Let it Snow!

Today it snowed all day! It was absolutely beautiful!!! We had so much fun at Short Christian Academy today. One thing I love about homeschooling is that we get to be flexible and change things up when opportunites come our way. For example, I had all this other stuff planned today but instead we did "snow" stuff. Nathan learned how to read a thermometer when he wanted to see the tempature falling. Both kiddos drew winter landscapes and wrote and illustrated books about a snowy day. Then they sat in our "author's chair" and read them aloud to us. Of course, we did some of our regular work but we got to do it in front of big window watching the snow fall. After lunch the kids got bundled up and went outside to play. Even though a lot of the snow didn't stick they still managed to have a pretty good snowball fight. This pic of Madelyn is when Nathan hit her in the face with a huge snow ball. Thank you God for a good homeschooling day.

Our Space Unit

We are paper maching (I don't know how to spell)two of the planets, Earth and Venus.

Another Miracle!

You know how we have been trying to get Nathan to eat fruit and veggies, well it is going pretty well. Tonight he mixed his corn with ketchup and Jarrett fed it to him by the spoon full. He ate 4 big spoon fulls. He tries to swallow them whole, then his gag reflex kicks in. The faces he makes are hillarious!

A couple of nights ago we tried to get him to eat a grape. He didn't want the skin on it so I painstakingly peeled the skin off an entire grape. Try it sometime, it's fun. He freaked out once it got in his mouth and he swallowed it whole and then his entire dinner came spewing out onto the floor. It was pretty funny!

I have moved!

This is a pic of me really enjoying one of my last cokes!

Sorry, I haven't been around lately. I now live at the YMCA. Seriously, if I am not at home or running kids somewhere I am at the Y. I am doing 4-5 hours of cardio and 3 hours of training with Holly. Plus the kids go to swimming lessons and gymnastics there twice a week. I have come to terms that I will never be "skinny" I am short and squatty and that's ok! Instead of my legs or arms get skinny they are bulking up. My trainer now can see my triceps when I am doing tricep dips. Isn't that what every girl wants to hear? I just have to keep telling myself that I am making my heart healthy.

I am still drinking around 90 ounces of water a day. The girls at sonic know my name and always know to give Madelyn 2 mints. Everytime I order they hear her screaming "And two mints for Maddie!!!" I hear the sonic water with lime is catching on girls. Keep it up! If you need me just call 272-YMCA!!

He's Back!!!

Jarrett got back tonight and is alrealdy sound asleep and snoring, it is 9pm. He is exhausted, poor baby. We missed him dreadfully. I kept the kids very busy or shall I say they kept me busy. Sunday we went to a really cool children's hands on musuem in a town about 2 hrs a way. The kids had a blast!

We have been so busy I feel like homeschooling has been an afterthought lately. Nathan has been doing his work but I know we could be doing better. I like for us to take a subject that he is interested in a really explore it. We did that with Space for the last couple of weeks and it was so much fun. Some weeks I am better at the balancing act than others. The next two days I will be taking care of my 6 month old nephew while my sister is out of town so I figure this week is pretty much a wash.

Madelyn has started in the last week becoming more interested in our homeschool. She is asking for some "work" like brother and I made her some flashcards with simple three letter words and she is reading them. She is still writing everything from right to left though. I have brought out all my old kindergarten games that I had kept and we are playing those together. When we have "DEAR" time (drop everything and read) she is participating more and more. I am starting to think Maybe, I can homeschool her. Some days we think we should send her to "school" but then part of us wants to keep her home. I am believing that God will make it clear to us what we are to do so for the time being I will just continue to pray and enjoy my days with her at home.

Another Nathanism

This morning Nathan woke up before me and starting playing the Wii (which he not supposed to do). When I woke up and fixed his breakfast I told him it was time to turn the Wii off. He said in his most serious voice, "Mom, God said that men need to finish what they start, so I need to finish playing this game." I told him, "God also told you to obey your mother and father so turn it off now."

Not to leave sweet Maddie out, she is twirling around the tile floor pretending to be Karlie Karslie from the movie,"Ice Princess" She wants to take ice skating lessons. Oh, to be four again!

Jarrett leaves us for 7 days tomorrow. He is going to Savannah for a sales meeting. Pray for me! While I was gone last weekend to Florida/Georgia for Mama Bear's service Jarrett was mister fun dad. I have a lot to live up too. Madelyn asked me on the phone before I came home if I could stay gone for one more day. Isn't that just so sweet?? Do you all remember that this was my child that wouldn't leave my hip. Jarrett took them hiking, out to eat, to the movies, up to the lake with Grammy and Grampy,etc. It just isn't right. Now I have to be the one who instills order and limits back on them.

