Kindergarten

It has happened.....my baby girl has officially started school.  I'm not good with this.  I feel certain that I will blink and she will graduate from high school.  

She just turned 5 in June and I'm not getting enough time with her.  However.....if you know her at all, you will understand why I sent her.   She correctly uses word such as literally, commotion, replace.  Those are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head.  This girl needs school!!

We picked a bouquet of bachelor buttons for her teacher. Does she look unsure of herself?  I was more nervous about the crowd than she was.

She kindly let Reno wear her backpack for pics.  He hasn't adjusted to our schedule just yet, but by Friday Scout came into my room before her alarm went off.  

  

We packed her lunch all this week.  On the first day hardly any of it was gone and she explained that she had eaten a salad for lunch.  She hasn't eaten a bite of salad in her life.  Oh the things we will do if our friends are doing it!! 

She refers to her classmates as being "little" and "cute".  I'm not sure if she thinks she is bigger than everyone else or what.  On the first day she explains how this cute, little girl in Ms. Kami's class broke her arm.  I'm thinking oh dear, poor teachers having to deal with a broken arm on the first day.  As I ask more questions, I discover that Scout diagnosed the broken arm.  She felt of it and it was broken in there.

Sunday night I was explaining how she'd have to get in line and walk to the cafeteria in a line, etc.  She said "oh I'll be the front of the line?".  I explained that they would have to take turns.  She said, "well, since I'm the newest member I'll be the front of the line!".

 Mondays are gymnastics day also.  She and brother had a little crash and she acquired a goose egg on her forehead.  Needless to say she couldn't hang on any longer on the way home.  What a day!

Mrs. Furr, her teacher..........Shall I say we are so excited about her teacher?  I actually can't think of a teacher at the S-E elementary school that I wouldn't want her to have.  They are all great!  Mrs. Furr is pretty special though.  My mom did her student teaching with her quite a few years back.  

Scout was very impressed with Mrs. Furr's TV.  "It's 100 feet wide!".  She's talking about the smart board.   

So, there were tears one day after recess.  She wouldn't talk about the problem with Mrs. Furr, just said she needed her Mama.  I'm glad to know she wanted me.  Of course she has never said a word about it at home.  I'm thinking it has to do with little girls on the playground.  I should've known the drama would start immediately.  Scout hasn't been around many kids her age.  She'll get used to it.

I also learned that she pushed a boy down in PE.  This "boy" was on her t-ball team and isn't too well behaved.  Dare I say that he probably deserved it?  I doubt this "boy" will give her any more trouble.  Not all will agree, but it makes me proud that my girl is tough and will stick up for herself.  

Little brother cries or throws a fit every day when we get in the vehicle to leave school after dropping her off.  He has been playing well though and gets over it quickly.  We had to climb a tree for some special first day of school entertainment.  

On Friday as I walked her in I explained how that next week I would just drop her off and she could run in.  She informed me that I would continue to walk her in and that she would probably be ready to do it alone when she was Autumn's age. Ummmm.....Autumn is a senior this year!!

So the age difference is the same between Summer and myself and Autumn and Scout.   I looked everywhere for the pic of me and Summer as a senior and kindergartener and couldn't find it.  Maybe it will show up on here someday.

Here's to a great year of school for everyone (and a little peace and comfort to the mothers).

A Rodeo Birthday Party

Summertime brings rodeos, rodeos, and more rodeos.  That means that we usually celebrate on the road.  Trail and Mimi's birthday usually falls on the same weekend as Colorado Championship Ranch Rodeo.

The Vogel kiddos joined us for the pinata and silly string.

I love that my children have the opportunity to meet other ranch kids. These are friends they will have for life.  Of course the people here in Earth are great, but we have so much in common with our rodeo friends.  I can't say enough good things about the Vogels.  Too bad we don't live closer to them.

Scout chose knot tying over playing in the sandbox with the other kids.  She really is good at it.  I'd trust her knot over mine any day.  

Happy Convention 2013

Every July we travel to Happy, Texas for our annual church convention.  It's a wonderful time of family, friends, and most importantly refreshing and renewing of our souls.

Average temperature over the last 32 years has been 99 degrees.  This is speculation, but I'm willing to bet it is fairly accurate. This year was different, we enjoyed rain and unusually low temperatures.  It was perfect!  

The kids played like crazy!

The kids laughed like crazy too......about anything and nothing!

 Reno lacks three months in being a year older than Saylor.  They are the same height and have same hair color.  I say they look like twins.  One thing I can assure you is that they are "double trouble".

 It is Scout and Saylor that probably act more alike.  They are our free spirit, stubborn, go-like-crazy kind of girls.  

