Sharing

One thing is true about being a mom. You are always sharing. Tonight I was having an apple before dinner as a little snack. Ashe just needed a taste. There goes my little snack.

Soccer Season

The new soccer season is here, and life is about to get very busy. Nicholas is now not playing on the recreational team that he has played on for many years. He has decided that he wants to play for the soccer academy. This new academy is more challenging with over qualified coaches. The reason these great coaches are involved is to help the kids improve their skills, so that by the time they make it to them at the high school and college level they have had some real training. Nick's friend Jake plays for the academy and it is nice that he's playing with some older kids serious about soccer.
This past week he has come home exhausted from soccer, but he loves to play.

Owl Pellets

I had to cut the others out of this picture. I couldn't get the little girl out from behind him. Since she is wearing a mask I thought it would be okay to post this picture.

Today in third grade Nicholas had the opportunity to dissect owl pellets. He told me he found a mouse skull in his pellet. He really loves the science part of school.

Mrs. Herod's Classroom

After many hours of hard work my classroom is complete. Yeah!!!

First Day of 3rd Grade

Nicholas is now in third grade. He loves his new teacher Mrs. Mogg. He has many of his old friends in his class. He is very glad to be back to school.

Second Grade Team

Second Grade Teachers Rock!!!

(This is what our back to school shirts read.)

I am super excited to be back to work with the best team on the planet. Thank you Mrs. Priske for having the super cute shirts made for us. Of course everyone made fun of us at work, but that's because they are just jealous. HAHA

Preseason

As you see it is preseason once again... and no that is not Brian Urlacher (Bears), Jason Witten (Cowboys), or Tom Brady (Patriots) sitting in my living room... it is one eager boy, a couple of stuffed friends, and an exciting season of football ready for this family.

Build-A -Bear

How is it that we go out school shopping only to find ourselves with yet another Build-a-Bear? Nick wanted so badly to get a new bear and had been looking at them online. So when we were out school shopping at the mall he talked dad into going to get this new toy while mom was trying on clothes. In all fairness, Nick did spend his own money for this toy. I am always glad when he spends his money on something he enjoys, rather than only ever saving it and begging us. He put his bear in some Harry Potter/Wizard outfit, and named this new friend Phoenix.

Who's that Sleeping in Abby's Bed?

Abby actually sleeps in many different places. She sleeps at the end of Nick's bed, next to our bed, under the coffee table. She rarely sleeps in her bed, but when we closed all the bedroom doors so Ashe can't get into trouble he still found a way. Abby's bed was the only thing in the hallway so Ashe put his stuffed puppy dog in Abby's bed and climbed right up in there.

Ashe finds trouble no matter where he goes.

School Days

Summer is now over and it is time to return to school. This is Ashe all tuckered out after a fun day at school. Ms. Danielle had Ashe's apple name tag all ready for Back to School. He got right back into his daily school schedule, as if he never left. I missed him so much, it was strange to be anywhere without him like I had forgotten him. He was happy to see Nick and I at the end of the day. As the night went on he started to get cranky because he had gotten up very early and had a busy day with his little friends. So he had an early dinner, a relaxing bath, and snuggled with his favorite blanket to dreamland.

Dixie Stampede

This was one of the performers with her horse.

Tonight my friend Tracey and I went to see the Dixie Stampede dinner show. I had never been to a dinner show, so it was a fun experience. I would definitely go to another show. Maybe next time we will see the mystery dinner show. One of the best parts of the show was the food.We had so much food that we couldn't finish it all.
In the show there was two sides; the North and the South. When we called for reservations they asked which side we wanted to cheer for, we chose the North. They did amazing stunts and tricks with their horses. What a fun night!!!!

What's in this Stuff?

This morning when I made Ashe his oatmeal I gave him the empty box to look at. He loves to look at the babies on the back of the box, they make him giggle so much. It was so funny watching him look so closely at the box because it reminded me when I was growing up how we all loved to read the back of the cereal box. I guess he's starting young.

Ashe turns 10 months old today, Yeah Big Boy!!!!

Another One Bites the Dust...

I am here to admit that apparently I am not a plant person... as you can see. The beautiful brown part of my plant was once a very pretty shade of red. When this plant was given to me a few months ago I was told that it was nearly impossible to kill this plant. As you can see I have defeated all odds and have managed to kill the unkillable plant. I am now convinced that I would even turn plastic plants brown. I know this may sound unthinkable, but I can do great things.