Yesterday I took a boot camp class and when I woke up today I could hardly move. Sitting on the toilet was pure torcher, especially when you have to pee every 10 minutes because you are drinking 75 ounces of water. I also started eating 1200-1400 calories a day. That is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I bet I have been eating over double that. My trainer who I started with tonight is having me write down everything I eat along with how many calories are in them. I was pretty sad when I realized how many calories were in my cereal and OJ I eat every morning. I suffered through the humiliation of her measuring each region of my body and measuring my body fat. Luckily my body fat has not really gone up since this summer. But my but and hips have definitely expanded. I just got a little pudgy from not being aware of how much I was eating and how much pop I was drinking. I am bearing all of this in hopes that it will keep me accountable and that I will stay aware of how I am treating my body. I have been given this body to take care of and treat with respect. So I will try, and if you would like to get ahold of me this week you can find me on the elliptical trying to burn 500 calories or keeled over from lack of food.

My healthy living tip for the day comes from my sis Kim. Stop by Sonic and order a Route 44 ice water with Lime. It cost 26 cents and is a great way to get a lot of your water in. The Lime really gives it a kick. Good luck fellow friends who are trying to get healthier. (I am refusing to call this a diet) By the way, to all of my friends and sisters who are pregnant, you just go right on ahead and enjoy all your pizza, pasta, cookies, chips and don't worry about me.

IT'S A Miracle

Nathan ate 2 1/2 green beans tonight!! He has an aversion to fruits and veggies so this is a major victory! On the other hand he has a love affair with desert, so being the wise parents that we are, we told Nathan that from now on if he wants desert he has to try something new. It actually worked tonight, I had brownies in the oven while we ate dinner, I think that helped. He soaked the beans in ketchup then swallowed them whole and made a hillarious face. I can't wait to tell his OT and speech pathologist. Anyway, it was one victory in our kitchen tonight.

Not a New Years Resloution, just a list that happens to be written around the time of the new year

I really don't care for new year's resolutions because I never can keep them. I end up forgetting about them because I get too busy or I just flat out give up. This new year I am going to make a list of things I would like to accomplish during the next 12 months and if I don't I am going to cut myself some slack and not beat myself up about it. I like making lists and I especially like marking things off my list. I figure if I write this list out on my blog maybe I am less likely to forget about them plus I know some of you readers will hand out a hefty dose of accountability.

Ok, I will admit that I am one of "those" people who resolve to lose weight every year. And I fail. So I started Sept. of 2007 instead of setting myself for failure in January and I did great for the first time in my life. I lost 20 pounds very slowly and got healthy. I was working out 5-6 times a week, had a ton of energy and I felt great. I remember laughing (inside my head of course) last January when all the new years resolution people joined the YMCA. It was so busy that you had to wait in line for a treadmill. By Feb. the majority of those people had quit and there were no more lines. I did great until our cruise. I got comfortable, I did still go to the Y but not with the same intensity as before. I started drinking coke again and the rest is history. I have gained 10 pounds back. It just kind of snuck up on me. I know better so now I have to make the decision again to get back on the horse so to speak.

So here I go again.
Here is my list, short and sweet:
1. Exercise 5 times a week. Lose inches, some pounds would be nice, eat healthy.
2. Enjoy my children even when they are testing me.
3. Contact a lawyer and make a will and trust.
4. Drink more water each day.
5. Spend time in the Word each day!!
6. Finish FAITH. (A class I have been dreading to take for years at church. You learn how to evangelize. You go out and share the gospel. I know, I know it is such a privilege to do this but I am scared. Jarrett and I both are taking the class.)

Ok, that is mine, let's hear what's on your list.

I am adding this article to my blog for my benefit, so I can refer to it. Recently, Nathan's pediatrician and his therapist told us that Nathan most likely has aspergers, which is is a very mild form of autism that primarily affects social skills. I won't get into all the nitty gritty details but I will say that to us it is no big deal. It is just another bump in the road. We found a great social skills group that meets weekly and we started back in Occupational therapy and Pragmatic speech therapy. Our biggest deal is trying to figure out the best placement as far as school goes for next year. We are earnestly praying and seeking wisdom on this matter. It is a decision that we do not take lightly and we know that God will direct us, He always has. We are going to Nathan's developmental ped. in a couple of weeks and we will be interested to hear what he has to say. He has always said that Nathan is socially quirky but he doesn't have aspergers. It really doesn't matter unless we put him in school so that he can receive the services that he needs. If we homeschool we just get him the help he needs and it doesn't particularly matter what he is labeled as.

