Preschool Art Class

I took the girls to an art class at our local community center this morning. They were so excited, the energy was barely contained as we arrived. They are both quite proud of their creations and are looking forward to returning next month. Preschool teachers should be nominated for sainthood as this experience looked a lot like corralling cats; cats armed with paint.

Tea Party

So he is literally climbing the walls these days.

Anne had lunch with her favorite kindergartener and mine today. She called to let me know my little guy was okay but he'd had a pretty rough morning. He thinks the big boys on the bus are his best friends and one told him today he couldn't sit with them anymore. His little heart was broken. And then he got his first color change at school. In his words, "it made my belly a little bit sick when I had to move my color". He made a small mistake at school and learned a lesson including how life goes on after color changes. Thanks to Anne's advanced warning, I was able to have a tea party waiting when the kids got off the bus to help turn sour moods around. It was a welcomed change of pace this afternoon.

Devyn was beyond excited when she learned we were having a tea party. She loves them and for some reason, they haven't been on my radar lately. I suspect we'll be revisiting them more frequently.

And then God showed off a bit at sunset. It had been raining all day but the sun appeared just in time to set. The sky was incredible.

Celebrating Lauren

She is officially nineteen and spent her special day seeing the sharks at Newport Aquarium with Taylor. He tried to surprise her but she can't stand surprises and harassed him until he caved and told her what he had planned.  He is a good sport. We celebrated as a family yesterday with her dinner request of grilled whole chickens, mashed potatoes, slow cooked green beans and candy pizza. I got the official candy pizza recipe from Grandma Carol and no one was disappointed. Her TV has been installed and we fear she may never leave. Just kidding.

When Erin hangs out with us, elaborate tents are constructed

We took Batman to church on Saturday and he fell asleep on the way home. Being super is exhausting. Erin also joined us even though she is plugged into a new church near her house. It is always nice to have her along. She has been surprising us with visits more often lately and we love it.

Makenna's final run of 42nd Street was a success. The thespian society judged it yesterday for consideration of taking it to the nationwide conference this summer. The entire cast and crew are pretty excited by the prospect. Christmas Carol runs the first weekend in December because there is no rest for the weary, apparently.

I worked on Christmas cards today. We have decided to include the animals this year for reasons I do not yet understand but I needed a shot of both dogs together. Grilled chicken was used for cooperation. If only the kids were as easily bribed. But in all seriousness, this shot of Oliver is the one I really wanted to create our card with this year.

It is the most wonderful time of the year after all.

Vacation Week

Greg spent his second consecutive week off working on a giant side of bacon. We ordered half a pig a few weeks back and got the hams and bacon fresh so Greg could experiment with curing and smoking the meat himself. Speaking strictly as a consumer, it was well worth his efforts. The bacon is incredible. Seriously, you should visit us for breakfast soon.

We celebrated Veteran's Day with our favorite Veteran this week. My dad was honored at the kids' school during their annual ceremony. The fourth grade classes create the presentation each year as the big kids on campus and both Mom and Dad were impressed with their efforts. Kate was proud of the ceremony and of course, her grandpa.

While they were here, a very persistent Lauren finagled her way into getting her birthday gifts early. She insisted it was all for Grandma and Grandpa who would clearly want to be a part of the festivities. She may be turning nineteen but she is every bit as stubborn as she was when she was three! When she was three, she got irritated with my dad for guessing all kinds of crazy things for his birthday gift that year. Lauren got tired of the game and yelled, "guess a TV Grandpa!". She knew what was in the box and had no intention of humoring him any longer. Since that year, someone has always yelled, "Guess a TV" when we are opening gifts for any occasion. This year it happened for real! At nineteen, Lauren now has a TV in her room. As she tore back the wrapping, Greg and I yelled, "Guess a TV Lauren" and she rolled laughing.She is starting to gather things to eventually take with her when she moves out and a TV seemed like a lot more fun to buy her than dishes for her birthday.

