Kerri and Brent Come Home from Africa

After looking over my pictures I realized I made no comment about the picture with all the beautiful women in it. Our friends Kerri and Brent returned from Zambia last Thursday, one week ago today, and we are SO glad they are home. We are in prayer for Kerri as she awaits the arrival of baby #4 and as they do their homestudy for adoption upon their return to Zambia. Please join us in prayer for this family as they are in the states and for when they leave again.

Fun Day

We had a fun day today. I don't wish to be eloquent about it, just let you know what we are up to these days. I'd love for Trey to stop crying and let me take a quiet, relaxing bath. For now, that's not happening. Almost every Thursday my Dad comes into town to watch Trey so I can spend the day gallavanting around Columbia/Lexington with the girls to our various activities. Almost every Thursday night, Trey has a hard time going to bed. I think we've figured out that he just wants to stay up and see Mommy- since Daddy usually also has activities on Thursday nights.

Today we went to the Lexington County Museum with our homeschool group. The museum was doing a tour to specifically discuss quilting, along with the other items from the 1800's. It was wonderful. The kids enjoyed it, although it was 2.5 hours long. We went into a one room cabin (home to 14 children and 2 adults in the mid 1800's) as well as the larger home with separate rooms, a separate building for a kitchen, the privy (outhouse), chicken coop, smokehouse, etc.
The kids made their own little quilts from felt and also did a model of one on paper. We learned that quilts were used by the slaves to communicate plans of escape. Very cool!

After the field trip,we headed on to dance, where both girls are students. I took a picture of Sarah, to the left and I don't feel like taking the time to figure out how to rotate it... so just rotate your head to see Sarah and her friend before class. If I have a chance I'll post one of Hannah, too. Her hand and foot are healing nicely and she was able to participate in class today (without hose ofcourse but she did well!)

So Thankful

It had to be. Chad was out of town and Trey was hysterical. Frazzled nerves. Stress.
Then it happened. I went upstairs to get Trey and hysteria from downstairs. I'm numb. Hannah runs in, shaking all over.... she can hardly walk. She is screaming and holding her hand out. Oh no. She has no skin on the palm of her hand. Oh no. Long story short. She sat down on the treadmill while Sarah was walking on it and got pinned behind it. Her hand, foot and leg go under the belt. Praise God, the doctor treated the boo-boo's like burns and they will heal fine.

Praise God!

Too big for the swing?

I'm getting ready to post a picture taken this afternoon in our attempt to get Trey to take a "catnap" in the swing. Since he has been born, Trey has enjoyed a snooze in the swing. For whatever reason, when he is unable to sleep, we just pop him in the swing and off to dreamland he goes..... until today.

Sarah's resolves to respect her parents and siblings

• After implementing an incentive chart last week, Sarah has decided that the best way to respect her parents and her sister is not to talk to them.
• After the kids got into the Halloween candy once again without asking, I told Sarah that it was all going to Daddy's work. She quickly pointed out to me that if I got rid of all the Halloween candy that we would have nothing to use to add, subtract or divide in math class. "We wouldn't want to do that, now would we?", she chimes.
• I walk into Hannah's room after the election last week and she is playing Barbies (her favorite thing to do). Only today, one of her Barbies is named Sarah Palin!

First Word and First Teeth

Trey has accomplished many "firsts" in the past few weeks. First crawling, then pulling up, yesterday saying "dada" all the way to the corn maze and back, and on the way home I told Chad his bottom teeth would be in soon! Well today we see two bottom teeth poking through his gums. He is definitely growing up too fast.

Trey is crawling and pulling up

Just had to let everyone know that Trey is crawling (mostly army crawling) and pulling up in his crib. He turned 7m old 2 days ago on November 5th and we had to lower his crib all the way down so he doesn't tumble out. We had a rough few days of sleep until we did that because he chose to stand at the edge and scream for us to come get him and help him down- ONLY to get right back up. Cool trick, huh mom? Our little man is eating lots of fruits and veggies and likes to blow bubbles. We can't wait for his first Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Election 2008

Election 2008 was meaningful for all of us this year. It was the first year the girls will remember going to the polls with us and somewhat understand what transpired over the last few years during campaign time until now. I carefully explained the process and we looked at newspapers and books to learn more about presidents and the United States, democracy, etc. On the day of the election, we were reading about Abraham Lincoln and his role in freeing the slaves... followed shortly by his assasination. Mistake #1 (shooting someone in the head isn't for 4 year old reading.. is it?). I went on to explain (mostly to Sarah, but Hannah is absorbing MUCH more than I thought) why he was assasinated and his sympathies with the southern states regarding the slave trade. We talked about his presidency and incorporated the Civil War.

Finally, Trey woke up from his nap and I announce "we're going to vote for the next president. Get your coats and shoes on." Sarah runs off. Hannah starts to cry. "But I don't want to get shot", she wails.

Oh well, at least she remembers presidents sometimes get shot. That is a lesson, isn't it?

Similar lesson, we are discussing Fort Sumter (while looking at a book with pictures of the battle) and I tell the girls that we are going to visit Fort Sumter in December. What fun!! Again, Hannah melts down. You got it... "I don't want to die"- she moans and falls on the floor in tears.

Maybe I should save the war stories for when she is in preschool making squirrel food out of cereal and peanut butter.

Sarah's Occupation

Sarah and I spend lots of time together since she has a one-on-one tutor most days. She uses this time to engage in meaningful conversation otherwise lost between Trey's babbling and Hannah's conversations with her Barbies. The other day she inquired how she might obtain a job at McDonalds. "What do I have to do to work at McDonalds?" she asks. After explaining the application process (and that she must finish her math and language to qualify for a JOB) she announces "GREAT,when I am an adult and have kids, I can work AND take care of my kids. You see, Mommy, I can work the cash register at McDonalds while the kids play on the playground and then at lunchtime I can take them nuggets and french fries. We will always be together". Oh well, at least we'll need to get to middle school math and language for that.