Hero Saves Town

Four well-known western ladies, show their appreciation to Sherriff Wyatt Earp.

In an interesting development on Friday, local Sherriff, Wyatt Earp, saved reknown prairie teacher, Laura Ingalls, sharp-shooter Annie Oakley, and two well-known Indians from 100 outlaws armed with intense energy and a barrage of smart words. Although the day started quietly, the situation quickly changed around 8:00 a.m. when an army of outlaws descended upon the brave fivesome wearing all kinds scary disguises and demanding no homework, candy, extended recess, and movies. Sensing iminent danger, the four ladies retreated to the outdoor amphitheatre where they were quickly cornered. Confident of their victory, the outlaws immediately pursured the victims. Their "assured" victory, however, was foiled when Sherriff Wyatt Earp, who was hiding atop a tree, jumped down and scared the hooligans. Confused and afraid, the outlaws at once gave in to the Sherriff's demands and did something extremely rare among such a breed of bandits- they sat down and listened.

--- story adapted from Jason Mysinger's version

Work is much more fun when you have fun people to work with!

Spooky Stories by Evan

If there is one thing Evan loves it is spooky stories! You might remember the tale recited multiple times by Evan last year after attending Story Time at Oak Ridge Library. (I was going to link to the post, but apparently the video is no longer there, oh well. It was cute, you can take my word for it.)

This year, he received an audio book in a happy meal, which we have listened to in the car for over a week now. It is a Ready Freddy book called Ready Freddy Halloween Fraidy Cat. The other day, Evan decided he wanted to write the story. Normally I write what he dictates, but we only had a few minutes until karate and I was trying to fix Chloe something to eat so I told him I didn't have time. He already had the paper and pen and he said, just tell me how to spell the words and I'll write them.

I didn't think he could do it. It's just recently that he has been writing his name independently and when I help him with his homework (writing his letters) he really struggles. In fact, I have to admit, being the neurotic teacher that I am, I've worried that he needs occupational therapy for his fine motor skills and planned to discuss with his kindergarten teacher next year if I was still concerned. Anyway, I thought if he wants to try, then fine, it doesn't matter if it's right.

So, the first letter was "R" and I know this is a letter they haven't even worked on in class yet, so I figured the next words out of his mouth would be "How do you make an R?". But, nope, he just bowed his head and stuck his tongue out in concentration and wrote something and then said, "ok". Ok then. I spelled a few more letters for him and then I got curious. I went over to see what he was writing and to my complete astonishment I saw this (or part of it, this is the finished product).

In case you can't tell, it says, "Ready Freddy Halloween Fraidy Cat" and he wrote every single letter independently. How did that happen? I can't believe it! I'm so proud of him, I could cry. Or maybe I could cry because I didn't even know he could do that. Maybe I could cry because his teachers clearly taught him how to do that while I was too busy. Maybe I could cry because suddenly, in a instant of pure amazement, I felt so out of the loop of my son's life it was unbelievable to me.

Maybe, but for now, we'll just say I could cry because I am so very proud of him. Because I am.

And now... for your reading enjoyment....

Ready Freddy Halloween Fraidy Cat... as retold by Evan Tinker and dictated by Mommy

Chapter 1 Get Ready for Halloween

"Freddy! It's time for a Halloween Party!"

Freddy gulped.

"Freddy! I made you a new monster costume!" my momma yelled.

Freddy said, "Yippee!"

Then dad said, "Hello! Freddy! Come down here!"

As soon as Freddy got downstairs.... "Boo!" His big brother got in front of him.

Then, Freddy's mom said, "That wasn't very nice to your brother, Gary." (Gary's the bad brother).

As soon as we got to school, that was the end of Chapter 1.

Chapter 2 Halloween at School

When we got to school, the teacher said we were ready for chocolate cupcakes. After the cupcakes there was a big noise we heard. It went "Sqeeeeeak, Squeeeeaaaak." Scary, isn't it?

As soon as we figured out the sound. it was Chloe's pet. Chloe's' pet was called B.B.

"B. B.!", Chloe shout.

That was the end of Ready Freddy Halloween Fraidy Cat. Bwahahahaha!

Dictator's notes: Chloe was a real character in the book and that was so funny to Evan! Her pet's name was actually "Fee Fee", but apparently he heard it as B.B. and the laugh at the end must be done in a scary, evil voice to get the full effect.

I'm so proud of my little writer. He loves to tell stories and write people cards and letters. Until recently, he wanted me to do all the actual writing. Which I'm fine with because I'd rather him have the ideas and not have them hindered by what he can actually manage to get down on paper, but I'm also so proud that he is now starting to take an interest in actually learning to write words for himself.

