SPT-25th Hour

What if there was a way to do it all? What if there was a twenty-fifth hour of the day, an hour all to yourself! No commitments, no distractions, no need to sleep. What would you do?

This was definitely more difficult than I imagined. My days are often consumed of taking care of my kids, cleaning, laundry, etc. I decided to take this challenge as if I had a 25th hour this week in particular. I would consider myself more of a morning person than a night owl. However, these past few days I have been both (which is NEVER a good combination). Since Monday Ellice and I (we have nicknamed ourselves the "merry maids") have helped turn Angie's house into a "home." You wouldn't think putting things away would be so exhausting, but it is (and this is something I really enjoy) I can't even imagine JUST having a baby and doing it (hence why the merry maids have come into play) I would have to choose two things for my 25th hour this week and that is to have Angie completely unboxed to help her feel more at ease and the other would be an extra hour of sleep guilt free! (lame choice, but I could use it!) Oh, and maybe a shower before 4pm this week. I am looking a tad scary!

post Angie's baby shower 1am--yikes!

blessing: running hot water for a steamy shower!

Word Of The Week: Piquancy

Piquancy: /n./ agreeably pungent or stimulating to the taste; exciting, agreeably interesting or attractive; an interestingly provocative or lively character. punch. spice. allure. charisma.

I always enjoy clicking here to see what the word of the week is. After having such a lugubrious week (beginning last Monday) I was happy to see such a cheery word on the sidebar. Piquancy would be a great word to describe our weekend and here are some of thoughts and highlights.

Piquancy: /n./ 1. I am not much into politics. There I said it! I am one of those individuals that really don't keep up on such things. To be honest, a politician is a politician. They all say what we want to hear most of the time. Blah, blah, blah. However, I will admit that Mitt Romney does seem to have some piquancy about him (not just his looks). I haven't made a decision as to whom I really like, Doug's family seems to be on the Mitt 08' kick thus far. As are some of our friends. For now I am still in the "decision" indecisive stage of this campaign. I do know that Hilary is definitely not one that I would consider. I think anyone with a career in the medical field would agree wholeheartedly as well. (but I only speak for myself).

Piquancy: /n./ 2. The other day I was having was in the mood to cook something with piquancy. (say that with a french accent) I know several people have posted the "copy cat" versions of Cafe Rio pork and lazy me never got around to making it. I FINALLY took the plunge and made our own burrito bar the other day. I was a tad skeptical especially after watching this, (if you watch for a minute you will see why), however it did not disappoint. It was obviously good since I ate it three days in a row! The bonus part was it makes enough to freeze for another day.

one last SPT in front of the house for memory sake!

Piquancy: /n./ 3. Moving into a new "larger" home with more space seems so piquancy to me right now. I am not sure if I have the moving bug after helping Angie unpack things, but I can't help feel a little giddy that the time is quickly approaching. I began doing some internet searching as we are heading out for housing AGAIN in a few weeks and found some great prospects. That means spring is just around the corner. Wee!


blessing: having a husband who works LONG hours to support our family.

Beauty All Around And Some Projectile

So much went on in the past 48 hours I feel a tad overwhelmed. I think I took nearly 80 photos in two days! But, somehow I will find a way to condense and document, because I think it's important. And something I don't want to forget. A word of warning, it is a bit lengthy, so proceed with caution. I think that Jared's birthday has been going on for about a week. Who wouldn't enjoy that? Between taking him lunch at school, cookies for his classmates AND a rockin' birthday party you pretty much have a week of Jared festivities. I always let my kids pick breakfast and a dinner for their birthday. This year he chose pancakes again, but decided to choose red die (even though they look pink).

Benjamen, Bryce, Jared and Josh

Friday was his birthday party at pump it up. It was a little pricey, but because my kids NEVER get birthday parties AND it was his 8th we decided to splurge. It was definitely worth every penny. The boys could run around be as loud and as wild as they wanted. The kids jumped for about an hour and a half straight and then they were guided into the party area. They were seriously sweating (as were the dads!) It was quite a sight. While they passed out the cake, chips and soda Jared opened up his gifts.

I think Weston thought it was his birthday cake

Unfortunately one of our guests got a little ill. Let's just say it looked like a scene from the Omen insert that with red Fanta (rather than pea soup) and you can pretty much get the picture. It was really quite sad. I totally felt bad for the little boy and his siblings who were also upset about the incident. Due to this accident we had quite an evacuation. You would have thought the room had a plague in it. In fact, I have never seen a room of people clear that fast. Despite the incident Jared walked away with a generous amount of gifts and the birthday party was a hit. I think the adults enjoyed themselves almost more than the kids!

