This Boy of Mine is 12

My Boy turned 12 this month...where does the time go.

Unfortunately, I remembered everything for the party right down to the chocolate poker chips....but forgot the camera to take Pictures!

Lucky for me Alex is very understanding and he went out to the Party Palace...AKA: Alex's Aces In the Hole Casino, The School House and The Bee's Knees Canopy for shows...he posed for me.

Looks like his hand is not so good...hummm will he bluff or fold?

The remainder of the Orange Dream sickle Cake...It Said Alex is Aces and was made to look like a deck of cards. I made a crock pot full of Chili will bowls full of yummy sides to add.

Some of our favorite people came to share in the celebration, which was a rousing game of Poker and to wish my dear little man a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.


I LOVE YOU ALEX....YOU SO ROCK IN THOSE DICE GLASSES

Camping School Room

Often I am asked, "How do you Home School while Camping"


And I Answer, "You build your own School House of course"

This is a Canopy that has walls and screen walls.

With lots of bars and cross bars to attach signs...

And Stars...

Our School Arms (Trinity Made this)....

We have an Owls Nest...

Pumpkins and Witches...

And little people getting ready for Halloween.

We keep our school supplies in plastic bins. And pencils, scissors and what nots on the table in baskets. As the seasons change and our School House changes I will post photos. Maybe I will have better lighting then. Our wish list for our School House is a chalk board, carpet and a good heater.

Trinity at Play

What is Trinity up too?

I hear her sweet voice...she kind of squeaks when she talks...its so cute

She sure is busy behind that tree...

OH, I hear her know...she is singing...

I have been spotted...and receive a friendly invitation to come join her...

A fairy House...

Dishes...

Flooring...

Food...

Decorations...

Natural Play

My little girl is a very physical being...she likes to fully experience things. And when it rains she loves to be out in it. She is especially fond of the down spout...it pours out into our dirt driveway and makes a river. I got to take quite a few photo's before she realized I was near.

Poem to Mud

Poem to mud -
Poem to ooze -
Patted in pies, or coating the shoes.
Poem to slooze -
Poem to crud -
Fed by a leak, or spread by a flood.
Wherever, whenever, whyever it goes,
Stirred by your finger or strained by your toes,
There's nothing sloppier, slipperier, floppier,
There's nothing slickier, stickier, thickier,
There's nothing quickier to make grown-ups sickier,
Trulier coolier,
Than wonderful mud.
-Zilpha Keatley Snyder

What a beauty...

Mama Pride Shelf

This shelf rest above my kitchen sink and proudly displays my children's work. At first I didn't know what to do with all these lovely objects.
The kids and I were very excited when we found a community center near by that offered such wonderful classes as pottery, yoga, drama, art, piano and much more. They even have an adult pottery class, I sit in envy knitting as I wait for my children...the ladies trickle in coffee in one hand, work bag in the other. As they gather in the room down the hall I hear them admiring a piece someone has brought in. Maybe this fall I will be able to join in. Though I do sit with my own coffee finishing up some hand made treat for someone I love. And I know I have my shelf of color made just for me.

Sorry this photo is a little dark...it was an overcast day filled with much needed rain.

Swing It Girl

The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside-

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown-
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

McKinney Campground - Trailer Trash Tuesday

Taking a break from the monotony of getting a house ready to sell was just the thing we needed.

We plan on living in the "Big Bear" (our Travel Trailers Name) for awhile during and after the house gets sold. How long? We don't know. But we sure do enjoy our Bear.

Lake McKinney was a Gem.








As you can see the kids are just loving the idea.



















Alex and Trinity got very busy at the beach. Holes were dug, castle built and swimmers turned into sea serpents and mermaids.







We Spent Four Nights and it seemed much too short. But we will be out and about in the Bear soon...Loving every minute of it.

Trinitys Piano Recital

Trinity is our little pianist...she loves to play. She has an electric Piano at home but gets to learn on this pretty black one at lessons.

She was as cool as a cucumber and played "Merrily We Roll Along". We took her out for dessert afterwards. She has on the pillow dress I made her...she wanted to wear it just for this occasion.

Aiken State Park South Carolina - Trailer Trash Tuesday

This was one of our all time favorite parks. Aiken State Park South Carolina. It was all on sand with pine needles in between the camp sights. The ranger was laid back and easy going and would drive you back and forth on the river for Canoeing.

But the best part was the lakes and all the tadpoles, frogs, snakes, butterflies and lizards. Every afternoon we would bike over to a hidden lake with our baskets full of sandwiches and lemonade.

The kids brought a mason jar to catch critters in then release them unharmed. I swear I need to write a book "101 uses for mason jars."

 

 

The fishing lake was daddy's favorite, this was the lake that had the tadpoles and snakes. So daddy fished, the kids caught critters and I sat on the bench and knitted...each one of us was in our idea of heaven.

 

 

The had a really neat hiking trail...most of it was boardwalk just right for Trinity.

 

This road went all they way around the campground it was a little over a mile and we kept going round and round it and never saw a vehicle. We have this on our "Must go back" list. This is not a campground for someone who needs a Walmart ten minutes away. But more for someone who wants to get away and enjoy nature.

Sweetwater State Park Camping - Trailer Trash Tuesday

Last weekend we camped for four nights at Sweetwater Park on Lake Allatoona. It rained the whole time! The kids brought some handwork, artwork, games and puzzles. And we stayed inside most of the time listening to books on CD from the library. But whenever the clouds took a break from the rain we headed out a few times we just couldn't wait so we got the umbrellas out and went splashing around in the rain.

Sorry, these photos were lost...I am trying to locate them to share

As you can see the Cats really get exhausted roughing it...I think they moved to eat. The kids had to force them out of the trailer for a walk...well OK they just stood by the door meowing to get back in...just too much nature for them I suppose.

How To Make Your Own Bubbles

The kids and I made our own bubble solution out of Dawn dish soap, corn syrup and water. As you can see from the photo, we made allot. We also mad our own blowing devices out of cups, straws and really anything that had a hole in it from the kitchen.


Bubble Recipe
2 Cups Dawn (regular no ultra)
3/4 Cup Corn Syrup
6 Cups of water

Let this sit overnight and you are ready for a bubble extravaganza the next day. And its a great photo opportunity as well.

Let Them Be Children

Shhhhh...a childhood is happening please do not interrupt.

Imagination

Giggles

A shared secret hideout

I think the best thing I can do is give them a childhood

or at least not get in the way of one.

Fairy House

Trinity and I walked through our woods and gardens and found some fun stuff for a Fairy House.

The house is in our club house in the middle of Azalia bushes. We come out here to do our handwork or have a secret picnic sometimes.

This is what we call the giving bench. We are going to leave gifts for the Fairy's on our bench.

A few gifts for the Fairys

My little Fairy

I have decided that I do not want to be a princess and diffinatly not a diva. But a Fairy Godmother.

A princess is usuall too bratty and diva's dont belive in fairys.

Granting wishes that's what a Fairy Godmother does...how cool is that?!