Happy Birthday Ben~!~!

 Happy 8th Birthday to Ben.. Nov. 12th was Ben's birthday..  What a joy this boy has been in my life~!  
Here he is opening his card from Aunt Jodie..
HE was so excited when he saw the money~!
I love to watch his tongue waggling too and fro from one side of his lips to the other.

Have a great day~!  
It's a tiggeriffic day.. snow on the ground..crisp air and the magic of winter...ta ta for now..~!

Ben's last day of school~!

This is Ben's first grade teacher, Mrs. Schlotterback.. She is going to have a baby June 25.   Ben was so excited to help me make this quilt for her.. Today was the last day of school and I brought it to school so Ben could give this quilt to her..  She really liked this quilt and said that her babies room was with a chevron design for a wallpaper border and in these colors.. Perfect~!    She is going to have a girl.. She even let the class vote for the name.. I thought that was brave..  

Another year is over and Ben is now going to be in 2nd grade next year.. Can't believe that this school year is all over.. 

       I volunteer for 2nd graders and next year I won't be able to do that.. Ben will be in that classroom.. So I went to the third grade teacher and asked if she would like me to volunteer in her classroom... She was so very excited.. Teachers really need our help with helping with their students...  Giving them one on one time in reading ~~~ helping them with their math...  correcting math and spelling for the teacher.. Soo if anyone has some time to help with teachers in their area,,,it would be a great thing if you could do this.. I go twice a week from 9 a.m. to 3p.m.   If you can't do all day then just do an hour or two... Its rewarding and time well spent in helping the children..  

      Have a great day...ta ta for now from Iowa:)

It's a wonderful day here in Iowa...Had a huge big storm last night... 60 mile wind and flat winds along with the rain... We got hail first... Big balls falling out of the sky.~!
Was driving in this mess and was so glad to get home and put car in garage.. I ran for the house and went to the basement.. Tornadoes sirens going off..  Yikes~!  My hair was on fire....LOL
Today is sunny and it is now 72 degrees.. going to be a nice day...to go out and work on the weeds in the garden...
Ben will be home at 2:30  from school. early out today.... Last day of school is going to be next Thursday..May 29th.. Doesn't seem possible he is done with 1st grade and going into 2nd.. He is so smart.. He is reading 3rd grade level and doing 2nd grade math... Now if we could just get his social skills calmed down..
It will come with lots of time and patience.. I take him once a week to what is called Play Therapy.. It's actually counseling..and it's really helping him... a lot..
Haven't  been on here since my birthday in February.. Best to get started again since I miss all my favorite blog buddies.  So here is the beginning of a new start .....
    This is Ben at his school for track day.. Ben is on the left ..With his favorite buddies ~~ Grant and Andrew...

Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  ta ta for now from Iowa:-)

Happy Birthday~! I'm 1/2 way to 140~!~!

 Yesterday was my birthday~!
I love my birthdays~!
I sat in my pj's all day answered the phone with my family calling and wishing me a splendid day.  I had a virus on my computer and the man I was talking to that was going to fix my computer ~ I told him it was my birthday and he wished me a Happy Day..He laughed when I told him my age.  I did my Bible Study and looked at the birds outside my window.. Baby it's cold outside but it's sunny and pretty white with snow..
    I had a (total) of 18 male and female Cardinals come to the lilac bush and show off all their beauty with the snow in the back ground.. right outside my window.. What a marvelous sight that was to see..Won't be long and Mr. Cardinal is going to be singing love songs to Mrs. Cardinal.. Music to my ears~!  

Then I had to get dressed..My friend Holly came and got me with a van full of some of my friends and took me to dinner at Zeppelins's  Restaurant. They told me to order whatever I wanted.. and I did.. It was an awesome evening with laughter and friends sharing lots of birthday wishes..  This year I'm 1/2 to 140... I love telling my age this way.. It makes people do the math..ha ha...:)

You can't have a birthday without dessert.. So here is a Chocolate brownie with whipped cream and ice cream and a smackling of nuts..  IT was so good and the evening was ended with much sweetness~! 
Needless to say I had a great time.. Thanking God for Birthdays and knowing that God is able to provide me with every blessing in abundance...   I love my family and friends and a day wouldn't go past that I don't appreciate them all..  ~!~!
Have a Tiggeriffic Day ~~~ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Ben in a play "Tacky the Penguin".

Last Friday Ben and his friend Grant were in a play. Ben was narrator 3 and his friend was narrator 1.. They both did a great job~!  It was a really cute play.. The kids in his classroom (14) were dressed like penguins and it was so cute to see them preform.. or is it perform..
It was a great time for parents to see their children doing a play about penguins. Ben and Grant did a wonderful job reading all those words.. Some big and some short and some very hard for a 1st grader to read.But these boys are at the top of their reading groups ~ no problem for them.

