American Idol.....

I went to visit Memaw at the radio station and she had shown this to the big country dj there Brett and he said they had potential... well I was really just look for potential to get invited to the station if Tim McGraw ever comes, figured this could be a good lead in.

Connecticut Grammys visit

Grammy came to visit!!!! When I told the kiddo's Grammy was coming for a week it occured to them that it meant she was going to 'stay over' at our house! I think that was the best part, knowing she was going to be sleeping over.

Grammy was met at the airport by Hope and myself with the sign Emma made "We love Grammy!) Em's was in school when her plane got here, not a bad start to the visit. We had lots of fun and lots of silliness by all. Grammy took part in getting Emma and other kids from school to our afternoon church program, went to church meetings, helped with homework, got to go shopping in Kingsport for my new business adventure, got to meet my hairdresser who is helping sell my wares and get Hope a hair cut, ate lots of good food! Over the weekend we hit the park and saw my monkey's swing very high, jump off the sides of the playground, slide down the fireman's pole, they she and I hit the shops for the afternoon. Again lots of good food and visiting. We all went to church on Sunday and it was the Bagpipe ceremony, so mum got to hear the great music and see our kid handbell choir, and meet some of our friends there. It was good we got so much in before sunday night, poor Emma woke up at 2am getting sick and stayed that way for monday and tuesday. Monday mum helped me a preschool, I took care of the babies and mum took Hope trick/treating with the school through the downtown area, whew! Then a quiet night and good food from mum as she treated us to Chili's takeout. What a great week, it didn't fly by totally and we all had lots an lots of fun!

Hoe-down 10-20-07

Today we went to the Gallacher's farm way out in the county... they have a farm with horses, sheep, chickens and lots of dogs and some truly beautiful land. Our church has a fall event where we get everyone together for some fun and food and it was had by all today. We were a little late getting there but just in time for the egg toss! Celia and I were the second to last pair and poor Celia got the cracked egg on her. We then proceeded over to the chicken coop where Rachel took part in the 'chicken chase' - she did catch one but wasnt the first to do so. I should mention there were medals handed out to the winners as well as the coveted prize of SILLY STRING!!! The afternoon went on with lots of fun, the girls got to ride a horse, Rachel chased sheep, we did the Virginia Reel dance, painted pumpkins, Rachel was a medal for the apple bobbing ( before they realised they left on the stems and after they took the stems off the apples ) we ate lots and lots of food, toasted marshmellows and made sm'ores, hay ride, and those are the highlights. Who says church isn't fun?? Oh yeah, I forgot, they also had a pie eating contest and that is non other than Rachel in one of the pictues above trying to beat out the guys from our church.

Nothin' like a Sister's love

Not much can top love from your big sister... like we have said time again we are lucky to have three such great girls, who love each other and get along so well. Except for earlier last night when Emma was messing about with the WiffelBall bat and smacked Hope in the nose, who knew such a small kid had that much blood. Good thing I am the bloody nose expert and we got it under control.

We are getting ready to hit the church social this afternoon, a Hoedown at the Gallacher's farm, so there should be some great pictures tomorrow... the agenda said "chicken chasing"

only with the Shockley's we know.

Tiny Bubbles

It's the third week of October and the weather has felt like the first nice weeks May, 80 degrees and sunny. Poor David has been playing flag football with the guys at work during lunch and about having heat stroke, so much for the days of playing barefoot and shorts with a few inches of snow on the ground, maybe later in the season.

Played outside today on a perfect fall day - sunny, very breezy and warm - what do we need to make a great day? Bubbles! I really like these days because I just dip the wand in the bubbles and stand up wind and let wind do all the work and the kids run around for ever!

Happy Birthday Grammy

We didn't forget you and I know you enjoyed being serenaded by the Shockley's on your day...
I am glad to head that you really are my mother as you admitted you opened your present yesterday upon receipt in the mail.
We will have cake and ice cream with you in two weeks when you get here! Can't wait to see you.
Love to you and Happy Birthday to you............................

Emma

It was a big day for Emma at church today -- once you hit five years old and head to school you are then asked to sit in the sanctuary at church for the whole service instead of heading off to the nursery to play after the children's message -- but to help this transition, our children's director Ms. Janet has been conducting a class for the young kiddo's teaching them all about what is going on during service, from the music, to the doxology and Lord's Prayer, and communion ( it's just not a mid morning snack ) and today they graduated and were presented with their own bibles from the church!

