Happy VALENTINES DAY!!

"Love doesn't make the world go round.  Love is what makes the ride worthwhile"(author unknown).

I love this quote.

 Here is my girl.  Exhausted!

 School just wears her out!

 She was trying to be involved with the kids in their game, but seriously fell asleep with in seconds of kneeling down beside them.

 Hayden wanted to make sure I took a picture of the back of her too and then I noticed she had a Capri Sun straw wrapper stuck to the back of her shirt! Does that mean she's neglected?   

 This is Hayden.  He is reading the series the Grimm Sisters.  Her read all six books in about 4 days, and is begging for the 7th one.  They didn't have it at the library, so the poor boy might actually have to wait a week for the library to order it.  He just might die.  I actually had checked these out for Kara, but if Hayden sees a book he has not read he can't help but devour it!  He said he likes these because they are a really good mystery.  He also said I might have to read Kara the first one so she can get into it.  Kara wants a book to be exciting starting with the very first word.

 My funny girl Halle!  She came into my room with my nice camera around her neck and said, "Mom you look so funny, I've just got to get a picture of you!"  She then proceeded to take a picture of me.  I looked so funny so I deleted it.  Isn't it wonderful how you can just delete pictures you don't like!  She stayed home from school with me yesterday and it was so fun to have her!  I love listening to her sing and play.

 So I'm only adding these soup can pencil holders because they were so easy and because I've been saving my cans forever.  Brent was wondering if I was ever going to do anything with them.  Well I finally decided they would be a great Valentine pencil holder for all my teachers!  The kids painted the inside pink and the top edge pink and then we mod podged them.

 I'm not very crafty, but I still wish I had a craft room.  I think it's fun to make stuff out of recyclable material.  I think that's my mom coming through in me.  My thrifty side.  Definitely inherited from my moma!  Thanks mom for making me thrifty.  

 Then this morning I surprised everyone with these pancakes I found on pinterest.  I decided I better do something for Valentines after I had pinned about a million different ideas into my Valentine Board.  If I didn't that would mean all I had been doing on there is wasting time.  I don't wan't to be labeled a time waster.  These were so easy, and my kids thought they were some new recipe.  They scarfed them down.  Hayden said, "you better write that recipe down ."  It's the same recipe I always use, just with a little red food coloring for fun!  I guess the red dye adds a little zing to them or maybe it was the extra bit of love I added to them this morning.  I'm just hoping I'm not held to this new higher creative standard for all the coming holidays!!

 For me all these holidays can be so overwhelming.  Sometimes i just say to myself, "Im not doing anything for this holiday!"  Then about a day before I get these crazy ideas and try to do everything in a 12 hour period.  I guess that is how I keep my stress level low.  I trick myself into believing I'm not going to do anything, and then I change my mind at the last minute.  

 I was glad I made the pancakes because they were so easy and it made the kids so happy!  I didn't have time this morning to do those cute little heart ponies to the girls hair like I saw on pinterest, oh well!  We bought cheap store Valentines for all the kids in the class which my kids were so excited about!  They don't really think a homemade heart is that fun to give out!  Sponge Bob Valentines on the other hand are the bomb!  Actually I'm glad for that.  It actually is easier and I think in the end it is cheaper too(which is always a plus)!!!  We did make some Valentines for Hayden's teachers and some extra teachers that said, "Your out of this World!"  attached to a pack of Orbitz gum (another pinterest idea).  Kelton was like, "Mom the teachers here are not out of this World so you shouldn't say that."  I told him sometimes if you treat someone like they are great they just end up being great.  People a lot of times live up to the expectations you set for them.  I'm not sure he really believed me, but Kara did.  Kara said, "Yes I believed my teacher was great and she is turning out to be a great teacher!"  Love that Girl!

 Sleepy!

 School starts too early!

I am so grateful for LOVE!

Have a Lovely Day!!

MARDI GRAS PARADE 1

This was our first Mardi Gras Parade!

 Before the parade starts all these Vendors start walking down the street with their carts!  There were so many I started to wonder if they were the parade!

 The boys were actually playing keep away with a little ball in the street while they waited for the parade.  These 2 little old people gave them a bigger stuffed Mardi Gras ball, which was very nice of them.  Brent was joking around and said there's me and you when were old.  I have to admit I do see the resemblance.  Me in my hat and Brent in his wife beater!

 The Girls waiting for the parade!

 Me and Brent prepared at the parade with our sticks for grabbing beads so we don't have to get off our chairs and a big bag to collect our throw's!  I bet your wondering what throw's are, well if you haven't guessed it they are all the things that they throw off of the floats.

 The ice cream man Vendor.  His cart actually played music.  There were a few other ice cream carts.

 Brent giving me that look again!  He never knows what I'm talking about!

 More Vendors!  We were actually in Slidell, Louisiana.  It is rather close to our home.  There are tons of parades all up and down the coast.  They started the beginning of Feb. and will run every weekend until the end of February.  We were actually going to go to one in Gulfport but had to go to the bank in Slidell.  The bank took a lot longer than we anticipated and so ended up finding this parade!  SCORE!

 Yeah it is starting!  I'm not a big fan of parades, but I think I could get into these parades.  I'm used to crowded parades where they throw candy and your lucky if you actually find a tootsie role on the ground.  They pull out the big guns for these parades.  You'll see what I'm talking about when you get to the bottom of this post.

 POLICE!

 Da Marines!

 The Marines have a great band!

 Very Cool!  The Few The Proud The Marines.

 I usually don't take pictures of the parade, but just want to give y'all a little taste of the South!

 Here come the floats!

 It's weird how the trees all lose their leaves, but it's still so warm.  It looks cold out, but it's warm.

 Some dance group:)

 Louisianian's 

 Here's what I'm talk'n bout!  O.K. I'll stop with the Southern talk.  Sometimes I just can't help myself.

 Now were having fun!  So your suppose to say "Throw me something mister."  Then they throw you  trinkets like beads, stuffed animals, logoed cups, doubloons, food items called "Moon Pies" and more!!!

 Look at all the stuff we got and we didn't even have to tackle anyone for it!  They just through it right into the kids hands.

 Hey you might call it junk, but you know you would have paid good money for this junk at the carnival!

Plus I just filled my treasure box up for free and got some free throws for Halle's parade at the school!  

 I started this treasure box for Scouts, but it basically is filled with treasure box items my kids have gotten or carnival items I want to throw away, but instead I put them in my treasure box!  It was funny because I got the treasure box out for the Scouts and Halle and Kelton were both like "hey that's my toilet, that's my football, etc."  It reminded me of when the step sisters started tearing Cinderella's dress apart.  Any who I still think it's a good idea to reuse those treasures.  The kids get so excited about them!

 Mardi Gras is celebrated like Christmas here.  They put up trees and wreath's decorated in Purple, Gold, and Green.  At school they celebrate by eating King Cake.  Who ever gets the baby in the King Cake has to bring the King Cake next.  I would elaborate on the celebration but I'm short for time these days.

 I had some pretty happy kids!

 I think they made out!

As soon as the parade was over it started pouring down rain!  I have a big list of parades that are going on this months.  There are 4 in our area this coming Saturday so I think we'll try to hit as many as possible!

We also get 3 days off of school to celebrate Mardi Gras.