chasing mr. alligator

I'm a yankee doodle dandy

2011-11-13T22:01:00.001-06:00

Games with Pops and GGDaddy

She's How Old???

2011-11-13T21:46:00.000-06:00

That's right...she's 6! Can you believe it? I know I can't. It seems like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital but alas, she's growing! And what a beautiful young lady she's turning into! Here's a few photos from her bowling birthday!

G with Auntie

Max

Hadley, Kelly, and Madeline

Brian helping Grady

Brian and Hadley

Sweet girl hoping for a strike!

Grady-man

Libby and me with Gray and Lulu

Playing x-box kinect with Daddy

June 2011

2011-11-13T21:16:00.000-06:00

It has been 6 months since I have posted and I have no excuse for it! Here are some photos from June.

First Swim!

After 1st swim! Looks happy, no?

Not quite a fan of bathing:-)

Kindergarten party!

Sweet and crazy friends

Swimming with Aunt Sherry

My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

playing games on Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

Sweet Nonni

Supervising the meal

Love our Oma!

Grandad and G

Allow me to introduce myself....

2011-05-03T21:32:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm Grayson!

I'm new around here.

This is my sister holding me at the hospital. She thinks I'm one cool cat!

Here I am still at the hospital...I was born with hands but they kept hiding them from me!

Not cool...so not cool!

Here I am with sister and my daddy...they just like looking at me I guess.

This picture was taken in our backyard when I was about 8 days old.

When mom sent this to her friends a few said that I looked sad because she made me sleep on the park bench. I was just ready for her get the camera out of my face, you know?

In this picture I am just plain exasperated! My swing died so the parents borrowed one from a friend until they could replace it. They neglected to tell me they were borrowing a pink swing. But I'm cool with pink...it just brings out my sensitive side!

(Now a word from mom)

William Grayson Duncan was born on April 11 at 1:11.

I think 11 might be the lucky number!

He weighed in at 6lbs 2.3 oz and was 19 1/2" long.

I had a repeat c-section and he was born without any complications. We were amazed to see how much he looks like Madeline did when she was born. As soon as I can find the files I plan to do some side by side comparisons of the two of them. Madeline weighed 6lbs 0 oz and was 19 5/8" so they were so very close in size. So far he's been a wonderful baby. He only seems to want to be held and suggled and there are plenty of folks that are willing to do that!

We were able to have some professional photos taken of both Grayson and Madeline when he was 1 week old and we are so happy with the way they turned out. Our photographer is the amazing Erica Sledge. She's a local girl out of Midland and I think her work speaks for itself. If you are thinking about having photos done locally I highly recommend her!!

Here are some of the photos she posted on her blog.

(I love just scrolling through her entries to look at all the pictures).

Grayson was 3 weeks yeaterday and things are going along pretty well. Madeline is a wonderful big sister and is adjusting to the change pretty well. Will and I are also adjusting and sometimes have a hard time wrapping our minds around the fact that we are now a family of four. We have been so blessed to have our family nearby to help out and wonderful friends, both old and new, helping out and visiting as well. The Lord really has blessed our lives!

Tap, tap, tap...is this thing on?

2011-03-29T22:12:00.001-05:00

Wow.

Last time I posted I was 20 weeks pregnant!

Now I'm 37 weeks pregnant!!

We're having this baby boy in 2 weeks!

What's that?? Yes! 2 more weeks!
He's scheduled to make his debut appearance on Monday, April 11, 2011.

I'm seeing lots of this....

Very little of these...

And I keep losing things...like this!

I am obsessed with things like this...

I didn't believe the rumors that the second child doesn't get the same sense of urgency and I still don't really believe that. The problem is that even though I disagree with the sentiment, we haven't completely finished his room.

Or officially named him! OMG!!! Poor kid!

But don't think he isn't already loved and cherished because he totally is.

We can't wait to meet him...just not yet! lol :-)
There's still more things to finish up.

So I guess I forgot to mention...

2010-12-02T21:42:00.000-06:00

...that all sorts of things are going on around here.

We've had Father's Day

We've setteled into the house a little more

We've played around a little

School for Madeline is going well.

Work for Will is moving along.

Work for me is well...work!

Lately though, things around here have been a little rough.

I've been crying all the time and usually for no actual reason.

I just haven't felt well at all.

I've been exhausted but can't seem to get enough sleep.

My clothes don't fit even though I have lost some weight.

So we went to the doctor.

They ran some tests, took some blood, and talked to me.

Then they sent me home with all of these...

So that's why I feel off my game!

It's a boy!

An awesome palindrome

2010-07-16T15:27:00.001-05:00

Hello Friday! It's a girls weekend, just Maddie and me! Things are still moving on and looking good. I saw this video on another blog I read and just had to share it with you....it is so inspiring! Best wishes for a great weekend!!

I think it's time for a hair cut...

2010-07-12T00:02:00.002-05:00

...don't you?

Gloomy Days

2010-07-09T17:15:00.003-05:00

Well here in sunny west Texas it hasn't been very sunny! We've had tons of rain in the past couple of weeks...I think they said we are almost at our yearly average and it is only July. This has made for some difficulty keeping little ones occupied! We've done some crafting, some game playing, some lego building, some music dancing, and a little bit of napping;)

Have a restful weekend!

Back on the horse?

2010-07-05T15:49:00.005-05:00

Since my last post in April so many things have happened! It is crazy to think that we are finally settled together as a family in Odessa.

I was able to fly to Odessa for Memorial weekend and at the time had heard from zero schools about a possible interview and I was becoming pretty stressed. On Memorial day I received an email requesting an interview with Hood Jr High School in Odessa (which happens to be the jr high that I attended!) for a master teacher position. I flew to Dallas on Monday, put my portfolio together on Tuesday, flew back to Odessa on Tuesday night, interviewed on Wednesday and flew back to Dallas Wednesday night. I still had 2 more days of school/finals for my kiddos! I was pretty exhausted:) Wednesday evening I was contacted by my principal who told me that she had been contacted for my references! I was so excited!!! Later that evening I was called by my new principal and offered the position! So I have a job!!!!! I will have two weeks of training to prepare me for my new position. To say that I'm not worried would not be the truth, all I can do at this point is pray for confidence and guidance. I have only half joked that I hope I learn enough at training so that I actually have a clue as to what I'm supposed to do!

We have been working on getting the house into shape and I hope to post some pictures here soon!

A quick update

2010-04-06T12:11:00.003-05:00

Well Madeline has been in Odessa for a little over 2 weeks and seems to be enjoying her new school. Right now she is getting to sleep in because her class is only in the afternoon. This is, however, making for a tired and cranky Maddie in the evenings because there is no time for a nap! Will's job is still going well; he's enjoying the work and the slower pace of life in Odessa. He has actually played more golf in the past few weeks than he has in the past year! Yesterday he and his dad, along with 2 other guys, played in the annual Trinity Golf Tournament. They shot a 6 under but the story is that they really should have been closer to 10 under because of the wind. Yeah right! Wind in west Texas??? (lol). I have been flying out there each weekend and that has been nice. We are definitely on the downhill swing of this semester. I only have 8 more weeks of school! Whoo-Hoo! (but who's counting?) We have found an amazing house to live in and we should close in a couple of weeks. It is an older home in an established neighborhood. It is definitely larger than we were looking for and it needs some love and attention, but we feel that this house could be our forever home. I'll post some pics when I get some that aren't trapped on my phone. Until then, here are a few shots of Madeline. If you look closely you might see that she's no longer a baby girl…she's definitely heading towards growing up.

(hello big eyes!)

Whirlwind, positively whirlwind!

2010-03-18T15:35:00.002-05:00

Did you ever hear that obnoxious Texas Lotto commercial a few years ago? Well if not, the premise was that they were interviewing the different lotto balls and one number with a high pitched female voice that when asked how it felt to be a lotto ball, she responded, "like a whirlwind! Positively whirlwind!".

Well folks...the best way to describe the our lives these days is that we've been on a whirlwind! Since my last post, we received a bid on the house...negotiated a bit...accepted the offer...packed all our things into a Penske truck....and moved!

Not as smoothly as it sounds with several rescheduled closing dates, parents that came to help only to be told that it wasn't happening for another week...having to scramble to fit everything we own into said moving truck and an additional trailer and relocating all parties involved:)

We closed on the sale of our house on Friday February 26th at 5:30 and spent the rest of the weekend loading and finishing the last bit of packing. Will and his parents left on Sunday afternoon for Odessa and Madeline and I drove to North Dallas to stay with friends until spring break.

It is Wednesday of our Spring Break and we are finally relaxing. I will return to Dallas to finish out the school year(we have 11 more weeks to go), Madeline will start at her new school Monday and Will is continuing to love his new job.

We have done some house hunting this week and that has been an interesting journey...I am continuously amazed to see how other people live in their homes! We hope to find something that is perfect for our family soon so we can begin the next chapter of our lives.

I don't have any photos to share right now but I will try to get some things posted soon!

Lots of love from west Texas!

Valentine's Day Cards

2010-02-04T21:19:00.005-06:00

This year Madeline and I decided to make her Valentines for her school party. We cut hearts from card stock and glued them together.

Next we made glitter decorations and she signed her name to each one.

Tomorrow after they finish drying we will punch holes and slide pencils through. It was fun to work together...even though I was trying not to get the glitter everywhere!

A little catching up to do.

2010-02-01T21:15:00.013-06:00

I have been so bad about updating lately...here are a few pictures from the past few months of what we have been up to:)

Madeline brings DC Bear home for the weekend and he went to have pizza with us!

Madeline in Chapel

"Shining Like Stars"

Looooong day at school!

Before school

Big girl hair cut

At the Stephen Fite concert with her school.

Guns Up!!

At the Baylor Vs Tech game in Cowboys Stadium...amazing place!

