Talented Kids

If any of you are wondering what I teach at school, Senior English has to be my favorite class. I assign projects every time we get done with a period of English literature. They get the choice of doing one of three projects but the best are always the videos. They must recreate the story with complete accuracy but also with creativity and originality. The videos this year have been some of the best so I thought I would let you all get to see them. The student that does most of the work on these wants to do this for a living some day. If you are not familiar with the stories of Beowulf and Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale, it may not make sense but they are still enjoyable. I hope you like them! If you do, leave me some comments so I can pass them on to these talented kids.

The website is www.youtube.com/poypeeproductions

Yeah, Southeastern!!

Last Friday, we had a pep rally at our school for Homecoming. It was exciting but I have to say that the most exciting thing for all of us was that the state department of education was there to present the entire district with a banner stating that our entire district was rated as excellent, the highest rating. This has many points we have to earn with OGT scores, attendance, graduation rate, etc. This is quite a feat for us considering that 26% of our students are special ed and we have 60% of our students on free and reduced lunches! We ALL have worked hard for this and I thought it needed more recognition than just our school's web page. The students that are holding our banner are some of our brightest and best. All of them just happen to be involved in the performing arts! Coinsidence? I think not!HA!

I'm terrible

Goodness gracious! I can't believe I've only had one posting this month! I'm terrible. Let me fill all of you in on what has been going on around here. Morgan is doing well with volleyball and has been asked to start practicing with the varsity team for next year! However, her knee is giving her problems again and she is off to see the doctor on October 10th. Do you think it has anything to do with her growing almost 2 inches in three months??? Grace had another soccer game this morning and they won 4-0. Her team is undefeated. Grace is a mid-fielder and loves every minute of it. The picture is of CJ at one of her games. Stella has been having a great time at school and is already writing her name and can write and recognize the letter B now. She told me this morning that Aaron was her boyfriend (the son of a couple I teach with and is in her class) and that he was coming to pick her up this evening! I asked her how he was going to do this since he could not drive. She matter-of-factly told me, "Well, his mother can drive can't she?". Man, I can't wait until she hits 13! CJ has been spending his days with Mamaw, going on walks and running around Chillicothe. He also gets drug to everything including my play practices. I hope you can see why I may not have had a posting in a while. Oh well! They're only young once! I'll have plenty of time to rest when I'm old.

Swing Your Partner Round and Round

Last Saturday was the annual Labor Day Weekend Barn Dance that my in-laws host. It is a wonderful time for the community (all those fair folks) to get together one last time, eat, dance, and just have a good, old-fashioned time. Van and I used to dance all night long before all the kids but now we just sit and watch them dance and laugh. Unfortunately, my father-in-law informed us that it would be the last Barn Dance held because of the cost and fewer numbers. For more than 30 years families have been dancing in that barn. It has seen generation after generation come and go and it has remained a constant fixture to everyone's Labor Day Weekend. It brings tears to my eyes to think that is over. But, I guess things can't be the same forever and all good things come to an end. We will miss it though. The pictures I posted are of Dad and CJ at the dance and CJ cutting a rug on the floor. He was hilarious in his hat. The last picture is of deer heads that all of Van's friends hung on an old barn of ours. They got their story and picture in a hunting and fishing magazine and they took their picture in front of all those deer. Believe it or not, all but 2 of those deer were killed on our farm! There were about 40 deer in all, killed over a span of 15 years. I'm not that much into the hunting thing but it even impressed me!

Hi, Ho- Hi, Ho- It's Back to School We Go

I haven't posted anything for 2 weeks so I thought I should for all of you who check it often. School has kept everyone very busy. My classes are huge! People need to stop having so many kids- Geez! These people with 3 and 4 kids! HA! My classes seem like they are going to be good ones. I have only 8 preps this year instead of the 9 I had last year. I am teaching OGT Reading, OGT Writing, Advanced English 12, English 12, Speech, Drama, Film Appreciation, and Senior Seminar. Whew! I also have the play beginning. We are doing "It's a Wonderful Life" which I am really excited about but also scared about because of the large cast and difficult set. Morgan has her first game of volleyball tonight at Piketon and Grace begins soccer on Wednesday. Mom is coming everyday to watch CJ which I am thrilled about and Stella begins preschool next Tuesday. I need a sign above my back door that says "Welcome to the Chaos"!