Did you already guess that this pretty girl took all but one of these pics?  I can only take credit for the double trouble pic!   Good for her, but bad for me because I don't have one single pic with my parents. Sorry Mimi & Papa!

Scout's 5th Birthday Party!

This title could actually be interpreted a couple of different ways.  Scout did turn 5 in June and we celebrated her 5th birthday.  We are usually gone on her birthday and have to plan an out of town, impromptu party.  Therefore she usually ends up having 5 birthday parties or at least that's what it feels like.  

The first party idea of going to the zoo fell through about an hour beforehand when I realized that admissions closed before we could all get there.  Plan B quickly turned into Castle Land in Clovis.  Luckily we were joined by family and friends that were close enough and not busy.

 Townsend, Smith, and Barnes kids!

 These two.....texting, snap-chatting, posing?  Are you surprised?

 In walks Mr. Brycen with these sunflowers and balloons for the birthday girl.  My heart melted. She was clueless.  However....she is no longer clueless.  The other night she announced to Autumn that she has a boyfriend.  Autumn asks if her dad knows about it and she replied, "I don't think we're supposed to talk about that."

 Putting didn't seem to be these kid's strong point.  The idea that they stayed hooked and played most of a game is an accomplishment in itself. 

We ate pizza and cake and ice cream, rode go-karts, and opened gifts on the tail gate of a pickup.  No it wasn't all themey and perfectly planned and cute, but it fit us and my girl was happy.

Trail and Buster gave the girls a ride on the helicopter.  It must have been a pretty wild ride.  Check out their expressions in these pics!

Think PINK......

Last night as I was getting ready for our little Earth Ranch Rodeo, a little thought came to me.  

I was dressed and went to choose a watch and maybe a bracelet or two, and almost pulled off my "pink" breast cancer awareness bracelet since it didn't match my outfit.  

This thought struck me, "Don't you know your sis would like to ditch cancer for the evening and deal with it sometime later on?"  I crammed that thing back on as fast as I could.

Me wearing that bracelet really doesn't accomplish much for her, but it means I'm with her all the way.  I'll wear it as long as I need to. 

Tandy, you are doing awesome!  You make me feel lazy and....well, like a sissy.  Here you are getting up early, taking radiation, walking, picking the garden, preserving it one way or another, chasing around your boys......Not sure how you do it?

***This type of post goes against every anti-mushy bone in my body.  It's the truth though and sometimes its alright for me to step out of my comfort zone.

Cute enough....

There's the whole "tough enough to wear pink" thing, but I'm going to call this "cute enough to....err be crazy and funny and just yourself".  I tell you these nieces of mine are always taking the craziest pictures or posting videos of themselves singing or who knows what all.  

I was never confident enough to just be me.  Well, I guess you can do whatever you want if you are as cute as they are.

I put them in charge of my I-pad at a rodeo and these are the photos I found, well on my lock screen too.  They replaced a family photo with one of themselves.  Once again, "cute enough to......!!!"

See, here they are being all sweet and adorable.  

 Speaking of adorable.......

Peace, Love, & Just be Yourself!!

Abilene, Abilene....

Family tradition takes place in Abilene every second weekend in May.  Our whole family has been lucky enough to qualify for the Ranch Horse of America Association Finals.  When I say our whole family I'm meaning Riley, Tripp, and Autumn.  

Western Heritage Classic takes place at the same time and we usually take in the rodeo.  Let me say it is interesting to sit and watch alongside Tripp and Riley who are always in the rodeo and not watching it.  

I only have videos of their runs, no photos.  Riley and Tripp made the finals.  One of Riley's horses colic-ed right before he was supposed to show him.  We didn't end up with a Champion, but Riley did win Reserve on Beech Nut.  

We had the most fun at the zoo with the Grandmas.   

I mustache you a question???  Did you enjoy this post even though it is three months late?

Groovebook

Once upon a time I was pretty good about posting pics I took with my phone.  Now I'm not as good.  To bet honest, now I expect my computer to insert a period when I double space.  I suppose I'm expecting the silly thing to post pics on my blog and suck the details out of my mind.  Sounds like a good idea, eh?

I don't want to forget and these pics just go floating out in I-Phone Picture Land.

A friend told me about something pretty cool and I'm certain that I'm hooked.  It's called Groovebook and it's a smartphone app.  Go online to learn more.  The scoop is that you put in all your info (name, billing & shipping addresses, and credit card) then once a month you choose 100 pics from your phone and it prints them in a snazzy little book shows up at your door about a week later.  The cost is only $2.99, which I happen to think is a steal.

This is how behind I am.  Truthfully it isn't how behind I really am.  Pray there aren't any hardware disasters before I get my world in pictures a little more organized.  Here are a few pics that have sadly been left out from the last couple, three or four months...