Saturday we woke up to beautiful blue skies. I can't tell you how much that made a difference in my day. We have been drizzly and gloomy all week (I don't know how you Oregon and Washington gals do it). We left a few hours before the baptism in order to get things set up and fill the font. I seriously couldn't have done it without the help from my inlaws. Mom saved me in more ways that she will ever know.

The boys were so mesmerized by the font aka "big tub"
I guess there is just something about running water?

The baptism itself was wonderful and I admit I got a little teary during the ordinance. My talk went okay and I was surprised at how much Jared enjoyed the white blanket "comforter" I made him. We had a great turnout and I was even surprised as to how many people came to support Jared. I come to the conclusion we have an amazing ward and are surrounded by so many lovely families. I was so glad that one of my friends suggested to take a group photo. I had one at mine and how cool is it to look back and see all of the people who attended your baptism?

Not too shabby considering only 2 of those were family members!

It's hard to believe we have 2 children at that are now baptized. Our family photo was challenging as usual. We had two grumpy little boys to say the least and what in the world is Weston's hair doing? It looks as though he just woke up. Beggars can't be choosers right?

The baptism ended around 12:30pm and we headed home for a day to fix things and work in the yard. We took advantage of some extra "hands" to fix outside facets, toilets and even managed to move a trampoline from down the street into our backyard. (thanks Gordon's!) I am not so sure our backyard can handle such a contraption, but the kids are loving their new toy (at least for the next few months) Our plan is to tear down the rickety swing set and turn it into firewood. This probably won't occur for about a month, so for the time being our backyard will look like a circus--literally. Photos to follow........

Overall, it was a weekend packed with eating out, good company, hard work, and a great sabbath day. Today's lesson is a post all by itself. (which I'll save) We hated to see Mom and Dad Clouse go, but we were glad they were able to share this special occasion with us. Thanks for everything, we love you!!


**edit: we just found out about President Hinckley. I can't help but feel a little sad since he was the first prophet I "knew" (Hunter was only in for 6 months before he died after my baptism). What a wonderful man he was!!**

blessing: hearing a r.s. lesson I really needed

Five For Friday --SPT Spin

1. Since I never got around to my SPT Tuesday I decided to insert it with my other 4 happens of the week. I think the name of my blog is pretty self explanatory. When I first began blogging I had titled it Clouse Clan M.D. Not because I wanted every Tom to know my husband was a physician, but we had three other Clouse family blogs (at the same time) and that was the way I made ours different. Since then I have gone around and around as to what name perfectly fits our family. If it's isn't portrayed enough on my blog my analness for organization is pretty obvious. Ha! Add that with my husband, 4 children and now dog you can pretty much just spell out MAYHEM. Hence the title. But, since I am not fully satisfied with that "title" I decided to change our blog header to our family motto. Doug has been using this phrase (happiness isn't found at the end of the road, but along the way) since the beginning of medical school and I actually really LOVE it. We have definitely been on a long "bumpy" journey and I think life is like that no matter who or where you are. I think this may be the birth of my new header (maybe with photo changes now and again).

2. Jared had his first cub scout meeting on Wednesday. He was beyond thrilled to start learning the skills of a "wolf" In fact he was SO excited he already read the cub scout "wolf" book from cover to cover. Kinda funny. I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed with the responsibility I am about to take up with it. Yes, I know I am not a leader, but still. Believe me I know this doesn't come close to the real "boy scouts" (those of you are laughing at me...Kelly A. :) It will take some getting used to (4 meetings a month), learning the lingo, buying the stuff and trying to understand it. This puts achievement days to shame for sure.


3. Today was moving day for the Gordon's. Angie was stuck at her new house and asked if I wouldn't mind stopping by to photograph the moving truck (for memory sake). I lost it emotionally when I drove up. Her house was nearly empty, the realization hit home. Hormones! On the flip side, I do know they are still close by and I will definitely make the most of our last 7 months with them in Texas!


