McComb Family

Project Slime is a success!!

Adam really wanted me to buy him a slime-making kit from his most recent book order form. I told him I was not paying $7 for something we could make at home for much less. So, being Adam, he decided to Google how to make slime, because according to Adam lately you just Google anything you need to know.

World's smallest flying helicopter - Google it.

World's most famous store - Google it.

Is God real? - Google it.

How to make slime - Google it. Which is how we ended up with a recipe on how to make slime. Similar to what I make with my class every year, but easier! Perfect!! Also, I learned if you use clear glue rather than white glue you get a more transparent slime. Cool, we'll try it!! I searched for clear glue this weekend and found colored clear glue with glitter. Now he's really excited, but we have to wait until Monday to get Borax from my room.

So, while Briana is at softball practice Adam and I made slime. Here is everything you need:

Pour the glue into a bowl. (Serious, intense face - necessary.)

Add Borax to another bowl.

Mix with water and stir.

Pour contents of one bowl into the other and pull out slime....

And enjoy!!

Posted in: on Monday, March 28, 2011 at at 5:59 PM 2 comments

Briana's Softball Schedule

We are just about into softball season again. I thought I would be getting out of it this year after the "never ending" season from last year, but once she realized all of her friends were playing she changed her mind!! So, let the games begin.....

Here is the schedule for this season:

Wed. 3/23 6:00 Beam

Wed. 3/30 6:00 Beam

Sat. 4/9 TBD Mills Middle School

Sat. 4/16 11:00 Camino School

Wed. 4/20 6:00 Beam

Sat. 4/30 11:30/1:00 Beam

Sat. 5/7 10:00 Beam 11:30 Creekside

Wed. 5/11 6:00 Beam

Sat. 5/21 10:00 Creekside 12:00 Beam

Maybe we'll see you there!!!!

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at at 5:48 PM 5 comments

Stormy

It's been raining quite a bit here lately.....just in time for the kids to be inside during their vacation - he he!!! After quite a storm the other day, a friend of mine and I went down to the river to get some pictures. Here they are....

This is the confluence where the north and middle forks of the American river come together. There was a lot of water rushing through there!!!

Those trees are on an island that you can usually see. Not today!!!

This is a new sign they've recently put up. Yeah, I'd say that's a good idea!!

Makes you realize how powerful water is!!

I love this picture, but I hate blogger!! Blogger....why?? Why do you not let me put a picture that I've rotated into my blog correctly?? Soooo frustrating!!! Anyway, (tilt your head) this is Foresthill Bridge as the fog is coming in and the sun is setting. More rain is on the way, so we'll see if I get anymore cool pictues!! :)

Posted in: on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at at 4:19 PM 3 comments

Pumpkin carving

Sometimes Blogger's new format drives me absolutely crazy and everything I want to do does not work out for me!! That's one reason this post has been in my draft file for a month now!! Oops! Well, I'm finally getting to it again.....better late than never! :)

Here are the kids proudly displaying the pumpkins they are going to turn into jack-o-lanterns!

The gang getting started cutting off lids and scraping out the insides.

Just checking to see if there are any more "guts" in there!!

The kids wanted super elaborate designs and even printed ideas off the computer, but Bret always ends up having to do it for them. He told the kids they were on their own this year, so here is Adam's design....

Briana's design....

Adam cutting out his design (whoo hoo.....getting to use a knife -- his favorite!!).

Here is everybody getting ready to light their own candle.

The final products!!

Posted in: on Monday, November 22, 2010 at at 3:17 PM 2 comments

Winter Concert

Briana is now old enough that she can participate in band at school. And it worked out well since her piano teacher moved away this summer and we never started her anywhere else. So....she's now playing the clarinet (or at least learning to play the clarinet!). She has her first performance next month, so mark it on your calendars!!! Details are:
     When: Tuesday, December 14th at 7 pm (Doors open at 6:45)
     Where: Golden Sierra H.S.
     Cost: Free!
Hope to see you there!!

Posted in: on Thursday, November 18, 2010 at at 7:19 PM 2 comments

He lost it!!

Literally, not figuratively....

And saved it in his pocket to bring home so that he could "study" it.

What a boy!

Posted in: on Monday, November 01, 2010 at at 7:54 PM 3 comments

Got me thinking

Every day, Jeni and I talk to our students about a current event topic. We find where that place is on the map, figure out which continent it's on, and so forth. The kids love it! While I was cruising the internet this morning looking for more articles, I came across this one.

Interesting......because many of those exact same thoughts went through my mind three years ago.

I remember mentioning to my dad as we left the hospital after I was given my iodine-131 that nobody knew I was radioactive. I felt normal, I looked normal, but a radiation detector might not have thought I was normal! It was a little weird walking past all these people who had no idea I was actually radioactive!!

And here they are talking about it again. I'll be interested to see if anything changes regarding the way this treatment is done or if it will remain status quo. Hmm....something to think about. In fact, I wonder if I've ever walked past a radioactive person before.

Posted in: on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at at 4:23 PM 2 comments

Barn

Barns are notorious for having mice in them and since we don't have a cat, it seems like this could become a problem now that we have a barn. However, I think we may have found the solution. Look what just showed up....

Cute little fellow, and he seems like he would be good at keeping the rodent population in check!!

Speaking of the barn, I haven't put any new pictures up for a while. Although the progress is slow, there IS progress going on. It's all framed up, garage doors are in, most of the roof is sheeted, and now the dormers are being build. Coming along!

Posted in: on Sunday, October 03, 2010 at at 10:29 AM 2 comments

Our little fella

Fifteen years ago Bret and I brought home an adorable little puppy who had been abandoned in a box in a park. We fell in love with the little guy right away. Only a few short weeks later he was run over by our neighbor and we had to make the decision about what to do with him. Of course, we were already deeply attached and decided we would somehow figure out a way to pay for whatever vet bills ensued. He soon recovered from his injuries and two years later got a "sister" Nika.

We added two "real" children to the mix and became one big happy family.

Over the years, he limped a little more, went completely deaf, and started sleeping more and more hours each day -- not exactly the watch dog he started off as but still an important part of our family.

Today a tragic accident took him from us and left a little hole in our hearts. We have always been surprised that he has lived as long as he has especially with everything he has been through, and he was a trooper up until the very end. In the past year and a half, we have lost three of our dogs and it doesn't get any easier. He will be missed!

Posted in: on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at at 7:42 PM 3 comments

Soccer studs

The soccer season is well underway now. Adam has played four games in the past three weeks and his team is in first place. They are doing really well. He's having a great time!

Briana's team has played two games now. She is now on an all girls team this year and they play teams from other leagues. It's quite a change from what she's been doing before. Bret is coaching them, and although they have lost both of their games, they are definitely making progress and learning to work together. She looks like a little midget out there, but she gets right in there and goes up against girls much taller and bigger than her.