Socialization and Children with Asperger Syndrome


Anybody who has been homeschooling more than twenty minutes knows that the most popular probing question from the masses is: "And what about socialization?"

This is an especially bothersome question for families affected by Asperger Syndrome who want to homeschool. Since lack of social skills is one of the hallmarks of the child with AS, people naturally assume that keeping a child home instead of exposing him to the social climate of school will just worsen the situation.

The reverse is true, in my opinion, for the following reasons:

1. School has people, but that doesn't make it social. In fact, it is usually fairly anti-social since kids can be very cruel and bullies seem to be an ever-present part of the school experience. What is social about exposing our children to daily torment? Nothing. Children with Asperger Syndrome are natural targets for bullies and the situation frequently results in a tantrum, depression or violence, all of which could have been prevented by avoiding this "social" atmosphere.

2. Homeschooling does not mean denying social experiences. To the uninitiated, homeschooling conjures a picture of cloistering your child at home all the time. For most homeschoolers, nothing could be further from the truth. There are trips to the library and the park, gatherings with other homeschoolers, and lessons and clubs that tie in with the child's interests. And, we still live in neighborhoods, still have extended family and friends, church and other social obligations. Homeschooling does not mean restricted movement but rather greater flexibility.

3. Social experiences tend to be more positive when done through home education. As homeschooling parents, we can monitor social gatherings to keep them positive. That is, we can pick and choose the activities, watch for bullies and intervene, head off other kinds of trouble, and teach our children with spontaneous social lessons "in the moment," (or make a note to discuss things later). In short, we are on deck. Finally and perhaps most importantly, we can steer our children gently homeward before sensory overload undermines the whole event. In school, our kids do not get the luxury of this kind of protection or customized teaching. It's usually a case of "sink or swim." Our kids tend to do more sinking than swimming.

4. Homeschoolers may get more social opportunities out of their day. When we homeschooled, my son was in the comfort zone of his home surroundings for mornings of academic work, and that still left him with some energy in the afternoons and evenings to try other things. Parks department classes, bowling league, swimming lessons, and Boy Scouts were just some of the things he tried. When we stopped homeschooling and put him into a regular school, however, these fell away. He was too burned out from the school day to do anything else, and quit all outside activities. Although he'd wanted to try public school and did fine academically, the tradeoff was that he gained some very negative social experiences and lost some very positive ones.

5. The idea that our kids need the classroom experience of having positive role models around them every day is suspect. It's true that positive role models are better than negative ones, but just placing our kids alongside peer-age so-called normal kids does not mean that they will intuitively pick up on proper behavior. In fact, their condition of Asperger Syndrome means they will NOT pick things up intuitively. Things like social graces, body language and speech pragmatics must be consciously, deliberately, and specifically taught, bit by bit. Unless the child has a one-to-one aide to provide full-time tutelage in these things and allow ample rehearsal time, not many social skills will be picked up. Contrast that with the home environment, where the parent does have the time and patience to teach these things and can provide a safe place for rehearsing them.

6. Finally, we need to measure by a different yardstick. Our kids with Asperger Syndrome do not typically need or want the same level of social interaction than their neurologically typical peers do. Not everyone wants to be surrounded by others all day long, have large parties, or a dozen friends. Many of us (self included) cherish solitude, are happiest in our own company and function better with fewer social interactions. This is not abnormal, only different, and it should be honored. It is far better to have a little interaction and look forward to more another day, than to have too much interaction and suffer devastating consequences.

In short, parents can rest easy that their home education program is probably doing more for their child's socialization than a public school counterpart could. The only dark side, and there is a dark side, is that our children will probably never be totally at ease in social situations and will always have a few challenges, no matter what we do. Asperger Syndrome is, after all, a lifelong condition. And because of that, there will always be someone ready to proclaim why our child seems socially inept. "It must be because he was homeschooled!" they will cluelessly proclaim. Sometimes, you just can't win.

Copyright 2002 Lise Pyles

Winter Blast '07

I haven't posted in a while so I will fill you all in on what has been going on around the Short house.

