Christmas

Snow Day!

Halloween

Yesterday we completed our necessary end-of-week tests in Spelling, Reading, and Math and then we spent the rest of school time crafting and doing Halloween activities.

Here Keeleigh is making a glue ghost. You just put down some wax paper and squirt glue into a ghost shape. We used hot glue so that it would dry quickly. If you use white glue you need to let it dry at least over night. After the glue went down, we added black paper from the hole puncher for the eyes and boo-mouth. Once the glue is all dry you just peel your ghost up!

We also made a spider bracelet with wiggle eyes and a whole patch of paper jack-o-lanterns for our door. here Jathan and I are cutting out pumpkins...

Isn't he so cute? This is how he has to sit if he's awake during school or craft time--right in my lap at the table amongst all the action.

Keeleigh got to do some more crafts at the Trunk-r-Treat we went to.

Our neighbor, Melissa, decorated her mom and dad's trunk as a country home. On the left is Jessica (1st floor neighbor), Stuti (Keeleigh's best friend from the 2nd floor) and Melissa who live directly beside us to the right. And then there's Keeleigh carrying her candy bag which, believe it or not, was FULL of candy before the night was over!

Jathan was absolutely amazed at all of the decorations and people dressed up. He wandered from car to car making people laugh. The cutest thing all night was when he saw the gold coins on the ground around the pirate's treasure chest which was full of candy. He gasped and pointed in amazement and bypassed the candy to grab a coin!

There were several blow-up bounce houses and slides. This one was Keeleigh's favorite and I let her slide down with Jathan once.

They made it! But I don't think Jathan saw a thing...his hat was over his eyes the whole time!

Daddy spent most of the night socializing; he is the biggest talker I've ever seen and never seems to meet a stranger! He did finally sit down and cuddle with his little spider eventually, though.

And here's Keeleigh getting wild going down the slide!

When we got home they dumped out all the candy and there were 207 pieces in all! They divided it all up, kindly bestowing all the M&Ms on Jathan.

Jathan ate lots and lots of M&Ms and one orange sucker and then gratefully headed to bed!

Keeleigh spent the night with Stuti (and hopefully didn't drive her parents up the wall on a sugar high!) and Jackie and I stayed up as late as we could watching Ghost Hunters Live. Sadly we were tuckered out as well and barely saw 10 p.m.! Oh, we're getting old!
It was a very nice, safe and sugar-filled Halloween full of crafts and friends. Just the way I like it!

Trunk-r-Treat and Vote for Cookies!

Last night I took the kids to Trunk-r-Treat at First Baptist New Orleans. Keeleigh dressed up as a cheetah girl, literally...

And Jathan was a spider.

They really enjoyed themselves playing on the bounce houses and getting candy!

Last night Jackie and I did our patriotic duty...in our pajamas! We received our absentee ballots in the mail and got right to filling them out so that we could send them back today. Keeleigh was totally impressed with the teeny tiny pencils they send you to fill the ballot out with. She had to use it for school today. Until she got tired of trying to hold a teeny tiny pencil, that is!


Today has been an as-usual day. School went well this morning and thankfully Jathan finally decided to take his morning nap about an hour late. Tomorrow is Halloween so we are just going to do our necessary end of week tests (math, spelling, reading) and I have fun and games planned for the rest of school time.

This afternoon I took the time to make some cookies from scratch! They are officially called Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk cookies but I just call them awesome.

Here's the recipe if you'd like to give them a try.

Ingredients:
2/3 coup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salk
1 6 oz. package Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mising bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in Craisins and white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Make approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Saturday: A Day in the Life

Today our family went to Red Bluff Farm's Pumpkin Patch. We had so much fun! The farmer did a tour of the farm and the kids got to see him shear a sheep and milk a cow. Plus everyone got a chance to bottle-feed a calf and fish with a cane pole in the pond. We also went on a hay ride and saw the horses, cows, and chickens. Keeleigh's friend, Stuti, went with us so she enjoyed herself all the more.

After leaving the farm we ate and went to Fountainebleau State Park. It was awesome. The park has a nature trail that leads you into the marshland at the edge of Lake Ponchatrain where we actually saw an alligator sunbathing on the grassy bank.

The park also had a beach where we got our feet wet and searched for seashells. People were fishing off the boardwalk and we got to see a lady catch a fish and learn about crab fishing. (You could see the crabs underwater in the marsh!)

