Halloween 2009

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… I tried.  Bryan did an AWESOME job with the nunchucks!!   A friend lent us this cheerleader outfit… she took to those pom poms quite naturally!!

the happy and cold trick or treater

this one is not so excited about all the squash on ou r window sill.. the orange of the season… so far all food has produced this lovely gag reflex…

and just like that, November has arrived…

Bits of family life

Am I really back?  I’m not sure why I blog anyway, to be honest.    I suppose it is a record of sorts.

After 11 days of fevers, Talia was finally better, and Thad came down with ‘it’.  I suppose they were both swine flu.  Thad ended up with a monster ear infection by the 4th day, but his fevers are now done, and it looks like no one else is getting sick.  I am looking forward to no more sickness and improved sleeping habits by the youngest.  I think her tummy has settled from the antibiotics and her yeast levels are back to normal, so I believe we’ll be starting solids this week! I think we’ll start with one of the 15 squash sitting on our kitchen window sill!   Here are the first lot before Bryan went to the store and brought home another 7!   I don’t even like squash, to be honest, but I am surely going to be eating it!!

Talia is rolling all around the floor now, impressing us and herself.  She is smiley and beautiful and an absolute joy.  Now and then she has a real temper.  I heard her in a huge upset and came in worriedly, and Bryan was standing there laughing at her on the floor, screaming mad because he took a book away from her!   wow.  She may be like me in more ways than one…

Tonight is the conclusion of our study on the Lord’s Prayer.  The whole service will be ‘the prayer’… I’ll make a post of it tomorrow so you can see kind of how we did it.  It will be followed by a week of the prayer room in Eagle River being open 24/7.  I am praying God continues to change us as we seek Him, and that the vision for a 24/7 prayer room in Anchorage will realized sooner than we can deem possible.

Shand follows the brothers yet again.

This time in the yard…

as she drops her pants and pees in front of all the  neighbor kids.  That beautiful long wavy hair with a bow in it is VERY deceiving!!  at least she didn’t make more laundry for me.

Come to think of it, how DID she manage to not pee ON her underwear?

how to get your kids to flush…

New House Rule:

Whoever flushes another person’s poop gets to collect a quarter from the offender.

IT WORKS!!! Each boy has only paid one quarter to the other.  Our toilets are much cleaner. The air much fresher.

Keenan and His All-nighter

Keenan is pushing for some freedom to make his own choices.  It usually comes up in areas he is not ready to make those decisions in.  But we thought staying up as late as he wanted to would be a fun new thing for him.  He didn’t quite make it all night.  But he sure tried!

Thad stayed the night at his cousin’s, so we decided tonight would be a good night to let Keenan stay up as late as he wanted.  He was over the moon, ecstatic, giddy, hyper and hysterical!   Bryan and I just kept laughing to ourselves all night.  He was just so dang pleased with himself.

We had taco’s for dinner, got Shand in bed.  He helped us clean up and such.  He wanted to start movies and playing games immediately, but we showed him what we did as we put them to bed.  Clean up first, pick up here and there, etc.  THEN…

make snacks. yup. the secret is OUT!! mom and dad make choc chip cookie dough when the kids are in bed.  Needless to say, Keenan got a tummy ache from eating too much.  but its not long term.  it was his choice, and we were find letting him make it.

We played a Spy Game together. Then at 9:30 put on the Johnny Tremain movie. he was thrilled I sat with him and watched it.  yes, I usually ditch the kids during movie time.

When it was over he hopped on the floor and said, ok dad, what movie do you want to watch next?

We told him we were tired and going to bed but he could watch another if he kept the volume down.

Around the World in 180 Days.

The tv i sin our room, and he came and kissed us goodnight at 1am.

At 1:30 am I heard him banging around in his room… setting up tables and chairs to make paper civil war soldiers… I told him it was fine, just be quiet.

At 3:30am, the light still on, I found him passed out on his bed.

It was a good memory maker night.

A Couple Funnies from the Boys

Keenan has been mixing up many words lately.  I love it as they expand their vocabulary.

Here is a fun one… stupid and dumb are opposite… I mean RELATIVE!

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AND some good news for us… a conversation overheard…

Keenan: I know you did.  I can see what you are thinking.

Thaddeus:  You can not!!  only parents can read my mind.

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There are so many  more… but they happen through the day, and by the time I sit down, I can’t remember them anymore.  even long enough to tell Bryan when he gets home.