Chapel - She shows courage "when I try new foods"!!

Cousins at the little one's 3rd bday party! So much fun :)

On a really cold morning in December at The Museum of the Southwest.

Working the new game with Aunt Christine!

Dressing up at Oma and Grandad's house

Madeline and Oma : A Portrait

Madeline and Aunt Tracy!

Madeline and Uncle Beau Beau

More Aunt Christine

This is where a picture of Madeline and her Uncle Charlie would be if he would let her take a picture;)

For some reason I can't find my pictures of Maddie with her Auntie and Cousin so this parting shot will have to do. In case you are curious, it is probably around 34 degrees in this picture and where is my brother's jacket??

Riding her bike in the freezing weather!

First bowling trip! She LOVED it!!!

Bowling with Daddy.

I promise to write more later but now I'm headed to bed:)

Family Photos

2010-01-23T22:02:00.008-06:00

We went to Odessa before Christmas and while we were ther we did family photos. I was pretty happy with how they turned out...the photographer (of 2 Angels Photography) did a great job!

Brothers and Sisters

D & D

Cousins!

Just Will and me :)

Charles, Kara, and Cassie

The three of us

My sweet and sassy girl:)

I'm just saying....

2010-01-02T16:18:00.005-06:00

....wow! It has been 4 months since my last post!

So what has been going on in the last 4 months of the Duncan world?

September - Madeline has continued to attend Dallas Christian and has loved every minute as have Will and I! She is so smart and of course we are biased but she's growing into a beautiful young girl. It has been so fun watching her grown in her education and develop her own identity. She has become quite the expert at bible stories and goes around singing songs and retelling us her favorite stories. We attended several football games and have been really getting into the groove of the year!

October - This was the month that set us off in the direction of the next chapter of our lives together. Early in the month, Will was told that his position, at the firm he has been with since graduation, was being eliminated in November. This was quite a blow to us because we felt that his position was pretty secure. Unfortunately, the problems with the economy have prevented the architecture industry to be crippled. Although Will has lots of experience, the open job market for architecture is practically non-existent! During the month of October Will applied for the few jobs that were in the metroplex and made tons of cold calls on firms in the area. During this time we were praying overtime for God to show us His plan for our family and to give us peace to trust in Him. Before halloween, Will received a call from a firm in Odessa (the firm he did some summer work for in college) wanting to meet and talk about Will's future plans and the plans of the firm.

November - Will talked with the firm and was told they might have a position for him in the Odessa office if we were interested in relocating. This offer caused the both of us to do some serious thinking and praying!! Were we ready to leave our lives here in the metroplex and start over again? We had lots of prayer time, deep talks, budgeting, and more. We didn't let Madeline or any of our friends and family in on the developments because we weren't sure about our game plan.

The Friday before Thanksgiving was Grandparent's Day at Madeline's school and they do a huge open house and campus-wide presentation just for the grandparents. Madeline was blessed to have both sets of her grandparents attend this special day. The only conflict was that Friday before Thanksgiving was also the day Will was scheduled to interview in Odessa! So with now way to explain his absence so we told the family about the interview. OF course they were supportive and happy for Will's opportunity there.

December - After the interview in Odessa Will returned home and we finished out November by having a Thanksgiving meal at our home with his parents and then headed to Arlington to meet up with some more family! After we were alone and were able to really talk as a couple, we had some serious thinking to do. The pros and cons were enormous and took hours to go over. Here we have a great house, church, friends, and my job. In Odessa we have the comfort of our families being so close and the promise of a stable and secure career for Will. In the end, after a few tears, a few laughs, and many, many discussions we have decided to take the plunge and explore this new chapter in our lives together.

Will begins work on Monday the 4th in Odessa and Madeline and I will remain in Mesquite while the house is on the market. This allows me to continue working and Madeline to continue attending school until the house sells. The decision to move was not an easy one and 2010 promises to be a year of many decisions and the big unknown!

I guess will all the turmoil of the last few months, I haven't been good about continuing my blog. With this decision behind us I feel that I need the cathartic therapy of writing. I promise to be more deligent about the blog again.

I am signing off now but I'll return...I'm just sayin'!

First Home Game!

2009-09-02T19:10:00.004-05:00

Let's go, DC Chargers!!!
Friday evening, we loaded up the truck with our lawn chairs and headed to the first home game of the season at Maddie's school. Our boys didn't win but it was a gorgeous night and so much fun!

Maddie Appleseed!

2009-09-02T17:50:00.003-05:00

Friday the 28th was "Dress like Johnny Appleseed" Day for the PK4 classes. The kids have been studying the life cycle of the apple, making apple sauce, reading about Johnny Appleseed, and all sorts of apple stuff! Here are some pictures of Maddie Appleseed before she went to school!

I used scrap fabric from my "stash" to make the vest and the seed bag.

The apples in her hair and on the vest are red and green felt...so pretty!

The flannel patches are from an ancient pair of Will's pj pants that had holes deluxe...they went to a great cause!

My and girl and me!

Dear Madeline

2009-08-23T20:56:00.005-05:00

Dear Madeline,

This summer has been such an amazing experience for both of us! You have developed the most wonderful sense of humor:) This summer was pretty low-key for both of us most of the time...we loved sleeping late, picking out breakfast and playing outside! Most of our afternoons were spent with reading, coloring and playing together. This summer you took your first swim lessons and although it was shaky at first, you ended up doing beautifully. We also enjoyed many summer mornings playing in the sprinklers at Tanner's house...you are so tanned!!! All in all it was a mellow summer!

(WAIT!!!!)

Did I forget to mention the "ball-bearing" caper of 2009? Oh! Well let me remind you! This summer one of your favorite activities was creating and designing the most amazing marble runs. You really are into this right now! You love building them as high as you can...even having to use the step-stool to reach the tops! Because the marbles that came with the set are plastic and hollow and don't have enough density to pull them through the runs well, your dad and I decided to give you some of your great-grandfather's old ball-bearings. They are the perfect size and have the best heft!

A week and a half ago, you were sitting in the livingroom and you let out a horrible scream! When I got to the room, you were crying and coughing and looked so scared...I didn't know what to do! After you caught your breath you were able to tell me that you swallowed your marble.

Say what?!?!?

A marble you say??? Ok...I can handle this.

I count the marbles to be sure.

Yep! One's missing!

Ok...I call your daddy but no answer.

I call your Nonnie...she says "Take her to the urgent care!"

Your daddy calls, "Call her doctor", he says.

I call, they tell me to bring you in. We head to the doctor's office. He talks to you and checks you out. You were so upset about the whole thing and your cried every time one of the nurses askes you about it:( The doctor tells me that we have to wait it out and that I am on potty patrol.

Oh, yes! I am! Ewwww is all I can say.

This is on a Thursday and by Monday no marble. Your Nonnie takes you for an xray.....still in your stomach.

Tuesday, the doctor calls and says to call the GI specialist. They got us in that afternoon, we met with the doctor...she was so great! She tells us that the ball bearing will not pass because it is too heavy and schedules you for a 6:30 am procedure at the hospital. She will put under anesthesia and go in through your mouth!

As we are heading home and calling everyone, we decided to stop at chick-fil-a because you hadn't eaten all day! You ate and then played on the play equipment and then you ran out to tell me you needed to potty!

Guess what!?!?!?! The marble passed! It was a total God thing! Whew :) The Love of a mother is a powerful thing is all I can say!

Also this summer you started your new school. This year you are in PK4 in Mrs. Withrow's class at DC. You have had 2 days and are acting like you've never done anything else! You love it so far, are having fun, and already learning so many new things! I hope this year continues to be as amazing as our summer.

I love you so much...you are turning into such a wonderful little girl. I am looking forward to watching you grow into an amazing young lady:)

Love,

Your momma!!

P.S. Please don't ever put things into your mouth that aren't food!!!

I did the dresses

2009-07-29T18:44:00.001-05:00

I think they turned out cute...can't wait to see the girls in them!!

Sewing Dilemma

2009-07-28T20:21:00.007-05:00

I bought this really cute fabric at JoAnn's and I am not sure what to do with it!

Originally I planned to make Madeline and Cassie cute little pillowcase dresses...

photo credit:jen leheny.

But now I am thinking I need to make an adorable little skirt for me to wear!
photo credit: spool

Opinions?

From blogs to books?

2009-07-22T14:51:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning around 3:00 am with a random thought in my head. I think I remember someone telling be about a program or company that will take your blog and publish the posts into a book. Does anyone know anything about this? Was it reality or just a random product of my imagination?

Say what???

2009-07-19T17:48:00.002-05:00

This afternoon Will and I ventured out with Madeline to the uniform store. I had explained to her that we were going to shop for new school clothes. She asked if she was going to get to pick some things out and I told her that the school had already picked her clothes out...that they were the school clothes. AS our drive continued Madeline became very quiet. After a while she asked me this question, "Momma, do I have to go to my new school naked?" Huh??? She was really worried that the clothes belonged to the school and had to stay at the school! Whew...I guess I need to make my explanations a little clearer!!

Thanks Kara!! :)

2009-07-17T16:55:00.006-05:00

Because of a post written by my wonderful sister-in-law Kara (aka...the crazy lady that actually married my middle brother) I have been watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 reruns with Madeline. She always makes a comment about all those brothers and sisters! Now she is praying every meal and before bedtime for God to bring her a baby brother and a baby sister. So...well....ok then! I guess we aren't watching anymore of that show together :)

Hope the weekend is good to you!

P.S. - Here's a few pictures of Madeline and her friend Tanner playing with the waterhose today! What simple fun!!!

Pretty Produce!

2009-07-14T19:59:00.004-05:00

Pretty produce from the garden!
I usually pick the garden each evening when it cools down...here's what we picked tonight.

