evan...

Evan has been so patient waiting for me to get my act together to do his blog...so here goes!

Evan is one of those kids you just want to take home with you because he would be the perfect kid to have around.  He's respectful, kind, well-behaved and has the biggest grin ever.

This is Evan and his sister Morgan...she's got the family grin also.  Evan isn't the biggest boy in my room but I noticed in his pictures he like to hang around big things.
1. Big tree

2. Big rock

I love "interviewing" these kids for the blog because I have time to really visit one on one and I learn the most fascinating and unexpected things.  For instance, the song 

Just Give Me a Reason 

by Pink makes him want to dance...who knew? Obviously he has an older sister.

Talk about two peas in a pod...this is Evan's cousin Ryan who is in the other first grade...and for a very good reason.  When these two are together the outside world doesn't matter much.  I have never known two cousins to be more attached at the hip than these two...they are lucky to have someone who always has the other's back.

Evan has a LOT of favorites in his life.

1. favorite chore...washing dishes although he admits to being messy.

2. favorite flavor...chocolate anything...he could be my child.

3. favorite game...wii (whee??) batman played with cousin Ryan.

Obviously a Pacer fan although I bet he likes all sports .

When asked what his secret super power would be Evan said he would like to shoot lasers out of his eyes to make people's bodies hot...whoa...that explains those hot flashes I started getting this year...I think he HAS that power!!

Such a typical boy here...can't pass up two sticks in the ground without climbing...can anyone see if there are lasers coming out of his eyes here?

Evan would like to be a policeman when he grows up and that laser thing might come in handy in that profession.  However, he told me his bedroom is a little "cluttered" and I think you have to have a neat room to be a policeman...Hint, hint Evan!

"Clutter" was our vocab word that day.

Does anyone remember when Topher was a peanut?  Now he hardly fits on a lap but he is still a gentle soul just like Evan.

As I said up above, Evan has a lot of "favorites" and when asked what was his favorite thing at school was, he said "Phonics"...really Evan?  Left me a little speechless and a little teary-eyed because it is my favorite thing too...along with chocolate!

Next up: Macy (finally...right Macy?)

woo hoo...

...I won my Christmas tree at the St. Christopher auction last night...maybe I'll just save it and donate it again next year...ha!

emma's day...

This is my sweet Emma and this is a happy dog story.

Emma has been pregnant for the past 63 days and at 7:00 this morning the pups decided to make an appearance.  Emma is a beautiful tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Daddy is a blenheim (brown and white).  Could hardly wait to see the mix her puppies would be.

...and here they are...not a tri-color in the sweet jumble of six...but what a lot of cute pink noses.

Four girls...two boys

Am dying from the cuteness of it all.

...and here are my four ladies with sweet Mama Emma on the far right...love those Cavaliers!

the many faces of Sam...

This is Samantha..or Sam..or Sammy (her preferred she tells me).  Her smile lights up a room and she definitely wears her feelings on her face but mostly it is with a smile.  Sam's family is new TO ME this year and she also has a darling and energy-filled baby brother at home so hopefully there will be more years with this very nice family!

My very favorite first grade look...toothless!

Sam's very favorite game is to play hide-and-go-seek with her friend Kairi (Sam's spelling so I trust her).  She likes to play this game both inside and outside and she confessed that Kairi is a much better hider but SHE is a much better seeker.  I do think it takes one of each to make a really good game.  

Remember what I titled this piece..."the many faces of sam"?  Here is an example: rocking the "stache".  A good look Miss Samantha!

In case you hadn't noticed, Sam's very favorite color IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD is pink.  She even has a pair of very pink cowboy boots.  The first day she wore them she said  "Aren't these kicking boots?"  Yes Sam, they are, and since she wants to be a cowboy when she grows up it's good to start perfecting your cowboy style early.  You can pick out your horse at a later date!  If she could find a unicorn to ride life would be perfect in Sam's world.

Sam had described this shirt to me several times so I wasn't at all surprised to see her wearing it on an out-of-uniform day.  It's a "kicking" shirt wild child Samantha!  

Sam's favorite chore at home is helping with the laundry...specifically pressing the buttons on the washing machine.  Things got pretty wild at her house once and she was EVEN allowed to press the dryer button...a very important event obviously.

My first thought seeing this pic was "What...no pink?" and then I spotted the hairclips...whew!

I asked her what her very favorite school lunch was and she said "mac and cheese".  We just had that last week and I have to agree Sam because it is in my top 10 also!

I love it when I get those pictures where words just fail me...the pic speaks for itself.

