Catching up - Madison's Birthday

For the past 2 or 3 years, we have spent Madison's birthday "tubing" on the Guadalupe River. This year, however, we were infromed that due to the draught we're currently experiencing, there is not enough water in the river to tube. Rather than have her birthday be a total bust, we went to a local water park, where there was a lazy river. Not quite the same, but we made do. 

This was the night before opening her presents. 

I got her a sweet little necklace from this etsy shop.

She also got all her candles in one breath! Way to go Madison. 

End of School - more events

Yeah, school ended at noon on Wednesday, June 1. Here is the rest of the event photos from their awards and graduation.

Here is Madison, the Principal and her teacher. 

Everyone looking at their awards 

This picture is for Pop - and is supposed to show her missing tooth; a tooth which held on by one thread of a cell for weeks! She will not pull her loose teeth, at all. This was actually got knocked out at her swimming party a few days before! 

Tillie in "procession" to graduation. 

Waiting for her name to be called. 

If there was a blog award for the most sporadic blogger. . .

I think I might be in the running. I tend to dump a bunch of info in one sitting. . .so here goes a "dump" of otherwise random items of interest. 

Madison lost one of her front teeth this week. She might be in the running for an award something like "I leave my loose teeth in as long as humanly possible." Seriously, it's been loose for over a month. It even turned gray inside her mouth while we were waiting for it to come out. One evening while we were having our reading/tv/family time on the couch, Mark reached over and plucked it right out of her mouth, midsentence! She didn't even cry. 

Here's a special order I did this week. I particularly like the varying sizes of the polka dots and it's my favorite 4 year old boy's favorite color! 

The other project we are working on this week and last week it the well house at the "property". I think we need to come up with a better name, but for those of you that don't know it's almost 50 acres a few miles down the road that we are going to work on and clear enough space to build a house in the next few years. This is a shot of the "well house"; the pump and tank for the water well is located inside. 

Here is the well. It also used to be "home" to some sheep or goats (or something kinda stinky that slept on hay).  

Anyway, we decided to clean it up a bit and make it into a workable storage shed. We definitely need a place to keep and lock things up while we are over working to build/repair the fencing and clear the (jillions of) cedars.  

Here is the new roof Mark is installing. PS. How are you likin' the pink and yellow color combo? Yikes. 

Rv-ing on the Guadalupe

Madison, Madox and Mason

Matilda and Blake 

Woo hoo! Mark driving the giant RV

Aunt Vickie, his trusty co-pilot! 

Blake, sawing logs/rubber necking, too hilarious! 

Madison opening her presents on her b-day. At like 8:00am before a day of "toobin'"

Daddy assembling the baby pram (is it normal for a 7yo to still play with babies?)

Her Barbie (aka pediatrician) set.

Cake! Cake! Cake!

Doin' the happy dance - ?

Madison has her own sense of style

I took this on my phone so it's not the best quality, but seriously, can you believe she wore this? 

First Tooth Fairy Visit

Madison was a baby that at her first birthday did not have one single tooth. We were starting to think the poor baby would never get teeth. Well, of course she did and now it is time for all those precious white baby teeth to start coming out.

She wiggled it and jiggled it for weeks on end;  we tried to get her to yank it when Grammy and Pop were visiting for Thanksgiving, but she relented and went to school after the break with it barely hanging on by a thread of flesh. So, she ended up losing her first tooth at school where none of us got to witness it. The school nurse does send the tooth home in the above pictured "treasure box", but its small consolation for parents anxiously awaiting the loss of the first tooth.

The Tooth Fairy left her $5.

Madison's picture outfit - **love** the barettes

Mason posing. . .what is with this last one?

First Grade Bibles

At church, the first graders receive their very own Bible.

Some Old Movies

So I posted a few days ago that I got a new computer. Some aspects of that "situation" are not going that well - Geek Squad is coming on Tuesday - but one positive aspect of moving all of these pictures around from my laptop to the new computer is that I am finding all sorts of little gems of picures and even a few movies!

I am going to put 2 here - one of Madison at about age 3 singing "Jingle Bells". If you recall, Madison was a pretty late talker, so her version of this song is pretty sad, but oh my goodness, she is precious. The other is some picture montage Mark made. I hadn't even remembered him making it, but again PRECIOUS! I cannot bellieve how big my babies are.

Side Note

I have gotten a new computer and I'm still trying to figure out how to use all of it's functions. Sorry this is not a better set of posts.

Madison’s First Day of First Grade

Meet the Teacher

Just a quick post here of Meet the Teacher from last night.


Here is Madison at her 1st Grade desk. (wah! - wiping away tears) Mrs. Copeland was talking with another parent and didn't pose with Madison.

And big Mason with Mrs. Brown, his 3rd grade teacher.

They both have quite a few friends from the prior year in their classes, so it should be smooth sailing on Monday. . .if only mom can get up that early!

More pictures then.

Teacher Bribes

I have this crazy idea that if I give my kids' teachers a little treat on the first day of school, she will be extra nice to the kids. I didn't do this when Mason started 1st grade and you all KNOW how that ended up - just kidding. I started doing it last year - when Madison went to Kindergarten and Mason went to 2nd. Here is what they are getting next Monday, August 24.

Inside the pounch are 2 Ghirardelli chocolate squares.

Misc Ohio

Tillie The Hugger


Madox, on the other hand, would hug nor kiss no one. So stingy with his love.


Have I mentioned before just how much Madison loves babies?

Madison turns 6

Madison and her cake. This is what she picked out - it's heart shaped with Valentine's sprinkles.


Her new American Girl double jogging stroller.

She's gonna share with her sister.