Five Little Muffins on Drury Lane - Homeschool Blogger

MOVING TO BLOGGER!!

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 07:29:00 -0500

If you're looking for a new post here, you won't find it. I've decided to use Blogger instead. You can find my new blog at http://angelaslittlemuffins.blogspot.com

Baby Connor has left the building.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:47:00 -0500

IT WAS TIME. Here's Connor "before":

And here's "after" (Thanks, Nana, for the "new 'do"!):

Yes, I miss the curls, but not necessarily the hairdo, if that makes sense. He's growing up, and it's so precious to see him looking like the rambunctious little BOY that he is...rather than a body double for Shirley Temple.

*Sigh* Why can't they stay small?

One Saint Went Marching In

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 22:35:00 -0600

Well, it's been 2 months now since Roy's grandma stepped into eternity. And I made a promise to Elysa that I would share the story here on my blog (which everyone has been screaming at me to update). So, here it is.

After a few days of grieving, we really came to the day of Grandma's funeral with a surprising amount of peace and joy. There was so much reason to rejoice. It started even before she died. In her final weeks, her face took on a glow that was positively beautiful...radiant. She truly looked like a little girl again, even with all the wrinkles, and even when she didn't have her teeth in. She was quite ready to meet her Lord, and she made it very clear that she had no intention of fighting tooth and nail to hang onto this life until she wasted away to nothing. Really, she made it easy for us to let her go.

It might sound strange, but we had wonderful day in Elkins, WV for the funeral. Such a contrast from funerals where you know that the person wasn't saved and where the people left behind aren't saved. Instead, at this funeral, many of us couldn't help but laugh and rejoice, in celebration of her life and of the hope of Christ's return.

We were delighted when the pastor delivered a powerfully upbeat and Christ-centered message out of 1 Thess. 4 (which we had just read for ourselves a couple of days earlier). And people were responding throughout the sermon with "Amen" and "That's right," just the way Grandma would've wanted it. Plus, since the pastor had known her for years, he had us all laughing about how Grandma never called him by his name, but always "Honey" or "Darling."

And there were so many humorous ironies, Grandma would have been tickled pink. It was like a funeral that was custom-made for someone who had always lived for the next joke. For example, we had always got a good laugh with Grandma about the choir down there, and the piano that was terribly out of tune. So, to listen to them "croon" while looking at her lying there with a stern look on her face was enough to almost make us bust out laughing. Roy and I couldn't even look at each other, we were so on the verge of hysterics.

Then, to top everything off, at the gravesite, Roy tripped just as he and the other pallbearers were getting ready to set the casket down. So, we joked all day about how Roy tried to throw Grandma into the grave. Plus, it was so cold that as SOON as we gathered around the casket, Roy's dad said, "OK...it's cold...let's get started." And we all laughed about that.

So, Grandma left us laughing as much in her death as she did in her life here with us. Rest assured, we'll be giving thanks next Thursday as we eat our turkey, thrilled to know that the real Turkey is up there feasting with the King.

~ Ang

Big Bro & Lil' Bro

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 23:39:00 -0500

Now that Connor is starting to learn to be a bit more civilized, Trevor is getting over his fear of his little monster brother. It just warms my "momma heart" to see them like this:

And here's a shot of each of them from the beginning of March. (Can you see why it's hard not to spoil'em rotten?)

Yup, I love'em to pieces!

The Three Amigas!

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 23:23:00 -0600

OK, I admit it...Lydia, Abby, & Alayna are not always this loving toward each other. But, when these golden moments come, we've gotta' grab'em, right? My prayer for when they're all grown up is that my 3 girls will truly be The Three Amigas. (FYI: Here, they're 5, 7 & 8 1/2.)

TA-DA!!!!! :-) It's the Dynamic Duo!

Sun, 6 May 2007 21:56:00 -0500

Alayna & Abby look like they're getting ready for show business! But, hey, who's that other girl? Oh, right! Barbie, with the hair that grows! Alayna waited SO long (and impatiently) for her 9th B-day, and she wasn't disappointed!

The threat of rain turned our picnic at the State Lake into an all-day Open House on Cedar Road. Folks dropped in to honor the Birthday Girl from 2-10 p.m.! (It just sorta' worked out that way.) But the festivities began a whole week earlier when I took these 2 girls for the 1st time ever to an ice skating rink. (A lifelong dream-come-true for both of them!) They got right out there and skated around like a couple of naturals. By the end of the session, I even had'em starting to skate backwards like me. I sure was happy to get off the ice without having fallen, though. I tell ya', rental skates are murderous on the ankle bones!

