smarter than a 3rd grader?

Update:

Originally when we did the homework, Carly had the answer as 7. But the homework came home "corrected" with the answer marked as 15? I sent a note back to the school yesterday asking was that right? Because if it was, I needed a math lesson.

The teacher sent word back that the answer was 7, oops!

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This problem was on Carly's math homework from last night.

What do you think is the correct answer?

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4 more than a number is 11.

What is the number?

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The homework paper came home tonight with this problem corrected. I can't decide if it was "mis-corrected" or if I am making this harder than it is? I am the first to admit that my math skills are severely lacking. They are only slightly better than my spelling which is horrific.

take out photo challenge

Over at Take Out Photo, Marc's August Special challenged us to explore how we interact with photos and how they shape our perspective by experimenting with a "photo within a photo".

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2006 family vacation to Disney World

When I read about Marc's challenge, I immediately thought of these pictures. All those buildings and sky behind Kenny and Carly were a barrier that was up to "hide" the development of a new ride that was going on. It completely changed the look of the area. It looked like you were walking down a street in New York.

See what other's "photos inside photos" look like here.

wordless wednesday

at least someone noticed

On Fridays, I do not have therapy appointments scheduled. So, I do not go into the "office". This morning after I exercised, I took a shower, put on "bum-around" clothes, got Carly ready, and we headed to school complete with wet hair and no make-up. (hey, at least I didn't go in my pj's)

.

As we are driving and reviewing the parts of a plant, precious child pipes up from the back seat....

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"Hey Mom?"

.

"yes"

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"Are you going to work like that?"

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"No Precious, but thanks for noticing"

wordless wednesday

another man

8 days ago, another man came into my life. He has stormed into my house. He is taking up all my free time. He is disrupting my life. I don't want to do mundane tasks like laundry when he is in the house. I adjust my schedule to accommodate him. He is on my mind and in my conversations. I cheer for him and yell for him. I am excited for his accomplishments and feel like I am a part of the history he is making.

......

It doesn't bother me that I am sharing him with millions of others. In fact, it makes me smile that he is sweeping the world and making history. I enjoy hearing stories about him from what he likes to eat, what he listens to on his iPod, and about his family life. I held my breath in his close finishes and was amazed when he destroyed the field.

I'm just thankful I was there to watch him make history.

......

Is there another man in your life?

Is he disrupting your home life?

Do you cheer him on?

Do you feel like you are a part of history?

Michael Phelps

8 gold medals in one Olympics

most decorated athlete in history with 14 gold medals

16 total medals

I can't take you anywhere

Last night was Meet the Teacher at Carly's school.

I met up with a couple of friends and off we went. The meeting went well. I think I am going to like Mrs. M, Carly's new teacher. She is calm, easy going, and matter of fact. She is experienced and ready to hit the ground running. She expects a lot more independence and responsibility out of them than in 2nd grade. I look forward to getting to know her better as the year progresses.

Carly has a good mix in her class with many kids that we know from previous years. Her best friend made it back into her room. That made Carly excited.

One week down and besides being tired, I think all has gone well.

.....

When our individual meetings ended, we all started filtering back out to the lobby where lots of chatting began mostly about what we thought, insight from parents who had that teacher in a previous year, who managed to get roped into being room mother, yadda, yadda, yadda.

......

We decided we needed to go when the talking and laughing got loud. Before we got kicked out!

("You don't have to go home but you can't stay here").

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On the way out to the car, someone said "wow look at the moon" with much uh's and ah's. Then someone said "Kim Sue, you should have your camera to take a picture"

what? of course I have my camera.

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So what you are about to see is 5 grown women having too much fun in the school parking lot trying to take a picture of ourselves AND the moon.

.....

well, we got the moon

um.......nope

obviously, I was the only one ready

......

all of us, no moon, that's it, time for Sonic!

{almost} wordless wednesday

FABULOUS good mail from my sister, Kacey, at Doodlebugs.

THANK YOU, Kac!!

first day of third grade in pictures

{August 11, 2008}

{tolerating a picture with mom}

{1st-day basket full of red & yellow goodies for Carly's teacher}

{check out those super cute apple stickers from Doodlebugs Stationery}

{outside her classroom}

{Carly at her desk visiting with classmates as everyone tried to settle in}

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Promotion Sunday

Maples Memorial Methodist Church

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Carly along with the other rising 3rd graders were presented with Bibles during the morning Worship Service. They were all so serious standing in front of the church....so grown up. They were attentive to the preacher (John Sudduth) as he encouraged them to use their new Bibles at home, during Sunday School and during the Worship Service. He talked about the important responsibility of being a "bearer" of the word.

08-08-08

In honor of this special day in history,

8 creative outlets in my life.

• photography...I especially like architectural photography and black & whites. I really enjoy taking my camera and striking out. Those are only rare moments but treasured all the same.

{Verona, Italy 2008}

• scrapbooking...I wish, oh I wish, I had more time for this activity. When I see Carly's scrapbooks, I am really thankful that I put them together. I think they are a wonderful documentation of life.

• giving....I enjoy giving. When I am out shopping, I frequently think "she would really like this" or "this looks exactly like her". Recently, I have been working to increase the variety of my giving to include more nice words, thanks, praise, gifts of service, and sharing. I know how uplifting those gifts are when they are given to me.

  

{a back-to-school basket for Carly's new teacher - August 2007}

• correspondence...I love mail. I love to go out to the mailbox. It is a little bit like looking for treasure. Written letters are a rarity but I enjoy sending them as much as receiving them.

