Thanksgiving help

We were so lucky to be able to help out at the Salvation Army today. We prepared 300 sack dinners for people to take on their way out after they eat their meal. This way they will have a meal for night time on Thanksgiving. There is no better way to spend the day than with your friends doing a wonderful deed.

The Gang!

Getting ready for the show!

Baby Owl "Hootie"

The holiday show at PFAA is almost here! The costumes are done and I am just sampling the animal face paintings. I have a blue jay, deer, dormouse, old owl, baby owl, 2 girl rabbits and 2 boy rabbits and 9 elves to paint. I have recruited a crew to help me out with the face paintings so we should have them all down within 1 1/2 hours.

Blue Jay

Happy Birthday Ginger

Shae's favorite bunny in the entire world had a birthday this past week. Shae had it all planned out and marked it on the calendar. We made brownies and Shae made Ginger a cute birthday hat. Shae has a great imagination and loves her bunny. Her bunny guards her "blankie" during the day when Shae is not in bed.

life ....

I was just thinking the other of how you think you know someone and you really don't. I think everyone hides things about themselves to others. Don't get me wrong .... people can hide all they want and live the "hidden life." I guess I could say that I am a pretty open person and probably share to much info, but I am me.

Do we live in a different world from the outsiders of whom we know? If so, why? Do some people hide from others? I believe so. I have learned that through the years ... when you think you know someone .... you really may not. Come to find out later that that person hides behind lies. Lies of fear of being judged by others. I am a very strong person and speak my mind out loud a lot and probably to much, but that is I.

Hardly anything bothers me to make me cry. I take in lots of friendships and embrace them all to which I can share myself with them. I do not hide things from them as for I am me and they all know it.

I am teaching my children about this very strong statement .... they are learning too. They are also learning of people I know as adults who are living a lie and hiding something from the world. That is okay. I tell them that we know who we are and we love our life and friends, but that can change any day or given moment. Friends are very special to have. So, to keep your special friends .... one must be open and trustworthy ... and comfortable ... and happy with the connection. If those things don't fall into place then the relationship is just there and becomes just another acquaintance.

November Cats for Art Class

The kids did so great today! Here are their finished cats!

PHOTO TIME

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these photos of the girls!

It is this time of year that I look forward to for taking pictures of the girls. I love all the warm clothes, fall colors and rustic looks. Today, the girls and I decided to go down town and take some holiday photos. We had lots of fun! You won't see dad in any of these as he was working and ..... he isn't a big fan of having his picture taken.

I just love both of these! The girls have the sweetest smiles!

Of course they had to have a picture with their favorite hats on.

Since we didn't have an extra body to take a picture of all three of us ... I used the timer on the camera. ha,ha,ha! Those don't work out to well! Shae cracks me up with her facial expressions above. And I even had my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth in the one pic!

Although, I look like a statue .... we managed to get one decent photo of us.

The end

November Art Class

So, I was playing around with creating a cat face to teach the kids to paint next week. The one above was fun, but way to detailed for the kids to do and may create frustration. So, I needed to come up with an equally neat looking cat yet with an easier less time consuming painting technique. I am all about the end product looking neat and the kids feel proud of what they created without taking to long.

The one below was much quicker and with a stippling technique.

My original plan was to create a leaf collage, but I didn't like my sample. That is what makes this so fun for me as I get to create everything first.

I have to keep it a bit simple and have ease in the instructions as my kids are only ages 7 - 10. Next week, we will paint these cat faces onto a piece of wood that my dad cut out for the kids. The wood is in the shape of this cat face so it will look awesome!

Someone once asked me how I get my art ideas. I find them in books or if I am out and I see something that I like I will take a picture of it. One of my kids in class may give me an idea or I just come up with something.

The other day the girls were at a homeschool field trip at the Highlands Center of Natural History. In one of the activities they asked the kids to draw something that had to do with nature. Kayla was describing to me her picture and she had this crazy blue blob going into the air. I asked what that was and she said that it was a lake and that she and her friend couldn't figure out how to make one so it would look flat. So, that will become one of our art classes in the future. :)

AMAZING SIGHT TO SEE!

Kayla got to see the most amazing thing the other day with her dad while I was out. As they peered out the kitchen window into the front yard they spotted a roadrunner across the street. The roadrunner was particularly scouting out a bush. Then he struck into the bush and out came a snake and the roadrunner and snake were about to battle. The roadrunner and snake both were swaying their heads back and forth and the snake struck at the roadrunner. But, the roadrunners amazing quickness grabbed the snake with his beak and began to ferociously bang the snake on the ground back and forth until he was knocked out. The roadrunner then took the snake to the sidewalk and ate it. WOW!!! Who needs wildlife TV?

Mom ... have you heard of.......?

You see it right! Kayla today was on the ipad and she asks me .....

" Mom, have you heard of the game, Spin the Bottle?"

Ha,ha,ha,ha!

"WHAT!"

I didn't think I would hear her ever ask me that!

HALLOWEEN 2010

Our favorite time of the year!

What a ride it has been for the past 3 nights! Yes, you heard it right ... 3 nights!

We have dressed up and put on our zombie makeup for days and performed around the Prescott area to THRILLER.

See below some pictures of our Halloween and a few clips from youtube.com from our flashmobs.

ENJOY!

Transforming to perform.

We used toilet paper and Elmer's glue to make our scabs.

Me with my good zombie buddy, Marie at top right.

THE UNDEAD!

Rehearsals, group photos, performances!

Oh, what fun!

Halloween night on Mt. Vernon is the best ever! If you haven't experienced it... you haven't experienced Halloween!

The video Tom got of our first performance on Mt. Vernon. There were people everywhere and gathering around to see it. A police motorcycle drove into the crowd and you can hear when he beeped his horn and flashed his lights, but we kept dancing. The undead doesn't stop for cops! ha,ha,ha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fwp-4Ynp8Q

Another view of it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_tEJ9IoDjk&feature=youtube_gdata

A short clip that someone caught of the end of our performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jaZ0bpoa_o

A darker video, but one of the performance at Oct. 30th at 10pm at Eco3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVbM46BgFrY