jd & November...

What a fantastic month November has been. Jackson Dean was a delight & the nation will be taking a turn...with high hopes for the better. It was interesting on the 4th sitting with Jackson on my lap, his parents praying for the right while I was praying for the left. Regardless; JD was perfect. JD is cute. Jackson Dean is the amazing combination of Matthew & Stephanie. When I saw my cousin during the trip I told him how I couldn't wait for him to experience a niece or nephew...it's almost like having one of your own again. Except this time around you are much more well rested & can give him back when he cries. But the love...same. I had no idea that a brother having babies could be so awesome. Indeed it is.

Notice anything familiar? Everyone's favorite, "Have a nice day". Brings memories of Grandpa picking me up from High School with a cold coke waiting in the passenger seat; to be quickly poured into the "Have a nice day" glass when we got home. I'm sure to the eldest three it brings back far more memories & much further into history than this 30-something can remember.

Here is the note that Matthew left on the counter after the hilarious (only if you weren't Matthew) breaking and entering "event" ...who knew they would go to a block party after all these years & on a Sunday night?!

No doubt to be re-told at family functions for years to come...

Leaving JD & back to my own munchkins...a picture from the air. It's good to be back.

Meltdowns & 'you know you are your mother when'

With Sam's birthday a good 20 hours behind us the kids are all decked out in Halloween gear ready to go go go. Miss Madeline was a witch with pink (she keeps finding them as I hide them) too-small cowboy boots. Then when it came time for door-to-door trick-or-treating Madeline was Super Girl...and what a great Super Girl she was!Now it was time to get Noah dressed for trick-or-treating. Noah didn't want to get dressed, he didn't want to go, he didn't want Madeline looking at him, didn't want Bubba looking at him, didn't want me looking at him, & Daddy was "busted for 20 weeks!". This of course was before papa's house... This is after papas house & luckily lasted the duration of our evening!
Ahhhh, the glory of treats. I imagine this would be the point at which I may have thought to myself...I have lost all control of my children. Since Sam was sitting on TOP of the table in his underwear, Madeline was also on top of the table in her PJ's & Noah Baker keeps unwrapping and gobbling with one swift movement. It's only once a year and only for a few more years at that...so we decided to sit back & enjoy.

So now we've come to the plastic bag. This morning I was cleaning out the fridge. Making a grocery list, still uncertain if whether or not my trip to Arizona will actually take place with my current child-care-crisis. So making two lists, a Mommy will be here list & a fix-it-quick Mommy is out of town list. I take the red potatoes out of the bag & then look at the bag. I say to Rob & myself; I could probably re-use this one. As I'm rinsing it out & putting it on the faucet to dry I turn to Rob & say, "You realize that I just turned into our mother's right then, right?" "Yes". And we both smiled. It's a good bag; and I will use it.

heartbreak & happy endings

We don't know how it started. It was Friday, we had a huge weekend coming up, Sam's birthday party the next day, pizza @ Grandparents that next night, KC Jackson's birthday bash in KC on Sunday...and Sam was in a funk. He was not behaving, he was not listening, and he was whining. Not the kind that stopped either, the kind that can make even the strongest of parents cry. One thing led to another & Sam said he might as well just run away. Next thing we knew he had tears in his eyes, but more so than that determination on his face. He came in from the other room filling his backpack & putting it on, put on his shoes & while he was reaching for his coat Rob & I were putting on ours. Sam stopped, looked & asked why we were putting our coats on. I said, "I'm coming with you", Rob said, "You aren't going without me". Sam agreed to sit on the porch swing with me. We talked, he didn't really know what was

wrong, just that he knew he was going to get out of the house. We thanked him for not really taking off & talking to us first. He was however reluctant to unpack his backpack "just in case".

When we did unpack his backpack he told me all the things & why. Orville ("Of course" he said), underwear, socks, three shirts, two action guys, green thread to play with, his library books, and a picture of his friends off of the fridge in case he got lonely. Sigh. It was heartbreaking. We all got a good night sleep though & in the morning everything looked brighter.