The heat has been pretty high and I didn't go into the garden the last two nights. Here is what I found tonight! Look at those okra! They are enormous!!! I am sure they will be pretty tough but we'll see.
Here are two okra side by side for comparison!

Banana pepper...we've had several of these and they are so tasty!
Look! A baby cantaloupe!
Two little cucumbers
1 lonely jalepeno pepper
1 lonely bell pepper turning red finally! Sorry it is a little fuzzy!
Budding photographer
This is what the garden looked like towards the beginning

This is what the garden looks like now!
Happy Farmer Will!

Yummy Dessert

2009-07-13T21:33:00.003-05:00

I recently came across this recipe and though I would give it a try. It was called Easy Cobbler but I am not sure the texture is really like a cobbler. We really liked it and I am sure I will be using it again!

2 cans fruit pie filling ( I used Lucky Leaf Premium Cherry)
1 yellow or white cake mix ( I use Duncan Hines)
1 stick of butter

Pour the fruit into a 9x12 dish.
pour the cake mix on top of the fruit.
Slice the butter into thin pats and dot across the top of the mix.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. I took ours out after 30 minutes and wish I had let it cook a little longer. The edges were crispy and bubbly but the center was a little softer. There aren't any eggs in this so it's ok if it softer. I think it is just a preference!

***I made this tonight and actually cut it in half because I only had one can of pie filling. I used 1/2 the cake mix and 1/2 the butter. I put into a glass pie plate and because it was so rich I imagine that I will do this again***

If you give this a try, let me know! It was super tasty!

Conversation with Maddie

2009-07-12T19:39:00.004-05:00

Maddie: "Yea!!! Chicken for dinner!!!"

Will: (teasingly) "Oops! They didn't give us any chicken legs!"

Maddie: "What? Huh? No legs??"

Will: "Nope, but they did give us chicken hands."

Maddie: (laughing) "Daddy...chickens don't have hands!"

Me: "They don't have hands???"

Maddie: "Nope! No hands, but they DO have fingers!"

(Get it? Chicken fingers???lol!!!!!)

We took Maddie to the pizza buffet a few weeks ago and the manager let her toss the pizza dough. Pretty good try!!

Learn to swim???

2009-07-11T16:16:00.011-05:00

What have we been up to this week?
Swim Lessons!!
This is Madeline's first time to take swim lessons, her Nonnie and Pops gave them to her for her birthday. We love her instructor, Ms. Carol...she great!

She isn't afraid of the water but she pretty much refuses to open her eyes under water right now. Ms. Carol keeps calling her the blind swimmer!

As long as her head is above water she's good to go!

Here she is telling Ms. Carol, " No thanks! I don't really want to open my eyes under the water."

All the kiddos just waiting for their class to start.

Face in the water and moving along, but those eyes are clamped shut.

Before she jumped inito the water to Ms. Carol

Jumping into the water for Ms. Carol

Look Kara! She has a cone named Mr. Bob!

July 4th

2009-07-07T16:40:00.009-05:00

Because Little Bit's bday is so close to the 4th we usually spend the holiday with each other and keep it low-key. We loved having the 4th on a Saturday because we got to spend 3 whole days together hanging out.
On Friday we camped out across the train tracks from the park in Forney, Texas and watched their little display. The weather was pleasant and so was the company!
On Saturday we decided to venture out a little further to the mighty metropolis of Terrell, Texas. Again, we scoped out a parking lot near the park and sat down with some of the locals and waited for the show to begin. One of the dads there came over and gave Maddie a couple glow rods and she just had fun playing with them:)

The lighting is bad here because Will was trying to get the glow but I think the attitude shines right through!

Here we are camping out in front of the truck.
I have to say that we were totally amazed at the show we saw in Terrell! The show was at least 25 minutes and the lot we parked in was so close that there were a few times we thought the fireworks were going to rain down on the truck! It was probably one of the best shows we have ever seen! I think we just discovered our new 4th of July tradition!

I am by no means a photographer but here are a few shots I thought looked cool.

Will took some with his camera but I haven't uploaded them yet...maybe another post!

On Sunday our friends, Josh and Kelsey, came over for supper and Madeline experienced her first sparklers. It is so fun to be with her as she experiences new things!

Where does the time go, I ask you?

2009-07-02T16:29:00.013-05:00

This weekend marked our beautiful daughter's 4th birthday. We went with a ladybug theme.

My friend Elizabeth made the cute cupcakes and the sweet ladybug cake!

Thanks, Elizabeth Anne and Mr. Moe!!!

I spray painted plain white paper lanterns red and black and we rented one of those inflatable slides and ran water down it. The kids had a blast!! If you are looking for a good company to rent inflatables from, I highly recommend the one we used. They were insured, really affordable, and the did all the set up and take down!

Here's Tanner coming down the slide!

Here's Maddie!!

Mmmmm...icing!
{Arrin, Madeline, and Cassie}

All the kiddos

It was super hot and super bright during the party, but all the kids and parents were troopers!!

Kara and me
EDITED: {Please ignore the freaky lurker behind us. That's just my dork brother}

What a happy couple! We're not old enough to have a 4 year old, are we???

After Maddie and Cassie woke up from their naps, Kara and I put on our swimsuits and jumped in with the girls. Denise joined us while the rest of the family acted as lifeguards and photographers. It was soooo much fun!!!!! I tried really hard not to traumatize any readers with pictures of my extremely white and pasty self in a swimsuit! My family, however, took plenty of blackmail photos! I love you guys:):):):)!!!!!

Maddie at the end of the slide.

Maddie and Cassie had so much fun on the slide and playing together! They both were so exhausted!! The weekend was wonderful!!

Father's Day Gifts

2009-07-02T16:16:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my wonderful brother's help and the great idea from Brassy Apple, I was able to give the dads a unique and fun gift for Father's Day! I found some black frames on sale at Michael's and mounted the photos on black mat board. They turned out great. Too bad I didn't think to take a picture the finished frames! Oh well...next year I suppose!

New Floors!

2009-07-02T15:28:00.011-05:00

After nearly a week of solid work, the new floors are done. Will did an amazing job and we are so happy with the result!!!!

{Pulling up the NASTY carpet!}

{All the boxes of the flooring, there were 20 gallons
of glue but I guess I forgot to take a picture}

{Measuring out the first boards. Will being an architect made lots of sketches and plans before actually doing any cutting. He started in the entryway by the front door and finished up in our bedroom.}

{looks like a bowling lane:) Here is a shot of Will laying the glue down and adding more boards. The glue is SUPER sticky and very messy but surprisingly had almost no smell. It took way more time to lay the glue than the boards. Will could complete 3 rows in about 45 minutes to 1 hour. }

{The hallway was pretty complicated with the weird angles and tight turns. It isn't very long at all but it took at least 8 hours to finish.}

{Here is the living room almost finished. We put painter's tape across the seams to help hold the boards in place. Believe it or not, the tape left a bunch of residue and it took FOREVER to clean off!}

{View from the bed room, those boxes show that we were almost done!!}

{Finished living room. Sorry that it looks cluttered!}

{View from hall}

{A view of our bed room!}

We still have to do the baseboards and the transitions from the carpet and tile to the wood. But it is so wonderful having that carpet gone. Will bought a large dust mop and so far cleaning it is a breeze! This was definitely the most challenging DIY project we've undertaken but I think it was absolutely worth all the effort that Will put into it! Thanks baby!!!!!!!

It Is Done!

2009-06-25T02:04:00.002-05:00

The flooring extravaganza of 2009 has finally reached completion!! Pictures to follow soon!!!

To all the dads in my life...

2009-06-21T23:06:00.006-05:00

To my dad : Thank you for always sticking around. I know I was "less" than the perfect daughter but I was yours and you are always my daddy. I love you.

Dad, Bill, Pops: You have so many names and an amazing patience.
Thank you everything you do for our family.

GGDaddy: Thank you for always loving your little squirt blossom.
She and we are blessed to have you in our lives.

Charles: My brother and an amazing dad. We don't always see eye to eye but we are getting there! You may not know it or believe it but you are a wonderful daddy to your daughter. You are doing a great job.
I love you too, even if you pick on me:)

You are...

2009-06-21T22:54:00.005-05:00

you are

my hero
my best friend
my confident
my rock
my rescuer
my dependable one
my husband

you are
her hero
her safe place
her friend
her playmate
her story-teller
her source of endless hugs and kisses
her daddy

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for us.
We are so proud that you are ours!
Happy Father's Day, Will!

Love on a tortilla!

2009-06-10T21:58:00.005-05:00

Tonight during the wild storms we had the most amazing dinner. I found this recipe a while back but only got around to fixing it today. I put it in the crockpot this morning around 8:30 and we ate dinner at 6:30. Will shredded the meat and I made guacamole to go with the tacos. We use corn tortillas heated in a little hot oil but I bet flour would be fine also. I highly recommend this recipe. It was easy to throw together this morning and fast tonight when we were ready to eat! Here is the recipe and you can find the original here! Bon appétit, mes amies!

Cilantro Slaw
1 head red cabbage
1 c. Mayonnaise (I split 1/2 mayo and 1/2 miracle whip)
1 c. Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Lime Juice (one small lime)
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor or chop and combine yourself. Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Sweet Pork
6 (approx) pounds Pork butt/shoulder (Mine was only about 3 lbs...no problems!)
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce ( I used Old ElPaso...it was all the Kroger had)
1 can Dr. Pepper (12 oz)
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Clove Garlic or 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I forgot this, oops!)

Combine all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low 9-10 hours or until meat is tender.

We put the meat and slaw in the tacos together, the slaw was pretty powerful but when paired with the sweet pork it was amazing! Also, I used a whole head of cabbage and thought the amount of mayo was too much for our taste. Next time I think I will reduce it to 3/4 cup and see how it works.

Let me know if you decide to try it, you'll be glad you did!