4. I have been meaning to call Weston's PA (Dawn Youngblood) for over a week now. The only reason we have stayed in the University system was for her. I have not been impressed with any other of the pediatricians. I FINALLY remembered to call this morning and couldn't believe my ears. The secretary explained how she didn't work in the clinic anymore. What!?? After prying for some information she informed me that Tuesday was her last day because she was deployed to Iraq. I couldn't even bring myself to make Weston's follow up appointment. I was completely thrown off guard and so sad. The thought of having to explain all of his medical history to another doctor is just not appealing. I may be switching offices after all.

Waiting in the church parking lot, killing some time

5. My in-laws made it into town last night. (Dad Clouse really is as silly as this in real life). He has a great since of humor and LOVES to tease. I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful inlaws. I say that in the most sincere way, they really are great. Today we spend much of the morning running errands for Jared's big night tonight (Pump It Up Party) and last minute baptism things. I think I am officially ready for Jared's big day. My talk is written, matching ties/dresses found, (yes I am doing THAT again) shirts ironed, baptism bag ready and all of the other small details. Yay!


blessing: having a supportive family

June Cleaverish

I have WAY too many kettles on my stove this week. My husband of course would say this is nothing out of the ordinary and I wouldn't be "Jenny" if that were the case. Ha! I wanted to do my SPT post, but haven't found the time to sit down and gather my thoughts (perhaps tomorrow?) So, a simpler post will have to do. Here are some of the things that have kept me "preoccupied" this week.

I can't even express how happy I was to check this off my list. It's not that I dislike making blankets, I just can't stand the fact I have no place for a machine except the kitchen table. This makes it a little tricky trying to feed the kids breakfast, lunch and dinner and keep the fabric clean. I made these quilts for my nephew and his wife. (hopefully there were no traces of aunt Jamima drippings) They recently had twins a boy and girl. They should be to Dallas hopefully by now.

My kids eat homemade strawberry jam like it's going out of style. I find myself having to "replenish" my freezer more often than I would like (every 2-3 months). Luckily I found some lonely frozen strawberries in the freezer the other day and was able to make 6 more jars. (we were down to drips in a jar) These tasks may sound a tad June Cleaverish, minus the fact that I have had some minor yelling incidents in between. (bad mom I know) If I remember correctly, June NEVER yelled at Wally or The Beaver. Hmmm I really should be practicing that more often.


I also couldn't go without documenting several June Cleaverish acts that I was the recipient of this week. I love being surrounded by so many giving, talented women. A while back Barb posted a very cool calender she had from the 1985 Friend. I mentioned it on her blog that I searched and couldn't find it. Honestly, I never thought about it again until she sent me one of my very own. I was so STOKED. And really, can't wait to use it this coming Christmas. Thanks Barb!

Allison sent me a belated Christmas gift, which included a stocking full of my FAVORITE laffy taffy's. (I won't say how many are left), a New Orleans ornament, note cards, and a new address book. Something I really needed. Thanks Allison!


Last, but not least Tasha sent Jared his very own baptism towel. I never thought about doing one for Taylor, so this was a special treat. It was so thoughtful and totally made my week. Now, I best be off to write my talk. Even though it's a simple short one on the holy ghost, why does it seem to be stressing me out?? I need some warm weather motivation (the cold weather is making me not want to function--seriously) Did I mention we are suppose to get sleet tomorrow?


blessing: access to lds.org to look up magazine archives.

Word Of The Week

deportment /n./ a manner of personal conduct; behavior. actions. bearing. mannerism. mien. air or appearance. demeanor.

deportment /n./ 1. I couldn't help but have an extra spring in my step last Friday knowing that Monday was a holiday. Oddly, I have come to enjoy a break in the early morning school routines. Monday came and started out so very lovely. Really. Unfortunately, it didn't end that way. My children's deportment sent Doug and I into a serious mode of anger. (this didn't help that he had a terrible day at work & no food in his system) Needless to say a lot of hollering & gnashing of teeth came about as well as several tears shed. I couldn't help but shed a few myself, I secretly felt bad for punishing them, especially after sorry notes were written and sincere apologies were said. Are we terrible parents? What causes are children to have such behavior? Surely, our rules are crystal clear. Um, apparently not. I was gently reminded in FHE by my sweet husband last night that we must choose our deportment wisely. Since every choice (good or bad) ALWAYS has a consequence, we came up with a schedule that they are to follow for the next three days. Any extra activity outside of school is banned for this week. Unfortunately, today also happens to be Jared's birthday. Such is life eh?


