Back to School

 I can't believe the summer is gone!  Matthew is officially a kindergartener and life will never be the same.  Here is his backpack and all his school supplies.  The backpack is big on him, but his dad gave it to him and that's that.  They went together to get the name sewn up for it.

 Tuesday was Back to School Night.  I had to work it and sign up kids for Afterschool.  Here is the angry photo.  We've had to take angry and silly photos since San Diego!

 And the normal photo.

 Entering his kindergarten room. 

 Meeting Mrs. Tiffany, his teacher.  He will have an excellent year in her room.  She's a wonderful teacher.

 His name on the window.

 And here is his seat.  He's in the back because he's tall!  And no, he didn't think this photo was neccessary.

 When we went in to his room at Back to School night, his teacher gave us a bag of "Ready Confetti."  It had a cute poem with it about how it's magic confetti and would help him get a good nights sleep.

 He loved it!  He shared enough for everyone in the house to have 1 or 2 pieces under their pillows too.

 First day of kindergarten.  He was so excited to get there.

I didn't realize that Matthew couldn't go in the room, so he got to put his bag away with me there and then he had to go sit in the hall.  I felt horrible he had to sit there for 15 mins, but today he wanted to ride with Mamaw to school, so he could be the first there sitting in the hall.  He was disappointed that Dax beat him.  Boys, who knows what they will enjoy, at least of a little while. 

I love this drawing he did yesterday!  He met a new friend named Joshua.  He announced he was his best friend.  Phil told him to slow the roll on deciding best friends and Matthew said Joshua asked if he could be his best friend, so he said sure and now he is.  We'll see in a month.


I may not have mentioned this before but my Mom retired at the end of school last year.  While I was on vacation in California, she was asked to come back and teach Title 1.  She agreed, as her heart belongs to Title 1.  There has been none of the stress and late hours of the last two years in 2nd grade.

My school year has not started as tranquilly as Matthew and Mom's, but it's been ok.  There has been alot of loose ends and questions that are starting to be tied up.  I will be working in the middle school this year for an hour.  I'm surprised I didn't turn white yesterday when I found out, it was not a welcome discovery.  But I'm sure that it will go much better then I'm scared it will.  I'll gain some experience and maybe come to like working with that age group as well.  For sure all grades will come to know me this year.  It has been fun to have so many kids greeting me and hugs from quite a few.

"Let's do a project!"

It has become a Saturday morning ritual to get up at 7am, watch cartoons and eat breakfast, and by 9am comes the demand/plea, "Mom, lets do a project!" It is something we do together. This is the one we did this morning. It's our "house" and Mamaw, Poppa, me, and Matthew from left to right. We are playing hide and seek.

Back in February, the ASP kids made valentine hearts out of coffee filters, that they colored with markers and misted with water to "tie dye" them. There was a huge pile that didn't get claimed, so I took them home to use for something.

Before Easter, Matthew and I used them to make Easter eggs for our Easter pictures. In this one it's sprinkling, in case you wondered what the line with drops at the bottom are. I've grown to really love collaborating with Matthew on Saturday mornings.

Where in the world do I begin?

In the last 10 days I've amassed 140 photos, and there is alot of them that I think are humdingers and share worthy. So stay tuned as I try and post them in logical manners. Tonight's selection, I've decided, will focus on the Bug. Get ready, they are coming!

While we wait for them to load, let's talk for a moment about where I've been. Well I'll tell you, in January, I got what I believe was a sinus infection which caused mass amounts of mucus coming out and down the back of my throat. That lead to me losing my voice by the end of the day and coughing alot trying to get the mucus out of my throat. After fighting it for at least 2 weeks, my husband bullied me into going to the doctor and she ruled it an upper respiratory infection. I was ordered to 2 days of bed rest. I made it one, and only because I threw up after I got home, I coughed so much. All of this caused me to be very tired and melancholy. I really didn't want to talk to anyone or do anything but sleep. Then I discovered that my pants no longer fit so well due to increased waist measurements. So February has been watching what I eat, crunches, and a new gym membership and our storage unit being broken into. (We think all the took was the propane tank for the grill. They left the grill.) It has also brought better health and spirits, along with a busier schedule and an early bedtime for Matthew. Dad and I finally realized that Matthew was exhausted and needed more sleep! That's equaled less computer opportunities and a happier kid. Hopefully, I will make more time to blog as I miss it. I'm sure Phil misses photos of his family too.

