so I've not said much about homeschooling lately...although really every moment in our home is a teaching moment. Take today...I had MK in charge of holding the coupons at Kroger. While going from item to item we identified the price, the sale price, the coupon amount and if it would be doubled or not - and then what we would pay for it. The kids couldn't believe how much money we were saving by buying sale items with a coupon. They were just as excited as me at the register when they said the amount we'd saved!!

a simple page in their grammar book led us to two days working on some creative writing. It was just supposed to be some sentences using I and me correctly. But when they ugggheed and "I don't know what to write" etc....and when Mommy wouldn't TELL them what to write...they started brainstorming and got so so excited and involved in it we just kept working and then worked more on it the next day....I couldn't believe how much fun they had with it and how hard they worked. John Mark took such time and effort in even just making his final draft as neat as he could with correct spelling and punctuation and perfect handwriting!!

Oh this has been a week when hubby and I look at each other and smile and are ever so thankful,once again,for our decision to teach them at home....tomorrow we/they are cooking a 'fancy' dinner and having Grandmama and Papa over so they can read their stories to them and show them the illustrations they did to go with them!! They are so excited and planning and working to make sure it's all just perfect!! SO fun!!

The Felix Lights

So last night at dinner the kids asked if we could go to see the "Dancing Lights" after dinner. Hubby and I looked at each other and thought that sounded like a super idea. Plus it's always nice to have a bribe to get the kids totally motivated to get all nighttime stuff done and in their PJ's all ready for bed. So after they were in PJ's teeth brushed, etc...we headed off to the

Felix Family Lights!!

turn up your sound!! this is the 2007 show (there's more stuff this year as usual)

Now I show this video for multiple reasons First, it's AWESOME!! If you are able, take a donation. There is a donation box at the end of the culdesac. The couple areteachers and walk on a relay for life team and all the money raised goes to Relay for Life -pocket change adds up!!

BUT the REAL REASON I post this video is, IF you do go...WATCH and learn how to park. It's simple really, but if you've never been before you might not think of it unless you see someone else do it and then you may block other's view or you might get frustrated yourself at not being able to see all that's going on in the show.

I will say a Monday night was the PERFECT time to go, the culdesac was full, but there wasn't a long line -the whole show is about 15-20 min I'd guess and I encourage you to see the whole thing because it's all different and fun! If it's too crowded we've been known to just pull out and go back the next night. all info should be on his site, but if not and you want directions from here...leave me a comment with your email address and I'll let you know how we go.

He runs it til 10:30 on weeknights and 11:30 Fri and Sat...on weekends Santa will be making periodic appearances.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

hope you are enjoying some wonderful times filled with memory making with your little ones...our fun has just begun but saying "YES" instead of "you need to get to bed" was so fun and SOOO worth it for their smiles and singing Carols together in the car!! Oh in our home, it's tradition for the kids to wear their PJ's to go....last night hubby did too!! Life is fun!!!

So last night was "Cookies and Milk with Santa" at church after worship. You see out of all the churches and congregations in the entire world SANTA loves ours most and comes all the way from the north pole to worship with us each service!! He must worship somewhere right?

So each year he is sweet enough to ensure around his regular 'gigs' to plan a special time for our kiddos at church who get to love on him all year long!

I made these red velvet Cupcake Pops as my treat to take. They turned out okay for doing them pretty quick that afternoon since I didn't get to do it after the parade as I had hoped and planned (WAY too tired and Alabama and Florida were playing after all!)They are oh so yummy and always a hit...no matter what shape I make them in (even bloody brain smiley faces...ha ha...remember that?)

some friends joined us....although the only ones I got pictures of were Armida, Sebastian, and Alex....sorry guys!!

Me and Mrs C....LOVE her!!


Did you know Santa is a photographer on the side and wins contests with his beautiful photos? Well Mrs C too for that matter....but this is what hubby and Mr C did forever after the event as others cleaned and I dozed...talked Cameras!!

truly they are the best to do this for all the little ones at church (And their friends) since all these little ones are totally convinced they worship with the REAL Mr C, it would be odd to take them to the mall or somewhere to another one!! He rushes from his gig at the Marietta Square each year to make it just in time to sit down and we start snapping!!

