Snippets of Discussions

Today during our two presentations on Classics, I wrote down some snippets of comments, conversations, and remarks that the students made about one of the books being presented - Winnie the Pooh (which AQ had read.) Their comments illustrate the unusual way many of my kiddos think about and process information.

AQ was asked why he thought so many people missed out on the wonderful books about Pooh. He was very blunt in his response.

"I blame Disney," he stated firmly. Then he elaborated about how, while the movies and cartoons about Winnie the Pooh are well done and often close to the books, they are targeted toward a preschool crowd. And, as a result, people dismiss the books as only for young children.

"I think these are books you should read as a child and as an older person. Little children won't get the humor but they'll enjoy the stories. Adults will enjoy the humor. I really hold a grudge against Disney for what they've done to the books."

(AQ was quite serious about his assessment of Disney's culpability. He is one of my many students who have become quite possessive and opinionated about the literature they have read!)

EP then asked about the book Now We Are Six, a poetry book involving A. A. Milne's characters. But, she had a completely different perspective on the book from its title.

"Who are the six characters the book talks about?" she queried AQ.

He paused for a minute (as did I at my desk) thinking about what she meant. I think both AQ and I figured it out at the same time.

"It's about turning six years old," he explained, "not about six of the characters."

For me, that was an example of the unusual ways of thinking my students have - sometimes they look at something very common to me and turn it upside down. The result? Better clarity for all.

The book AQ is currently reading is The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells. In preparing his presentation on Winnie the Pooh, he'd discovered that H. G. Wells had been A. A. Milne's teacher. He made some wonderful connections about the two men and wondered aloud about the fact that they both used only their initials in their professional names, that their literature was quite dissimilar, and yet commonalities could still be found. Pretty impressive for an eleven year old!

Finally, and I had to stifle my smile and laughter, AQ mentioned a section he had removed from his paper. "I wrote another section, but I took it out. It made my paper eighteen pages long, and you know, I'm just not that kind of person. I'm not one who is writing for length. So, I removed it and my paper is only fourteen pages long."

Only fourteen pages long? Bear in mind that those are TYPEWRITTEN pages and he's only a fifth grader. There are college students who would be hard pressed to write that much about a book!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job?

A Rural Welcome Part Two

It happened again! Just as it did in October! Someone near Hershey has decorated a post on the bus lane for the kids and teachers to enjoy as we drive by!

I wish I knew who it was so I could thank them. It makes me smile every time I drive past it.

A Great Lady

This is a great lady...

Some of her monikers include Mom, Fern, Grandma, Great-Grandma, and Granny Slash (or Slassssshhhh, as Braden called her when he was littler.)

Vanessa took this picture of her on Thanksgiving Day. Isn't she lovely?

Birthday Girls

Happiest of birthdays to my oldest daughter, Sarah!

Due to Thanksgiving falling on the day of her birth this year, I didn't get it posted that day, so happy birthday  to Jessie, too!

(She really was born Thanksgiving morning!)

Cole and The Innkeeper's Wife

Writing the previous post about The Inkeeper's Wife sparked one of my favorite music memories. Actually, it's two memories sort of combined into one. They involve Cole and The Innkeeper's Wife.

During the opera, Joseph and Mary (whose role I sang) come to the inn and are told there is no room for them. They are allowed to sit and rest a bit (singing throughout, naturally; this is opera, after all!) and the innkeeper's children serve them some food along with the rest of the crowded inn's guests.

During rehearsal, we did  not use real food; we used fake apples, grapes, etc. I had no idea that, during performances, real food would be used. Not that I'd really eat - I had a big solo to sing after being served, and eating and singing do NOT go together. (Plus, that solo contained a high B flat, and I really sweated that one, both in rehearsal and during the performances!)

Cole was probably six or seven, and he played the innkeeper's youngest son. As such, he was to come onstage and offer food to Joseph and Mary. Things went just fine in rehearsal, and I had no thought that  the performances would go any differently. 

But they did. Oh, did they ever! And all because of the switch from fake to real food.

The opera was underway, and Joseph and I had made our journey to the inn after wending our way through the audience singing all the while. (As I said, it WAS opera and you sing constantly!) We made our way up the stairs and into the inn, were invited to sit and rest (again, all through song) and it was time for Cole to come out and offer Joseph and Mary some refreshments.