deportment /n./ 2. For the most part my kids really aren't that bad. (or as bad as I may make them out to be) Perhaps *more spirited* on some days is a better word? They are also good at catching me off guard by altering their deportment to the point I am pulling out my hair! Weston has not had a potty accident since November. Let me clarify "accident". We haven't had any *brown packages* since then (and I am not talking UPS) However, Friday Weston's deportment had me shaking my head. He came in with all smiles (I was on the phone of course) and said in the most boastful voice. "I poopted my pants mom!!" I shook the first incident off, set backs happen right? Well, then incident #2, and 3 occurred over the next couple of days. At this rate my kids (Taylor, Jared, and Weston) deportment is going to land me in the psyche unit! Don't worry Luke won't be making this post.


deportment /n./ 3. Saturday my 8 year old son has chosen to become a member of our church. I have been in the midst of planning, preparing and getting ready for this big event. It dawned on me today that really all of the "making everything perfect" (invitations, cake, etc) leading up to this doesn't even matter. What IS important is the actual ordinance my husband will be doing for our son this week. This flashes me back to my own deportment of getting baptized nearly 13 years ago. What a blessing it is to have the knowledge of the gospel in my own life. I am by no means perfect, but what is comforting is that based on my personal deportment here on earth we CAN live with our Heavenly Father again.

I Need To Axe You Somthin'

It's no secret that grammar isn't really a strong point in New Orleans. You know if you have visited or gotten acquainted with any of the "locals"around the city. I am in no way bashing the city I hold so dearly to my heart, but I can't help but chuckle at some of the phrases that people use. My sweet Jared was born in the beloved Crescent City. I do however, think it's ironic that living there for such a short period (2 years to be exact) caused him to sometimes speak like a true New Orleanean. On occasion I catch Jared saying things like "mom I need to axe you a question?" This of course brings on a little tease, all in fun. He then swears he said "ask", but I beg to differ. One thing I would have LOVED for him to carry over is the amazing hospitality you get from the south. There isn't a place you walk into without someone greeting you with "Baby" inserted somewhere in the sentence. (i.e. "watcha need baby?") Well, my oldest boy "baby" happens to be turning 8 today. Here are 8 wonderful things we love about Jared.

1. He is extremely sensitive and often looks out for his siblings.

2. He likes to be punctual, many times a day I hear Jared saying "mom we are going to be late!"

3. He is a natural at everything he tries. Definitely an attribute from his dad.



4. He uses his "wrong arm" according to sport talk. I am proud to say left handedness came from me!

5. He enjoys having his hair "spiky" and insists I do it this way for school.


6. Very inquisitive. Enjoys asking questions and wants to know why, why and why about everything.

7. School comes easily to him and we never have to explain things to him. (hope this continues)



8. He gets a great tan in the summer and his hair gets SUPER white. I could go on and on.........

Happy 8th Birthday Bud!

We Love You!!

blessing: having 4 healthy children

The Last Supper

In March of 2002 we matched to our 5th choice of San Antonio. Ironically, neither one of us thought to much about Texas. We knew we ranked it on our list of 13, but never imagined moving here. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I can help but thank Him each and everyday for placing us in such a wonderful more "fitting" place. Doug phoned the orthopedic department the day after the match to try and get some information regarding, housing, etc. I don't think it was an "accident" that Greg happened to be in the office the minute Doug was on the phone with the secretary. Doug and him exchanged information and we made arrangements to meet the Gordon's a few weeks later.

Best buds

First meetings I will honestly say really aren't the most comfortable. You never know what is running through the other persons head or what they are thinking. After an exhausting day of searching for homes we met up with Greg and Angie for dinner. Still to this day it's a joke because they waited until nearly 9pm to eat. BUT, they did out of the kindness of their hearts. It was also helpful that they too had two children and were members of our church. It's hard to believe Taylor and Mackenzi were only 5, Jared barely 2 years old. You can imagine the excitement we both had the next day when we saw a house down the street from them. (the sign had just gone up that day) It was also the perfect starter home for our small family.

Taylor being the little mother

Fast forward nearly 6 years later and we had grown to be the best of friends from each other, to our husbands and even our children. Angie has been my rock in so many ways. A person to vent to, cry, laugh and kid swap with. Residency would have been 100 times harder if I didn't have a friend to go through it with. Having said all of that, I can't help but shed a few tears today. They sold their home nearly a month ago and after several months of building they are FINALLY moving into their new home. Thursday to be exact. I am sure that they are more than ready. Especially since she has been commuting her girls 13 miles each way to school, morning and afternoon. I know this isn't the last time we will see them, but the convenience of being only 4 houses apart is coming to an end.

