Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Us Lately

As you might have seen, Sam has been to the apple farm with his preschool class. If you didn't already know that, you'll see more pictures from that day on my big flub up posts from earlier this week when I thought I knew what I was doing...






Here is the famous tiger bike right before its retirement this past weekend. Sam didn't need the training wheels for the past two years, but we couldn't convince him of that. He is begging to have the training wheels put onto his new bike so it doesn't fall over when he parks it. Why don't these little kid bikes come with kick stands? That's my question.





Caroline had her school's Fall Festival last Saturday and came home looking like this. On purpose. After waiting in a line for 45 minutes to get this tiger face.


This is it after one night's sleeping on it.
She enjoys a rainbow of barrettes.
She also went to the school's Wacky Hospital and got her arm cut up in a "car wreck." Sam wanted to do this, but kinda freaked out once he got in. There was blood everywhere. Fake blood but still... This was a very tame injury compared to most of the kids'.






















Here's Grant doing his bike thing. Mr. Safety always wears his helmet. Good kid!


Jack's City Museum field trip was last Friday. I chaperoned.
These kids should have had on helmets at that place.
But it is so fun! Dangerous but fun!








The latest with Gary:


G= Growing
W= Wiry
G= Goatee





















GRRR, the end!








Sunday, September 27, 2009

For Those About to Rock...

Click here to view these pictures larger

Actually, I just had to get your attention with that awesome AC/DC title...

For those about to check out the latest Gills-A-GoGo in this backwards order way it goes, I will fill you in now that I found I could view photos from Sam's prechool site and directly send them to this blog and oh-so-cool, I thought! But now I don't know how to move them, relocate them, group them, whatever, so each picture was posted as a new entry. So as you scroll down in that backwards kind of way, maybe it'll all make sense.

And I left in the Click here to view these pictures larger link below each picture but I am doubtful that it works since I think you have to be an invited/approved member of the preschool class website. But just in case you can, I left it.

Happy Fall Y'All!

Sam Makes Us Proud at Preschool

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Sam at School

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Sam and his co-hort Josh dominating the other preschool kids.

Sam at Mills' Apple Farm

Click here to view these pictures larger

OK, this is supposed to be Sam posing with his just-picked apples. Compliance is not his style.

Mills' Apple Farm Field Trip

I don't think I knew Mrs. Mills, Sam's preschool teacher, was actually taking my picture. And I am not sure I am learning much every day because I really don't know how to group these pictures into one post. Just be patient with me and my wee techno-brain. I am no Kip Dynamite.

Sam's School

I just found out I can post pictures from his class website directly to Gills-A-GoGo, so here we go. I swear I am learning something new every day!

This is the day Sam was supposed to bring a teddy bear from home since they were studying bears. Sam refused to bring one from home so he had to use his teacher's Rainbow Peace bear. I don't think he was thrilled.

Friday, September 25, 2009

All About My School


by Caroline



I got E+ all the time. Did you know that?....


My teacher is named Mrs. McDaniel.


She is very nice. She is like the greatest teacher in the world.


I have a lot of friends at school. Like 100 friends.


at School



The End





Sunday, September 20, 2009

A Caroline Funny


Today we went to Dairy Queen for treats to console our broken hearts (no deal happening on the farm to suit both parties so it's over, sniff, sob, sob), and on the way home, Caroline was overheard from in the back of the van,


"Ooooh, hot fudge, I want to marry you."

Friday, September 18, 2009

You Know, Us Living on a Farm Might Be Scary...






because this is what I grow in a tiny raised bed box in a side yard in suburbia.

From one tomato plant and one day's picking, and at the end of summer, mind you.

With 18 acres and manure-rich dirt, I think it'd be too crazy.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Decision to be Made







Keep our house and money












OR












live the dream and buy the farm we already affectionately call Rosie.




Hmmmmm.






Cast your vote.