Out he trotted, but he was moving more quickly than he had in rehearsals. He stopped in front of me and held out the tray of food. And then to my surprise, he broke character.

"Mom!!" he hissed in a very loud stage whisper. "The food is real tonight! Look!! We're all eating it backstage!" And again he held out the tray towards Joseph and me.

Oh. My. Oh. Dear.

Did the audience hear what he'd said over the music? I didn't hear any laughter, so maybe they hadn't. I indicated (as the script called for) that I didn't care for anything to eat, and he trotted offstage.

Whew!!

I sang that solo, hitting the high B flat, sang the quartet that followed that, and then Joseph and I moved offstage.

Needless to say, I spoke with Cole that night about the importance of staying in character and not talking to me while onstage. I though that would fix the problem.

Well, it fixed the talking problem, but there was still the FOOD problem. The next evening's performance Cole came out on cue to offer Joseph and Mary their food. It was real food again...

... a three foot long loaf of French bread!! Sort of like a big light saber in the hands of a little guy!

Cole carried it out and offered it to me. I didn't know what to do - break off a hunk? The sight of a little boy carrying out a long loaf of bread (obviously someone backstage handling props had forgotten to break it into chunks and put it into a basket) made me want to giggle and lose character myself! Stifling those, and trying to focus on the words I needed to sing, I waved Cole (and the light saber bread) off.

Well, I again made it through my solo with the high B flat and the quartet that followed, and we ended the opera on a high note. (No pun intended.) There is nothing like the glow you feel after a couple of successful performances when you have accomplished something you weren't sure you could actually pull off. (Did I mention that I get terrible stage fright?) And doing it with two of your children makes it even better.

But, adding to the glow are the memories - I will never forget Cole's antics onstage as he delighted in discovering that the food at the inn was real.

I Can Still Hit It!

My kids remember when I used to sing. A LOT. I took voice lessons, sang in a Madrigals group with a talented group of musicians from the University of Illinois, and performed in several operas. Every week I had something musical going on; it was heavenly!  And the eight musicians I worked with were top notch - I learned so much from them, and loved being immersed in music. (I even did my minor at the University of Illinois in music, thinking I might get my Masters in Vocal Performance.)

My biggest musical thrill and honor came when Charis Duke composed the Christmas opera The Innkeeper's Wife for our group and wrote the role of Mary for my voice.  All my kids have musical talent (although most, like me, have let it lapse) and Jessica had a supporting role as the lead daughter in the family, while Cole performed as the youngest child in the Inkeeper's family. To actually have a role written for me by a professional musician... I still get excited just thinking about it.

But now, I rarely sing any more. My voice is woefully out of shape, and I am embarrassed at how it sounds. Even at Church, the only time I get the opportunity to sing, I hold back. At times I wish I had kept my voice in shape, but I simply don't have the time to do so.

Friday night, Sarah sat down at the piano and began playing Christmas hymns. One thing led to another, and I went upstairs, grabbed my file stuffed full of music I'd performed, and brought it down for her to play. Jesu Bambino, O Holy Night, and others I had sung so many years ago were dragged out, and she played while I made the first real effort to sing since we moved here.

For a while, I sounded really, really bad. I have little control now and my breathing is shaky. But after a few pieces, I sort of "found" my old voice; it was like everything slipped into place - I could control my breathing, there was strength to the sound, and the tone quality sounded more like it used to (and like music instead of screeching or keening!) I relaxed and simply sang along as Sarah played those beautiful, sacred Christmas songs.

Suddenly, I realized that the song I was singing was climbing the scale. Did I still have an F? (Yes!) Oh, my.. a G was coming. Could I hit it? (I did!) And then, there it was, a high B flat. I took a breath, continued singing the lyrics that led up to it, and...

I hit it! I can still hit a high B flat!!

Now, that just made my evening. And it got me thinking. Maybe I could do some singing again.

And then reality hit me - those hours and hours I used to spend practicing, driving with rehearsal tapes going so I could learn roles in the car, meeting my voice coach on campus for lessons, evening rehearsals... That isn't going to happen now.

Still, it's nice to dream, and it's even nicer to know that perhaps I haven't totally lost my voice. Friday night proved that.

Maybe someday. :)

The Nativity Tradition

When Lisa was little, she always wanted to help me put out the Nativity for Christmas. (My mom made it for our family - it is so beautiful!) Lisa continued our tradition on into adulthood, and even now, we both look forward to getting it out and putting it on display the day after Thanksgiving.

