Things Nightmares Are Made Of

The fourth grade science fair.  I've been dreading it since he started school.  I've known it was coming but wan't fully prepared for the ordeal that it is.  Every single part of it from picking the subject to the final word written and graphic glued, it was an ordeal.

Jayke did his on the aquatic respiration in fish.  I had to get special permission to use a living thing which I would find out later was a bad idea.  Really, projects like this are just a bunch of work for the parents.  I strongly feel that if they are going to assign this sort of thing they need to allow time for the kids to work on it in the classroom where the TEACHER is available to help them since TEACHING is their job.  I'm pretty sure I'm employed by Mid-West Metal and NOT Delaware County School Corp.  I'm positive that after I've worked all day I don't want to have to come home and spend my evening for several days working on this ridiculous project.  No fourth grader knows how to go about organizing such a thing so parental involvement is necessary.  More than necessary!  It took me, mom, and Jim to get this thing finished!

I did manage to get Jayke to do part of the work.  He was frustrated, I was frustrated, the fish was scared and tortured.  There was yelling and crying, it was awful!  I didn't do the testing with Jayke, my mom did.  They had to put ice in the water to lower the temperature and measure his breathing.  As the water cooled the fish started to swim on it's side like it was dying which caused Jayke to start crying as he worried about the fish.  He was okay once they warmed the water back up but I think The Boy was traumatized.  I know the fish was, he died two days after we finished the testing.  

I helped Jayke write his final analysis and prepare everything for his board.  I had everything typed out and part of it on the board when Jim read it and discovered I had part of it wrong.  This caused a whole new level of panic since it had to be turned in in the morning.  Things had to be ripped off the board which sent him into near tears again.  Thank God we were near the end!  The consensus on Facebook was that NO ONE enjoys the science fair!

Except maybe Nemo...

New Look

A night at my house on the weekend looks like this now.

Jeff's son Zach, Emily, and her two friends.

Double Digits!!!

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I was in the hospital waiting for 27 hours for Jayke to arrive!!  The Boy is still poky so I guess that should have told me something.  Apparently by age 10 you start to forget your child's birthday. On the day of his actual birthday, the 23rd,  I didn't say it on my way out the door  so when I called to tell him, he gave me a disgusted, "About time!"  In my defense, the party is today and he got his gift early so I was either in the mind set that it had already happened or was happening Saturday.  Regardless, I STILL told him, just a little later than he expected.

This year we had the party at the bowling alley and invited his AAU team, plus Zach and Mason.  It was his best turn out yet and I even let him bring 4 boys home to spend the night, something I've never done before.  I had Jeff there to help me though.  He is used to a house full so I thought it was the perfect time to do it, while I had someone experienced with chaos there!

Zach, Mason Neal, Walker, Justin, Landon, Jayke, Mason, Zack Jeffers, and Adam.  Meemaw and Ppa in the background talking to Landon's dad.  Matthew was also there for a while but I didn't get a pic of him.  Jayke thought he was pretty cool being there with his basketball team and having someone from the Delta freshman basketball team there for him.  Alec would have been there too if he wasn't busy.  I love that these older boys will still show up for Jayke's and Mason's birthday parties.

Mason got Jayke Madden 25 for his xbox...we couldn't believe it.  I am going to have to do something extra special for Mason next year on his birthday!  

Can't Call It A Christmas Party???

I don't know why we have our Christmas party in January and call it a "Holiday Party" but...we do.  This year we went to Fuji.  Here is Neil trying to get us all drunk on Sake.  

The Ball State Family

Some people built this snow family in front of the Ball State University sign at the football stadium.  They got a lot of attention for them because the next day they all went out and posed in front of them in their bathing suits when it was negative 10 degrees out!  I ended up knowing one of them, imagine that. Ha!

What's Better...

....than getting a new snowblower for Christmas???  Getting someone to run it for you!!!  Thanks, Jeff!

Snowpacalypse 2014!!!

My mom always has the same advice when there is a big snow predicted..."Make sure you have gas in your car and plenty of toilet paper!"  I'm not sure if I'm supposed to keep the toilet paper in my car or what, but I listened.  Pictured are the necessities I thought pertinent to surviving Snowpacalypse 2014.  The weather people keep throwing around the word blizzard.  It's been many years since we have had an actual blizzard and I can't imagine us getting enough snow that anyone would be stuck for very long, at least not now that these days every monkey and his brother has a snow plow mounted on the front of his F-150.

About 12 inches..no big deal, although it is the most snow on the ground that Jayke has ever seen in is lifetime.  He was thrilled especially when the snow days started mounting up!  He had a nice little break, he isn't going to like that though when they are going to school on the 4th of July!

Jeff and the boys made it over and these two couldn't' wait to get out in it!  Jayke and Zach made some huge snowballs with this perfect packing snow.

I made colored ice balls...here they are still in the balloons waiting to freeze.  We also threw the hot water up in the air to watch it turn to frosty mist.  The Boy particularly liked this and wanted to keep doing it.  Next winter I'm going to be more prepared and have a Super Soaker water gun to try this with.

Obviously we survived the snow storm with just minimal boredom.  I just thank God that the cable didn't or internet didn't go out!

Go Colts!

Jeff and I at the Colts game

Lovin This!

His new Beats by Dre headphones that his aunts and cousins got him!

Christmas Action!

Infinity

This is one of my gifts from Jeff.  I picked this out on Etsy and made sure one of the girls at work made the "suggestion" of what he should get.  The little tags are "J" and "W" for Jeff and Wendy.  

