little hands, big dunes

we've been exploring creation with swimming creatures this year.  i have to confess...  *deep breath*  when the mama homeschool day is feeling the exhaustion  of a dense schedule, science is easy to put on the back-burner.  i'm learning that it's okay.  if need be, we've even gone at least 2 months off of history before *gasp* to explore other things.



i confess my shortcomings to make you feel better about your day.  you know... as a friend would leave her house messy before a visit - to make you feel better about your lil' mess.  ummm... yeah.  i like a lil' notice. ;)

{please don't tell me that you are always on par with schedule and your house would pass a white glove test.  i might just crack under the pressure.  i kid.  maybe.}



where was i going with this?  oh, yes.  sea turtles.  this homeschool field trip was an excuse to take a road-trip to the beach about rebuilding the dunes for sea turtles to lay their eggs.  this area is still rebuilding from a previous storm.  it's come a long way! 

it was quite complex.  dig. pour compost. place plant. cover root.  rocket science.  

the challenge was doing said rocket science in the down. pour. ing. rain.  cats and dogs - on and off.  every time the moms took out their cameras - it began to pour.  so much so, that i began to call my camera the rain-maker.   oh, how we could have used that over the summer in our texas drought.  thankfully, it was not freezing.  so, we sucked it up... for the turtles.



in this stretch of beach, the only thing cleaned is man-made trash.  gotta love a natural setting.  most of the rain cleared.  the children played.  we were already drenched, so a splash in the water did no harm.  matter-o-fact, it was good for the soul.

just before leaving, gracie found a plastic bag in the water and quickly snatched it up to throw away.  "mom, this could hurt a sea turtle!"  yes, gracie, great job.  so proud of my girlies.

thankfully, it is not my nature to leave my littles in the sand dunes.  you know - like mama turtles.  i wrapped my wet fish in towels and made the road-trip back home.  ignoring their pleas to drive all the way home, find swimsuits, and trail back to the sand.  because i'm a good mother {repeat to self}.

we did manage to squeeze in a lil' math, too. ;)

jan {i}photo challenge: week 3/366

hello, y'all.  how are ya?  enjoying these unusual winter temps?  personally, i want my winter back!  crazy, i know.  but we remember how hot these texas summers are... totally. getting. gypped. a true texas winter. ;)  

continuing the #janphotoaday challenge... it's never too late to join!



15. happiness.  a list made by a certain 9 yo of birthday gift possibilities.  "american girl doll.  shopping spree at justice.  room make over!"  check one.  she's happy.  mama is close to tears.  my BABY will be double digits.  ten.  sigh.

16. morning.  we've been a little under the weather, so school has been a lil' lax.  drive thru history dvds require sleeping bags when you're warming up for a friend's slumber party.  all while listening to the construction very near our back yard.  grrrr...

17. water.  hot tea starts my morning, in my favorite $1 store stainless-steel mug. watching bella observe phoenix, our new fish. kitty hdtv. quite entertaining.



18. something you bought. a haircut. nator's donation to locks of love.  so proud of her!!


19. sweet. starting the next level in math.  meeting new friends at a sleepover.  piano teachers.  webkinz to help with math.



20. someone you love. family {sporting a new haircut} & friends. how can you name just one? ;)

21. reflection. i know it's a stretch, but i thought i'd share this lil' goodie made by gracie using stopmotion.  there were many {many} more, but this is the one blog-approved by gracie.

 

if you follow us on instagram, you already know the news of our latest addition to the family team.  looking forward to sharing those pictures with you here. ;)

jan {i}photo challenge: week 2/366

just finished watching the saints game.
i screamed... then nearly cried.
causing my cat {who was sleeping peacefully on my lap}
to fly off completely startled... 
and possibly scarred for life.

then i asked my husband why he's encouraged my interest in football.  it hurts when they lose.
he simply says... that's part of the game.
brutal.

okay...
now on to the photo challenge. 



8. your sky.  from my back yard.



9. daily routine.  most days usually begin and end with kitty cuddles.  the best.  next to tea parties and 11 yo learning to cook dinner.
10. childhood.  myself-hubs-and our oldest as littles.
11. where you sleep.
12. close-up.  took the christmas trees down this week.
13. in your bag. our end of the year coupon from vitamin shoppe. woo-to-the-hoo!



