Monday, July 23, 2012

Play Ball!

Tonight, Keree had the great honor of not only getting to sing God Bless America during the opening ceremony of the Grizz lies game (think Minor league baseball) but she also got to start the game! Being that it was a Monday night game and also that it was 116 degrees (without heat index), the crowds were a little light. But if you saw the shaded side of the stadium, it was packed.  My Mom, myself and my Aunt P was able to watch this amazing moment in Keree's life. 
This is the head of promotions walking Keree out to the dirt right behind Home plate. 
 Keree singing God Bless America. I was amazed to look around and see quite a few people wiping tears from there eyes. Not sure if it's because of the song or because of how amazing Keree did. I'm going with, how amazing Keree sang!
The flag is in Center Field, so that is why she has her back to the stands. 
 This is Keree with K urt Cope land getting ready to start the game.
The microphone wasn't working at this point, so Keree had to yell "Play Ball." Which, she threw her arm up and yelled Play Ball. It was so adorable.
 Keree with Izzy, he is the mascot of the Grizz lies baseball team.
The view from our seats. Tonight was also $2 nacho night at the ball park. Since none of us had eaten, we decided to try their pulled pork and buffalo chicken nachos. They were so good and none of us were able to finish our plates.
 One of Keree's many favorite moments of the nights, the running of the eyeballs. Seriously, it is hilarious to watch a bunch of eyeballs bounce around the field.
 Keree got a game-used baseball signed by all the baseball players. She was in heaven. Kurt chuckled and told us how adorable and smart she was because when he handed back her baseball, she gripped it only on the red seams. To top off such a wonderful night, the Home team won 12-6!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Sunday learning and craftiness

Today was suppose to be a break in the heat....LOL, yep it's only suppose to be in the low 100's. This heat and drought is just crazy stuff. I don't think I've ever seen yards, flowers, trees and bushes so brown that they almost look burnt. As for today, my Mom and I worked on crafty stuff. While Keree did her core curriculum and went back to learning French. She is loving learning French and I really wish I had stuck with it, when she was a baby. After a few hours, she decided she need a break. I have to say that right now, I don't set any time limits on what she has to do and for how long. It has worked out so far because she will spend 2-3 hrs at a time learning but when August hits, I plan on setting more of a schedule for school. She spent the rest of her afternoon and evening playing and practicing for singing tomorrow at the Ball Stadium. 
 One of the many crafty things I got done today. Keree really wanted a fancy Brave flower. So, I added some bling to the petals of the flower. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Homeschool - learning French

Today was another hot day but we had to head upstairs to work on some craft stuff, so Keree decided to work on some school work. I have recently gotten a lot of flack and questions on why I'm choosing to homeschool Keree. I know it seems like a super odd choice for a Single Mom but for right now, this feels like the right choice in our lives. Plus, honestly, last year in public school, Kindergarten was a complete waste. Keree would go to school, do 2-3 worksheets, then because she got them done early, she would draw pictures on the back of them, eat lunch, have rest time, have 4 recesses and then come home. Keree constantly complained she was bored at school. So, when she would get home, we did an additional 2-2 1/2 hrs of what the public school considered 2nd grade work (adding, subtracting, reading and writing). Now before I moved, I thoroughly researched the school districts, this is one of the top rated districts in the State and still is today. But it honestly cannot compare to the education I had already provided to Keree before she started Kindergarten and continued providing her during the year. 
So, that is the short answer to why I'm choosing to homeschool. At this point, I don't want to provide the long answer about all the underhanded things the School has done and is continuing to do because I don't want them to cause us any trouble this coming school year. Today, after Keree finished her core curriculum, she started foreign language lessons. I'm using a computer based program recommended by another Homeschool Momma and so far, we love it. Plus I love that there was so many languages (Spanish, Chinese,  etc) to choose from. We choose French, why, mainly because that is her Godmother and her Godmother's Families first language. We are really hoping in the very near future that we will be able to make a trip to visit. Since we want to spend a lengthy time with them, knowing French will make the visit a whole lot easier. Otherwise, our day was filled completely with school and craftiness until bedtime.



