Quotes

Changing out the quotes on the sidebar today.

The last ones I picked for Mere were:

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you." - A.A. Milne

"The only person better than you is the person you've yet to become." - Juliet Dillinger

"Without music, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities." - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

A Sleep Over

Meredith had her very first sleepover last night! I drove her over to Kaitlyn's house after school yesterday for just a play-date but she called me around 7 and asked if she could sleep over.

Apparently, they had a very good time. And Kaitlyn woke her up in the middle of the night to play Wii. I picked her up this morning around 10 or so because Kaitlyn had to do something today.

Turns out she was only a few blocks away from where Hayden was sleeping over.

ANOTHER Lost Tooth

Love the "toothless" look!!!

Meredith lost this last tooth on Friday (the 19th).

It took the Tooth Fairy until Monday to show up!

I don't know if she was backed up on work or what

but I'm writing a sternly worded letter

to her supervisor!

Seriously! I've got two more kids who haven't

even started losing their teeth yet!

Lost Tooth

Chalk Drawing

Created at Spirit Park

during Stephanie's TBall Game

on July 30, 2011

Summer Camp

On Sunday, July 17th, I drove the two older kids to TimberLake Camp by Marquette, Nebraska. We found their groups and I helped Meredith carry her stuff to her cabin in "Railroad Town." (A little wooden cabin with no a/c in the middle of a heat wave.)

Stephanie, Philip, and I picked her up on Tuesday, the 19th. She would have gladly stayed until Friday but she has to wait another year for that.

Her favorite thing to do at camp was: Everything.

Horseback riding, swimming, church, the campfire, singing, hanging out at the cabin, the lunch and the songs they sang at lunchtime.

The main thing she talked about afterward was the mudslide in the obstacle course.

She did get to ride a horse though so she was happy. Her group only got to ride them in the corral but that worked for her!

Softball Game - 7/27/11

Softball Game 7/20/2011

What a great team!

Softball Game - 7/13/11

Softball Game

Meredith's game was at 5:30 today. We're supposed to be there 15 minutes before every game. Today was the first day we actually made it on time!

This was a good game today. The girls played very well. The other team played exceptionally well. I'm thinking their coach was NOT a first-time coach. These girls were backing each other up. Our girls don't know what that means yet. One of their girls was about Hayden's size and she was really good. Still, our girls played very well. We had a lot of really good hits and the girls are figuring out that it's a race to first base. Sometimes, they slow down before they get there but they did much better today.

That being said ~ I really, really want to get Meredith on a team with an experienced coach. I want her to have a chance to learn some of this stuff that she should be learning. If I had the time, I would take her out to the park and teach her myself. I don't have that time right now. I am, however, toying with the idea of coaching or assistant coaching myself next year. We'll see about that.

The team we played today was the Blue Jays. (I'm putting that here in case I want to try and get her on this team next year!)

She Did It Again!

I can't believe it! I don't understand it! Why would she lie to me about reading a book? Again?

OK. This morning Hayden gave me a book that he finished last night. Tonight I walk into Meredith's room and she hands me the same book and tells me she finished it. Ummmm....When? I know for a fact she hasn't read all day long. So I asked her what it was about. She says, "Umm, that monster?"

Yeah. Right.

That also reminded me that I meant to ask her about the Baby-sitters Club book. It was over 200 pages and I told John to remind me to ask her what it was about because I was suspicious about that one too. Normally, she doesn't read books that long.

Yep. Didn't read that book either.

All those Goosebumps books she checked out because Hayden told her they were too scary for her (I told her that too) but she wanted to disprove him. She'd hand me one of those in the morning and tell me she read it.

Didn't read any of those either.

Mommy got really mad! I hate being lied to. At least when they're lying to me because they don't want to get in trouble, I can understand that. That makes me mad too but I understand that.

Why would you lie about reading a book you didn't read? What purpose does that serve? I've already told her I don't care if she doesn't like a book, it's okay to not read it and just take it back to the library. I've got one of those books right now. I think I would like it but I just don't feel like reading it.

So I got to spend 10 minutes trying to get the truth out of her. The longer it took, the madder I got. I finally got the truth and then had to just walk away for awhile. When I went back, I advised her that from now on, she would have to give me a report on every book she tells me she read. I advised her that she is not ever to allowed to lie to me again. Not ever in her entire life. And if she lies to me again, something bad will happen.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go delete a bunch of books off her Goodreads account.

Tent

Meredith built a tent out of a blanket and chairs in the hallway.

