T-Ball Time

For many, many years you could find our family at a ballpark of some sort almost all the time.  Softball, baseball, cheerleading, football, and occasionally basketball filled our life with unbelievably great memories.  Some of our greatest friends (and even a few enemies) were made at various ballparks across the state.  God blessed us with two athletes that loved to play sports, and boy did we enjoy those days!  Now, we are entering Phase 2 and I can't wait!!!!  Maddie will be playing T-Ball this year!  I know that we won't be able to attend all of her games, but we will be there as much as humanly possible!!  And I promise, I am going to enjoy every second of it!!!

Pop wanted to help get her started, so he filled her new bag with all the essential things, and I headed east to deliver!  Glove, bag, bat, balls, pants, T, shirt - She loved it all! Thanks Pop!

Ok- I got a little teary eyed watching this!  Lindsey was so very patient as she explained everything to her!  How to hold her glove, how to hold the bat, elbows up, etc.  I could almost hear her dad talking to her and Caleb!

She may not be quite four yet, but I promise she's really good! She really seems to like it, too!

And bless her little heart, Little Bit is in for lots of nights at the ballpark cheering on her big sis!

The kick off for the season is April 6!  It can't get here fast enough!!

Cute as a Button

I know these pictures of Little Bit are blurry. (I took them with my Ipad.)  However, I had to share them, simply because I think she is so stinking cute!!  Pop and I just wish we could find a way to shorten the 3 hour trip to see them!

I actually just got back from another quick trip to visit the girls, and I can't wait to share about it next!!!  We are in for some fun times!

Headed East

I took off work to travel with Reed to north Alabama for a closing recently.  We got back home around 3:00, and I threw some things in a bag and was headed east by about 3:30.  I have grown to love these quick trips.  We don't really do anything special, but each visit is extra special to me!  Both girls are really growing up quickly!

Josh was working, so I only saw him for a few minutes.  I got to spend lots of time with my sweet girls though.

Days start really early at their house.  Sweet Lillian decided 4:00 was a great time to get up on this Saturday morning.  However, Maddie and I decided to sleep in.  We didn't get up until a late 5:15. 

Lindsey decided she'd tough it out in the 40 degree weather and wash her van.  Maddie was quick to jump in and help.

She did manage to sneak in a few trips around the porch on her big wheel and her bike.

These two are starting to really enjoy each other!  They had a ball playing together in their tent.  I can't wait to continue to watch them grow up together.

Lillian is everywhere!  I love the picture of her trying to "escape" the barricade of furniture!  She is such a cutie!

 I can't wait until our next visit!

Technology

Every now and then a mother likes to step back and brag a little bit.  As an educator for 29 years, I truly believe teaching is a calling.  And I believe that teaching children with special needs is an even higher calling. Lindsey teaches a multiple disabilities class, and her students have a wide range of challenges. I am so very proud of her and her dedication and commitment to her students.  She does an awesome job!  This article recently appeared in an Alexander City newspaper, and I thought I would share it.

 The Special Needs Education Department at Dadeville High School is putting technology to good use.
“To see our students with disabilities working with technology has really been exciting,” said Lindsey Smith, a special-needs teacher at DHS. “I think it better prepares them for the real world – so much of the world is technologically based now.”
The department’s two special needs classes recently received interactive white boards, document cameras, mobile keyboards and iPads.
“We’re using the iPads to search vocabulary words,” said Jessica Johnson, another special-needs teacher at DHS. “Our textbooks are staying in the cabinet, and that’s a good thing.”
Smith said the hands-on technology has dramatically changed her lesson plans, allowing her students to virtually sort blocks on the interactive white board, practice writing with a touch sensitive pen and practice telling time with an application made for the iPad.
“We use it all through the day in every subject,” Smith said. “It has completely changed the way I teach.”
Smith and Johnson said technology has allowed their students to learn in a different way.
“They love it. It makes classes much more interactive,” Johnson said. “It gives us a chance to make classes more student-led and centered – instead of just a teacher standing up leading a lesson from a book.”
Johnson said technology like the mobile keyboards and hover document camera give her the ability to move around the classroom, and the white boards and iPads give her students more ways to participate in lessons.
“This technology gets students up moving around,” Johnson said. “They are not just sitting doing worksheets all day. This engages them.”
Smith said the interactive features have made learning much more accessible for students with disabilities.
“I teach students with a variety of different disabilities ranging from autism, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities,” Smith said. “I have students in grades 9 through 12 with ages ranging from 14 to 21 – this technology allows me to teach to students with varying function levels.”
Smith said the technology has provided a tool to help reach lower functioning levels.
“I have a student who is completely nonverbal, and with this technology he’s been able to guide himself independently through the lessons,” Smith said. “Sometimes it can be hard to engage all levels in a lesson, but now using (the iPads and white boards) they think it’s cool, so they want to participate.”

