Fairy, Fairy, Quite Contrary!

Now you see it...

Now you don't!

Yes, Liliana has finally lost a tooth.  I was beginning to think a life of crime was in her future.  Last year, she "borrowed" one of her sister's lost teeth and put it under her pillow.  However, the Tooth Fairy was not fooled.  

Although you would think the Tooth Fairy would be quite angry with this attempt at trickery, she was not.  To all of our surprise, Liliana bounded down the stairs with a very sweet note and a vial of Fairy Dust!  Liliana was SOOOO excited.  Like more excited than I've ever seen her.  I thought it was because of the personal note she received from the Tooth Fairy.  Nope! She was excited about flying to school.  What else would a Kindergartner use Fairy Dust for?

(Thankfully, we had removed the hardware on the upstairs windows and no harm was done.)

So a few days ago, sweet Liliana placed her own tooth in a baggie and on her bed and went to sleep.  And then... bright and early, like 6ish bright and early, Liliana follows a trail of fairy dust through her room, down the stairs, around the corner, down the hallway, into the foyer, out the door, down the steps and into the yard.  

She cheered at the dust, the $3, and another note from her Tooth Fairy. There was excitement in the house.

Then she proceeded to sweep that Fairy Dust up like it was gold!

Michal told her that if she sprinkled the dust on her head and made a wish it would come true.  And she did.  Over and over.  So later that day my silver scalped little angel was in the back seat chatting away...

Liliana:  I think the Moms and Dads are the Tooth Fairies.  That's what I think.

Michal:  You better believe, Liliana, or your wish might not come true.

Liliana:  Mom, what do you think?

Me:  I think you should listen to Honey.  (that's Michal)

Liliana:  Hmmmm...  Hey, Mom!  What if I were to ask God.  What would GOD say?  If I asked GOD if the Tooth Fairy was real, what would HE say?

Me:  Hmmmm...  Welllllll... Ummmmm... I think God would say that there is nothing more real than... HIM!  Yes!  God would say that nothing's more real than GOD.  

Liliana:  I'm smahhht.  I think all the mothuhs are twicking all the kids with this Tooth Faiwy stuff. Yup, that's what I think.  It's all a twick. And that's lying.  I'm smahhht.  

And we all laughed- even Liliana.   

I'm not sure how much or what she believes, but I do know this: 

she's not letting go of that Fairy Dust.  Or that note.  

Zeb the Freezer Filler

Two Saturdays ago, Zeb smiled big when he shot his very first deer.  For around here, it was a nice size buck- one to be very proud of!  You can see the pictures by clicking HERE!

Then, on the spur of the moment, we decided to take a trip to Kentucky to visit Lee's people.  

They have like a ga-jillion acres of hills-and-fields dedicated to deer.  They work that land like a business- or so it seems.  

So one week to the day after killing his first deer... Zeb downs this baby:

That's two Saturdays in a row killing a buck.  Not bad for an eleven year old!

We were ALL way more excited than he was.  All the man-hunters (not talking wild women here, but actually men who hunt) were asking him to tell the story.  Every good kill has a story behind it, and it's usually pretty interesting... and exaggerated.  

Zeb's story? I remember it word for word:

"It walked into the field.  I shot it.  It took 5 or 6 steps, then it died."  

That's the long version, by the way.  

Lord, help his future wife.  

Just for fun, I'll add a few pics of my favorite husband and the kill we've lugged home over the years.  I think both of these deer were mounted, but I'm not quite sure where they hang.  It's not that my house is that big, but rather that it's not big enough- I'm quite stingy with the wall space.  

You should have seen these bad boys strapped to the roof of my mini-van!

Take Away Mom

I changed one of our signs today. Since Liliana is a super reader, you can imagine her excitement. She reads EVERYTHING. All the time. Loudly.

Her version: In this house we use kind words take-away Mom.

Gotta love first grade math!

Zeb the Hunter

Today, Zeb killed a deer. 

He is happy. 

We are proud.

Poor deer.

Zeb and his Game

L-R:  Zeb, Dead Deer, Proud Dad

Zeb, the deer, and GranPops

H@!!0w&&n 2@12

So I have a confession- a secret if you will.  Please don't tell.  People tend to get hot under the collar about this kind of stuff and I seriously hate conflict. Seriously.

I severely dislike Halloween. 

I don't even like to say the word.  

Oh, you didn't get that?  Ok, one more time...

I severely dislike Halloween. 

I don't even like to say the word.  

What a load off!  In good conscience, I will now begin this post. 

THE BACKGROUND

I've tried- and failed- at homeschooling more than once.  I wish I loved it, but I don't.  I love summer.  I love staying up late, sleeping in, and wearing my pajamas all day.  I didn't become a stay-at-home-mom for nothing, my friend.  Call me lazy if you want, I don't care. The house is clean, the laundry is done, and all kids are accounted for-- and that ain't easy.

All this recession business means Public School for a Homeschooling Failure.  And Public School means H@!!0w&&n Parties. It means scary costumes and scantily clad children.  Last year I heard that October 31st is the only time of year we encourage our little boys to dress like little girls and our little girls to dress like prostitutes.  Simmer down, now...  I didn't say that, I just heard it.  

This year I was like, "Holy Moly!  I have to get costumes together for all the Public School parties!!  What to do? What to do?"  After a severely stressful hour I convinced all the kids that they really, really wanted to be Indians.  The Native American kind.  

THE PICTURES 

One little

Two little

Three little Indians!

And that, my friend, was the easy part.  The hard part comes while trying to catch all that cuteness in a GROUP shot.  

Can you just stand there and smile?  Just one perfect shot is all I'm asking for here, offspring!!  Be still.  And smile, darn it!

Yeah, I know... never gonna happen.  

I almost had it here... but I think Liliana and Henry took a few too many puffs off the old peace pipe.

Before I totally gave up, I threw Zeb into the picture.  He was none too happy, but smiled because I told him I was putting it on Facebook no matter how grumpy he looked.  

Obviously Lil doesn't care how goofy (or stoned) she looks on Facebook.  

"Ok, just ONE more.  Please try to look normal and happy.  And cute.  Ok, one... two... three... CHEESE..."

And Daddy photo-bombs the picture.  Arghhhh....

Maybe next year...  

Henry enjoying his party at school!

Liliana the warrior princess.

Although I'm totally flattered that everyone thought I made these costumes, the girls' tunics came from an open air market in Ethiopia.  I never intended them to be costumes, but they are too awesome not to use.  Henry's costume is a repeat from a few year's ago when the older three were Indians (the Native American kind) and I did, indeed, make it. 

This was Fall 2009- one of the last years Zeb participated in dressing up.  He totally rocked the Indian look!  I look at this picture and wish my sweet Michal could be that age again for just one day.  She was so stinkin' beautiful and sweet.  Liliana, on the other hand, was TROUBLE!  All that cute-ness saved her tail more than once.  

So Happy Fall!  

We're one step closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas and then to my FAVORITE holiday of all...

EASTER!!