A few years ago, Trinity joined us, and now it wouldn't seem right if she weren't helping us. So, last night, Todd brought the tub downstairs and we got started.

 (I always wonder how in the world I get it all packed into this tub!)

 Lisa begins unwrapping pieces. We always try to guess what is in each tissue paper package.

 It's a big one - maybe a camel?

 This angel is my very favorite piece. Her face is so serene and her robes are a pearly cream color.

 Hmmmm. Maybe here?

 Nope! How about here?

The finished Nativity and two very happy gals.

Reviving an Old Family Tradition

Caroling!!

Years ago when the kids were all at home, we would go caroling on the Family Home Evening before Christmas. Each family member would choose someone to sing to, we'd load up the car, and drive all around Champaign and Urbana, dropping off treats and singing.

So, when Sarah suggested we carol Grandma and Pooma, we were all in!

We grabbed the jingle bells and put two slices of cherry pie onto paper plates, hopped into the cars, and we were off.

Grandma was our first stop. And, before singing, on the agenda was the annual "throw the pumpkin down the ravine" for the deer and squirrels.

 Ready to throw.

 And... tossed over the edge! 

 It's waaaaay down there at the bottom of Whiskey Ravine.

 Then we traipsed up to the house to carol Grandma.

 "Dashing through the snow..."

 Looks like Grandma is enjoying the concert.

 We sing several verses together and then are invited in...

 ... where the concert continues. Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and others are sung with gusto if not always quite on pitch!

 Todd, JC, Trinity, me, Craig, Lisa, and Curt with Grandma.

Sarah hands the camera to Curt and pops into the photo.

Sadly, Pooma called while we were enroute to her home and said she was not feeling well and cancelled. We were disappointed, but Lisa cheered us up by treating us to hot chocolate at Starbucks!

My Sweetie

A photo taken by Lisa on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Since I had the day off due to fog, I was able to join the family at Adelinos for lunch.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving.... my favorite holiday! All about getting together as a family and being thankful. Such a lovely day.

Sarah, Todd, JC, and Trinity, Lisa, and Cole and Emily rolled into town for Thanksgiving dinner, staying with us while they were in town. Curt and Vanessa crossed the river and joined us along with Grandma, Pooma, Leslie, Rick, Jenny, James and Sherree.

It was a lovely day. I didn't get many photos taken, though, as I was busy visiting, eating, laughing, and talking.

I did get a few pictures taken before we descended on all that food.

 The antique buffet with appetizers.

Great-Great Grandma Honeywell's tablecloth (she made it!), homemade rolls by Emily, Granny Slash's sterling silver, my china, flowers from Sissy and her family, and Braden's favorite Santa pitcher. (I always think of him when I pull it out - last year he had so much fun at Christmas pouring from it into cups and other pitchers, just for fun, while I baked pies. If it survives the years, he will inherit it.)

The tablecloth Great-Great Grandma Honeywell made me for my wedding gift, floral centerpiece made by Aunt Cindie, and Cole's favorite African dishes.

A close-up of the floral arrangement made by Cindie. She is so talented. (She also did the flowers for Leslie's wedding; Leslie told me they were the most beautiful she had ever seen at a wedding.)

 The serving table, laden with food.

After eating, we cleaned up the kitchen and washed dishes, then got the pie out of the bathtub and set it out buffet style!

We missed Kyle, Ashley, Braden, Addie, and Corinne, but the kids were very ill so they would've been miserable had they come, poor kids. And Jessie and Andrew spent the day in Washington state with Andrew's family. Luckily we were able to Google chat with both families, so we got to have them for a part of the day!

My sisters, Jenny and Leslie, with me.

The Pie's in the Bathtub

What do you do when you have umpteen jillion folks coming for Thanksgiving dinner bringing lots and lots of side dishes and desserts? And you have prepared two turkeys and several dishes yourself? The counter space in the kitchen fills up fast!

So... you get creative.

That's seven pies (two cherry, three pumpkin, one apple, and one pecan) plus one birthday cake for Sarah in the white box, all safe and sound in our spa tub.

Ready for dessert? The pie's in the bathtub, folks!

