Ballard Bunch

Last week was Walker's first soccer practice/game. It's every Saturday, and for the first 30 minutes, they do a practice session, then they "play" a game. This is for younger kids, and just getting them used to soccer and how to play. He really liked it...for the most part. He got upset during the game, the other team kept scoring. He is quite competitive (what? I don't know HOW that happened...), and so soccer didn't end very well. He was all set to go and give it another try this weekend(and get Chick-Fil-A if he held it together), but we were up all night doing breathing treatments, so today is not a great day for soccer. He has had allergy issues for 2 weeks, and this cough will not quit (or let him sleep!). Here are some pics from Week 1:

This game is great!! We played it once before with my dad and the kids really liked "helping" that night. We played again last night before the kids went to bed and we got to watch The Office (yeah!! fall shows are back!!!). My sisters were over, so there were 6 of us. I won't try to explain the whole thing, but it is super easy and the kids really got into it last night. Each person gets their own "train" and you play off of it. There are also instances were you can play on other people's trains, but I won't get into all that. The kids are great at it, because on our dominoes, each number is a different color. So, they can look at their train and see (for example) the 4 brown dots at the end of their train and look at their stash to see if they have a brown to match up to it. The kids are at such a fun age. We can explain rules and things to them, and they understand. We had so much fun playing last night, I just love family time.

I feel blessed... - that I have found a network of friends and comrads through blogging. I truly love getting glimpses into your families and learning things about you. - that I have my family close to me. They are always there when I need them, and I see them often. - that my kids get along so well. - that my husband and I can talk to each other about anything from the Cowboys defense to how to build (and keep) and savings account. We make a good team. - because I have healthy, active children. - because I have a list of people I could call if I needed them. - because my husband understands my need for a "night off" (otherwise known as Taco Casa night!!) Sometimes, when your overwhelmed, and you are having a CRAZY week- it's nice to stop and remember, I really do feel blessed...

Okay, do you ever slightly cringe when you hear that phrase? I usually inhale and then turn around to see what's about to go down. Well, it was another obstacle course. They took a bunch of pillows and placed them down the entryway and the steps into the living room. Not so bad, and I like seeing their creativity!! I think it was more fun putting it together, they spent about 15 minutes getting it set, and then went off to play dinosaurs.

Please come and peruse my new cooking blog, iCook ! I'm actually having trouble posting at the moment, so I have 2 posts that will be added as soon as the issues are fixed. I will be sharing my weekly menus, recipes, tips, and reviewing kitchen products. I am really excited to do this and hope we can all get some great ideas and recipes out of it. Also, I am please to report that on your profile you can only show the blogs that you choose. So, if random people click on my profile, Ballard Bunch will not be there, only iCook. I am very happy with this- that was my main concern with starting the other blog, was that nosy people (like me) would check my profile and start reading my family blog. I know it's still out there, but it is harder to find.

2 posts in one day??? Anyway, my favorite today is...BATH TIME! No naps for my kids anymore, I can barely get them to do some "rest time". SO, I really love bath time. This is why: - they love bath time, so it's always them asking me instead of me telling them to do it. - since they love it, they stay in there FOREVER. Which is good, I get a little break. Today, I baked a cake, made icing, got dinner ready to put in the oven, and even sat down for a minute!! Whoo-hoo! - if they just happen to get some water out of the tub and it's all over the floor, on the inside I really don't mind (even though on the outside, I have to remind them we want to be careful), because it's an easy way to mop the bathroom floor. So now my kids are clean and so is the bathroom. SCORE! I wanted to get a picture, so I told the kids, "Just look at me. You don't have to smile, I just want to see your face. Seriously, Walker. You don't have to smile, just look at me."...

First off, thanks to all the comments and suggestions on the blog situation. I really did want to hear your thoughts and I appreciate it. I even found out about some new people reading my blog that I did not know about!! That is always fun! So, thank you and for now this blog will remain public. Ok, so this week in Senora Ballard world, I heard some funny stories and just had to share. In one of my classes, we got to talking and never quite got to the Spanish lesson. I figure, hey, that is ok every once and a while. They really wanted to talk and tell me some things, and I think it is important to listen. A boy: Do you know what? After school, I have a dentist appointment, and if I do good I can go to McDonalds! A girl cutting him off: McDonalds clogs your heart. (she is oh-so-serious!) Same girl: Do you know something exciting is going to happen after my dog dies? My mom is going to take me to a pet store and I will get a kitty! Me: Oh, is your dog sick? girl: No, but he will die eve...

THAT is the question. I have been trying to decide whether to make my family blog private. For a few reasons: - I tend to over-share. I write alot, and probably give away more info than I should for something that is just OUT there for any crazy to read. I love Laura's blog, it is private and she really talks in depth about her children, family and crazy life. I also love Maggie's blog. She keeps it simple with her words and it's perfect for a public blog that anybody can read. They would never get too much info, which is a good thing. - I want to start a cooking blog that would be public and by going to my profile, anybody could see that I had a personal blog and look at it, too. Reasons I haven't done it yet: - I really don't want to keep anybody out, other than the aforementioned crazies that are possibly out there. I have some family that read my blog constantly (shout out to you, Deasha!!), but they don't have a blog account, and if my blog was private, my...

Part 1 The Living Room Before: No, it's not your eyesight, this picture is a little fuzzy. Those are bookcases over the brick hearth, my Granny had them filled to the brim with pictures. The carpet has already been ripped up. Now, we have bookcases on either end of the mantle, with a carpet square on the floor, inside of the couches. The rest of the living room is tile, as well as the dining room and kitchen. Full view of the living room, from the entryway Before: Looking in the living room from the dining room During: The paneling has been removed from the walls After: Before: Entryway After: The ceiling Before: Wood beams made squares on the ceiling During: Beams taken down and we tried to just sand down the popcorn effect on the ceiling. After: The sanding ended up looking horribly uneven, so we covered the entire ceiling with wood flooring. Then we made the big beams that go vertically. It's beautiful now, and we love it, but it was one of things that didn't even go CL...

#1: I have always loved lists. Always made lists, always loved checking things off my list. One Saturday a few weeks ago, Walker and Lucy were asking me what we were doing that day and I thought to myself, I really need to make a list because there were several items I wanted to get done. And then, from somewhere an idea popped in my head. A checklist for all of us! So I made a checklist with words and pictures and boxes for the kids to check off the items as we finished them. It was a hit! Today, I knew we were going to be home all day (Fridays are our days home together), so I made another checklist. I try to add fun stuff with real "to-do" items. Our checklist for today (there is a backside as well) The kids with their lists and markers for checking off our items Monkey Munch (that is what we made together- #3 on the list) I wanted to ask the kids about the checklist to see what they thought. Me: Why do you like the checklist? W: Because we do stuff like outside stuff and...

I moved all the dining room chairs and barstools onto the living room carpet square, so it was easier to sweep the rest of the living and dining room, which is tile. The kids thought it was so "cool" (just because it was different), so they took up residence underneath a barstool. They brought some books and some "friends" (stuffed animals) and hung out down there for about 30 minutes!!

One Last Time: Swimming at Gran's First Time Ever: Lucy jumped off the diving board Go Girl!!! Fun Labor Day: Swimming with cousins! This is Lucy's "about to go underwater" face First day of Preschool!! Drop off went great. They both were excited and went right in and started playing. I hope you have a great year, lovies!!!