Summer Break - Day One

It was really quite strange to not put Ryan on the bus this morning.

On the other hand...it was nice (most of the time) to have him around.

Here they are listening to "Diary of a Worm" on CD.

We were introduced to the books on CD at the library by AmyS.

Since then, there is almost always one playing. Emma love them...she'll sit and play for hours while she listens to them.

FINALLY the weather cooperated enough to take a walk.

Bob was home early for a Scouts meeting, so he was able to join us.

Blue skies!

No rain, no storm clouds.

Stopping to smell the flowers.

Running through the spinklers...it wouldn't have been warm enough

for me personally, but that's the great thing about kids. They don't care...because it's fun!!!

Emma finished her book marks this evening.

We punched holes in patterned paper and then

used a glue stick to attach the patterned paper to the front of the solid.

Staple on some ribbon and...bookmarks!

(Emma didn't want to say "cheese" for this photo. She asked if she could say something else. She came up with, all on her own, "I love to scrapbook. Fabric!!")

~~

I know that there will be days where I'm ready to pull my hair out

(better try to aim for the white ones, eh?), but today was a pretty good first day of Summer Break!

I already posted today, but I had to add this.

Ryan just got home from his last day as a third grader; he carried a note from his teacher that touched my heart...

~~

Dear Parents~

I give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted to my care last fall. I give him back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more responsible, and more mature than he was then. Although he would have attained his growth in spite of me, it has been my pleasure and privilege to watch his personality unfold day by day and marvel at this splendid miracle of development.

~

I give him back relunctantly, for having spent nine months together in the narrow confines of a crowded classroom, we have grown close, have become a part of each other, and we shall always retain a little of each other.

~

Ten years from now if we met on the street, your child and I, a light will shine to our eyes, a smile to our lips, and we shall feel the bond of understanding once more, this bond we feel today.

~

We have lived, loved, laughed, played, studied, learned, and enriched our lives together this year. I wish it could go on indefinitely, but give him back I must. Take care of him, for he is precious.

~

Remember that I shall always be interested in your child and his destiny, wherever he goes, whatever he does, whoever he becomes. His joys and sorrows I'll be happy to share.

~

I'll always be his friend.

~Mrs. Schwehr

Dear Time,

Last night, we celebrated Ryan's last evening as a third grader. He

got to pick our meal...BBQed Corndog (an Uncle max specialty...the rest of us had hot dogs), tater tots, cranberry sauce (his favorite thing that

comes in a can, he informed us), and Dr. Pepper. The watermelon was added as an attempt by his mother to have something redeaming about

the meal.

On his way out the door for the bus this morning

~~

Dear Time,

When I was a kid, I'd often hear the adults comment on how fast you were flying by. I didn't understand as you always were a bit finicky for me. Sometimes, like when I was playing at a friend's house, you did seem to pass quickly. Other times, like when we were out in the fields picking up potatoes by hand, you seemed to stretch out each second until it felt like pure agony!

But, now, oh now, I understand! It seems like just yesterday that Ryan started third grade, but today is the last day of third grade. How can that be? After today, I'll offially be the mother of a fourth grader! (Assuming they pass him along to the fourth grade...just kidding). And, my baby will begin her long journey in the public school system!

Please, dear Time, please slow down. I want more sweet nine-year-old grins and hugs, more five-year-old belly laughs and kisses, more time to hold them close, more days where you just seem to creep by as we squeeze

as much as we can out of every single moment.

Fondly,

Katie

Three hours of sunshine

Does anyone know what this bush is?

The flowers are amazing...the outer part is large flowers and the middle

are teeny-tiny little flowers.

Remember the curly bush we found on the side of the house?

I described it to someone and was told that it wouldn't have leaves;

it would have nuts.

It must not be what they thought it was because it's covered with

large wrinkly leaves.

Location: Flower bed in front of the house

Time: Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

Time: Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

It's amazing what you can do when the sun FINALLY peaks

it's face out from the clouds.

I've been wanting to work on this flower bed for a long time.

We found all of the rocks scattered around the back yard.

The wooden tire was also a backyard discover. There's a

Virginia Creeper growing right next to it. It'll be

pretty growing over it.

There's still more work to do...I need to get the

rest of the grass removed...but I can't wait for the

plants to fill in.

Last chance, Ryan!

"Ryan, this is your last chance to keep the flowers.

I think it's a nice look. What do you think?"