These were the wet alien bones from the party Saturday...they were a big hit! Pretzel rods & green food coloring evidently have a strange reaction when mixed. I soaked the pretzels for about 15 minutes, drained, added food coloring & as they were drying the "skin" appeared to be peeling off when touched...ew & perfect! We had eyeballs...originally I thought a mason jar of eyeballs would be perfect. After peeling 6 grapes...I was done. A little food coloring, baby oil (Rob's idea to make them shiny!) & that was that. The boys loved it, it was an overload of ick, yuck, ew, gross, wicked, & excellent grossed out faces!

The next day was KC Jackson's party & we went to the Edge...what a great place! Noah stayed with Grandpa & Grandma while Sam, Madeline, Rob & I hung out with the Schmitt's at a great tumble & fun place. Rob was showing Sam how to jump on & then turn around...

You want me to do what?This morning Madeline came around the corner while everybody was getting dressed. Here comes Madeline: I'm ready! Noah looks @ her & says, "Madeline you look silly!" Madeline then looks at Noah & says, "No I don't!" That went on until it was time to eat Cheerios :).

Knuckles

Sam has started a habit of 'popping' &

'cracking' his knuckles. We've told him that it's not good for his hands...he didn't believe us. I called for backup. Grandpa has long been telling us grand kids miscellaneous things (with much gratefulness of our parents I'm sure) of what happens when you "don't eat carrots", "don't eat broccoli', "pop your knuckles". Well, I called & asked for a 'what happens when you 'crack your knuckles picture' & here is what I got! I just wish I had a camera for Sam's reaction! I think the problem is solved....for now!

Costumes & yard signs...

Dark Spiderman-7 (next week)

Witch-4

Alligator-2

Getting our grumpy faces out before the big...CHEESE! moment.

Sam stated, "I am not going to vote for that brown guy mommy." Amy: First let's not say 'brown guy' that can tend to make people uncomfortable. Sam: Why? Amy: Um, it's kinda like picking your nose in public, it just makes people feel uncomfortable. There are other ways of making your nose feel better and other ways of describing the person you are talking about. Sam: Okay. Well I like the white guy...Amy: McCain.

Sam: I like McCain because he is going to keep our country safe. Amy: How so? Sam: Because if the brown guy...Amy: Obama. Sam: If Obama gets it he will bring the bad guys into our backyards. Amy: Who told you that? Sam: No one, I just KNOW. Amy: Hmmm. Well do you want to know why I want Obama to win? Sam: Not really Mommy, I'm still not voting for the brown guy. Amy: Obama. Sam: Since we are inside can I just say brown guy? Amy: Nope, Obama. Sam: Okay, I just like the white guy... Amy: McCain. Sam: McCain because he will keep our country safer mommy. The brown guy... Amy: Obama. Sam: Obama, seems nice and smart, but the white guy... Amy: McCain. Sam: McCain with the white skin will keep the bad guys out. Sam: Can I have some juice? Amy: You betcha, & let's go play outside.

So that was our big discussion. As grandma so elegantly stated...some radical republican has brain washed him! She of course was teasing but I have to wonder where on earth he heard those specifics...certainly not at our house! Regardless; I was taking pictures of the new yard signs & should have had Sam stand next to the neighbors McCain signs! :) Sam wanted his picture taken next to "my guy", but wants me to know that he is voting for...you guessed it...the white guy. A: McCain. S: Fine, McCain.

Almost 7...

Madeline's new shoes evidently allow her to leap from the family room into the kitchen much higher than before. She just needed to show me just this once she said, only one time & never while Noah is watching. Right. Quite impressive though!




When you are almost 7, have a little sister who is 4 & a little brother who is 2...but thinks he is 4; well life can be tricky sometimes. Luckily for Sam he has this amazing ability to 'shake it off' & not stay in the downy-dumps for long at all. It is difficult being in first grade, but Sam is soaking it all in & playing hard on the weekends...and we are enjoying the show.













