I didn't kill them!

Last summer I forgot to water my Hostas plants...for two months.  Those months were July and August...you know, the hottest months in the South.  So needless to say, I cut back the dead plants and thought that I had killed one of the hardiest plants there is.  But I didn't kill them!  They are coming back and I will never forget to water them again!  Who am I kidding?  I won't forget to water them for two whole months ever again.  And I will definitely remember to take pictures of our house once spring has fully sprung!

If only...

...I could actually paint like this!

Jake likes to check out the app of the day on his Kindle Fire and he found this very cool "painting" app.  The app of the day is free so he got it and I love it so he put it on my phone for me (all our phones and Kindles are on the same Amazon account so we can share everything with out having to buy it more than once) and I have been playing with it in the evening while we watch The Voice.  You literally just sweep your finger across the screen and it makes these works of art!  (Jake just looked over my shoulder and told me I need to say that he found it like a year ago but I just got it on my phone the other day.)  So you can go from this one....

...to this one with just a few strokes of your finger! I like it on mirror mode and you can pick the colors you want to use.  I am seriously thinking of printing some and framing them!  It is a fun waste of time!

A couple of random pictures...

 ...just because.  Jake is kind of loving Papa G's helicopter and Papa G is already ready for a new on so they are making a deal for Jake to buy it.  The helicopter is some where in this picture. :)

Jake had a whole set up going on the other day in the living room.  He was listening to classical music on his Kindle Fire with head phones on while doing some research (I can't remember on what...Oh I think it was his Oscar Wilde author profile paper...turns out he was gay and even went to jail for it) on my computer.  He is such a big kid.  In case you are wondering I had sprinkled carpet powder on the rug that helps release dog fur and dirt while making it smell so good!  You have to wait for 15 minutes before vacuuming but I couldn't wait that long to take a picture.

                                                                    And that is all.

North America

I guess I was asleep during geography class because I had no idea how many countries their are in North America.  Jake is kind of loving geography and the amount of information he retains kind of amazes me (I shouldn't have said that because now people will quiz him.  I never quiz people's kid that go to public school but for some reason people feel the need to quiz homeschoolers).   I went a little over board at first thinking he had to learn all the Bahama and Caribbean islands and then I realized I have survived with out knowing them this long, so I am sure he will too.

Jake is tracing the continents so that he will be able to free hand the world by the time he is done with all the continents (and the new ocean-the Southern Ocean...when did that happen?).

I am excited for when he draws the whole world so that I can frame it and put it on the wall!  

He was pretty proud of how it came out and I am too.  I photocopied so that he can fill it (that is the best way to learn the countries-fill in a map a ton of times...at least that is working for Jake!).  Who knew geography was so cool and fun?

Books #8 and #9

I haven't really been reading a whole lot lately...I know that is sad and pitiful..but I finally finished book number #8 and #9 of the year. 

I loved 41 by George W. Bush.  It is well written and gives great insight into the life of an amazing man.  I have to say that 41 is one of my favorite presidents and this book solidified that.  I met him during the primaries way back in the late 80's (when I was way to young to even vote) and he was just like my Grampa Smith which means he is a great man.  It was great to read about his life and accomplishments in his private, family life and his rise to the presidency.  I loved it.  I love him.  I love that his son wrote it (who is also on my list of favorite presidents and I don't carry what any one thinks!) and gave candid insights that made me love them both even more.  He is an amazing man so how could an honest book about him not be amazing too?

Book #9 was actually a play but I am totally counting it.  Jake and I read (and did the voices for all the characters) The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.  It is a clever play.  Jake and I spent most of the time laughing at the characters who are anything but earnest...which is the point of course.  Is it on my list of favorites? No, but I enjoyed it and so did Jake.  And it is nice to get in a quick read every now and then.

I finished both of these two weeks ago and haven't really read much since (I am reading a couple of books but I am not really reading them much...I need to read a good quick kids book to get me reading again)...Sad.  

The Rail Trail

Jake has been wanting to ride his bike on the Rail Trail for a while now and the end of last week we finally decided to take an extended recess and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.  There is a big pile of what looks like sand or gravel at the beginning of the trail that turns out to be solid and Jake rolled his bike up on it to check it out.

Sadie wanted to run after Jake so bad but she is a little ADD when it comes to squirrels and you have to keep your dog on a leash on the Rail Trail.  So she dragged me along...

Sadie is pretty spoiled.  When I sat down and we started swinging she just laid down and enjoyed the break.  

We decided to stop at the Rail Trail Dog Park and let Sadie off her leash for a while.

There were no other doggy friends but there was a pool and that is almost better!

It was fun to watch as Sadie followed Jake around every where he went.


Jake sat down on the swing at the dog park and had an America's Funniest Video moment.  He some who flipped the whole swing over.  It was hard not to laugh so I did. :)


I need to give in a little more when Jake asks to do spontaneous things and remember that sometimes making memories are more important than the To Do list.

Jake Had A Busy Week Last Week...

 He had to cuddle Sadie in bed...

That can be time consuming....