Amazing! He is just amazing!

WARNING!

Too much Halloween candy can cause a slight yellowing of the teeth and reddening of the skin around the mouth.

And way too much Halloween candy, coupled with karate class, hyperactivity, plastic vampire teeth, and a sensitive gag reflex can result in sticky, red puke all over the kitchen floor.

Not that I would know or anything.

"Too much candy will make you sick! Too much candy will make you so sick! Candy, candy it tastes really yummy, but candy, candy goes crazy in your tummy!" --- Yo Gabba Gabba

Flight or Fight

I took Evan and Chloe (and myself as well) to get the H1N1 vaccine at our local health department the other night. Yes, I researched it. I began my research by pretty much having a panic anxiety attack each time I heard of another otherwise healthy child in our state dying from the H1N1 flu within days of becoming ill. Then, I read all of the information released by the CDC and WHO and APA who all urge people to get the vaccine, especially for young children for whom the virus appears to be particularly dangerous (or at least I listened to all the news reports about what those organizations said and read about it on the Internet, ahem). I spoke with our pediatrician about it (who I trust) who told me that he felt it really was best to vaccinate our children and that he also really felt (based on the research he did, which I bet was slightly more thorough and possibly reliable than mine) that it was safe, not to mention that he was vaccinating his own son (Evan's age) and his pregnant wife. And I also read all the emotional statements from people (mostly online, but from a few friends and family as well) about how it was all a big scam from the health insurance companies and that vaccines are poison and until they create a totally organic vaccine there is no way it is going in their babies' bodies (ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit on that last part). And since I generally trust my doctors (they wouldn't be my doctors if I didn't), generally choose to vaccinate because I believe it is best, and generally disagree with most everything the people who fall into the latter category say when it comes to healthcare, medication, birthing babies, and presidential campaigns (although I do love (most) of them and respect them and their choices on how to raise their children) I then, promptly turned into a crazy "drug seeker" calling health departments left and right to see where I could get my children vaccinated. When I found out I could sign us up to get the shot at our local health department, I did.

I had a sneaking suspicion it might not be pretty. You see I had taken Evan to a different health department a few days earlier to get the seasonal flu mist (yes, I did that, too. also researched. get it every year, well the shot anyway, this was the first year for the mist). And I had to drag him, kicking and whining, from the car into the health department to get the mist. He was certain it would hurt. But, of course it didn't.

Well, since he'd had the seasonal mist, he had to have the H1N1 shot. FYI you can get 2 shots at the same time or 1 mist and 1 shot, but 2 mists is a no-no. You have to wait 28 days in between mists. And I wasn't going to take a chance on them running out.

I told him when I picked him up at my mom's what was going to happen and he immediately burst into tears. It took a few games on his Leapster, but he did calm down and seem to forget about it as we drove to the health department. He was even calm as we walked in and I filled out paperwork and we waited. Surprisingly he was calm when they told us we could go on back. He was calm while I got my shot, staring him dead in the eyes with a big smile plastered on my face. I was just thinking to myself, "Maybe this won't be so bad" when they told me they would like to do Chloe's first. I told them with a smile and lots of nods in his direction that I really thought it best that he go first (so he didn't see her cry)... but apparently they didn't catch my drift and there were people waiting so they ushered me and Chloe to a chair and had me hold her while she got her shot. She cried, of course, like any respectable baby. And she calmed down as soon as I picked her up. But, while I was distracted with that I noticed a slight commotion.

You see, after I stood up with her, the nurse told Evan to sit down. Well, he took one look at her with those gloves and that syringe in her hand (smiling like the Joker in his mind, no doubt) and he bolted! Another parent had deterred him near the doorway, but he was just about to break lose from her. I quickly grabbed him and drug him over to the chair with one arm and tried to make him sit down. He was already screaming bloody murder. I tried to lean my body into his. I was thinking if he would just hug me with his other arm then I could block his view with my head and hopefully hold him still at the same time, but he latched on with both arms and legs like a baby howler monkey with the strength of a python. A nurse tried to come and take Chloe from me, so I could use both arms, but she began screaming bloody murder. So, we had no choice. Two nurses came over and assisted me in holding him down. He screamed and fought with all his might (and boy is he a lot stronger than last year), but finally we managed to wrestle him (nearly) to the ground and get him still enough for her to stick him. Then they gave him two Clifford stickers. Now, both kids are screaming. I was trying to comfort both babies and juggle the paperwork at the same time when the nurse looks up cheerfully and says, "Don't forget, they will both need another dose in 30 days".