Lunch Today

2009-06-10T13:03:00.002-05:00

I can't find the site to where I first saw this but I gave it a try today. Not very complicated or nutritionally balanced but Maddie though it was a fun lunch!

Don't mind me, I'm with the band...

2009-06-08T22:00:00.010-05:00

...The Mesquite Symphonic Band, that is! (What you should read is a community band with an extremely diverse population of members.) Early in the spring I made a connection with the director and began attending rehearsals. It has been so much fun and reminds me daily of my love for anything music and a slight regret for not finishing my music degree, but I digress!

We do a few concerts a year and run 5 shows in June as our Music in the Park Series. These informal concerts are on the lawn of a gorgeous (yes, Mesquite has something gorgeous) park in Mesquite near a historical house. Each week we feature a different musical program and the community is invited to bring lawn chairs and or a blanket and relax to the music! We are certainly not a professional group but we do pretty well! Here are a few pictures from Monday's performance and from the performance last week.

{View of the director}

{View from the audience}

{Liz and me}

{My bandmates!}

{Maddie won some new crayons and coloring book!}

{Chris on the fluglehorn, Somewhere Over the Rainbow}

{Maddie camping out, it was not cold at all!}

T-Shirt Shrug

2009-05-30T18:31:00.006-05:00

Tonight is the annual 8th grade banquet. For those of you not in the know, this is basically like an 8th grade prom. The girls get all dressed up...most in formals dresses and the guys actually wear pants that are not falling off their butts! lol :) you know what I am talking about! Needless to say it is quite the shin-dig! Anyway, I was sort of at a loss for what to wear. I have the cutest patio dress but it is spaghetti straps and I am not comfortable showing off my shoulders to all those kiddos. I remembered seeing the directions for a cute/easy shrug here and decided to give it a shot. I was done in about 20 minutes, add a few yoyos and vintage buttons and voila! I was done!!! What do you think? Cheap and easy! My kind of project :-)

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-05-21T22:37:00.003-05:00

Broccoli Salad

2009-05-17T19:45:00.014-05:00

Will and I love to eat lots of veggie salads during the warm spring and summer months. Most of our recipes come from our grandparents and our parents. Recently Will's mom introduced us to a Broccoli Salad from Paula Deen. It is fast and easy and super tasty!

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

1 head broccoli
6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (we used turkey bacon...can't tell the difference in the salad!)
1/2 cup chopped red onion (we just used white)
1/2 cup raisins, optional (haven't tried the raisins yet)
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks (we use shredded cheese)
1 cup mayonnaise (low-fat, real mayo...not miracle whip)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mayo , sugar, and tomatoes, stirring well (it sounds crazy but after you blend the mayo, sugar, and vinegar together add the tomatoes...it helps dissolve the sugar!). Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

This is something that is super fast so it is great for weeknight meals...enjoy!

Spring Pictures

2009-05-17T17:04:00.014-05:00

Madeline got some new garden tools!

Will and the Lady Bugs

Helping with the release of the Lady Bugs

My wonderful husband~doesn't he look so happy??

The Lady Bugs meet the tomato plants!

Who doesn't enjoy Lady Bugs?

My girl and her momma...I love this girl :-)

Pretty fabric...what will they be?

Hmmmm.....looking a little thin...

Look! They are roosting!

Pretty colors...you can get the pattern here!

Old jeans make cute new skirt for Little Bit...now I just need to make a top!

Playing a little dress up...all little girls should do this regularly!

Have a great week :-)
To all my teacher friends - We can do this, we only have a few more weeks (some less than others!) and we will once again find our serenity!!!!

Long time no post!

2009-05-12T21:24:00.002-05:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I last posted. In the last 4 weeks we have finished TAKS and entered the end-of-the-year rush toward summer! I have done some sewing but we are just ready for a break:) I'll try to get over this blog-block!

-amanda :)

weekend sewing!

2009-04-19T20:07:00.003-05:00

I did a little sewing this weekend and so much fun! I made two skirts for
Madeline...they are cotton and were super easy. Pretty cute!!!
{just ignore the GIANT bruise in the middle of her forehead...she ran into her friend at school!}

A few things from around here...

2009-04-18T22:58:00.007-05:00

Things have been kind of busy here this week.
TAKS in 1 1/2 week for me and some new project stuff for Will.
Maddie is good but I think she's ready for summer like her mama!
I think we are all a little tired and have a touch of the "I-don't-wannas"
Here are a few things that have been going around here!

{This is a crayon holder for Maddie's church bag}

You have to turn your head because for some reason these
pictures refuse to orient on the screen correctly:/

{we had hail on Wednesday night!}

{onions in the garden}

{garlic in the garden}

{little skirt I made Maddie today}

{cute owls and fun stitch from my new machine!}

Easter 09

2009-04-18T21:42:00.017-05:00

Easter was cool and rainy in Dallas this year.
We had a wonderful service in the morning,
a little egg hunting after Maddie's nap,
and ended the evening with family dinner.
All in all it was a wonderful day for celebration!

{putting flowers on the cross in front of church}

{sweet pea!!!}

{pretty eggs}

Peanuts

2009-04-09T22:19:00.003-05:00

Madeline's teacher told me this story:

She overheard Madeline and a little boy talking while in one of their centers. After a short while, the chat became a little loud with Madeline saying, "I do too have peanuts at my house!" and the little boy replying, "Girls do NOT have peanuts!"

At this point the teacher thinks to herself, "this isn't really about peanuts."

Madeline storms over to the teacher and tells her that her friend says she doesn't have peanuts but she does because her Pops brought them to her. The teacher doesn't really respond because the little boy is headed over towards her. Madeline goes off and the little boy says to the teacher, "Madeline says that she has penis at her house but my dad says girls don't have penises!" and walks away leaving the teacher to ponder this situation:)

Out of the mouths of babes!

My new toy!

2009-04-03T21:12:00.008-05:00

I have entered the 21st century for sewing! After several years of borrowing sewing machines from family members (thank you so much!), I finally own my own machine!!!!! I am not an expert seamstress, I kind of like to think of myself as a dabbler. I was taught pretty early by my amazing grandmother and my talented mother. I have done a few projects over the years, including the bedding for Madeline's nursery, and really enjoyed the hobby of sewing. After much research and debate I finally settled on a Brother CS-6000i.

I received my new machine this past Monday and I have not had the energy/courage to do much more than set it up on the table and read the manual. I must confess that because it is computerized I was a little intimidated! This week there have been a few times that I just sat in front of it and stared! I actually worried that I had stepped out of the small boundary that encompasses my sewing skill.

Well let me tell you something, it is an AMAZING machine! The bobbin threaded so easily, the upper thread was simple, and the pièce de résistance is that I don't have to use the foot peddle! You heard correctly!!! I can sew with the touch of a button!!!!!!!!

See that gray button with the arrow??
All I have to do is press that button and it just sews away!!

Oh wait! Did I forget to tell you that my new machine has what is called an automatic needle-threader?? I know, right?!?!? All you have to do is follow the arrows on the machine, press the lever, tug on the thread and release the lever. This actually pulls the thread through the eye of the needle!

The side load bobbin with the clear cover is pretty amazing too :)

I am in LOVE :) Off to sew now, wish me luck!

60 years

2009-04-02T21:17:00.010-05:00

This past weekend we spent some time with Kathy's family to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of her mother and dad. On Saturday we all got dressed and headed out to The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine for family pictures. The photographer, Cindi, was so sweet and patient with everyone and her work is phenomenal! After pictures we went to lunch together to celebrate Bill's birthday. We had so much fun just talking and laughing and of course watching the little girls! That evening we met in Fort Worth (just the grown-ups) for a quiet steak dinner. Of course we were in the V.I.P. lounge!!

The two of us before we hit the road!

Madeline in front of the koi pond

Madeline and her sweet cousin Ellie were so happy to see each other! They insisted on holding hands and had a great time hamming it up for the camera. Aren't they just beautiful???

It all started with an email...

2009-03-22T20:12:00.020-05:00

Denise sent me an email titled "The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe" I opened it and was amazed to read about a recipe for a coffee mug chocolate cake. I was intrigued! Of course I must try this!

Mix 4 Tablespoons of flour and sugar.

Add in 2 Tablespoons of cocoa and mix well.

Mix in one large egg.

but don't use the whisk...too messy!

Stir in 3 Tablespoons of oil and milk and a splash of vanilla.
If you want you can mix in 3 Tablespoons of chocolate chips.
(I didn't have any)

This is me being very excited about the thought of chocolate cake!

Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes.

This rose to the top of the mug while cooking but sank after the cooking was done. Let is cool for a few minutes and then tip it out into a dish. Mine was a little rubbery so I drizzled it with Hershey's Syrup. I want to try the chocolate chips next time. It is an ugly cake but not too bad...I definitely think it will be something I will be experimenting! ;)

Here is the recipe:
5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla
large coffee mug
Add the dry ingredients to the mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract and mix well.
Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes
The cake will probably rise to the top or even past the top but will sink after the cooking stops.
Let it cool for a few minutes and then dump it into a plate or bowl.

I recommend that you drizzle with chocolate syrup and I think the vanilla ice cream would be a tasty addition!

Let me know if you try it and what you think of it!

"Turn out the lights, the party's over...

2009-03-22T18:09:00.008-05:00

....they say that all good things must end.
Call it a night! The party's over and tomorrow
starts the same old thing again!"
(in the style of Willie)

Well another spring break has come and gone. This week was about as perfect as I could have hoped for. Madeline and I stayed home and did home things as well as a little shopping but mostly just being mama and daughter :) Will was able to take off work on Friday and we had a family day of the zoo, Chuy's Tex-Mex, ice cream and weird people watching at the mall. All in all, a beautiful time was had by all!

Here's hoping that you and yours enjoyed your spring break or at least the GORGEOUS spring weather!

Magic Cupcakes...

