Kindergarten Garden

Well, I am constantly doing this to my hubby, and somehow, he still manages to forgive me and love me anyway.  What do I constantly do?  Well, I constantly get him roped into fun events such at tilling up a small garden for his daughter's kindergarten class or like coaching his daughter's soccer team.  He is usually a pretty good sport about it all and his daughter is so proud of him when he does these things for her.  This is one of those times.  I volunteered him to come and get the garden ready and it happened to be a bigger project than we had anticipated.  He was a good trooper though and followed through with his job.

I had the opportunity to volunteer and help out with the kids as they planted their turnip seeds in the new top soil.  We helped break up the clumpy soil, plant the seeds and then water what we had done.  The kids actually did real good with this project.  They were working on measuring the two inches between the seeds as they planted them.  Then they had to go around and count the carrot sprouts that they had managed to plant the week before. 

Pizza Hut With Pappy

We decided one day, to take a trip to Pizza Hut with Pappy.  The kids had book-its and we had coupons for money off on the Pizza Hut Buffet, so off we went.  The boys occupied themselves with the table leaves and of course Reece called them 'guard rails' or his trains or cars.  Sofia was mainly interested in kissing pappy so he would share his mac'n'cheese please.  She is getting really good at getting Pappy to accommodate her. ;)  I will say she KNOWS how to work it. :)  Love that girl. 

Some things take you back in time and this day did. I remember a lot of fun times at Pizza Hut.  As kids we didn't go out to eat a ton as a family, but I do remember our trips to Pizza Hut because we read so we could get our free Book-it Personal Pan Pizzas.  These were fun times and we really enjoyed them as a family.  Also, for some reason, I remember a time when I was a teen and or some reason my dad took Ryan and I out to Pizza Hut.  We were acting up, like we did only every ONCE in awhile.  The problem was this. .  . we were sitting by a window in the restaurant and I didn't realize it was a window through the wall to see the table on the other side of the wall.  I thought it was a mirror for some reason.  Ryan and I were playing a game to see who could let a few pieces of red peppers on our tongue the longest. I remember, my tongue burning so badly that I was certain I there was a hole in my tongue.  I couldn't stand it any longer, so I stood up and stuck my tongue out to see it in the mirror.  .. which wasn't a mirror but in fact a window.  I was almost as mortified as the couple on the other side was scared.  Dad and Ryan were laughing so hard and I was crunched down in the booth embarrassed. :)  Fun memories for sure.  So, needless to say, I enjoy Pizza Hut and the memories that come with it.

Clothespin Butterflies

I started a new project, for Ava's class. I found this idea on line and thought I would try it with the kiddos.  It took a ton more time than I had intended but hey, what doesn't work out that way for me.  I am the worst at time management, as you can see I am blogging instead of cleaning my house. :)  Oh well.  The idea was that spring was coming and Ava was to take snack for her class to school. I decided to make the cute little butterflies with snack bags.  I loved the idea, so we started out with painting the clothes pins first. :)

I unfortunately do not have a great picture of the final product, but the teacher did respond back to tell me thanks and that she ended up using the butterflies and stuffing the bags with tissue paper to use as decorations in the room.  SO cool.  It was again, worth the memories!!

Bumbaugh Easter - 2012

Our Yearly Easter Egg Hunt At the Bumbaugh Family Homestead.  The kids each get a certain color of eggs to find that Grandma and Pappy have filled with candy.  Once they find all of their eggs, then they are get one big egg with their name on it.  Fun tradition that all of the grand kids LOVE.  Each adult gets a big egg to!!! Scott is usually the moderator that tells each of us if we are hot or cold as to finding our BIG EGG.  Sometimes, I am not sure who he is talking to, as he is saying, "warmer, warmer, oh my your boiling, oh no, now you are as cold as ice."  He is a bird. :)  Anyway, a story from years ago. . .My family of four had gotten to the house first and unbeknown est to us, Ava snuck out, found some eggs, opened them and at the candy inside.  She must have then closed them and laid them back down.  So, Sharon found a few of her eggs, with empty Reece Cup wrappers in them and it wasn't hard to find the culprit, the one with chocolate around her mouth.  SO we have not forgotten this and I must say, Ava didn't steal anyone's eggs this year.  :)  SO proud of her.  Then we find, that Chrsitian was the thief this year, as we found three other colors of eggs in his basket along with all of his eggs.  He had one of Sharon's, one of Kelsey's and one of Garrett's.  I think we may be talking about this for years to come.  Sharon said she was still a bit bitter from earlier years, and now this!!! Hahahahahah.  Good laugh though.

Right before the egg hunt, the kids were jumping on the Trampoline and we heard crying.  Micah got there to find that Christian had fallen off the big trampoline and hurt his arm.  He was crying so loudly and such a dreadful cry as all of us were rushing to make him feel better and get ice on the arm.  I was a bit concerned at first that it was broken. . . as fast as it swelled up and as bad as it looked. It wasn't broken though and he was fine.  While he was crying his heart out, I whispered, "do you think you will still be able to pick up your Easter Eggs today at the hunt?" and he immediately shook his head yes, without missing a beat. :)  Yup, he is okay. 