Emma has been reading about Noah today and it checking out which story she wants to study next. Not too shabby to have your kids reading the bible everyday and learning what will hopefully help them to get through living in this crazy world.

On a side note, Friday night, Emma and Rachel fell asleep pretty fast that night and Hope was upstairs in bed yelling for us to come up and when I got there she was all atwitter because they went to bed without saying the night night prayer. So I got down on my knees with her and got that done and she promptly went to sleep right after, something to think about on those nights where I can't sleep thinking ( worrying ) about life and whatnot.

Night of the Living Pumpkins

It was time to warm up our pumpkin carving skills, so we headed out and got our first pumpkins. Such decision... what to carve. Scary ? Funny? Pirate? ( that's next weekend )

and the question of the day - when can we eat the seeds????

Rachel went from scary to flambe scary and Emma went from a smiley face to a kitty cat.

Hope colored some gourds and asked for more snacks... shocker there!

Last Two Weeks...

Time to catch up on our happenings. We left off on the tooth fairy I believe. Emma lost her first tooth and the tooth fairy came that night and deposited a whopping $5 under the pillow ( first tooth amount ) and a note saying she was proud of her for getting it out. Did we mention earlier that dad was very instrumental at getting it out, er yanking it? The next day we went to the mall where Emma quickly blew through her $5 at Claire's... the mecca for all girls under the age of 17.

This next week was a busy one, Dad had hands full with closing, month and quarter close... ah to be an accountant. The preschool was short two teachers this week so Hope and I spent some extra day's there filling in as needed.

Emma brought home her first report card! She got a great report, all things she was to have mastered she had, and got either satisfactory or outstanding on her manners and respect and behavior categories. Great job Emma!

Friday we were off to get Rachel!!! We missed her quite a lot, we had to switch weekends when i was sick a while ago since it was so bad and we didn't know what I had, didn't want to her to get it,that is for sure! After initial hello's in the car, the poor thing was assaulted on all sides from me and the girls asking her questions and telling her the latest news, I think that was the quickest hour drive on record, we talked the entire time. Saturday was lots of fun as we headed out to the Cornfusion Corn Maze.... ha ha... cornfusion. This is our third year going to this farm and they have a great maze. We all entered together then all bets were off as Rachel ended up going it alone, Emma and I stuck it out to the end as a team and Hope got tired and she and dad played in the humongous kiddie pool they have that's fill with dried corn. Somehow on the 5th of October this year it was in the 90's... so when we finally got out of the corn we all were drenched, this was after 5pm too! then we went on a hay ride to end a great day -- but actually the very end of the day was great because we combined lunch and dinner at 3pm and agreed to have ice cream sundaes for dinner. what a great dad we have to think of this idea. Does green ice cream count as a vegetable? or a chocolate milkshake made with banana?

The next morning breakfast we a bit more healthy, then off to church. Somehow we have been making the new service that is at 8:45 and then going to sunday school afterwards.... it's nice in a way because we are done and home by 11am.

This were a bit hectic this next week as well. Hope and I volunteered to work the Book Fair at Emma's elementary school, it wasn't too painful, helping the kids pick their books and pay for them and at the end was told that for my time I earned a $20 credit to spend at the fair! It's amazing how some things work out - it was kinda a short week and here we got to get books and more this week!

The preschool had our Trike-a-thon on the 10th... and our little school of 50 kids raised $2,400 for the St. Jude Hospital.... the kids had a great time riding their bikes around the parking lot, and it was nice that our warm weather held thru wednesday. Hope finally got the idea after snack time ( her favorite part of the day). Lots of smiles and some singing.

Thursday was packed full... Emma went to school but had 3 hours early dismissal, parent/teacher conference day -- she is doing just great as we thought, she will be reading like a champ by the end of the school year, I don't really remember doing this much in kindergarten way back when. Then to the book fair to get our free books.... then home to do homework and off to a birthday party at 'funland'... er, parental hell. Nothing like jumping on those blow up jungle gyms for 2 hours to get the kids to bed before bedtime, the sugar from the cake can't compete with that.

This was quite a great day for Rachel as well, she got her report card today and she got all A's....her first report card in middle school too! We are so very proud of her !!!

Now it's friday and we get to get Rachel again !!! So I drop off the girls with dad for his last hour of work and then on to Blacksburg to get Rachel, we get home just in time to go to Abingdon High School football game with our neighbors... Eric is a senior on the team, the weather warmed a little bit for the game so we were not reduced to being human Popsicles.

Whew.... now the Shockley news is current.

More pictures and general chaos to come.