Guess he said no.

Can't imagine why?!

Our Weekend

We spent a quiet weekend at home.

I couldn't convince Ryan that he liked the flowers stenciled
across the top of his walls, so work got underway to cover them up.

He's pretty excited. I've been putting this job off as I

was a bit tired of painting. As normally happens, something I

was dreading working on took only part of a day. "Finished" photos to follow once the border is up.

Costco has the little slider hamburger buns...and they're the perfect

size for the kids. I discovered that my little Tupperware bowl makes

the perfect size patties; just put some meat in the bottom, push it down with a spoon, turn the bowl over and tap it on the counter.

Yummy!

Emma started talking about pumpkin pie on Sunday...about how much she wished she had some. I told her I'd make her one on Monday. I woke up on Monday to her little face in mine saying, "Pumpkin Pie! Pumpkin Pie!"

She's declared it our family's official dessert of Memorial Day.

Fort Building

~~

Posts might be a bit hit and miss this week.

The last week of school is upon us!

Am I ready for the summer? Nope!!

"This Girl Rocks!!"

~~

Click here to see the awesome photos

Kyla took of Rick, Ann and Paul.

~~

I've had a nasty cold for the past two weeks.

Mealtime has been a bit hit and miss since the cough medicine

with Codine kicks in right about 4 p.m.

Yesterday, I felt like cooking, so I had a little

visit with Ree. Her recipes are oh-so-not

low-fat, but they are oh-so tasty!

I tried the Chicken Spaghetti.

It was delicious, and even better as leftovers.

I also made Snickerdoodle Bars (not from Ree's book).
We kept one for each of us and sent the rest
to work with Bob. They are delicious!
And so much easier than making cookies.

~~

As requested, here is the recipe.

Thanks, AmyS, for sharing it with me.

Snickerdoodle Bars

~

2 & 1/3 cups flour

1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cups butter or marg, softened

1 & 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
~

Cinnamon Filling

1 tbsp granulated sugar (I increased to 1 1/2 tbsp)

1 tbsp cinnamon

~

Glaze

(I didn't use the glaze...it's yummy w/out)

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

~

Heat oven to 350. Spray or grease the bottom only of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

~

Beat butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugars. Gradually add eggs and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.

~

Spoon 1/2 of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with Cinnamon Filling evenly over batter. Dallop teaspoons of remaining batter evenly over Cinnamon Filling. Gaps are o.k.; they let the filling peek through leaving a fun marbled look. (no need to spread out the tsps as you put them on...they'll spread out as it cooks).

~

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about one hour.

~

In a small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars.

~

{Bake these on a cold dreary day; the smell will perk you right up!}

Finally, finally, finally!
This afternoon, I got tired of seeing boxes everytime
I'd open my craftroom door.
It was so much easier to just leave it closed. :)
Everything is finally put away,
and it's open for use!
Please stop by and join me!
There's not much extra space in
here, but it opens up into the great room downstairs where there's
lots of room for worktables.


There's a lot of stuff in here...
scrapbooking, card making, sewing,
supplies for making hair bows, etc.
I love that it's all in one place.

Making good use of the original shelves.

AmyS made me this "Create" banner.
Isn't it perfect over the sewing machine?

I used the remainder of the IKEA fabric (already used for

curtains) to cover a bulletin board for me and

one for Emma.

Emma's space.

She was so excited to FINALLY get to use it today.

~~

Off to create!

Happy long weekend to all.

Published!

Ryan came home last week with a book of poems

that was published by the school district.

It was for a project called, "Elementary

Writing Without Walls." Each student wrote a poem,

and the school district chose which ones would be

included in the publication. Ryan's school had to write

recipes for Compassion.

~~

Compassion Pizza

2 grams happiness

2 grams caring

2 grams responsibility

2 grams good choices

Stir

Bake at 350 degrees

Eat greedily

Farmer's Market

Mom, Emmalee and I spent our soggy Saturday morning

at the Farmer's Market.

This was the strangest sight. Here we were, in the middle of downtown, in the pouring rain, and this guy's sitting on a sofa enjoying the view.

Emma joined in a game of marbles.

These kids sure were quiet!

This was our favorite booth.

Each one was different, and her prices were awesome!

I can imagine this booth on a sunny day...light flashing everywhere!

This one jumped in my bag and made it's way home with me.

And this one appeared in Emma's room.