Since the kids are in their costumes year-around it's hard to remember what they were last year (on the day of Halloween). This picture of Sam 'Hulking out' was this summer, probably the hottest day of the year...stuck inside, ready to go go go.



When the leaves start to turn we are reminded that Sam's birthday is around the corner. It's hard to believe that this little baby was born almost seven years ago! Back then we talked about how we would miss the days of finding binkys in our pockets & bottle caps laying around the house.

These days we are finding things like rocks, the occasional shell of a bug, always dirt, and every once-in-awhile a surprise. On this particular laundry day I pulled this out of Sam's pocket. We came to the conclusion it used to be a red crayon & a marble. I think I will keep it forever.

The foot no longer looks dead & Aunt Kristina

The ankle is looking much better these days! The swelling is all but gone, it does feel 'wobbly' when it's not wrapped tight...but rarely hurts anymore-phew!

These toes haven't looked so good! The bruising has nearly disappeared & they look 'alive' again. For awhile they were all purple & had a greenish hue...ew. Sam thought the hue was "Awesome!" For the rest of us...ew.

Aunt Kristina was here over the weekend for a much needed mini-vacation (for both of us!). Kristina was a huge help in the childcare department & is always great at encouraging me to get out & go places. We agreed that if we weren't thrown together as family we would not be compatible friends. She is adventurous, fun, spontaneous, calming, exceptional, patient, & never

ever gets uptight.

I on the other hand have experienced these action words at times; but I think compared to her it would be accurate to describe me as the happy football-Bearcat Boogie Mom who went to the elementary school, the grocery store, & Curves. No more, no less. I certainly wouldn't go out after 7pm, wouldn't be brave enough to go into JCPenny's with all my children (what if they have a melt down...or rather...what if I?!), wouldn't go to Applebees with the kiddos just because we were hungry. I just well- wouldn't. For fear of sounding like Oprah; I will say this: I never ever thought the Balcony people I hold on to so tightly in my life could ever be as blessed as it is. Kristina tops right up there with Millie & Caroline. All give me a different view of life, with equal parts validation and at just the right times.

Thursday we packed up and went out towards the pumpkin patch. A grand time was had by all! This wonderful woman Kathy welcomed us & gave us a tour, let the kids play & play-encouraged Noah to help her load pumpkins & eagerly helped the kids pet the goats, bunny, & baby pig! We drove to Tarkio, followed the signs & found this great farm/pumpkin patch. Turns out Kathy has seven grandchildren, so she said to stay as long as we wanted she loves watching her grandkids play. So...we did!

Silly girls!

Fall & Pearl...

It finally feels like October has arrived today. It's only in the upper 60's windy & the trees are starting to turn. I am ready! We have been collecting the red & yellow leaves from Mrs. Houghton's house & Edna Mary's house. Leaves from other peoples property is much more enticing than our own.

This weekend we were over celebrating Uncle Jim's 60th birthday. This picture of the kiddos is in their back yard...they had a great time!

Sam, Madeline & Noah were in such a silly mood this morning...I will take silly over any other 'mood' any day!

Sam & Rob drinking coffee :).

My friend Pearl has been very sick these days & I was rummaging through my pictures for her cork board @ the nursing home. She is bound to her bed these days, but this picture is from last Fall when I was working in activities. Pearl is the Golden Girl of the nursing home, the 'model' Resident if there were to be such a thing. She gets up every morning, puts on her make-up, checks her calendar, & starts her busy day. As most 91-year-olds she has really interesting stories. I was telling Sam about how they couldn't afford wood floors when she was growing up so as a girl they only had a dirt floor. To top that (I told Sam) she was the only one who went to school-she rode the horse & her brothers stayed home & farmed. Sam had a million questions. We wrote down a few for Pearl when she's feeling better.