{Christmas cards 2007}

• organizing....Looking at a well organized place is so pleasing, even more enjoyable if it is my space and I did the organizing. I really do not like clutter and find joy in purging, whether it is junk mail, my magazine basket or the refrigerator.

• gardening...Previously would never have made a list of 8 creative outlets in my life, BUT this year I have grown a flower bed full of Gerber daisies which just happen to be my favorite flower. I think the fact that I have NEVER been able to successfully keep anything alive and the fact that they are my favorites helps!

{in my front flower bed - summer 2008}

• blogging....Documenting my life is a new outlet. I wish, oh how often I wish, that I had journaled earlier in my life. What a treasure it would be to have my own words and thoughts from high school, from college, from early married life, from the fog of early motherhood. But blogging is perfect for me. A media that allows me to use my photographs and words to record our life.

{self portraits - a whole new way to document our lives}

• kid's activities...Planning and participating in fun with Carly monopolizes most of my creative time which is the way it should be. Time is running out when she interested in art projects, cooking projects, outings with mom. I am taking advantage.

{working on back porch - summer 2008}

movie matinee

Carly and I are taking a couple of days to "ready" ourselves for school starting- haircut, uniform shopping, guitar purchase, clean out the closet, and...... going to a movie. We had been "saving" Kit Kittredge for our back-to-school days.

But obviously we waited too long because it was not showing on our local theater anymore. So, once again we drove into Memphis (just ignore the fact that gas is $4 a gallon).

Between the limited options and choosing the closest theater, we ended up at Ridgeway Four. Yep, a theater with only 4 screens. It was built in the 70's and was THE PLACE. It was modern and swanky...then.

Carly was really funny. She said "It looks like MamMam's movie" which is probably true although I haven't been there in many years). But I think the kicker is that neither has stadium seating. When we sat down, she said "I hope no one sits in front of me because I won't be able to see".

There were 15 people in the theater. 6 groups of people, each with a little girl about Carly's age, and I was the only mother. Obviously it is where grandmothers bring their children to the movie. Kind of sweet!

The movie was really good. Carly said she liked Kit because she was "intellectual", what? I don't think I have ever heard her use that word before. It also sparked a lot of conversation. I hope they make others about the other dolls, what a great way to bring history to life.

thank you

Last weekend, I was suffering through a stomach virus.

......

(yeah, YUCK...no need to talk about that anymore)

.......

at home by myself because I ran Kenny and Carly off to have a fun weekend with friends at Heber Springs. - really I didn't need them to hold my hand while I was YUCK. Who wants others to be around while they are being YUCK....no one.

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Kenny came in on Sunday and said "did you mow the yard?"

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Uh, no.

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I was feeling good that I had changed the germ infested sheets and Cloroxed the bathroom within an inch of its life.

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Someone mowed our yard?

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Really?

......

he wasn't kidding. someone mowed our yard.

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Well, I just want to say thank you, but I'm not sure who to tell? But whoever you are out there....YOU ROCK!

for when you become famous

Today's mission....to buy Carly a guitar.

This was no small task. We even gave ourselves the whole day to try and accomplish our mission (good thing!).

Carly and I strike out on our mission. First we go to the music store in our area, only to arrive and find it closed. Not closed as in "for lunch" but closed as in "for good". Heavy sigh, followed by, "I knew that it wasn't going to be that easy".

Carly and I head to Memphis. Not just Memphis, but Cordova, the suburb on the other side of Memphis. We stop at music shop #2. Mr. Guitar-man who was too cool to actually try and sale an 8 year old, whose mother is clueless, a guitar almost ended this mission in its tracks. Even after I tell the kid that I am not ready to invest $500 on a guitar, he still tries to convince me. I don't know if he thought I was going to give in or he just couldn't be bothered?

SO, Carly and I move further north to Bartlett. Whereas the previous guitar shop was probably more of a boutique shop and music shop #3 was probably more like a department store, it is not like I am looking for a Les Paul but rather a "starter" guitar for my 8 year old. But, in enters a VERY helpful salesman who is personable and seems like he cares that my child would like to learn to play guitar. He helps us choose the right "starter" guitar set that has all she needs to hit the ground running.

So, now Carly is the proud (and excited) owner of her very first guitar!

Lessons start next week -

let's see if she lasts long enough to graduate from the "starter" guitar.

July Reads

• Lost Lake by Phillip Margolin.....compelling who-done-it? Not the best by Margolin that I have read but I did love that I questioned who was telling the truth until the end.

• Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver......a thriller with a twisting plot and surprises. Kathryn Dance, kinesics expert and master interrogator, tries to get into the mind of a modern day Charles Manson. The kind I enjoy for easy reading and simple enjoyment.

• Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult..... 2nd book in as many months when the main character has amnesia and returns to a not so perfect world. This time she was torn between a fairy tale world and a harsh reality. How could she leave him? How could she not leave him? Love story with twists.

• Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (author of gods in Alabama) A good story with good characters....I liked the description on the back that said "it delivers the kind of sheer reading enjoyment that keeps bookworms up way past their bedtimes" :) Nonny, who tells the story, is right "between" a 2-family feud that has been brewing for generations. What do you do when your biological mom is from one family and your adoptive mother is from the other?

• Hold Tight by Harlan Coben....You know I love Harlan Coben. This one was full of mystery and suspense. There are multiple plots that finally wind themselves together in the end which to me makes it even harder to put down. I just want all the pieces to fall together. But, one of the overlying issues was the debate between a child's privacy and a parent's right to know?