365...Day 4

30 minutes is a long time to wait to pet kitties.  Only 2 minutes and 48 seconds to go...can he make it? 

Little boys that carry kitties around too much, have to have limits set. 

(On a side note, Shane has been very good not to traumatize said cats, and they seem pretty tolerant of him.  They often initiate contact and playtime with him.)

365...Day 3

Here is where life finds me these days.  I am doing a long-term sub job at Granger Elem for 7 weeks.  I teach math, science, and social studies to 4th graders.   I started Sept 7 and will go until Oct 21. I love being a my kids' school, love seeing them in the hallway and at lunch.  Love spying checking in on them when I see teacher's in the lounge.  I don't love staff meetings, parent conferences, or grading papers.  While this is fun for a while and a nice change of pace, I am glad it's not FULL time.   

365...Day 2

Did I mention that I love BACON!!  Yes, but I really love it more when someone else cooks it. Now, I love bacon with my pancakes, in a club sandwich, crumbled in that broccoli salad, and also a good BLT sandwich, but NOT on a burger or in Outback's Alice Springs Chicken!

Whenever my kids spend the night with my parents, my dad cooks them bacon and pancake; Shane eats the bacon as fast as it can cool on the plate!

365... Day 1

A friend of mine takes pictures of every day stuff and updates in her Facebook account.  I thought that was a great idea, except, I wanted to blog instead so I could eventually ptint it in a blog/book... 24/7...365 days of our lives.

So, here is blog day one...now those of you that know me well, know that I am not very consistent with blogging.  It seems that LIFE somehow gets in the way.  But rest assured, my family and I are making memories everyday, I'm just too tired to BLOG about them at the end of the day.  I love to sleep!! 

Anyways, for now...here we go...

Day 1

My FAVORITE breakfast is pancakes and bacon.  This was the griddle my parents always used, and I love cooking for my family using it.  When my mom decided to get a new one a few years back, I was tickled to get it as a hand-me-down.  Every Christmas, my dad cooked a big breakfast, which we ate between Santa and opening presents.  Since Steve and I lived away from home for the first 12 years we were marrried, we were always at my parents for Christmas morning.  I sometimes tease my dad that he was lucky that all 3 of his kids were home for 31 years before he had to give up this Chirstmas morning tradition.  Now, I cook bacon, pancakes, and waffles (for everyone else) or sometimes biscuits and gravy for OUR big Christmas morning breakfast. 

Dear Shane,

How can you be a kindergartner already?  It seems like just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital.  You broke Mommy's heart today when you refused to let go of Daddy and I.  You were like a little octopus, holding on for dear life.  Everytime we took off an arm, another would grab us.  It made me feel so good when your teacher, Mrs. Schindler, took you in her lap and cuddled you. After we took Sarah to her class, Daddy snuck back down your hallway to make sure that you had settled in.  You were coloring at your table.  :) 



You have always been slow to warm-up to new situations, so I wasn't too surprised that you didn't run into the classroom without abandon.  As you grow up, even of you maintain your cautiousness, I hope that you will never let it hold you back or miss out on a great, new opportunity.  Even though it takes you time to try something new, once you jump in, you do so with both feet! 

At the end of the day today, you were all smiles.  The line for kindergarten walkers was SOOOO long, but we could see your little hand waving from the back.  (It's cool to be tall ;) ) You were happy and told us all about your adventures in school.  You explained that you were nervous when we dropped you off and that is why you cried.  The best news is that you had a good time and are willing, even excited to go back tomorrow.  (You did inform me, however, that you would rather not get up early.  (That's my boy!) 

You will never again have a FIRST day of school!  I hope that you will always be open to learning new things, that you will make great friendships, and enjoy school as much as I always did.  An education will take you so far, and will give you AMAZING opportunites. 

Love, Mommy

Blink

                                                                                  

Where oh where has the time gone?  How can I be old enought o have two school-aged children?  Shane started kindergarten today.  Decked out with a Star Wars backpack and a Perry the platypus shirt (a character from Phineas and Ferb).

Not very excited about heading to school!

            

Sarah, of course, had to wear something PINK!! She chose a backpack and lunch box from Target with a cute little monkey on it.

She was excited to start 3rd grade.  Here she is with her homeroom and LA teacher, Mrs. Austin.

SPROWLS Family Reunion

We flew to Pittsburgh, PA the last weekend of July to a Sprowls' Family Reunion.  It was in a tiny town of Claysville, which is about an hour SW of Pittsburgh.  We stopped and took a picture in front of this little hardware store that bears our name.  We had never met any of these people, (who pronounce their name (SprOWLS, like the bird) and went with the anticipation of tying our family to theirs.  They all come from a brother, Arthur Sprowls.  We think we may come from another brother James or John.  Steve can only trace his family back three generations to Benham, Kentucky.  He is hoping the family historians that we met can help him connect the lines.  The family was amazingly hospitible and we had fun seeing our name around town.  Sarah was excited that there were 2 other Sarah Sprowls in the family!