the candy overdose of this time of year. Candy corn and candy pumpkins were of course my fav cause it is the only time of year (usually) you can get them! So, Olivia and I went in search of afore mentioned items and a few other sweet treats. Stopped by Wally World 1st only to find that they had already removed the Halloween candy and put out the Christmas junk. SERIOUSLY??

We went on to Walgreens where we found what we were seeking and a few other of their favorites. So, no worries y'all!! Even though our kids wont be out trick or treating in cool costumes, they will have a nice sugar high this evening just in time for bedtime :)

Raise Your Hand

Do you know what Justin Beaver looks like? Audrey posed this question the other day: "Raise your hand if you know what Justin Beaver looks like."

I raised my hand but it wasn't to answer her question, it was to ask my own: How do you know who Justin "Beaver" is? Her answer: I just do.

This whole scene was hilarious because on the one hand I was like "you are 6" and on the other hand all I could hear in my mind was Dwight Schrute asking "Who is Justice Beaver?" (You Office fans out there are sharing in my laughter right now!)

I am not looking forward to their tween/teen years because unfortunately the members of my immediate family can tell you about the phase I went through when I wall papered almost every square inch of my bedroom walls with magazine photos of JTT. Raise your hand if you remember JTT!!

Today was twin day and this was the best we could do!

It's HARD having boy/girl twins at times like these. Couldn't

convince Audrey to wear camo and made James hopping mad

when the suggestion was made for him to dress like a princess!

I am not ashamed to admit that my creativity is limited to a camera

lens and the occasional table spread. But they were happy with it

and in the end that is ALL that matters today!!

Facebook Status

Do you ever have things happen during the day or have thoughts that run through your mind and you  are like "oh that would be hilarious to put on Facebook?" No? Well I thought it would be funny to post a few of my recent mind updates: note these updates have happened in my mind over the course of several weeks. they did not all take place in a single day. i'm not THAT sad :) but lets not point out the fact that i actually remembered all these mind updates.....

1. Hello there young mother. Did you miss the memo that leggings are NOT pants?

2. To the old lady of darker colored skin than I at Wal-Mart: I did not appreciate you hollering across the parking lot at me to tell my 2 year old that she is indeed old enough to walk and that she should get down and give her mama a break.

3. James told me I looked like a village person this morning when he saw me in my old, ragged flannel shirt that I have been wearing during the cold months since I was in high school. When I asked what a village person was he said "you know. somebody that is really poor." Well son, if I haven't tossed it by now not even your comment can make me part with it!!

4. Should I be embarrassed or proud that I had on the exact same boots today that a student of my husbands was wearing????

5. Treating myself to a nice oreo blizzard this evening. Wondering if Kerry Miller Johnson has had one lately? note: this is what I like most about Facebook. being able to tag people in your thoughts and have them be notified instantly. i probably wont ever know now if kerry miller johnson has indulged in our shared treat lately :) or be able to taunt her with it hehehehe!!!

6. Posting random, weird, hilarious e-cards and laughing uncontrollably at myself for being the genius that found it and shared it with the world!!!

7. Olivia is the worlds best photo bomber. She almost broke her neck trying to get in the picture this morning!

Today is mismatched day! See the sequin skirt Audrey finally got to wear?!