Ross County Fair 2008

Another fair has come and gone and I survived thanks to Van and my family. CJ did well the first few days but then his molars began coming through and he just wanted to go home. Every year gets a little easier and I am looking forward to the year when I don't have any babies at the fair! Everyone did really well. Morgan got 2nd with her pig and 10th in showmanship. She also received Outstanding Honorable Mention with her Scrapbooking. Kristen had a great year too. She got fifth with her hog and 2nd in Showmanship (dang it!) and also won Master Modeling. She got $3.00 a pound for her pig. I thought it was appropriate that Budweiser (sp?) bought it (just kidding Mom!) Stella and Grace had a great time riding the rides and eating. We all had a great time with Ross and Amy when they came up. The weather was unbelievable. It will be a while before we have weather like that again. Well, now it is back to school. BOOOO! This will be my 9th year teaching- hard to believe I know. Oh well- another year started and it will be over before we know it!

Stop Stella!

Well, the fair has started once again and it has been great so far. CJ has been amazingly quiet (knock on wood) and the weather has been great. The next two days are going to hot ones (for the hog show of course) but the end of the week is going to be great. The video is of Stella and the stick horse race. She is the one in the rainbow shirt who tries to run the race by herself at first. She didn't win but she had a great time. The pictures are of some precious moments over the last 3 days. I hope the kids hold up... heck, I hope Van and I hold up!

Plaaaaay Baaaaall!

Last night Kristen got to throw out the first pitch at the Paint's game. I thought she did well for a girl in a dress! We stayed for a while but CJ doesn't seem to want to sit down.....I mean never. The fair might be interesting. Any ideas from anyone about how to get him to sit still at the hog shows?

PAARRTY!

It seems since everyone of the kids' birthdays are in the summer, all we have been doing is partying between bouts of infectious diseases! Morgan had her big 13th birthday Friday night. She had about 10 girls stay the night and I can honestly say they were wonderful. I stayed up until about 3 am checking on them and CJ slept right through it. Van slept in the camper(I don't blame him) and Grace and Stella went to Mamaw's. The girls stayed up all night watching movies, doing manicures and pedicures and eating me out of house and home! Morgan had a blast. The next step? She will get her ears pierced at the fair like her mother and her aunts before her!

A Day on the Lake

Van took Grace and Stella to Lake White yesterday while Morgan, CJ and I stayed home to work on 4-H projects. That's what we get for waiting until the last minute I guess! Van went with his cousin Matt and his two girls Abby and Ashton. They are the same age as Grace and Stella and they have the best time together! Stella and Ashton butt heads sometimes but that is because they are so much alike! They will have a blast at the fair I'm sure as we camp right next to each other. The fair is fast approaching and Morgan and I have been working hard on her scrapbooking and cooking projects. My house has gone by the wayside however. I'll be glad to get this over with. Next year, two kids in 4-H!!

COOL NEW SITE

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

God Bless America!

I was thinking today about just what Independence Day means and trying to explain it to the younger ones. Stella didn't quite grasp the concept. Van and I were watching the news and every story was about the higher gas prices and the economy. Ross wrote on his blog that everything was getting pretty scary and it sort of is I guess. Our grocery bill has gone up 40% over the last 6 months and our gas for the van and the truck is getting outrageous. But then Grace said something that really made me think. She had learned about Uganda in VBS and the conditions they live in there and was telling us about them. She explained how lucky we are to live here with our nice houses, cars, cells phones and indoor toilets. I thought about how other people have to hide to worship God and to speak their minds. When I think about this, I guess I don't have too much to complain about after all! I found this picture that Morgan took and thought it was fitting for today! God Bless America (but it would help if He could bring gas prices down! HA!)!

Happy Birthday CJ!!!

CJ had a blast at his first birthday party as you can see! I know the cake looks homemade (which it is) but it's the thought that counts right? He wasn't too sure about all the icing on his hands and got mad about it after a while but he ate the whole piece of cake! He got a lot of nice clothes, which he needs as I have no leftover clothes for him like I do the girls, and a swing for the swing set! I can't believe it! No more babies at the Jones home. It is hard to believe.