Shown are some of their students -

And a little snapshot of Lindsey and Little Bit!

Proud of You!

P.S.  More on Caleb in a couple of months!

Seeing Double

Aliceville Elementary School sees double many times a day thanks to our 8 sets of twins.  In addition, faculty member and my sweet friend Lauri Minor and Principal Russell Smart are also twins.

Row 1 - Llewelyn & Layla, Elisha  (Not shown is his twin,
Elijah)
Row 2-Quentin & Quentahya, Tyler & Skyler,
Shambryia & Chambria

Row 3-Lauri Minor, Jermaine & Jeremiah, Zyrieon & Zavieon
Hinton, Amaya & Amia, and Mr. Smart

I'm not sure what's going on, but just in case it's in the water - I think I'm going to stick to only bottled water at school from now on!

Change of Plans

We had a wonderful weekend planned!  Lillian was being dedicated at their church, and lots of family and friends were planning on joining in on the celebration!  Then a wicked, vicious stomach bug hit their household and everyone's plans changed!  So, we had a very laid back, restful weekend.  In one way that was nice, but boy do I miss those girls!  Nana is headed that way next weekend, and I can't wait!!!!

I can't wait to see these two angels!!  I don't know how grandparents that live really far from their children stand it!

Of course, Reed always has "projects" he enjoys!  He decided this would be a great day to gather a little firewood and play on his tractor.  I think he was shocked when I said I would help. And, when I suggested a few things that I thought would make the task a little easier, he quickly told me he was the boss of the firewood. 

After completing my manual labor task, he decided we'd do a little fishing.  I was thrilled because I had just downloaded Nicholas Sparks novel, Safe Haven onto my I Pad.  So, he fished and I read.  All in all, it was a great afternoon.  Although, I think that for the first time ever, he didn't catch one single fish!  That really didn't matter, because it was simply a beautiful day to be outside!

The first picture shows Gus in the boat looking longingly at the water.  As soon as Reed got close to the bank, he hopped out and took a little swim.  It is safe to say that both love this dog way more than is normal!

I can't wait until next weekend.  I am rapidly going into Nana withdrawals!

Sunday Stroll

This past Sunday was gorgeous!! After church and lunch, I rode with Reed to check game cameras.  (Now that deer season is over, the goal is to eliminate as many hogs as possible.) While Reed was busy, Gus and I took a little stroll.  Actually, Gus ran like a mad dog!  He loves to check out every stick, rock, bird, and tree around!  And for the record, we tried to take sweet Maybelle, but when you open the back gate, she shoots out like a rocket.  That precious little angel will NOT come when you call her, so she generally stays out until she's starving and has no choice but to return!!  Now, back to the gorgeous Sunday afternoon! 

This is one happy pooch!

I think I would be more inspired to walk, if I could walk here every day!  And I guess I could, so I'll have to come up with a better excuse!

Days like this really make me anxious for Spring!





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Something About a Dog

Our household has survived another year of hunting season!  Whew!  Make no mistake though, I actually love this time of the year!  Let me explain my love - to me it means peaceful, quiet afternoons at home for me! Now it's time to round up all the camo from various places around the house and hang it up until next year!

During the last week of hunting, Gus was able to go duck hunting one morning and then track a deer Reed killed the next.  During the summer, he's my dog!  He's my floating partner in the pool on hot, sunny days!  However, he loves hunting!  When he sees Reed getting his gun or shells out, he gets excited and is ready to go! 

This is a deer that Reed and Caleb had watched on the game cameras all season.  He's actually a 10 point, but one side of his rack was not formed correctly, so he needed to go! 

Gus actually located him in a thicket after Reed shot.

Reed took this the morning before while duck hunting.  He is in his element here!!