Um, say what?

Yes, children under 10 must have two doses of the H1N1, just like when they had their very first flu shot. Oh joy.

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I got us ready to go. As I was leaving I looked into the sympathetic eyes of the parent who had stopped Evan from running all the way home earlier and she smiled that smile that is only smiled between mothers. Mothers who know. And then I looked down at her 4 year old daughter who was now screaming and clinging to her leg after witnessing that whole ordeal. And I felt just terrible. As we walked out the door I caught a glimpse of them trying to hold her daughter down and I heard them saying, "It's just a little squirt in your nose, no needles". And she was fighting with all her might! And I felt even worse. Now, they really should have gone in front of us.

Sometimes being a mommy is very, very hard. There are tough decisions to make and sometimes you have to allow a little pain in order to help them grow up healthy and strong.

Luckily, neither of my kids have seemed to have any effects whatsoever from their vaccines. They do not appear to even be sore. My arm, on the other hand, feels like I was sucker punched!

Sometimes being a mommy is very, very hard.

Give Me Five!

I picked Chloe up yesterday at my mom's. She ran to me, saying "Mama", like she (almost, unless Granddaddy happens to be in the room) always does and held her arms up and said "hug". I picked her up and she squeezed me tight around the neck and then kissed me (as my heart melted and ran out of my body and oozed across the kitchen floor) and then she began pointing to each bead on my necklace and saying something. At first I couldn' t make it out, but then I heard "four, fi!"

Is she counting?!

We all listened again. Again, unintelligible utterances and then "four, fi!"

My mom said she was counting like that along with a show on PBS earlier as well. (No, of course we don't let our children watch tv before the age of 2).

So, this time we all counted with her. She stopped and listened to us until we got to "three" and then sure enough, she said, "four, fi!"

Is my child a genius or what?

Would You Rather?

So yesterday in the car Evan says...

"Mom, wouldya radger(rather) be locked in a cage with a tiger or lick peanut butter off the tire of a car?"

Well, now, come on son! That is a complete no brainer! I'll take peanut butter anyway I can get it!

But, seriously, where did he get this?

Some others he asked me...

Would you rather cross the street with an angry rhinoceros or bite the bark off a tree?
Would you rather be underneath a house that was falling down on top of you or jump into a river of lava?

Hmmm.. those are tough ones.

4 Year Old Logic... So Evan wanted two packs of sweet-tarts and I told him not until he finished his pizza (aren't we the picture of health?), LOL. Anyway, he then told me... "Well, why don't I just go ahead and put them in the bowl and hold onto them now so that you don't have to go to all that trouble later."

Oh, it's no trouble at all, sweetheart :).

Today was Evan's Halloween party at school. On the way to school he told me...
"So today is one day closer to Haloween! And tomorrow will be another day closer, and the next day will be another day closer, and the next day will be another day closer...."

Yup, Tomorrow is always only a day away!

After he had eaten one of his poptarts in the car, I asked him if he wanted the other one. He said,
"No, I just really want you to concentrate on getting me to school on time. I don't want to be late, like you always are."

Why There Are No Pictures of Me...

All I can say is "Bless His Heart". Matthew, not Evan, took these pictures. Bless his heart.

Not so bad from far away.

Yikes.

What is the camera focusing on?

Evan black and white can't really salvage them. There's just no good way to fix a totally out of focus picture.

Seriously?! Seriously. Would this not be the absolute cutest picture, you know, if the people were actually in focus instead of the little bitty corner of ground in the top of the picture? This one makes me want to cry. Seriously.

Again, the grass behind us sure looks sharp and crisp.

Boy do we look happy. I think. I'm not sure. My eyes are blurring.

Far away is definitely better.

Hey! I'm actually in focus!

At least one little strand of my hair is, I think. I'm pretty sure my hand and Evan's arm is.

All I can say is "Bless His Heart."

That little red dot that shows up when you push the shutter half-way down? Yeah. You should probably point that somewhere near someone's face when you take a picture.

Sigh.

In all fairness, I should have adjusted the aperture before I handed him the camera. Or better yet, I probably should have just switched it on over to AUTO. Lesson learned.

Sigh. If only I could turn back time.

Precious Moments

These were just while I was setting up, testing exposure, etc. I absolutely love them. I'm having one blown up and framed as a surprise for Matthew's birthday (which is very soon). So, quick! Which one of the above do you like the best?

Doing what they do best!

We Are Family!

