Yard Shots.

I took a picture of the view from the front porch. Everything is looking really green. I am going to take one each season. Hopefully most of these trees will still be there. Some kind of construction project is going on near us. We hear the trucks getting louder day by day. I can't imagine anyone developing land. There are plenty of houses waiting to sell without building new ones. Seems like a big waste of time and energy. The Iris is one of the few flowers planted in my yard. I am so bad about keeping the yard planted and current. Honestly I can't make it past the laundry room to do anything else. The bathtub was in a class I subbed for Friday. It was one of the many cool reading spots. I had to take a picture with the iphone.

Mike had a really good trip. His Bronco performed extremely well. There was plenty of good food and showers available. He tried to sleep through some very windy nights. We are all glad he is back. Tomorrow begins another busy week. We have eye exams and other doctors appointments on top of our usual craziness.

Packing Up.

Mike is packing up for his big Bronco trip. He is taking a real tent and sleeping bag. I hope he has a great time. He is very excited. I am skipping this trip due to the lack of a real bed. I can't say he is too sad about that. The weather looks great and I am sure he will have a wonderful time.

The flowers are from Mrs. Lena's yard. Summer is coming quickly. Today's high was 90, this makes the car line miserable. I subbed today in a G/T class. It was a good day. While I was there my phone rang 4 different times to sub tomorrow. I finally said yes. Otherwise my phone would start ringing at 5:30 tomorrow. It would continue ringing until I said yes. I don't know when my house will be cleaned or who is going to do it.

Field Trip.

The 3rd grade Wings class took a walking tour of Benton today. It was a mystery tour to find the lost history of our town. I managed to make parts of it around my job at the art studio. Why is it things are always, always scheduled during the few hours a week I work? Some of the pictures are mine and some are Sarah's. I left the camera with Sarah while I ran back to work. I would have loved to finish the tour. Sarah did things I have never done. They began the morning at Benton State bank. We received a grand tour and lots of history. Next was the Shoppach house. I have never been there and did not realize the history of it. Then the class moved on to the Courthouse. Sarah got to climb to the top of the bell tower. I like Sarah's shot of the Courthouse. Next on the agenda the Gann Museum. This large piece of Niloak pottery is worth a very pretty penny. Finally, lunch and the Royal Theatre. The Royal Theatre was a real step back in time. I can not remember the last time I was there. I know I went to the movies through jumior high at least if not senior high. So thats many, many years. I enjoyed this field trip and learned a lot.

Breakfast with the Firemen.

Today was the big day. Sarah recently won a contest for fire safety. Her prize was a pancake breakfast and a ride to school on the firetruck. We had a great time. The firemen were super nice. We took a grand tour of the station. They cooked up a fabulous meal. The big trucks were very impressive. We saw the tools and equipment on each truck. After all of that, Sarah was strapped into the front seat of the big truck. They began the quick trip across town. The fire engine pulled into the school drive with lights and sirens blaring. All of the 3rd grade students were lined up on the sidewalk. Everyone cheered and clapped. Sarah was elated. It was a big moment.

Spring Carnival.

Caldwell celebrated the end of Benchmark testing with a BIG kickball game and a carnival. One fifth grade class won the honor of going up against the teachers in a serious kickball game. It was intense. The kids were wound up. Those kids wanted victory bad. They easily beat the teachers 7-0. Mom's helped watch the student's while the teachers took to the field. The basket was our class donation to the raffle. Each class comes up with a different theme. We chose science. Included in the basket are some cool experiment type items. I thought it was really cute. That was until I saw some of the other baskets. I personally would have bid on several of them. Unfortunately they ran the live auction while I was running the booth. My job was to take pictures of kids at a few photo stations. Next year I hope to spend more time enjoying the carnival and less time working it. The kids had a good time running to each booth.

Lines and Shapes.

I took these pictures in Charlotte's back yard. There is always something to photograph there. The kids have all been climbing up the rope into that fabulous tree house. They are quite anxious for the pool to open. It is not nearly warm enough for that. The star hangs on the gate. I like the combination of shapes-circle, stars, and squares.

Mike is back home. I am worn out. I ironed until almost 8:00 tonight. I enjoyed the Glenn Beck show tonight. He went to San Antonio for the tea party. Ted Nugent played The Star Spangled Banner. I am also thrilled Kris Allen made it through another week of American Idol. Kris is from Conway. He is part of the worship team at a big church there. He is also a UCA alumini. I don't think it's an accident he has made it this far. I think he is going to be the next Steven Curtis Chapman.

Easter Sunday.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Easter. We had terrible weather. It rained so hard We could barely hear the preacher at church. It was also COLD. We did however manage to have a wonderful day. Praise and worship at our church is just incredible. They also played a very cool video montage describing Jesus. I found it to be amazing. The kids managed to hunt some fabulous golden eggs on Mama's back porch. Each one had a special treat hidden inside. The birds loved the rain. Papa has quite the bird sanctuary in his back yard. There is a never ending supply of seeds and treats. Birds of all feathers flock to enjoy the feast. The challenge is taking the picture through a window. They see the movement and the glass shows up in the shot. I just think the banana pudding is pretty. It is a perfect light desert.

Mike is in Amarillo this week. Testing begins in the morning for both kids. We are striving to have a calm, quiet week.