Static Bowlers

Ketchup on the laugh lines is the new botox for 3 year olds........... it's not that we let our kids run around looking like unkept rugrats.

Lots of girl power - how is dad going to survive the teen years... or mom for that matter.

Shorty got a STRIKE!!! this one's for Grandaddy!

We could of used her head to pick up am broacasts on the west coast.

Hmm let's see - what did we do this weekend? Got Rachel on Friday - we watched the obligatory What Not to Wear episodes... is there another way to start the weekend off? Saturday was a mix bag - David had Elder training, what that means we have no idea and is there going to be enough of it for David? Just kidding, we all are very proud of him being chosen. While David was at church, the girls and I were at the house behind church, it's a recent purchase and the congregation ( a select few ) are re-vamping the house and clearing out the junk and dirt left over from renters past. Dad treated us all to Osaka after our hard work of the morning, nothing like some Hibachi chicken and sushi to improve a cold nasty day. We all hung out eating chips and cheese for dinner and playing games and watching Hannah Montana. The night was topped off with a game of who has the most static in their head after dad attacked everyone with a flannel blanket. Sunday dawned a sunny day - bad news that I still have my kidney stone - good news the girls really sang for church this morning! Top the day off with a few games at the local bowling alley with our friend Elizabeth and then it's off to B/burg for dad and Rachel. I will be sitting around this afternoon in the crisscross apple sauce position trying to get good vibes going for the Maryland V Duke game tonite at 6:30 - I hope that was a blood pressure pill I saw dad take a little while ago - he may need it later. Did I mention yet that dad and I think we have what we will do this year for lent? Give up cussing. Really, we're not kidding, get up off the floor. It's for God - we can do it.

Decisions Decisions

Emma comes home from school with a backpack full of stuff on Mondays... notes from the teacher, various propaganda for school programs, demands for money from the lunch dragon, er lady. Today there was a special paper explaining that the 100th day of school is coming up and for the student to find a 100 something to put in the bag and bring to school as part of that days festivities. Examples were pennies, small stickers, beans ( like dried, no perishable food - so much for a big bag of M&M's ) and this is where I immediately think of the kids ( or rather David's) collection of beer bottle tops... most are specialty tops from Belgian Ale or Microbrewery, not to be confused with the common wife beater Budweiser tops. As I explained to her the rather small size it needed to be to fit on the graph paper sent home, Emma even remembered the same collection. Darest we go for it and send in 100 beer bottle tops and await a call from the principal Mr. Cox? Perhaps if we were living above the Mason-Dixon line and out of the bible belt I would go for it, but seeing as David is now an Elder in our church we may just need to count out 100 lug nuts instead.

Groundbreaker

Today Hope and I went and had lunch with Emma at school. She was very excited about this and I guess she enjoyed the visit even though she spent the whole time talking to Olivia Sexton instead of us. Emma must do a lot of talking about the family because all the kids in her class knew who Hope was when we joined the lunch line, even the boys were overhead to say, "Oh yeah, that's Hopie". I did have a conversation with her teacher, Mrs. Weaver and she went on to tell me of the "honor" Emma had this week of being picked to go to the groundbreaking ceremony at school on Wednesday. One child from each kindergarten class would say the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the ceremony, which included the media. Mrs. Weaver said when she thought of who she could send out and know that the child would behave and pay attention for the whole time ( 20 minutes of blah blah blah ) and not moon anyone, she said Emma of course! I told her thank you for filling me in on more of the details, just because we sit down every day after school and have snack and I ask what happened doesn't mean Em's remembers till about 8:30pm that night or at all. Emma did say something about being on TV Wednesday so I could check the newscast..???, her school did make it but Em's was just out of the camera shot, but being almost 6 years old it thrilled her because she knew she was there and she's told everyone about how she was on TV this week!

So no new pictures this week and no TV interview with Emma - will try tomorrow, they say we may get another snow storm so more sledding may happen!

Here is one from Savannah, I thought this was on the blog, sorry, I know the g/parents and GG and Booboo would like this!

