Friday, October 31, 2008

Trick or Treat

Here's a little project from last year, that I hope to fill with this year's Halloween memories. It was so much fun altering this album that I could not stop. I cut additional pages and chipboard accents, adding ribbons, brads, buttons, paper clips, and assorted pretty papers.

It's a definite treat!

Chipboard album- Magistical Memories.
Patterned papers-KI Memories.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Face Painting at the Fair

I never sign up to work the class booth at Kevin's school fair. This is what I do instead. I totally enjoy it, especially when the littlest ones see their face for the first time with a choo-choo train (or heart, flower, snake, pumpkin, etc.) colorfully drawn on their cheek. Kevin went with the fan favorites, a fleur-de-lis for the Saints and LSU in team colors.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Book Is Like A Garden

I seem to do most of my reading in the summer when there's more opportunity to sit back and relax. Our week at the beach usually affords me enough time to finish a couple of books. Then there are the almost daily trips to the fitness center. I workout while Kevin plays at Kidsport, then read while he swims. I read a lot this summer! Lately, not so much. But I plan to get on the reading kick again, and when I do, I'll have a cool little place to note what I read.


























This page was done for Lifetime Moments and is featured in the October 19th issue of their weekly newsletter. I may have gone a little overboard, but filling the pocket (cut from an old pair of children’s pants) was too much fun. It really does look like there’s a garden growing out of the pocket and trailing down the paper. And I LOVE that miniature library card stamp from Maya Road. This page will be a great addition to my Book of Me!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Ring Dance Shuffle

Brendan was pretty stoked when this girl asked him to her ring dance...and, thinking she was "prom material" , he reciprocated and asked her to his! It turned out that both dances were scheduled for the same night, but that didn't pose a problem to Brendan. Actually, it was like killing two birds with one stone! :)



And then along came hurricane Gustav. School was out of session for a week and the dances were pushed back as well, with Brother Martin on one night and Chapelle another.

TWO days to dress up, TWO dinners to attend, TWO corsages to buy! Bummer! :(

The boy is funny. I think he had had enough with one dance! LOL!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Fall Colors

I sometimes wish we would have fall colors like this, but I'm happy we don't have the cold weather that settles in after this seasonal display! These photos were taken almost 27 years ago in Philadelphia, while on a trip with Tommy and a one year old Laura. It was a great visit with Aunt Rita and Rosie, and my first time in the city. I was in awe of the color present in every landscape and snapped pictures in both the city and Pennsylvania countryside. The photos on this scrapbook page were taken in a cemetery, presumably one where the Fox relatives had been buried. I don't remember. But I DO remember Aunt Rita's scolding when I picked up a particularly beautiful leaf from the ground. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Don't ever take anything from a cemetery or you'll be sure to bring it back...sooner rather than later!" It was a funny superstition, but she would have died herself if I hadn't dropped it right there.
























Another pretty fall scene from a field trip to Red Bluff Farm:







Reunion!

It's been 35 years...since high school. I didn't have to do the math. I got a nice little postcard in the mail reminding me! Requesting my presence at a reunion. It was an interesting event, to say the least. A group of girls actually rented a PARTY BUS for the night! Not that there's anything wrong with renting a party bus. It really was a smart thing to do. Just saying... The more things change, the more they stay the same. :)

The ORIGINAL Pink Panthers
Mt. Carmel Class of 1973

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Great Outdoors

We had the most beautiful weather for our Cub Scout Pack's annual fall camp-out! Days were warm and slightly breezy, while nights had the perfect amount of chill to make the campfire and snuggly sleeping bags well appreciated. For the first time, Kevin and I slept out both nights!

Little Black Creek Campground, Lumberton, MS was our destination and the drive from home took almost 2 hours. We pulled into the camp ground just as the sun and temperatures were dipping. I hurriedly set up our new tent not far from the fire circle and set off for my dinner duty, browning Texas toast garlic bread over one of the BBQ pits. Spaghetti and meatballs rounded out the meal. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing by the fire and by 10PM a bored little boy was ready for bed. None of his Bear scout buddies were arriving until the next day so going to sleep seemed like the best way to hasten the arrival of morning. Tucked into his sleeping bag, he was soon asleep, but I couldn't figure out which was more comfortable, in or out, and spent most of the night alternating between the two. I missed my mattress and by morning, my back ached! A trip into town for Aleve was put on the day's agenda.

We did a little cheating before bed and in the morning by driving down to the restrooms in the van. Tee-hee! Well, hey...it's uncomfortable walking such a distance when you really have to go!

After a breakfast of donuts, milk and cereal, other campers, including Kevin's best friend, began arriving and filled in the rest of the campground with tents. Morning activities included sack races, egg toss, and tug-of-war. I'd swear those eggs were pre-boiled as they bounced and rolled around in the grass when the kids missed a toss. Lunch consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, cookies, and chips. Then, it was on to afternoon activities, which were both instructional and fun!

At the first station, the boys were taught elements of survival...what to pack for a wilderness adventure, using a compass and making a map, rope tying, shelter building, and how to make a sling for an injured camper using just sticks and a tarp. Another station taught them the basics of building a fire: the four necessary ingredients (tender, kindling, fuel, and oxygen), what to use to start a fire (matches, magnifying glass, or flint and steel), fire safety, and different fire construction methods. The third activity was canoing...always a favorite! Then they learned how to cook potatoes in the embers of a campfire by peeling, cutting, and wrapping them in foil. Yum! Since Kevin is not a big potato-eater, his leftovers became my afternoon snack. There's something extra tasty about potatoes cooked over a fire.

Saturday nights at the camp-out are always the best! First we enjoyed a dinner of salad, BBQ chicken, and potatoes with all the fixings. Then the kids separated into dens for a scavenger hunt in the dark. A pack tradition, one of the men dresses up in a bear/wolf/where-wolf suit and jumps out at the kids. They scream and carry on and run around like a pack of wolves themselves, even though they've been expecting it all evening. Finally it was time for s'mores, those roasted marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker goodies that can never be duplicated at home. No problem getting the kids to bed this evening...they were worn out!

Sunday morning was big breakfast day: pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits and grits. Then it was time to clean up the grounds, pack up the tents and gear and head on home. Yep...I was ready. I love the great outdoors, but am so ready to sleep in my own bed again!

A memorable quote:

Kevin (overheard while he and Christian were playing inside our tent): "Let's pretend like we're relaxing!"

LOL! Why pretend?! Isn't that what camp-outs are for?!