Code Amber Ticker

As you can see to the left, I have added a Code Amber Ticker. I hope that others who have blogs and websites will add the ticker as well. You never know when something like this may help find a child. The ticker is free and easy to add. Just click on the ticker for more information about any current Amber Alerts and how to add one to your site!

Snow

Snow

The snow fell softly all the night

It made a blanket soft and white.

It covered houses, flowers and ground,

But it didn't make a single sound!

I woke up to about two inches of snow this morning. It was beautiful out! These pictures take from my back door don't do justice to what I saw. Thankfully it is a holiday and didn't have to worry about being out and driving.

And no...I didn't wrote the poem. I don't know the author though.

Whole Lotta Buildin' Goin' On

Shelby is having a blast building things. She got to build a time capusle today at Lowe's. Tammie brought Brianna and Janet brought her grandson Evan. Lynn brought her son Samuel and nephew Caleb (who is actually Shelby's cousin) but they were finished and ready to leave when we got there. It started at 10 but of course we didn't get there until 10:15 as usual! Here are a few pictures of the event. There is also one video which I hope will work. Shelby has also started her own blog and put another video from the day on it.

Fred Whaples is Back

Bob decided to put the scalped doll's hair to use. He said he wanted to go with the Fred Whaples look to show the kids what he looked like as a teenager. Believe it or not, Bob was a long-haired hippie boy back in the 70's!

These Kids are BAD!

These kids are so bad. Bad. BAD! Look what they did to the poor little doll Delainy got for Christmas. They scalped it!

I don't know who needs medicated more...me or them!

The First of 20

Shelby lost her first tooth on December 28 while we were in Charlotte. It was the first tooth that came in as well. That tooth popped through her little gum on December 31, 2003 while we were in Mississippi. Uncle John was the first one to notice the little tooth when it came in. Shelby was in his hotel room when the same little tooth came out 5 years minus 3 days later! I just think that is a neat coincidence.

On our way south that weekend, we stopped at an outlet to look around. Shelby picked out a book about losing teeth and the tooth fairy. It also came with a tooth shaped pillow that holds the tooth under the sleeping pillow. What great timing!

The tooth fairy left her a dollar for her tooth. She is ready to go shopping at the Dollar Tree!

Hand Made by Shelby

A couple weeks before Christmas, we went to one of the Kids Clinics that Lowe's has. Shelby and Josh got to make wooden gingerbread houses. They both did a great job. I forgot to take my camera so I didn't get pictures of them. This past Saturday, I took Shelby to Home Depot for one of their workshops for kids. She got to make a set of wooden bookends that have helmets on them. She can't wait to paint them blue and gold!

If you have kids, you should check out these activities. They are great! The kids get to build with real tools and wood, get their own apron (from each store) to keep and Lowe's gives the kids goggles to keep. Home Depot gives a pin for each workshop. Lowe's gives a patch to go on the apron as well as a certificate of completion. The best part of these activities....They are FREE! All stores do them.

http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/

http://www.homedepot.com/ Click on "know how" near the top and then click on kids workshops at the bottom right.

We will be making a jewelry box at Lowes (2-14) and a trinket box at Home Depot (2-7) in February. I think Lowes will also have a project near the end of February where the kids can make a race car.

Meineke Car Care Bowl - WVU 31 UNC 30

We headed south for the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, NC at the end of December. John and his family met us there. Everyone had a good time. We ended up spending an additional night due to the rain and fog conditions for driving. That gave time for Eleanor, Jane and me to go do some shopping. Everyone had a great time at the game. Yes, I know I am a Marshall fan but as long as WVU isn't playing Marshall, I can cheer for them. Shelby had a blast. Bob has turned her into a little Mountaineer Maniac. It was colder than we had expected and there was a light mist of rain for most of the game but we survived. There are so many great pictures that there is no way I can list them all!

We are planning to meet up again on January 23, 2009 in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. Shelby is so excited. There is going to be a "meet the players" session. She has been hoping to meet Pat White for over a year now. She chanted his name throughout much of the Bowl game that we just went to.

Santa Left No Coal

Santa left no coal in any Bayless stocking. When Shelby woke up, she was thrilled to see what Santa had brought. She got both of the "big" gifts she was wanting - a doll house as tall as Mommy and a r/c dinosaur named Spike. She had fun playing with them as well as the other gifts from us, Brandi and James. Josh and Delainy did well with their gifts from Santa and others as well. Shelby got them the BIG Sponge Bob and BIG Dora pillows. Shelby has a BIG Dora pillow that she got 3 years ago for Christmas. She thought since the two littler ones liked it that she would get them their own.

Visiting MawMaw Hall

On December 23rd, my dad took Shelby and me to Union, WV to see MawMaw Hall. It was good to see her. It is hard to believe that she is 91 1/2 years old. She was quite spry while we were there. When we first got there, she stood up rather quickly which I didn't give much thought until it hit me that she had a hip replacement a few months ago. She has a therapist that comes to see her and helps her with exercises.

We didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked due to bad weather predicted. About 30 minutes after we left, we ran into rain and then sleet. Luckily it turned back to mostly rain and then just cloudy by the time we got back to Charleston. The weather was good enough for my speed demon father to drive a little too fast. We were pulled over just before we got back into Kanawha County by a State Trooper. He was going 74 in a 60 zone, expired proof of insurance and had a concealed weapon. I would have gone to jail for sure and he only got a warning for speeding! I can't believe his luck. He didn't even have to appear to give proper proof of insurance.

Christmas Eve '08

Christmas Eve at our house was rather quiet. James had to work. Brandi and her kids went to her grandparent's house. That afternoon and early evening we let Shelby open 1 gift an hour if she was good. Of course she was good! She wasn't exactly wearing Christmas attire. As with most 5 year olds, she likes to dress herself!




She had picked out the new SuperGirl backpack but didn't know that I was going to fill it with books.



She screamed over her new Hannah Montana Jammies.

Shelby got a bag full of hot cocoa supplies including her own mug!

OK...every girl needs new undies!

After opening gifts at our house and changing into some more appropriate clothing, we went to Daddy's "camp." Shelby had a great time spending the evening with her PaPaw. She was so excited to open the gifts he got her. She got an American Girl style doll named Jenny and a table, chairs, and teaset for the doll and her "old" doll Gracie to use. I think everyone had a nice evening. Shelby fell asleep on the his couch and didn't even wake up getting in and out of the truck with her or when putting her to bed.

Principal's List

Here are a few pictures from the awards assembly at Shelby's school. She was on the Principal's List for the first 9 weeks term. That is for students that made all S's on the approaches to learning section (behavior, etc.) of the report card. It is hard to believe that a child of Bob Bayless would be good in school!!!! She also made all S's in the academic area of her report card as well.

Sorry about the photos being blurry.