Sam told me that the thing that makes her the very happiest is playing with her friends at school...especially when Olivia teaches her about gymnastics.  (Attention Olivia's parents: you might want to get Sam's parents to sign a release of liability statement...just saying!)

I absolutely L.O.V.E. this pic of Sam and Topher...the look on both of their faces is so priceless and full of tenderness.
...and look at how our Topher has grown...more than doubled his size since school started.

Miss Samantha is my "dreamer" this year.  She has these wonderful scenarios going on in her head at all times that she sometimes gets lost in.  She is a brilliant student but as I often say to her and her parents..."Thank God her head is attached or we would spend all of our time looking for it"...dream on Samantha...just don't forget your homework folder!!!!

Up next: Evan

our future...omg

The St. Christopher auction is next Saturday...yes... November 23 at the beautiful Columbia Club in beautiful downtown Indy...yes...right on the beautiful circle!!

Each class has to come up with a project featuring their own kiddos.  We decided to do a photo shoot (since I have a daughter who is a professional photog it only seemed logical to rope her into this) and we decided to go with a hope and aspiration theme.  Of course, some of the kids have already changed their minds several times (right Keegan?) but on this day and date this is what they said they want to be when they grow up. 

Here is Macy getting her chance in front of the camera and let me tell you...it's what she lives for!

My Class....

The finished project will be in a 16x20 horizontal frame.

...and Mrs. Evans' class.

These one of a kind posters will go to the two highest bidders at the auction BUT...never fear...we will also be selling individual children's pictures in either a 5x7 or 8x10 unframed professionally printed format for $10.00 and $20.00 just like the one below.
Great Christmas present for the Grandparents!!

Kate...who has promised to cook for me in my old age.

The link to the on-line bidding is at 
Qtego.net/auc/stchris

Come see what we have to offer.

The individual prints will be available soon under Instant buys.

P.S. Thanks Brad Ellenwood...graphic designer...until next year!

sneak peek...

St. Christopher's auction is November 23 at the Columbia Club in beautiful downtown Indy.  Each class does a "class project" and this year 1st grade is celebrating the class of 2025 and their dreams and aspirations!

The finished project will be a framed 16x24 (I think) poster.  One for each first grade...we will also be offering individual 5x7 or 8x10 unframed pictures of each student for $10.00.

P.S. These kids are a hoot!

keegan...

This is Keegan.  You know there are families that you just seem to have known forever...well this is one of them...and I have known them forever.  Keegan is the youngest of seven (yes...I said seven) and the sixth one I have had in first grade!  Adam went to first grade in Japan which I've always said explained a lot about Adam...just kidding Adam.  Keegan adores his family and told me he is happiest when he is with them.  I told him chocolate makes me my happiest! 

Keegan is such a free spirit...always smiling and laughing and ALWAYS has a story to tell.  Well now I get to tell a story about him.

A month ago Keegan told me he wanted to be a sheriff when he grew up but now he has decided that all sheriffs do are ride around on horses so he's decided he would really like to be a fireman and rescue people...bet it changes again in a month.  I think Keegan can be whatever he wants to be as his Dad has introduced him to lots of cool experiences around the old homestead. 

Assistant gazebo builder...

Assistant "farm hand"...

First grade is doing a picto-documentry for the St. Chris auction about what we want to be when we grow up...I want to be Keegan.  Not only is he surrounded by a large and loving family but this kid has animals out the wazoo.

Tucker the Dog

Gary the Duck

Cowboy the Horse (plus two more)

As I said before, Keegan loves to tell me stories and I have heard about this fish since the beginning of school so had to request a picture just to make sure it wasn't a fisherman's tall tale...wow!

A very proud boy!

By the way...they also have bunnies...so Topher is not a REAL big deal but Keegan loves him anyway and is my chief sweeper of bunny stuff around the cages...thanks kiddo!

When I had my first of the seven, there were just three precious little girls in the family and they were the best dressed, most put together three little girls I had ever seen...

...and then there came the seventh.  Keegan definitely has his own style and wears it proudly.  Here he is ready for gym.

Love the St. Chris cheerleading shirt.  (He is NOT a St. Chris cheerleader by the way).


Keegan's family spent five years in Kobe Japan and he was actually born there.  I asked him if that made him Japanese and he said he didn't think so because he only speaks English.

...and yes, that is Keegan standing in his barn with two llamas behind him because what little boy doesn't have horses, bunnies, dogs, ducks AND llamas at his house.  As I said, I want to be Keegan when I grow up.

Keegan told me that his favorite part of the day is actually nighttime so he can sleep...well yeah, his daytime has got to be exhausting with all the excitement of being Keegan.