We are finally thawing out here in Oklahoma. We were hit with a terrible ice storm last week. The power was out from Sunday through Wednesday night at our house. Sadly, there are still a bunch of people without power. We stayed cuddled up by the fire until bedtime each night then slept under a ton of blankets. I am thankful that I am not a pioneer woman. I was not cut out for living in the dark. We would go to bed at 8pm because there was nothing to do. We popped popcorn on the gas stove and played sorry but we had a hard time telling the difference between green and blue. During the days the kids and I hung out with my parents or my sweet friend Lisa, who took us in and fed us and let me take a shower. We lost part of our bradford pear tree and our oak in the front yard now looks like a Charlie Brown tree. The minamal damage we had was nothing compared to what others have suffered. It is an amazing sight to see those old trees just snapped in half because of an inch of ice.

Nathan celebrated his 7th birthday during the ice storm. We had to change plans because "chuckie cheese" was out of power. He was a great sport about having to make a change and he had a great time. I can't believe he is 7! TIme is flying by.

My sweet precious Mamma Bear passed away on Dec. 13. She was 92 years old and had lived a long fruitful life. We will all miss her tremondously but we have a peace that she is with her heavenly father. There is going to be a memorial service for her in Valdosta, Georgia in January. I am going to fly down there with my sister, Kim.

Next, in the news: My mom just found out she is having heart surgery on Friday. Apparently, she had suffered a heart attack and never knew it. Please remember her in your prayers, this has been a hard week for her with the loss of her mom and her health.

I have being seeing a dermatologist for the past 2 months because of some strange bumps on my head and face and a suspicious mole on my tummy. So today, I go to get stitches out of my stomach and a cyst off my face and I had to bring both kids with me because they had eye doctor appts. right afterward. Nathan gave a play by play of everything the dr. was doing, "Mom, they are sticking a needle in you. Does that hurt? It looks like a fish hook mommy. Ohh, there is blood. Don't worry mom, the Lord is with you!" He kept telling me the last part over and over in the most sweet and tender way. It totally melted my heart and I was trying not to laugh so my nose wouldn't get cut. I have a single stitch hanging out by the side of my nose. Can you imagine how attractive it looks. Several people at the YMCA tonight, were like, "you have something next to your nose." Jarrett just kept telling them it was a buger. Nice.

I got the pathology report back on the mole on my stomach and it was severly dysplastic which he told me is on its way to skin cancer. Scary. I feel very thankful to the Lord for taking care of this and getting it off of me. I will have to be checked every year now because of this bad mole and we have a family history of melanoma. It has left a terrible scar and every time I look at that I will be reminded of why I should be more careful in the sun. I rarely use sun screen and I think I look better when I am tan. No more, just get used to really pale Kathy. It is not worth dying over a stupid mole or a temporary tan! My plea is for all of you to get all of your body checked out and get anything wierd off of you. It is such a deadly cancer yet it is so preventable and treatable if caught early. Thank you Stephanie for insisting I see a dermatologist, even though it took me a year to do so. You may have saved my life.

Nathanism's

We were just reading a story about Jesus's birth, we saw a picture of the wise men. I asked Nathan if he knew what they brought to baby Jesus, he said, "Yeah, Gold, Frankincense and Merchandise."

Sweet Fruit

Ok, the sweetest thing happened today that I must share with my bloggin family, plus I would like to preserve it in blog history so one day I can share with Nathan. My kids love to open mail so I usually give them the junk mail to open. They get so excited to open the junk mail You would think they just won a million dollars. So Nathan opened a piece of mail from the John 3:16 mission. He read it and got real serious and said, "Mom it is an emergency there are hungry, hurting, homeless people in Tulsa." He ran to his room, emptied his bank, and put the money in the envelope to send back to the mission. He wanted more money so he asked me for it. I told him we would match whatever he donated. So then he had the idea that he would call Grammy and Grampy and ask if he could do work for them so he could give more money. How sweet is that??? If only we were so eager to help the needy. I love seeing the Fruit Nathan is bearing.

Short Family News

I love this time of the year; the sights, the sounds, the smells, the great Christmas movies on TV, the music,the holiday cheer, Black Friday, spending lots of time with the family etc. I love every bit of it!!! We have had our tree and lights up for over a week now. Jarrett was determined to not hang lights in freezing cold weather this year so he put them up last week when it was 75 degrees out. Good thing, because now it is freezing. Speaking of black Friday, I picked up my friend at 3:45 am and we hit the stores. We got some great deals and had a fun time laughing at all the other crazies who were out. We shopped until 2 in the afternoon. I am still exhausted but it was worth it!

