BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Check out Wyatt's blog for some pictures he took. We were up at our neighborhood playground a couple of weeks ago and he got hold of my camera. Before I knew it he had shot several photos. When I looked at them, I was actually pretty impressed with his eye. I didn't crop or edit these at all. He also named them all himself. Oh, the picture of the boy on the ground is Wyatt's friend Thomas. I think he's playing dead. They are so goofy!!

BIRDS AND BLOOMS

Finally, my lilac bush has bloomed. This was a start off of the lilacs that were in my grandmother's yard long ago. My dad has kept them going in his yard(he's quite the gardner--guess that's where I get my love of gardening). He gave me a start a couple of years ago that I forgot about and left in the starter pot too long until it looked totally dead. It was nothing but a stick. I stuck it in the ground anyway and it has flourished. It has gotten larger every year and this is the first year it has bloomed. Nothing smells better than lilacs! I also have Lily of the Valley that is getting ready to bloom for the first time. That smells great, too!
These are the happy little goldfinches that I have in my yard. At times, there will be 4 or 5 of them on my feeder all at once. They are so pretty and sing the most beautiful song. I always thought you had to feed them thistle, which I do, but they really like the black oil sunflower seed, too. Since our trees and other plants are getting bigger, we are starting to see lots more birds. At our house in Tennessee, when I was REALLY into bird feeding and watching(no kids, of course), I documented over 30 kinds of birds in my yard. It was cool. My neighbor here did say she has been seeing some bluebirds back there, so I'll keep a watch out for them!

PINK EYE :-(

Well, Lily has pink eye. It was a tiny bit red last night and I thought it was just allergies. This morning it was so red and swollen, but still didn't look like pink eye to me. It was more red around the eye than in it, like I've seen pink eye before. This is how it looked when I got home from school today---lots better than this morning!
I subbed today, so I made a Dr. appointment for 9:30 and took her in for the school nurse to check out to see what she thought. She said there is a form of conjuctivitis that's been going around that looks just like this. So, Jeff took her to the Dr. and sure enough it's pink eye.
Lily was SOOOO upset and cried all morning. She had a big day planned. They had a puppet show in her class that she was in and had made her own puppet and everything. It was a big deal to her and she was very upset to miss it. She was also supposed to go over to her friend Leia's house to play after school and was just so upset that she couldn't! I felt so bad for her that I went at lunch to get her McDonald's along with a hot fudge sundae. She seemed happier at lunch time.
At least it wasn't next weekend, which is her birthday! I really hope none of us get it! The good news is, she shouldn't be contagious anymore by tomorrow.

WYATT'S SPRING PROGRAM

Wyatt had his school spring program tonight. It was cute. He, being one of the tallest in his class, was in his usual back row. My pics didn't turn out very well.
I have to say, Jeff is the BEST daddy. He had meetings this week that he planned and is leading for his GM's. He planned it all before he knew when the program was. He drove 3 hours home tonight for a 20 minute performance and is driving 3 hours back at this very moment. He gets back home tomorrow night. He asked Wyatt if he would be upset if he didn't come. Wyatt said yes and that's all it took.
I'm subbing tomorrow in 2nd grade. It wasn't the easiest class last time I was in there. I hope it's improved! Wish me luck!

SNEAKY READER

I meant to post this pic earlier and forgot. About 30 minutes after I THOUGHT Lily was asleep the other night, I kept hearing noises from her room. I peeked in and saw this. She was reading her Judy Moody chapter book. I give them both reading time before bed every night but it's never enough I guess. She told me that she sneaks the book back out every night. No wonder she has been having a hard time waking up for school-which is not the norm for her--she's an early bird normally. Sneaky girl.

FIRST LOVE

Well, I think Wyatt has his first real crush. A little girl in his class told him she was gonna invite him to her b-day party on Sunday, so for over a week he's been telling us that he has plans on Sunday, so DON'T plan anything. He was waiting in SUCH anticipation for the invite to come in the mail. It came yesterday and he was on cloud 9! It's an ice-skating party, too-which he does not really enjoy. He doesn't care, though. He told me he likes her because she's nice, really smart, and he likes her hair. I thought those were great reasons. He actually calls her his girlfriend. However, I don't think she has a clue how smitten he is. He said he thinks she likes him too because she starts a conversation with him about 50% of the time and he starts it the other 50%---so she must like him as much as he likes her. I love a 9 year old's reasoning ;-)
I have a day off between subbing days today, so I have to get some things done around here!!!
Have a GREAT day!!!!

DANCE

Miss Michele picked Lily to help her demonstrate the next thing they were going to do.
Lily's class--she is by far the smallest one. They are sitting down in the middle back. She's not THAT much smaller!

Shuffle, ball change, step.
At the bar.


It was parent night at dance tonight so I got to go in and see what Lily is learning--and get some pictures, of course. I can't believe how complicated their steps are getting! They go really fast in tap now!
I'm listening to her talking to her friend Anna on the phone right now. She just called Lily to chat. Crack me up. Sign of things to come, for sure!!!!

