Baby Quilt

Our all time favorite Pre-school teacher is having her first grand baby this month. Mrs. Thompson was both Caite and Hayden's teacher. She is fabulous and one of those people what we will love forever. I started making this cute quilt for her. I pieced together the front and back, then my friend Kathie wanted in on the project. Two of her kids have had Mrs. Thompson also. So Kathie did the machine quilting, and binding.

I think it turned out very cute. We gave it to her on Friday and of course she loved it!

Petit Jean State Park

We did a family first for Spring Break this year. We took everyone camping. Aaron has taken the boys a few times, but this was a first for the whole family. When we mentioned the idea to the kids the boys knew right where they wanted to go. The tee pee at Petit Jean! Sign us up.

This is what it looks like when you car camp with the Gardners.

Happy Campers ready to get on the road.

The look out and memorial where the legend of Petit Jean is told.

We finally made it to the Tee pee. Each kid carried their own backpack. Halle's was as big as she is. But she made it.

The kids loved camping by the lake. With the tee pee came a great canoe and we spent a good share of our first day taking turns paddling around the lake.

Halle was so excited to put on her life jacket, but once she got in the boat she started crying.

Aaron held the walkie -talkie to her and I heard, "Not faster daddy, you're going to make me to die!" She got over it quickly and loved it.

We did a whole lot of hiking! Isaac was right in his element, jumping from rock to rock.

We have some good little hikers and canoers ( is that a word?). We hiked for miles without complaint. Even Miss Halle kept up until the last 1/2 mile on our last day. They most definitely take after their father. Dispite Isaac's best efforts in climbing every huge rock or tree, no one was injured and great memories were made.

Attacked

Last night I was getting ready to go to dinner with a few friends. Aaron was at work, I had Halle in our bath tub, and the other kids were out front playing. I heard a man yelling in rage. So I went out to the garage to see what was going on and take note of where my kids were. I see the 18 year old autistic neighbor boy yelling and hitting their car. His parents were out side with him trying to calm him down. My boys had ran to the back yard and Caite ran in the house. Before I could turn and go back in, Tevis (the autistic boy) came running at me, wrapped his arms around me and slammed me against the van! Keep in mind he's not a little boy, probably 6'4"...a big guy.

I was extremely surprised how calm I was. I said quietly, "Tevis, don't hurt me, please don't hurt me." His parents are running after him with cell phones to their ears calling the police. Tevis held on to me for what seemed like forever, but he calmed down, and I wasn't hurt. I told his parents I was okay. Then he dropped to his knees and held my ankles for a while until he regained composure. I don't know why, but I kept saying, "calm down buddy, are you okay?" When all was said and done, I asked if he wanted a water bottle (not sure why I asked) he said "yes, ma'am" (the first words I have heard him say in about 2 years) and his mortified/petrified parents apologized over and over then took him home.

I brought the kids in the house and started shaking like crazy. I realized that I could have really been hurt. He could have easily started throwing punches or thrown me to the ground! It took about an hour or so for me to stop shaking. I am proud of myself for being so calm in the moment...who would have known I would have reacted like that? I know I was being watched over and protected, just like we say in our family prayers every night.

The Teacher

Our kids have been blessed with fabulous teachers over the years. Good teachers are priceless!! I try my best to show and tell our teachers how much we love and appreciate them. I volunteer as often as often as I can, I send goodies and thank you notes often. Our teachers do more work for our kiks than we can imagine. Most importantly our kids have been happy at school.


Until this year. Isaac has a teacher that is new to our school. I have been trying to figure her out the entire year. I have NOT been impressed with her DIVA attitude and what seem like a lack of classroom instruction. It seems like Isaac is never sure what is expected of him. And she is extremely strict. Which I understand to a point. But it seems like rules and exact obedience has overshadowed learning. Isaac hasn't had a good year, and I'm afraid he is falling behind.


Last week his class celebrated Read Across America in conjunction with Dr. Seuss' Birthday. Everyday they did something, or wore something special. Wed. they were supposed to dress up like their favorite book character (it didn't have to be a Dr. Sues character). Isaac is reading a Samurai Ninja book, so he wanted to be a ninja, easy enough. He wore a black shirt, and black athletic pants and a black head band. When he got to school his teacher said, "who are you supposed to be?" He told her, and her response was "you look more like you are going to the gym. call your mom and have her bring a uniform." He was devastated! He called me crying. I got his uniform to him, calmed him down a bit and took him to class. I came home mad, and sent that teacher a not so nice e-mail.

The next day was pajama day. Isaac wears old gym shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in. So that's what he wore. His teacher told him to go to the principle's office again and call home. Isaac told her that those were his pajamas. "I said, pa-ja-ma's" she said. Fortunately my phone was busy, so he got to talk to the principle for a while until he calmed down. Her heart went out to him and she told him her son wears the same thing to bed. Isaac told me the story when he got home from school that day. I was LIVID!! I sent another really not so nice e-mail to the teacher . I called the Principle the next day and told her our side of the story and how Isaac has had a terrible year with this teacher.

The Principle felt bad for Isaac, he's a good kid, never in trouble (at school). She had pulled the teacher out before I even called and had a chat about how stupid (my words not hers) she was being.

Then Monday I got a call from my friend Kelly who is subbing at the school. She said Isaac's whole class had missed the bus because the teacher kept them after for something stupid. So Kelly brought him home for me. You CAN'T keep these kids after school, when they have a bus to catch. Half of our school get bussed in from Little Rock. Parents were NOT happy!

So yesterday Isaac came home from school all smiles and told me Ms. Heard was not coming back to this school after Spring Break. Hallelujah!!(did I have something to do with that? not sure, but I'm pleased) I'm not sure who his teacher will be...hopefully it's not worse than what he has had all year. Isaac was happy.

Girl room make-over

I finished the bedskirt and throw pillow yesterday. So now the girls bedding is complete for the new house. I put it together for a quick picture and then away it went into the bag to be packed. Next projects...painting their head board and dresser black, the night stand turquoise, adding
frill to the lamp shade, redoing their GIRLS letters in the right colors, and repainting (or deco-podge) the magnet board.

It will be fun to have new "stuff" in a new room for the girls. I'm really tired of the light pink and yellow!

Diva Style

The girls found the fabric they wanted for their new bedding. I was going to wait to make it after we moved, but I had time now...so I did it this week. The pictures don't quite do it justice, and I still need to make throw pillows, but it's going to be fun.

12squared

It's my month to receive blocks from my quilting bee girls! I'm very excited. I looked and looked for a square I loved. I came up with several different ones, but in the end, this one won.

Because I am who I am and like thing uniformed, I gave everyone the floral fabric and told them to use it somewhere in their square. That way they can pull the colors from it and the quilt should flow together nicely.

Now I just need to get a new couch for it to look pretty on.