We had a wonderful day and will definitely return to the state park to explore more. Here's a slideshow of our day:

Detour

This weekend Jackie was scheduled to preach at a church in Kentwood, LA (HOME OF BRITNEY SPEARS!); the church is seeking a pastor and had received Jackie's resume. We set out early Sunday morning since the church is about an hour and a half away from NOLA but unfortunately we never made it to the church. On our way there Jackie and I noticed a strange sound which seemed to be coming from our car. We suspected a problem with the tire but the car didn't seem to pull one way or the other so Jackie switched lanes to see if perhaps it was just the road. When he did we experienced a blow out. We did have a spare but it looked quite low on air itself and we also noticed that we'd picked up a screw (which was probably what punctured the front one, too) in one of the rear tires. So we checked the GPS for the nearest service station. It directed us 15-20 miles away! We thought we'd try the next "town" up about 5 miles away, however. Seriously this was the most podunk town ever. Ha, ha! There was one street which some shotgun houses down it leading to the fishing docks. No gas station. No stores. Only a dock. There was however a volunteer fire department where we talked an apparent "firefighter" into setting down his Budlight for a few minutes to air up our tire. Then we hobbled to the nearest Walmart where we had to buy two new tires.
After getting the new tires at Walmart we ate in La Place. Then after confirming with the church that they didn't want us to come for the evening service (we're going to try again next Sunday) we decided to go to the Oak Alley Plantation which was hosting an arts and crafts fair.

We first heard about the plantation from it's Ghosthunters episode a week or two back. (It's reported to have some supernatural activity going on inside it.) It really is beautiful there! The plantation sits just beside the Mississipi River and is surrounded by 300 year-old oak trees which Keeleigh thought made really great climbing trees. There were also beautiful flowers and shrubs along the brick pathways while sugar cane fields flanked the plantation on each side. We wandered around the grounds and visited the arts and crafts fair which featured some great local art and cute crafts as well as some mouth-watering food.

We also got a chance to tour the mansion where we learned the history of the place. The house was built by a frenchman and his young bride (or rather their numerous slaves) over the span of 2 years. The wife, Selena's, father was an architect who designed the original French Market in NOLA as well as Cafe du Monde. There was a large dining table set with extra-large silverware (to show their wealth by how much pure silver they could buy) over which hung a fan with a cord leading to one corner of the room where a young slave would have set pulling the cord to fan the people at the table. After dinner they would have retreated to the sitting room where the men enjoyed rum and the ladies ate pears (soaked in rum because it was unladylike to drink--ha ha!). We also saw the "haunted" bedroom where Selena and her husband slept and which still contained the elaborately carved wooden bassinet that one of the six children slept in. There was also a sick room for family members when they were ill and for after they died for viewing. Across from that room was the nursery decorated in the palest blue. The rooms on the second floor all led out to the 13 foot veranda where you had an incredible view of the oaks. In the first owner's time they could see the river but now the levee is built up too high.

We didn't see any ghosts but we did enjoy ourselves highly! It was a certainly a nice end to a day which started out kind of bumpy.

Happy Monday! Hope you had a good weekend. Yesterday we visited Grace Baptist again where Jackie preached. We are still waiting on a word from God on where he wants Jackie to pastor (if at all for now). I also went grocery shopping at Walmart and learned that I should never ever shop at Walmart on a weekend especially when I am alone with the children. Geez Louise, it was crowded and they were out of so many things. Plus it was getting near dinner time so Jathan was getting restless and then he lost his pacifier somewhere in the store and when I went to buy a new one they didn't have his old kind. So yeah. It was fun.



Today has been better. We had school this morning and I'm thinking I'm going to integrate more arts and craft/creative time. This morning we did scribble art! You just scribble some lines on a piece of paper then swap with someone and try to make something out of their scribbles. I was totally amazed that Keeleigh saw a rhinocerous in my scribbles...I never would have got that. There were several eggs in the rhino's belly! I saw some snails and a fish in Keeleigh's scribbles. She liked doing this a lot (and I did, too!).

After school we decorated our window with some fall clings that I got at Walmart yesterday. There kind of hard to see but the ones at bottom are pictures of little scarecrow boys that reminded me so much of Jathan.