 He had co-op on Monday, school and taking care of me on Tuesday.  Wednesday was Food For Thought, the once a month homeschool class at the library,  and the topic was "Sweet Science"(yes I took him while being sick...I toted tissues and warned the other mom's stay keep there distance).  He also made me lunch that day to make me feel better.  That night he had YM's at church.  Thursday more school of course (he did it every day but I guess I don't have to say that...) and then the homeschooling skate that afternoon (I was feeling some what human by then).  Friday was school, and then shop class and working on a merit badge with Papa Harmon.

They were working on building a fire.

And all that is left on the lamp is to sand it and then bring it home and paint it!  It is pretty cool and Jake will hate this picture....hehehe.

After shop class we headed to Target to get a few new t-shirts for him.  None of his shirts from last summer seem long enough.  I guess that is because he has grown several inches.  He is now (and has been for a few weeks) officially taller than me.  I am 5' 6 3/4" tall.  He is over 5'7".  He calls me short stack now.

Then we headed to one of his friends (Wilson) house for his b-day party.  We dropped him off at 4 and picked him up at 11.  It was a sleepover but we don't do sleepovers...boys get dumber the more sugar they ingest and the more tired they get...and the more of them there are!  Not to say they are dumb but you know what I mean.  Jumping off the roof seems more doable at 2 am.  I wish I had taken pictures of the boys.  There were six of them, all boys that we met at Classical Conversations co-op when we moved here 3 years ago.  They are all 13 or turning 13 (well one is a little brother and is 11) in the next couple of months.  Three of them have hit puberty and are tall with deeper voices and the other three are short with high voices.  It is crazy to see the change in them.  And Jake is of course is one or the tall guys....by a lot!  Time flies!!!!

 On Saturday we did some serious grocery shopping-Jake stayed home while we went to Walmart (Aaron came with me-Jake said it was a date for us) and then came when we went to Sam's Club.  He couldn't pass up the pizza or checking out all the cool stuff with Aaron.  They like to check out all the huge TV's and books and movie's and...and...and...You get it.

And by the way...Dreams do come true!  I am cutting back but I was excited to see that Sam's Club finally had diet Dr. Pepper.  It is my one vice....

 I was in the house putting away all our food and stuff and I opened the windows to let the Spring (I know I don't have to capitalize Spring...or any of the seasons but I like to and it is my blog so I do) breeze in.  I caught a picture of Aaron cutting the grass while Jake scooped the poop and then burned what is just about the last of the leaves.

I have my spring-y-est table cloth one. 

I forgot I took this picture!

 After that we played Settlers of Catan which I won fair and square this time. We had movie night on Saturday since Jake was not home on Friday and watched Mocking Jay Part 1...and I cried of course.  Any time the theme is revolution for freedoms sake I blubber...It was a good week for a good kiddo and his biggest fan...


And last week is a wrap...and we are on to a new one!

I was sick last week...

...it wasn't fun at all.  Jake has had this head cold twice and I now understand why all he wanted to do was lay around.  I have to admit I thought he was faking to get out of doing school.  He was not.  It was a doozy of a cold.  This picture sums up how I felt pretty well...

I don't take a whole lot of selfies but I felt like this could be a public service announcement.  I am just trying to keep it real people.  Take your vitamins and wash your hands.  One minute your nose is completely stopped up and the next second it was a faucet.  Jake brought my pillows out to the couch and made me lunch on Wednesday.  He is a good boy.  I of course took very good care of him when he was sick too...which is probably why I got sick.  Aaron got a little stuffy nose.  He has a high immunity to everything.  I am so glad that cold and flu season is coming to a close...Spring is here people!!!

"I'm so fancy,"...

 ..."but you already know".  In twenty years we can goggle that song and get a kick out of it!  We are feeling pretty fancy in our new to us Ford Fusion.  It is a 2012 and at 51k miles it has 200k less miles than both Burt and The Beast (they are both over 250k...You're welcome if you struggle with basic math). 

That is a lot of fancy right there...

And there are 6 cup holders!!!  The Jeep had zero cup holders...Aaron finally said I am a true Southerner now because I have to take a drink with me every where I go.  I need to stay hydrated what can I say.  And now that he has said that he can never take it back.  I am Southern y'all!

I drove it home from picking it up from the Martin's (we bought it from Jeremy's parents who live in Gaffney) and we picked up Jake.  Aaron drove it over to show Mom and Dad.

It is really pretty.

And fancy...Did I mention fancy?  On the way over to my parents I called my mom, hands free through the blue tooth.  

Dad wasn't there but Jake and I drove by the next day to show him.

The trunk is pretty big!

Everyone was enjoying all the fanciness..

The Beast has been retired to outside the carport.  

 This is love people!  We took Sadie on a ride the next morning and she approves.  The interior is black so her dog fur is camouflaged. :)

It has a fancy sunroof too.

We used the cup holder for the first time that day too.  It was St. Patrick's day and I was getting a head cold so I was opting out of our traditional green eggs and ham.

We were pleasantly surprised to see that Chick-Fil-A made it all better.


One more thing...our new car is fancy.  Sorry for bragging. :)