Valentines Day at School

Michael celebrated Valentines Day at School today. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately but managed to make him some Valentines and attend his Valentines party (tea party) with my camera.

Above are the Valentines he gave out...we attached them to a GIANT box of Dots and he loved it and so did all the other kids and a few of the Mothers too...

I thought they did an exceptional job decorating!

Yep this is the boy that got student of the week, lol...Guess you can't always be good!

The Kinder class and their Valentine celebration!

He's loving it!!

Doing a little Valentine Jig! (Are you taking photos Mom?)

Michael with his teacher.

Proud Momma!

That boy pictured above has made me so PROUD!!

This morning we left for school early as we had gone a bit over-board on the valentines and Michael needed some help carrying them to his classroom...As I was leaving the school his teacher chased me down and asked me to attend the end of the week assembly in the cafeteria...I didn't have a clue as to what was going on...Before I knew it Michael was on the stage with his teacher and she was announcing that he was Student of the week!! Oh how I was beaming...She stated how proud she was of Michael. How far he had come since the beginning of the year...How he went above and beyond to do his school work, home work and even more...This is the second time this school year he has made student of the week and I am so happy for him...all our hard work has paid off...and believe me we have worked hard!! He started the year off not even knowing how to write his name and now he is doing that plus reading books to me...he has learned his alphabet, his numbers to 100, and just lately he is doing addition...I can't help but feel we have accomplished so much this year...I love my BOY!!

Way to go Michael!!

Evening Photo Therapy ~

I should have been working on valentines but decided photo therapy sounded soo much better...I wanted to get some color this evening...so tired of all the brown dreary crunchy stuff around here...I was outside setting up the tripod and my camera when my sister called to talk to our Mother...I had to practice a few shots to see what my settings needed to be....

Hello Mom....Hello Karen!

Then I thought I would attempt the Jasmine...it smells so sweet! But just too darn windy out...ARGH!!


And this is what I actually wanted to photograph tonight...
Huisache, pronounced "wee-sach" or "wee satch-eh," is a small tree or a large shrub, rarely more than 25 feet tall, with a spreading rounded or flattened crown. It's all over the place down here and considered a nuisance by ranchers!
This to me means spring is here as the Huisache is blooming...I'll try for more and better Macro photos when the wind isn't blowing so hard...and if you would like to read more about Huisache click here...It is really an interesting article and I even learned to spell it correctly, lol



As I was coming back up the driveway my sweet Julie bird had to come see what I was up too...


She's showing her age...and her filthy winter coat too...Carriage horse turned ranch horse...fat and sassy if you ask me...a wee bit spoilt too...as you can see there is NO grass so she gets her alfalfa cubes every day...soaked in warm water for a bit too soften them up...and I will tell you when a 1,000lb animal wants her alfalfa cubes you don't argue with her!!

Then here was Jakey waiting at the gate for me!!

There was some sweet alyssum blooming...more color!!

Ahh HA!! Then I found these two...lots of color here...and a bit of a sparkle in the eyes too!! Actually lots of fidgeting as they waited for me to get the settings right and take photos...Grammy is easy but the little imp on her lap is a PAIN!! He seems to have a tongue problem when I get the camera out...ha ha ha....so I told him to play puffer fish...then we had a cheek problems...I finally gave up but got one decent one!

Millipede and a South Texas Sunset

We actually accomplished something today...With Mom's help Fred and I managed to clean the Utility room...The Utility room was and is our catch all room and it was a Mess...But today we moved everything out and cleaned, rearranged, trashed quiet a bit, and re-organized...I have to say it is kind of nice to be able to walk in the utility room and actually be able to move around in there, lol...Now I just hope I remember where we put everything and I can find stuff when I need it...Yikes!!

In the middle of redoing the Utility room I was out in the yard and noticed this big guy...

He's a Millipede...

I had to get the Macro lens out...

I didn't have much time though...Someone was grumbling that I was playing with the camera when I should be working, Oops!!

But when a photo Op shows up you have to "Go For It!" and I did!! I think this guy is pretty cool...look at all those legs...

Then this evening I was sitting here at my desk working on Michael's Valentines when I noticed the gorgeous Sunset...I didn't switch lens so this was taken with the Macro lens...it's a bit grainy as I turned the ISO to 800...Ekk...But I didn't have time for the tripod or monopod, actually I was to lazy to go back and grab one or the other...But I love the colors and that is what I wanted to share, the beautiful colors of the Sunset...

