hearts in my eyes!

Noah Baker ... the Summer-School-Kindergarten-Kid ... just picking flowers for his Mommy ... SIGH : )

           (PS ~ It's so hard to believe that we needed jackets this afternoon, in JULY!)

Summer!

Going through the end-of-the-year- backpack "stuff" ... this made me smile!

 I love it . . .

Flower girls helping Julie pick the right "tossing" flowers : D

Madeline: "OhmyOMG Mommy, I     am     SO  pretty!" 

Trying out her sweet-sweet dance moves . . .

Awww .... Julie looked like such a princess!

Getting all dolled up and ready to throw flowers!

Baker beating me @ Monopoly . . .

Uhm . . .

Preschool end of the school year musical ... POOR NOAH B!!!!! He had terrible stage fright :(

This picture is so sad! (Thankfully Grandpa and Grandma made it ALL better with Dairy Queen :)

Madeline makes me smile!

This just cracks me up, a random flower from the yard .... in a random little glass bottle (whatever I could find for water and a stem) ... labeled things like "WARNING!" and "TOXIC!" Hahaha! Sam makes my heart smile :).

Poor Sam .... we went QUITE a ways out of the way (remind us to NEVER take Finch Meadow Trail again, ever ever ever .... b/c it NEVER stops). He was super hot/muggy/tired...I totally understand! But it was still a little funny, I'm evil and documented it ;).

A                   L                    M                          O                  S                        T         there . . .

Mad - 7

NB - 5

Sam- 9

Cousins!!!!! Conner'ific and Baker .... awwwww!!!

SOME pictures speak for themselves!

Martin's + science + springtime

Experiment conducted with fellow 3rd-grade-friend Tyler on Friday.

"Strange Matter" consisting of:

*Dissected spider

*Sea salt

*Canola Oil

*Shampoo
*Vanilla lotion
*An ant
*Acid
*Garlic powder
*Blue food coloring
*Vinegar
*PAM spray

And .... of course .... come to find out .... 9-year-old: URINE.
             You know, strictly for DNA purposes.

A pocket full of 9 year-old necessities.

Uncle Danny & Madeline

Noah Baker, sunshine, coffee, milk & sidewalk chalk. Doesn't get any better than this!

 

I just love these Martin men!

Pounce!

Hannah Montana has NOTHING on this girl!

Madeline-6

Baker-5

Sam-9

Yummy ....

Pssssst .... Madeline ....

More Martin folk :)

Conner!!! (Well done Brian and Miranda .... he is SUPER cute!)

According to Noah, THIS is the perfect burrito. He made it himself, with his favorite ingredients. I'm not sure why I think this is so cute, but it just made me smile.

Romance Tips

"Sam Ferguson's Everything I know about Romance

       Tips (Series 1 of 5)"

First: Make an impression. Say that she is pretty and smart and all that stuff.

Second: You need to make sure she can rely on you. She can depend on you not to break her heart. And like you know, that you'll protect her and all that stuff.

Third: Be inquisitive. Be alert and funny, smart and also you need to remember to wear deodorant, shower every night, and wear cologne.

Fourth: ALWAYS open the door for her no matter what, and make sure. Now this is important, don't forget to write this one down, you HAVE to I mean H-A-V-E to make sure she is inside with the door shut, the light on, and looking out the window waving at you before you can drive away. You have to make sure she is safe and sound.

Fifth: Go out wearing cool stuff, not good clothes or church clothes, like cool stuff. A plain shirt, leather jacket, motorcycle boots, and a dirt bike.

Sixth: Take her to a romantic movie, or a movie that she picks, just pretend to like it.

Seventh: Take her to prom. And DO NOT step on her feet. Be an expert dancer.

Eighth: When you driver her home, listen to her girly music, open her car door, walk with her to her front house door, kiss her cheek and then leave.

The end!

brainwashed

as we left school last week-my son informed the principal, "I am a conservative Republican in favor of small government. . . because I want to WORK for a living."

A thousand little daggers just rammed themselves into my heart. Blasted brainwashing!!! 

I still have time for the younger two . . .;D

Madeline vs Mud

Mud here, mud there, mud-mud everywhere...
Well, as she stood there pondering whether or not she was getting in trouble for being stuck in the mud; (she eventually had to leave the boots and head for the hills w/one boot on & one boot off) she decided since I was taking a picture~she probably wasn't in trouble.



just a scout...

'Just a scout'

A typical afternoon, after school routines, Mommy getting milk out & rattling off snack choices, shoes are coming off, backpacks are unpacked, papers being sorted, jackets are being hung, gloves are finding their mates and put in the glove bucket...you get the picture. Sam goes upstairs to his room only to come barreling down in a huge hurry with a wild look in his eye. I mean a WILD look.

Sam: NOBODY PANIC! (Meanwhile his arms are outstretched as if stopping traffic).

Amy: Alright...not panicking. (Sorting through miscellaneous awesome projects and homework) What's up bud? Ohmygosh, N-O-A-H Baker, get OFF the counter *I* will get the peanut butter down! Sam....Sam?

Sam: (Has disappeared only to reappear with his rifle, you know, the Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time rifle from last Christmas? Yep that's the one).

Amy: (Gasps, and furrows her brow) SAMUEL! Put your gun away, what on earth are you doing? Is the safety on? What's going on? (Now he has Madeline & Noah's full attention)

Sam: (Putting on his safety goggles with movements of a man on a mission, retrieving his gun from it's extremely short-lived temporary housing against the wall). There-is-a-B-A-T in my room.