2009-03-17T21:00:00.007-05:00

Today I was feeling especially domestic so I decided to make what I call "magic cupcakes" Madeline was supposed to help me but she took a long nap this afternoon. It actually turned out to be better because I was able to surprise her tonight after dinner! They were so fun to make and I iced them with yellow icing...it was my take on "A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow".
They turned out so pretty!!!!

2009-03-14T14:53:00.006-05:00

Social network sites on the internet are popping up all over the place. Sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the blogging sites are continuously growing. It seems that these day everyone has at least one account and sometimes multiples! Our pastor even has a Facebook! I heard on NPR the other day that organizations that support animal rights have created Facebook profiles for their individual animals and grad students at an American university are creating pages for the marine animals they are studying! I also hear about the growing concern about how these sites will affect the younger generations ability to interact with their peers in face to face situations because so much time is spent developing cyber-relationships. Many of my parents mention these things when we have conferences with them about their child's behavior or progress in class.

I am not judging, I have a Facebook profile, a blog and I only recently canceled my MySpace. I worry about our addiction to these sites and hope that they can serve to link us with new and exciting friends as well as old friends from the past. It has been so fun these past few months reconnecting with my friends from Odessa. I have enjoyed seeing how everyone is doing and where they are living and their beautiful families. I do how ever hope that these opportunities are just that...opportunities to expand our social interactions in face to face encounters.

Another thing that concerns me is the idea of privacy on the internet. I have listened to 2 NPR accounts about people that have been fired from their jobs because of their use of these social networking sites during work hours and also because of the content posted. Our generation is so accustomed to the rights of free speech and the liberating feeling of blogging our triumphs and our woes, our great times and our not so great times but once that stuff is out on the world wide web, it no longer is our private thoughts. Now the content we post belongs to whomever stumbles across it! I think it is important for those of us that take advantage of these sites to remember that an impression is hard to erase. Employers are searching these sites to keep up with their employees and to see what potential hires are doing in their spare time.

I say this all because of one thing. What you put out there is free speech but it is also free to be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Be aware that these images and words that we put out there are available to a mass of people that we could not even possibly imagine! And what they might do with these words and images could come back to haunt us in the future. As Christians we are supposed to live by example and I believe that includes our cyber-example too.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put an end to childish ways. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13: 11-13

Doo, Doo, Doo, Lookin' Out My Back Door

2009-03-13T18:15:00.002-05:00

It's officially spring break here but it doesn't feel very springy.

Oh baby, Oh how I am ready for the break!

Reap what you sow?

2009-03-10T21:42:00.019-05:00

Will and I both grew up in families with Dads that gardened. There were years that our garden didn't produce much and there were years were we had so much stuff we couldn't give it away! My senior year my dad planted the garden and decided to double up on a few things that hadn't done well the year before. One of those things was squash. He planted roly-poly squash and just hoped we would have a few. That year all of the squash took and we had more squash than we knew what to do with!

That said, this year Will decided we needed a garden. Being the planner that he is, we spent months researching plants, seeds, methods, techniques, and locations. Finally Will took the plunge and bought the seeds. He then drew up a plan in AutoCad (he is an architect) and was ready to go.

Thursday night he planted some of the seeds in pots so they will grow into seedlings.
He had a great helper!

Saturday morning Will got up and headed to our recycling center, picked up a trailer load of compost and headed back to the house.

Our garden plot after he scraped it down.

Will's load of compost

My daughter helping her daddy.
If you know me very well you can imagine what a stretch it was for me to
just let her lose in that mess!

Making progress!

Dumping it in!

Look at her shovel! She got it our of the sandbox:)

After she and Daddy finished!
Do you see the feet and the black rings around her eyes????

After 2 baths and some ruined socks, she was finally clean:)

More garden fun tomorrow!!!

it's official!

2009-03-02T21:01:00.005-06:00

Madeline was accepted!
:D
Dallas Christian School

Update and More pictures

2009-02-25T14:49:00.008-06:00

Well what to say here? Things in the Duncan world have been pretty tame! Will's been adjusting to the slow-down at his office, which gives him a little more time for chores around the house ;) At school we have been kicking into over-drive for the hated TAKS test. I am SO over the standardized testing in our education system...but that's another post! Madeline has been doing well at her school and it is so funny to hear her tell me about her adventures every day when I pick her up! It is amazing to me that she is growing so quickly and maturing:( My baby is growing too fast!!!

Today we went in for Madeline's observation. She said she had a fun time but we won't hear back about the results for about a week! I am not sure that I can wait that long! Whew...guess I'll get over that, huh? After the observation Will took us to lunch at one of our favorite tex-mex restaurants, Chuey's! MmmmHmmmmm! Today was shrimp taquitos OMG so delicious!!! Maddie was hilarious because she was just talking to the waiter and even flirting a bit I think!

Here are some pictures of Maddie sitting Will's lab in the parking lot. The very thought of her on the roadways is enough to send me into hysterics! Look out DFW...she's a coming!
Very intent on her driving...looks pretty safe, right?

What's my speed?

Eeek! Eyes on the road!

The radio???

Oops! My bad!

Ehhhhh.......

What does that sign say?

Hey!

All in one piece!

Some outdoor time:)

2009-02-22T20:52:00.004-06:00

A Work in Progress...

2009-02-14T14:05:00.017-06:00

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a lawyer and eventually a judge. Of course, as I aged my career goals changed drastically and by the time I graduated high school I was bound and determined to be an awesome band director. I headed to school with my music scholarship and only took music courses with the occasional required "other" course. I did this for 2 1/2 years and as I went along I felt a tug to try something new. After a couple of declared majors I landed in education. It was something I was good at, I liked being around kids, and something just told it was the right choice for me.

Teaching is a very misunderstood vocation because many non-educators assume that things are the same as "when we were in school". Typical comments I hear are, "didn't you want a real job?" or "gosh you are lucky! you get all those holidays off!", and my personal favorite, "ummm...how hard could your job really be?". I must confess, having the summer off is nice and having some extra time off with Madeline is great too. My job, however, is most definitely real and most assuredly hard. I have given up trying to explain these points to people who don't want to hear it. Most of the time I love my job but some days I am exhausted and cranky and frustrated with my job. I do wake up some mornings and say, "I don't want to go to school." There are days at school that I just want put my head and down and cry.

Yesterday was one of those days, the kids were cracked out on cheap v-day candy and it was insane! By the last bell I was ready to pull my hair out and as I was actually laying my head on my desk I realized that I had a visitor. I am going to call him Mr. I.

Mr. I was in my 6th period class last year and is probably one of very favorite students ever. Now, don't get confused...he was not the best behaved student I've had, or the most motivated either. But he was naturally sweet and good-natured and amazingly gifted. The down side to this is Mr. I is not from a home that values education and so trying to convince him how important it can be was very difficult. Mr. I would do anything I wanted him to do except take his classwork seriously. He was always drawing, flirting with the girls and pretty much being a standard middle school kid. I gave him detentions, made him move the class furniture around, and write tons of sentences about not talking, turning in assignments, and remembering his manners. He never argued about it with me and always had a great smile for me. I made him bring me his report cards and talked to him about things like college and grades.

By the end of the year we found out that Mr. I had passed all his TAKS tests and was commended in math, this plus his home life qualified him for a high school program called AVID. AVID works with students that have the ability and skills for college but not the money or the parental encouragement. The students accepted into the program take all honors classes, have a daily AVID class, attend college preview days, and work with college tutors. Other skills they teach the kids are how to fill out an application for school, financial aid, grant money etc... When run properly by the time that the kids are seniors they are completely prepped for college.

As you can imagine, Mr. I was surprised when he was invited to the program and I was thrilled when he accepted. I tell you this because Mr. I has so much potential but needs a constant influence to keep him on track.

Fast forward to the start of the 08-09 school year. I was prepping my room when I get a call from the office saying I had a visitor and did I want them to send him to my room or send him away. I said send him down! He stayed the rest of the afternoon and helped me get all the furniture arranged and the posters hung. During this work time, we talked about his summer and how he was feeling about starting school. He was nervous because he thought he would never fit in with "the smart kids". "Aww Miss, you know how it is! I've got a rep to maintain!" I laughed and told him it would be fine.

Now Mr. I has come back to see me on numerous occasions since then and each time he brings his report cards or his graded papers for me to see. The last time he came by was right before Christmas break. This time he brought we the news that he made all As and Bs in every class! That was HUGE!!!! Plus, he had tried out and made the JV soccer team at school. He was pretty much on cloud 9.

If you are still reading you are probably wondering, "where is she going?" I'm telling you this story because Friday was a pretty frustrating. It was one of those days when I just have to ask GOD why? Why me Lord?? And as I am asking GOD why me, in comes Mr. I. He has 2 teddy bears, 2 carnations, and his latest graded papers. I looked at him and it was all clear. GOD was telling me why I keep doing this! One of the teddy bears and flowers was for Mr. I's mom and the others were for me. I almost burst into tears. As he handed them to me he said,

"Aww Miss, it's ok...these kids will miss you next year, they're just kids. Remember how mad I used to make you? And Miss, the flower and the teddy bear are for you for always believing in me. You are like my school mom!"

Ok, now is where I almost cried!! Seriously, how could I not? So instead of bawling like a big baby, I hugged and thanked him and smiled:) He asked me if I wanted some help cleaing up in my room and without waiting for me to respond, he began re-shelving books, straightening tables, and wiping them down. Just like he did in all of his detentions. I sat down to do work and he talked to me about everything just like he did in his detentions.

GOD has an amazing way of moving in our lives. It's hard for me to step back and remember that HE is in control of my life and that HE has a has a plan for me, regardless of whether I understand why or what it is. I have to remember that my life is still a work in progress.

Here is a photo I took last year of a "drawing" Mr. I made of my name on the lab table using an eraser. Mr. I is one student that I will never forget:)

Time Flies!

