After School

Yes, I know it is Spring Break but I had to share what my kids do after school everyday. I don't think my kids are normal kids because they actually rush home and play outside until dark. All the friends we know, rush home to play video games. All 5 of my kids are different and have interest in different things.

Maci Clare loves to ride the 4 wheeler.

Jack loves to swing and watch the chickens.

Zane shoots BB guns and Air Soft guns everyday.

Gabe plays basketball.

Zeke loves to play ball too and he patiently waits for someone to help him.Gabe is always willing.

But he also loves to ride the 4 wheeler

.And swing.

But sometimes, they all find something else to occupy their time.

A little black snake that was promptly scooped up by a shovel and deposited into an aquarium (we keep a couple on hand all the time.)
Don't you just love Zane's Georgia boots and gym shorts? And Maci Clare's facial expression?

Where does the time go?

And I mean that in more than one way. First, because I just can't seem to keep up with this blog anymore. And second, because Maci Clare turned 5 a week ago. We had a Spa Party and it was a huge success. It was really fun. We invited 10 little girls and 8 showed up. I had lots of help from my friends. So here are the pictures:

First, we started with the preparations for the party.
I found these galvanized buckets and monogrammed them with the first initial of each girl. This was to hold the goodies that they would use for the party and take home. I love the way they turned out.
Next I found cheap flip flops and bought rolls of ribbon to decorate them. They turned out really cute but I don't think I took a picture of the finished product. We just cut each ribbon into fourths and tied them in knots to the straps. They really were cute.

The food was really simple. Ham and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut out in heart shapes, Cheetos, a fruit tray (watermelon, strawberries, and grapes, pink lemonade, and of course pink cupcakes. I bought cheap plastic wine glasses for the girls to drink out of.
This was the "spa table" after it was decorated. I put bath pouffs in glass jars (the girls chose one to take home.). You can see the buckets on the table filled with a washcloth (tied with pink tulle), nail files, a headband, and salt scrub (recipe here). I put cucumbers in ice water in a glass jar with tongs. We had 6 different colors of nail polish to choose from and put cotton balls in two glass jars to fix mistakes and remove old nail polish. I made a yogurt face mask. The recipe was yogurt, honey and oatmeal. Last I brought Maci Clare's bedside table and made a "Welcome to Maci Clare's Spa Party" sign and lit candles. The whole thing really turned out cute. But it was a lot of work.

The girls could hardly wait to eat so we ate first. Then we separated the kids into groups of 2 and sent them to different stations.
First stop, Nail Salon! Maic Clare chose purple with sparkles for her toes. My friend, Mary did a great job painting. And Ashley, a niece of another friend, helped for a while. They really were awesome.Had to include this picture. She is so ME! Her gestures and the sunglasses on her head. I couldn't resist. It is nice to have someone who is just like you in the family because none of my boys are.Next stop, facials. My friend, Lori applied the cucumbers and yogurt the mask. Not everyone loved it but Maci Clare sure did. I thought I had pictures of some of the girls decorating flip flops but I guess I didn't take any. It's too bad because they really did turn out cute. The smaller girls couldn't really do it so moms had to step in and do it for them but it gave everyone something to do.They all kept disappearing to the playground but we finally got them in for cupcakes and presents. Maci Clare blew out her candles.The presents ended up being mostly Barbie stuff. No surprise there. Her friends know her well. Her favorite gift was the fashion design Barbie. I think her friends liked it too. Just look at their faces. I love this picture. These are definitely Barbie Girls!

This party was a huge success. It was a whole lot of work for me but totally worth it. I think everyone had fun. Even the brothers.

Some Random Things

I have been working on a paper for school non-stop for the last week and a half and it is finally finished. I just have to proofread and drop it in the dropbox this afternoon. I have only grabbed my camera to snap a few pictures lately but I thought I would share some of my favorites.

Last night the kids were playing with Bey Blades and I thought it was just too cute so I had to snap a few.
All of them were gathered around, even Zeke. Doesn't he look excited to be in the middle of the chaos? (Maci Clare had just finished her shower and couldn't even get dried off and put her clothes on so that is why she is sitting there in a towel.)

Back in December I ordered a Plum District deal for a canvas and this is the picture I chose. It is going in my hall bathroom after we get it painted. Just have to decide on paint colors. I love this picture.

