Open House at Wanda Gray

We went to Open House at Macauley's school this past Thursday and he was so proud to show us Wanda Gray. What an awesome school--all the parents are so involved, the building is so new and colorful, and he's learning a lot already.

Our very first "project" was to color, cut out and glue the body to Macauley's head shot for this cute display. I had all sorts of aspirations, but we waited until the last minute to get started, and then at that same last minute our next door neighbor (who we have never really spoken to in the 3 and 1/2 years we've lived here--now we're about to move!) knocked on the door and said her little dog was stuck under her porch. We tried to get it out for a couple of hours with no success and then it was too late to do much to the art project. (Ryan got the dog out the next night by popping the step off the porch and using his truck jack to lift it a bit--the neighbor didn't even thank him...).

Each classroom in the kindergarten wing is done in a different color, and Macauley's favorite color is red!

He sits with two other little boys at his table, Logan and Trevor. He showed us all his work and the stuff in his table's caddy, as well as Trevor's completely mangled nametag.

His cubby...

His teacher, Mrs. Megan Bryant...

His buddy Daniel Kim (who Macauley informed us speaks both English and Korean)...

Miss Grace, of the love notes...

An apple art project he said was me...

His bio Mrs. Bryant created after interviewing him about the 4 objects he put in the "Me Bag," also sent home for us to fill on the same night of the doggie dilemma. Mac put in his canteen, a picture of the 3 of us, a picture of Booker and a Spongebob plushie.

Each day he puts his name on the chart for the milk flavor he wants--he usually chooses strawberry, I think.

We finished with a lap or two around the new, brightly colored gym and a pop-in on the PTA meeting. I am so glad he gets to go to such a wonderful school. And I am also glad he likes it so much. We stopped by the Kickapoo Homecoming game on the way home and Macauley told my friends Sarah and Lori, "I go to THE best school in Springfield!" For sure.

Everyday Pretty

I found this old drawer at Spring Creek when I went shopping with Barb last weekend and I knew it would be great holding my jars of detergent in my laundry room. I've had the big jars for a while...why not make utilitarian stuff pretty? I had the dryer sheets in a metal basket, but I switched that out for one of my tarnished silver trays. Laundry is one chore I don't mind doing. I actually like sorting the dirties into piles and folding everything. I don't really like to put laundry away, though. But this old drawer makes me smile and I'm glad I got it.

SDC

We decided to head to Branson late this afternoon and use our season passes to visit Silver Dollar City. It turned out to be a great day there. We went late enough in the day that the crowds had thinned out and it was an overcast day so that helped too. No lines and no stress trying to keep track of Macauley in a hectic crowd.



We didn't do any of the water rides because none of us felt like getting any wetter than we did from the light rain. Macauley likes the area with all the vacuum tubes and balls to suck up.

His favorite is usually the American Plunge, but we just stopped by the Water Tree nearby.

The park was decorated for fall and the weather felt fall-like--so nice.

Lindsay and Tyson also stopped by the park and Ryan rode some of the roller coasters while Macauley and I watched from the observation decks. Macauley got really upset watching Ryan on Powder Keg, which is a really scary one. He did not like seeing his Daddy in "danger."

On the way out, Macauley made a lucky penny...maybe it will help us sell our house!

I'm really glad we went down there. It's nice to have something like that so close.

Happy Bday Grandma!

We went to Lambert's (Home of the Throwed Rolls) in Ozark last night to celebrate Ryan's mother's birthday. For her gift, I put together a wooden basket and fall towels I found at TJ Maxx and some mums and some wine charms with a Thanksgiving theme (Linda hosts a lavish and yummy Thanksgiving feast at her house every year!).

Ryan comes from a wonderful family and I feel so lucky to have married into it.

I have a pretty wonderful family myself, and my sister Lindsay came along for some pot roast, mashed potatoes, fried okra (fried Oprah as Macauley calls it), fried potatoes and sweet tea. Oh, and to wish Linda happy birthday...

And Macauley left with a balloon he named Jeffrey.

Love, Grace

Guess what my cute little boy came home from kindergarten with yesterday? His first love note! I am so glad that he has been making several new friends, most of whom are girls, and one of which is Grace.



She drew these adorable drawings at home and brought them to school in the envelope for Macauley. One is the two of them on the beach, the other just a happy shot with a blue sky and sunshine. Another small bonus rainbow drawing was tucked inside, too.

Macauley did some drawings to take to her today. His were all in yellow and not as detailed as Grace's but he went with the pink envelope and drew the heart by her name. He said he just walked by her desk and dropped it on her paper while she was working this morning. I can't wait to meet this girl!

Barb's Boudoir

I escaped from school today and headed to my good friend Barb's house to dabble a bit more with her bedroom project. Shannon sent me the coverlet and shams in exchange for another duvet I sent her and I, the bedding broker, hooked Barb up with it. Then, in a stroke of kismet, we discovered that Barb's grandmother's (great-grandmother's?) china coordinated with it beautifully so we hung up a collage of the pieces above the bed, along with the fab window we found at Spring Creek last weekend with her monogram. We both just loved the result.

Then we hung these 3 mirrors we found a long time ago at Hobby Lobby (I love things in 3s) and hung the wreath we also found at Spring Creek.

Barb is so lucky to have a bevy of old photographs of a number of her relatives--what a pretty montage above her cool jewelry tree and a couple of those lovely teacups.

