Today the girls had their hair cut for Locks of Love. They each had 11" of hair cut off in honor of their 3 year old cousin Will, who is battling Leukemia. It was Emma's 2nd time doing this and the first for Ellie. They were so excited to finally have short hair...and they knew that their Daddy would be sad to see their long locks go. Now we can just imagine their hair on some other little girl's head...

SACB Spring Student Showcase...

Here's Ellie with some of her friends from Ballet. The lighting wasn't great in their dressing room...but I'll be getting a class photo soon...hopefully I'll remember to put it on the blog.
Emma was sharing a chair with these 3 other girls. Directly behind her, w/a girl in her lap, is one of Emma's closest friends, Maddie. These girls had a blast on stage this weekend.
Mackenzie is a friend of Emma's from church, who just started taking ballet classes this spring. Now that the recital is over, it's time to get the girls their much-anticipated haircuts for summer...we've measured their hair and Emma and Ellie should both be able to get 11-12 inches of hair cut off for Locks of Love. I'll be SURE to post pics of that.

Third Trimester!

I've finally made it to 28 weeks. Just 12 weeks to my DUE date, but we all know that means NOTHING when it comes to these Armstrong babies LOL. With my kiddos born 12, 12, 10, and 5 days overdue, I'm not anticipating "Elvis" to do any different. I have to admit, though, I'm really hoping for this one to come a week or so early...so our trip to NY for Megon's wedding would'nt be TOO difficult to pull off ;-)

Had my drs appt this afternoon. Her first words to me were, "Well, I see you've finally put on some weight." Giggle. Snort. I've been quite proud of the fact that my weight gain has been so minimal. Just 10 lbs to date. My dear, loving, sensitive, great-with-words husband reminded me recently, "Don't worry, you'll be packing it on in the 3rd Trimester." Thanks Dear.

The girls have their dance recital this weekend. 2 performances. Friday and Sunday. Emma shared that she was a bit nervous. Then we counted all the times she's been on stage for ballet...2 recitals in NY, 2 performances here last year. Not to mention SIX Nutcracker performances...then she realized that she had nothing to be worried about. Ellie is very excited herself. I'll try to get some pics over the weekend.

How are you? We'd love to know how y'all are doing ;-)

Thought I'd put some pics on the blog.

Ellie is the Tin Man in her Camp Broadway Kids play of the Wizard of Oz. It was a class for homeschoolers only...during public school hours.

Everson is trying his best at being the best superhero he can be.

Emma has been working all year on her splits for ballet class. Often she is sprawled on the floor trying to get her splits perfect. Doug and I have marveled lately at how TALL and long Emma is getting. Here's a great example of her growth this past year...

From the National Weather Service
(or, another day in the life of a West Texan in the spring storm season)

A FEW FUNNEL CLOUDS MAY BE VISIBLE ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY...AND HEARTLAND THIS AFTERNOON...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED DEVELOPING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AREAS OF WESTCENTRAL TEXAS.

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH VERY COLD AIR ALOFT IS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THISAFTERNOON...CREATING CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OFFUNNEL CLOUDS. FUNNEL CLOUDS MAY BE OBSERVED WITH THIS ACTIVITY AS IT DEVELOPS AND MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA.

THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS...ON RARE OCCASION...MAY BRIEFLY REACH THEGROUND AND BECOME A WEAK TORNADO WITH WINDS GENERALLY UNDER 60 MPHTHAT CAN DAMAGE LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURES...CARPORTS...AND AWNINGS...COMPARABLE TO A STRONG DUST DEVIL.

IF YOU OBSERVE A FUNNEL CLOUD...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE URGED TO RELAY REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS TO THENATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE

Wild Weather

Here's a picture of some hail Doug brought in the house after our 20 minute rain/hail storm last night:

And yes, it makes a LOUD noise as it hits the roof of the house...and the tin roof of the carport. And it bounces like a superball when it hits the pavement.

We're in for some rough weather over the next few days. Tornado warnings and flash flood warnings abound. The tornado sirens were even tested yesterday - tho they are usually tested ONLY at noon on the first of the month ;-)

Last night, the weather finally rolled in. We were in the yard watching this enormous storm front make its way toward us. Lots of lightning, with little wisps of clouds dipping down from the front...the stuff tornadoes grow up to be. A rope tornado was spotted about 20 minutes from us...close enough for me!

So we're watching the skies, waiting for the next band of thunderstorms to begin. As I type, the skies are darkening, and there is the distant sound of thunder (or 'funger', as Everson calls it). At the latest report, this could carry on until Wednesday. Maybe then I can take down the special 'hail screen' that we put up on our living room windows to protect them from the projected quarter-to-golfball-size hail we could be getting ;-)

Somehow, preparing for a snowstorm in NY was less stressful than the uncertainty of this weather...

