Fun at the Park and Trick-or-Treating

We met my friend Joanna and her kids at the park today. It was so fun! Sunny is finally big enough to run around with the other kids and climb the equipment and slide down the slides. She even went on the "big girl" swing and only let go twice. Thank goodness she recovered and grabbed hold again before she fell off.

Then tonight, we went over to watch her and Thunder trick or treat. Well... I watched them trick or treat. Dan watched the football game and handed out candy at their house! I have Sunny tomorrow. I may have to enforce a strict "no candy" rule...

Thunder is teething... as you can tell from Gramps' damp shoulder

Papi and Sunny - the Bee

selecting the play-do she likes best

Thunder didn't get any candy

Yes, that's a piece of candy you can see in her mouth

Tia tickling Thunder - his laugh is so cute

The Last Day of October 2011

Wow. I don't know which blows my mind more. The last day of October. Or the year 2011.

Sunny and Thunder spent the night Saturday night. I am so out of practice juggling two kids that I only took two pictures! Here they are:

Sunny and I are going to the park today to play with Joanna's kids. I'm taking the camera. I hope I get some good photos. Tonight we are going to Katie's house for pizza and trick-or-treating. The Chargers are on MNF so Dan will be watching the game. I hope he or Gabe or Adam can pry themselves off the couch to answer the door while us girls are out in the neighborhood!

Tomorrow is November 1st. Since I'm not having Thanksgiving my thoughts are turned to Christmas. I have three of my trees up and decorated. Tomorrow I start writing my Christmas letter. I will take down the Halloween stuff and consolidate the Thanksgiving stuff so I can start on my Christmas decor. I have two of the eight stockings I need to make completed. I'm going to try to get two more done, but the other four will have to wait. The grandkids have priority so I'll explain to the adult kids that I am not SuperWoman after all.

We are going to have a typical Fall weather wise. It's going to drop from the 90s/100s straight to the 70s. We only get two days in the 80s this fall. The same thing normally happens in the Spring. We go from the 70s to the 90s with just a pause in the 80s. Last year we had 80s in the spring and fall and it was wonderful! I know it sounds weird to most of you, but 70s is pretty chilly around here. I will be putting a blanket on the bed this week. And I have socks in my sock drawer at the ready.

Enjoy your day. Happy Halloween!

Praising God Today

We have a nephew named Matt. His wife, our niece, is Michelle. Michelle is a police officer for a local city here in the Phoenix area. Last night there was an officer involved shooting. Our niece was not physically injured. However, during the incident a fellow officer of hers was killed. Michelle did have to fire her weapon in an altercation with the suspect along with two other officers.

Please join me in praying for the family of the slain officer. And in praising God that He protected our niece Michelle last night. Also remember to be thankful for the men and women who protect us 24/7. Thanks.

Halloween Rules For Grown-ups

I received this email from FlyLady today. When I began reading it I started to laugh, but then I realized what good advice it is. Especially for some adult males who-don't-really-like-holidays-I-won't-mention-any-names-but-it-starts-with-Dan. For instance, we're attending Sunny's Harvest Festival at school this afternoon. I am way enthusiastic, someone who shall remain nameless is not so much. But even he realizes that these are moments we will never get back. And once he says he's going to do it, he'll do it without complaint (until we get home and he may complain to me!) If this is too many rules for you, just follow Rule #1 and Rule #2 and you'll be fine.

If you want to receive emails from FlyLady or learn more about her tips for everything from cleaning your house to sticking to a budget to preparing for the holidays visit her website.

For those of you that will be attending fall festivals, trick or treating, Halloween parties, trunk or treating or anything else we can call this weekend I want to address a few rules for Moms & Dads, Grandmoms, Grandads, aunts, uncles and anyone else that might be participating with children for the afore mentioned events.

1. It will be hard, it will be long, accept it, know it, embrace it.

2. Have fun, you will never get these days back, there are no do-overs.

3. Have Patience, your kids will not even be able to contain themselves they are going to be so exited. They will be bouncing off the walls, will want to wear their costumes at 9 in the morning, will wake up like it is Christmas morning. It may not be a big deal for some of you but it is a huge deal to them. (See number 2)

4. Don't over-schedule! Be realistic as to what can really be accomplished. Don't try running errands with kids that are so stoked to go out and celebrate. Reschedule things that can be rescheduled so you all can have fun together! (See number 2)

5. Be prepared - have a game plan as to what is going to happen. Where are you going, what time, who with for how long. Once you know, explain it to your kids AHEAD of time, do not expect them to just agree with you and leave quietly. It will not happen. (See number 1)

6. Be the fun one - let's say that you want to leave or stop trick or treating at 9:00 pm, tell your kids 8:30. Then when they ask (beg) for a few minutes more say YES! They will never know what time you really wanted to leave and you get fun, cool adult status for the night! (See number 2)

7. Do not Procrastinate - if you need supplies get them as soon as possible! Don't be the one in line with your kid half way dressed on the way because you needed to get the last few things. It will make your kids crazy and in turn make you crazy. Right now make a list of anything you need to do. Review the list. Delegate what you can if you can and make a game plan. (See number 1) (PS - don't forget the flashlight and check the batteries!)