If you would like to see some great shots of Goliads La Bahia and Mission check out my friend John's photos he took this evening...click here!

A synopsis of Friday...

The local quilt shops (5 total) around here had a "Shop Hop" Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Mom wasn't sure she wanted to go but I decided we were going...So Thursday we hit the one in Victoria and Port Lavaca...Then Friday as soon as we dropped Michael off at school we went and picked up a friend who quilts and headed out...Rockport, Port Aransas and Corpus Christi...a very long day and we had to be back in Victoria by 2pm...So the chauffeur (Me) had to set time limits but we did good and made it to all the shops and managed to make it back on time...we had a really great time and it was an absolutely gorgeous day!! I did manage to get a few photos!

One of the Port Aransas Auto Ferry's.

Corpus Christi Catholic Church downtown Corpus. I loved the contrast of the church with all the newer buildings rising around it...

Mom and Penny discussing Penny's shirt, that Penny made...I had called out to them twice to look my way but they were deep in a discussion about sewing and there is no getting a quilters attention when that is happening...lol...The wind was terrible too and none of us had nice hair that day...ugh! I love the smiles though, I think Mom and Penny both had fun and enjoyed going to all the different quilt shops.

On our way home from picking Michael up at school we pass over a creek and the turtles are usually out sunning them selves on a log...They've been gone due to winter but now they are back and Michael always checks to make sure the turtles are out...I took this photo for Michael! He does love his turtles!

Then later Friday evening...we went out with friends Helen and Matt. It was Matt's birthday and we decided to go to dinner and Grammy volunteered to watch the kids while we went and ate...It was so nice to eat dinner without the kiddos!!

After returning to the house the munchkins were giving us a show...Grammy was the dragon! Michael the knight and Ashley the princess were attacking the dragon...It was so cute!

Ashley is so sweet and I love taking photos of her...Better than silly boy faces!!

We were all laughing and having a good time...

It was a long day but a GOOD day!!

100 Days and a Project for School

Michael came home from school last week with a note saying they were getting ready to celebrate 100 days of being in school...and the kids had to bring in 100 things to share...I racked my brain...I wanted something that Michael could do...and then it dawned on me that we could use his photos...I printed them out on contact sheets...I had to add a few of my photos as some of his weren't decent enough to send to school, lol...Then last night he helped me and we cut them out...Today we used the Xyron (sticker machine) and applied adhesive and he stuck them on his posterboard...We then got on the circut (die-cut) Machine and cut out a title for his project...and TaDaa we are done...He did most of the work, I did print out the photos! But he has his project ready to take to school and something interesting to share....Of course I had to sit and listen to him 100 times tell me about each of the photos, lol...Mr. Chatter box!!

He was really Happy with it!

He asked me though why some of my photos were on there and I told him I did Not think his friends or teacher would want to see Daddy's big huge gut or Mommy's sleepy face...Nope ain't gonna happen!!! Also he had photos on his memory card but the other day he seemed to have erased the whole card, ugh!! He wasn't happy about that but I think he learned his lesson about NOT playing with the settings on his camera...

Swimming Lessons ~ Once again....

A couple of years ago I had signed Michael up for swimming lessons in our home towns public pool...He was really excited...but at his first lesson they were pushing the kids in the pool and quiet literally dunking them under...Michael was in hysterics and so were half the kids in the class...He had never been afraid of water but he was after that experience...I never took him back after that first day! It was terrible and I tell everyone do NOT take your child to that pool or to that Woman who conducts the classes. It took me most of that summer to get Michael to like being in water again...Lots and Lots of trips to a local water park...Then last summer we spent a lot of time at his Aunt and Uncles pool...he can swim but not to good!

I had a friend mention the YMCA's swim program and how it was slow paced and they were very patient with the children...So a couple of weeks ago I decided to check into it. I told the people at the YMCA what had happened and they had heard several complaints about that towns swimming classes...Nice to know I am not alone with my grievance. I signed Michael up and tonight he had his first class....He LOVED it!! They were so good with all the children.

I was practicing with my 50mm lens before he got in the pool...he was cold!

He's got his float on and is ready to go...

Ahh seeing that smile warms my heart...he's loving it...he's also got blue lips as he was freezing!

I loved this photo...I know it's blurry but loved the action! I was also loving the life guards face...Nothing like a face full of water!

I am so PROUD of my son tonight...he did great! He has lessons twice a week for the next month and I can hardly wait to see what he accomplishes!!