Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Makings of a butterfly

Jon Kent and Zoey have both been learning about butterflies.  Each of their classes got several caterpillars and they have watched them grow and make chrysalis and finally turn into butterflies.  They both got to let theirs goes today at school.  They have really enjoyed watching it all happened and telling us every day what was going on with their butterflies.

In Zoey's class the teacher asked for us to make butterflies with our children using whatever we wanted.  Colors, scarp pieces of paper, etc.  So, while I was trying to go to sleep one night I was thinking about how we would do Zoey's butterfly.  I wanted her to be able to do the decorating and making it her own, but also wanted it to be something that didn't look like anyone else's and be something that she could be proud of.  So I brainstormed and came up with the following idea.  It's very easy to do and doesn't take long at all.

Cut out two identical butterfly shapes out of wax paper.

Get some crayons that you don't mind cutting up.

Take some scissors and shave the crayon.

Find a beautiful little girl to sprinkle the butterfly with the crayon shavings.



Get two dishtowels or any towels and place the butterfly (with both pieces of wax paper sandwiching the crayon shavings) underneath.

Get an iron (background mess is optional) and iron the top dishtowel making sure to iron the whole butterfly underneath.

Tada!!!

She was proud!

So was I!!




Monday, April 11, 2011

A week of YUCK.

Last week was Spring Break around here.  The kids and I packed up and went to Alabama for some R&R and some major spoiling.  My daddy and I went shopping (yes.. I was spoiled, too) for the whole day.  He was kind enough to buy Zoey most of her spring/summer clothes that she was in need of.  We had a good day just talking, shopping, eating and laughing.  While I was with my daddy the kids were fishing, playing at the park and getting to do a little shopping of their own (toy shopping that is).  My daddy and I got a lot of time to talk about things and sit out on his front porch and just enjoy the weather.  I tried to help him pick out paint colors, new furniture and new layout for his living room.  I am not sure how much help I was though.  I got to have lunch one day with my life long best friend.  It was good to catch up with her.  Nathan got to have a small "family" party while we were in town.  We just went out to eat a local steak house and had cupcakes.  He was thrilled though and loved the spotlight.  He got a open a few presents the main one being a new bike from my daddy.  Now Nathan has his very own bicycle.  He was pretty happy.  Sadly.. that's where all the happiness ends....

Wednesday morning (the day we had planned to come home) I get a call from Kent's grandmother telling me that Nathan was throwing up and had been for most of the night.  She said that he just fell asleep and would call me when he woke up.  So I get all my stuff packed up and loaded and tell my daddy good-bye.  I head over to get the kids and get their stuff loaded.  We day our good-byes and off we go.  I am hoping and praying that we would be able to make it home with little puking.  We get about 20 miles into Georgia and Nathan pukes.  I pull the car over and do as much damage control as I can.  I get us back on the road and we go for a little way and run into a traffic jam of some sort.  So I go off course and trying to go around it by taking some back roads.  About the time I am finding us back to the interstate Nate throws up again.  And Zoey and Jon Kent declare they are hungry. (How they could be hungry and witnessing their brother's vomit is still beyond me).  So I find a McDonld's and drive thru.  I get them some Happy Meals and tell them to hurry up and eat while I find us back to the interstate.. Nate throws up.  Clean him up.. get to a gas station to throw away some trash and wait for the older two to finish eating.  I get back on the road and we are finally on the interstate again.. Start heading home and mud flap (I think) goes flying in the road in front of me and I can't surve to miss it because I have cars on either side of me so I run over it.  Get on down the road a little bit and my tire pressure light goes off.  I take the next exit and get to a gas station.  Thankfully I was in a good area when all this happened.  I call Kent, crying (I had about all I could take by this point) and he tells me to call AAA.  I do.  They call in a wrecker place to change my tire (no, I don't know how to change a tire..)  I tell Kent that their is a Midas right up the road (all the wrecker service would do is change my tire to my spare and send me on my way).  So Kent tells me to air up the tire and head that way.  So I do.. praying the whole way that we just make it.  Thankfully.. we do.  Get there, tell the guys what's up and they immediately get my car lifted and check my tire.  Totally loss.  A nail or something went in the wall and out and ripped an unpatchable hole in my tire.  Great.  They say it will cost $125 to change it.  Lovely.  The guy then tells me they don't have any Good Year tires and wanted to make sure it was OK to sure another one.  I told him I didn't care what kind of tire he put on there as long as it got me back to South Carolina.  He laughed.  I didn't.  So while we were there Nate had to potty.  It wasn't pretty.  We'll leave it at that.  The guys get my tire fixed and we are on our way.  Nate tried to nap.. but woke up about every 15 minutes crying or throwing up.  By the time we got home (6 hours.. when it should have taken us 4) we were all done.  Nate recovered well though.  By Friday he was just about back to normal.  Sadly around 4:30 Saturday morning Zoey wakes me up throwing up in her bed.  It was just awesome.  She is still a little weak. but her fever is gone and she hadn't thrown up since Saturday.

I am hoping we are done with that mess.  It has been a full week of yuck.  I am hoping to get some cleaning and disinfecting done tomorrow.



PS: If you find any typos.. please send them to: Iamtootiredtocare@needmoresleep.com  Thanks!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday, Nathan!

12:50pm on April 7, 2008, I welcomed my last baby into the world.  Nathan Tyler was born weighing 8 pound and 3 ounces.  He had light brown hair and blue eyes.  He completed the O'ville family.

In three years Nathan has added so much to our family.  He is a fighter and a lover.  He loves to get dirty and play hard.  He looks up to his big brother and loves to annoy his big sister.  Nathan is stubborn and sweet.  Just when you think you have him figured out he goes and changes things up.




I am so thankful that God blessed us with him three years ago.

PS: I have no idea why the picture is sideways... just turn your head and take a gander at my now 3 year old. :)