Teachers of the Year

Indiana has a "Teacher of the Year" program, and as such, every school has to nominate and award one teacher to win. It's a lovely award but also very difficult to choose just one teacher for the award. We all care and we all work very, very hard.

Top that off with new mandates from the state that are serving to pull faculties apart and changing the focus from students to testing and teacher performance, and you have very stressed teachers and a climate that isolates them from each other and turns teaching into a competition. Tony Bennett, State Superintendent, stated, "Competition among teachers and schools is healthy."

Um, NO.

So, in this climate of frustration and being pulled apart from each other as well as students, what was Hershey's solution to choosing a Teacher of the Year?

Teachers of the Year! The entire staff!

(Jackie Spitznagle and Linda Fields with the winners' roses.)

We took a "one for all, and all for one" attitude and did something to cement the bond we feel as a faculty and to encourage ourselves to not let current outside pressures drive us apart. We will continue to work TOGETHER for the good of ALL children.

Sadly, the day of the award school was cancelled due to heavy fog. Linda sent us the following email:

All, I think I may be the only person reading this email that is sad because we had to cancel school today!  I wanted to tell you personally how blessed I feel to be spend my days with you.  I  never feel as though I am going to “work”  in the morning; rather, I look forward to come to “school”  to be with my Hershey family. I have loved the opportunity to sit in your classrooms an hour at a time and watch how you interact with children.  I left every classroom in awe of what you were able to do in that short amount of time.  The ability to reach children at the level you do is a very rare a gift.  During IIB today, we had planned to present each of you with a rose because each of you are truly “The Teacher of the Year”.  Unfortunately, the roses will not last the 4 days of vacation, but please know that the sentiment behind the gesture will remain. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Love, Linda

A Family Thanksgiving/Anniversary Poem

(With apologies to Clement C. Moore)

Twas two days before Thanksgiving
And in the Isenbargers' house,
Not an Isenbarger was stirring,
We're collapsed on the couch!

The children are now coming
In their cars and their vans
While their Dad and their Mom
Work on big dinner plans!

Down to Indy for Lisa,
(Her flight is on time)
Then back via Lebanon,
Hey, gas is down a dime!

Iowans Sarah and Todd
and their car piled high
With JC, and Trinity
Down 74 they will fly!

Poor Emily and Cole
Had to work late today,
But they'll hop in their car
And come join the fray.

Now Vanessa and Curt
(The house, he does own.)
Over the river must cross
To get to "Curt's" home.

And Andrew and Jessica
Our family newlyweds,
Are heading to Washington
To lay down their heads.

While Ashley and Kyle
With their growing brood
Are staying in Florida
To eat Thanksgiving food!

We'll miss those not here,
Though we understand why,
And think of them fondly
While eating THEIR pie.

So Dad and Mom,
('Though some are apart,)
Will gather their family
With joy in their hearts.

And give thanks to the Lord
For their wonderful clan
And think of the temple
Where it all began.

To my family - I love you, and Happy Thanksgiving! Craig, happy 36th anniversary! I would marry you again in a heartbeat!

Celebrating Classics (and Kids)

Fridays are the best day of the week in my class - it's CLASSICS day! That day the students pour through the classroom door chattering about the two upcoming presentations and full of excitement about what they are going to hear and see.

This week JM was scheduled to present on War of the Worlds while EP was doing Frankenstein (a book she has grown to love - she makes connections to it constantly.) Thursday JM gave me a hint that this Friday's presentations might be a little different.

"Mrs. I, guess what?" he said with a grin. "E and I have compared our papers, and tomorrow we will be reading a combined total of sixty-seven pages to the class."

GULP.

Sixty-seven pages?? Oh, my.

And he was right - when he and EP handed in their papers that morning, there were that many pages. JM and EP were so excited and could not wait to get started. (As for me, I was frantically rearranging the day's plans in my mind when I saw that they had not been exaggerating the previous day. Not much besides classics was going to get done that day!)

As I paged through JM's paper, the teacher in me was absolutely thrilled. I remembered how, only a little over a year ago, JM's written work, while good, was usually only a page or so. His first classic paper was two pages long. Quite acceptable and it received an A for a grade.

I looked at that thirty page paper in my hand, and then glanced up at JM. What had changed? Why had he written so much? (And it was good writing, too, and very much his own work, not parent-done or having sections copied from the book that added to the length. JM wrote this paper himself.)

And so I asked him.

His answer?