Is Meg not the smallest, cutest baby ever?

I told them I was going to make her dinner after the baby came and today happened to be that day. We had a feast and it was pretty good, except for the uncooked potatoes. This may have been our last supper as neighbors but certainly not our last one as friends! We hope that DeZavala won't hinder you coming back to Lincoln Park :) We will REALLY miss you guys!!



blessing: having great friends

Trying To Keep Warm

It is no secret I don't do well in cold weather. My body pretty much shuts down into veg mode and it's quite hard for me to function. I seriously force myself to exercise in it--blech! I also don't own many warm clothes, except for a few long sleeve shirts (if you want to count that). The past few days I have resorted to my workout clothes to keep me warm. Sad, but true. In fact, my husband called me the other day on a whim (this doesn't occur very often) to meet him for lunch. I had no time to shower so I threw on my cap, put on "my face" and was out the door.

My other uniform is this fleece. It has to be the best purchase I have ever made. It's not really my favorite shade of pink (and doesn't match many things I own), but it is SUPER warm. It has saved me on more than one occasion, including my trip to Utah.

Since we are on the topic of weather...........it never fails when it's cold outside that my husband will call me as he is driving out of our neighborhood. Why? He has a temperature gage in his car and likes to inform me of the "correct" current temperature. I think he secretly wants me to realize how nuts I am for going out in it. He claims I am torturing our children by taking them out in "freezing" temperatures for our morning walk. In my defense I have two blankets, two jackets and hats on their little bodies. Oh, and just so you know I didn't take them out this morning due to 35 degrees and drizzle. There is something about the wet that sends a chill through your body. BRRR!
Cold weather may stop me, but it doesn't keep the city from functioning (unless you are San Antonio--i.e. last year) I do feel for those who have to work out in the cold, such as my trash guys. I will say that the best thing I ever did for them was give them a little Christmas cheer. Ever since December my trash cans have been nicely placed by my garage door by one of the trash guys. As I was bringing in my trash to the back yard I actually spotted some snow flurries. Despite what you all think--Texas DOES get cold! The high today is in the low 40's not including the wind chill factor.

Rags To Riches

As I small child I choose my two fingers as a comfort, no not a thumb, but my index and middle finger. I still have a indentation to prove it. I would place them in my mouth with the other hand on top. (I would give you a visual but that may be a little frightening). I guess the best part was I had them where ever I went. The downside was it was next to impossible to quit. I was a finger addict! As I got older it was also VERY embarrassing. I never did it at school, only in the secure place of my home. Luckily in 5th grade, yes I did say 5th, my orthodontist (Dr. Garn) placed a thumb bar inside of my mouth. Away went the habit of the fingers.

"Baby"
stuffed more than a few times to salvage

Due to this issue as a child I certainly didn't want my children to have the "buck" teeth I did; nor become attached to their thumb or finger. I can't tell you the amount of times I forced a pacifier on Taylor. I was determined! After about 3 months of trying to shove the "binki" in her mouth she found her thumb. Dang! Oh, she loved her thumb. Day and night that thing was in her mouth. Until she was 5. The beauty about Taylor's experience was she associated her thumb with a bear. Those of you who knew Taylor as a baby, that bear went every where. It was a pink guess bear that had a rattle in the head. She called it baby. In kindergarten baby was placed in a special box. And guess what? She stopped thumb sucking all together. Miracle, really.

baseball and frog blankets

Jared was my only child to take a pacifier. It was heavenly. Sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. Need I say more? The pacifier pro was I could replace the nasty old with fresh new ones. (as long as they were the right brand) He also became attached to not one, but two blankets. "Froggy's and Baseballs" The funny thing I remember was making him choose which blanket he wanted to take on our vacations and trips. After all, we didn't want to lug another blanket in the car! When Jared turned 5 they too became retired to the shelf, along with Taylor's baby.