In all seriousness I have tried to care for this plant by reading about it, watering it, and giving it the proper amount of sunlight. Why can I not save the plants?

Lunchtime

Today Nick tried something new and very messy... he feed his brother. He started out with Ashe's peas. Nick tried not to breathe through his nose because the smell of baby peas are terrible. Then he move on to pears. By the end of lunch Ashe was int he tub and everything was sticky and covered in food. Ashe thought it was so funny making his brother say gross. So after Nick would say it Ashe would laugh and laugh... of course this only made more food come out of Ashe onto Nick.

Sometimes brother bonding can be a messy job.

Baby Mozart

Ashe's baby piano was tied to the inside of his bed but today while changing the sheets I took it off to make it easier for myself. He then started to play with it on the floor. Ashe loved playing with his piano on the floor, while sitting up like a big boy. Ok, Ok ...he didn't make beautiful music, but it kept him busy while he banged away on it.

Every once in a while when we forget to turn it off we wake to the piano playing in the middle of the night. No it isn't playing itself, Ashe has scooted himself up in the crib and is hitting it with his head. We're glad it's a soft piano. I guess that's bound to happen when you put a piano in your bed.

Thank you Nana for my piano I am still enjoying my musical creations.

Book Worm

Who is that behind that very big book?

Nick loves reading and this summer he has spent a lot of time enjoying his books. He has now finished the third book in the Harry Potter series and is now starting the fourth. He is a little behind in this series since they weren't age or reading level appropriate until this past year. He is however quickly catching up to the recently released book.

Abby's Home

Today the boys and I went to Shaffer's to pick up Abby after our weekend out of town. When we picked her up she was so excited to see us that she piddled on the floor, that's Abby... little dog, little bladder. While we were waiting for her Ashe was sitting in his stroller patting his hand on his knee calling all the other puppies to come see him, he thought that was great.

We missed her so much while we were away. When we got back she was all clean and groomed... we should go out of town more often.

Wannado Weekend

This is the entrance of Wannado City...




This past weekend we headed to South FL for a totally fun kids weekend. We stayed down south with Steven's Aunt Margaretanne and Uncle Steve. Thank you so much for the invitation we had a great time. Wannado City is an indoor air conditioned kid version of a city. Inside this city they have many different jobs that kids can do. When you first enter the park you get a $250 paycheck and you have to stop at the bank and cash your check. Then they go out and do jobs, for their jobs they can get paid wangas (Wannado money) then they can go places through out the park that they can spend their wangas. http://www.wannadocity.com/index.php

The kids can be a cashier at Publix or shop at Publix. They can be an actress, pilot, hairdresser/nail technician, work at the hospital as a surgeon in the nursery, as an EMT or in the blood pathology lab. They can be a police officer, firefighter, model, archaeologist, paleontology, diamond miner. There is so much to do you can't get it all done in one day. They can spend their money in the Wonka factory (where they decorate their candy), the jewelry store where they can make a piece of their jewelry, the bakery or pizza company (they make or decorate real food and enjoy a snack), rock climbing, or they can ride rides at the Wannado Fair. I know there is so much I missed, but there is so much to do while you are there. The best part is you at not dragging along outside in the hot Fl sun, it is all indoors.

From left to right... Baby Ashe, Steven, Diane, Aunt Margaretanne, Cousin Kayla, Grandma Herod, Nicholas, and Grandpa Herod

Wonka Factory

Here is Nick in front of the Wonka factory door with his cousin Kayla.

He had to stop here first because he loves Willy Wonka everything. He has read the books, is a big fan of the candy, and when he saw that Wonka had a new factory in Wannado city he was there!!!

The kids paid 40 wangas to go to the factory the then went in and learned about candy, but best of all they decorated there own candy bar with other Wonka candy and were able to take it with them.

He made is very own Wonka bar.

Publix

Wannado City has there own kid version of Publix. They only let kidizens (like citizens, but kids only into the events so parents aren't in the way. We waited outside of the events and he did what he wanted.) In the first picture and the first thing he put into his cart was Coke-A- Cola, this was because we hardly ever let him have soda and rarely it is Coke. He didn't even buy one veggie. I had a glimpse into what college food shopping will look like, it's very scary. In the second picture he is at the register. It was so cute kids can either pick to shop or check out the groceries. Last time he worked the register so this time he wanted to shop. The little boy checked him out after the food rode down a real kid size conveyor belt.