Our new trees...
I forgot to take a picture today, so I'll add one tomorrow (if my pregnant mind doesn't forget).

We've been talking about planting some trees in our huge yard...mostly b/c we crave the SHADE in the hot months. About a week and a half ago, my mom drove up with 2 trees, a non-fruit mulberry and some other kind of tree. You know I have a black thumb, so the names of the trees just aren't important ;-) What I do know is that they are fast growing and drought resistant.

Anyhow, it has taken quite an effort to get them into the hard-as-a-rock-clay-filled ground we have here. Doug did all the work and planted one tree (the mulberry, I think).

Well, the GIRLS thought that our trees needed names. The planted tree is named Steve. I thought to myself, "That's cute, we did recently take a book from the library about a tree named Steve."

I was wrong. They named the tree for STEVE NASH. Who is he? You can quickly ask your sports-minded spouse, coworker, or friend...I'll wait... Turns out, Steve Nash plays for the NBA team the Phoenix Suns. Do you get this? MY GIRLS named a tree for a NBA player!!! The kicker is that they know that Erik can't stand Steve Nash! They delight in their choice of a name for a tree. They named the other tree Dwyane Wade...a player for the "Miami Heats".

Okay, much basketball has been watched in this house since February...Erik can't wait for the weekend to watch more playoff games. I can take that. But the fact that MY GIRLS know some of these players just kills me!

For the record, Erik wants us to buy and plant another tree. He wants to name it Joakim Noah.

A Texas 'thang'

So I'm really not feeling that great. This cough has me up all night and now my entire upper body hurts from the forceful coughing. After a big coughing jag this morning, Ellie decided to make me a card. She started cutting the paper a la making a snowflake, then started decorating it. At the bottom, in large letters, she wrote, "Git Well Momie"

Here's the thing...as I'm working with her on her reading, we keep running into the proper pronunciation of the word 'get'. We often butt heads on it...I know it's hard to imagine butting heads with her ;-) Her plain and simple explanation is, "Mommy, if we say 'git', then why is it written 'get'?" I have to keep explaining to her that in Texas, people pronounce words differently... I'm starting to think that phonics doesn't really work here in the Lone Star State.

The kids have already begun to naturally use words like, y'all and fixin' to. Doug says 'preciate it on a regular basis. I think it's a losing battle. Poor Everson and baby Elvis haven't a chance down here...they're bound to speak Texan!

Then there's Erik, who came home a few months ago from church wanting to tell us that he knows who God's #1 enemy is...Satan...that's pronounced Cy-tin...

Sickness

Well 1/2 of our family is sick right now. Erik seems to have come down with the high fever-headache-sinus thing that Emma had last week, while Ellie and I have the congestion-painful-deep-chest-cough thing that Doug had. We'll fare it alright, just unplugging from some activities for a couple of days to recover.

On a homeschool note, I'm still pursuing starting a new coop here for the fall. One that has a higher standard of classes than the one we've been in for the last 2 years. I want science (looking at a NASA program and a Civil Air Patrol aerospace program - all for elementary students, art and perhaps even music. Had some disappointments in our coop this year, so thinking to branch out and start fresh. Was also just asked to take over our homeschool assoc. monthly Mom's Night Out meetings for the coming school year. Much to chew on...with a new baby and the craziness that is The Nutcracker.

Need to get some kids moving this morning.

So today is Doug's birthday. Not sure if I'm allowed to post his age...cause he's sooooooo old ;-) At least he's still in the 35-39 age group at our races ;-) I'll post a birthday picture later this evening. We're celebrating low-key, cause Emma has been sick all weekend, Everson seems to have injured his foot and won't bear weight on it...he's crawling around the house. I guess if this keeps up I'll have to take him to the dr tomorrow. He DID run a mile yesterday...wonder if that has something to do with it... He received a really great gift from Sam and Angie and the kids, I'll post a picture of him with it once he opens it.

Hope you northeast friends/family are enjoying the weather ;-)

So I was trying to put this countdown into my template and somehow messed up the margin...I'll have to work on it later today...

Wacky Weather

So earlier this week, my children were in their swimsuits, putting on sunscreen, and playing in the kiddie pool...today we have freezing rain and temps hovering around freezing! And tomorrow promises to be like today. The weatherman last night said we'll be 35-40 degrees BELOW our average temperature for this time of year. And then late next week, we're supposed to be back near 80!

Took the older 2 to the dentist yesterday. Erik's **new front teeth** seem to show some mineral deficiency...yet none of the other kids show the same thing. So a mystery to solve...b/c of his food restrictions...were the teeth damaged when he fractured the baby teeth 7 years ago...why just his teeth and not the others...The younger 2 go to the dentist in a couple of weeks.

