Update & Projects

I can't believe another week is almost finished.  Four weeks from tonight we will be meeting our new teachers!  I'm so sad about school starting up again - it's been such a short summer!

I wanted to update everyone on the projects;   School Pictures - are up!  I've not taken pictures of them yet but will show that off soon.

Rachel's Garden...  while suffering the heat of Texas summers and Bad Bunnies, the garden seems to be holding it's own!  The periwinkles, saliva's zinnias are doing super - the  poor cone flower that didn't look like it was going to make it -  then rebounded has succumbed to the whims of the bad bunnies......  (Rachel 12 -Bunnies 7) 

Cookbook project... well I've attached pictures of the cookbook/paper mess I've held onto for years - some recipes I've had for 20+ years on a small pieces of paper - most of the time knowing where they are - and sometimes losing them for short periods of time.  I've typed 25 recipes into the computer now - and they are saved.  One step closer to an official Tammy's recipe book, and eliminating the stacks of papers and books.  Over the years I've held onto magazines and books for one or two recipes so I'm  letting all the extra stuff go!  YEA!  So far I've let go of three recipe books and this huge stack of magazines and papers!  Maybe I'll make room for a new cookbook or two!   :) 

Rachel's class made whole wheat pasta today - and vegan brownies... everything was really good!  She wants to start cooking right away so maybe this weekend we will start.  :) 

We are going to a local peach orchard - I've checked and they will have more peaches ready by next weekend and I think I'm going to try my hand at some canning and of course the children love making jams and giving as gifts.  :)  I'll keep you posted!  :) 

Legos of Love

I had to show you the picture of Anikan  Skywalker and  his star trooper ship  for ya'll to see.  

(I was told he made it just for me because he will love me forever)    

Ahhh a Mother is a very blessed person.  :)

Hot Monday

It was a breezy 103 today!  They say it's going to be cooler tomorrow - only 102 degrees!  It's 10:30pm and 92  degrees ... ugh.  It won't really cool down here till sometime in October.  I love these sunset pictures... but Hubby was driving so relax; I wasn't taking pictures while driving down the road. 

Rachel had a wonderful time today at a cooking camp.  They made so many things on the first day I don't know what they are going to make the rest of the week!  They did a savory stuffed sweet potato, a dressing for a salad, an apple oatmeal muffin, a blueberry turnover and a  little

sandwich.  :)  

Patrick and I had an unexpected surprise with Aunt Jenny and Abraham came by for a quick visit.  Jenny &  I are going to work on Christmas cards next month so we picked out the stamp set and I'll order paper on Friday!  We had a nice visit and  lunch at a little local Mexican place.  I wish I had my camera - the food is always good.  Patrick had a blast with AJ.   And AJ has a very nice voice - he was singing along with the music in the restaurant.  :) 

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Dolly brought so much rain to the South of Texas  -a 10 hour drive from here and  yet the other day all we received was a bit of shade... the clouds were so low it looked like rain or low enough to touch and  yet they just blew on by.... So, here's to breezy shady days... 

Quiet summer days...(last Friday)

Nothing new to report - all is pretty quiet and really nice.   The children are doing super.  We finished our official piano lessons on Wednesday for the year.  But, since  we missed so many of them in June they give us make up days - and while I don't really care to  drive  to the music school on Saturday afternoon - it will keep them 'going' until new years lessons start the last week of August.  Patrick begins guitar lessons and Rachel has piano and is beginning Theory -at  her teacher's  suggestion and we're going to give it a try. All I remember about piano lessons when I was in sixth or seventh grade was misery - my piano teacher was an amazing lady but to a girl who didn't really care to practice I'm sure I was her nightmare.   As a matter of fact she asked me to not return..... to my relief.   Rachel on the other hand has been playing the piano every day for the last 3 years - now most of  it is made up songs or  her lesson songs from memory but she loves to play.  And when I sit down with her she does a very nice job.  This is one of those moments where she might be living out a dream of mine.  I could sit and listen to piano music all day - and would love to be able to play but never put that time or energy into it  that Rachel does  every day with no effort at all. 