"Well, this book gave me so much to think about."

I cried.

Saying "I Love You"

I have no idea what this hand signal originally meant:

My kids used to make it at each other, and so to tease them, I would say, "I love you, too, sweetie" when I saw them give each other the hand signal. Of course, they would groan and say that that WASN'T what it meant. (Not that they ever told me what it did!)

The tradition has continued into their adulthood - you may see someone (including me) do it at a family get-together.

So, to all my loved ones, made you look! And I love you!

Golden Apple Stage Two

To my surprise and delight, I made it to the second stage of the Golden Apple award process. 

I was honored just to be nominated; to pass through the first phase of the selection process is icing on the cake.

Jules Verne Day 2

As soon as he arrived, EM hurried over to me this morning. Obviously he'd been reading since he'd left school yesterday.

"I found more classic words in Journey to the Center of the Earth, including twenty on one page!" EM exulted. He wore a grin from ear to ear.

I think I did, too.

Thank You, Jules Verne!

This fall when school began, I had four fairly immature 4th grade boys come into the class. They're very bright, but compared to their peers, awfully young-acting. They've come along nicely as the school year has progressed, and while they're not where they should be maturity-wise, they're getting there.

Bingo moment with one of them this afternoon. EM selected Journey to the Center of the Earth to read. It's about 100 years old, and as such, has words and phrasing that has fallen out of use. Add to that some Scandinavian characters with unfamiliar names, and you have a challenging book. I wondered how EM would do with it.

I didn't have long to wait as he hustled up to my desk before finishing the first page. But what he said was not what I expected.

"Mrs. I, I have already counted twelve high vocabulary words and I am only on the first page!" he crowed.

He was counting the classic words?? While all my kiddos like big words, only a few consistently search literature for them. (And those that do have pages upon pages of words they've found. It's pretty amazing to see them do that.)

Unsure if EM thought that was a good thing or a bad thing, I did what any good teacher would do and asked him what he thought about that. (A dodge; I know!) His eyes lit up and he replied, "Just think, if every page has that many classic words on it... Wow!"

And his voice trailed off at the thought.

So, we figured out then and there just how many words that would mean by multiplying the number he'd found and the pages in the book - an astonishing 3,585 words!

EM looked at me and I could tell he was excited but still thinking. So, I again asked him what he thought (not as a dodge this time but because I had a pretty good idea what was churning in that little brain and that EM was on the verge of an academic and maturation leap.)

"I think my vocabulary is going to go up," he grinned. And he headed back to his seat to continue reading.

Of course, he was back again before too long, sharing words that he'd found and written down on his classic words list, and then "translating" the word "mineralology" by remembering that the suffix "ology" means "the study of" and that minerals are composite rocks.

The look on EM's face as all this new knowledge was unfolding and enveloping him simply made my day. I think that last maturity gap closed as well - he finally understood why his classmates get so excited over classic literature and the discoveries those books can facilitate.

Thank you, Jules Verne!

Another Checks In

This has been my week to hear from former students! ES, a 6th grader at East Tipp, sent me the following note today. She's tweaking a running joke last year's class had - No fun in school! Ever!

I miss you, too, ES.

Say It Ain't So!

What is it with Saturdays? Last Saturday I took a picture of snow on our roof. Today I look at the weather forecast and see this:

Le sigh.

Cinderellas at the Ball

Four of my three-year multiagers all grown up and going to the ball!

MR, CL, TD, unknown, CB

As beautiful inside as they are outside!

Random Teaching

Jackie Spitznagle, Hershey secretary, sent out an email today that she'd posted some pictures on the shared drive and to check them out.

 I did not even remember this picture being taken! I can tell by WS's blue hair (center left) that it's Crazy Hair Day, so someone must've been taking photos of the kids' funny hair styles.

Many of the staff, dressed in teal in support of Hershey's Team Teal, a group of staff running in a fundraiser for breast cancer. (I'm in the back row, fourth from the right.)

This Cannot Be You!

Since when did this cute little second grader (who I also had as a fourth and fifth grader)...

 (BA at our Egypt Museum, 2007)

...turn into this strapping boy who is taller than me??

(BA and me, Veterans Day Program, 11/8/12)

Only in My Class...

Only in my class do they illustrate their Spelling tests.

Despite the fast pace of the test (truly, there isn't really time to draw - this boy's fingers must've flown!)