Fallen tree in our woods. The last 2 weeks we've spent alot of time outside exploring. I'm so thankful we have the space to explore.

Low water bridge crossing by our house.

We've become pickers! While on the trail we noticed a little dump site and it had this adorable table in it. Yeah, we "picked" it.

Last weekend Matthew was invited to an ice skating birthday party. Pretty cool stuff!

But he just can't stay up on skates!


Eating pizza.

And birthday cupcakes. The 2 girls on his left he's gone to school with his whole life and counts as best friends. The 2 boys on his right he's gone to school with just this year and are his best boy friends.

Momma kisses are the best. This one he insisted he wear to school.

While on a new section of the trail, Mamaw found the perfect grapevine to swing on.

Lucky for him, his didn't break like the one she selected for me when I was a kid. My granddad and his brother used to swing on them all the time.

Comfy with the picked table today. It was so warm and nice, we didn't need coats. Dad and I watched him play outside the better part of the afternoon.

While I was at the gym tonight, Matthew drew this awesome picture. He is so creative when he wants to be.

And here is a rare photo of him with me taken yesterday on the trail. *photo by Mamaw


Coming soon: nature shots, things found growing on or attached to trees, and animals or their parts.

Thanksgiving break wrap-up

All of us at About a Bug hope you had a truly happy Thanksgiving and counted your many blessings.

Our family, minus Phil who had to stay in TX and plus Angela, met at a local buffet for Thanksgiving lunch. That's my Mom's joy, no cooking and no dishes. I prepared a small feast for the evening meal. Our dessert was building our own turkeys. I know that a cooking magazine put out the official recipe, but I've took it and ran with stuff I could find and had on hand.

I convinced Mom to go on the trail with me and the dogs Friday.

We went again Sunday and it was a little chilly, but so beautiful.


Friday Auntie arrived and gave some new clothes. Here he is posing in some new duds, Saturday, before we went to meet some friends for the day.

On Thanksgiving day Angela and I went on the trail and were blessed to get within 10-15 ft of this lovely doe eating acorns. It was amazing.

Monday, it was hard to get out the door, back in the swing of it. Not long after I arrived at work, we got a call that Grandmom fell and they were x-raying her hip. I took most of the afternoon off to help Mom to an out of town hospital to set up the arrangements for Grandmom's surgery. She did indeed break it and will need the ball replaced.

Late fall activites

This is a boy's dream come true and a mom's nightmare.

My best friend's boy is 2 weeks to the day older then Matthew, yet mine is so much taller! Cracks me up!

Art work he was so proud of, he gave it to the preschool.

And he now looks like his artwork!

Mr. Mugwort Pumpkin

We decided that we better carve our pumpkin tonight. Tomorrow will be pretty busy for us. So I asked him to draw me a face to carve. This is what he drew.

Here he is, a mugwort pumpkin.

Happy Halloween!

Momma Brag Day

It's been a long time since I showed Matthew's art off, so I decided it was high time I did. He's done some cool stuff at school and home. Above: school, fall trees

Home: Columbus, moveable

School: I love the squirrel he drew!

Home: scarecrow project

Home: Columbus

Home: fall items-I love the colors he uses

School: L work, very very colorful

School: H work

Home: watercolor


As I was going through the stacks of Matthew's artwork, I realized something about myself. An old friend of mine told me once that I never give myself enough credit and I realized, she is right. I feel bad about myself sometimes for not being stylish enough, pretty enough, a good enough mom, driving an expensive car, having a high powered enough career, enough college degrees. And it's all for not, because I am enough. I work and pay my own bills-I don't need anyone else to do it for me, I make a difference in many lives-including my son's, I could drive expensive cars and wear designer labels-but I have my priorities in line, I AM a good mom-except for when I'm at work and he is at preschool I raise him and make him the priority, my career many not be high powered but it's growing and has some special things thrown in like being published, I have plenty of education-I don't have to pose or brag. And that is true Momma bragging.