8. Plan your meals ahead of time - the drive thrus will be crammed with all the people that did not plan and the pizza places will be hours behind due to the volume of people that called before you did. Plan breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will be so glad you did (See number 2 ) If you don't plan for this you will pay with hungry, tired cranky kids! (See number 1)

9. Go to bed as early as you can the night before you start celebrating, plan a quiet evening if possible. Try everything you can to ease into the day. Sleep and good nutrition will really help keep the crankiness at bay. I am not saying that there won't be cranky times but you can take preventative measures to reduce the length and number.(See number 1)

10.) No Yelling - unless it is an emergency and it warrants yelling. How you behave will set the tone, if you are cranky, tired and yelling your kids will make you even crankier, more tired and you will yell more and so it goes. (See number 1) If you make every attempt, no matter how frustrated and tired you may be, to establish that this is all about fun they are more likely to follow. (See number 2)

11.) Listen - if your kids are telling you they are hungry or thirsty, they are. If your kids tell you that they need to go to the bathroom, they do. If they tell you that they are tired and want to go home, they do. I guarantee that if you are not listening or putting them off, it will cost you big. (See number 1)

To sum this up for you, it will be hard but make sure you have fun! You won't get this time back, make great memories; you all deserve them!

Sunny

On Monday I watched Sunny and Thunder. When he's over she is much more... challenging. I'm sure it's because she's vying for attention (at least in her mind). Yesterday it was back to just Sunny and me. I'm trying to make our days a little more structured. So, we played with puzzles, sang songs, finished a Halloween sticker project, walked around the neighborhood to look at Halloween decorations, and watched PBS shows. It was much calmer and happier than Monday.

giving Rascal yet another hug

camping

watching TV with Clifford

(it was 75 degrees in my house - she was cold!)

having fun with Gramps

A Prayer Request

Do you ever have doubts that God is still at work in this world we live in? Well, I'm here to assure you that He is.

Last week Jessica sent me an email asking me to pray for a sophomore student at her school. Katie Wagner was diagnosed with Stage IV Rhabdomyosarcoma. I added her to my daily prayer list and began to pray.

Yesterday I was talking to my friend Marti and she told me about Katie Wagner. I told her I already knew and had been praying. Marti has absolutely no connection with Jessica's school. Her source for the information was a young man her husband knows.

Jessica sent me Katie's CaringBridge site. You can find it here. As I read the messages of encouragement, I was amazed at how God is at work drawing people together to unite in prayer for Katie and her family.

If you feel led, I'm asking that you would join in prayer for Katie Wagner and her family. You can imagine the shock and confusion her family must be experiencing. I know they have fears and concerns that can be overwhelming. I can also tell from their postings that they believe in an awesome God and have placed their daughter securely in His hands.

I Just Couldn't Wait...

I know, I know. The banner at the top of the page says it's 64 days until Christmas. But I have the Christmas spirit NOW! So, I hauled out the Christmas tubs and boxes and decorated the tree for Dan's office. I feel better already!

Dan's tree is an eclectic mix of themes. Sports, outdoor recreation, home improvement, rustic, cowboy, "A Christmas Story". The first year Hallmark came out with "A Christmas Story" ornaments, I waited too long and they sold out before I could purchase one. Each year since I have made sure (pre-ordering is a wonderful concept) to purchase them. And yes, he's getting the newest this year too.

I use a red bandanna for the tree skirt. And blue lights (because he's color blind and can only see blue or yellow). I still need to decorate the rest of the office, but at least it's a start.

I'm trying to limit the sharing of my Christmas obsession on this blog. But if you want to keep up with just how crazy I can get, check out my blog Christmas 24/7/365.

Look Who Came to Visit

Zach and Skye dropped by for a visit yesterday. Ashley is traveling in California with her mom and grandma. As you can see, Skye is growing and developing lots of skills! She almost crawled for me. Like alot of babies her age, she likes to be on her feet. 

 

playing with Duke

Duke sneaking a kiss

"look at me, Grammy... I'm walking!"

Zach's pirate look

(actually he has an eye infection in the right eye)

enjoying some Gramps time

A Little Known Fact About Me

You probably don't know this about me, even if you know me personally. I am an Indy Car Racing Fan. I'm not a fanatic. I'm just a fan. I don't watch every single race. I do have a favorite driver, Danica Patrick. But now she's going to NASCAR and I am most definitely not a NASCAR fan. The one race I watch every year without fail is the Indianapolis 500.

