kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast...

every year, the preK & kindergarten classes have a Thanksgiving Feast right before the break...last year, Corinn was sick - she reminded me of that today...so she was super excited to be well & able to fully participate this year

here's a shot of Corinn & her girlfriends right before they performed their 2 songs...

about to enjoy the yummy feast...she didn't care for the pumpkin pudding, but Corinn has 2 helpings of mashed potatoes & gravy ;0)

me & my girl...

♥ ♥ ♥

weekend recap...

Saturday morning, we got up & got moving so we could catch Deandra's (my niece) 2nd basketball game of the season...Dee is the same age as Jaden (9), but her game was at the local middle school...which is actually my old high school...which was pretty darn trippy! i seriously felt like i should have rocked my cheer leading uniform for the event! ~lol~

it was fun getting 2 see Dee play...she's really good & learning the game fast!

while she played, the girls & my nephew, Bryan, kept themselves entertained...wait a sec, i don't know those kiddos!

really...whose punks r those?

seriously, i swear i've never seen those children in my life!

i will claim this well behaved boy tho! ;0)

the game was short & sweet...& Dee's team won by 2 points!!!

an after the game, 1st cuz shot

the rest of our weekend was spent hanging out & trying 2 do some more organizing around the house...for real, will we ever b completely settled in?!

the kiddos went missing 4 a few minutes & i discovered them under their fav tree on the far side of our yard...turns out, they had set up camp out that way & were busy building a camp fire ;0)

even when they weren't playing 2gether, they were playing 2gether...

while the girls loaded their Barbie ATM with coins, Jaden rode circles round em...this entertained me 4 quite some time ~lol~

on Sunday, we had a pretty cool parade come thru our small neck of the woods...Curtis had just left 2 run out 2 the store, & he called 2 tell me & the kiddos 2 go outside...

the VMI cadets do this every year...i'm pretty sure they march all the way from Harrisonburg to New Market...it's a part of their training

it sure is a sight 2 see...i bet there were 500 cadets out there that day! they were friendly too - they'd smile & wave back 2 us

the kiddos & i watched all the way 2 the end...then the girls ran out 2 make sure they told every last soldier goodbye

later that night, we had more visitors! 2 strays that frequent our house often...

they rarely get close enough to let us pet them...but the kiddos talked me into bringing out some tuna last night so they could make friends...they didn't have collars on, but weren't too terribly skinny either...my mom says the old lady that lives next door feeds all the strays, so they probably just came by our house for some dessert ;0)

& that was it! pretty boring, huh?

that's ok...we needed another relaxing weekend 2 prepare us for what's about to happen...the chaos of Thanksgiving & Gabrielle's birthday!

we'll be driving up to Northern VA to visit Curt's parents (hi Pops!)...back to West Virginia to spend some time with some of my family...we'll have everyone over for cake & ice cream to celebrate Gabby turning 7 (seriously, how did that happen?!)...Gabby's having a sleepover & we hope to take her & her friend skating on Sunday...this week is a short week for school & work, but tons of activities are jam-packed into those short 3 days...i'm already ready for the holiday to be over!

& the thing is, i don't want to feel that way...i want to take time to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family...to slow down & really concentrate on everything we have to be thankful for!

things have been really tough lately - financially anyway...Curt's not getting the hours he used to/needs to, & his boss is having a hard time getting paid for jobs they do - so that means we don't always get a paycheck on time...it's so frustrating! but we try to remember that we're both lucky to have jobs right now....we have sooooo much to be thankful for! we're all as healthy as can be...we have a loving family that gets to be together over the holidays...we have a warm bed to snuggle into each night & food to put on the table each day...we have each other!

& that's all that matters, right?!
;0)



And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
(New International Version)

puppet show...

yesterday, Jaden's resource room put on a puppet show!

it was based on the play "The Lost Hats" by Elizabeth Cooper...he & 3 other kiddos from his resource classroom (plus their teacher) made sock puppets for the show & all parents were invited...also invited was the principal, a few other teachers (like Jaden's speech therapist) & the other resource teachers & students

i volunteered to make cupcakes for the party...see, the story is all about a birthday party...& u can't have a birthday party without cake! ;0)

Jaden was so excited about the show! he counted down the days & was thrilled i was able to come watch...he was also pretty proud that i brought those cupcakes...he's always telling his friends & teachers that his Ma is a great "cake maker" ;0) each time someone new would arrive to the party yesterday, he'd walk em over to the cake table to show them what i had made & tell them what flavors we had (funfettie, chocolate & strawberry - Jaden's fav)...he's such a sweetie!

they did a GREAT job on the show too...i was glad i got to go watch!

i took a video - sorry, some parts are hard to hear...
(Jaden is the boy black cat - all the way to the left)

& here are some pics from after the puppet show...each kiddo had a chance to introduce themselves & tell which character they played...Jaden went 1st & was very proud to tell everyone about his puppet!

here's Bub with his puppet in front of the stage...