14. something you're reading.   fortune cookies. "a passionate new romance will appear in your life when you least expect it."  received this the day hubs left for nyc. talk about timing. ha!  american girl books.  and information about shelter animals.  we made a donation of goodies to one of our local no-kill-rescue shelters.    

i know.  you expected something much deeper than that. right?

15. oh wait... there's no 15.  i just wanted to say that hubs is home.  but you probably already knew that.  new york was going to be extra chilly this weekend.  he's home just in time.

16.  and last but not least... hubs brought home souvenirs.  hubs even remembered the kitty i wanted.  only it's stuffed.  so i'm preeeeeetty sure it's for the girls.  *sigh*  

i recently tweeted... "After surfing adorable animals in need of a home & the emergency amber alert just called, you can find me in a box of Kleenex."

you'll be happy to know that the child was found alive. thank heaven for happy endings!


now about the kitty... ;)

Trick, Treat, or Unicef

see their "trick-or-treat-for-unicef-give-to-the-children" faces?  after a few years, they just about have the look down, yes? ;)

hubs and i are so proud of our girlies.  {warning: bragging parent alert.  you know, unlike all the other posts. *ehem*}  

we can chalk up another halloween to spare change for unicef.  this year, they managed to round up $42 from our lil' neck of the woods.  that makes their grand total, so far, $102.

did we mention how proud we are of them?



we dressed jazzy in a tutu to add to the cuteness. dodged mosquitoes {nator called them vampires}, candy {nator said it made her proud to say no to the candy. gracie was bribed with promise of homemade cookies.}, cars, and a number of people that don't live in our neighborhood. 

they managed to evade the scariest of homes.  {their parents were thankful}  our neighborhood really comes to life for this holiday.  crazy people. 

in all honesty, there's not a scary bone in these sweet lil' gurls. ;)

evading scary homes and candy, we made our way to one of our favorite mexican restaurants to load up on calories. {and it was 'kids eat free'... that was a treat!} then mom made oatmeal cookies.  

muy logical, no?

Season of Giving

"It is possible to give without loving,
but it is impossible to love without giving."
-Richard Braunstein

This year for Christmas, the girls were excited to make
Samaritan's Purse their project.
It's not our goal to boast about our small contribution, but rather
to encourage any who may desire to join the cause.
It's not too late!

It was so great to see and hear the girls pick out items for a child in need...

and resist the temptation to ask for items themselves.
{Well, at least not whine when the response was no.
I mean, Christmas is around the corner.}

If you donate online, you can track your box.
Very cool.

I could watch the excitement of this video over and over...

Our girls have chosen to give to girls their age.

Here's a portion of an "All About Me" page they included in their boxes.

Gracie's picks: A doll attached to a blankie, colors and color book, slinky, paddle ball, Christmas socks, pencils and a notebook.

Nator's picks: A teddy bear, colors and color book, slinky, paddle ball, Christmas socks, pencils and a notebook.

I love that Nator's hero is Jesus

{and that she's proud of Him}.

What special cause is close to your family's heart this giving season?

The night I embarrassed my 7 yr old

We kicked the night off with some music... Gracie style, that is.
Remember she loves writing songs.
DK put some music to it.
She was smiling ear to ear!

No photo shoot is complete without Gracie's ballet poses {and silliness)...

 

or Nator's signature 'I love you' shots.

 

And Yes, I TOTALLY intended to embarrass my 7 year old fashionista by sporting one of their tutus.

I think she must have asked me 5 or 6 times if I was really going to wear that.

Jasmine's tutu was the hit of the night.

One little girl shrieked so loudly with delight, it made Jazz jump a foot off the ground!

 

These girls rock!  Once again, they turned down every piece of candy that was offered as they Trick-or-Treated for UNICEF.

In three years of going door to door in our lil' neighborhood,

they have collected $60.00 in spare change.

We drop the coins off at a Coinstar and donate the cash by paying online.

 

Their efforts are rewarded with some family fun!

{Mama lost the tutu and tiara as to not embarrass herself

her daughter any more.} 

We're too late for the costume contest.

{Which they both won 1st place in their categories last year.

Not braggin', just saying'.  Who cares if my girls were the only kids there. Ha! Kidding.}

Fun was had by all anyway.

We totally rocked at the bumper cars... for sure!!

 

But seriously.

