Cowboys and Crafts

Howdy, ya'll!  I've been vacationing (in my bed with some good books, heehee).  I finished Women, Food, and God, finished Mini Shopaholic, and started Love the One You're With.  Is it escapist to love to read so much? : )
I found pictures I'd forgotten about in this busy week!  Last Tuesday, we had the kids with us in Bible study, and Tiffany brought a video for the kids to watch:

This is upstairs in the old church, the only room they'll loan us. : )  This is in a row of old cast-off furniture along the walls.  It kinda looks like a Furniture Dance, and these are the wallflowers. : )
Then we were at the school in the Parent Room (we even get our own room there!) working on doling out tickets to those who sent in money, while our boys played.  This is Ethan cleaning the white board of the eloquent Spanish that must be taught in there:

And here are the boys posed together after their amazingly fun afternoon!

And then on Thursday, I was back at the school reading to Mary Claire's class, as the Mystery Reader!  They had five clues who I was, and I showed up after lunch and recess to read to them.  They all yelled that they knew it was me! (Ha!) A couple of kids wanted their parents to come read, but I couldn't tell them that we were backed up all the way till spring-it might give something away! : )
Afterwards, Ethan and I went to the library to read a couple books (he loves a good library, even if it's in the school!).  Then he checked out the gigantic chair in the sitting area outside the library.  It's a great reading area, and he crawled all over the wood chair (even though it looks like it's upholstered!):

He's just so cute! : )
Then on Friday, I had a CrAzY day!  I tried Zumba with Veronica (and I laughed out LOUD when the lady was all sexy-dancing, and rubbed her hands down her body!- but it was part of the dancing/aerobics!) (you can burn up to 1000 calories an hour-and I was worn out!), then I went by the church to do the books and envelopes, then to the car wash and vacuumed out my van (Love, love, love a clean car!), then back home to discover I had another flyer to make to go home in the kids' Monday Folders!
I hurriedly called/emailed people to find out what they wanted on our flyer (had to get the games person, food person, silent auction basket person, etc!), and get to the school to copy it for the whole school, plus copy the ticket forms again, then make the third grade's copies for morning work, and Mary Claire had a field trip that there's no way I could have made it to (but her blood sugar was good after prayers on the way to school!), and I asked for help.  The best thing I've ever learned to do!  I called Danielle (my ticket partner), and asked for help, then she called her friend, and Dottie came to help (sooo sweet!), and while I was waiting, I called up front for some fifth graders, and they were all awesome helpers!!
We had just talked in Bible study about some people never letting us help, and they were robbing us of a blessing-and I asked for help, and let some people be blessed.  Boy-which is better, helping or being helped.  Hmm...
Then Saturday, Clay had his last two baseball games.  Mary Claire had been dying to go to a craft fair, since she'd never been!  (I used to go every year, but crafty things kinda went out of style...for decorating anyway.)  So, I took her and Ethan to a 'fair!  We drove around for almost 30 minutes looking for parking, and they got more and more restless.  We got in there, and I wouldn't let go of them!  It was CrOwDeD!  She got some American Girl Clothes and shoes, and a necklace (do I sense a pattern here?) and Ethan melted down while I was looking at sterling jewelry (beautiful-here's her site!), but we had to leave.  It was just too much for Ethan!  We waited outside for some kettle korn, then left.
We drove to Clay's game to watch a little (and I was going to drop off MC, but no), then we went to Party Time Ponies to take Ethan to a friend's birthday party.  It was really fun, they rode the ponies, played tons on the hay bales (the total hit of the party!), had hot dogs and cupcakes!  He'd been so excited, wore his cowboy clothes all day (it was a Woody and Buzz party!), and even had Clay make him a lasso. : )
Here's his pony ride (minus his hat):

Mary Claire loving seeing all the horses!

 But still kinda shy:

 I just loved this one, even though he wasn't looking.  He's just so sweet with his lasso:

And he looks up at me (and I'm using my lame camera-phone.  This could've been so beautiful!):

And these are the sweet birthday boys: Ethan with Isaac and Andrew, both turning four! (Ethan is behind them by a couple months):

Their absolute favorite: the hay bales!  They climbed allll over these-they were up by the roof at the top:

 Mary Claire finally on a pony (she looks bigger now!)

We fed the horse in the background, Bear.  He is forty years old, and has ground his teeth to nothing!  He ate Ethan's hot dog bun just fine. : ) (with permission, of course!) This is a dwarf horse-a random act of nature.  She's so sweet, and I forgot her name!  I bet Mary Claire will remember.  It was Tinkerbell, or Cinderella, or something Disney-like.

 This is Tuxedo, he was very patient with the kids.  They liked petting him the best!  He was so happy to be out eating fresh grass, that he didn't bother with the kids, which they liked!

What a great (yes, busy!) day.  I came home, and the boys swam.  They are swimming again today, it's the Last Day.  We are having the pool closed tomorrow, so it's the official End of Summer.  Thanks for the memories, and we'll see you next year!  (Maybe April next year?)  Happy Birthday, Isaac and Andrew!  Four is a big year. : )