He also got me one of each product they make in my favorite scent at Bath and Body Works.  This Christmas was much better than last!

My Eyes May Pop Out Of My Head

Finally had to break down and have the final two wisdom teeth pulled today.  Was having a lot of pain so I couldn't put it off any longer.  I should have listened to the dentist when he wanted to do this years ago.  It has been a lot harder to recover at 40 than it would have been at 25!  He has to really work to get those babies out, I know I'm going to be so sore tomorrow!  No having a rummage sale after this like I did when I was in my twenties and had the first one removed.  Going home to bed and may not get up for a couple of days....they told me at work I wouldn't be back in but I swore I was tough.  I'm not.

Another Birthday to Celebrate

We all went to Fugi for Mason's birthday and it was the best time we've had there!  Definitely better with a large group and even more fun when kids are with.  It always helps when you get a really good chef too and the one the kids had at their table was great!  He got them all involved and they had a blast, even got Jayke trying some new things!  I need to have that guy come to my house at dinner time every night!

Trying to show Jayke how to flip and catch an egg on his spatula.  We had the entire end of the restaurant with two grills, that is Bob and Angie (his girlfriend) in the back right hand corner.

Getting Her Nails Did

I have a new buddy to get my nails done with, Emily, Jeff's daughter.

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Jeff had these pretty, pretty, roses sent to me at work for my birthday!  Down in the bottom of the left hand corner you can see the top of a picture he colored for me as well...he is by far, the best boyfriend I've had.  None of the past issues I had with guys exist with Jeff AND he sends me flowers!!!!

Delta Eagle Already

 I got a call several weeks ago from a guy whose son goes to school with Jayke.  He has coached one of the teams on the Royerton League  in previous years and noticed Jaykeb when we played against his team.  He is also the same coach that saw Jayke at the YMCA one day when mom had taken him and asked, "Is that Howell?"  She told him yes and he told her that Jayke is really good and he remembered watching him play for the Royerton team.  He was calling to tell me he was putting together an AAU travel team and wanted to know if Jayke would be interested in playing on it?  OF COURSE HE WOULD BE INTERESTED!!

I'm not sure which one of us is more excited about this, Jayke or me!  First of all, for him to have noticed Jayke and feel that he was who he wanted to play point guard on this team was awesome!  Secondly, the experience he is going to get playing for this team versus the other elementary school team will be ten times better.  Also, all of the kids on this team are Jayke's friends and the boys who he will hopefully continue to play with for many years.

We play in the Richmond league so that means there is some travel for us.  Here the boys are waiting for their game to start in the big Richmond gym.

We also get to play in the Muncie Central Field house.  This was exciting for the boys because of the size of the gym, exciting for me because I hadn't been in there since I was a freshman in high school, and exciting for the grandparents because they hadn't been in there in a lot longer than that!  It's going to be fun watching these boys develop there game over the next several years.

One Unhappy Zombie

One thing you don't want to do is tick off a zombie, especially one trained in combat. I have managed to do  this quite easily.  Personally, I think he looks great!  He on the other hand thinks I am the WORST at putting on Halloween makeup ever and wants me to take him straight to Bob's so he can put his makeup on for him.

Once we got to Bob's he convinced him that his makeup was applied well and he wasn't in need of a touch up.  I think maybe he was really afraid that he would end up looking like a green faced Brett Michaels zombie!!!

Jeff joined us with his kids and two of their friends.  Zach is the werewolf in the back and Emily is in the pink dress in front.  Seth wouldn't join the picture, I guess when you are twelve it isn't cool to get your picture taken in costume with a bunch of younger kids!  

We took them all Trick or Treating around Bob's neighborhood and they got tons of candy.  All the kids got along well which is encouraging for future get togethers.

Halloween Classic and the End of the Season

Every year we end our fall soccer season with the Halloween Classic tournament.  It is one of my favorites both for it's theme and also it is the closest tournament to home that we play.  This year the tournament fell on the weekend after Halloween but it didn't lessen the fun!

Double Dose

We carved our pumpkin this evening and Jayke had an assistant of course.  Nemo loves pumpkins!  After carving our own pumpkins we got a second chance over at Bob's.  Alec looks like he is enjoying hacking that thing up way too much!  We quickly learned that you cannot leave three boys alone with pumpkins.  Bob and I left the room briefly and when we returned the pumpkin goo was flung every where.  What fun is carving a pumpkin without a pumpkin gut fight?

She's Just Rotten!!

Luna likes to sit in Zoey's cage so she can't go in it.  Zoey is terrified of Luna and won't even look at her when she is perched in there like the queen she thinks she is.

4th Grade

ooOOoo That Smell!

This morning after Jayke left for school I noticed the entire house smelled like a department store perfume counter.  I figured out that The Boy had obviously doused himself generously with cologne before leaving for school.  This was odd behavior for a kid who acts like brushing his teeth is one step away from water boarding so I had to wonder, what brought on this sudden urge to freshen up.  Later this evening I think I solved the mystery.  Laynie, the little girl from down the street and my boy were looking nice and cozy in the garage getting acquainted over some Play Doh.  I'm going to have to teach him that theres more to getting a girl than just smelling good, although it doesn't hurt...and obviously...its working for the playa!

Mom, Come ON!!!

It's that time of year again!!!  Time for me to drag The boy around and make him stick crazy things on his head so I can take his picture.  As you can see, he is absolutely thrilled about it.  I wonder how many more years I will be able to get him to cooperate with this?