Thursday, November 29, 2007

Fun Websites for Kids

As a school librarian, I'm always on the lookout for fun websites for kids. Who better than my blogpeople to share my favs with?

http://www.starfall.com
My own kids are so in love with this one - it has interactive stories & songs for prereaders and early readers.
http://www.makinglearningfun.com
A new favorite of mine - activities to go along with specific books, lots of cut and paste projects, songs, poems.
http://www.janbrett.com
If you love Jan Brett books go see her website - the woman must be a little crazy, maybe OCD. There are 1000s of pages!
http://www.kizclub.com
Lots of fun activities for literature, seasons, animals & more.

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Sounds of Silence

I am home A-L-O-N-E. Can't remember the last time! Lisa took Mary 1/2 way home and A-L-L the kids went with her.......it might have helped that I yelled "Anyone who goes gets to have McDonald's for lunch on the way."
Cousin Mary is, in a NUTshell, a typewriter. She engages in nervous titter ALL THE TIME. She needs a deep tissue massage and a few years of therapy. Mary is from the hicks in Western NY and was impressed by the big city lights of Rochester. We went bowling on Friday - I bowled an 87........with bumpers!!
Elly managed to score a time-out! Isn't her posture just too ladylike??


Is Ana too cute? She could barely lift the 8 pounder.


It took several minutes for the ball to amble down the lane but Ana managed to get 2 spares!


Mary, who claimed to be a near champion bowler although she has never bowled before, shows off her form. Notice the ball is not touching the floor? She hefted it over her head and threw it - I nearly saw everyone in the vicinity's lives flash before my eyes.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!




We had a great time on Thanksgiving! We made an awesome breakfast - homemade tortillas, eggs, veg sausage, guacamole & homemade cinnamon rolls - YUMMY!

At Noon, we headed to Buffalo for dinner with Lisa's peeps. Aunt Laurie always has a cool project for the kids. She made these trees from the foam corners that cushioned her new kitchen cabinets. She is capital K KLEVER!

Grandma yacking on the phone and Ian chiilin'

The kids' cousin Mary came home with us and we're going to my brother John's house for dinner so the madness rocks on!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Crazy New Camera

My old camera slipped into oblivion a couple weeks ago and I bought a Cannon Power Shot on ebay last week. It's a *little* out of my league! I have to get my $1 Target reading glasses out every time I use it so I can read all the little buttons. I have been having fun with it though.
Yesterday Elly's front tooth was hanging all lopsided. She wouldn't pull it out. I held onto it and she backed away from me - voila! Now if only I could explain why I want her to sing "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth." She just doesn't get it!

I love the camera's ability to capture Lewis in motion!

It also captures my children's boogers really well too!
Not on my darling girls of course.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

11/11/01

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
- Savage Garden
The first moment I met my darling Analise. I burst into tears. It was the only time I cried when I met one of my children.

An hour later we were in our hotel room. Analise grabbed Frances' face and Frances started to cry, out of stress more than anything else. After that it was true love between them. Frances told me "Baby Ana isn't our baby Mama, she's MINE."

Analise was 18 months old but only 14 lbs - tiny and malnourished. She came to us, never grieved, and never looked back.

I ADORE this girl and celebrate one of the happiest days of my life!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

The weekend report

Man-o-man, weekends are just too much fun lately!
Well, let me contradict myself right off the bat and say how much I hate changing Lewis' bed sheets. He has 1000 little bitty stuffed animals, books and assorted little toys that MUST be on his bed. After I take them all off and change the sheets, he must come in, get up on his bed, arrange everything just so and entertain me with stories of why everything needs to be in it's specified spot......fascinating.

In this family, we're big on celebrations......and excuses for cupcakes. Saturday was Analise's 1/2 birthday! We each got 1/2 of a cupcake. I'm pretty strict - you only get one candle to blow out.

Frances got glasses last year, when her vision was 20/40. This year she got another exam and her vision was 20/100! Since she has to wear her glasses all the time, I let her pick out some stylin' $$$$$$$ glasses. This photo was taken by the 1/2 birthday girl.

Phew, on to Sunday. Grandma's birthday. We shuffled off to Buffalo and had brunch with Grandma.

"MAMA< TAKE A PICTURE OF ME WHEN I LOOK LIKE A HANDSOME BOY."

All this and daylight savings (or is it standard?) time. I have to go recline myself.