The days are blending together but today is Friday and that means a new episode of  Dr. Who   :)  Rachel had a friend over for a play date today ! They had fun - painting aprons and cooking.  We made ham & cheese  sandwiches - where you roll them up in that yummy flaky dough (from

 a can) and then some fruit kabobs and don't forget the Princess Petal Punch ( blue Gatorade, fruit flavored soda water and some fresh mint) mmm. It was pretty good!  They loved the baking and assembling.  :)   I forgot dessert - we took marshmallows  - dipped them in white chocolate and sprinkles! mmmm needless to say - we only had two each of those! Whew - very rich!   It was all very 'girly'.   

Daily dose of Cuteness..... and Dog Days of Summer

Hide and Seek;  Lucy is always trying to get away from the 8 month old puppy


A game of Tug of War with the stuffed bunny carcass 


Saturday  Bath or Play Toy



Just some pictures of our furry girls today -   :)   I love taking them outside - especially Goldie and especially when the sprinklers are running .  She thinks they were specifically put in for her and she loves running through them.  :)  

Goldie is either in  Time Out or Lucy won't play with her.    She's a bit down and out here.

End of another day - with a curl up on the couch..... see? It's like I said I can't move or sit without these furry girls being on or near me!   

TV woes

:)   I say woes - but really we are fine - we have other tv's - it's just one those  inconvenient happenings when the main TV goes out.  

I walked out yesterday morning and went to turn the TV on and  it didn't even  click - no response! We are TV  watching people. I enjoy watching the local news and seeing what's going on around town and I love watching the Food Network.  But this weekend was a bit special - we (children and I) are watching the series finale of The Avatar - a Nickelodien  cartoon that's been on for years and the Avatar was following his destiny at battling the Firelord King.  So.... wh

at's a momma to do ?  I brought in the TV from  the downstairs  guest room; PawPaw's room.  Now this TV is our Den TV till changes are made... I always thought it was a pretty cool TV - it was my very first that I purchased in 1982! I never realized how small it was! And our TV in the bedroom  is Hubby's first tv he purchased from  1984! Needless to say we are all impressed with the older tv's. 

Update on Rachel's garden,,,,,,   not doing as well as  we'd like but it's just so hot and Silly Wabbits like the flowers.  :)  I'll add another picture soon. 

One other project I want to do is a Family Recipe book.  Just want to get 'that' out there too!  

One of my sister's asked for one ages ago and I started on it and let it slide. Now another sister is married and I'd like to try again.  I'm very good at letting things slide but really want

 to focus on Follow Thru from now on.

I did go back and purchase some more frames from the store that had them on sale AND I've already put the pictures in them - I'll hang them on  Tuesday!   I was so surprised and happy I purchased 7 frames and it came to $53!   Not bad  :) 

Have a great week!   As you can see I need to go and take 'someone' outside.  I cannot do anything lately without Goldie being attached to me! 

Toothfairy, Toothfairy, who has the tooth?

We recently had a date night and while we were out the girl child lost a tooth; one of the last of her baby teeth.  

Before  going to bed,  I could not find her tooth anywhere... then for some reason I went downstairs and totally forgot about it that night. Hubby and I had been 'talking' and I went downstairs  and just forgot about the  the tooth fairy.  

I went right to sleep with out a second thought... (shame on the momma)     

At 6:00 A.M the following morning my daughter came running in with a sad exclamation that the Tooth Fairy had forgotten her! Oh bad Momma - I got up immediately instructing 'the Daddy' to keep her talking while I raced to my 'stash' of cool money and raced upstairs under some other pretense.  She followed me pretty much after 10 seconds of conversation with  her daddy.   Once again I swiped under her pillow and no tooth, vowing to find it later -I promptly hid the TWO Susan B. Anthony Dollar coins under  her pillow and slipped to Patrick's room via the bathroom between their rooms...  breathe - oh yes - I had forgotten to do that because she was so close on my heels.  As I  took a deep breath from running from my closet upstairs to her room - I heard her squeal of glee at the two unique coins.  :)    Whew....  now to find that tooth....    :)