& of course i had to get a pic with my guy! ;0)


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i hope u all have a great weekend!

we don't have any major plans, but it's a no cake weekend - so that's kinda nice...we'll see what we manage to get into ;0)

i'll b back in this space on monday with my weekend recap...until then...

xoxoxox,
sharon

infomercials...

infomercials...u know u love em!

i mean, u've gotta admit - they def suck u in...put u in a trance...keeping u glued to the entire lengthy advertisement...convincing u of amazing miracles the product can work! they make u believe u must have what they're selling!

thankfully, we're able 2 resist temptation & squelch the urge 2 impulse shop

but i thank God my kiddos don't have credit cards of their own! cause if they did, we'd have just about every "As Seen On TV" product there is, arriving at our door!

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the scene:
i'm in the hallway, standing on 1 of our dining room chairs, trying to water a plant that sits high up on top of an armoire...apparently, it's been a while since this plant has had a drink - cause as i slowly pour the water down into the pot, it just as quickly starts pouring out the bottom - overflowing from the drainage portion at the bottom of the pot! it starts dripping down the armoire & all over the floor...Gabrielle is standing there, watching the entire event

"mommy, u need some Aqua Globes!" she exclaims

"i need what?!" i reply

"Aqua Globes! no more watering, no more spills!"

& guess what? i figured out what she was talking about...& i remembered seeing my friend have some in her plants & how pretty they looked...i got online* & sure enuff ordered me a set! that was over a year ago & i still use em all the time!

no more watering, no more spills!
~lol~

---

the scene:
i'm getting something out of the fridge & notice a package of mushrooms that went forgotten & are now molded

"ah man, that stinks!" i say, as i toss em into the garbage

i figure while i'm at it, i might as well inspect the fridge to see what else may have gone bad...all i find is about 1/4 bag of baby carrots that have dried up & no longer look appealing, so i toss them out too

Corinn notices what i'm up to & comments, "i guess we need some Green Bags"

unlike the Aqua Globes, i haven't purchased Green Bags yet...but i admit, i've strongly considered it ;0)

---

the scene:
i'm in the kitchen & Jaden comes up to me with his toothbrush in hand

"Ma, the girls are out of toothpaste again." he says

see, the girls use a different toothpaste than he does...i get them the Crest Kids brand, while Jaden uses regular old Crest or Colgate ("grown up toothpaste" is what it's called in our house)...i'm thinking it may be time to have the girls start using the same as Jaden tho, cause they fly thru their tube! they may like the taste a little too much ;0)

anyway, i respond to him by saying "again?! well, they can just use yours until i can get them some more"

he then says "no Ma, we need to get them the Touch N Brush!"

now, the Touch N Brush was an infomercial i'd never seen...so i had 2 get online & check it out...very interesting! but i doubt it'll b a purchase i'll b making any time soon ;0)

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so tell me, are ur kiddos as enamored with infomercials as mine are? what are the must have products in ur home?!

*omg, in the process of linking u to the Aqua Globe site, i discovered they now sell minis!!! ;0)

wordless Wednesday...(digitally) fingered for the crime...

what's up with kids today?!

i've noticed something on my morning drive lately...

depending on what time i leave in the mornings, i get stuck behind a few school buses here & there on my commute...sometimes, i'm only trapped for a stop or 2...sometimes, i have to ride behind a bus for what seems like their entire route

& i've discovered something...

kids are slow & disrespectful these days!

now, don't get me wrong...i totally get that on cold/wet mornings, you want your mom or dad out at the stop with you - letting you hang out in their warm vehicle until the bus arrives...i'm not talking about those situations...i'm also not talking about kindergartners or even elementary school kids for that matter!

i'm talking about a beautiful 50-65 degree morning...not a cloud in the sky...the birds are chirping & the sun is shining

i'm talking about middle schoolers & high schoolers...kids old enough to have a stinking job for goodness sake!

i sit behind the school bus some mornings & witness said teenager, waiting until the bus has shown up at their stop...it has to come to a complete stop outside their house...lights flashing, stop sign out so that traffic coming both ways knows to stop & wait for children to board

THEN, at that moment (& not a minute earlier - i mean that bus has to be sitting & waiting dammit!), said teenager will emerge from their home...they will nonchalantly make their way down their front steps...cooly stroll across their front yard...maybe adjust their backpack, or take their time zipping up their jacket in the process...then stop at the edge of the road & look up at the bus driver to make sure they've got the go ahead to cross...then s. l. o. w. l. y. they'll make their way across the road...taking their time to make sure all eyes are on them...maybe even eyeball a commuter or 2 as if to say, "you in a hurry dude? tough bro. cause i'm not."

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

does anyone else want to slap today's youth sometimes?!

i mean seriously, what the hell is the hold up?! if i had pulled some shit like that when i rode the bus back in the day, one of 2 things would have happened...