Inherited an infant car seat, boppy, portable baby swing and a bag of baby boy clothes this week...oh and a double stroller!

Speaking of baby...the kids have named our little guy Elvis John. They are telling everyone that's his name ;-) It's cute, but Doug and I have decided that they do not in fact get a vote in naming their little brother.

Two weeks of our coop left. Thinking about starting a new coop for the fall. One that's open to more families and has more structure than the one we're in.

Running club is going well. The kids will be competing in the Hershey's Meet for kids in early June. Our coach wants Emma to run the mile and the mile relay...so in a few weeks, she'll start practicing with some other girls her age for the event. They'll be running on a track and using the baton! She's quite excited. Erik, because of his age, will only be competing in a 1/2 mile race, I think. The both should do well, as their times for the mile are getting faster and faster...Erik's best time is 7:30, and Emma's time is 8:12. I think our coach has plans to turn them into runners...little does he know that Emma plans to be a dancer and she can't wait until she starts pointe - because she'll have to stop running so she doesn't develop the wrong muscles...the things she thinks of in her quest to be a dancer and a dance teacher ;-)

That's all for now...needing to do some baking, since it's cold today.

Here's Emma in front of her 6 boxes of goodies collected for Will's NC oncology clinic from her birthday and our coop...just under 500 happy meal toys are in the bottom 3 boxes!

The 3 kids just sorted this pile of goodies collected Wednesday night at our AWANA club. It was another 62 happy meal toys, 129 packs of stickers, 107 boxes of bandaids and 32 hats! Now that Will is moving to NY, we have ANOTHER oncology clinic to collect goodies for with the other kids birthdays!

Here's a picture of Erik, taken this afternoon...Notice anything different?!

It's a BOY!

The girls were initially disappointed...until it dawned on Emma that THEIR room would still have just 2 people in it, while the boys would have to make room for one more ;-) Erik seems stupefied with the whole thing. I think he is still getting used to the idea that we're having another baby, and isn't sure what it will be like to have another little brother.

On all counts, the ultrasound went well. We even got to see little E suck his thumb, take it out of his mouth, and start sucking it again. Very cool.

Shoppers...start your engines!

What I forgot to mention is that since last summer, Everson has been telling me that Jesus had a baby brother for him. He was quite insistent up until January. At Christmas time, knowing I was pregnant, I asked Ev if Jesus still had a baby brother for him. He said yes. I asked him how big his brother was. He made a small circle with his fingers and said, "Him's about dis big." Hair stands up on my neck. A week or so later, Doug and I were pondering boy/girl names. We usually have a family name for a middle name, so we were kicking around possibilities. I suggested John, after Doug's grandfather who passed away last fall. Within a couple of days of that conversation, I asked Everson if Jesus still had a baby brother for him. He said yes. I asked him what's the baby's name. He said, "Him's name John."

So when it comes to the future, and prophecy...look no further. Everson seems to have a direct line to God ;-)

BTW, we haven't decided on ANY names...we're open to all reasonable suggestions.

Thought it was time for a new look on the blog.

Check back on Tuesday...I have an ultrasound appt and should find out for sure how this baby will break the boy/girl tie. And for the first time...we will be letting folks know what we're having! Why? Well, it is our 5th child...and I either gave away or sold of all our baby stuff when we moved LOL. So you'll know just what color to buy when you see something on sale...hint hint.

Emma's Birthday Party

Can you locate Emma? She's buried among 493 Happy Meal Toys that were collected from our coop and her birthday party. My digital camera was not cooperating with my 14 year old photographer at Emma's party...fortunately a friend had her camera and she is burning a cd for me. I'll put a slide show together as soon as I get the pics.

We had 15 girls enjoying 3 spa stations: pedicure, manicure and facial. There was lots of laughter and ticklish feet. We had a brief devotional with the girls about Inner Beauty and then decorated mirrors to remind us to reflect God with our lives. Her party yielded 76 toys (13 happy meal toys), 25 hats, 29 boxes of bandaids and 43 packages of stickers. We collected items from our coop 2 days before Emma's party. Our grand totals are: 493 Happy Meal toys, 50 assorted toys, 70 boxes of bandaids, 57 hats, 58 packages of stickers and a $30 Walmart Gift card (which we used to buy hats). We were also given $85 to help with shipping. We have about 7 boxes to mail off to North Carolina!

AND in 2 weeks, our AWANA club is collecting items for the clinic! Emma's still amazed at the support of her mission. She thought her tea party for the homeless shelter was big...and this surpasses it all!

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF GIVING US JOY! Happy Birthday Emma. Here she is wearing her very own, custom made "Team Armstrong" shirt - a very cherished gift from Uncle Sam, Aunt Angie, Wonderwill and Katie.