Renee brought her boyfriend Micah Mummert and the funniest thing happened.  When Micah first arrived, Renee was helping him get food and I turned around to catch Ava standing just behind them.  She didn't know anyone was watching and she was simply observing them.  She had this sort of shy and curious look on her face as she just watched them.  She stood there for about a minute and then she caught me looking at her.  She immediately got embarrassed and then I whispered to her is she was thinking it was funny that they were boyfriend and girlfriend.  She smiled and said, "yes!"   It was really cute as she was watching her role model Renee, seeing what it meant to have a boyfriend. I remember doing just that when my two single uncles would bring girlfriends home.  I would love to stare at them and couldn't wait till it was me having a boyfriend over. :)  She is after my own heart.





Let the Feet Washing Begin!!!!

Of course we always have to share the lent, the sock lint, so whoever is the last to get their feet washed on the boys side, is the unlucky one. . .  They are being a servant by allowing their feet to go in the dirty water. ;)  The girls make an effort to shave our legs, clean our feet, and paint our toe nails, so our feet look alright for this Easter Tradition, but the men, literally work to see who can have the most lint and dirt on their feet.

  On a more serious note, I do love this tradition.  Harry and Margaret have a room in their shed that they have finished for times such as these.  We partake of communion at their house every Easter.  The family jokes around and has fun while we are doing so, but the truth is, I think we all really appreciate the process and the remembrance.  I am not sure the Bumbaughs, including myself. . .can do anything in all seriousness alone. :)  However, it is still a great way to remember what Jesus did for us and how we are to continue to serve others the way He did for us.  This year, Ava was really interested in the whole thing.  She kept standing up there and telling everyone to please be quiet so that Pappy could read the Bible and we could continue to our service.  :)  Then, instead of her letting everyone wash someone Else's feet, she wanted to wash each ladies feet all by herself.  Kelsey helped her of course.  Christian was not going to help anyone or wash any one's feet.  He said, "my ARM still hurts." which daddy then reminded him that his arm was fine when he was picking up his eggs, so he can wash feet.  He did wash Garrett's feet then.

We ended the day with Christian and Sharon playing with her hamster named Elvis.  Notice the pink and yellow bedding for the hamster since she wants Elvis to not have an identity crisis. :)  Happy Easter Everyone!

Christian's Kindergarten Registration Day!!!!!

Everyone has events in there lives that they think about and anticipate and can't hardly wait for the day to arrive.  Some people dream of Birthdays, Wedding Days, Hunting Season Days, or Holidays.  Well, for our special little guy, he can't wait for Kindergarten to start. . .for his First BACK TO SCHOOL DAY.  He has been dreaming of this, and talking about this ever since August 29 of last year, when his sister first got on the bus to go to Kindergarten, leaving a broken hearted boy waving goodbye to his favorite sister.  I mentioned in the blogs of her Beginning Kindergarten Days, how hard the adjustment was for him, but I have to say it was a pretty dreadful year of him missing her.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the time just him and I but I am not sure he was as excited as me.  Every day she came home saying how she didn't want to go back and every day he would say how he wanted to go to school.  He even pretended he had school and he would make up and tell me stories of what happened to him that day in school. :)  Sometimes he would stand in front of the door waiting for her to get here and other times I would tell him he could go swinging on the swing and he would say, "no thanks, Ava is not home yet."  :( 

So, after laying the past year out on the line and all the anticipation that came with the future school year for Christian, I won't have to tell you how EXCITED he was the day we went to register him for Kindergarten. The date was set for 10:00 a.m. on March 20th.  He overheard me talking on the phone, setting up his registration time and when I got off, he was yelling and jumping up and down, so excited he was finally going to go to school.  I tried to tell him how he was not actually going to his class for a little while yet, but he was not hearing me. :)  So, the morning of Registration, daddy was home and so we took Christian to his favorite breakfast spot as a surprise.  He loves Denny's because they have softball pancakes.  When we pulled into the parking lot, he started exclaiming again about the softball pancakes. 

After we ate, it was time to head over to registration.  It was so cute because as soon as we got to the parking lot of the registration building, he started saying "goodbye mom, goodbye dad."  He was completely prepared and ready to head into "school" without us, and not the least bit understanding he was not actually going to his first day of Kindergarten.  The below picture is him walking / running ahead of us, SO PROUD of himself and totally feeling like he had "ARRIVED."  :)

I had a really proud moment, when the lady testing the children to see where they were for entrance into Kindergarten showed me how he tested. I was so proud of him and of course I started tearing up.  I couldn't believe my little baby, my sweet miracle, was really getting ready to read, knowing his letters.  The reality is, at this time next year, he will be reading to me, and I know this because I have seen Ava learn so much in one year and grow so much.  It is a great feeling but also a little sad to see how fast this year flew, and knowing the next year will probably go even faster. 

He didn't notice my tears and he just kept on looking around with so much excitement, so before long I wiped my tears and found myself excited for him.  :)  Then it was time for the bus walk through. I am so very proud of this son in my life, the one that shows me how to laugh, even when life is tough.  Christian, mommy and daddy love you and we are so Proud of you.  :)