Well, a few days later, Alayna's biggest birthday wish came to pass: I took her (and Abby) to a horse ranch about an hour away to see a colt which had just been born a few hours earlier. The owners were kind enough to even let the girls enter the stable. We were all truly shocked, though, to see how HUGE the newborn horse was. Here's a snapsnot:

Then, they even got to ride one of the horses there. (And they convinced good ole' Mom to take a few passes around the corral, too. I couldn't tell you the last time I had been on a horse!)

So, by the time Alayna's actual birthday rolled around (el Cinco de Mayo), she was already feeling pretty doggone special. Then, the steady stream of guests topped it all off. Funny enough, though, out of everything, guess what brought on her strongest reaction of total elation?! Getting out of debt!!! That's right! She had "borrowed" $14 from Abby many moons ago but never received enough money to pay her back. So, the cloud of debt has been hanging over her head for months. (Don't I know the feeling!)

Anyway, she had paid of $6 of it and had $8 to go. Knowing how much it would mean to her, I gave her $5 in her birthday card that morning. Then, later, when she put her hands in the pockets of the jeans my mom gave her, she gradually discovered enough $1 bills to pay off Abby and net $2. (Did you figure out that little math problem? Hehehe) At that moment, Alayna jumped up and down squealing with joy. It was beautiful! I hope she never forgets it...so that maybe she'll never get herself in that position again.

Well, in addition to the pile of clothing from grandparents, a smattering of toys and whatnot, she received a potted rose bush from a friend! Too sweet! We planted it in our raised flower bed in the front yard. I can't wait to see it blossom! Plus, I bought several Marguerite Henry horse books for her (which brought a few more squeals), a stuffed horse that Abby found for her, a Barbie horse, and an adorable horse poster. Are you noticing the theme of the year? :-)

So, my firstborn baby is now in her 10th year of life. How did it happen? And she's already at my chin-level. Who knows? By next year, she might sprout right up past me. In any case, I'm savoring these milestones because it's all going SO fast. I'm going to turn around, and she'll be walking down the aisle to her Prince Charming. And maybe they'll ride off together into the sunset on his valiant stead.

Beginner's luck? Or an upcoming fishing queen?

Sun, 13 May 2007 21:47:00 -0500

Here's what Abby gave me for Mother's Day!

"Pappaw" took her fishing for the 1st time, and she snagged this little beauty. I have no idea what kind of fish it was. Any experts out there? But Roy filleted it and fried it and we had ourselves a tiny little feast, supplemented of course with the inferior breaded variety out the freezer section of Wal*Mart. She was SO proud of herself! It almost makes me want to try my hand at fishing...well, almost!

Connor's Big Day! Birthday #1

Wed, 2 Aug 2006 14:15:00 -0500

Here's Connor's special day so far: When the clock struck midnight, the Birthday fairy found him fast asleep on the living floor. He had a fit when I put him in bed last night, which was a problem because his bed is in our room and my dh really needed to sleep. So, I put him in the exersaucer to watch the wonderful Cedarmont Kids while I did a late night kitchen cleanup. That bought me a whole hour!

Finally, he started fussing, I changed his diaper and left him on the floor while I finished the dishes. He actually laid right where I left him and fell asleep!

1:00 a.m. I started mopping the kitchen floor. (Yes, at 1:00 a.m.!) OK, it had been awhile, I admit. It took 3 passes across the whole room to get the water to run clear. An hour later, I finally crashed on the couch, since Baby Connor was still asleep on the floor.

3:00 a.m. Connor woke up crying. So, I took him to bed with me.

7:30 a.m. Connor awoke on his Birthday morning, made a beeline for the edge of the bed, and landed on the floor with a thud. Happy Birthday, Buddy! (Awww, he was fine! Tough kid!)

10:00 a.m. 3yo Trevor decides that Maple Syrup would double nicely as a new brand of shampoo. Note: Trevor HATES to have his hair washed. So, after the earsplitting screaming that ensued, Connor decided a nap would be a good way to escape the chaos.

12:00 p.m. Connor joins us once again. And here we are. The kids sang to him, but for the sake of my out-of-town SIL, we're pretending that his B-day is not until Saturday. That's when we'll have the Par-Tay!

I have an 8-year-old!!!