Next up: Sammy

the saga of the hair....

I have several "Curly Sue's" in my life this year.  Mrs. Rippetoe Harding (librarian and reading teacher partner) and Sweet Olivia.  They have hair to die for...curly and shiny...but the grass is always greener on the other side...so to speak.  So both Maria and Olivia announce they are coming to school Friday with straight hair!

Olivia has the best hair in the business and oh what her mother can do with it...it definitely gives me hair envy. (Check out the darling bunny t-shirt on a recent out of uniform day)

Of course this hair event calls for a "selfie" picture and here are the girls admiring their straight locks.

a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

Olivia's hair has gone from shoulder length to almost  "tush" length.  The hours these two spent with the blow dryer is unfathomable...but curly or straight...long or short...they both have it "going on" for them.  Glad I have wash and wear hair.

P.S. No educational time was wasted with this 2 minute photo shoot...the other kids were engaged in learning (I think).

sorry i pooped in your shoe...the process

Several years ago the idea for teacher decorated Christmas trees for the St. Chris auction popped up on the radar.  We were to decorate a tree around a book theme.  This lasted for two years and then ceased.  This year WE ARE BACK and they will be very popular judging from some of the finished products I have seen.  My process:

First you tell Miss King you want your tree in May because you want to work on it over the summer...yeah, like that really is going to happen but it does impress Miss King.  Mine sat on my Hoosier cabinet all of June, July, August, September and most of October.  OMG...it's due next week!

Find a book!!!  I decided on a dog theme and then perused Amazon after entering "dog".  I searched pages and pages and pages of dog books until this little gem popped up.
I mean...what kid wouldn't love a book that had the word "pooped" in it?

Had to have a pair of shoes...

Found large heavy duty stickers and round and square disks and ribbon with paw prints on it...the stars are aligning!

Added the cute skirt, propped the book up and...something was still missing.  Back to Amazon...

...and found this little jewel...a Beanie Baby depicting one of my beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Also threw in this bonus book because how could I not?

The trees will be raffled off on November 23 at the St. Christopher Auction held at the Colombia Club.  Raffle tickets will be sold and then they can be placed in a bag in front of the tree you want.  Come on parents!  

...and the best thing of all is I already have my book for next year...Sorry I Peed in You Bed about the cats you have loved.

kate...

This is Kate.  Kate is one of the kindest kids I know and frankly, I'm not for sure where it comes from...just kidding AJ and Katy (I know them pretty well!).  The first time I met Kate officially was at the St. Chris festival when she was about 4.  She asked me which rides I was going on and I told her that they all kind of scared me.  She said, "I'll go with you and hold your hand" and she's had me eating out of her hand ever since.

Kate is pretty adept at using her Mom's cell phone and contact list and this popped up on my messages a few days ago...L.O.V.E. that smile.

Kate had been dying to tell me what she would like her super power to be (hadn't intended to even ask her ) so when we started the interviewing process, the first thing she told me was that she would love to be able to freeze people...what???

First day of school...she's trying to freeze me I think.

Kate says her Mom and Dad make the best chocolate chip cookies ever but that Dad actually makes them best...I wouldn't know??

Here are some of Kate's "people".  She said her sister Brittany is the most annoying person in her house but it's because Brittany tells her she talks too much..ya think!!

I'm going out on a limb here but I think this is Kate on an airplane to Disney World...but I could be wrong.

Kate told me that when she grows up she wants to be a chef.  She said she would cook for me after she became a chef but wanted to know if I would be retired by then.  I told her I would probably be dead by then...OMG, her eyes got sooo big.  I may have scarred her for life!  Oops!

Living the life at the lake home...it's good to be a Ploughe.

...and like any good Ploughe she has learned that it's important to start earning a living, so she moonlights at Christmas time as the Colombia Club's resident elf.  I mean, you can only earn so much money from the tooth fairy after all.

...and to show how well-rounded she is, she also got to do announcements a week ago.  She begged me to let her do it and then moments before her big gig she was sooo nervous!

"When can I push the red button?"

Kate thinks first grade is so awesome because she gets to hold Topher...uh, what about me Kate?

Kate and Topher

As many of you know, I have four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Kate has fallen hard for one of them (and the feeling seems to be mutual).

Honestly, Kate doesn't understand why I won't  just turn this love over to her.

Since I won't give her one of my pups, the next best thing is buttering up Grandma and Grandpa (and Christmas is just around the corner AND one of my "girls" MIGHT just be expecting).

Of course I had to do some editorializing.

...and just because...

...some things are better left a mystery!?!

Next up: Keegan