6

Popcorn turned six years old yesterday! Here are a few shots from his birthday party.

When I turn 6.

Popcorn: Mom, Shakespeare tried to get me to count to 100 once.

Me: Did you do it?

Popcorn: No. It's too hard.

Me: Well, we need to work on that.

Popcorn: I don't want to today. I'll do it when I turn six.

Me: That's next week, Bud. Okay, we'll wait till you're six.

Popcorn: Yeah. 'Cause today I'm already done wiff maff.

Sugar is Growing

See me standing at the window? I'm really just here because the vent is blowing warm air.



Hey, there's Gem! I like her.



Who needs yoga?!



Oh yea, mom wanted me to tell you that I am mobile.



Getting big, isn't she?!

Disney Again

I've seriously failed in the blogging realm. Two posts in January is just pitiful. With three birthdays in this month I should do a bit better. Life just keeps rolling along, leaving little time for informing our adoring public about our captivating lives.

My mind has stayed occupied with things like fractions, long division and teaching reading. By the way, teaching a child to read is probably the single most rewarding thing about homeschooling--not that you have to home school to teach a child to read. It's just that with home schooling there is no other alternative. Sinatra is going from two letter blends to three letter words right now. So much fun to see him get it.

Well, here is the meat of my post: more Disney pictures.


You might think that nothing is wrong with this picture.



Or this one.



But take a look at this one and you'll see that my crazy kids were swimming in 50 degree weather. Disney keeps their pools exceptionally warm during January. They played for nearly three hours.



Here is Sinatra on his first roller coaster--The Barnstormer, in ToonTown!


Gem and G-Pa with Tom Sawyer's river boat behind them.



Here is another one of Gem in Canada.



And one final group shot of us shivering on Main Street at MGM. We caught the final night of the light show.



Oh yeah...This is my Dad (with Jon). It was his birthday on Groundhog Day. Happy Birthday, Dad! I thought this picture was a good one for blackmail, but maybe it's just a nice "celebrating" type of photo. He and Jon were the honorary limbo pole holders at O'Hana (Polynesian Restaurant). "Aloha, Cousin!"

Here are some Disney pictures in no particular order.

My mom and Sinatra. This is Sinatra's very favorite thing at Disney. It even trumps the monorail--that's sayin' a lot if you know anything about Sinatra.



Our accommodations.



This totem pole in "Canada" has a familiar face, Eh?



And Jon and I squeezed in a trip to China by way of Florida.



And of course, the castle.



Here is Sugar and Jon. Notice how bundled up she is. That was our existence for 2 1/2 of the 4 days in the park.



Here she is at our Polynesian dinner.



And here is Jon sporting his duds for the same dinner. He and my dad were singled out for a special honor--holding the limbo bar. First, of course, they had to lead a parade of kids around the restaurant while wearing this beautiful skirt and shaking a maraca.


Us in front of the "golf ball" (Spaceship Earth).



At the back of the train in Magic Kingdom.



That's it for now. I know that I will eventually post more. Just had to get some done tonight.

Okay, I lied. Here are two more--just for Jon's mom. We spent the week of Christmas at their home with Jon's parents and his brother's family.

Disney on Ice--Okay, Just Frost

Disney World is COLD (for Florida). Yesterday we toured around the Disney property inside buses and in enclosed boats. We finally settled at the Fort Wilderness Lodge where we ate and escaped the chilly 47 degrees outside. Today, we're buying coats and hats along with every other person in Orlando. Thankfully, I packed winter coats for all the kids but Gem. She and Jon are the cold ones.

My parents just arrived and are checking in to their resort. We will catch up with them within the next hour and spend the rest of the day at MGM. Yea!!! Nana and Grandpa are here!

I hope to get my laptop out sometime soon, but until then I can't download pictures.

Pray for warmer weather. We're still enjoying it regardless.

Of Wanderings and Wal-Mart

Merry Christmas!!!! Merry Christmas!!! Merry Christmas!!!

After I talked with you last, we converted this mobile bad boy into a sleeping machine and put the kids to bed. The three boys go in the compartment over our heads; Gem goes on the fold down sofa and Sugar goes in her pack-n-play on top of the converted dinette. That leaves the short queen for Jon and me--right? No. I ended up with Sinatra on the pull-out sofa and Jon ended up with Gem in the bed. Gem, honey, that's the last night of luxury for you.

Jon drove with all of us asleep. He pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot at about 11:30. The rattling and wind-whistling stopped. You could hear a pin drop. Peaceful sleep--well, except for Sinatra's feet in my face.

Now we're up and moving again. We'll reach Jon's parents' in about 45 min. Then we can get showers and eat biscuits and gravy and just lay on the couch, because that's all you can do after you eat Jon's dad's biscuits and gravy--Christmas tradition. I'm sure we'll do presents and all that other stuff too. I'm just partial to the biscuits and gravy part.

Much love and blessings and peace to your homes today. And may you never sleep in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a three year old's feet in your face.

Georgia on My Mind

We're in Georgia--I think. Actually, we may have hit Florida by now. We stopped at a gas station to take a dump. This was our first dump for the motorhome and boy was that fun. The connection came loose and **** splattered in an EPA nightmarish situation. Thankfully, my hubby thinks fast and a repeat of the Exxon Valdeez was averted by flipping off the valve. We hosed down the stench and laughed for a while. Thankfully, the propane fill-up wasn't a similar experience.

Then my hubby decided that he would follow in his father's footsteps and get out the bucket of soapy water and wash down the front of the motorhome--and both sides--and the back...and the golf cart on the trailer we're pulling. Yep, we're sparkling clean.

...O'r the Highways We Go

We're spending our Christmas Eve in our home as it hurtles down the road at 70mph. That's right--we're in the motorhome. We spent the last three days packing it up and now we're on I-77 S, heading toward Florida.



A friend let us borrow his air card (thanks, Shon) so we'll be able to keep you updated throughout the trip.

To all you aggressive drivers out there, please, oh, please, don't cut off motorhomes when approaching stoplights; they don't stop on a dime.

The kids are happily playing their DS game systems.



The boys are buckled in at the dinette, but Gem has taken up residence on our bed in the back. She is reading books as she bounces down the road. I gave her the complete works of Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author).

Sweet Sugar

I've been at home alone with the baby all day. So...of course, I had to snap a few shots. Eat you hearts out, Grandmas and Aunts.


Sly little cuteness.



Notice the two teeth on the bottom.



Had a little fun in Photoshop with the last three. A bit too much contrast in this first one, but I love how it really highlights her eyes.



All "Sugars" come complete with halos.



And this shot makes me want to kiss her and snuggle her to me.