MS totally sucks

Madeline received a package in the mail from Aunt Kristina the other day...in it was a witch costume. It couldn't be any cuter & she couldn't love it more! We had to try it on that exact second. This explains the white t-shirt under it & Noah Baker's instant need to be in his Halloween costume as well. The grumpy face was Noah's reaction to Madeline's complaint that Mommy was taking a picture of HER not HIM & he needed to get out of her way. Noah, didn't like that response. :)

A much happier Noah Baker making silly faces with Mommy. Then we had grumpy faces. I was the luckiest lady ever to finally be showered with nose kisses from NB!












Saturday we walked up town to the antique fair...so many old things...so little time! There were quite a few tables & chairs that needed homes, some crocks, lots of great 'estate' type of pieces...sigh! Sam took a picture of Rob & I at the end of our walk when we ended @ the house. Rob 35 & Amy 32...married 10 years, hard to believe!

Shortly after this picture was taken I fell in the back yard & sprained my ankle. It's a doozey too. At first I thought for sure that I broke it. I mean really, when I went down I knew I was going to be sick, I was hot/cold & needed to vomit right then. That of course subsided, & I can walk on it-but I am trying to keep it elevated when I can & ice it. I was trying so hard not to permanently damage my children with the vision of their mother laying on the grass trying not to upchuck saying breathlessly, "I'm fine! I'm fine!" Rob was wonderful, gathering the kids as the older two kept running back inside gathering their very precious night-time 'friends' Sam's "Orville" (the stuffed cat that he has had since he was a baby) & Madeline's "Beary Bear" (likewise) & giving them to me to make me feel better. Rob put an end to it when Sam ran back out for the third time. Sam had grabbed his 'red pillow' his favorite extra large feather pillow with his very favorite red pillow case & chucked it across the grass at me landing on my head. :) Rob said in his serious-situation-father voice, "Okay, that's it-everybody inside while I help Mommy up!" And up I went, inside, put my foot up & put ice on it. Sam informed me that after the fall he had his "finger on the 9 for 911". I thanked him and reminded him that if I can answer him to tell him "no" don't call, then he cannot call 911. Then he reminded me that the rules are this, "But if you can't tell me no, then I'm calling!" Yes, these are the rules...pretty clear ones & I'm glad he remembers them. I put pictures of our weekend on Snapfish, including this nice ankle shot. My girlfriend shot me an e-mail back right away with a funny, "OMG! I thought it was a tumor! Your foot looks like hell!" I needed that response just then...so I'm glad I checked my e-mail when I did. It does look kinda gross, and 48 pounds...48 pounds lighter...and my legs still look like tree trunks! Not fair. Actually it is fair, I still have a ways to go-they won't look like evergreens forever.

Speaking of fair, I try not to think about what is fair or not fair-usually because life isn't fair and I know that. Plus whiners are no fun. But really, this falling down thing is starting to suck. I tumble, I get it, okay-slow down. I fall, alright I'll pop a Prednisone. I drop my coffee, well it's a great example for the kids that accidents happen. Don't freak-clean it up, no big deal, my motto seems to be "don't cry over spilled coffee". Hurray, I'm the mommy of the year, I am constantly giving my children perfect examples of how to react to an incident with a calm life-lesson-learning: this is building character when you or you see someone falls, forgets, trips, forgets, slips, forgets, drops, forgets, pee your pants, forgets, falls & trips. After awhile though, my smile turns into a-Man...this is starting to suck! And really, it doesn't suck that bad. I know it could be worse, a lot worse. I realize this. I know that perfectly well. I try to make the people around me feel less awkward when MS is brought up. Which is weird since I wear my "Multiple Sclerosis...now you've seen it" T-shirt often. That's not always a soccer-mom to soccer-mom conversation starter. I really do though. As people say, Oh I'm so sorry! I used to smile & say, oh no- that's okay! Luckily I've been in a position in my life that I am always hurry hurry hurry, for the most part-happy happy happy & it doesn't get mentioned much so I don't need to deal with reactions much. There is no reason to be irritated. But I was. I still am. I don't know why exactly, but I am irritated. I'm not sure exactly what to do next though. At least not tonight. Everything looks better in the morning.

