Keeping A Watchful Eye

Super Duper Duds

I don't have many outfits that have lasted through six boys, but these pajamas have. Although threadbare and worn, and hand-me-downs before, every boy LOVES to wear them. Miller's worn them for two days and two nights, and finally relinquished to letting me refresh them.

Superman's been sad, slept, and played with sticks...

...and scooted to make his cape fly behind him!

Thank goodness for SUPER wear p.j.s

Creativity

I've been surprised a few times this week at the different ways my boys are expressing their creativity. For example, finding letters in the beans while preparing them for canning.

Miller

A quilt square for a family whose home was totaled by flooding.

Tanner

Self-portraits on my camera.

Sawyer

Play dough chess pieces, where upon capture, said piece gets smashed.
Porter

Making structures out of playing cards.
Cooper

Making a really large bike out of tinker toys.

Cooper

Making facial accessories out of tootsie rolls while driving home from church.

The Three Musketeers

Curse of the Narrows

December 6, 1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia. A munitions ship collided witha vessel in the Narrows of the harbor, triggering a catastrophic explosion that destroyed much of the city. Within minutes a tsunami engulfed parts of the waterfront. That evening a blizzard buried Halifax, isolating it from the world.

Each December the people of Boston gather to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Some of them probably do not know why the people of Halifax send a tree every year or even that it is a gift from Nova Scotia. No one needs to know the story behind a tree to admire its beauty. But the people of Halifax know where it comes from and they remember the story, and what the people of Boston did for them.

This is a fabulous read.

I wish I could be in Boston to see the tree this year.

Now I know the story.

Perspective

"Mom, I saw so many cute baby faces today in the kindergarten lines!"

Sawyer, 1st grade

Doing Good in the Neighborhood

This is a hygiene kit including socks, pillow, water and blanket.

Although Tanner's National Honor Society was handing them out they were actually put together by another church.

The First Baptist Church of Proctorville was out in their Partridge-family-style bus hosting a barbeque for the homeless.

The numbers have drastically increased. There weren't enough of the packs, but those who needed them the most received them.

Miller in the Hood

Miller aka "Robin" in the Hood

Sawyer spent one day teaching him the fundamentals, and Miller spent the next three days practicing ALLLLLLL day.

Pure boy joy.

Miller's Misery

This cute little face got into something poisonous at soccer, and looked like he gained thirty pounds.

Lots of swelling and itchiness.

But, lots of cheek for Mom.
Hope you feel better soon, Miller!

"S" Things on Saturday

1. Soccer

2. Shopping at Sams

3. Sam's snacks

4. Sam's snacks making soccer boys silly and stuffed

5. Squeezing into the Super size me chair!

6. Movie screenings during check out.
Super!

Sawyer and Soccer

We're not surprised Sawyer's doing well in his first season of soccer.

Anything athletic and involving a ball excites him to no end.

However, here his excitement level has peaked and he looks like he has ants in his pants.

Especially next to his teammate WHO DOESN'T MOVE!

The Games of Golf

I've played this game my whole life through But I can't tell you what to do. It didn't matter how high my score I always wanted to go back for more. I bought myself a glove, got new shoes My score was still the same old news. I tried slowing down my mighty swing And didn't improve a blasted thing. I would hook it left then slice it to the right I could never keep my ball in sight. Sometimes I'd find it and sometimes not I've lost track of all the balls I've bought. I've wiped all my clubs and kept them clean I've fixed my marks on every green. I've picked up my divots and put them back In the holes I've dug when I'm on the attack. At times the grass went farther than the ball Yes, I've swung and it never moved at all. I've drowned my share in the ponds and streams They can't make a ball that floats, it seems. Then lo and behold, I hit it straight and far Then a chip and a putt rewards me a par. For a moment I think I've really learned this game Till I tee off again and it's back to the same.

National Geographic Graphic

Cooper had a science project where he had to find pictures of vertebrates, invertebrates, vascular and nonvascular plants.

Thank goodness for old National Geographic magazines!

Ever heard of the Russian Desman?

My personal favorite:
The killer caterpillar.

It's nice to know I'm still learning.

The Appalachian Jamie Oliver

Every Sunday Miller asks if we're going to Kirby's house.

Therese has often invited us all, 8, over for dinner.

There are not very many people we know that would do this.

Especially on a regular basis.

She's my cooking hero.

She's Miller's movie hero.

She lets him pick movies from her library, alphabetized, to borrow.

Better than the library.

And definitely better than eating out.

THANK YOU!

The Game

This is a Marshall University football practice.

Look who got caught watching!

Sawyer's Philosophy

"Mom, isn't this new road great?

I'm kind of like this new road, really smooth.

You're kind of like old roads.

I mean, you don't have pot holes or anything, just a few cracks."

Mom?"