Merry Christmas all!

Caviar

Our clown fish are on their second batch of eggs. I've been stalking the tank the past 3 nights. I guess I got the lay date wrong cause they still haven't hatched. I can see straight through the sac and can see their two huge eye. I'm hopeing they were waiting for Friday night so the kids can see them before they become food for the rest of the tank. One day soon I hope to set up a nursery so that we can attempt to raise some fry and support my new expensive habit.

Ophelia's good week

Ophelia had two pretty good days this week. The biggest is that her artwork went school, county and is going on to state in the Reflections contest. Gavin's photograph won first place in the school grade. We went to the ceremony and Ophelia was thrilled to get a medal. Now all three are planning on entering in all the catagories next year :)
The next day she brought me her IOWA test scores (let me interject that although I am very happy I do not like all of the testing that students do. They should be learning subjects, not how to test)
ANYHOW, she scored in the 97% overall with a 94% in math and 98% in science. (she also has a 99% in reading). She scored 88% in Language Arts, imagine if she could spell :)
If she can just pull up her report card up it will be awesome! Going to find a way this weekend to reward her!
Okay, just my happy mommy post.

Chooooo Choooooo!

Kat came down to do the vendor mart at the school with me and as she completly understands (cause she says she knows what she's getting into when she is dealing with me) our day took a different turn. We decided the mart was not what we wanted to do about an hour into it so we packed up and headed to meet my parents up in Chattanooga where my mom was taking a conference. I haven't been there since I was a little tyke and after just too few hours I know I definately want to take the kids back. It is an adorable little town with plenty to see. We only explored the Chatt. Choo Choo and had some Mongolian at the aquarium area. Anyhow, can't wait to get back up there and see what there is to see!

October

October flew by way to fast. This is one of my most favorite months of the year. Flu took away most of the good parts but we did manage two of our favorite activities, Halloween (of course) and the Zombie Parade. We also hit the L5P parade for the first time and it was alot of fun. I don't think the kids have ever had so much candy. Ophelia, my first masterpiece, turned 11 this year. Wow, I am over half way finished raising her! I hope that I have done a few things right. She is getting so big and I am so impressed with her ability at everything she works at.


Halloween this year almost failed us but despite the rain we braved the neighborhood. I loved both of the girls' costumes. Viva is a mad scientest and Ophelia was Cleopatra. Gavin was a bleeding chest and mast but he was with his friend so I don't have any pictures of him :(



Well, that's about it in a nutshell I suppose. Looking forward to trying to get stuff done this month and making the best out of what is left of the year.

Where was I heading???

I seem to have one fatal flaw...I take up too many, well, ideas. I want to create so badly that my fingers itch. But alas, paralysis takes me over and I have done nothing. Well, nothing but buy materials. I have the makings of so many awesome projects your head would spin. Am I knitting? sewing? crochet? paint? montage? magnets? bags? 3D? making furniture? Where is the little angel that can take away all of my problems and free some of my time while at the same time give the energy and motivation to bust out some work?
Even if I did have all this free time how would I spend it?

He had it coming...

me singing: He only had himself to blame.
If you had been there,
If you had seen it!
I bet you you would have done the same...
Viva: I wouldn't....only if they had been doing the spread eagle.

Civics Class 101

Today Ophelia and I flexed our civic muscles and joined a counter protest against Westboro Baptist Church. Who are they you ask?? You can find them at
www.GodHatesFags.com
and read this little snippet from my friend Randall's blog
"OK, Westboro Baptist Church, lead by the Rev Fred Phelps. They are a cultist ,extremist Christian organization that originally hated just "fags". And at first they wanted to save them, that was about 1993. They shout things unsuitable at funerals, once only those of homosexuals and people who die of AIDS. Now that hate has come to include Jews, ... Read MoreIsrael, and America. They believe America is the last stand, that it is here not Israel that the lord will return and because America is run by fags and jews and about everybody else is going to Hell. Now they protest soldier's funerals, and notably Corretta Scott King. We were protesting hate, A lot of the people were gay Christians and they didn't want them there with the message they had about God's love or hate. They offended a lot of people, I mean people were doing double takes in their vehicles. We had truckers and construction workers, not known for their support, honking for us. They were dragging the American flag around on the ground
It was obvious only a few minutes that they were not the brightest stars in our sky. Someone from our camp yelled something across the road and one of theirs (albiet a teen) yelled "Stop judging us!!!" :) :) Good thing I wasn't drinking anything. Another time someone from us yelled "Jesus was a jew!" And someone from them: "No he wasn't! The jews killed Jesus!"
Apparently they don't inform theirs to well. I made sure Ophelia knew exactly what was going on and by the second stop she was making her own poster.

Amazing Ukraine artist

She is on Ukraines Got Talent. Someone sent me this link and I put it to the side for a couple of months and was amazed when I actually watched it. Definatetly worth it.

I've struck gold!!

Gavin's teacher is everything I could of asked for in a teacher....and more. She treats them like adults (they can go to the br as they need, eat when they are hungary and drink when they are thirsty. They can even chew gum), She has set up her classroom to resemble a home (pillows, tablecloths, lamps instead of overhead lights, she cut the legs off of the computer desks so the kids are sitting on huge floor pillows comfortably). They all have a cleaning job and one kid actually is the TA. They clean their own room, she handles all problems herself (no princilpal referral in 8 years!) She doesn't keep them at their desks, they move around the room and have lapdesks. She stressed teaching for comphrehensive instead of memorization. I just can't quit gushing over her. She is also the most sugary sweetness of a Southern Woman I ever met. She is everything I think Gavin needed and I am so happy he was lucky enough to end up in her classroom. She seems to be one of those people who really love what they do and want to keep doing the best way she can. All of this at the same time that I have become weary of how my kids are being taught at school. If I can push for some outdoor classroom time.....