Friday, July 13, 2012

Summer Reading

Today was a day to get down a ton of errands. Literally, we had to drive between 7 cities to get everything done and we didn't get home till almost 5p. One of our stops was at B&N to turn in Keree's summer reading list. She read 8 books and because of that she got to pick out a new book. Of course, since we had just seen Alvin and the Chipmunks, she picked their Chipwrecked book. What was also really cool, is that they announced Keree's name over the loud speaker saying she had completed the Summer Reading program. Keree just giggled when she heard her name, followed by workers and customers in the store clapping for her. 



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Free Summer Movie day

This morning, we got up early to head out for the free summer movie. We were excited to get to see Alvin and the Chipmunks : Chipwrecked. Of course, since it was also Wednesday, that meant it was also free popcorn day! I have to say, we all agreed that it was a really cute movie. And this time, since we decided to sit in the second row of the theater, that meant no one kicking our seats! After the movie, we had one errand to run before we headed home to try and stay cool the rest of the day. 



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

First Tupper ware party

I've lost count of how many days it's been over 100 degrees around here. With as hot as it's been and with no a/c in the house, it's came down to doing only what you have to get done. But this evening, was a welcomed reprieve from the oppressive heat. We headed about 1 1/2hrs  up North to Keree's Great-Great Aunt Kimmie's house to attend Keree's very first tupper ware party. I remember when I was little going to these parties all the time but since then they have seemed to have died off in this area. Keree enjoyed sitting there listening to the Tupper ware lady talk but she also enjoyed getting to visit with our family. I've tossed around the idea of moving back up there, to be closer to family but once I get home, reality snaps me back. 
Anyways, back to the party, the Tupper ware lady fixed an pineapple upside down cake in one of the dishes. Now, I'm not really big on fruit pies or cakes but I have to say, we all really enjoyed it. After the party was over and we placed our order, we stayed around a little while and visited. Keree really wanted to see her Great-Great Uncle and lucky for us, he came home right before we head to leave. Before we knew it, it was after 10p, so we had to get on the road to head home. Keree stayed awake until we got home, which was amazing and then didn't want to go to bed. I guess she was over tired.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Prin cess To ma to

We got to the festival early, it was already close to 100 degrees at 9 am. So, everyone was taking bets on how quickly the ice sculpture would melt. It was pretty much gone by noon. Because we got there early, we got to visit with our neighbors who had entered two of their classic cars into the car show that was also being held there. Right around 10 am, we went to find our seats for the pageant, we wanted seats in the shade and in the front row. It was so nice that two sets of neighbors and then a few of their friends came to cheer Keree on. What was even more amazing is that my Aunt P actually showed up on time and was also able to cheer Keree on. Around 10:45, my Mom took Keree to get dressed and ready. 
Keree was contestant number 7 in the line-up. The other girls who came before her either forgot their fun fact or did great. Keree went up there and didn't miss a beat when repeating her fun fact. Which was "The Cat sup bott le was finished being built in Lousville, KY in 1949."
 Keree then sang acapella, I make my own sunshine. Because at first all you do is humming, I really think that a lot of people thought that was all she was going to do. But as soon as she started singing, she had the crowd captivated.
 She even had a few hand movements to it.
This was after all the contestants competed. There were eight girls and two boys. It was driving the director nuts that they didn't have the results done quickly. I guess it was a tough competition.
Even though it was 112 degrees at this point, Keree still kept a smile on her face waiting to hear...honestly she was just waiting for her bottle of cat sup that they even forgot to give out. Keree really is all about the cat -sup.
First they gave out the awards to the boys and then it was time for the girls to get their awards. I honestly wasn't sure if Keree was going to win Queen but when she wasn't called for first place. I just knew she had won. This is Prin cess To ma to 2011 crowning her.
 And here they are putting on her sash.
Another picture of them trying to put on her sash. 
So here she is, Prin cess To ma to 2012, our Keree. 