We've had house guests, extra kiddos, gymnastics, a marriage class, theater commitments, dental appointments, sick kids, a doctor appointment with an EKG on one kid, a conference with one teacher, a phone call with another and a meeting with a school counselor. And tonight, UNO and a movie with Kate and Ty while Lauren babysits and Makenna works another show. Thank God it's Friday. 

This Week

Ever look at the calendar as you prepare for the week ahead and think, "how on earth is all this possible?" We are entering the third week in a row of days packed so solidly there is little hope we'll manage it all. And frankly, it is so overwhelming, I am not sure I care what falls off the agenda at this point. We are running on reduced sleep, high stress and over-packed commitments. It's the prequel to the "most wonderful time of the year" and I'd prefer to rest than forge ahead.

Construction invading our current view is not welcomed unless you happen to be a six year old ninja.

That being said, I tend to hit a manic mode when faced with high stress and find myself far more productive than usual so quite a bit has already been accomplished for upcoming holiday season. I attempted to take Greg Christmas shopping on Friday. But he chose to compare The World Market to the gift shop at Cracker Barrel so I was clearly not shopping with the right company. He redeemed himself when he agreed to lunch at my favorite Cuban restaurant but he will no longer be invited to peruse my favorite stores. It's good to know where to draw lines in marriage. I am kidding! Sort of.

Greg and I started a Great Date challenge class at church this week. We loved it. I am glad that commitment wasn't eliminated from our chaotic week. We found the discussion so rich, we grabbed a sandwich rather than go home afterward. An impromptu date full of meaningful conversation? Yes please!

I mentioned Greg wasn't the most helpful shopping partner on Friday so I took Kate out for some much needed retail therapy after a particularly stressful experience in her world on Saturday. We had a blast and accomplished a lot. She talked me into a new Christmas tree! I am still surprised by my spontaneity on this subject. After going without a tree last year and deciding I was okay with the simplicity of leaving it out of our celebrations, we ended up with a four foot tree we will put on top of our sofa table with simple wooden ornaments. We wandered craft stores for hours and worked our way through some tough subject matter. She is pretty special.

42nd Street opened Friday night so the next week should have Makenna home before 10:30 each night. Praise the Lord. Kate and I attended this afternoon's performance and I was once again blown away by the talent. I have sat through countless hours of dance recitals and competitions throughout my life but have never before seen the skills presented on this high school stage. If you are local, you must catch at least one of next weekend's shows.

Last night I locked myself in my room to avoid Greg yelling at his Buckeyes and wrapped Christmas gifts. I also wrapped Lauren's birthday gift in anticipation of her 19th birthday next weekend. I placed a photo of Jesus on the shelf in my closet next to her package and let her know Jesus was watching only to catch her shaking the box anyway.

The Results Are In

Rosie the Riveter wandered down to a neighbor's party for a few hours while the little ones trick-or-treated. She has a ridiculous amount of responsibility on her shoulders with high school commitments these days so she called it a night before 8pm despite the low-key gathering of friends around a bonfire. Her schedule makes the rest of us look lazy.

And looking at this counter of loot I am once again reminded how generous our neighborhood remains. I am also relieved only two of mine still trick-or-treat! We didn't tackle the entire neighborhood because we had friends over before and after for chili and hot dogs but the evening was perfect and I was able to connect with people in our community I haven't seen since last Halloween. A major highlight was running into a family with a grandchild who was so sick as a newborn we prayed she'd pull through only to see her wearing a super hero costume running up to doors for treats. It reminded me once again why I stepped away from my non-trick-or-treat stance of years ago. I still understand why some families choose to eliminate Halloween from their lives but also see the value in connecting with my neighbors and enjoying friendship, fellowship and celebrating cute little ones in all their excitement.

Fun With Kids

Fifteen minutes after arriving at my house, little Anna let out the most dramatic, deep sigh and announced it had been a very long day. It was 7:30 am and I felt warned as much as amused.

