Paul Thomas is having fun as a Tiger Cub Scout

Over the weekend, David and Paul Thomas attended the Tiger Prowl campout.  This was an action packed weekend full of activities exclusively for 1st grade boys and their dads.

Here they are all packed and ready to hit the road early Saturday morning just before 7am.



Paul Thomas got to do several things for the very first time such as, BB guns, archery, and sling shots.  They also went hiking, painted T-shirts and ended the night with a big campfire with all campers then a fire at their campsite with roasted marshmallows.



Saturday night David shared this photo on facebook with the caption, "Paul Thomas hitting the bell two different times.  No other, including myself was close."




As for me and the girls, we treated ourselves to lunch at our favorite "Mexico" Saturday afternoon while the boys were away.  Then went shopping for lunch box food at Sam's Club and the grocery.

Nora's project for her book report.

It's been a busy week for Nora. Land form project due yesterday and book report and project due today. Here's her character face hole poster she made to wear while. she reads her report of "Ninth Ward".


Maybe it's not "Pintrest Perfect" but worked out to be good enough. ;)  She choose which hurricane Katrina photos to use from photos we found online. I don't think they are reading their book reports until next week but she wanted to dress up today anyway. She will be presenting her volcano at 2:30 today - so I suppose she's dressed up for that. ;)

Nora's 5th grade Landform Project

 

Nora can't wait to take her land form project to school tomorrow. Isn't it every kid's dream to create an erupting volcano in 5th grade? :c)
Ta-Da!! This photo is for David Minor who's in West Virginia this week. I'm pretty sure after she creates her volcano eruption at school and brings it back home, it won't look anything like it does tonight. I'm afraid that the plaster will melt when it gets wet. We wanted you to see it Daddy.

I wish I'd known on Monday that she'd actually chosen Mauna Loa - the world's most MASSIVE volcano. Didn't realize that until reading her written report tonight! We would have used a tall chicken stock can and made this thing much bigger... with gradual sloping sides.  I'm thinking the teacher will deduct points because of the model's size.?

   

Here's a little peek down into the central vent.... a mixture of baking soda, Jello mix and red Kool-aid. Friday during her presentation she'll add the vinegar with a little liquid hand soap.  

We watched several online videos and only one person used a box of Jello mix... and their lava came out looking chunky. Nora liked that and thought it would help hers to look more lumpy/rocky and different form her classmates. She also put a couple pumps of handsoap into the vinegar which made it foam up really well during our trial runs here at home.  Only it didn't look nearly as cool coming out of a regular cup.  She can't wait to see it all erupt from the volcano she built!

Yes, that's paint on the trees... As she was painting she mistakenly got some on one of the trees and then said, "Oh well.... ash gets on everything when it erupts so I'll just add more ash to all the trees!" :)

We were going to use modeling clay but instead ended up using casting cloth and plaster. Very fun to work with and it ended up looking much more realistic using the plaster. Although, I think if you asked Nora, she'd tell you that painting the board the ocean blues was her favorite part. haha

 

 

I'm glad we started building this thing on Monday. She touched up paint spots every night and is very proud of her project.

Paul Thomas' apology letter.

Today I volunteered for the first time in Paul Thomas' classroom.

I helped prepare a math center activity and then started a project for an upcoming Johnny Appleseed unit.

I will never look at another construction paper project that my child made at school without respecting the poor volunteer who had to prepare and cutout the 24 pieces that my child glued together!!!

Oh the cutting! Lucky me, I get to cut out 21 bib overalls, 21 shirts, 21 apples, 21 stems.... and who knows what else?  I didn't get done, so I will finish up that next time.

The twins are in 1st grade this year and for the first time are in separate classrooms.  Meaning that I don't always hear about "every little thing" that happened at school each day.

Just before leaving, PT's teacher pulled me aside and told me about how earlier this week while the kids were lining up, she overhear him tell another classmate that she was a dumb teacher.

She said she bent down face to face and asked him what he had said.  She said the dear in the headlights look came over his face and his eyes got SOOOO BIG!  She was laughing the whole time she was telling me.  Maybe she was laughing at me????  I'm sure my mouth was gaped wide open as I was hearing this play out....maybe I had the same "dear in the headlights look?"

Paul Thomas was in such shock that he'd been CAUGHT that she said he for the first time was truly speechless!!  She suggested that if he couldn't talk to her that maybe he should go get a piece of paper and write her a note.  She couldn't find it among all the other papers on her desk to show me before I left yesterday - so she said she'd text me a photo of it when she found it on her desk.

I'm glad she did - so that I can share here ;)  She said it was the cutest apology letter she's ever received.  Thankfully she has a good sense of humor!

In case you're not fluent in "Inventive Spelling" it reads:

"I am sorry for saying you are a dumb teacher.  I will never call you a dumb teacher ever again.  I have learned my lesson."

Oh boy.  Good thing he's awfully cute!

What is that weird noise?

After the piano music stopped I noticed the strangest weird sound. I had been using our new copier/ printer and thought I had an odd paper jam. Searched all over the machine. Then realized that Olivia was snoring on the sofa! lol 

I suppose I'd forgotten what that sounds like since it's been a few years since the kids were home with me all day.  Sigh...  spontaneous naps are a precious thing. :)

PT is ready to sell some popcorn!

PT just got home from his second Cub Scout meeting this afternoon and came home with popcorn sales paper and discount cards.  Wow, they sure don't waste any time putting these boys to work.  He is excited to get out and start selling but first I made him practice his sales pitch. ;)

I love my rainbow girl in her roller skates!

School, Piano lessons, DQ night, and homework, CHECK!

 

Here's my rainbow girl ready to roller skate!

 

 

 

I met the cutest little Tiger Cub today

I met the cutest little Tiger Cub Scout today!  Paul Thomas is ready for his first meeting.



The uniform pants are size FOUR! And are the kind that zip off at the knee to convert into shorts... This is a pic of them as "shorts" lol



As a brother to two Girl Scout sisters, you can only imagine how much he's looked forward to this! :)

1st Day Back to School & We're Ready for the School Bus!

Today's the first day of school here in GA. Nora entering 5th and Olivia & PT starting 1st. This is the first year O&PT will be in separate classrooms.  They are all at the same locations as they were last year - however NEXT year the new school just across the street from our neighborhood entrance will be finished K-5 and the twins will be able to ride their bikes to school!  By then, Nora will headed to Middle School.  

David also headed out around the same time as the school bus was on the way.  He's headed to the plant in Baytown, Texas and hoping to meet up for supper one night with some ole friends he worked with at Firestone while he's there this time.  

As for me, I'm waiting on the plummer to show up today while I tackle some much needed paperwork here at the computer desk. Happy Back to school day kidos.  I CAN NOT wait to pick y'all up later and blow my Model A Ahooga horn my Daddy gave me for my birthday!! :) Eeeeek!! 

Summer Fun and Life Long Memories Made!

While unpacking the suitcases I found some new items that came home with the kids. . These aren't the kind of things you find going home to Ky for holidays.... These treasures are perfect for remembering our family's first vacation.  

The smaller ones on the bottom row remind me of mermaid fingernails. ;)

We've traveled many times over the years going home to KY for the holidays and stayed with family.... but that doesn't count as a "real" vacation.  Oh we did once meet up with David who was traveling for work in Kemah, TX and stayed with him one night in the hotel and explored Kemah together. But our week in Florida was so fun and went much better than I hoped it would!  We spent several days with good friends from KY and made great memories.  

We even managed to make a short side trip to SeaWorld which the kids thought was SUPER FANTASTIC!.