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A Seventh Grader's Memoirs

Here is Layni's 7th Grade Memoirs...the embedded one below is subpar in my opinion. Shame on ScrapBlog for that!!

I'd click here; http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/vw_full.aspx?sbid=1829870 and in the bottom right corner, slide the sliderbar from the rabbit to the hare...and you'll be all set.

Coco Brushed Her Teeth

Here's what happens when Coco tries to brush her OWN teeth!

I Dare you to EAT one!!

This just made me laugh. Thought I'd share!!

Layni Finally Wins!

We went to an auction last night....and as soon as we walked in....she spied it....it's an antique solid oak piano, dated 1875...and still works like a charm! It's gorgeous...and she's in LOVE!

I'm depressed....

I got stuck in Hobby Lobby yesterday. Literally stuck. There was one whole aisle of beach house decor...ranging from trinkets to very beautiful dishes made to resemble sea shells.

Why did I get stuck? First, because for 14 years I gravitated to beach decor wherever it was, because I was always looking for something new to take to the beach house. It was exciting to bring what I had found to the beach the next weekend and I would lovingly place each new item in the house. I loved to create visual interludes as my eye would survey my domain.

I can't do this anymore.

I am still SO drawn to the beach theme itself. I think it's ingrained. I can't stop.

But what was so heart wrenching was reliving again that awful pang of loss for what I once had...what my family once had, but meant more to me that what I can even express in words. I was stuck in that store aisle, because I wanted to walk away...from the aisle, from the memories, but at the same time, wanted to stay there even more...to remember... to long for what I could only claim now in my memories.

So I stayed...way to long. I thought about every inch of my city house and thought how silly these same trinkets would look if I purchased them and scattered them about.

So, I'm sure each time I see items that represent the beach, I'll have that retching pain, but perhaps with time, that pain will lessen. The memories will never fade, but I'll be able to move on...down the aisle, and not grieve, but reminisce fondly...

Balloon Artist in the Making

Who knew! The love of balloon animals has been ignited! I have to say that I am somewhat impressed, because I know exactly how much coordination it takes to blow up those dad-gum balloons, let alone twist them into something....

Model in the Making

One child, one camera...one video.

Crystal Beach Mardi Gras 09

TCEA...Playing with tools

Farewell to Alaska Malawi

Yesterday was a sad day...Alaska Malawi, my parent's dog brought from Africa in 2000, escaped from my parent's upstairs deck in Crystal Beach, and made it to the highway, where he met his death.

My children will miss him terribly, however, my parents I'm sure are devastated. He was the subject of several children's books written by my mother, whose proceeds were sent to support the orphanages in Malawi, Africa.

This image is just our tribute to him.

Job Security

I went to the dentist twice in the last two weeks...once for a chipped molar (probably due to chewing all that ICE!) and the other time to fill two cavities.

My dentist has been my dentist for a long time...and each time I go and spend TONS of money on dental work, I marvel at what he has at his checkout counter.

This week I decided to snap a picture with my camera phone. I have removed identifying information to protect the innocent!

928 Clara - Post Ike

Lot cleared of debris....ready to rebuild...maybe someday...

Wow...I'm Gonna Be Famous!!

Blogging about all the antics my kids (and my husband) go through for the last two years has really been rewarding...the kids love going back and re-experiencing all the good things... and some of the bad things we've experienced over these two years that Itsashambles has been in existance.

However....a couple of weeks ago, I submitted two of my videos...Coco Climbs the Ladder, and Dad's Version of Mom's Birthday to KHOU in Houston, to potentially be played on air as part of Great Day Houston....(both of these videos are posted on this site)

And lo and behold, both of them were selected. Tonight, I'm attending the taping of that show, and may be interviewed by Sam Malone...(big deal in Houston, not so much anywhere else I don't think).

So, in essence, my kids, my family and myself...live on...through the power of video, and the power of community. It's been a great experience!

The Polar Bear Club

What happens to children when they grow up at the beach? They become immune to water temperature. That's my theory anyway!! 

And now that Hurricane Ike has taken away each weekend trip to 

the beach, one's gotta make due...with the water one can find...and with the outside temperature around 60 degrees, you can imagine how COLD the water is. 

In this first picture you can see the personality and conviction in regards to what they're about to do. Chase is ready and willing, and Ashlynn is willing if Chase is, and Connor SAYS he's willing....but is he really??

And Kylee's face shows it all...the ANGUISH of jumping in the FREEZING water!

Precocious? You decide!

This video was taken during a family gathering this past Christmas. Have fun watching....and hopefully commenting!

Tyler...We Miss YOU!!

DSC_0078
Originally uploaded by nibbuccms.

Almost everyone was in one place this weekend, except our hard working Tyler, who was busily waiting tables and earning money.

This pic will have to stand for the Christmas picture this year, and as you can probably tell by the look on some of our faces, by the time this picture had been taken, several of us were really tired...Chase and Kiki to name a few!

Tyler, usually we try to Photoshop you in, but unfortunately, i don't think I have a recent picture...(get the hint??) Come by more often!!

It's SNOWING!

I love blogging with my mobile phone...especially since I've really deemed myself a "multimedia blogger"...I'd much rather tell the story I have to tell in pictures and videos. Aren't pictures worth a 1000 words??

Today, I posted two images from my mobile phone on my way to different schools as part of my job. I noted the temperature each and every trip...and there were quite a few of them today.

6:30 AM - 39 degrees

8:30 AM - 34 degrees

10:15 AM - 36 degrees

11:30 AM - 37 degrees where it stayed for quite a long time...

4:30 PM - I went outside to go home with Ashlynn in tow, and she began screaming..."it's SNOWING!!!" over and over and over.

As we got in the car, and took the picture of the flakes on the windshield, we talked about the fact that the temperature was not cold enough to make the snow stay...and that we would need the numbers on the thermometer to be at least 32 degrees...

All the way home as the temperature gauge in the car would decrease a degree,  ( we started at 41 degrees from sitting in the parking lot which was not an accurate read) Ashlynn would let out a little whoop and holler. When we drove up into the driveway it hovered at 34.

What will tomorrow hold??? It was only 4 years ago...remember??? Will we get to have a SNOW DAY???

http://www.themccubbinfamily.com/gallery2.htm

Baby, it's COLD outside!

Coco the Great

During Thanksgiving vacation, Kylee came bounding into the house..."MOM!! Coco climbed the ladder!!" (remember, she's got Apraxia, so that all came out without many consonants)...My head whipped around, took inventory of Kylee's facial expression to see if there was a kernel of truth to this exclamation...wasn't sure. 

"Great!  Let me know if she does it again," I said as I returned to my task at hand.

A few minutes passed, and this time, Ashlynn came in the back door with a "WHAM". "MOM....MOM!!! Coco really DID climb the ladder!!"

Away we all flew to the back yard with video camera in hand to see with our own eyes, that indeed Coco was doing her own agility training, by climbing the playground ladder over and over.

Who knew that our sweet, chew happy one year old black lab could keep up with the kids...all the way up the ladder!! 

There's a few things that Coco does that drives me nuts...(like shedding and chewing everything)...but her willingness to play with the kids makes up for that 10 fold.

OK....so if we open the front door, the first thing Coco does is run away....but what's more important anyway? Staying in the house? OR CLIMBING THE LADDER???