These are actually my favorites of all the pictures. But, Matthew has this thing about us actually looking at the camera for our "portraits." He has no appreciation of true art, LOL.

The "Son" that Brightens My Day

Family Pictures

I got the bright idea of attempting to take family photos of us, myself. We needed a new one for above our fireplace. The one hanging there now was when Chloe was a newborn. I was going to have a photographer do it, but I was tired of semi-inexpensive studio portraits and I really couldn't afford the expensive outdoor shoots that I covet. I decided I would give it a try and if it didn't work out, then I would schedule with a photographer. When, I don't know. That's one of the biggest problems.

So we decided to day would be the day. I started trying to think of what we would wear and realized we had nothing. I wanted some color in the pictures this year. I was able to coordinate Chloe and I, but the boys were another story. Poor Evan, he had nothing decent to wear. I've stopped buying him nice clothes since he adamantly refuses to wear them. Finally we decided on the vests for the guys in neutral colors. Evan actually agreed to wear jeans (wonder of all wonders) and he wore his John Deere "Dirt, it does a body good" t-shirt.LOL.

So, here they are.

This is the one I decided on for above our fireplace. It was the most poorly exposed and I had work on it in photoshop because the sun (fairly bright) was behind us. But, I loved the red tree and the reflection on the pond and the red will go nicely in our family room.... so I'm just crossing my fingers that it looks ok and not too noisy. It will be on canvas so that should disguise some of it and Shutterfly said it was ok to print at that size, so we shall see. At least it was only 22 bucks if it doesn't turn out ok.

These were the other contenders. I really like this one, but it looked more like a snapshot and not really "formal" enough for above the fireplace. I did order a print of it for my classroom though.

This one was Matthew's favorite and the exposure and color is really nice and it's really nice and crisp. But, I look horrible. These were our first ones. And I set the tripod up down the hill and then had to push the button to start the timer and then book it up the hill and get into place. So my hair is all over the place, and I'm surprised I'm not gasping for air.

And then there's my butt sticking out. I didn't really think out where I was supposed to go until I had already pushed the button. So I just jumped in there and it was not the best spot for me! Oh well, lesson learned.

Oh how I wish I had a wireless shutter remote, but unfortunately they don't make one for my camera model. I ordered a corded one, but seriously, the cord is like 2 feet long. It doesn't allow for much freedom.

I'll have more pictures later. These are the only ones I worked on tonight.

Serious Soccer Overload

Saturday was our next to the last game and since I had not taken any pictures in the last couple of games (but we did video), I decided I would take the camera to this one.

Evan and Eli waiting for the game to start.

The action begins!

Slapping high five with Hayden.

I love how the pictures make it look like he is dribbling that ball down the field, :). We'll just remember it that way.

Uh-oh, he's coming in for the steal!

A little teamwork from Evan and Eli.

Eli's loose! They can't stop him now!

Don't you love the "fierce" look on his face. I'm pretty sure he was making super hero sound effects.

Evan is getting ready to kick the ball in.

Apparently he has created a new "ritual" that he goes through before he kicks.

It went on for quite a while.

You can just call him, Sergio.

The might kick!

Sitting on the bench.

Chloe is taking in the action. She can't wait until she is old enough to play.

This is another reason that I brought the camera... Coach Sara was walking in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure so Matthew filled in. Here he is handing snack out at half-time.

The half-time prayer. (Yes, I was the rude person taking pictures).

My cutie-pie! He was in a silly mood that day!

See?

I told you so.

Yup! That's my silly, cutie-pie!

No one can eat around Chloe without her getting some, too! She had already eaten a cereal bar, a banana, and quite a bit of my biscuit!

Evan is using his super powers again.

Way to go!

Gimme five!

Kick off! Now, they don't keep score in Upward, but if you will notice a lot of the pictures are down on the end of the field by the parking lot (the other teams's goal) and we also kicked off quite a bit. :).

Evan and Coach Dad.

Coach Hayden checking out an injury. Hayden is 18 and he is so good with those kids! How many 18 year olds would get up every Saturday morning to help coach a 4-5 year old soccer team?

Evan absolutely loves Hayden.

Perfect formation. Again, don't you love photography, LOL.

Eli getting ready to throw-in!

After every game, the parents make a tunnel and all the players run through. So cute. I sat out this time to take pictures.

Here come the Cougars!

Evan bursts through the tunnel!

An after game, celebratory soccer cupcake! Yum!

Quote of the day:

"Dad, since you are a coach today, you'll have to get in when we all say Cougars. But you really didn't do much today." ---- Evan Tinker