Her little brother and sister were annoying her. . .

"If you guys break my tent, I will DESTROY you!"

Softball Game 6/22/2011

My Beautiful Girl

I took these pictures at one of Stephanie's games... Isn't she beautiful?

Softball Game 6/15/11

Softball Game 6/8/11

The List

The dogs woke me up at 8am today. Apparently, I'm still feeling guilty that I kept them caged up most of the day yesterday while we were out having fun.

Anyway, I figured the kids would sleep late today and since I was up I might as well do something (not too energetic, of course) so I started scanning the pile I had from the end of school. After 2 hours, 3 of the kids had just gotten up and my scanner had locked up. I'm hoping it was just overheated and will come back around but it is 5 years old so we'll see. Anyway. . .

There was a bunch of Meredith's artwork in there. Mostly colorful drawings of rainbows and fairies and flowers and hearts and I Love You's.

Annette ~ I was supposed to give you this airplane picture when I flew up to New York.

TinkerBell and Friends



Stephanie sliding down a rainbow after finding a pot of gold and Meredith underneath congratulating her.

Then . . .

There was this one.

"Stupid Meany"

{read the #s,

Nicy head says: 1) Ah!

Meany head says: 2) She did it!

Nicy head says: 3) He's lying

Nicy head is also crying while

Meany head is breathing fire.}

and . . .

On the back of that drawing was

Her "Enemys List"

Hayden made the list twice.

Must have been a bad day!

I asked John if we should be concerned that our daughter has an "Enemys List".

He said no but maybe Hayden should be!

Science Project

Meredith did a science project this spring. She did a report on Jackrabbits. She spent many weeks researching and learning about them. She also spent many weeks advising me of all the interesting facts she learned about jackrabbits! ;0)

Then ~ we were out of town during the Science Fair. Her teacher still submitted it at the school fair but it didn't get to the city one.

Taylor Swift Concert

Music

Meredith is beside herself lately. The Taylor Swift concert is on Saturday night and she can hardly wait!

- - - - -

In other news, we've decided to forego Meredith's guitar lessons for the summer. She hasn't been into it much these past few weeks and we don't really want to keep forcing her to practice. I think she just needs a little time off and will be happy to get back into it in the fall. (She's been going every week since last August.)

Hayden, however, has decided to keep going over the summer. He's just hitting his stride, according to the teacher, so I'm happy to let him keep going while he's enjoying it and getting better.

Cake Time

Meredith loves horses.
Now she's trying to talk Grandpa into getting one since he has a farm, apparently, that means he should have a horse.

Sounds logical.

It never worked for Peggi though.

She tried for years to get a horse.

White horses are her favorite.

Blowing out the candles.

(Couldn't fit Camden in the other picture.)

Flamingo News

Meredith named her big blue flamingo that she won at Six Flags.

And, amazingly, the name does not contain the words "blue," "flamingo," "princess," or "rainbow."

His name is "Kenny."

Cursive

In second grade, you learn how to write in cursive. Meredith loves this.

Artwork Wednesday

January 2011

"Friendship" with the SpongeBob Gang

(They are jellyfishing.)

March 2011

"Merpeople"

(That's a flying fish in the middle."

8 is Gr8!

Eight years ago today, John and I headed to the hospital to have our sweet baby girl. I was induced early in the morning and, silly me, assumed I would have a baby in just a few minutes. Instead I sat laid around all stinkin' day. She decided not to show up until after 5pm. They had to call the doctor in from the gym. (He had gone for a workout since she was taking her sweet time.) (He showed up in his workout clothes and sweat band - I need to see if I have a picture of him like that.) But - it was worth the wait. And now my sweet little chubby-cheeked baby has grown into a girl. Not a little girl anymore but a full-fledged girl. You will have to excuse the background of these pictures - we brought her downstairs to the store to give her the presents and the back of the store is chaotic now. This is the only thing she specifically asked for

. . . a WebKinz kangaroo.

Grandma splurged for Taylor Swift tickets.

(concert on May 28)

Daddy got a special hug because . . .

He bought her a new guitar.

Showoff.

This one is supposed to be easier to play since it's electric.

John and I decided to start making the kids' birthdays a little more special so we got a helium container and blew up balloons for her to wake up to in the morning and we're going to let them pick out a restaurant to eat at on their birthday.

Meredith picked "Golden Corral" - the primary reason was because the birthday girl got to stand on a chair while the staff sang a birthday song to her. She really, really wanted to stand on the chair!