Annie

This past Tuesday we went to Montgomery to see the play Annie. My mom invited us a few months ago and I am so glad she did. We had so much fun! Before we left from my parents, we took a few pictures while it was still light outside.

We met my dad for supper.

Since we arrived at the Renaissance a little early, we decided to walk around and look at all the changes they have made to downtown Montgomery. It is so much nicer than when I lived there.

The play was so cute and funny. We all enjoyed ourselves!

Thank you mom for a wonderful evening!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Don't these look yummy?

Well.......they are!

I was never a huge fan of pumpkin. Usually at Thanksgiving I would pass right over the pumpkin pie and head straight towards the cheesecake. Over the years, I have learned that many of the foods I told myself when I was younger I did not like I actually do. Pumpkin is one of those things I have grown to like.
If you try these muffins, you will be hooked.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 16 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 c oil
3 c flour
2 ts baking soda
2 ts baking powder
1 ts ground cinnamon
1 ts salt
1 pkg chocolate chips

beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake 400 for 16 - 20 minutes. Makes 24 - 30 muffins.
I will warn you these are the best when you first take them out of the oven. I usually make some in the mini muffin pan......they are the perfect bite and makes me feel like I don't eat as many as I really do!
You must pour you a glass of milk to go with them. You do not want to choke because you have devoured to many muffins. Savory is the key!

I will freeze ......what is left of them anyhow for later.

Laney and Ella love them.
Just the other day I caught Ella with them behind her back on my bed.

Our first day of CoOp.

We started our first day of Spring CoOp classes today. I am teaching Storybook Chef which is basically what it sounds like. We take a book and do a cooking activity to go along with it. I have 12 kids ranging from ages 3 to 7. Today, we read My Apron by Eric Carle. The kids decorated an apron that they will be wearing during each class and then made plaster ( homemade frosting) to use for their house.

Ella is taking 2 morning classes
Storybook Chef
Pioneers and Indians
Today, she learned about what kinds of homes pioneers and indians lived in and then she made a tepee.

Ella and her friend Alexia.

Laney is going all day this time.
Storybook Chef
Art
Basic Math Skills
Poetry in Motion

I was not able to get any pictures of Laney in her other classes.

The kids were so excited to go back! They were up and ready to go by 8:00. We look forward to next Thursday!

Whooooo wants to know what Ella has been doing this week?

Ella has been learning the letter Oo this week. Yesterday, she made an owl puppet to go along with her 5 little owls song. For snack she made an owls face using crackers, cheese and raisins.

Whoooo says school can't be fun!

Read Across America Night at Chickfila

At Chickfila Tuesday night the kids could read a book to the cow or say their ABC's and receive a free kids meal.

Ella and Zach are saying their ABC's to the cow.

Laney reading her book to the cow.

Laney and her friend Kaylee

Can I just say how much I love Chickfila. They are always clean, friendly, great customer service, and give away so much free food.They have recently opened one close to us and I am loving it! They have some sort of event/ activity each week. Next week is there character party! Should be fun!

Chickfila did not pay me to advertise for them. However, if they ever get wind that I did and offered me free food, I would gladly accept!

Introducing the Weed lineup....

I figured I needed a new game plan. The old way was not getting us very many touchdowns. I reviewed the playbooks and realized our team needed a little less repetitive reminders and more independent completion. So I came up with this...... Each teammate was given a list of responsibilities. When their task is completed, they are rewarded with a tack......okay so that is not the reward but it lets them and me know when the job is completed. At the end of the week, an allowance is owed only for the jobs done. You may notice in the last column there is a bonus. That is for extra special....non asked tasks. For example:

We arrived home the other day from the grocery store. I went inside and laid my purse, keys,etc down. I was on my way back out to get the groceries( majority of the time I either get them myself or demand the kids to help.........you want to eat, you help carry....I know just call me Mrs. Drill Sergeant Weed) when Laney met me at the door carrying all 7 bags by herself( she gets the many plastic bag carrying abilities from me). I was so excited! I did not have to tell her to help. Have you ever had one of those moments where your inner self is singing like an opera singer. That was one of those moments. Wouldn't you say that deserves a bonus tack?

We are on week 2 so far of the new plan and it looks like we are going to have a good season!

The Cannonball House

We took a field trip to the Cannonball House in Macon, Ga yesterday. This house was given the name Cannonball House because in 1864 a cannonball struck it. It was very interesting to go back in time and see how they lived back then. We are so blessed to have so many conveniences today. In some ways it has become to convenient. Our tour guide made a comment about the mop that they used in this house weighed over 40 pounds dry. A lady with the homeschool group said, "That's why the ladies back then did not need exercise videos".

We stopped off at the kitchen first. It was separated from the rest of the house because if there ever was a fire, it was easier to replace a kitchen than a whole house. It was so hard not to touch things( especially for Laney who is very touchy feely) but the guides were very strict about all hands off.

Ella is pretending to cook us up a good meal from scratch. The bowl you see in the next 2 pictures was owned Mrs. Robert Lee.

This was their refrigerator.

Inside the house she took us to where some of the first lady societies Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu met.

They had some really beautiful dresses. I am a very casual person. Most days I am in workout pants and a tshirt. I am glad we do not have to go through the trouble they did to fit into a tiny dress like that. Most of them sucked in( with the help of a girdle) until they had an 18 inch waist. I may have been that size as a baby.

I had to take a picture of this lady because her name was Ella. My Ella was so thrilled a pictured was named after her. She wanted to go find one for Laney. Of course, we had no luck.

See this.....Do you know what this is? This is one of those conveniences I am blessed to have today. Still not sure???? Look at the picture below this one and I think you will figure it out.

Yep! You guessed it. You're own little port-a-potty. Guess who got the job of emptying it out each morning? THE KIDS!





The cannonball that hit the house.

We have so many field trips planned for the next few months. Check back as we will be visiting the .......

Hay House

Annie Play in Montgomery

Junie B Jones Play in Macon

Georgia Aquarium

Strawberry picking

Children's museum for Dr Seuss Day

and many more