VARIOUS PICS FROM THE WEEKEND

Lily laying in the crawl space area in the basement that we are making into a cabinet. She loves to find those little nooks to crawl into.
Listening to the coach after the game in the dugout.
Lily at Coppelia with her wonderful ballet teacher Miss Michele. Doesn't she just look like a ballerina? The ballet was great! I didn't know the story beforehand, but I would definitely like to see it again if I ever get the opportunity. The male lead was only 14 years old and was awesome. He leapt so high! I'm sure he's got a big career in front of him! The kids sang in church this morning. They sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" with the adult choir and the youth choir. There were probably 50 kids and 100 adults singing. It was really great! Lily was absolutely belting it out-she loves to sing! Wyatt, on the other hand, tolerates it. I think he enjoys it but doesn't want to admit it.
Action shot.

We were SO proud of Wyatt last night. He gave it everything he had in his game and did really well. It was his first time hitting off of another kid. Last year was coach pitch. He was up 3 times and hit the ball twice. The first time he just barely got out at first. His last at bat was last inning, bases loaded and 2 outs. Could it get any worse than that? He hit it on the first pitch, but the ball hit his hand really hard and he was stunned. He stood there for a few seconds before he realized he actually had hit the ball instead of it just hitting him, and then he ran. He didn't make it to first, though. It was a GREAT effort. He was happy with himself. We lost, but that was OK, we tried our best and the team we played had already practiced like 10 times to our 3.
Our neighbor who is a nurse looked at his finger. It was REALLY swollen, but she didn't think it was broken. We iced it and it was fine this morning. He was really proud of himself for being tough. He said he ALMOST cried, but didn't.

BASEBALL OPENING DAY

Wyatt in his Braves uniform.
Lily on the fence-just had to get the close up.
The fly by was neat.
Ready to hit.
Lily's turn at hitting. She did great!

Today is opening day for baseball. We went to the opening day ceremonies this morning. It's the first time we've gone-it was rained out last year. We had no idea what to expect, but it was neat. The teams walked out on the field, they had the national anthem and some planes did a fly by. Wyatt's first game is at 6 tonight.
Lily and I are going to a ballet today--Coppelia--at 2-so it's going to continue to be a busy day.

Another flower picture.
Lily at the playground.
Lily and Lauren in the Barbie jeep-it may be our last summer for this-they're getting a tad big for it--even though they still love it--best $50 we ever spent!!!

FLOWERS

OK, I've found that I really enjoy taking pictures of flowers. I think they look pretty cool all together. I thought they might look neat blown up and framed as a group, too.

WYATT AND HIS TWIN

Well, they say everybody has a twin. I think Wyatt's must just be his good friend Thomas. He came over yesterday to show us his new glasses. Of course, Wyatt has his contacs now, but with the glasses on they REALLY look alike now!! They are pretty much exactly the same size, too! Of course, Thomas has brown eyes and Wyatt's are blue--but still.....there is quite a resemblance!!

SKEETER IV

Well, this is Skeeter the fourth. Wyatt insisted on not changing the name. We got him yesterday and he is so pretty. He is a crown tail betta, which is fancier than the regular kind. He's the coolest electric blue color, too. It was hard to get a good pic. He was staying toward the back of the tank a lot. He's been up front a lot more today. These fish have so much personality--he comes to the side and looks right at you when you come over. Hopefully, he'll make it!!!!

LILY'S FIELD TRIP

With her friends on the bus.
With her awesome teacher Mrs. Cammack.
Just posing.
Playing the drums with Anna.
Digging for dinosaur bones at the Dinosphere exhibit.

Lily went on a school field trip to the Indianapolis Children's Museum yesterday. They got to see the play--"Stuart Little", have lunch there and play around the museum for a couple of hours. I had a group of 3 to take around, so it was an easy and very enjoyable day!

One last shot of Wyatt that I antiqued.
Lily got her recital costume for tap today. She loves it and so do I! It's kind of a 5o's diner theme.

Fun on the farm.
I antiqued this one.
At the park.
Lily with her Neemah.
Making a basket.

I took WAY too many pictures over the weekend and had fun editing a few of them, so I thought I would post some more.

R. I. P. Skeeter III

Skeeter's grave.
Skeeter's coffin.

Well, the sad news of the week. Wyatt's beloved fish Skeeter was dead when we got home from Kentucky last night. He's been on his last leg (or should I say fin) for a couple of weeks now. Bettas have a life span of one to two years and good ole' Skeeter lived over 3 years. Wyatt got him, from his Uncle Steve, for his 6th birthday!!
I wasn't sure what to do with him, so I put him in an empty Altoid container and put him in the fridge overnight--yuck! So, today after school we buried him in the garden with a proper ceremony and grave marker. The kids had to eat popsicles after school to get the sticks to make it!
I shouldn't make fun, though. Poor Wyatt was really upset. He gets very attached to things. I have to say, it is sad.
I'm taking him tomorrow to get another one. Hopefully it'll live. The reason this one was Skeeter the third is because he was the 3rd one we got in a week that finally lived!