Sam & Madeline often look at each other this way. I took this snapshot a month or so ago, however this look found it's way again this morning. Different clothes, different topic, same stubborn hand-on-hips stance, same well-look. This morning it was whether or not Sam should take Daddy's 'lunch-chips' in his (Sam's) cold lunch that was packed today. Madeline insisted that Sam couldn't since they were Daddy's & if I caved then she was certainly going to get some too. Sigh. Everyone ended up with Cheetos today.

Madeline, Noah, Claire & I were coming back from the park the other day & Madeline had a rock in her shoe. No big deal, she decided to hop the rest of the way home. The hop turned into a nasty fall, later turning into an awful scrape. She was so very brave though. As brave as a 4-year-old facing an awful lot of blood on her pink pants!

She is feeling better today though, her knee looks better-but she still didn't want to go to Bearcat Boogie for her dance class. There will be other Thursdays for dance. Meanwhile we are watching cousin Claire while she is in between childcare facilities for the next few weeks. Noah isn't used to having to share with someone who has the same reasoning as he does. It has been really really really fun to watch these two interact. Fun and a bit tricky at times when they both have such compelling two-year-old arguments!

After discovering that it is not very fun taking turns Noah Baker sat with his 'grumpy face'. He told me while I was taking a picture that I was making him mad. I was also not being a nice mommy. Claire, Noah said, needed to go home. After a while with his grumpy face, the cousins were brought together by the Thomas Table. What a great find by Rob about 7 years ago. Rob brought that home while I was pregnant with Sam (very early on, we didn't even know if it was Sam or Samantha yet). He did cheer up after a trip outside. We discovered on yet another tree the "buggie" shells all lined up & ready. Noah is fine with bugs, until they fall on him or land on him. Me too, well-except for ants. We all know my highly unreasonable irrational issue with ants. Could be worse right?

Sam wants to visit Grandpa Curt. He has been talking lately that he should probably fly out to Washington, stay with Grandpa Curt about a "month or maybe five" then fly back. I have reminded him that he has school & there is always next Summer. I think he will probably remember the 'next summer' comment. Better prepare Grandpa Curt!

***Last but certainly not least...Jackson Dean was born yesterday late afternoon! He looks like Matthew but teeny tiny. He has black hair, big eyes, chubby cheeks & is perfect. The next four weeks will drag on until I can see him!***

Football & 'Dave'

Sam had a football game over the weekend & had such a great time. He caught the ball this week...ran like the wind...and crouched down like a 'professional'. These are the days.

Between football, 1st grade homework, Madeline & Sam's upcoming Halloween party events, this home-room-mother is a busy gal! A fellow preschool mom brought us a frog, she evidently has four. I told her we could keep him for a little while, but then we will return to her or set free to a pond before winter...so he could do whatever frogs do during the winter season. Noah has named him Dave. I have to wonder where my two-year-old came up with 'Dave'. Dave is cute. Dave is little. Dave (at this point) does not stink. Dave eats crickets & we usually catch crickets & feed them to the spider...Dave will work out just fine for the time being.

I worked last night at the nursing home & it was wonderful. I feel very lucky to be there for a few hours twice a week. I finally have the time to do what I wanted & so desperately needed to do while I was the activity director...but couldn't due to meetings, care plans, paper work etc...

I come in at 4pm, stay over in the Alzheimer's unit reading & visiting, then around 5:30 I come back out to the dinning room, get coffee, tea, etc...while the Residents are eating. Around 6-6:30 I start wheeling one @ a time outside (if they will come with me & they usually do) to visit & enjoy these great evenings. I do that until 8 & then go home. It is wonderful & I think I enjoy it as much as they do, it's a nice way to end a full day of busy busy busy @ my house.