Amy: (Cocking my eyebrow, a BAT? Now Sam....)

Sam: Yes, Mommy you heard me, a B-A-T. And I hope he's hungry. . . . because he's about ready to have a mouth full of metal."

Amy: Sam, (trying not to giggle) what do you MEAN there is a "BAT" in your room?

Madeline and Noah (With eyes as big as cartoon eyes...standing as still as can be.)

Sam: (With one swift movement he charges upstairs, gun in hand, yelling some sort of battle cry. Which only encourages NoahBaker to run after him shouting, "Wait for me Sam! Wait for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Meanwhile Madeline, well she starts to cry. "Mommy, (gulping dramatically) is there really....a....a....a....BAT (crinkling her nose) in the boy's room?!"

Amy: Madeline, don't cry honey, I'm sure it's just a.....(stopping to think...hmmmm...what COULD it be? SURELY NOT).

Hollering up the stairs, "Samuel, you will NOT shoot a thing-wait just a second!" (Reaching for my phone, as it has either help or a camera...or BOTH available). Come on Mad, let's go check out what the heck the boys are looking at. We head upstairs....

Amy: (Reaching the top of the stairs, only to find Sam with his gun cocked and pointed towards the ceiling. Pointed towards a BAT! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!! Now, it's disturbing enough to find a spider or ant in my house, as they belong outside, not inside. But when you find an ANIMAL with creepy beady eyes HANGING upside down in your child's room. Uhm. It's NOT okay.) Sam, put your gun down. Wait till Daddy gets home, he will, uhm, catch it, or take care of it, or kill it or something.

Sam: (Looks at me indigently) No WAY! This is MY room and I am going to protect it, and my little brother. Mommy, there is a B-A-T hanging above Noah's bed. (Turning towards the bat, moving in closer gun in hand). I hope he's ready....ready to DIE!

Amy: (TRYING not to laugh, but equally freaked out. Because, oh I don't know, there is a freaking BAT in my house....shudder!!!!). Alright, come on. Everyone down stairs. I'm shutting the door, Daddy will be home in about an hour, there will be NO shooting the bat.

Sam: Are you kidding me?! Oh, there will be bat shooting alright. Mommy, seriously, THERE IS A BAT in my room. He has to die. The end.

Amy: (Now giggling, I can't stop)

Noah and Madeline: (Not quite sure if they should laugh or cry)

Amy: (Shutting the door to the boys room. Corralling them all back downstairs.)

*Now downstairs, a long explanation from Sam to the little kids about this bat is a scout, and we need to kill it b/c if we don't our house will be over run by bats, bat babies, a "bat colony will live in our attic".*

Sam: I am SO shooting that bat. I TOLD you I thought I heard a squeaking sound the other night! I am NEVER sleeping up there again. Well, I guess I will if I can sleep with my gun. COME ON Mommy, why can't I shoot it now?

Amy: You are NOT sleeping with your gun, did you seriously just ask me that? And NO, you cannot shoot it now. Sam listen to yourself, you're asking me to shoot your gun inside your room. No.

Sam (Bewildered look in his eyes). MOM, there is a B A T in my room. Like literally hanging upside down, in my R O O M.

Amy (giggling)

Sam: MOM, this is no laughing matter!

Amy: I know, I'm sorry. You still are not shooting it.

Sam: UGH!!!!

*Fast forward an hour*

Rob: Alright, so there's a bat in the boy's room?

Sam/Madeline/Noah/Amy: (All talking at once in a feverish pitch)

Rob: Laughing, reaches for Sam's BB gun.

Amy: Wait, what are you doing?

Rob: Shooting a bat.

Sam: No way! This is MY room, it is MY responsibility to protect my room, Daddy PAH-leeeeeeeeeeeeze let me be the one to kill it, I have to!

Amy: You're seriously going to shoot it?

Rob: Well, y-e-a-h. Any other suggestions?

Amy: (Laughing) Uhm. No?

*Everyone heads upstairs, and once up there, a flurry of excitement and debating on WHO can take the first shot, Sam or Rob. Much to Sam's dismay, Rob was to take the first shot, and then Sam could...uhm....finish him off.*

Sam: The WING, Daddy shoot him in the WING, do NOT kill him, it's my responsibility to kill him!

Amy: (Meanwhile looking around...why is there a bat up here. Maybe there ARE bats in the attic? Super. Shudder and eeeeeeeek!)

Rob: (Shoots the bat. And that damn thing-still hanging upside down, by the way. Makes a little squeaking sound and slowly spreads it's wings open. VERY slowly. Like super-scary-late-night-movie-slowly.

Amy/Madeline/Noah: (Mesmerized)

Sam: MY TURN!!!!

Rob: (Handing Sam the gun)

Sam: (One more shot. The bat falls down with a thud onto the rug-right by Noah Baker's bed. And then Sam proceeds to shoot it several times. In the head.)

Amy/Madeline: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Noah: Can I try?!

* So, in summary. Evidently there is an occasional BAT in the attic. And this time...the "scout" made it into the boys room. Sam, by God, took care of that. *

Ferg/John

The Missouri girl and the hot little Canadian will start campaigning soon..... 

VOTE 

*Ferg/John* 2012