 
After the pageant, we stayed around the festival. We got a few pictures taken with our neighbors classic cars (which were happy to say that they also won a few awards). Keree meet some NFL cheerleaders, ate some of the birthday cupcakes and then.... 
 she played some class birthday party games. Her favorite was pass the cat sup bottle.
 At the end of the festival, actually we left with about an hour left. Our Neighbor treated Keree to a snow cone. Keree was excited because she was even able to add her own flavor. She went with orange sunburst and very wild cherry. When we got home, Keree spent her evening calling the Great-Grandparents and her Uncle to tell them that she won. She's so excited to be Prin cess To ma to.



Saturday, July 7, 2012

Brain Fried

When I went to download my pictures from today, it turns out that I didn't take any. I know it was 109 degrees today and I guess for once, I can say that the heat got to me. I remember picking up the camera and I remember Keree posing for me but I guess I didn't actually press the button to take the picture. 
So in all honesty, we didn't do much today. Keree sang through her song a few times getting ready for tomorrow but otherwise we just watched movies and tried to stay cool.

Friday, July 6, 2012

I Hoppy Friday

So, we got up early this morning to finish up our errands from yesterday. First on our list was to sign up for Keree's next session of Irish step dancing. Keree really loves it and honestly their time and place just works with our schedule. After making a few other stops, we finally decided to use a gift card my Mom got for her birthday back in April. Since it's a blistering 110 degrees outside, we opted to eat inside I hop to enjoy their air conditioning. Keree and I split lunch which was a pot roast sandwich (it was so good) and some cheesy potato soup, which Keree ate the most of. Of course, she also had to eat the majority of my Mom's pancakes also. 
When we were finished we headed home. Since it was so hot, we ended up all falling asleep in front of the fans. Which was sort of a bad thing because we needed to finish up Keree's outfit for the pageant this weekend. Once we were up, we got Keree's outfit done. Keree was hungry, so she finished up Grandma's pancakes for dinner. And, Before we knew it, the news was on.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

She Won....

As Keree puts it, today started off as a bad day because it was hot and we had to run errands. Who cares that the majority of those errands were things pertaining to her and her activities. We ran by the Library and got her reading log stamped. She also picked out her weekly prize, which was a bowl of Pho on a keychain. We ran down to the Fairgrounds in hopes that the new County Fair Premium books would be out (they've been promising over a month that they were ready). Well needless to say, when we arrived, they were still at the printers. UGH!! We had a few more stops to make but it was getting way to hot. The van's a/c is out and has been all summer. So we opted that we would finish up our errands tomorrow. 
Once we got home, we just vegged out. Honestly, it was too hot to do anything except to lay in front of the fans. We finally headed back outside to get the mail and to our surprise there was a letter for Keree and it was from our electric company. I really thought it was strange until I opened it. I had completely forgot that she had entered their coloring contest way back in the beginning of April. To our surprise, she won 1st place and got $15 in McDonald's gift cards! Her picture is going to be featured in the electric companies magazine and I can't wait for it to arrive.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy July 4th!

Today was the hottest 4th of July since temperatures have been recorded in our area. I have to say, I'm sick and tired of all this hot weather, today is something like day 21 of 98 degree weather and hotter. It's also like  day 7 of 104+ degree weather. It was sort of a weird 4th, this is the first 4th of July since Keree's been home that we haven't attended a festive parade. Since my Bro had to leave today, we opted to stay home so we could spend our last few minutes with him and The Girlfriend. It was a nice and very short visit. 
Keree is really going to miss her Uncle. Especially since we found out that he won't be home till Christmas this year. My Bro was trying to figure out how soon and how often we could come and visit him. If it was up to me, it would be every other month just because they have an amazing Vietnamese community there and do so many community and heritage activities. 
 Keree is pretending to be a tree in this picture.....Why you ask? Well she thinks if she stands there long enough that a bird will think she's a real tree. She's determined that one day she will have a wild bird, probably a Robin, land on her.  
 By the end of the day, we had sweated thru our clothes, so Keree put on her Americana dress that my Mom made her. Since our cell phones will not work inside the house, we have to sit outside in the front yard to talk on them. So while out there we called Keree's Great-Grandparents to check on them with all the heat. I really wish they lived closer because it would make checking on them alot easier.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Bargain Hunting

