popcorn popping

 

All over Charlotte and her suburbs in white, yellow, pink and purple--I am loving the beautiful spring.

 

splitting for ice cream

Tonight after dinner we decided to go out for ice cream to start the birthday celebrations for Carter and Jonah coming up next week. Cork, JB and Izzy wanted to ride in Papa's car. 

 

 

Tricia and I were chatting in her car with Carter and B. The next thing you know, we were out of her development and Papa was not following.

Actually, we realized that we forgot to wait for him.

We spent the next half hour running around town looking for him, although I had no doubt that he was

somewhere

 

                                   

                                      having ice cream with his crew--which he was!

So...

there was nothing left to do,

except buy some  ice cream for ourselves.

picture day for carter

Practicing his contagious smile before school... 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gives me another photo opportunity.

picture day for Cork

Today was picture day at school for Courtney. I french braided her hair last night and she slept in it for her cute hair style today. After school, I had the opportunity for my own photo shoot when she went to her horse riding lessons.

   

carolina weekend

I passengered up to North Carolina with Cherylyn and her boys on Wednesday. Thursday was a good day for hanging out at the house together. Friday morning Cherylyn left and continued on home. All of the kids were at school in the morning so Tricia and I headed over to the South Park Mall to visit a few of our favorite places. We bought matching shoes and shirts. The saleslady tried to talk us into at least getting different colors of the same style shirt without success. The day  continued to warm so Tricia and I  played tennis after school while the kids enjoyed the playground. Dan returned home from work late Friday night. This morning it was haircuts for the kids and a carwash. Then some relaxing time outside on a truly beautiful afternoon. The buds are starting to open on the trees and I will have to take some pictures before I leave next week!

Tonight I am enjoying being the babysitter for these cute faces.

Izzy is so pleased about her job well done...muraling the walls (three of them) with black crayon while I was on the job. Oops!

But I didn't get mad at her. I saved that job for her parents.

see ya later alligators

It's such a great time of year in Florida.

I love, love, love it!

But I left...

for this:

and them:

 

And it's alllllll good.

classroom visiting

I went to visit my students today. I felt loved and missed. They were celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday. I read

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

to them. It was fun!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.  Don’t stew. 
Just go right along.
You’ll  start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.

You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t. 
I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a  train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame!  You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.
All  Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

papa and andrew enjoying sunday dinner

andrew

*loves to eat tons of anything and everything

*knows how to walk, but will only take a few steps if we beg and clap ALOT

*thinks he should be able to do everything everyone else does and gets mad if he is left out

*is a great little negotiator of the stairs

*says Nana

*has had so much fun climbing on this table and unseating the birdhouse (bottom right) that normally sits there                       

*plays ah-ohhhhh really well

*has an adorable smile

 

 

 

 

 

*delighted Ashley White at YW...having never seen this face before, she looked up and said, "Is Cherylyn here???"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      *seems really happy at the Birdhouse

friday's sketch

Today Chezzie and I took Clark to the park to play tennis. It might have all started a couple of days ago when Brianda was babysitting Payton and she had both of them outside with tennis racquets swinging for the ball. Then yesterday when Clark and I were working in the garden together, he wanted to play some more, and so we did. I was pretty impressed that he could hit the ball. Last night this little six year old girl was playing with her dad at the courts where Cherylyn and I  were playing with Missy and Linda. Really, this little girl was very impressive. Cherylyn asked me if I could imagine Clark playing that well in three years. Of course!

So today we played at the courts and he was hitting right over the net!

 Watch for Clark to be playing like this  soon!

Then Cherylyn took me to lunch at the Goblin Market in Mt. Dora. Afterwards we enjoyed a visit to the Orlando Temple.

When we finished, we drove over to the

and picked up empanadas for dinner and a few other yummy things!

oak haven strawberry farm

No one has really experienced paradise on earth until he has plucked and eaten a clutch of fully ripe strawberries, warmed by Florida sunshine.                                                  adapted from Joy of Cooking

   

more monkey

 

When Clark came to the Birdhouse he brought his MarioKart skills with him.

 

 

 

He has advanced them...and his form!

my oscar

You Would Win Best Costume Design

You are imaginative, artistic, and very unique. You are a natural designer. You can picture entire movies in your head. You are incredibly visual. As long as you can remember, you've always had a flare for fashion. You like to experiment with looks. You like dressing up in costumes and outfits. And not just for Halloween!

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

 

Now I just need to see the movie!