Pigs and Pox

Last night, we went over to walk the pigs. For those of you not familiar with 4-H, Morgan takes a market hog to the Ross County Fair in August. Every night, we go over and walk them to build up their muscle, hopefully leading to a high placement in her class. However, she hates doing this and complains almost every night. I can remember doing this myself when Ross and I walked the pigs! She and I are so alike it's scary. I also took some video of CJ walking. As you can tell, he really listens to me when I say no. His big day is coming up soon and the pictures will be something to remember! And yes, he had a lot of Benadryl in his system when I took this picture. Got to love that stuff!

Day 3 of the Pox

As you can see, CJ is much worse. I had to take him to the Pediatric Urgent Care today because his eye was swollen. They gave him some antibiotics to take care of any infection that may be creeping up. He slept last night but I have a feeling tonight may be different. The doctor assured me that this would be the worst day and the healing would begin over the next few days. We have not been able to go anywhere so the girls are about to lose their minds but as soon as his blisters have scabs, we can go out again! Here's hoping for our independence from the house on Independence Day!

Day 2 of the Pox

I don't think these pictures do justice to how badly CJ's blisters are but he is much worse today. He has the most on his face and diaper area and we didn't get much sleep last night. He would sleep for 15 minutes and then whine and roll around on Van and I for 30. I feel so sorry for him because I can't explain to him what is happening. Keep us in your prayers.

A Pox Upon You!

Well, a week before CJ's first birthday and his doctor's appointment to get his chicken pox vaccine, he gets the chicken pox! The blisters are popping out all over but he is just now getting a little itchy and cranky. I took these pictures today of him but we find new spots every minute it seems. For those of you who don't know, Van had shingles two weeks ago and we thought we were careful not to let him even touch CJ but it doesn't look like it mattered. Pray for us!

Where's the Beef?

Early this morning, we went with my father and mother-in-law to pick up the beef my father-in-law graciously had butchered for us. As you can see, we have a freezer full! We are so thankful for this as it will save us so much money at the store. With 4 kids, you can imagine what our bill is like each week. We will need this 1/2 a cow to feed CJ! Last week, when we went camping, he ate a NY strip steak entirely by himself! I am not kidding! We may have to take out a loan to feed him when he becomes a teenager!

A busy day at the Jones place

Friday was a crazy day around here as Morgan had to be a t 4-H camp in Tar Hollow at the same time that Stella and Grace had to be at Vacation Bible School. Luckily, it rained so Van was able to come with me to carry the extra large heavy bag up the huge hill and Aunt Lora was able to take Stella and Grace. We got Morgan all settled in and she was in a cabin with some of her good friends so she wanted us to leave quickly, of course. Later that night, the church had a program for all the parents and Van and I were in for a treat. Stella got to go up on stage with all the big kids because her favorite teacher, Mrs. Tammy, asked her to. You can imagine her excitement. Grace, who loves the stage, knew all the lyrics and hand motions. It was great but the most important thing was that they both learned a lot about the Lord!

A ride with dad

Van took CJ on the bulldozer for the first time tonight. CJ is in love with anything that is a machine especially tractors. I think he began making his "tractor noise" at age 9 months! You can tell by the picture that Van is tickled with CJ's love of machinery. I think CJ is well on his way to farming like the 5 Carmis before him!

the park part two!

Some more pictures from the park.

A day at the park

Because it has been so chilly here in Ohio, we have not gone swimming therefore leading to my children driving each other crazy in the house. So, I decided today we would go to Yoctangee Park for a little fun. It was about 75 degrees and breezy- a perfect day for the park. We went on the swings, the slides, and there was a car to drive that CJ loved. After that, we went to see the ducks. Always a crowd favorite. We got a chance to see one of the swans. They are spectacular creatures. Anyway, the kids had fun and my sanity was saved. Afterwards, we went to DQ for some ice cream! Not great if you are trying to loose those last few baby pounds, but you only live once right?

The start of something wonderful?

After reading Ross and Amy's blog forever, it dawned on me that when you have family and friends who aren't living near you, a blog is a great way to keep them informed. So, as if I had nothing else to do, I decided to begin this blog to keep our family and friends up-to-date on what is going on in our crazy corner of the world! More to come!