I've been inspired by the cooler weather, and by cooler I mean much less humid, and have spread autumn all around my apartment since I'm not sure if it will come outside! At least not in the same way it did in Alabama. Here are some more pictures of our fall decorations...

See the pumpkin soup tureen in the middle? Someone gave me that for my wedding which was in FEBRUARY. I thought it was an odd present at the time but now I really love it. Doesn't it look good with my $1 Walmart placemats? Yea, bargains!

And here's how my planter is looking! It did have to be moved, however, out of the walkway and in front of the storage closet b/c of apartment regulations. I understand that a rule is a rule but it made me so sad to have a big empty space under the window that looked so pretty filled with plants.

And at 12 o'clock came lunch! Jathan enjoyed his veggies so much that he needed TWO forks to eat with. Ha ha. Check out how he's been smiling when I take his picture. He squeezes his eyes shut and gives a little grin.

And now it's almost time for PE and I didn't forget today, woo hoo! Jathan's napping for now but when he wakes up we'll probably head out to let him enjoy some art time. He LOVES chalk (and now just for eating).


At some point today before supper time I also need to run to Winn Dixie ("Why don't you just drive, " Jackie would say!) and pick up a few items that Wal-mart was fresh out of. Ah, it's never dull around here! Just the way I like it. = )

Almost Over

Our first hurricane experience is almost over! We've been at my mom and dad's house for the last eight days and will probably head home tomorrow. It really hasn't been as bad as I feared it might. We've had fun on our evacuation vacation (as a fellow homeschooler's child dubbed it).

We visited our old church on Sunday and low and behold they were having music and lunch. Someone accused us of coming back just for the food but I reminded them that, hey, it was an act of God. Monday was Labor Day of course and a nearby town has a *fabulous* festival called MULE DAY! Yep, how much more redneck can you get?! We stayed about an hour and a half during which I somehow got an ugly sunburn. Then we ate at the Cabbage Bowl with some friends, visited Jackie's brother, and went to another friend's house for a cookout! Now I remember why I love Alabama...all the food!

Later on in the week my mom and dad kept Keeleigh and Jathan and Jackie and I went on a date! It was the first time we'd been out alone in a long time.

Last night Keeleigh went with my mom and dad to another festival (they work at them b/c my dad is an airbrusher for a living) and I talked Jackie into staying home from the highschool football game to eat spaghetti and watch Fool's Gold with me.

We're just going to hang out today I guess. The Auburn game comes on at 11 a.m. and we can't miss that, of course. We are probably going to head home tomorrow. Power is finally up and running in our apartment and we've gotten the okay to come back provided we arrive between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. since there is still a curfew. We were told to fill up with gas and buy groceries before we get into New Orleans. Reportedly the Winn Dixie was only letting 7 people at a time come in. Not sure why...maybe not enough employees? Maybe afraid of thiefs?

Anyway, it's been an okay week but I do hope we don't get any more hurricanes soon. Hope all is well with you guys!

Evacuating!

We were supposed to have a field trip today at Longue Vue Gardens instead we are evacuating. This morning the seminary announced that campus will close at 3 p.m. today and that all campus families should leave by 12 noon tomorrow. Mandatory evacuation. We decided to get a leg up on traffic (we hope) and pack up and head out today. So we've packed up as much as we can stuff into our suitcases. I've tried to pack all of Jathan and Keeleigh's clothes and our irreplacable pictures. I'm still holding out hope that absolutely nothing will happen...no flooding, no destruction and it very well may not. At this point no one knows where exactly Gustaf is going to hit or how strong it will be but in the back of my mind I wonder. I wonder why God wanted us to come here if we're going to leave 2 months later? I wonder if the hurricane does hit here, if the levies don't hold what condition will our home be when we return?


It's just weird to leave and not know.



But leave we shall! Just as soon as Jackie gets out of the shower. How is it that I'm always waiting on him? = )



Here's the view from around my apartment....I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who decided to pack A LOT.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Bread, Painting, Boo Boos, Telephones, and Gustav

Here are a few pictures from our bread-making adventures yesterday...

Baby, I knead you. = )

The bread TOTALLY did not rise like it was supposed to. My friend, Sommer, said that wheat bread is hard to get to rise. Plus I noticed the flour was out of date; I'm guessing that makes a difference. Flat as it was, it was good and was eaten up in no time!

While we were waiting on the bread to bake we gathered up some paint brushes and some friends and "painted" with water on the front balcony.