Sunday, September 13, 2009

We Had Visitors!

















Yesterday this strange vehicle pulled into our driveway/yard. Strange because its owners have only been here two times in 18 months, but who's counting?







So yee-haw!, Karen and Joe stopped by to see us and brought this little lump of lovin' along and we were thrilled to see them all.
Can you say cute, cute, cute?!
This shot taken by Caroline.
Cute, cute,cute, I say!!
There were kids and toys and body parts and tootin' going on all over the place.
And this just in: Pageant results--
Miss Sidney wins Most Photogenic.
Karen wins 1st Place Grandma by Someone Who Looks Nothing like a Grandma but Totally Rocks at Being A Great One.
Isn't this picture just Too Sweet!?
(Um, Joe, gotta ask, did Gary yell at you for parking in the yard? 'Cause he does when I do. Maybe if I had a black powder rifle or something cool like that, he'd overlook it. )
Well, then too quickly the time came that we had to say 'bye and this is the strange vehicle leaving after a fun but short visit, and you probably can't tell from this small image, but I have photographic proof
-- Joe is giving the ok sign-- -- to my question:
Will you guys please come back and see us soon?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sam's in Pre-K and Turns 5 / 6 / 5 all in One Day

Sam had a little early birthday celebration with the whole family during our fun Clay County weekend (yikes, no pictures!), and since he had a cake with fire on top there, it meant to him that he was 5. So on Tuesday, his actual birthday, he must be turning 6. So he thought... but now he agrees, he is truly only 5.





On his actual birthday, he went to his first day of Mrs. Mill's pre-kindergarten class at the YMCA. He told me all morning long that he did not want to go, but once he got there, he had a good time. He took in ice cream and little cookies as the classroom treat that day and one of his Lego creations for show'n'tell. His best friend from our neighborhood is in his class so school is fun! Meet Sauce-sh, as Sam says, but you can call him Josh.

























They hang out all the time, Sam a little more than Josh, you could say?






















Does anyone see a little Bart Connor maybe?


And does make anyone else out there go Ouch?



































And yes, he actually does have clothes on ...









sometimes.





So, anyway, we had our own party the night of Sam's birthday. The birthday meal was mini corn dogs with Yapollin tots (Caroline speak for Napoleon...as in Dynamite), and, of course, ice cream.






And how 'bout that Batman cake? Not just a Batman cake; it was specified to be: a cake with Batman and his Batmobile killing a Bad Guy. Only took me all morning to create all that ugliness. But he was happy! I will say that it photographed well. The artwork looks much better here than in real life, somehow? And please excuse the redundancy. I wrote the five before I knew Caroline had her 5 candle from 2008 to put on there. Frugal family, what can I say?

This is what you might call a two-tier but not equal tiers and not fully iced two-tier cake--in case you want to order one for your next special occasion.





This was from Josh and his brothers. Josh also gave Sam some other goodies including a put-in-water-and-watch-it-grow stingray. Really very cool, but Sam was not thinking it was cool being in our house. We still have it in a bucket out of sight as it grows during this week, but Sam thinks Daddy threw it away like Sam demanded before he would go to bed that night.







Is it no wonder Caroline thinks her parents lie to her?




Sam was happy also with his new K'Nex that he learned he loved while peeing on himself on vacation at the Henry Ford (a tub from mom and the sibs, a tub from dad for 800 more little pieces of plastic to pick up), 3-pack of new and larger muscle shirts, Batman with a Bat-A-Rang, and a bag of Skittles to add a little nutrition to his corndog/ice cream existence.







































Hey, thanks for the fiver, Aunt Karen and Uncle Joe!!

And cool DQ $ card, Aunt Debra!

And fiver from Aunt Julia and Uncle Neil!

And money and new Legos and cake, Grandma and Grandpa!

Thanks, everybody, and love you!!!





Happy Birthday, Sam, you big guy!
Hey, cool K'Nex!