Thanksgiving Skeet

I didn't get any pictures at Thanksgiving except for a few while shooting skeet. That has really become a tradition for the Bailes holiday at Steve's house. Yesterday nobody was doing very well. Usually the "patriarchs" (Mike and Steve) have a friendly competition where both of them manage to get about 95% of the clays, but yesterday neither they nor anyone else got more than two or three out of a round of ten or so. Oh well - it was still fun to watch.

Here are Andrew, Mike, as well as Elizabeth and Hudson.
Mike and Dad behind the shooter. This year they had an electric one, which is much easier to operate. But, it also might have been throwing the clays differently, which might have contributed to the lower percentages of shooting.

And yours truly with my lovely niece Catherine!

9th Graders and Kindergarteners

As any reader of this blog knows, 7th period physical science keeps me hopping. Maybe you'd have had to be here for this one, but it was cute.

My room is fine most of the day with these cooler temperatures, but when the last period group gets there, right after PE, they are hot. Rather than change the setting on the thermostat back and forth from heat to cool, I just open the window - a large, swing-out window not really meant for that purpose - and let in some of the nice, cool, outside air. The downside is that we hear everything of the kindergarteners at play.

Friday afternoon my students were taking an elements quiz - long and involved - when we heard a kindergartener belt out loudly, "Oh, say can you see, By the dawn's early light!" It provided some welcome comic relief.

Another Moment in the Trenches

Another moment with 9th grade science: I'm explaining about metals, that they can be rolled into thin sheets and pulled into wires, and they are good conductors of heat and electricity. I said "Now you've probably heard about people who break into air conditioning units to steal copper wire. Why do you think that there is copper wire in air conditioning units?"

"To get money!"

Happy Birthday!

Twenty two years ago this evening, at 7:35, a baby boy made his appearance into this world. He decided to make things interesting by backing out, but I'll spare my internet readers the details of that event.

He spent the rest of the evening looking around at his dad, his mom, and anything and anyone else. He didn't sleep much. He was afraid he might miss out on something. He hasn't changed.

He has blessed our lives for twenty-two years. Much love and happy birthday to our son Andrew!

p.s. Andrew - sorry I got the birthday menu wrong. I'll fix the deer steak when you come home for Thanksgiving if you'll settle for sausage lasagna tonight.

My Daughter's Art Work

She says this still needs a lot of work. I think it looks pretty good!!!

The Treasure Chest

My friend Kathy from church, a lovely young mother who blogs at Dandelion Dust, put up this post recently. She had had to take her young daughters with her to the funeral of the young man at our church as she could not find a sitter. They took it all in wide-eyed as you can imagine. As the undertakers were closing up the casket, the five-year-old pulled her mother's head close to her own and whispered "They're closing up the treasure chest."

Out of the mouths of babes--