As I looked closely at the drawings, I was struck by how cleverly he had drawn the illustrations. Some of the words on the test were accurate, destination, revive, navigate, and approximate.

Could YOU draw a doodle for each of those words, and do it quickly? I couldn't!

Civic Duty

Today I spent much of the day here...

 ...because I got this in the mail...

 ...and it said I had to!

It was very interesting being a part of the court process, and I learned a lot. I was even one of thirteen prospective jurors called to sit in the jurors' box and be grilled by both the prosecuting and the defensive attorneys. But...

It was disappointing to me the way the lawyers so plainly manipulated the jurors during the selection process, not only trying to get an idea of how we might see the case and thus what our award might be, but they were also clearly "priming the pump" for that award. (It was a civil case; the defendant had already admitted guilt. The trial was to award compensation.)

The prosecuting attorney was looking for jurors willing to award money; the defensive one kept repeating "a fair and reasonable award" in a play for damage control.

Ad nauseum from both men.

I did my best to be honest when they pressed, but I was NOT going to let them manipulate me into doing (or saying) what they wanted if I did not agree with it. The defensive attorney even went so far as to state that he was "just trying to get you to make a promise you will keep."

Sirs, I am willing to be a part of the process, but I WILL tell the truth and I WILL NOT let you twist my words and then make me feel I have to stick by them.

I guess they didn't like my responses as I was excused.

An Old Friend Pops In

Charis Duke has known me for probably twenty five years or more.  We met when she and her husband, David, moved to Illinois to attend the University of Illinois. Charis taught my children piano lessons in our home, and she also invited me to sing with her in a Madrigals group that she founded and several opera productions (one in which she wrote a role for me - Mary, in The Inkeeper's Wife. I still remember sweating that high B flat I had to sing!)

I don't hear from her much as she is very busy, but today she surprised me with the following post on my Facebook page. Needless to say, it made my day.

Charis Bean Dukeposted toLynn Martin Isenbarger

20 hours ago

Shout out to Lynn Isenbarger, my old friend (old as in long-time acquaintance, not as in we are getting old!). I had the pleasure of eating ice cream with Jessie and her hubby and Lisa this summer, and I gotta tell you, you done good! Your children are something to be proud of. I know it wasn't easy and you had your share of trials and chaos, but look how great they are! And now that my own children are older, I understand how hard it can be to raise them well. So hats off to Lynn! And to the Borg too, I'm sure he helped a little ;)

A Teacher's Comic from Kenya

A former student, DAB, is teaching in Kenya as part of the Peace Corps. He is talented in many areas, and I have no doubt his students have benefitted from his time with them. DAB is also a clever artist, and he draws a weekly comic that he posts on his teaching blog, Cultural Malhappenings in Kenya, which illustrate his experiences as a teacher in Africa.

With his permission, I post this week's here.

Every posted comic is accompanied by an explanation.

Note for the folks at home: Christianity is the most popular religion in rural Maralal (and probably Kenya in general). Churches range in size from massive stone halls that can easily hold a thousand worshipers to ramshackle timber-and-sheet-metal huts that would feel cramped at ten. Singing is a big part of most church services, with lyrics in English, Kiswahili, and many tribal mother tongues. If a church has access to electricity, a common tactic is to hook up a synthesizer to a loudspeaker and blast a looping chord progression and drum-machine at the maximum volume to keep time. The booming sound system can be heard across town, so on busy Sundays you might find yourself inundated with a cacophony of several churches' contributions. Jesus is often called "Jesu" (pronounced "YAY-soo"), where God (or maybe Jesus...? Honestly, I'm not sure) is sometimes referred to as "Baba" ("father") or "Bwana" ("mister").

I found this one particularly touching; the expression on the children's faces in the last panel makes ME smile.

Already??

As I drove home this afternoon after having run errands, I noticed white "stripes" on many of the roofs in our neighborhood, including ours.

 They really  jumped out at me. And why not?

After all, it hasn't snowed here since last winter!

(And it was sleeting this morning, too.)

Here comes winter! 

More Halloween

Sure wish these cutie pies could come trick or treating at my house!

 Braden is a Lego, Addie is Cinderella (both VERY fitting costumes for them!) and take a close look at Corinne.

She's a Cabbage Patch Doll!

(Doll is right!!)

Thanks for the pictures, Ashley!