Also in the Short Family news, we got new carpet and took the house off the market. Two days after we took the house off the market we got a call from a young couple who looked at our house and they really want to buy it. But not until next summer. So if we decide to move again we are going to call them.

We love the new carpet and feel blessed to have been able to put it in. It makes us feel like we have a new house plus Jarrett really likes to see the vacuum marks. Gracie barfed on it last night, DO YOU PEOPLE SEE WHY I LOVE HER SO!! (I will admit that I did buy her a Christmas gift so there may be an ounce of love for her somewhere inside of me)

I hope everyone had a yummy Thanksgiving.

Nathan-isms

Nathan and I were snuggled up reading our book again today and he stops me and says,"Mom you are getting pregnant." I said,"oh...what do you mean?" "Mom, it is just a polite way of saying your getting fat."

Nice, uh??

I guess I need to start watching what I eat again.

Gravity

Today Nathan and I were reading a book and a lamb died in the book so the topic of death came up. As the conversation went on he told me that he didn't want to leave the gravity of planet earth. I told him not to worry that there was gravity in heaven. I love the way he thinks.....

About Me

Ok, so a friend of mine encouraged me to do this, make a list of 100 things about myself. So here goes:

1. I wear the same earrings everyday, and pretty much have for 3 years.
2. I started dating Jarrett when I was 17.
3. I have to cross my legs when I sneeze.
4. I vacuum everyday.
5. I love my back scratched!
6. I love my arm scratched.
7. I adore my children.
8. I love playing with my children.
9. I love seeing life through Nathan and Madelyn's eyes.
10. I have to have some quiet time everyday. I send the kids to their rooms for quiet play time for about 30 minutes a day. Ahh, it is sweet time.
11. I love watching movies and eating popcorn.
12. I appreciate my parents so much more now that I have kids.
13. I couldn't live without my cell phone.
14. I am opinionated.
15. I was on the debate team in high school. I know, dorky! I am pretty sure I am the only one who didn't become a lawyer.
16. In 7th and 8th grade I wanted to be an astronaut. I even decorated my bedroom with space pictures. (some of you are probably shocked that you are friends with me)
17. Jarrett cleans up all the puke in our house. Even mine.
18. I am a planner!
19. I am a list maker.
20. I love Beth Moore Bible Studies. She makes things clear for me.
21. I was 10 when my baby brother was born. I have 2 older sis's and one younger sis. My Family is one of the most important things to me.
22. I was born in New Jersey then moved to New York.
23. I love the East coast but I am glad that I didn't grow up there. I would have probably ended up a liberal.
24. I love to travel. I especially love cruises and the Caribbean.
25. I want to go to Alaska some day.
26. I loved going to the beach in Florida with my family as a kid.
27. I am addicted to pepsi and coke. It doesn't matter which. Usually Mexican restaurants have good pepsi.
28. I am not a good cook.
29. I wish I was a good cook.
30. I love Jesus with all my heart!
31. I love hanging out with my girlfriends and laughing until I almost pee in my pants.
32. I love reading, although I rarely get a chance to.
33. I like playing board games and cards.
34. I enjoy being a stay at home mom.
35. I love classical music. Cannon in D is my favorite.
36. I love homeschooling and being my children's teacher. Don't get me wrong, it is hard work, some days I wonder if I am doing a good/adequate job. Some days I fantasize about what it would be like to send my kids to school.
37. I think Shrek, especially the first one, is absolutely hilarious.
38. I like being in control of the remote. Ok, I admit it, I just like being in control period.
39. I never feel like I have enough time.
40. I like Danielle Steele Movies.
41. I think my husband is cute. I think he is amazing.
42. I hate ironing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
43. Fall is my all time favorite time of year.
44. I like to swim.
45. When I was in middle school I cleaned old Lady's houses.
46. I applied to work at Braums when I turned 16 but they didn't hire me.
47. But Mazzios did hire me.
48. I also worked for a dentist in the summers during high school.
49. My dad got me a job at a gyno/infertility dr. the summer after my senior year in high school. I worked there for 5 years.
50. I am moody.
51. If we could afford it I would have a personal trainer all the time.
52. I have finally learned to like exercising.
53. I am not an animal lover, I tried to be, but I am just not one. The shedding drives me CRAZY!!! I didn't bother me as much before we had kids. I end up being the one who has to clean the dog hair off the furniture, big up the poop, take her to the vet, buy the dog food, give her baths and chase her when she runs away.
54. I have to shave my legs everyday. I am so hairy.
55. Speaking of that some day I am getting laser hair removal. Anybody want to come?
56. Nobody told me you should wax your eyebrows until after my wedding. Mom always told me not to touch them because they looked like Brooke Shields' brows.
57. I want to learn how to play the piano someday.
58. I am really bad when it comes to fashion.
59. I used to get a sinus infection every month.
60. I love looking at open houses. HGTV is one of my favorite channels.
61. I sing along to the radio when I am driving.
62. I cause at least 2 house fires per month in the kitchen while cooking. The baked potato catching fire in the microwave was the worst. It smelled for weeks.
63. The happiest days of my life were the days we adopted our children and the day Nathan accepted Christ into his heart. And of course the day I married Jarrett.
64 The saddest day was the day I watched my sister's son pass away. Every detail will be etched in my memory forever.
65. I love pizza, I could eat it every day.
66. I used to be an extremely picker eater. I am better now thanks to Jarrett. I now can eat more than just ketchup on my hamburger.
67. I get to sing Nathan a song every night before he falls asleep. He doesn't care that I can't sing. He even calls me from his grandparents house to have me sing it for him. How sweet is that.
68. I love the snow! I love watching snow fall. It is so peaceful.
69. Cheese Doritos and a pepsi are a perfect snack.
70. I am indecisive
71. I really like helping people
72. I secretly like playing Guitar hero with my husband after the kids go to bed at night.
73. My guilty pleasure: The Bachelor on Monday nights
74. I usually don't order an entree at a Mexican restaurant because I eat so many chips and tortillas
75. I wish I knew how to sew.
76. I think stay at home moms should earn a salary.
77. I won a tv at my high school graduation party. I still have it, it is in the kids playroom.