One of my dreams is to go to an Indy car race. I almost made it several years ago. The Indy cars used to race in Phoenix out at the Phoenix International Raceway. One year my nail tech got tickets and offered them to me! I was beyond thrilled. Until I saw the date of the race. It was Easter Sunday. Since I worked at a church at that time as the Administrative Assistant for the Programming Department, there was no way I could go. I was so bummed.

That was my closest brush with an Indy car race until this past week. Last Monday and Tuesday as Dan and I were travelling home from KS via Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, we started seeing semi-trucks with racing team logos. We saw the Andretti team, the Penske team, and the Indy Car Race Experience trucks among others. We speculated for miles about where they might be headed. We thought the racing season was over, so we weren't sure if it was a special event or what. We lost them in Flagstaff, AZ, so Dan speculated that they were probably headed to Las Vegas, NV. It was so cool to pass truck after truck which we knew were loaded with expensive Indy cars.

I never gave it another thought. Until yesterday. The news that Dan Wheldon was killed in the Las Vegas 300 first flashed on my computer screen. I jumped up and turned on Fox News to see a horrific crash. As details of the crash became available, I realized that some of the cars involved could have been the very ones we passed on the freeway just a few days prior. What a creepy feeling.

My heart goes out to Dan Wheldon's wife, children, extended family, team members, crew, and friends. I know that auto racing is a very dangerous sport, but when you see race after race with no serious injuries, you kind of forget. I'm sure that this accident will cause changes to the Indy car races. I hope those changes mean no more tragic deaths on a raceway.

Official Photos

Caught up with the kids, grandkids, and the greats yesterday at the Railroad Park for some family photos. It was a good opportunity for me to get my official monthly photos with Skye and Thunder!

Skye and Grammy - official seven month photo

Thunder and Grammy - official three month photo

SSMT #20, Manhattan KS, Thunder

SSMT #20:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6  Those of you who know me personally will immediately recognize my need to memorize and live out this verse!

Manhattan KS: Last Sunday we spent the day visiting Janel's folks on their farm and touring the Kansas State University Gardens. It was a warm day with intermittent showers. Just beautiful! Enjoy the photos. (After these photos, check out the photos I took of Thunder this week)

the driveway to the farm

I just thought it was peaceful

Janel and Brandy

cute calf and cow - I don't think they're related...

I took tons of pictures of the pump - it's been years since I've seen one!

the trees were gorgeous - it's been years since I've seen changing leaves

K State Gardens

I'd never seen a plant with black leaves before!

the building AND the cloudy sky struck me as beautiful

after we kissed, the kids told us this is a popular make-out spot!

Thunder: Sunny and Thunder were over on Thursday. I was trying to get a photo of him smiling. Oh well, smiling or not, he's a cute guy!

Road Trip - Abilene, KS

Last Saturday we traveled to Abilene KS. When I was a girl, my family visited the Eisenhower Library and Museum several times. It was one of my favorite places. However, our trip to Abilene was two-fold this time. Yes, I wanted to see the Eisenhower Museum, but just as importantly I wanted to find a shop I had read about on a x-stitch blog - Picture This Plus. Oh my goodness, we found the shop and Janel and I were in heaven. We met Marilyn, and she was great! This shop features fabric that is hand dyed and it is beautiful. I ended up buying four patterns, four unique pieces of fabric, and left with the names of several other colors of fabrics on my phone for future reference. You can find their website here. They will ship anywhere. But you should really go by their shop in Abilene KS. It is well worth the trip. They also operate a new and used book store above the x-stitch shop, so Dan and JD were happy to browse books while Janel and I shopped below.

We also checked out some of the antique shops in downtown Abilene. I bought two juice glasses that are just like the ones my grandma had on her farm.

The Eisenhower Museum had changed a lot since I last visited it over forty years ago (really?! it was that long ago?). We also toured the Seelye Mansion. It was a beautiful old house, although I must say all four of noticed that it needs some maintenance and TLC. You can learn more about the mansion here.

Our final stop for the day was the Brookville Hotel. It is not a hotel at all, but a restaurant. It is unique in that there is only one meal on the menu. It is served family style and the only choice you have is to eat it or not eat it. The meal consists of chicken, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gray, biscuits, creamed corn, relishes, and ice cream for dessert. It was interesting, but I don't eat most of those foods. Plus, it was definitely carb overload! Check out this unique restaurant. It was packed and you need to have reservations to eat there.

OK, enough talk. Here are the photos I got at the Eisenhower Museum. It rained that day, so it was just perfect!

the burial place of President and Mrs Eisenhower

a son they lost in childhood is also buried here

the Eisenhower home

the chapel

the murals at the museum depicting scenes from Eisenhower's life

as we were walking around downtown Abilene, we spotted this plaque on the side of a building