Sun, 7 May 2006 02:41:00 -0500

After the last 3 days, if Alayna doesn't feel thoroughly honored, pampered, spoiled rotten, and celebrated -- I can't imagine what more it would take. The birthday festivities began on Thursday. We spent the day preparing for our care group, which doubled as Alayna's 1st Art Show. She had sent out invitations at the beginning of the week which read,

Dear Mr. and Mrs. _____,

You are invited to my first art show on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Artwork will cost 25c each. I hope to see you there.

First, I dictated this to her and gave her a chance to write it as well as she could. Then, I showed her the correct spelling, etc., and had her rewrite the paragraph. I cut 2 cardstocks in half, folded them, and had her copy the invitation onto the 4 homemade cards. She then drew and colored a different picture on the front of each card. Finally, she learned the proper way of addressing an envelope.

This exercise was wonderful! I had her total cooperation and excitement. She was happily learning spelling, grammar, handwriting, formal letter writing, etc. -- and didn't even realize it!

So, Thur. night, thankfully, we had 10 people show up. Alayna's artwork went fast! It was fun to see who chose what. She had helped me make cupcakes, and she "artistically" decorated them w/ the gel tubes I bought for her. (After all, it *was* her art show, right!) We sang "Happy Birthday" and she blew out her #8 candle. Then, I ushered all the little ones outside with cupcakes in hand. Whew!

The next morning, el cinco de mayo, Alayna awoke to the sight of a gift by her pillow. It was just a Mad Lib, but it made her happy. She climbed in bed with us for a few minutes, then I made pancakes for her, with apple pie filling stirred in. Next, Nana & Papa came over with Leah, and brought some nice clothes and a really cute Bible companion...a great complement to the Bible I gave her.

Right after that little visit, Mammaw & Pappaw came over for 2 hrs (while I took Liddy to the podiatrist). More gifts...clothes, a Barbie, and a really cool Barbie wall clock with Barbie clothes hanging off each number. So, I spent quite a while pounding holes into Laney's wall to hang that thing up. But she loves it.

For supper, I made her favorite: Mac-n-cheese! Then, she and Abby were off to the drive-in w/ M&P to see "Ice Age 2" and "The Wild," followed by a sleepover. When we picked them up Sat. morning, we went straight to the Mall at Robinson for the grand finale.

Let's see. First, they got to experience Japanese food (and attempted to eat with chopsticks -- a belated go-along to "A Pair of Red Clogs"). Then, it was on to Build-a-Bear. Those women are hardcore salespeople! But, Alayna didn't go ridiculously crazy. She picked a white kitty to stuff ("Casey"), bought one outfit for her, and a kitty bed. They gave all the other kids each a fuzzy photo frame, just to be nice.

Then, we suprised her by heading over to the Piercing Pagoda. The first time we stood there, she chose her earrings but then chickened out. So, we started to walk away and I saw how crushed Abby was. She had been dealing with Alayna's hoopla so well that I couldn't bear to make her miss out on yet another thing. So, I convinced Roy to let Abby get hers done without Alayna.

What a plucky kid! Six years old and she marched right in there and took it like a champ. Alayna wasn't feeling so brave about it still, even seeing Abby's reaction. But, the "buy a pair, get a pair 1/2 off" sale gave me the motivation to work on her a bit until she finally agreed. Besides, I knew she'd really regret it if she came home with naked ears and had to look at Abby's pretty pink flower earrings all day, every day.

Well, they both look darling now. Lydia wanted to do it, too, but we told her she had to wait until she no longer screams bloody murder every time we brush her hair.

From there, it was onward to Brewster's for some ice cream. And finally, the 3 girls got in one of those photographing contraptions and had a cute picture taken. I was so proud of them. They really behaved themselves. And Connor was a perfect little baby for most of the day. God bless Roy's parents for keeping Trevor during that outing, or things might have been a LOT different.

So, you would think that concludes Alayna's birthday festivities, right? Wrong! She'll be spending all of next weekend with Mammaw, Pappaw, and Great-Grandma Row-Row at Auntie She-She's in Columbus. And so the spoiling continues...

Rowing "Snowflake Bentley"

Fri, 7 Apr 2006 15:45:00 -0500

It's been a great week with our Five in a Row book. My little 6 yo scientist really got into it and asked me to help her make a book about the story. Here's what we came up with. It's hard to see, but each letter of the title is on a snowflake-shaped hexagon. If you want to see the actual Bentley photographs, check out this website mentioned in the FIAR archives: http://www.snowflakebentley.com/snowflakes.htm