Today was my Bro's last full day in town, tomorrow he heads home. We got to spend the majority of the afternoon with him, which was nice. Since the house is so hot and miserable (we don't have a/c and the fans just aren't cutting it), we decided to take him over to the Goodwil Outlet. Now usually it is somewhat clean but this time, it was just downright nasty to dig in some bins. Actually this is the first time I've walked out of there and felt I needed to scrub down from head to toe. I always say that it's like Black Friday, people clammer when the new bins are rolled out and fight to find the best things. As they always say, ones mans trash is another treasure. 
I found a good deal of books and actually some really cool vintage Golden books, my Brother got some sports books and vintage glass ware and Keree was excited that I found her a princess carriage and also Link & Cockroach PD from Monsters vs Aliens. Now, we are only missing two from the entire set. 
 When we got home, we all scrubbed down and spent a short time visiting with my Bro outside. He was meeting The Girlfriend to have dinner with her parents. As for us, we spent the rest of the night chilling since it was 106 again today and that was without the heat index.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Splash Pad, Summer Fun & Drive-in Movie

The new splash pad opened the day after school got out, but we haven't been since it's been way to crowded. So as a way for my Brother to spend sometime with Keree, we said "Let's go to the splash pad and play." He wasn't keen on the idea until we told him "The Girlfriend" could come along. I honestly didn't want to see her but decided if it was the only way for him to spend some quality time with Keree, I guess, I can put up with her. 
We thought that being a Sunday morning that the splash pad wouldn't be that crowded but I'm guessing because of the heat - it was 104 today with out the index, that more people came out early. I have to say that Keree's favorite part of the park was the giant mushroom. The water seemed a little warmer and it really felt like it was just a nice shower.
 I have to say that even with "The Girlfriend" there, we still  had fun. She was honestly trying to make an effort, which was more than she's done in the past five years. After about 1 1/2 hours, we took a short break and let Keree play in one of the tide pools they have on each side. I have to say, I'm not that thrilled with that option, lots of babies with no diapers, eeww. So, we didn't stay that long before returning to the splash park.
 We ended up being there for almost three hours. I have to say my favorite part was the buckets, it was great because you never knew how quickly they were going to fill up and pour down on you. I really wish someone would have gotten a picture of both Keree and I underneath one.
 Once we headed home, it was around 12:30p. So, I spent some time preparing lunch. I made slow-cooker Gyros and some Corn Salad. It took a little longer than expected, so we didn't eat until almost 3p. We called my Aunt P so she could come and visit my Brother for a short time. Of course, she didn't show up until right before 3p. While we waited for the food to cook, Keree, my Mom, my Brother and The Girlfriend spent time playing baseball and washers. The Girlfriend hated being out in the heat but the rest of us were use to it. We stayed hydrated and that's really the key to being out in the heat.
 After everyone ate lunch, The Girlfriend left to visit her family. Keree and my Mom went to lay down for a nap. My Bro, my Aunt P and I sat outside and talked about random stuff. I really thought after 5 hrs she would get the hint we had stuff to do and head out but that wasn't the case. Finally, my Mom had to be rude and told her to leave because we needed to leave. My Brother got my Mom a gift certificate for Mother's Day to go to the Drive-In movies. I hadn't been since I was little and this was Keree's first time. She had no idea what to expect but she was super excited to see Brave.
 We all piled into the back of my Brother's SUV, except for my Mom, who sat in a lawn chair. The minute the movie started, Keree was mesmerized. She said she had waited forever to see Merida and wanted to memorize the movie so she could play it out at home.
 I gotta say that I enjoyed Brave. I know, I've read lots of mixed reviews and the movie is a little on the darker side but that's how the true fairytale is told. It's not all bright, sunny and cute.
 My second favorite part was watching all the vintage ads for the refreshment center. Many of them I remembered when I was little.
 What is great about this Drive-In, is that for the price of admission, you get two movies. So we also got to stay and see Madagascar 3. We all kept thinking Keree would fall asleep during it but she stayed up until the end, which was after 12:30am. When the movie ended, she was lucky enough to be the first one to wish my Brother, Happy Birthday.