Maci Clare's friend, Lynnlee, had a Princess party on Saturday. Of course, she had to dress in her royal attire and attend. It was really fun. And short. I love short birthday parties. Thanks, Lynnlee for inviting us.
Valentine's Day was a quiet affair at our house. We don't really celebrate Valentine's except for the parties they have at school. I did get some Brownie Pops made and Zeke loved them. Of course, they are really messy for a one year old. Jim said he looked like he had a soul patch. He wasn't very happy to be held but I did get the picture.
As soon as Zane put him down, he ran. (Don't look at the mess all around him.)

Just a few highlights from the last week or so.
Everyone is well at the moment (which is really saying something in this family).
Jim and I are headed for a weekend alone in the mountains. Can't wait.
For now, I'm off to do 2 article critiques for school. Hopefully I can get it done so this weekend can be about us instead of school. We really need a break from the kids for a while.

I REALLY AM TRYING

It just seems to fly by. Time, that is! I just can't seem to keep up with the blogging. I promise I am trying. The 5th kid has really put a kink in my scheduling and time management skills. Not to mention the grad school thing. Grad School! Very time consuming. I am barely keeping up with all the reading not to mention the writing. It seems just when I think I am ahead, I fall behind again. A friend is keeping Zeke one day a week (really just to play with her grandbaby) for a couple of hours so I can catch up on school work.
I always think about cool posts and pictures I should be taking but it seems it never gets done. Oh well, I will keep plugging along and maybe one day there will be time to blog.

Just a prayer request for all my praying friends. My best friend's niece was killed last Thursday afternoon. She was 7 years old and playing at a neighbor's house. She stepped into the road to go home and a car hit her. Please remember this family. I know we need to pray for their strength and peace but I just can't imagine ever having peace if I lost one of my children. I know that God is all knowing and in control so that gives us some kind of hope that there is a reason for her death. One good reason was that 3 people accepted Jesus at the funeral.
On a happier note, my son, Zane has started a Bible Study group on the playground. They do a five minute "devotion" and last Friday he got the chance to pray with someone his own age who accepted Jesus.

In the presence of Greatness

I had to run some errands today and one of those was to stop by Hobby Lobby. I had Jack , Zeke, and Gabe with me and no one wanted to go in with me. So as I was walking out the door, I saw a couple hand their baby to big tall black guy and take a picture. I knew he had to be someone important by the way they were talking to him. The couple walked out in front of me into the parking lot and I asked them who he was. He was TAJ BOYD! I knew I had to get Gabe. So off I ran to the car. Gabe’s face lit up and we grabbed his IPOD and raced back in Hobby Lobby. We started hunting the poor guy down and finally found him. This is the result.

He is really a nice guy and spent a little time talking with us. He told Gabe to do his best in school and keep trying. He was super patient and very kind to take the time out to talk to us and get a picture. Gabe is elated. Now the boys have decided it might be worth their time to go into Hobby Lobby with me from now on. I love it.

Really?

Really?! The last time I posted was Sept, 2010. Unbelievable. I'm back and here's what has happened. In case you are not my friend on FB. Here it goes:
Dec. 2010- Ezekiel Asher Sickels was born. ZEKE!
Jan. 2011-Huge snow in SC and kids were out of school for a week (just after a two week Christmas break)
March 2011- I turned 41. Yes 41 with an infant.
June-2011- Summer Vacation Begins
July 2011- The longest football season ever begins.
August 2011- Beach (need I say more)
September 2011- School starts back
November 2011-Palmetto State Championship won and now on to All-stars.
Dec. 10- Lost the State Championship All Star game
Dec. 15-Zeke turns one and a new household project is started. New hardwoods in the downstairs (1000 square feet)
Dec. 2011-Christmas once again
Jan. 2012- I started Graduate School
Now hopefully that catches everyone up. Maybe there will be pictures and maybe there won't. I hope that this is not a temporary thing but I can't promise anything. We will just see.
New blog about my school adventure here

We Had A Blast

Back at the beginning of the summer, I was emailed some information about hosting a Kung Zhu party. I told them I would do it and so after 2 months of my kids patiently waiting we had the party. We invited our closest friends, bought pizza, and had Kung Zhu battles. The kids had a blast. (3 of the children that attended are not pictured in any of these pictures.)It took them a long time to get the arena and all the tracks together. (I'm not sure they ever got it all set up.) But it didn't stop the battle.

These little hamsters are hilarious. The things they can do are amazing!
At one point, Jack was all alone still playing. Everyone else bolted into the kitchen for pizza. Jack would much rather play than eat. I'm sure that we will have many battles to come.
Thanks MomSelect and bsmedia for this great opportunity!!!!