2009-02-06T20:20:00.011-06:00

I can't believe it's already February! Will has been extremely busy at work, I've been busy at school and Madeline's been busy being Madeline!
Here are a few pictures of Madeline lately:)

My sweet smiling girl!!!

A girl and her father; so sweet!

She's working on her computer game. Very serious!

little fairy

those wings are amazing!!!!

uhhh...excuse me???

what kid doesn't love to ride those things at the mall?

Madeline and Fancy Nancy

Learning her keyboard skills!

We found the nap mat!

2009-01-26T20:51:00.001-06:00

Yep...it was in the cabinet that Madeline calls her own. She opened it this evening and said, "Oh! Here's my nap mat!" Then she just tossed it out on the floor and went on!
Good times:)

"Do you have a tag?"

2009-01-21T20:11:00.002-06:00

Somehow a week ago I managed to lose Madeline's nap mat for school. After a week of looking for it here and at the church I broke down and made her one this weekend. She requested a strawberry shortcake one like her cousin Cassie's. I finished it up on Monday (thank you MLK day) and had her try it out...she loved it but rolled over under the blanket and told me that her other mat had 2 tags right on the edge and I would need to add 2 tags on her new mat! I just looked at her and couldn't helped laughing:) She was so cute!

maddie and me

2009-01-15T21:47:00.002-06:00

things that make you go "hmmmmm.....?"

2009-01-15T20:06:00.009-06:00

As a teacher I am presented with 160+ kids each day. Now imagine, if you will, that these 160+ kids are all between the ages of 13 and 14 with the occasional 15 year old. I have mixed gender, mixed race, mixed ability,mixed socioeconomics, and mixed maturity students. This is my 7th year of teaching this age group and so you would think that by this point I would have a firm grasp on the phrases that are appropriate for this demographic as well as the phrases that are NOT appropriate for this demographic. After a particularly long day at the planetarium with said students I have decided to share with you some of the things I have said to my students with only the best intentions and one that I had nothing to do with but I have definitely made a mental note to NEVER use this phrases with my students.

1. At the planetarium this week - We are discussing the big bang theory. The planetarium director is explaining how little science knows about the origin of the universe and to drive his point home he uses one word for emphasis. "...and the there was a huge bang! We don't know how it was banged! why it was banged! how long it banged! who banged it!....." by this point my face is beet red and my kids are rolling out of their seats and he has no clue what the commotion is about. All I could do was settle my kids down and hope for the best. Just so you know, he did the same thing for my next 2 groups!!

moral: never use the word bang as a verb with middle school children.

2. During a topographic map lesson I was explaining how to trace 3D foam shapes onto paper to create a map. In order for the kids to keep the piece lined up they were supposed to use dowels in punched holes. While using a set for a class demo, I clearly told the class, "You have to be sure to put your dowel in your A hole." As this was falling from my mouth I was trying to make myself stop but it was too late. Seriously, it sounded fine in my head but really horrible out loud! I was 9 shades of red and the whole class was laughing...what could I do?? I just laughed along and said, "I can;t believe I said that!"

moral: think before you speak.

3. At the end of the fall semester in a game of trash-can review (for my non-teacher readers, trash-can review is a review game where the kids are in 2 teams, you ask them questions and if the player answers the question correctly their team gets a point and they get a chance for a bonus point scored by shooting a paper wad into the trash-can. don't ask why but it is one of the kids favorite ways to review and they all know how to play it! they had to teach me,) a couple of boys were horsing around and not really paying attention. They kept knocking each others paper balls onto the floor. Not even stopping to think it through (see example 2) I hollered to the boys, "Just grab your balls and sit still!" Of course the whole class heard me. One boy was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes! I was of course mortified!!!

moral: paper balls should always be called something else.

I think that teaching middle-schoolers has certainly taught me to be careful how I phrase things but obviously I still have room to grow!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Give me a break!

2009-01-13T21:11:00.005-06:00

Ok folks...this post is not for the faint at heart. Today as I was headed home with Maddie I notice the SUV in front of me has something hanging from the trailer hitch. As I get closerI realize what is hanging from the trailer hitch. It is none other than an extremely large set of flesh colored "man parts" (I'm not spelling it out because I don't want my blog to be flagged in any inappropriate google searches:O)

At what point in society did it become acceptable for these things????? I am just plain grossed out>:[

30 things about me

2009-01-08T17:51:00.014-06:00

Will's meme never would tell us her real age and she always explained that she was celebrating the anniversary of her 29th birthday. So for me, this week I celebrated the 1st anniversay of my 29th birthday. Yes...I have turned 30. I understand that so many others have gone before me on this journey. As an effort to have some personal reflection I have decided to make a list about me.

30 things about me...

I love to make things but have a hard time getting motivated.
I'm a closet Elvis fan (we share the bday) I have only recently started to enjoy his music though. I was no fan during my school days.
During the holidays, Meme would follow me around the house asking me why I was reading a book. "I'm a do-er not a reader" I would always smile at her and say, "Well I'm a reader" She and I had that same exchange so many times and I kind of miss it now. Books are an addiction...I have just now learned how to read a book during the school year. I have a horrible habit of reading non-stop until the book is over.
I am sad when I finish a really great book. I miss reading about the characters and wonder what happens after the story is over.
I hate "pseudo" reality shows but watch most anything on Discovery/TLC
Cuddling with Maddie is one of my favorite things to do.
My all-time favorite shoe is the flip-flop
I wear 2 toe-rings year-round and if I had the courage I would pierce my ears again.
I love to wander around antique shops, not the high end ones, the little junky ones:)
Sitting in my chair during Maddie's nap on Saturday afternoons and listening to my wind chimes is luxurious.
I have a secret dream to be a back-up singer in a band...lol!
When my cat falls asleep I don't want to disturb him:/
I don't let Madeline have very much sugar or junk food and hope it doesn't make her crave it when she gets older.
Buying fun colored socks makes me smile. I prefer the shorty socks from Target.
I keep my cellphone with me all the time...I hate to not have it with me.
Will may be known for his packing skills but I fold sheets and towels into perfect rectangles! My top sheet and bottom sheet are always the same size and shape. whoo!!!!
The majority of times I would rather hang out with Will and Maddie than go somewhere without them.
I am painfully shy around most people and I rarely know what to say to people.
I love all the lessons I have learned from my amazingly talented grandmother.
I am tragically sentimental...and my memories are always so vivid. If I have ever done something I regret...it's hard for me to let it go.
My favorite time in Texas is the few weeks of Fall or Spring that we get. I love to wear jeans and long sleeved shirts (with my flops of course!) while soaking up the suns slightly weaker rays.
Teaching was not my original life career choice, but I know that I am a better and stronger person because of it.
Listening to Will read to Maddie each night is one of the most precious things to me ever. I know that soon it will be gone and I am so going to miss it.
When I drive, I sing along to most ever song I hear...sorry if you are stuck in the car with me:)
I have an extremely keen sense of smell and bad smells really bug me. Seriously? I wake up in the middle of the night if the garbage disposal is even remotely not clear.
I hate how television shows have become so graphic and violent. There is already so much hate and pain in our reality that I don't understand the need for it in my fiction as well.
I leave my ceiling fan on all year long and can't sleep with out the moving air! Will and I have actually bought fans on 2 separate vacations just so we could sleep:)
I have decided that it is ok to splurge on myself every now and then.
I am not a morning person...never have and can't imagine ever being one. Don't get me wrong though, I am super productive once I am awake. The journey to awake is long and painful for those around me sometimes. The scary thing is that Madeline is EXACTLY the same way.
Before Madeline was born but after we got her room finished I would just sit in the chair and rock. Now, I still love to sit in her room to read her books, listen to music, or just hold her while she sleeps.

There is a catchy country/western song that sings a chorus, "I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life." I am not sure that 10 years ago that I could have predicted my life would be what it is. And so, I am not going to try to predict what the future holds. I am, however, going to live in the present and enjoy the little things with Madeline and Will.

Yo-Yo Quilt

2009-01-04T17:44:00.018-06:00

I have a confession to make! I have developed a serious addiction to blogs! That is I have wasted so much time this holiday break just surfing the internet and exploring the world wide web. During my perusing, I stumbled across this blog called YoYo Along. Kat and her friends make amazing things out of fabric and as part of her holiday gifts, one of the ladies made yoyo scarves. This got me to thinking and I searched yoyo crafts and turned up quite a few things! Katie at you are too creative had some beautiful picture of yoyo crafts.This blog in particular really inspired me to try my hand at these adorable little rounds. I was up til 1:00 am this morning researching everything I could find about yoyo crafts and yoyo quilts, how to make them and what to do with them when I finish them.

This afternoon I loaded Will and Maddie into the truck and headed to Hancock Fabrics. I read last night that it is just a easy to use a template as it is to do it by hand. I'm lazy so of course I had to own that template. They come in all sizes and shapes from rounds to hearts to flowers and squares and all assorted sizes! I struck out at Hancock because they were sold out. Next we headed to Jo-ann's Fabrics to try my luck there. Well, I lucked out. They had the large size that I wanted, the quilting fabric quarters were on sale and when I went to check out...the template was 50% off!!!! Yea!!!! I got the template, 3 fabric quarters, and some new needles all for $7.65!!!! Whooo-hooooo!!!!!!

So here is my project for 2009!
I am going to make a yoyo quilt for our bed and my goal is to finish it by July. That gives me 6 months...surly I can get close!

Here are my supplies:
needles, thread, fabric squares, Yoyo template by Clover, and my trusty scissors.

Here is the template in it2 parts

These are the wonderful step by step and illustrated instructions
Thank You!!!!!

The fabric in the template

The fabric trimmed and ready to be stitched

The stitching has been finished

Peeling the fabric from the template

gathering the thread

Finished little yoyo, ready to be tied off

finished yoyo...about 2 1/2" in diameter.

