The Smith Family Times

Happy Pre-Mother's Day!

Sam and I before the Mother-Son Pizza Party

"Poppies will put them to sleep"

Tessa flashes her baby blues before the Father-Daughter Dance

(Susan):  What are those crazy Smiths up to? No good, I guess.  Rob is off on some 18 mile run and we may or may not get dressed today.  The rains have stopped and the 40 degree weather has set in.  If it warms up, we will be out to shoot some hoops.  Rob and the kids played a little back yard ball this week and Sam made ten baskets.  Coming inside he said, " This might be the best day of my life!"  We'll see if we can have another of those days today.  Our only true goal today is to make some chocolate chip cookies!

Sticky Business

(Susan):  Today's business won't be so sticky.  We are working on putting the house back together and playing in the Tired Old Parents volleyball tournament.  This is not to be confused with the Fairly Odd Parents Tournament which I am sure I would win.  Sam is finally better with his cough and Tessa is at a Young Writers Workshop this morning.  Don't forget to lose an hour of sleep!

Spring Break Begins

(Susan):  Rob arrived home safely on Monday evening in time for Tessa's last tournament basketball game.  Her team won in the last two minutes and it was an exciting end to the season.  I'm sure Rob will blog some of his wonderful Nicaragua experiences for all to share.  We are trying to talk him into writing a book about the village he visited.  We all made it through our week and our spring break officially begins tonight with a special dinner of mismatched items from the freezer including blueberry French toast sticks and a triple fudge cake followed by a nice nap in the chair for mom.  Tomorrow we head to Winter Park, Colorado for a little R and R at the Devil's Thumb Ranch.  Our house is at its worst with the floor sanders coming in, all the furniture crammed into different rooms and now a new world record for depth of dust coating every darn thing in the house.  The painters wrap it up tomorrow and while we are away all the hardwood gets a new finish.  It willbe so nice to have our house back and so fun for guests to come see.  We are looking forward to a visit from the H2G family at the end of March!

It's Friday!

Sam is feeling much better!  He had an ear infection.

(Susan):  Deep in the jungles of Kansas City, we celebrate the close of our week.  A patient's lovely wife decided to make a full course dinner for us, including this super yummy homemade lemon cake.  Life is soo, soo good.  Especially when I don't have to cook.  Tomorrow is hopefully quiet with only a trip to the locks and pulls store for knobs.  Sounds like a great trip, huh?  The Great Dane lady has turned us down, saying we live too far away for her to make a home visit.  I did have to remind her we passed the home inspection for three greyhounds!  We will keep working her.  Seems she may be a tougher sell than Rob.

Happy Fat Tuesday

Hey everyone except Rob, meet Willow (aka Tiny).  What do you think Grandpa Paul?  Butch re-incarnate?

Tessa plays American Model in her new teen age duds

(Susan):  Happy Fat Tuesday at 1:30 am on Thursday.  Takes me a while, doesn't it?  I have just spent the last hour awake with a coughing kid and this seemed a perfect time to blog.  Sam has a dry cough with no fever so hopefully will feel better in the morning.  He made this Madris Gras mask in school on Tuesday.  He thought his lips looked funny in the picture so we repeated the picture (they look just exactly the same).  Tessa had more basketball practice tonight and the end of season tournament starts tomorrow and runs through next week, Grandmas  if you want to come watch.  We watched American Idol without Rob and must say we are disappointed in most of the performances this week.  Go Chris, Taylor, and Ace!!  Would someone PLEASE turn it up next week!!!

Hi Tiny #2!! (Real name Sunshine)  This wonderful creature lives in St. Louis and is in foster care, good with cats and great with kids.  What do you think, do the mice drive over and get her and Willow while the cat is away?

New Socks

Flipping for new socks

(Susan): Lisa and gang,

Thanks for the box of new socks! (and chocolates). We are all enjoying our fuzzy feet vey much. We are having a quiet weekend with not much picture worthy activity. Rob is off to Iowa City for the last home game. We are off to the grocery store. . . .

Tessa powers off Harry Potter number 5

Good choice on the socks, Lisa

Gus and friend cozy up for a nice fall nap

Identify this currently leaking portion of the Manor

Carving Pumpakins

(Rob:) Good eeeeevening!

Tonight was the annual carving of the Jack 'o the Lanterns here at Spooky Smith Manor:

Tessa Jean scooping pumpkin guts

Sam arising from the most sincere pumpkin in the patch

Four heads

Kids with their creations

Darth Pumpkin - Revenge of the Squash

Crazy arm-waving blow-up skeleton guy

Mother Daughter Party '05

Can you guess what Tessa and I are? How about you, Gramma Judy?

(Susan): We sure had fun dressing up and attending the 4th grade girls mother daughter Halloweener Party. For a nanosecond I considered having it here next year. Then we arrived at the actual party and witnessed 26 9 year olds having fun. Tonight we carve the pumpykins and yes, Grampi we will make you a barfing pumpkin. I have the whole week off (well kind of, I will only have to go into work three times for things I can't have anyone else do), so I should be able to blog everyday this week.

Shiver me timbers! It's a dragon and a dragon rider!

The boys had to stay home and watch Batman versus Dracula (Batman won thankfully!)

Sunset in Sunset Hills

Saturday Fun

Halloween cards in the mail! Thanks ya pirate lovin' Gramma Judy!

(Susan): Hopefully, this will be a quiet weekend at home to unwind from all the winding up we have been doing. Rob is on call which could be the equivalent of going to Iowa City. Tessa and I have a mother daughter Halloween party tonight so it should be pretty scary. I figured I would blog and sip my scrumptious coffee before I go clean up the dead mouse in the dining room!!! eeeKKKKKK! Yuck.

One of our new blue spruce trees with kids

More kids

Tessa shows some speed

Sam takes a turn

More Pictures Changes

Sam is a good climber

(Susan): We had a quiet evening as Rob was off to Iowa City again and Tessa had a sleepover with her friend Arlet. Today we have to finish up our Halloween costumes and do some quilting. Some national decorators group wants to tour a finished bathroom that our remodeling company has completed so I guess I better pick up the towels and husband's underwear from the floor as that would not make for national headlines. They are coming Wednesday. Hope that Hurrricane Wilma doesn't hit you Gramma Judy.

Tessa Jean

Mitchell takes a break

He really loved this little scooter

Jack helps blog