Please Help!

Donors Choose is a nonprofit organization that helps public high school teachers get supplies for their classrooms. I've gotten books, dictionaries, a bulletin board, a classroom library, bookcases, and supplies like paper and highlighters. With the budget what it is, the only way I can get materials is to buy them myself or rely on the generousity of donors.

Here is the link: donorschoose.org/smarquart

Until the end of the day tomorrow, all donations will be matched if donors use the promo code SPARK at check out.

All donations are tax deductible.

If you choose to donate, my students and I thank you.

Allison Jean

I'm sure you're all dying to know Allison's birth story. It's like the complete opposite of Owen's 21.5 hours of agonizing pain with little relief. Like Owen, Allison was due on the 5th. And like Owen, Allison didn't arrive until 9 days later. This time the doctor scheduled me for induction, but we didn't need it; she decided to come that day anyway. We checked into the maternity ward around 9am. It took awhile to do the paper work and get hooked up to the machines. I think that was all settled around 10:30. Then we kicked back and relaxed until it was time for the glorious epidural. That was probably the most painful part of the whole day.

The doctor came in for one final check around 3pm. She had tickets to see Harry Potter that evening was checking my progress to see if she was going to make the movie or not. She made the movie. Allison was born at 3:11. That little darling just slid right out. The whole "after delivery" was different too. (I didn't get to see Owen after he was born. The nurses whisked him away.) Allison was plopped right on my chest. I was the first to hold her. The first thing I noticed was her mouth - same as her brother's. The second thing that I noticed was all that thick, dark hair! If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed she was mine. Owen hardly had any hair before his first birthday. She weighed 8lbs at birth and weighs more than 15lbs now, almost 5 months later.

She finally rolled over on my birthday. We have been practicing for months, but she just wasn't catching on. Now she can roll over, she reaches for things, and she eats rice cereal. She can sit up in the high chair or on the floor if she is propped up with pillows. She can't run away from Owen yet, but that's coming any day now. This poor girl gets squeezed and kissed whether she likes it or not. Owen is a very "hands-on" big brother. This boy is going to love her to death. I think that will be the next post.

1 + 1 = 2

Precious, right?

I really don't think they could be any cuter.

Allison's first taste of rice cereal (against doctor's orders)

The kid LOVES it!

You better watch out for Super Owen!

I'll actually write a post one of these days. In the meantime, just enjoy the priceless photos of my two little darlings. They're angels, most of the time.

Trials of a Newly Seasoned Mama

We have Internet, people! And a phone! It's only taken two years, but it has finally happened. Now that I'm a mama-of-two, finding time to post will be a juggling act. I'm up to the challenge.

August Photos (in no particular order)

Tank chillin' in the back yard
Phoebe stopping to pose for a photo

Sticky peach juice face

(Don't you wish you had those lashes?)

Bone Crusher on the prowl

Owen picked this peach off the ground and chowed down before anyone could stop him. I'm so glad that we have a peach tree. Owen obviously loves 'em.

Mmm...sticky peach juice

Owen practicing using a spoon to eat yogurt

(He still needs some practice.)

This little criminal got into the cereal cupboard and ran away with the Cookie Crisp.

He hid on the stairs to eat it. Good thing I got photographic evidence for the

Cookie Crisp Cops.

Another juicy peach picture

Owen and Mommy playing outside

Mommy husking corn at camp

(She does all the work.)

Owen being silly

Cool Dude in the swimming pool

Owen in the diningroom

Owen and his tractor

Owen washing his tractor

Owen playing with the hose

Owen helping his daddy wash the rims

Hmmm...so back in April, I had the very best intentions. I really was going to make weekly stops at the library to update my blog. I mean it. Enough with the apologies...how about an update?

We have had an exciting summer and have added to our family. In addition to the smartest little 15 month old alive and Tank, our playful lab mix, we have two kittens - Phoebe and Bone Crusher. Their purpose is to control the chipmuck and squirrel population on our property. So far, they've spent a lot of time stalking morning doves, climbing the apple trees, and trying to get into the house. I haven't seen any dead chipmunks. I did, however, see a dead bat. In the diningroom. With a bullet in its brain. Very long story short...a bat lived in our house for about 16 hours before Joel hunted it and shot it. Now there is a bullet hole in the diningroom ceiling, and I spent one evening cleaning bat blood off of the hardwood floor. My hero.

We're still working on the house. Except for some paint, the upstairs is done. The kitchen is being worked on as I type this, and the new countertop should arrive from Lowe's at the end of September. There is still the downstairs bathroom to deal with. I stay out of there as much as possible. The other big job is painting the outside of the house. We have all of these great new windows, but we need to paint around the outside of them. Anyone have a 40-foot ladder that Joel can borrow?

And my darling son...I don't even know where to start. It's been so long since I've been able to update about him. Right now, his obsessions are tractors and lights. He adores riding the tractor around the yard with his "Daaa" and climbing on the tractor when his "Daaa" lets him. Owen can even put the key in the ignition all by himself. And lights. Oh, lights. He flips the diningroom light switch 'til the cows come home. I'm pretty impressed that he can say "light." He can't get the "T" sound at the end, but even strangers can tell that he's saying "light." Owen can imitate a whole ark full of animals: cow, horse, sheep, duck, goose, frog, bear, monkey, lion, bee, dog, cat, fish (yes, fish), bird, and turkey. He knows most of his body parts: hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, hands, fingers, shoulders, belly, knees, toes, and feet. We're working on elbow and bottom now. Most of the time he can say "yellow" and "purple" without too much coaching. Last weekend "Daaa" taught Owen to blow a whistle. That lasted about 10 minutes before the whistle "disappeared."

And pictures are coming. I'm uploading them now. It's just taking awhile. I think it will be quicker to put them in another post. :)

You're never going to believe this...

There's a location that EVERYONE can go to, and this organization lets you use the Internet for FREE. They even let you check out books and rent movies for FREE.

I *heart* libraries.

I will be back...with my USB drive so that I can upload photos of Mr. Handsome.