My first 2 yoyos...the second one isn't very tight so I will need to go back and tighten it up.

I am not sure how many of these little suckers it will take to make a quilt but I am sure it'll be a ton!
Wish me luck!!!!

More Holiday Pics

2009-01-03T15:33:00.006-06:00

Maddie in her chair with Fancy Nancy

Maddie and Oma on Christmas morning

Santa brought the Easter eggs!!!

Brotherly love!!! (Christine ans Charles!)

Charles and his new shirt!

Kara got her Aqua Globes! Yea!!!!

Aunt Tine and her beautiful nieces!

Cassie looking through the kalidescope

Pouty face??

Such a pretty girl! Looks like her momma and daddy!

Sitting in the rocker

Playing with the train

Oma and Maddie

Maddie and Gdaddy

Christmas 08

2009-01-01T16:22:00.014-06:00

In the Browning home we have a huge spread of Mexican food on Christmas Eve. Chelli and Kevin, Nanny, Connie and Eddie, Kara and Charles were all there for dinner. As you can see via photographic evidence that Nanny actually got the first plate! That never happens:)

Chelli and Nanny

A new movie for the growing collection

Kara and Cassie

Maddie loves books!

Putting out Reindeer food:)

Sweet Cousins

The best gift ever...my hubby!

Kara and a scary looking Charles.

Madeline woke up on Christmas Eve night around 10:30 throwing up! We were just finishing up the grown-ups gifts and Kara and Charles were packing to head home when it happened. Poor things was sitting in the bathroom floor just crying her big ol' eyes out:( We were up until 5:50 am with Maddie until she finally cratered. Sadly, I didn't get any Santa pics etc because I was too focused on her! So we ended sleeping through everyone coming over for breakfast and Santa! We finally were up around 11:00 and this is the only photo I have of Madeline on Christmas morning. She got the polka dot chair and the Fancy Nancy doll. Here she is playing with her new spinning top.

On Friday after Christmas we loaded up the truck (like we were moving cross-country) and headed home. Bill and Kathy met us in Mesquite where we went to dinner and headed back to the house for a little more Christmas. Here is Madeline on Saturday morning finishing up her presents and lounging until we once again loaded up the truck and went to Arlington for a day with the Cartusciellos, Carpenters and Coles!

From Grandmomma and Granddaddy, Madeline got an antique bank that is motorized. She was so cute! When you put a coin on the platform, you then turn the switch and a little green hand comes out and snatched the coin! Maddie was so surprised! She leaped back trying to get away from. it! After a few times she was a little more comfortable with it but not too much:)

OMG! I forgot to mention that I wanted to make Maddie a dress-up set. Kathy found this super cute old suitcase to hold everything and between the two of us we filled it up with fun stuff for her to wear...here it is!

...and here is a great shot of us dressing up...who's missing? Oh yes...that would be Maddie who made us dress up but had not worn anything except the wings!

Memories.....light the corners of my mind....

2008-12-23T22:26:00.010-06:00

Home is not a place I go very often and even when I do so many things are so different. Life just goes on! I am not saying that everything should shut down or become stagnant but I believe that once you leave home for good...it's hard to imagine things being different. I say all of these things because, while I am happy with my life right now, going home always brings back so many memories. One of the things I miss the most about home is the HUGE sky we have. Yes, Odessa is ugly. Yes, the oil-field smells bad. Yes, people are a little different out here. But one things always stays the same and that is the sky. It is so vast, and huge, and basically indescribable. I took a few pictures on our way into town because a gorgeous sunset can make me cry and this was an amazing sunset. :)

Cool image of the wind turbines!

Family Time

2008-12-23T22:14:00.005-06:00

We've been in Odessa since Saturday. We really haven't done much of substance...excluding the late night run to Toys-R-Us and Best Buy the other night! My youngest brother and his wife couldn't be here this year for Christmas because he is on deployment but everyone else is here. Everyone includes my family, my brother Charles, Kara and my niece Cassie, and Christine and her boyfriend Tim. We've laughed and joked and eaten way too much food and we haven't even started Christmas Eve dinner yet! I think Maddie has enjoyed playing with Cassie and having all the family around and I know I have too. Holidays are too far apart and spending time with the family is so much fun!

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas or winter celebration!!

Yes, this is my brother! Sorry ladies...he's taken!
;D

2 days

2008-12-17T22:06:00.004-06:00

Many of my non-educator friends love to tease me about how "easy" my job must be and that they would love to "have the whole summer off". I want to share a snippet in the day of Mrs.D, 8th grade science teacher:)

6:00 am - Hit the snooze button about 2 times.
6:20 am - Drag my lazy self into the shower...only turning on half the bathroom lights to allow my eyes to adjust. Will rolls out of bed and gets Maddie up and gets her dressed for school.
7:00 am - This is the time we should be out the door but I am making my coffee, Will is getting Maddie's breakfast together, and Maddie is running around doing whatever she feels is important.
7:15 am - We are finally out the door and we wave goodbye to daddy!
7:50 am - Get to the church, take Maddie and all her stuff into the building...put stuff in cubbie, log in medication, give hugs and kisses and I'm out the door!
8:10 am - I am about 5 minutes late to work...I rush past the office and hope the principals didn't see me!
8:11 am - There are about 5 kids sitting in the hall by my door waiting for me. ( They are supposed to wait in the gym so how are they always here?)
8:12 am - Let the kids in my room, drop off my stuff and head to the gym to get the rest of my tutorial kids. ( I have tutorials on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings)
8:14 am - Try to organzie the kids, figure out what they need and start helping them with their assignments, making corrections, re-teaching etc...
8:40 am - The bell rings and here come all the kids...I realize that because I was late I forgot to pick up my roll sheets...head to the office aviod all the kids in the hall(good luck) grab sheets, sign in, and head back to class.
8:50 am - 1st period starts and I have my next break @ 12:15
9:41 am - 2nd period...I need to go to the bathroom but I can't go now! This class might cause an explosion!
10:33 am - 3rd period...29 kids in this class...the biggest one I have this year (thank you shelley and joni!) but man...they are sitting everywhere! Really I have no empty seats folks!
11:25 am - 4th period ok now I really need to go to the bathroom but there is just no time!
12:15 pm - I have taught 4 classes and now I have 20 minutes to eat my lunch and call that parent back...:)
12:35 pm - head to office to talk to my AP about a situation
12:45 pm - cafeteria duty...yes that's right! good times!! I have 35 minutes of cafeteria duty during my conference period. During my duty time We'll have about 300 kids come through...it's loud...the cafeteria is designed to only seat about 250 so we have to get them in and get them out.
1:20 - Done with cafeteria duty...head back to room to get the tests I need to grade, go to workroom, fight with the scan-tron machine, cuss a little bit give up and head back to room. Check email, grade papers, enter grades online, return the 20 emails I missed while on duty, call parents and try to get caught up on lesson plans. Chances are I have to sit in on an ARD meeting, help cover a class, or meet with my dept. head about testing or district stuff.
2:00 pm - 6th period (duhm duhm duhm) this is the most insane time of the day regardless of the class I have because it is the period after lunch and they are so hyped up I'm not sure we'll survive this!
2:58pm - 7th period - the end is in sight! whew! I think I forgot to go to the bathroom and now I have to wait until 3:50! urgh!!!!!
3:50 pm - bell rings and class is over. I rush to the bathroom and head to my duty spot outside...I get to direct traffic once a week in front of the school! It's madness!!!
4:00 pm back into the building, grade more papers, call more parents, answer more emails, put my head on my desk and yearn for coffee and chocolate!
5:00 pm - tear myself away from my desk/meetings and head to get Maddie...it's been a long day for both of us.
6:00 pm - finally home and we are all beat. Throw something together for dinner and work in some play time for Maddie then its bath, brush teeth, take medicine, read stories and bed time.
10:00 pm - head to bed to do it all over again.

This is not to make anyone feel bad for me because I LOVE my job but let me tell you...I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE HOLIDAY BREAK!!!!!!!

:D I had to post this picture because she is just such a happy girl!

haha! now you can see what a nerd I am!

2008-12-14T20:20:00.005-06:00

This year I decided to get my niece Cassie a nap mat for Christmas...after discovering how expensive they are I decided I would make one! I made it out of Strawberry Shortcake printed fleece with a soft pink blanket. If I do say so myself...it turned out pretty cute!

Cookies with Santa!

2008-12-08T20:08:00.013-06:00

Yep! That's Santa Clause at my front door! Our friends Moe and Elizabeth helped us plan everything out .... including Moe dressing as Santa. We invited our friends and their kiddos to join us at our house on Saturday for a visit with Santa. The kids were running around the house like crazy until the doorbell rang! The kids all just stopped! We lined them up at the front door and there he was!Madeline and Harley helped Santa find a place to sit and the kids sat on the floor in front of him. It was soo cute! The kids just kept staring at him, they were really surprised!

Once he was seated and the kids were ready Santa read us the Christmas story. He interacted with the kids and had the most amazing laugh! He was like the real deal:) The kids were so amazed by him...they listened to his story...laughed at him....answered his questions and were such sweet babies!

After the story time was over the kids got to sit with Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Madeline's turn was hilarious! She told Santa that she wanted him to bring her some Easter Eggs so that the Easter Bunny could hide them in her yard!!!!!! Seriously folks! I kid you not! And she wanted them in all colors....so guess who's getting Easter Eggs in their stocking? Yes ma'am, my daughter!
Will got to see Santa off...I wonder where the sleigh was????

Look at that angel baby!!!!!!!

BEAUTIFUL!

This holiday season has been so magical with Madeline...she is so serious about things and she loved decorating the house, she screams every time she sees Christmas lights and talks non-stop about baby Jesus and how he was born in Bethlehem. I feel like Christmas has never been so special as now, when we get to share it with Maddie!!!