Ty wore the tread off his sketchers in two months. Two months! So we went shoe shopping Wednesday night for shoes with a lot of tread. They happen to be Buckeye colors so he is quite happy with his new shoes. These will require he learn to tie his shoes and he is excited about the prospect. But more importantly, these shoes have such great tread, Ty is convinced he can climb buildings in them. I may set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for impending ER visits.

The elementary school hosted an indoor trick or treat tonight and Erin surprised us by showing up as the tooth fairy. A precocious little girl whispered into Erin's ear the tooth fairy isn't real because her mom said so. Erin replied her mother was mistaken because she takes teeth and people pay her to do it!

Due to unfortunate circumstances with one of my families, I only had one kiddo today so I emailed Kate's teacher at the last minute asking if I could help with her fall party. Rumor had it her class didn't have a room mom to help and no one wants to face 25 sugared-up kids with craft supplies alone. She and I surprised Kate with my arrival and it was priceless to see her face when I walked through the door. She may be getting big but I still got a warm hug in front of her friends.

The kids sleep with me on Friday nights. They look forward to it all week. Greg is off the next two Friday nights. Little people will not be happy with this schedule change.

Devyn got to have two sleep-overs with me this week and on the second night we went out for frozen yogurt. I have shared sweet treats with Devyn in the past but for some reason the birthday cake flavored yogurt went straight to her head. She was a giggling mess of laughter that ended with a belch that would make a grown man proud. She cracked up, "I just burped birthday cake!" We are obviously very prim and proper around here.

Lauren went to Florida with Taylor's family the first week of October. She finally sent me a copy of a photo they had taken while on the beach.  I happen to think they are pretty cute.

In other news, we are entering into what is known as Tech Week in Makenna's world. This means we will be driving to and from the school every day and night before adding six showings of 42 Street over the following two weekends. The good news/bad news is that Greg will be on vacation for those two weeks. Whereas I love having an extra driver and his support, he isn't big on following routine. We will all be a hot mess by November 15th. 

Layla's World

I have become a member of the family and am still getting used to my people because this house has a lot of rules. Don't jump on people. Keep your nose off the table. Sit. Stay in the yard. Don't bark. Calm down. Get off the bed. Leave Brutus alone. Stop chasing Oliver. Don't back talk. (I am so good at this one that Mom says I sound like the teenagers.) Not every guest is an enemy so don't bark at them. (How do they know? I think it's best to be safe and not sorry.)

I don't actually care to remember all these rules much less follow them so everyone says my name a lot. It's okay though. I kinda like the attention even if everyone says, "Layla, you are too much!" But, one can never have too much fun and I like to have a lot fun. With enough effort on my part, I am convinced my family will learn to love playing as much as I do too.  After all, my people are worth the trouble.

Speaking of names, Mom says I should have been named Pipi Longstocking or Ramona Quimby after characters in books who were awkward, mischievous and would rather not follow rules. Erin calls me Sis and Dad calls me Knucklehead. He loves me.

I share my food and water with Oliver and sometimes he shares his food with me too. I like to kiss Brutus but he is grumpy about affection and barks at me until my people make me move away from him. Oliver loves to play tag. He runs really fast when it is my turn to tag him. And again the people make me stop which is very disappointing but I never let their scolding bother me. I can always find more exciting things to get in to.

Sometimes getting into trouble means I hurt myself. Again. Mom is always grumpy about taking me to the vet but I don't understand why because those ladies are so nice. They give me lots of treats and don't mind my kisses. I like visiting them even if Mom doesn't.

Well if you will excuse me, I think the construction workers have pulled out more trees I can haul into the yard.

The Color Of Fall

These shots were taken from my yard. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such beauty and never fail to note that fact each fall. However, construction has started in this field and I am afraid my view will be drastically altered by next year. My neighbor and I have contemplated chaining ourselves to the trees to save them. We're reasonable like that.