It was fun until they started pouring the water over the balcony. I was afraid they were going to give someone an unexpected shower!

In this next picture that's a cell phone Jathan's holding to (er...behind) his ear and if I had to put a caption with the picture it'd say, "Hello, Doctor?" Can you see the huge knot on his forehead? He was running and fell smack into my baker's rack. I got him to stop crying by letting him play in the fridge then he got interested in my cell phone and stuck it up to his ear for the first time! So cute. He started babbling like he was really talking. I swear Jathan sounds just like an angry little Chinese man when he babbles! He had a heated conversation with an umbrella yesterday and most of his "words" end in strong, harsh sounds like -ong so it's so funny.

Keeleigh and I have also spent some time on the phone. We made a tin can telephone for science class today. We're learning about our sense organs and this week we're all ears.

Check out our cool designs complete with rainbow cord--because in Traci's classroom science is pretty, too:

So the big news today is Gustav and whether or not it's going to hit NOLA or not. There's talk of mandatory evacuations but I get the feeling this is a little like when Alabama meterologists forecast flurries and everyone rushes out to buy milk and bread. I'm going to take the storm seriously; I know it could be disasterous but it's not even in the gulf yet and I'm going to hold off on worrying for now.

How's your week going?

My New Planter

Here's my fabulous new planter! I think it brightens our doorway plus I love having a place for my little gnomes. See the gnome on the right? My neighbor says he's black...I think it's the nose. So now I'm boasting that I have the only culturally diverse planterbox on the whole seminary. All gnomes are welcome regardless of race, color, ethnicity or country of origin. = )

Busy Week

This week has been very busy! On Monday morning my mom called and said that she had talked my dad into traveling to New Orleans for her birthday and that they'd be here that evening. Monday was also our first day of homeschooling! Everything went well and I think we are really going to enjoy this experience. Of course we are fine tuning our schedule and routine and adjusting some attitudes along the way but overall I'm very excited to get to do this. Here are a few pictures from our first day of school...

Jathan liked stickers!

Mom, Dad, and Jeremy arrived on campus at around 6 p.m. just as Jackie was getting home from his first day of work at a local school supply store called the Educator. That night we all went to eat at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood.

Tuesday Jackie started classes and Mom, Dad, Jeremy, Keeleigh, Jathan, and I all went exploring around town. I attempted to find the 9th ward for them so that they could see the hurricane/levy damage that is still there but I'd only been there once and "9th ward" isn't exactly an option on the GPS guide = ). We ended up driving around a while then heading to the french quarter where we looked in the shops and walked through the St. Louis Cathedral. It was beautiful in there! Since my family is full of the pickiest eaters imaginable, we had pizza at a mall food court. After lunch we went to the new Audubon Insectarium. It was pretty cool...lots of crazy bugs. Plus there was a little movie that you watch and it feels like the things happening on the screen are really happening in the theatre. One of the first things that happened was a feeling like things were crawling in your seat under you and of course everyone gasped/screamed. Jathan was totally shocked and started crying. I don't think he enjoyed the movie too much!

Later that night after we'd picked Jackie up from home he was able to get us to the 9th ward so that everyone could see the damage. Then we drove through a little part of the Garden District...what a difference. From very poor to very rich within just a few miles. All seven of us had crammed ourselves in Mom's 4 Runner so we were very eager to get out somewhere and since it was getting dark and we were starving we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe where I managed to drop my fork numerous times and Jathan spilled a full glass of apple juice all over the floor. Despite the mess that my son and I made, it was delicious. Dad said that was one of the best BBQ sandwiches he'd ever eaten!

Here's a slideshow of my pictures from that day:

On Wednesday my family headed back towards Alabama (to Orange Beach) and we did our second day of school On Thursday we had our first field trip with CHESS, the on-campus homeschool support group. We went to Whole Foods where we sampled lots of foods around the store and ate pizza before leaving to go back home and finish up our school work. I don't have a single picture from Whole Foods because they don't allow photography on their tours. Why, I do not know. Perhaps flash photography would damage the delicate organic fruits and veggies? Perhaps hippies don't want their secret grocery store expeditions revealed? The world may never know.

Today we had a normal day. We woke up, Jackie went to work, we did school and finished right at lunch time and then I washed what seemed like every dish that I own because we've fallen terribly behind over the last busy week.

And that's what I've been doing this week!