Madeline's Christmas Program

2008-12-07T16:52:00.006-06:00

Last Monday was Madeline's Christmas program at her school. Bill and Kathy stayed over from Thanksgiving to watch her grand debut! lol! I say that because if you have ever attended a "concert" performed by typical 3 and 4 year olds you know where this is headed! We fed and dressed Maddie, took some pictures and headed off for the church. We arrived early only to find all the kids and parents milling around in various stage of chaos! We dropped her off in her room and found a seat in the sanctuary. When they came out we were so excited to see her in the middle of the front row. She looked so pretty and grown up that I almost cried:( They were so fun to watch because they were watching everything around them. The boy next to Maddie kept lifting his shirt up and rubbing his belly which was hilarious!!! Then next thing we know, Madeline fell off the step! It was so funny! She just was standing and then she fell and then she was back up! The program was so cute and the kids were adorable:) Here are some pictures from that night!

The 3 year old group.

Maddie and the belly boy
Falling Down.....

...dusting it off! lol:)

The two of us before the program

Daddy's beautiful girl!

dancing in her pretty dress!

thanksgiving parts 2 and 3!

2008-12-07T15:45:00.011-06:00

The week of Thanksgiving started early for the Duncan Clan! Will and Bill met up on Tuesday for a couple of man-filled days of hunting. Kathy drove in on Tuesday afternoon to spend time with Madeline and me. Wednesday we got up and headed to Target for some holiday shopping. She and I have been trying to figure out a good way to teach Maddie about Christmas and helping those less fortunate. Kathy came up with the idea of shopping for a needy child or family and having Madeline help out. I talked to Maddie on the way to Target about what we were doing and why were were doing it. We decided to buy some things for a family at my school. Madeline was so good! She picked out clothes and toys for a 3yr old girl and a 4 yr old boy and not once asked if she could have something or get upset about not getting to keep the purchases! She was so cute saying things like, "I think the little girl would like these dolls" and "My friends like pirates so I think the little boy would like that pirate shirt!" She was so mature and has such a generous heart! My baby is growing to be a beautiful person!!!

Thursday morning we got up and started to make the pies...

here are Kathy and Maddie working away in the kitchen!

It was just the 5 of us on Thanksgiving Day. We shared corn on the cob, roasted green beans and brussell sprouts, mashed potatoes and prime rib cooked on the grill. A very simple dinner that was so yummy!Maddie and Will after our big meal!
Kathy and me:) We were so full!

thanksgiving part 1....

2008-11-28T22:35:00.008-06:00

This holiday season has begun with a bang in the Duncan home! On Friday, my dad and step-mom came into town for the weekend. Maddie was so excited when she saw them she, powered by the energy only a sugar-filled cupcake and no nap can provide, ran around the house in circles just laughing and screaming! It was hilarious and madness all at the same time. So Saturday, Will and dad went outside and started cooking and hanging Christmas lights. The morning was so pretty, so Denise and Madeline and I celebrated by hitting the mall! lol! We had a great time shopping together and having lunch...such a girly time:) We went home and put Maddie down for a late nap and we got dinner finished up. We had game hens on the grill, confetti corn casserole, and brussel sprouts with green beans. It was a very colorful meal. It was just the 5 of us and we had a really fun time. Dessert was of course, white chocolate ambrosia...we all loved it! Sadly they had to leave on Sunday and they took Madeline with them to Odessa. According to my dad she was a quiet as a mouse in the truck on the way back, but we all know that he's a "little" hard of hearing! :) They dropped her off at Bill and Kathy's house for a few days and then she came home with Kathy on Tuesday.

Starting our Thanksgiving meal.

Maddie wanted to take a picture of Oma and Gdaddy:)
She does a pretty good job!!

Maddie and Oma!

Looks like Maddie was having fun with Gdaddy's computer!

Just like a Browning:)

Busy!

2008-11-23T19:51:00.005-06:00

It seems that times flies by so quickly!

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to!

Maddie's ready to go to school!

Playing at the park

Daddy and Maddie on the slide!

Wearing the turkey hat from school!

Momma and Maddie:)

DC in our future?

2008-11-13T20:13:00.014-06:00

Tuesday Will and I attended Fall Preview at Dallas Christian School. For a few years we have been worrying about Madeline starting kindergarten soon because our local ISD seems to be struggling and with both of us working so far from our neighborhood our options for after school care are very limited. After much research we began to toy with the idea of private school rather than public for many reasons. After attending the tour, Will and I both fell in love with the campus and staff members we met at DC and we have submitted our application for Madeline to attend in the Fall of 2009. She will be in a K4 classroom and proceed from there to kindergarten.

Dallas Christian is located in Mesquite north of I30 and east of 635 and is 12 miles from down-town Dallas. I drive by it daily on my way to school and it super easy for Will to get to anf from as well. The campus is approximately 60 acres of land and offers grades PK3 - 12th grade. They are a member of TOPS and have a highly acclaimed academic program. In addition to these things they have a very strong Christian approach to the students education with daily bible classes and weekly chapel.

While we have not given up on the hope of selling the house and moving to a more convenient location for both mine and Will's jobs, right now doesn't seem to be the time for us to move. We are so excited about this prospect for Maddie. The opening date for new applications is December 1st but because we have already submitted our paperwork we should hear something about our status in early December. From there Madeline will have an informal evaluation with DC teachers in the spring and we should know something before summer. We have been praying for God to show us his plan for our family with regards to our house and the community we live in and know that He will lead us in the direction He has chosen for us...we just have to be patient. LOL! Like I am ever patient??

the kindness of strangers

2008-11-08T22:02:00.006-06:00

"I've always relied on the kindness of strangers." Scarlett O'Hara

This weekend Will and his dad went hunting which left the girls at home together. Today we got up and had breakfast and then set out for a morning of errands and shopping! We first went to pick up some stuff for me and then went to Target. Madeline and I go shopping alone all the time but today we crammed lots into one morning. After roaming around Target we were checking out and Maddie announces that she needs to go to the restroom. Uhhhh...ok? I have a basket full of stuff and a dancing 3-yr old who needs to potty NOW. I head towards the restrooms and stop to ask the security guard if I can leave my basket and bags somewhere safe. She smiles and says oh just take it with you. uhhhh....ok? So I take the whole basket and Maddie and go right into the restroom and there were no accidents and no one stopped me. Interesting!

After Target we headed to PetSmart to buy light bulbs for the fish tank. Maddie loves to watch the fish, find the crabs, talk to the kitties and talk to the doggies (from afar that is!). I love taking her to the pet store because she loves it so much! Just as we are getting in line, a dog on a leash barks at Maddie, startles her and next ting I know the light bulbs have hit the floor with a crash and are in a million pieces! The lady in front of us was shocked but only had sweet things to Maddie who was up set about the accident. One of the employees hurried over to clean it up and she actually brought us another package!

Now it is time for lunch and we are headed to Panera. We order and head to a table, I get her set up and ready and realize I have no silverware or drinks.....hmmm, now what? I look around and know that I can walk the 15 yards to the service station but what about Maddie and our stuff? I finally broke down and asked two ladies seated next to us if they would help me keep an eye on Maddie and they were so nice about it! We are halfway through our food and again we have to head for the restroom. I again ask the young couple with a baby if they minded guarding our lunch while we went to the bathroom and the were so willing to help!

I know that if you are still reading this you are wondering where I am going with this. Well here I am! The human race is extremely selfish and self-serving and hurtful towards each other. We have become a cynical society and I must count myself in the category at times. Today though was one of those times where I still see the sense of community and concern for the fellow man.

Thanks to those that help complete strangers and when it's your turn...make an effort...you never know how appreciated it might be:)

BTW....10-0!!!! Let's go Raiders!!!!!!

Let's Go Raiders!!!

2008-11-04T19:09:00.015-06:00

For those of you that do not follow football, November 1st was a historic day for Texas Tech football! We went up against the #1 ranked UT and won the game by 1 touchdown with 1 second left in the game!!!!!! Will's mom and dad were here for the weekend and we invited our friends the Dixons to cookout and watch some football. Maddie really got into the spirit and was cheering along with everyone else. She's quite a football fan...just like her momma and daddy!

Raider Up!

Long Live the Matador!!

Will lighting the tiki torch so the mesquitos

wouldn't carry us away!

Maddie

Bill and Kathy

Future Red Raider!

Yum! Cookout goodness

Football fan!

Watching the game

2bits 4bits 6bits a dollar!

Shiver me timbers!!!!!

2008-11-04T18:43:00.008-06:00

Here are some pictures of Madeline in her halloween costume. This year she decided to be a pirate! Where do they come up with their ideas? I think that maybe because she has more friends that are boys they were an influence??

Instead of trick or treatinf this year we decided to attend the fall festival @ FBC Mesquite. Bill and Kathy drove up for the weekend and we all headed off to the church. There were games for the little kids and of course the bouncy house and we capped off our night with a hay ride around the church. Maddie was such a good sport and had a great time!

Madeline and Pops on the way to the festival!

Playing a game

Mr. Potato Head Race!

Bounce House Fun

chasing mr. alligator

2008-11-02T11:26:00.005-06:00

5 little moneys swinging in the tree

chasing mr. alligator, "can't catch me!"

"can't catch me!"

along comes mr. alligator quiet as can be,

and he SNAPPED that monkey right out of that tree!

The other day Madeline and I were at the fabric shop looking for some fabric. It was after school and the store was pretty empty. I was pushing the cart and all of a sudden Maddie started singing that song and as she counted down the monkeys she became more and more animated! It was so funny and she had everyone around us smiling and giggling. This was one of those "ah ha" moments of being a mom that I look forward to!

Yes, I have decided to start an online journal to help me remind myself of the good times and crazy times of raising Madeline:)