1 - my mom woulda slapped the snot outta me for being so slow & disrespectful of others' time!

or

2 - my bus driver would said screw this & pulled off, leaving my slow & disrespectful ass at the bus stop!

seriously, what's up with kids today?!

if it isn't the clothes (or lack there of)...or the attitude...or the constant freaking texting!!! it's just blatant laziness & disrespect!

ugh.



ok, thx for listening...i'm done...i'll go lay down now...& when i get up from my nap, i'll watch Wheel of Fortune* with the volume turned up really loud...then i'll drink some Metamucil before my dinner time at 4:30pm...cause yeah, i get it - i guess i'm turning into an old fart! ~lol~

*don't laugh - i really watch that in the evenings sometimes...now that the only channel we get is NBC! ~lol~

weekend recap...

following our week long downpour (for real, thx for topping off our cistern Lord! ~wink~), Saturday started off pretty gloomy too...it wasn't really raining any more...& it wasn't cold (actually, it was almost 65 degrees)...it was just cloudy

so, i sent the kiddos outside & told em 2 have at it!

there weren't many puddles around...but they def made due with what they had!

how come splashing in puddles is so darn fun?!

later, the sun did grace us with its presence...the sky even cleared up & made 4 some great cloud watching!

Jaden has been dying 2 take a walk in the field behind our house! he calls it the "county line" & we just had to cross it! ~lol~ i finally gave in & told him we could...we crossed the fence & kept our eyes open 4 cow patties ;0)

we later moved our walk 2 the pavement...& the kiddos added scooters 2 the mix...i really need 2 get me 1 of those so i can keep up!

this is a common site in our house on weekend mornings...my girls love coffee...

i only allow them 1 cup each (well, it's really 1/2 coffee, 1/2 milk) on the weekends...it's a special treat that we enjoy together (Curt & Jaden rn't coffee fans)

after church on Sunday, we ran home 2 change clothes, then headed over 2 Nana & Grandpa's for lunch...my sis & her kiddos also showed up...& even my sis-in-law & Matthew came by!

it was even prettier out yesterday than it was on Saturday too! so we had a picnic...

& rode 4-wheelers

& swung on the flyers

Gabrielle & Deandra (my sis' daughter, that's actually Jaden's age) r BFF's when we're able to get em together...they wander off & explore on their own...they chat about their favorite music & TV shows...then pout when we round em up & tell em it's time 2 go home...

they try this each & every time...show up with arms crossed, lips out...

i guess they think 1 day we'll fall for it & be like, "ok, go play for another hour!" ~lol~

they hug & cry like they may never see each other again! then we force em in our cars like the mean & abusive parents that we are...& before we're far down the road, they're over it ~lol~

at home, the kiddos apparently hadn't had enough sunshine...me either, for real! so we headed out for another stroll...well, again - i strolled...they left me in their dust!

except for Gab...she felt sorry for me & fell behind to keep me company

well, either that or she was just tired of pedaling ~lol~

then last evening was our Thanksgiving meal at church & boy, what a full house!!! the tables were packed & we were lucky to even get to sit beside each other (well, sort of beside each other)...sure wish Sunday mornings looked like that too!

& now here we are...back on the grind :0( y, oh y, must weekends go by so darn quickly?!

now tell me...what did u get in to?

shaving his curls & some other misc. stuff...

i mean seriously, doesn't he?!
:0(

must b y we don't stay on top of keeping Jaden's hair cut close all the time...Curtis will mention that he needs a cut...& i'll forget 2 remind him 2 do it ;0)

plus it's fall/winter! he needs some curls 2 keep that dome warm, right?

Curt says that's what hats r 4...he would know! ~lol~

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u know what?

i'm soooooooo glad i'm not participating in NaBloPoMo!

u know y?

cause i would SUCK!!!

i mean, i try hard 2 post here at least every weekday...but Saturday & Sunday too?!
fa.ged.da.bout.it.

i'm actually struggling with having things 2 talk about in general these days...plus, i fear i've lost some audience...well, i still see the counter go up every day...but the comments only trickle in now...i guess that comes with being a "mommy blogger" - ur core audience if fam & friends...& of course i LOVE that they visit...but i also get excited 2 find out complete strangers enjoy reading too! ;0)

so please, don't b shy...say hi!
whoever u r!

maybe i'll have 2 host another giveaway soon 2 get those lurkers 2 come out
;0)

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a friend posted about this on Twitter 2day...please watch the video below...it's something u'd never think 2 worry about - but this video really scared the shit outta me!!! these voice alarms r really something 2 look in 2!



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fyi 2 all u local folks...i have a cake opening the weekend of November 21-22 (or any time the week before/after)...i'll have 2 go on a 1st come, 1st serve basis - so email me 2 discuss the deets:
sharoncakes at gmail dot com

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& 2 end this post on a happy note, watch this...it's another "this'll def make u smile" video ;0)

wordless Wednesday...jamming with the BEPs...