Did you know this???

Just a little something we need to relearn.......



And he didn't even talk about how the first Continental Congress was a mess until they broke for 3 days of FASTING AND PRAYER before returning to draft and sign that little piece of paper we're gonna be celebrating on Sunday.....

Game On!!!

So, Gator is something of a computer game junkie!

He's regularly scoring higher than I am at facebook's Zuma Blitz and has started trying out all the other games I have on facebook, my iphone, and the computer. A couple days ago he found Chess on the computer. I turned the difficulty down to the lowest and with minimal input from me (mostly all I did was tell them the names of the pieces) the boys are learning how to play Chess through trial and error.

Hey, don't knock it, it keeps them quiet and happy and occupied while I'm working in the early mornings before Subvet wakes up. (Our kids typically wake about 4am....they do NOT get this from ME!!)

Besides! Have you ever watched a more fun Chess game? Or one with more energetic players?

VBS!!!

The kids had a great time this week at VBS!!

The teachers and aides and teens all did a fabulous job. I think science was their favorite part every day! They made volcanos, lava lamps, sand art cross necklaces, water thermometers, and boats. They painted and drew and sang and danced and otherwise enjoyed themselves.

The best part is that for 5 days straight we had a quiet house in the mornings!!!

Sonshine's class:

Gator's class:

Sugars' class:

Awesome SonSurf VBS 2011 Video from Allison St. Claire on Vimeo.

Now doesn't that look like a fun Adventure??

This post is part of Cathy's Wednesday Adventure Tours Express. Click on the picture to go to her blog A Bit of the Blarney and enjoy other fun adventures.

oh Wow....

www.pottermore.com

Who knew??

The Big Foot Family revisited.

Well, it's time for our biannual trip to the shoe store!

I am always amazed at how fast their feet can grow....






Looks like Sonshine will be wearing MY shoes soon!!


PS. I wear a 9 1/2 wide in Women's....

first outing of the summer!

This post is part of Cathy's Wednesday Adventure Tours Express. Click on the picture to go to her blog A Bit of the Blarney and enjoy other fun adventures.



On Saturday the Dallas Museum of Art celebrated Autism Awareness Day!

To celebrate they opened 2 hours early for families of children on the spectrum to enjoy a FREE day of fun activities at the museum. In addition to the special activities planned each family was invited to stay after the exhibits opened and enjoy the rest of the museum and we also received a family pass to come again. All for the (discounted) price of parking, $5. It was truly a fun and exciting trip for my Hooligan Clan.

The theme this year was Movement.

Here are my mom and kids posing with Arturo, the museum mascot at the paper sculpture station. Sonshine drew a rendition of the large totem pole that's next to the entrance.

This area talked about spatial relations in art and the kids were given a clipboard with pictures to finish.

This area had a lot of fun places to explore:

Lego walls,

magnetic shapes,

fun walls!!

adding your touches to famous art.

Then we headed out to the courtyard where there were several fun things set up.

Like this water painting set. The "canvas" is some kind of grey material that turns black when wet so they could "paint" with water, then when it dried start all over! It was a big hit with 2 of my kids......who wants to guess which two??

Next the boys found the sailing car races....

Sugars, however was working hard on her masterpiece.....

There's Subvet helping Sonshine put an index card sail on his car

Then you wait for the wind to blow....

Once the breeze picks up, the race is on!!

Undeterred by wind, sail races or hula hoops she's still painting...

Quite the artiste!

Next it was time for an interactive music performance by a Music Therapist. This was a lot of fun! So much fun I didn't remember to take pictures till the end!

We visited "Arturo's Nest" which is a play room for the 4 and under crowd.....not that my kids are ever deterred by age limits!!

Then we headed over to the obstacle course to burn off the last bit of steam.

We zigzagged, hopscotched, threw bean bags, jumped up the wall, and crawled through the tunnel!

By the time the regular museum opened Mightymom (who'd worked all night the night before) was bushed and called it quits. We'll have to go back at another time (with our family pass! thanks) to enjoy the exhibits....

Guess I wasn't the only one worn out when we left.....

I'm always impressed when a company will do special things like this for our special kids and especially when they make them free. Subvet and I would never have attempted to take our 2 Autistic boys and Miss Prissy to the Art Museum, a place where noise and exuberance are generally discouraged. We are grateful to the Dallas Art Museum for allowing us this opportunity to introduce our kids to art in this fun and totally appropriate manner! The volunteers and security staff at the museum were fantastic keeping the kids reminded of what they could and couldn't touch in a caring and friendly way. The set up and execution of the different areas was very well done. Every detail was attended to, even to the extent of emailing us a pictorial social story written specifically for this event ahead of time.

Needless to say we had a terrific time! Well Done Dallas Museum of Art!

Happy Flag Day America!!!

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.





American Flag Etiquette
Submitted by Lorene Bartos, UNL Extension Educator

When decorating be sure to display and handle the United States flag properly.

When being displayed, the flag should always be allowed to fall free. It should not be drawn back or up, in folds. Also, it should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, floor, water or other items. This is important to remember when display flags along sidewalks and in yards. If it does touch anything beneath it, correct this mistake quickly. If the flag is soiled from touching the ground or dirt, the flag should be cleaned with a mild soap solution and dried before being displayed again.





