What a week...

If I wasn't so dizzy from the congestion backed up in my ears or feel so totally awful, I'd think I was already dead! Whatever this "cold" is that we all have, it has hit us hard. Thankfully, Gracie is on the tail-end of it.

I finished up Gracie's class project for her school's annual auction fundraiser...a gift card bulletin board. I think it turned out really cute!



This week was a short week for her with only two days of classes, a field trip to the Children's Museum on Wednesday and home with sick Mommy for Thurs & Fri (in-service days for her teacher)...we've spent lots of time in our pj's!


Bandit is keeping us in good spirits with his HUGE personality!


Jack & I chaperoned her field trip...we didn't have the crud quite so bad then.

We only had twenty minutes each in five galleries...sounds like plenty of time, but when you have to wait your turn and listen to an introduction of each one, it just isn't. She seemed to still enjoy herself though...

Daddy helping her with the rope and pulley system...

Making animal tracks in the sand...

"surfing"

After a picnic lunch in Hermann Park, evcerybody headed home, but we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take in a little of the zoo. This is the Red Panda...we saw two...don't know if they have more, but they are sooooo cute!

This looks like me in the morning! ;)

This orange monkey was so curious...he did everything Gracie did.

Gracie loves watching the meerkats!

The BIG white alligator...so glad the glass is REALLY THICK!!!

...and this little guy was totally cracking me up! I guess they are trying to wean him from his Mom, but he was soooo determined to get in there with her! Awwww....poor little guy!

The Daddy was performing all kinds of tricks for us!

No visit would be complete without seeing Jack's beloved watusi cattle...

The new African Forest section...

Gracie loved this chimp...they "conversed" for a good while, as if no glass at all were there.

This one looks like some actor that I can't remember the name of, but he really does look like a man to me!

The only view of the giraffes and rhinos we saw...they were still working on their new habitats.

a real stork....

The pretty flamingoes...

The sea lions "playing dead"

For Gracie's riding lesson, Mrs. Robin was working, so Miss Kacey helped out...

...and Gracie's school did post the chapel video where she sang with Skyler, so if you're interested, please leave a comment or email me and I will give you the website address, login and password.

Have a good week...hopefully, I will feel less like I've been thrown under a truck by the next post!

I needed a DO OVER button yesterday...

Yesterday was a full day...Gracie & Skylar sang in Chapel, there were errands to be run, a house to get straight, animals to be fed (and potty-trained...*big sigh*)...that was enough...but, no. I picked Gracie up from school and from 20 paces away, I could see the big frown. She got in the car and told me that she had lost her necklace with her half of she and Skylar's "Best Friends" charm. Oh my. I then turned to where her class sits on the sidewalk and saw Sky's equal dismay. Gracie and I searched the playground for 20 minutes and no luck. With a clenched gut, I made a phone call to Jack David. Our friend, Sergio, had, at one time, let us borrow a metal detector..."what one time" you ask? OK, definitely worth the digression...When Grace was 1, we were out and about on one of our daily feeding journeys and she was fed up with being in her car seat and screaming her head off...we were at the 646 property and I needed to get out and feed horses and cattle, but was trying to soothe her first. She saw my sparkly wedding bands and was immediately quieted, as she often was. So, (*insert ultra smart here*) Mommy gives her the rings and bolts to feed in the manner of speeding light...as I'm scooping feed five seconds later, wailing again fills my ears..."OK, she's dropped them", I think. In my most angelic voice, "OK, sweetie, Mommy is coming..." I feed, return to the car, climb in the back seat, look on the floor...NO RINGS. Yep...I had left the window open so that we could "talk" to one another and she CHUNKED them with all of her one-year-old might. I'm pretty sure I threw up right then and there. But, thankfully, Sergio brought a metal detector later and miraculously, I still have my wedding rings. *pausing, making sign of cross now*

OK, now back to this story... made the phone call asking Jack to ask Sergio if he still had the detector, as there was much detecting that needed to be done...yes! Still had the detector...pick it up at his house...go detecting...check! In the dark, the lovely little detector found Gracie's charm and necklace last night at about 8 PM. T.R.U.E. L.O.V.E. All is right with the world again.

As for this little stinker...he's doing better with his potty training, but ugh...I need sleep!


...and the rains are continuing...but we don't need any more...God, do you hear me?




Lexie is trying to brighten the gray clouds with sweet sugars...with her long, very sand-papery tongue...*ouch*

I was really hoping to upload the video of Grace and Sky singing in Chapel yesterday, but the file is just too big...if they update the school site, I'll post the link then. However, you can go here for a joke from Mr. Cullins, Gracie's school director. I don't know about you, but I can use all the help I can get in the humor department lately...*another big sigh*

Saddle-Up Saturday, v. 1-15-11

On the way to our lesson...thought this shot was cool. I was in the front passenger seat and she was sitting behind me in the back seat. I took this picture in my make-up mirror.

Bandit joined us for the lesson...Mrs. Lauren wanted to see him, as she was Santa's elf that took care of him before Christmas morning...

I wonder ALL the time how this beautiful creature could possibly be mine!?!

Preparing Frost for the lesson...

Mrs. Lauren & Bandit....

He loves those sugars!!!

"That's it?"

Both of our boys got some work today...here's Trashy...

Doing some balance work in the ditches...Trashy went along, too!

Here's Romeo with Miss Kacey...

Here's little Jack David enjoying the attention from all the ladies!

It's a puppy sandwich...courtesy of Gracie and Miss Milly!

Sharing the love...

Look at my boy jumping those jumps! Go Romeo!!!

Looks like we have another horse lolover on our hands!! JD is loving on Frostie!

Hay & horse treats after two great lessons! Thanks, Frost! See ya next week...