1076 trombones in the big parade

or so it seemed....a small town parade will take whomever pays to be in it almost. And so it was a big parade with every highschool band, their bus, their equipment vehicle, and well...everyone!! I was amazed there were still people to be in the audience! but it was fun. I had this initially as one post, but decided the parade pictures were enough for one post!

MK's Brownie troop was in the parade and I got roped (love you girls...really!) into walking with them to help corral kiddos.
Did I mention it was frigid? Like spitting snowflakes frigid! Oh and let's not forget that we had to wear our PJ's....cute for the girls I guess...not so cute for me. PJ's isn't something I would prefer to be seen in by my neighbors let alone a few thousand folks from my town. JOY!
And those flannel PJ pants (had to go actually buy some)...we all know they aren't the most flattering...somehow they manage to make your rear look 5 times it's natural size...(just let me believe that okay? I want no one to burst that and tell me they show actual size)

Well someone in brownie authority land (above our leaders) told us to be there at 11:30 AM for a parade that didn't START til 2pm......so we dutiful brownies met up with our troop between 11 and 11:15 and went to gather with the other troops at the staging area to do their pre-parade brownie stuff. Only a few troops showed to join us to stand in the freezing cold for a few hours...hmmm....and so we sat until the 'smart' troops came around 1:00 to have our pre-parade brownie fun!!! but the girls were so excited they found ways to entertain themselves.....limbo being a favorite...using their scarves!! It was a fun day overall!! Even if I did have to wear unflattering PJ's for all to see!



MK told me on the way to the parade that this was a 'once in a lifetime event' to be in a parade....wonder what she'll say next year?

Mk and her best friend Taylor had matching PJ's...you can't see it in these pictures because they are bundled...but they had matching shirts that ReMaw made them too with their names embroidered on them!! You could see them as they marched as it was a LITTLE warmer and more comfortable to not have on huge coats, and just go with the 4 layers of clothing we had on.

spotting Grandmama and Papa in the crowd!

and wait...look close...there is Daddy waving!
So exciting to see those we knew along the route!

friends from church aka candy beggars :-) ha ha!! Just kidding...well sort of although the men weren't the culprits it was the Moms...who are next to them and not the in picture because I was busy throwing candy at them and fulfilling their every wish (why? because I love them and would hope they'd do the same for me if I was asking them for candy!!!!!!!)

our chauffer - trusty Kelly!! THANKS girl!! She is another brownie Mom who didn't have to wear rear widening PJ's...oh nooooo ma'am....she got to look adorable as always and stand towards the end so she could drive us back to the beginning. This is a picture of her pointing at me and laughing and saying ha ha ha look how cute I look while you look like a flannel polka dotted whale...okay really not, she's way too sweet for that (but I betcha she was at least thinking "oh I'm so glad that's not me out there...weren't you Kelly!!?? -hee hee) and here is our friend/neighbor Dave....he's so fun and crazy!! He is an officer of our local SORBA (Southern Off Road Bike Assoc) chapter and was in their group of riders...yeah I'd like to see him ride that bike off road! friends from church....Courtney and Louis!! Marching not to far behind us with the ROTC units

silly silly girls enjoying every min of their time together while we waited in our warm car for Taylor's parents to finish the parade...we were float #35 and her Mom's cheerleading squad was float #111. So we got to wrap around after completing and still see some floats and of course the Santa at the end!! Then we waited in the car belting out some Christmas carols to the radio and the girls played go-fish with a deck of go fish cards they found in my truck....ha ha....yep I drive a Mama Mobile...when you can find a spare deck of go fish cards....you know you aren't messy you are just 'prepared'

how cute are they walking down Main Street? These two think they'll die without each other and can hardly go a week without seeing one another!! They are So sweet and fun together. I tell MK all the time how very proud I am of the friends she chooses to surround herself with!

That and the SEC Championship sum up our Saturday as we didn't leave the parade til nearly 5pm (yes after arriving at 11am) We were BEAT!

I'm a Winner!

For the first time ever I won something!

Thanks to:

I won:

My snowflake ornament has already arrived and is hanging on my tree...it was a perfect item for my first win as my main tree is predominantly snowflake type things but everything on it is white, red or silver!!