The flag should never be used as clothing, bedding or drapery. The flag should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture or drawing of any nature placed upon it. Also, the flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner.

For patriotic decorations bunting of blue, white and red, always arrange with white in the middle and blue above the white and red below the white. Bunting should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of a platform and for decoration in general.





When displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, the United States flag should be on the flag's own right. Its staff should be in front of the staff of any other flag. When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from a window sill, balcony or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff.





When the flag is not flown from a staff, it can be displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall. The union or blue field should be uppermost and to the flag's own right or the observer's left. When displayed in a window of a home or a place of business, the flag should be displayed in the same way -- with the union to the left of the observer in the street. The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of distress, such as extreme danger to life or property.

When the flag is used on a speaker’s platform or in the front of a room, the flag when on a staff, should hold the position of superior prominence. It should be in position to the speaker’s right as they face the audience. Any other flag or banner should be placed on the left of the speaker or to the right of the audience.



It is a universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day, if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness. A light needs to specifically illuminate the flag so it is recognizable by a casual observer.

The United States flag can be flown every day of the year, but should especially be flown:

■New Year's Day
■Inauguration Day
■Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
■Lincoln's Birthday
■Washington's Birthday
■Armed Forces Day
■Memorial Day
■Flag Day
■Independence Day
■Labor Day
■Columbus Day
■Veteran's Day
■Thanksgiving Day
■Christmas Day
■state holidays and other days as may be proclaimed by the United States President.

The United States flag should never be flown if it is faded or frayed. Give frayed and faded flags to organizations, such as The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars or the Boy Scouts, in order to be ceremonially burned. Local posts and chapters of these organizations can be contacted for this type of disposal.



It is important to remember to give the flag proper respect during ceremonies of hoisting and lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, everyone should stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. Those in uniform should salute. When not in uniform men should remove their hats or caps with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.

The Simplicity of Gratitude

I love love my new job! I really do.

Flip side of that coin is that I really don't care for my hospital job. I've dreaded work nights for over a year now.

So, what's the difference?

There are a lot of little differences, like being home and talking on the phone vs being at the hospital and cleaning up poop. But I really don't mind being at the hospital or cleaning up poop. There's the whole "work in your pajamas" thing....but honestly; I wear SCRUBS and tennis shoes to work so how much difference is there??

I realized one night last week that the real difference in the jobs is simple gratitude.
When I am doing phone triage the vast majority of callers (like 98%) are honestly grateful for my time and advice. And they TELL ME SO.

The simple thing of hearing "okay. Thank you, I appreciate your call." makes a huge difference!

Especially when it is contrasted with the "When can I have more medicine and what took you so long?" that is repeated 98% of the time at the hospital. Sometimes a family member or a patient does show gratitude, but it's rare. Every once in awhile someone will send food, but honestly, I've known several nurses who won't eat food given by family members, we live in a scary world.

It's amazing to me to experience the real difference that being appreciated on a regular basis can make.

So, I hope you'll join me in making a point to say thank you more often. Even when someone tells you something you don't want to hear.

Thank you for your comments, I really DO appreciate them!

A Passion that Never Leaves

Waaay back in 1983 I was given the opportunity to join the 3rd grade band and learn to play an instrument.

I already knew how to play the piano and told my mom I'd like to join the band. She strongly suggested I play the flute. So I did.

I have played the flute ever since, although not on a regular basis since 1993 when I graduated High School.

During the years between 93 and 08 I played about 3 or 4 times a year for church. When I abruptly left the Methodist Church in May of 08 my flute was left in my piano bench as I moved to a new church where no one knew I could play.

And there it was to stay....until Lent of this year. Out of the blue I mentioned to my current choir director that the piece we were working on would sound really pretty with a flute descant.

And now, the cat's out of the bag!!

You would have thought all my years as "The Choir Director's Daughter" would have taught me NEVER to let the choir director know that I play the flute......

HA.

My director likes the flute so much that my ORDERS are, "I know you can't be here every week because of work, but everytime you come, bring the flute!!"

I have to say that picking it back up after 3 years has been harder than I anticipated. It has required that nasty P word.

(practice)

And yet, I have found myself looking forward to that P word every week. Planning my time around the need for it and losing myself in the joy of the passion that I've always had for making music.

A passion that, no matter how long neglected, will never leave.

And that passion gets extra boosts when my choir friend tells me 27 (yes, I counted) times one Saturday how much she "LOVES the flute!" And the guitarist states how much fun it is "having the Jethro Tull thing going here".

Welcome back to my weekly (if not daily) life, my old friend.

Dr Suess got it wrong!

Here you have it folks:






the REAL Cat in the Hat!



I came home sick from work tonight. Seems I've caught the virus the kids all had over the holiday weekend. ick.

My friend Stephanie's nephew is losing his battle on earth tonight. Doctors give him hours to a day or two at most before he'll join his bride of 8 months and the Birmingham tornado will claim yet another victim. Please say a prayer for this family.

Also, my long time blog buddy Susan's daughter went Home to Jesus last week after almost a year battling breast cancer. That family could use your prayers too.

Thanks folks.