My banging basil chicken bake...

Over dinner tonight Viva kept insisting that Gavin would want his hot sauce. He informed her that he didn't need to use it on every meal. After my wise crack that he "didn't have to marry it" ( a conversation from before). Gavin said "ummmm....I might". they proceeded to figure out his unusual matrimony to the hot sauce. Then how to have baby hot sauce. The end result was that he had to be careful not to use to much of his wife and that they could have a baby by either buying a baby bottle or putting a drop in a bottle and adding another drop every so often so the "baby" grows.

School 09-10

We went through the first week of school last week and everything went great. Viva didn't get into any trouble and Gavin only a tad (2 points worth) Gavin is even still saying that his teacher is nice (I don't see how he can think otherwise, she is the most sugary sweet woman I've met!) Ophelia is already trying to organzie herself so she can get all A's this year.
I picked up a homeschool for free book yesterday, not that I think I'm capable of homeschooling them. I'm considering it as extra learning during slow times. The middle school that they will be attending seems to drive alot of people I've come across into homeschooling so I'm just checking it out now. I've two years before I have to worry about it but I'm pretty sure I can bribe my kids into an extra class or two.
I also picked up a really fun looking book called Altered Curiosities. It is completly up our alley and it also has a resin teaching section. There is a bird feeder in there that will probably be the inspiration for our first project..
Viva lost her first tooth last wed at school and Gavin lost another one during Purple Rain Sat nite, we had to stay after to find it. Now that I have this bood I have some ideas on what to do with all of these teeth!

Viva on the Mine Train rollercoaster

The password is what

You ever have one of those movies that you have been obsessed with since a kid? Well I have been a fan of Prince since I was 7 (thanks Claudia!). Of course I was pretty young when it came out, I can remember when we rented it the babysitter trying to cover my eyes while Prince was running his hand around Patricia Katara's nether regions. Tonight I got to see what i couldn't at 7, Purple Rain on the big screen. It was even better cause I was watching it with other people who could quote every word. We were singing, applauding, dancing and the biggest scream was the butt shot during Baby I'm a Star.
I brought all of the kids and they actually loved it also. Ophelia asked for the soundtrack on the way home! A sidetrac of seeing it as an adult was realizing that the dad was the only person in the whole movie who had any acting skills.

Home again!

Finally have the kids home. It has been a long summer for all of us but they got a lot of time with family, mainly PaPa and MaMa. Just got home last nite and spent the morning laying around with Viva until the other two woke up. I did finally get something done.
(drumroll........)

yep, finally, feast your eyes on the musical stylings of Viva Snyder!

Balls...

Was the entire conversation from the mall to home from Gavin. Apparently he has a whole wealth of jokes about his two best friends. Snuck some video but posting that would probably be really wrong.

Summerness.

Apparently I have become to lazy to write and especially to post pictures. Today is Father's Day and my Dad's birthday. Lucky for me my dad is up here so I can spend it with him. I'm not sure yet what we will do but I hope he enjoys the day.
This summer had been so quiet for me. Ophelia and Gavin have been at their dad's and should be going to camp one of these weeks. Viva had been in Fla at my dad until Fri night when she came back with Daddy. I was going to keep her here but her cousin in going down there and although Viva is a little young for her hopefully they can keep each other company. I also can use what time I can get for myself. Other than all this, quiet summer. I'm sure the fall will be as hectic as always to I will take this.

This morning during breakfast....

I heard Gavin talking to his Papa about our go-cart race yesterday trying to defend his near win (2 strangers beat him) "I would of won if there had been no one else" Words to live by?

"Why do you like plants so much now?"

asks Gavin.
"I just think it'll be cool to grow food and take it in and eat what you grew. Don't you think?" answers mom.
"Naw, unless we can grow ice cream!" replies Gavin.

Gavin again

We are watching a movie with a Michael Jackson impersonator and I went to show the kids what he really looks like. They were amazed at the before and after pictures, how a good looking man can turn into what MJ has become. Gavin stared at the picture for a second and said "I would keep it a secret that he's not a girl".

Still horrible about this!

Anyhow, lately Gavin has been throwing some funny ones out there. The other night he was trying to convince me that he had two stomach, one for his dinner and one for the dessert. That's why he can be full of dinner but still have room for dessert. I was trying to get him up this morning and he told me that it was cold but he was trying to fart because it activated a force field around him to keep him warm.
Viva is going to be in her school talent show this year. She is singing 'We're Not Going To Take It" dressed as Dee Snider. I'm desperately trying to get all of the lyrics in her head now. I cannot wait!!!! O and G wouldn't do the show this year :( I tried to get O to do the Flobots 'Handlebars' but it was a no go.
The other day I was so happy for Ophelia, she was invited to join Duke University's talent search program. Basically it is an extra gifted program through them for students who scored in the top 5% of their grade (I'm guessing in each school). She wants to do it and I hope she can keep up and not lose focus on it. Gavin was in his Boy Scout pinewood derby and won second place for his age group. He was so happy because it came with a trophy.
I was trying to show them a little of their family tree today. I had spent the day with my great Grandmothers' nephew's daughters visiting Grandmother Randal's sister-in-law who is 96! I actually had a great time. I really appreciate more the importance of our elder family members. I just wish that I had done more about this for the past few years. Anywho, she gave us alot of stories about our family. I miss Grandmother Randal and wish I had more of her history in hand.
Well....rambling as that was....i guess that is it for now.