Party at the Assembly

Here are some pictures of our fun night in Monteagle at the Sunday School Assembly. One of Chad's classmates had a senior party in the house that they rented for graduation. This house was huge as it had 13 bedrooms! It was built in 1886 and had lots charm! The kids had an awesome time! There was kid sized furniture which they loved. They spent good quality time with their best buds, Hattie and Noah, dancing, playing the tennis racket guitar, spilling goldfish, rearranging the kids' furniture, singing, playing Barbies and squealing! It was a great end of the year party!

Red Fingernails

Yes, Tucker's fingernails are painted red. Caroline asked me to paint her fingernails and Tuck was right there beside her saying "me too, me too." How could I turn him down? He isn't old enough to understand why boys don't paint their fingernails. And, he was just so excited that he got to do something that Caroline was doing. They are just so cute with their little red fingernails. Yes, I promise he will not have red fingernails for Chad's graduation. Tucker would probably not be very happy with me years from now when he looks back at pictures to find his nails painted. But, for now, in our house and with our friends, it's OK!

Art or Graffiti?

Caroline has been quite the artist here recently. We have found eleven spots on the walls in five different rooms where she has decided to draw. She seems to prefer blue crayons, red Sharpies and black ink pens. Thankfully I was able to get most of it off but I am still struggling with the red Sharpie. Seems as if the red fades but the pink that is left behind will not go away. I guess she wanted to leave a lasting impression on Brown House and for those who will reside here after we leave.

Texas Cookout

Last night we went to a cookout in the park sponsored by our Texas friends. This means rather than the usual hamburgers and hotdogs, we had fajitas, rice and beans, and lots of hot, hot , hot salsa....oh how we'll miss you guys!

Construction Boy

Tucker is obsessed with construction vehicles. (He pronounces this "cun-struh-shun" and says it with the slightest southern accent.) We have a book about construction and he can name all the different types of trucks, excavators, backhoes, etc. On the way to Monteagle, we pass several construction sites. About halfway down the road there is a construction area with huge sand piles. Last night Tucker said "ca ha dat m'birday?" This of course means, "Can I have that for my birthday?" Yes, this little boy wants a huge sand pile and some construction vehicles for his birthday...in January! My answer was "sure Tuck, you can have it for your birthday..." hoping he won't remember by the time January rolls around. We also had to drive (very slowly) by another area on campus where they had been doing some digging with a mini excavator. As we approached the dirt pile, I slowed down and rolled down Tucker's window so he could have a prime view of the dirt pile. He waved and said "night, night" to the dirt pile. I love this little "cun-struh-shun" boy!

PMO Program

Today was officially our last PMO day. We had a program at noon and then lunch with our friends in the refectory. The Baby class "sang" Itsy Bitsy Spider and since I am a baby teacher I was on the rug with them singing. Tucker's Toddler class sang a couple songs, yet Tucker decided not to participate. He was pretty cranky and opted to sit in my lap and watch his friends sing.

Caroline's class did an awesome job! They sang lots of songs and all (well, most) of them participated. At the end, the kids that are "graduating" or actually moving, received a graduation cap. All of the children got a memory book filled with artwork, notes from teachers and pictures that were taken throughout the year. It was a special day for the PMO kids :)

Marker Fun

Caroline loves to color/draw, especially with markers. This is a special treat that only happens at school, since Mommy got rid of all the markers in our house, after finding red sharpie all over the walls in multiple spots.

Again, all smiles because she gets to use markers.

Tucker had fun pushing his buddy, Bill around in the baby stroller.

Water Day at PMO

This was our last week of PMO...ever! The kids have been going to PMO since we have been here, and in Tucker's case, since he was a little baby. On Tuesday we celebrated the end of the year with water day! The kids all wore their bathing suits and had water balloons and played in the sprinkler. It was so much fun!

Tornados & Cupcakes

What do you do on a Saturday morning when under a tornado watch?!?! Make cupcakes! The kids were very excited about this task since we had to do something fun inside. Caroline made the blue cupcakes and Tucker did the green ones. I think they enjoyed licking the icing off the spoons more than anything!

Abbo's Alley

Friday was beautiful day! The kids and I took a walk on Abbo's Alley for the millionth time, yet it never gets old. As we approached the gazebo, we saw Ava's preschool class celebrating a birthday party. The teacher came over to us and offered the kids a cupcake, which they gladly took! Tucker took a few bites and said "This is 'suspicious,' Mom." What he was trying to say was "delicious."

We threw pebbles in the stream, picked flowers and stuffed them in pockets, pointed out every azalea bush we saw, climbed on rocks and watched the goldfish. There was lots to do on this little walk. At the end of the path there is a cave. Caroline and Tucker both stripped down to nothing but their shirts and waded in the cold, murky water. They did not want to leave!