Lesson One: Keep Your Shoes On!

"Mom."

"Yes, Stinger."

"Did you know you have to keep your shoes on the WHOLE time at preschool?"

"You do?!" I said with a knowing smile. "Who told you that?"

"My teacher!" (I have a feeling she told him numerous times, but I am too afraid to ask!)

First Day of Pre-K!

 And with that Stinger's first year of preschool is off and running!  Stinger loves it.  If you could see his classroom you would love it too.  It is every child's dream.  In one corner, blocks, more blocks, trains, tracks, and more trains.  In another there are dolls and a kitchen center to play house.  There is a reading center with comfy places to read.  An art center with paints and new pointy crayons organized by color in separate containers.  I love brand new crayons with sharp points organized by color.  It makes me want to color.  Even a big playhouse with a ladder to climb, right there in the classroom.  

After school on the first day, he looked up at me with the biggest smile and said, "Can I go back tomorrow?"  The entire ride home he told me about all they did.  He loved eating lunch on a tray in his classroom.  He loved playing on the playground.  He even sang a song he learned.  The best part was that this song was about....SHOES!!!   Enjoy!

A Song For Stinger

I thought I would share Stinger's favorite song today, and after you listen to it 50 times I promise it will be yours as well!!  This song has everything in it that Stinger enjoys...tractors, planes, and humor.  I wish I would have recorded his belly laugh when he heard this song for the first time.   Enjoy!

How Great Is Thy Art, Bumble

The artist in our family is six year old Bumble.  Her favorite "special" this past year in Kindergarten was art.  This summer she has been drawing and creating almost every day.  She loves to watch YouTube videos that teach kids how to draw.  Here is one of my favorite drawings she did recently...

I love hummingbirds too, Bumble!  And this one is also my favorite...

Well, I guess you could say everything she draws is special to her mommy...

Even this sad bunny...

Good work, Bumble! I remember when you were younger you loved your art supplies.  A new pack of crayons or markers made you so happy.  You loved to organize them. Remember this...

The Bees Have A Fan

I saw this the other day when I walked in our living room...

Notice the white hanger.  I thought to myself, "Why would Honey put a hanger on top of the ceiling fan?!"   I mentioned it to him when he got home and Honey didn't know anything about it. 

A couple days went by and it happened again.  Only this time it was a beanbag...

Apparently, Stinger created a new game called "throw things in the air until they land on the ceiling fan."  I have never seen him play this cool game but apparently he is a pro!  He confessed that he only plays this when I am feeding Honeycomb!!

Stinger, I know this is a fun game for you.  However, Mom is not a "fan" of this game!   Hopefully the thrill of this will all blow over soon!

The Bees' Flower Tour

The flowers I planted this year are starting to fill out and overflow their containers. Here is what one looked like back in May when I first planted it...

and here it is today...

I have three planters on our back deck.  So far these have survived the downpours we have been having lately, and they even survived being pelted with hail.  Here is another one...

I also have two planters on our front porch...

They too are overflowing!

Back in May when I was at Lowes picking out all the flowers for these planters, a lady complimented me on my multi-tasking abilities.  When she saw me, I was feeding Honeycomb while holding onto Stinger (who wanted to stare at the fountains), while trying to push a cart and concentrate on finding flowers that would look pretty together! I told her that after a very LONG winter I was just happy to get out of the house!   I enjoy getting my hands dirty.  It is my "me" time!

Around our mailbox this year, I scattered zinnia seeds.  I am hoping they will bloom.  It is a partly shaded area and I don't think they are getting enough sunlight, but time will tell...

I also am enjoying seeing our knockout roses bloom.  Three of these bushes were planted along the side of our house.  They are my favorite...

Also this year, I am trying something new.  Ferns!!  A lady Honey works with gave us a few plants so I am trying to keep them alive underneath our deck...

I did have two plants like this, but the hail storm flattened the one.  This one seems to be doing well.  I am wondering if I could split it and replant half of it in the planter that was ruined.  I don't want to ruin this plant!