Winter Exercise

Trying to find something to help get over the holiday indulgence's??? try sledding with your kids, no, not the fun part sledding down the hill, the part where you tow them back up the hill! Hope loved her first time really sledding and didn't think much of the walk back up and pretty much got rides back up from all involved.
The Tolars have been telling us about "Kroger Hill" here in town and whenever we get a real snow we will head out and do some real sledding. This is our 3rd winter and still waiting but we did get some good runs at the back of their house. When we got there Elizabeth was going at it ( as she had been since 8:15am! ) and Paige said the girls would make it to the bottom of the hill but not as far as the trees. I put both girls on the sled and sent them down... yup to the trees, between 2 trees and into the next yard. Good thing the McGlocqlins dog was tied up.
Reminded me of the winter that David took Emma sledding in Memaw and G/daddy's back yard in their old house in Roanoke, fortunately I was out with Cheryl when David lost hold of the sled Em's was on and it went flying down the hill and just missed a tree in the neighbors yard, Emma was flat on her back in the sled waiting for someone to get her, not bad for a two year old.
Emma had a blast and I think she would of done really well if she had had a pair of those spiked gloves, she paddled her way down the hill going rather fast but learned to bail out if she got too close to the trees, and Hope was into the Luge style and hoping for the best not to hit anything at the bottom.
Sorry there are no pictures to relay of this morning's activities, I was distracted looking for the sled and forgot the camera and Paige's camera the battery was dead. It would of been great to get one of Elizabeth standing up on the sled flying down the hill and up on the wood pile. I'm more in the cheer mode or the old fashioned sitting down. Jeeesh!

Second Lost Tooth

Here's the picture, and Emma again wanted me to state for the record, this is her second lost tooth cuz' since her new tooth is taking up lots of space in her mouth you can't see two holes anymore!

If you are smart you will skim past this, straight to the New Years Eve post

"We don't need to stinkin plumber, I can find the fork" -- wait, why are you reading this, sicko. Dude, did you click on the picture to maximize this??? You found the fork??? Your ISP is registering your computer. Paging Dr. Phil...

New Years Eve

Unfortunate firework accident left Rachel with an uncanny, yet unwanted, resemblence to Rick Allen.

Favorite pastime, try and run over squirrels on the golf cart. All the little dudes, minus Lando, plus one inebriated parent. I got really turned around and lost one day with them and said we had to turn back because I am lost, they objected and started chanting, "MORE LOST! MORE LOST!" Also, they sang, at the top of their lungs, in unison, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, mind you, it is 75 degrees. Everyone we passed got a cherge out of this.

"One cute kid + one old fart" or "half sassy, half gassy"

We taxed the caravan for another trip, this time to check out the vow renewal service/30th wedding anniversary for the folks in Savannah. Note: at 1:32 of the video when the Priest asks for an "I do," someone in the congregation got a bit confused (that, or there is more to the story) and responded "I do" to which, the Priest says "someone answered for David." Good stuff. Father Chidi (likely butchered the spelling) also provided another highlight by wearing and leaving with a hat after the post-service party which read, "working man and beer." The hat, of course, was equipped with a bottle opener on the bill. The night then devolved into a cockroach eating, high speed pellet gun shooting evening. Yeah, that's right. I'll do you a favor by leaving out the part where I explain where Christopher was "catching" Seans pellets. You're welcome. I'll also not upload the video. You're welcome again.

"ran out of fire, ran out of fire..." Up and down the driveway with sparklers.

No explanation necessary

Oh Christmas Tree...

Here is a video of our new revolving christmas tree.

I saw a tree like this back in October and fell in love with the fact the tree turns around, and leave it to my momma to find a "kit" to add to the tree we already have. I just love it, it was

the best gift this year!

Christmas

After weeks of making lists and counting off the days it was Christmas Eve, we went to service at church... nothing like sitting in a 150 year old sanctuary for candle light service. Then home to get on jammies and open a present or two on the big night. Emma and Hope made the final check of #1 their room was clean, #2 cookies and milk sent out for Santa, #3 teeth brushed, #4 bedroom window slightly cracked to listen for the bells on Santa's sleigh, and the final #5 checked out Norad.com to see how close Santa was to Virginia.

Whilst they were in bed watching a short cartoon prior to sleeping with visions of sugar plums in their head Emma did hear jingle bells... we figured he must be doing a fly over to see if the kiddo's on our street were asleep yet.

Early the next day with stocking's in hand they came on our bed and showed us what treasures were to be found... the pooping penguin candy dispensers were quite a laugh, puzzles, magnets, wooden dolls to color and penguin cookies... not a bad start!

We moved on downstairs and found presents all around the tree, what fun! Santa had cool wrapping on boxes and one that had their own jingle bell on it! Troy and Gabrielle barbies, gift cards to Claire's, Herbie Barbie car, I-Dog, clothes, games, puzzles, pound puppies and Polly Pockets... Wow! what a morning and whole day!

Dad cooked the turkey in our bargain cruset pot from last year, not too shabby, a beer, the turkey, salt and pepper and 3 hours later we barely got it out of the pot because it was falling off the bone. We Shockley's enjoy the simple things in life like content kids and great food!

If we had only had Rachel it would of been the perfect day - lazy, fun, full of good bird and each other.