We found this cabinet at Second Time Around a few months ago, and it is really what spurred the whole bedroom transformation if I remember right. Barb painted it white and added the appliques and some cool crystal floral knobs we found at Hobby Lobby. It is topped with a collection of mercury glass candlesticks.

The overall look is glam and feminine and we love it! Barb totally deserves a pretty room like this...and now she needs a day off to lounge in bed, eat bonbons and bask in the beauty around her. What a bright spot in an otherwise taxing day to get to help her with this project. Fun!

Worn thin

Oh, I have missed my blogging...school and house selling stress have been wearing me thin. Teaching is one of those jobs that can really take over your life if you let it, and I've been trying not to let it, but it's zapping my creative spirit and even when I have time to blog, I'm just too wiped out to think of anything fun to post. And I'd really like to be excitedly planning to move to my new house after we close on 30 September (because I LOVE that house and can't wait to be there) but we haven't sold our own house yet so we've got that stress and can't move on to the next chapter. And poor Macauley...he feels the tension, too. He tests my patience and I don't have enough to test right now. I try to distract myself from the stress and strain of it all by reading pretty magazines (and dressing up my dog--Barb, I got that from you), but... My sister Lindsay is coming over to make dinner and hang out tonight, and I am going to post a couple of other things tonight that make me smile. Everyone keeps telling me it will be okay and that this too shall pass, and I know that is true, but I just need it to be okay ASAP. As in now.

And the party continued...

For even more birthday fun, we went to my favorite restaurant Nakato Sunday night. Lane came in from Little Rock and Lindsay brought 2 of her friends.

Yummy Japanese food...so good that night I practically licked my plate. The waiters even sang the Japanese birthday song and brought us a little ice cream cake.

So good to be with my sisters...And how sweet of them to get me fabulous gifts! Lindsay got me a set of black and white enamel canisters I had shown her at TJ Maxx and Lane brought me a Michael Stars sweater hoodie, the hot item at the boutique she runs in Little Rock. My parents came through Springfield later that night on their way back from a weekend trip in Oklahoma and we all got to spend the day together Monday. My parents gave me some money for my birthday so I went to the flea market and got the dining room table and chairs I have been wanting. I expected to pay $90, a good deal, I thought, but ended up getting it for $70! I am going to shabby chic it for the new house. I wanted to do some painting tonight but it has been rainy here. Good thing, I guess, because I needed to get caught up on my blog. I had a good 32nd birthday weekend. I can't believe I am 32, though. I don't feel it...

Thanks for the bday party, Kandace Lynn!

We went to St. Louis this weekend for my childhood friend Kandi's wedding on Saturday, which was also my 32nd birthday. The ceremony was held on the historic Main Street in St. Charles at The Conservatory, a really pretty garden greenhouse--very small and intimate. Very sweet. The reception was at our hotel in nearby St. Peters. It was great to see some of my oldest friends and hang out for a few hours.



The Cassville girls: Tonya Slinkard Varner (a bridesmaid), Casey Clayton Wilson, Kandi Hayworth Wetzel, Hayley Cowan Fraser, Andrea Henningson Beeson and Brandi Hayworth (twin sister of the bride and maid of honor).

We got to meet Andrea's new man, Dave, from Fayetteville and spend time with Tonya's husband Terrell and Casey's husband Mike, who I learned played high school basketball for my dad when we first moved to Cassville in 1984.

We danced the Cotton Eyed Joe and to a couple of other classics. Unfortunately during a stirring rendition of Billie Jean, one of Kandi's bridesmaids fell on the dance floor and landed on the back of Kandi's dress, pulling Kandi backwards and almost to the floor. The bridesmaid for whatever reason could not get up for a while and a big chunk of the tulle off the back of Kandi's dress came with her when she finally did. I'm not sure if she was hurt or not. We were laughing so hard...

It was really nice to get away with Ryan for the weekend and forget about all the stress of school, work and real estate woes. We did a little shopping and he was really sweet to me on my birthday weekend. I love that boy and sometimes we need a break from reality to show each other that we are still in love as much (or more so) as we were the day we walked down the aisle like Kandi and Chris did on Saturday.

First day of school

We made it through the first day (heck, I haven't blogged in so long we've already made it through the first week!) of school last Monday, 25 August. Macauley started kindergarten at Wanda Gray and he had no trouble saying good-bye to us that morning. I, on the other hand, had to slip away twice to the restroom (with little tiny potties that come up to my knee) to get a grip on my emotions so I wouldn't cry in front of everyone. It was a strange, sort of happy, sort of sad cry that I was holding back--so proud and happy that Macauley is confident and so adorable and ready to be there, so sad and scary that he is not my little baby anymore.

Ryan said he felt the same way each time he dropped him off at school last week...Macauley only wanted him to come in again on the second day, then after that he just hopped out of Ryan's truck, slipped on his little backpack and headed for the door. Ryan said Macauley turned around about halfway in each day and motioned for him to roll down the window then yelled, "Bye, Dad! I love you!" and skipped on in. Precious.

Last Monday was my first day of school, too, which is why I felt so compelled to keep it together and not bawl like a baby as soon as we got in the car. Had to face 30 some teenagers immediately following the drop off. My classes are huge, over 30 in each, but so far they seem like good kids to work with. One week down, 35 more to go...