78. The best decision I ever made was asking Jesus into my heart in 5th grade.
79. I love decorating for Christmas, it is one of my favorite holidays, however I like having it all put away on Dec. 26th.
80. My family had the best Christmas' when I was a kid. Great memories.
81. I love baking Christmas cookies. (Can you tell what I have I my mind? I bought a new tree today and I am ready to put it up but it is only Nov. 6th.)
82. I like to water ski.
83. I love getting mani's and pedi's, I just don't get to do very often.
84. I wish I had a "Lupe" to help me around the house with cooking and cleaning.
85. I have the weirdest and quirkiest things wrong with me. For example, I have to get my esphogas stretched every couple of months, I had toe surgery in 5th grade, and just today I had a cyst removed from my head.
86. I wish I could remember people's birthdays better.
87. I can't stand the sound of smacking gum.
88. Captain Crunch berries rock!!!!!!!!!
89. I can't believe I have a sister that is turning 40 next week.
90. Watching my kids sleep is the best!
91. I slept with my blankie until high school.
92. My favorite show is "Greys"
93. I rearrange furniture and nick knacks a lot
94. I think Jarrett should be able to complete home improvement projects in 30 minutes like they do on HGTV. For some reason it never seems to happen that way around here.
95. Am I done yet? This is getting really hard.
96. I would love to go out shopping everyday and max out the credits cards, but since financial peace at church, I feel guilty if I spend an unbudgeted dime.
97. Sometimes I will get dressed to go work out, and decided that ordering a pizza and watching tv sounds like a better idea.
98. I have no depth perception. I either park almost in my laundry room or park way on my husbands side of the garage.
99. I am good at starting things but not good at finishing them. But I think I am going to finish this. Yeah!
100. Now you all know more than you ever wanted to about me. Thanks for reading!

Happy Fall Festival!!

The kids had a blast at our church's fall festival. They went on pony rides, train rides, inflatables, played carnival games and ate good food. Afterwards Jarrett took them trick or treating around the neighborhood. They got way too much candy!!
They both wanted to dress up in exactly what they did last year. Who am I to argue?

I love my kids

I love my kids.
I love my kids.
I love my kids.


They both wrote their names along with other graffitti on the back of my leather seats and the grab bar in front of their seats in the mini van. It won't come off the bars. So, if we are still driving this car in 10 years you will know why. Who would want to buy a van that has NATHAN and MADELYN written all over. Better yet, maybe we should make the mini van be their first car when they start driving.

Someday we will laugh about this, right????