At the end of the night, it's all about the shoes, isn't it?

Fashion AND comfort = pure heaven.

Nator loves her new shoes {which are full of fuzz} so much she puts them on with her PJ's.

Upon checkout {of the above mentioned shoes}, they happen to be selling the book and stuffed animal series...

If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

Gracie picked, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.

Before bedtime, Nator leans close to me and asks,

"Mom, do you really think I could change the world?"

I fight back a tear and consider what they contribute.

With confidence, I answer,

"Yes."

That's what it's really about.

Giving back...

to change the world and make it a better place.

{wiping tear now}

Gracie's Racers

Sometimes Many times, we take so much for granted.  What our dear friends went through with their precious baby girl in 2006 is a heartache no parent should have to endure.  Yet, they continue to do it... and do it well I might add.  My girls nearly cried themselves to sleep after watching our friend's video.  Here's a glimpse into their daily lives... grab a tissue!

Here's a portion of a letter written by Emma Grace's parents...

"She (Emma Grace) recently told me, "Mom – I WAS going to be a rock star but then I decided that I wouldn’t get to see my kids very much so I think I will just be a mommy." To be precise, she has put in her request with God for triplet girls when she "is big and married."

Listening to her plan her future is both a heartwarming and heart-clutching experience. She is quite a determined child, and we are convinced, if given the opportunity, she will exceed every goal she sets for herself, whether it is having a career or children or both.
Anyone who knows Emma Grace knows her boundless energy and straight-forward way of approaching life. Recently, a great aunt was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. When Emma Grace heard the news, her immediate response was, "No worries. Tell her if I can do it, she can too."

We desire nothing more than for Emma Grace to be able to grow up and have beautiful babies and accomplish whatever she sets her mind to do, but we also know the harsh reality of living with her disease. Reaching her goals will require strict discipline every minute of every day of her life. Long-term effects of diabetes can include kidney failure, blindness, loss of limbs and much worse.

With every finger prick, I say a prayer that her blood sugar levels will be in a good range and that this prick could be the last. Every shot has me praying that I could take on this disease for her…that she could eat birthday cake without taking a shot, that she could stay the night at a slumber party instead of having to leave, just as all the other girls are climbing into their pajamas, because she is not old enough to give herself a shot. I know, though, that unless God has it in His divine plan to heal our baby, the only hope is that someone will find a cure soon."

If you are interested in supporting this effort, I'm sure they would appreciate it.

Just click here.

There is much to be done.

Love and Prayers... 

Positive Change

In any given moment throughout the day, A-Nator will say, "If I become President....". I love her optimism and desire for positive change. I've taken the liberty of writing down a few things she's said. I'm sure there will be many more to come...

• There will be NO lying on the internet. (She is referring to children's safety)


• There will be no hydrogenated oil in our food.


• Restaurants will need to serve more food... for free. The first week of every month.


• Cigarette smoking will not be allowed. People will go against me on that, but I still want to go with it.


• I would make Gracie the most famous dance teacher in the world.


• Lower the price at American Girl.


• Animals will not be put to sleep.


• School days for public & private school kids will be shorter. It will start later and end earlier.

Now... If Mama were President, I would put my uniform on and get right to work too! There is much to do, but God has installed a multi-task device. After all, I am a wonder-woman.

No, seriously, this lil' girl has great aspirations in life. I admire her. This picture depicts her heart perfectly. While on a play date at the park, a bus unloaded a tons of kids. She saw to it that each child within her reach got off the slide safely. Here she is helping one of the kids tie their shoe.

tissue please?

Everyday Heroes

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I'm sure this outfit would speak them all.

Along with the girls' scout troop, we made cupcakes and cards for our local fire dept.

The fire fighter who led our tour was very nice and answered all the kids' questions.

He said that we were the smartest group he's had...

even in comparison with some of the older groups that have visited. ;)

He shared with us that they go into structures with flames even when they have been told no one is home. He said you never know if a neighbor's child came over without the parents knowing, etc. Props to the firefighters! Really... wow.

He showed us their living quarters... Who would have thought this grown man wakes every morning to a life-size image of Darth Vader?! Maybe more than I wanted to know.
Another bed had a sign that read, "Chuck Norris sleeps here."
Unfortunately, he wasn't available for autographs.

God Bless our Everyday Heroes!!