      Snow storm last night.. We have 4 inches.. I went out this morning and shoveled a path to the bird feeder and got their feeders filled.. They were munching while I was filling the feeders.. They were hungry little birds. I also got the cement pad in front of garage cleared of snow and then came into the house.. I was chilly.. It was 12 degrees and wind chill factor was -9.. I poured my coffee and came into my room where my computer is located...Turned on my computer and there was WARNING ~! WARNING~!  on the screen.. I had a major virus.. So I called our Secure It virus protector and they took over my computer with my permission and 3 hours later they had it fixed..  Thank you Secure It~!   
     Today is my birthday..I'm 1/2 way to 140... Doesn't seem possible that I'm that old.. I don't feel that old..which is actually very good.  I just wonder where did all those years went.. It's a great day...I love my birthday..~!  My bible study girls are taking me out for supper tonight. Zeppelins.. Not sure where that Restaurant  is but it's going to be a happy time to be with these girls..I made them some hearts.. Ben and I and his mom Tracie has been working on these hearts.  Take wax paper..a potato peeler and a hot iron.. and crayons.  peel some of the crayon onto the wax paper fold paper in half and go over the paper with a hot iron and the crayons melt..  After this cools I cut the paper into a heart shape...  they are so cool.. This is going to be Ben's valentines to give to his kids in his class.. and I'm going to give to my girl friends for my birthday~!  
        Early out for school kids today..  some schools cancelled.. Our school had a late start and a early dismissal..  Only 4 hours of school today... This way we can have last day be in late May... and not have to go into June... Snow and cold bitter temperatures have been a long battle for us this year.. Don't mind the snow as Iowa needs all the moisture it can get.  We were in the beginning of a dought last fall.
      You all have a Tiggeriffic Day~!  ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Look who's doing the supper dishes~!

 After I volunteered yesterday (Tues.) for the second graders at Springville Elementary ~ Ben and I left to go home.. 
Decided to have pizza.. His mom got home and we had the oven ready... Ben made his own pizza and he held up his plate with the dough that he had spread out, he had drawn a happy face.. He said "GranAnnie ~ this is how I feel"..."Happy"...We are trying to teach him about feelings... match the face with the feeling.. I told him that his face made me Happy too~!

After supper he just decided on his own that he was going to do the dishes.. So he got his stool and I gave him the sponge we use to wash the dishes and squirted soap on the sponge.. (of course I gave him lots of praise).... He was as happy as a lark to do this..I told him I would wipe the dishes.. I told him the responsibility that the dryer had was to be sure the dishes were clean and rinsed good.. He liked it that I was drying the dishes.. He said "We are a team"...  
         Afterwards we went into his Mom's bedroom and watched a Vegie Tale Movie.. Beanie climbed up and he petted Beanie and said  'You know GranAnnie if you pet your dog long enough they will follow you all over the house ".. I said "Yes, Ben you are right"...Little later he went to the kitchen to get a drink and he was so excited..Beanie walked right behind him... He gave her a snack... Good Dog~!
       This morning was a little chilly but this noon it's 21 degrees with the sun shining so brightly.. We are having a heat wave.. Ya-Hoo~!   Went outside this morning and it felt so good to not be below 0 and the wind not blowing so hard..
      The furnace is acting up this morning and our furnace man came right over... Oh NO~~!  He said the motor was dead.. $$$$$$$$$$  later, we have heat again.. 
The expenses of winter is upon our house and so glad I saved money for a rainy/snowy day.....
      A Cure For The Blues:  Psalm 8   ought to be required reading for anyone suffering the "Monday morning Blues" (I know today is Wednesday) If one can read it without getting emotionally involved, than you haven't had your morning coffee yet~!  When was the last time you counted your blessings from God? God has provided much happiness for our families, our health, security possessions, a home in heaven.  Give much thanksgiving and Read Psalm 8 out loud to God. Our God is all-powerful~! 
      Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now:)
      
       

100 days for Ben's School

     Last Friday it was 100 days of school for Ben at Springville Elementary. His first grade class participated in dressing old.   He was dressed like an old man.. He has on his great grandpa's hat..his dad's suspenders and a painted on mustache.. He looked so cute and he was so proud..   His teacher took their picture and on the computer she aged the kids faces.. This is what Ben will look like when he is old..He is still cute.. or handsome.. 
     Yesterday we had really bad  weather and the blowing snow  was so bad traveling to church..  But we made it~!  When we came out of church it was nice. No wind and no snow blowing.. We came home and had some delicious brocolli / ham soup and a sandwich.. I baked some apples in the microwave and they tasted so delish~!    About 4 p.m. the wind picked back up and Yikes~!  the blowing snow was blowing so hard and on the T.V. there were school cancellations for today..(Monday)...   This morning lots of businesses were closing.. It's -7 and the chill factor is brisk.. The winds are suppose to pick back up to 30 plus and they are telling people to stay home because it's so cold.. I went out this morning and fed the birds ,,,had to shovel lots of snow to get to their feeder.. There was a little black capped chickadee that was not looking very good.. I picked him up and brought him into the house.. I gave it some water and some food and he perked right back up.. I let him back outside and he flew to the feeder and looked like he was going to make it.. He was singing his  song "I'm alive"  "I'm alive"... chick a dee dee~!  chick a dee dee~! 
      After I got back inside I poured my coffee and made my morning grits and a soft egg..  Now just sitting in my comfy chair watching the birds.. I now have one squirrel and he is enjoying the corn I put out on the ground this morning just for him.. I had some walnuts and put them out there too.. My friend gave me a old bag  (2010) of walnuts she had in her freezer and said to feed them to my birds.. j
    Hope you all are safe and warm.. I'm just thankful we have electricity and the furnace is running ...
    Ta ta for now from Iowa:)  
WARNING~~~~everyone should go outside and take a look at the exhaust that is on the side of your house..this exhaust comes from your furnace.. If it is blocked with snow or ice your furnace will not work.. I checked mine while out feeding the birds..It was covered with snow.. Good thing I looked~!