Thanks for joining me on my flower tour.  Next will be a garden tour consisting mostly of weeds!!! Hopefully I can find some vegetables to show you!!

The Bees Go To Rocky Gap: Part Two

 So, what did the Bees do next on their mini vacation?  Paddle boating!  The plan was to all go out on the water together, but Honeycomb did not cooperate!! Apparently our little Bee does not like yellow jackets!  When we tried to put her yellow life jacket on she screamed.  So I sat with her on the dock...

 and watched Honey and the kids paddle out into the deep water...

The views were amazing or so they tell me...

Then they finally returned safely back to Honeycomb and I.  Can you spot us?

I think it is safe to say the Bees had a "boat" load of fun on our mini vacation!  Even though taking little ones on trips is not an easy task, these three made it well worth it...

The Bees Go To Rocky Gap Resort: Part One

The Bees went to Maryland this weekend for a Bee reunion!  We stayed overnight at the Rocky Gap Resort...

It is an absolutely gorgeous hotel.  This was our three little Bees' first time staying at a hotel.  I had to explain what a hotel was to them!! They were super excited!  This was the view from our room...

Bumble and Stinger really wanted to go swimming so we took them to the pool at the hotel...

It took Stinger a little while to warm up to the idea of being in the water, but towards the end he stood in the water all by himself and was having so much fun.  So was Bumble...

I wish I could say the same for Honeycomb...

I guess little Bees are scared of water, so I sat with her and we watched the others play...

Later, when we went back to our room I found a note that Bumble had wrote on the hotel stationary...

What did the Bees do next on their mini vacation?  Stay tuned.   (Here is a hint.  It also involved more water and a crying baby!!)

Storytime with Bumble

The Turtle and the Frog

by Bumble 

A Bee's Last Day of School

Bumble's last day of school was this past Friday.  She was a little bummed about that...

Ok, so maybe she was REALLY bummed about that!  Let's take a look at some moments before she climbed on the bus one last time as a Kindergartner...

First, she posed for her picture...

Then, she picked some flowers for her teacher...

and gave Stinger his goodbye hug...

and climbed on the bus one last time (with stranger Bruce of course!!)...

Bumble, even though I was extremely nervous about sending you to school this past fall, I am glad I let you go.  You have grown up right before my very eyes, and I love seeing who you are becoming.  

I think your teacher said it best...

Love you, Bumble!

The Bees and the Flood

Yesterday, in the afternoon hours, the rains came down and the floods came up all around our hive! Then the hail and wind came too...

After it came to an end, the Bees went outside to look around.  The road was flooded...

This is the corner of our property where it meets the neighbors...

The water flowed into our backyard...

 and to the back of our property...

Our electric was off for a little while so the kids stayed outside and had some fun.  And when I say kids, I mean Honey too!

Oh, and remember the kite that was stuck in the tree?....The good news is that Ladybug became so terrified in our big tall tree that she decided to come down...

This "flooded" Bumble's heart with happiness!  I am also glad to report that all the water drained over night and this morning I saw our grass again.  This "flooded" my heart with happiness!

Two Bees and A Field Trip

Two Bees went on a field trip last week...

Honey went with Bumble and her Kindergarten class to Lake Tobias.  Someone else wanted to go to...

  Sorry Stinger.  You are staying home with mom and Honeycomb!

  I was glad Honey was able to go on the trip with her.  I would have worried all day if she would had went without one of us!  I mean, she is only six!  Who would have been there to warn her of all the danger?!  Just look at these horns...

Bumble, stand back or he will get you!

And here someone needed to warn her that the ostrich could eat her alive...

Seriously, Bumble!  Watch out!  

Never trust a hungry goat, Bumble...

Ok, so maybe Honey teases me that I warn my Bees way to much when we are out and about.  I am sure Honey didn't give her any of these warnings, but just knowing he was along with her on this trip made me feel a lot better.  Thanks Honey for being a chaperone on Bumble's field trip, and sorry you came home so exhausted!   I WARNED you they would be full of energy!!