In other news, wind and rain arrived in our area overnight so everything will be bare and brown for the next several months. I have soaked up gorgeous tunnels of gold on back country roads and pointed out more highway tree lines than anyone in my car cares to look at in expectation that I must enjoy it while I can. It never lasts long enough but I suppose that's part of it's charm.

Boo! Party

Kate made this for Aunt Theresa. We think it's pretty cute.

Theresa hosted another awesome pumpkin carving party this weekend. Erin, Lauren, Taylor, Makenna, Kate, Ty and I loved it as usual. We enjoyed creative snacks, carving pumpkins with Halloween music playing in the background (a dance party or two broke out) and dressing up for fun. Afterward we all met up with Jamie's family in the Daniel Boone National Forest for trick-or-treating. The weather was so mild we carried jackets we never needed. It was a beautiful night. We ended the evening on a scary note of a different kind. Mason had an allergic reaction to something and his airways were closing as result. It took 45 highly stressful moments to get him to medical attention. Praise God he is in perfect condition today but he shook us all up last night.

Our little biker chic had a tough time making a tough-girl facial expression

This is our biker gang

Nerf glasses were a cool accessory in said biker gang

I don't want to brag but my nephew Brennen is a heck of a ball player. He beat Taylor 22-14 and Taylor was cheating.

Once again she is attempting to look tough.

Batman and Makenna were ready to Trick-or-Treat together. Makenna chose to be Holly Golightly from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's this Halloween but wasn't going to wear heels around a campground. She is rather smart as it was a lot of walking.

Red Riding-hood and the Big Bad Wolf are still working on their pumpkin. In the end, it will be Ironman's face.

Mason dressed as a gangster and gave candy to a kid who posed as a homeless man begging for candy only to have his mother yell, "Mason, you are a gangster! You need to extort that kid for candy not give it to him!". She cracks me up but Mason is just that sweet.

Did I mention the Daniel Boone National Forest was beautiful?

Recently Overheard

"The lunch ladies are so nice. They give me chocolate milk sometimes". I later received a bill from those nice lunch ladies for an account I didn't set up because I send lunch, snack and water every day. So I paid the balance for six chocolate milks and included a note asking they not let my son charge chocolate milk in the future. In what world do we let kids choose sweets over packed lunches and send the bills to their parents? This is kindergarten not college. And for the record, my college kids pay for their own chocolate milk.

"If I could choose one super power it would be to stop time. I would sleep in as late as I wanted and do my hair everyday........Wait! Who am I kidding? I still wouldn't do my hair." Makenna dresses for comfort 99.9% of the time.

"I got so mad at Maddie today. She was coloring pictures of me and making me purple. I told her to stop and she didn't so I told her I was telling Lauren." I asked if Maddie knew who Lauren was and he answered, "she didn't but I told her it meant big bad trouble". Lord help me. Lauren is pleased as punch with this story by the way. And I would love to be a fly on the wall in kindergarten.

A new doctor Makenna is seeing recommended we check out essential oils to treat some of her health complaints. We've recently invested and are still on a steep learning curve but we are seeing some results. Greg didn't say much as we started but has recently requested some peppermint be rubbed into his temples to deal with a headache and mentioned he'd done some research on fractionated coconut oil and found some recipes he thought were interesting. Never in a million years would I have guessed he'd spend anytime investigating oils or believe they were worth trying. After more than twenty years, he still surprises me sometimes!

Anna announced she had six brothers the other day. She claims their names are Cereal, Cookie, Shoddy, Sad (but he isn't sad), Khaki and Zuma. They were all in my living room and going to be coming with her every day. I text her mom. "I am going to need a raise".

Lauren and Taylor were debating what famous couple they could be for Halloween. I about died when I heard "Bruce and Caitlyn Jenner" tossed into the discussion. I have no words.