Luke's "Rags"

This leads me into Luke. Luke will be turning 5 in a few short months. His special blanket seems to have gotten extra love more than my other kids' did. Doug was explaining to him the other day that if we didn't place it on the shelf, there would literally be no memory left of it. It is dicinigrating by the day. I have never had a child love a blanket so much. Can you guess the nickname? Yes, rags. Very fitting yet, pathetic isn't it? I did make him a replacement blanket as I did the older kids. I made them simple fleece quilts they could snuggle up with them. Luke likes his replacement blanket, but it doesn't seem to be enough. So, guess what I did? I took Luke to the fabric store to make another "rags" blanket. Believe it or not his blanket did look like this when I gave it to him as an infant.

Not the fabric I would have chose for him, but it was ALL Luke's decision.

the finished "pirate" product

He seems to like it thus far, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Luckily, Weston's blanket seems to be holding up fairly well. Except the thing that worries me is he chews on it to go to sleep. Is that the weirdest thing? I guess we have a few more years to determine our outcome. Stay tuned..............



blessing: having a temple close by to attend once a month.

Television At Its Best

Due to the lack of television choice I tuned in to American Idol tonight. Don't get me wrong I enjoy watching the show, but am really LONGING for my "regular" Heroes and Office to be back on the air. This was probably the best audition of the night. If you didn't see it, he wrote his own lyrics to sing which was one phrase "I my brothers......" All I know is it was hilarious and Fox is making a killing without any competition from the other networks. Writers strike be gone!

**Are you watching American Idol this year?**

blessing: having a v.t. companion conveniently located next door.

Word of the Week: Charily

I am taking my own challenge of "learning" a new word each week, and jumping on April's bandwagon. I will admit writing this was much more difficult than I imagined I wrote it very charily.

charily /adv./ gingerly, carefully. warily. guardedly. cautiously. also sparingly or frugally.

charily /adv./ 1. I would like to think my choice of music is chosen in the utmost charily fashion. After all, most of the music I listen to in my car is on the xm radio, which means it is "altered" without the swear words. (I do realize that you can certainly insert the word obviously, but still...) The **ah hah** moment occurred to me as I was making up my list of fav's for my sidebar. I was appalled not only at the music, but myself for allowing my ears to hear it. You see, I enjoy music whole heartedly, especially around my house. In my defense when I upload music to my ipod on itunes I ALWAYS choose the "clean version" over the other choices. What I did not realize was some of the music I was used to listening to "edited" was not so on the playlist website. I double checked most, BUT if you choose to listen to my music on the sidebar consider yourself warned :)

can you say junk and more junk?

charily /adv./ 2. Doug and I have added on a few extra pounds from the Christmas holidays *sigh* which is causing us to rethink charily how we eat. Doug has much more will power than I. He has disciplined himself into counting points and staying clear from sweets. Me not so much. I would much rather live on wheat thins and diet coke (with a few tootsie rolls in between) for the day rather than take the time to eat healthy. Trust me I pay the price for how I eat, I can feel it in my skin, mood, and how I feel. We all know saying one thing and doing another is completely hypocritical. Unfortunately, this photo speaks volumes at how our family eats. No nutrition. Whatsoever. Anyone need ice? How about an eggo, (my kids would live on these frozen things) ice-cream cows, or some broccoli normandy? If you didn't notice this is my written confession of being a junk food addict. I do have people who will back me up on this one. Judge charily. :)

current state of our freezer

charily /adv./ 3. It is so interesting to me that having 3 of the same sex can result in so much variety and personality. Don't boys have only one mold, wild and loud? I have learned otherwise. Luke is the child that does everything charily. From eating, to playing, even down to creating and drawing. He does things meticulously and slow. He did FINALLY learn to ride his bike (we worked for months on this--bring out the brass band!) I have decided that Weston is much to young for me to form such an opinion, his mold is still in the works. So, I will give him another year, perhaps pre-school to determine my thoughts. Jared on the other hand, has a creative side I never would have foreseen. He never showed such a side as a smaller child. He takes great pride in his school projects and has the best handwriting for a 2nd grader (seriously).

practicing his words tonight

The other day while I was on the computer blogging away, he came in with the most enthusiastic voice, "you have to come quick I made you something!" I got up and found this masterpiece he had charily been working on for the past hour. I must admit it was quite creative. Harder to see from the below viewpoint, but he had made an entire city out of construction paper.

Notice the pink diving board into the blue pool below
also, one of the signs read welcome to Walmart the best place to shop--ha!

I am feeling smarter already. Who knew I could use a word I have never heard and incooperate it into our everyday life? Oh, and just so you know my glasses weren't even on.