KAI AND AMY...this one's for you

OCTOBER

October was a fun month for us.

Mason is in LOVE with the season. We would all have to look at every "haunted house" along our path as we went about our day, we spent HOURS looking at Halloween decor at every store that carries it, Mason spent everyday creating more "decorations" for his room, and he has planned out his costumes for the next 15 years. (Mason even cried one day because our house "isn't scary at all".)

We also spent most days in October with painted faces. Don was kind enough to allow Mason to paint him as a Vampire one afternoon. What a good Dad.

Morning Breath...

Kennedy hates my morning breath.

The kids always come and snuggle in my bed with me in the morning when they wake up. (Don is already gone for work, he likes to get there early so he can be home early.)

On Saturday Morning when they got up and came down, Don was still in bed so we had so squeeze in tight and I had to scoot Kennedy really close to me.

She gagged.

Thanks K.

Sneaky...
There is a no gum rule at Mason's Pre-school. I knew this, but I forgot. The other day Mason asked for a piece of gum, I got him one and rushed him out the door for school. Upon his return home, he asked for another piece because he had to get rid of his at school.

Mom: "Oh, that's right you had to spit it out because you can't have gum at school."

Mason: (in a sneaky voice) "Yep, but I got really far with it."

Mom: "Really far with it?"

Mason: "Ya, I had it all the way until the end of the day when we were watching the ballerinas." (the nutcracker dancers came for a visit this day)

Although Don and I had a good laugh about this, I was disappointed that he was so proud of sneaking his gum most of the day. He is my sweet little boy that wants to please and USUALLY follows all the rules. I know its just gum, but I hated that he was sneaking.

The sneaking didn't stop that day.

I have told him he can't take toys to school. (I am assuming this is a rule.) Well he made a treasure map this morning and took it in his pocket to use at recess with his friends. He told me he pulled it out and showed everyone "where to go" and then folded it back up really small and put it back in his pocket. Mmmmmm.

Stay tuned for more sneaking at our house....I'm afraid it is just beginning.

Summer Swimming Lessons

(August)

Mason loved swimming lessons this summer. He finally got over his fears and so he had so much more fun playing at the pool this year. Thankfully he is such a good boy that he usually follows directions and so when I wasn't in the pool with him he would stay in the shallow end like I asked him to do. (Then I didn't have to worry.)

I also think that it helped that I got him goggles. I always thought goggles were for wimps. I don't know why I thought that, but I'm over it and he swims much better now that he has them.

(One evening we were all getting together at Don's sisters house and I arrived after everyone else. My Mother-in-Law said "Wow, Mason is swimming so well, you didn't tell me he could swim all the way across the pool." Oh, I didn't know he could. Apparently he wanted to show her so he jumped off the diving board and swam all the way to the shallow end. I was so proud of my little 5 year old.)

His two "best moves" off the diving board this summer included this...
and this.
Pretty fancy stuff. :)

Kennedy did not enjoy lessons this summer, at all. She was used to the warm room that she swam in during the winter and spring that this going outside stuff was no fun to her. I have to admit the pool was pretty cold. She would lay on the concrete to get warm while she was waiting for her turn.
On the last day of swimming lessons this teacher makes them go off the slide and Kennedy was having no part of it. Here she staying as far away as possible.
Here she is after the teacher "helped" her up there...
Kennedy decided she would be going back down...
Stefany says....no way...I'll go with you then.
Kennedy was so ticked and still tells me she hates the slide. Hopefully next summer will bring more luck with her.

It's a Boy...

Don and I could not decide if it was a good idea to take the kids to the ultrasound with us. In the end decided we would take them....NOT a good idea.

I had forgotten that we were really going to see if the baby is developing normally and not just to find out the gender. I had also forgotten how long they actually spend measuring everything. As I laid there just waiting for the moment when the doc would let me go pee, Don struggled to keep the kids quiet and respectful.

So after about 45 minutes the doc finally said well here you can see, it's a boy. I looked down toward the end of the bed at my family and realized they weren't listening and I said, hey guys did you hear that, it's a boy. Kennedy was DEVASTATED! Tears started streaming down her face and she said "No, I want a sister not a boy!". She carried on for some time, it was really sad.

I think more sadness will come after the baby is born and Mason discovers that this brother that he has been waiting for isn't going to be a playmate for some time and once he is old enough to be a playmate, Mason won't be interested anymore.

At any rate, I am excited for the new little one that will be coming into our home.

Operation: Pile o' Thank-yous

This post is copied from my sister, Amberly. I have a portion of it here, but check out her blog for the full deal. I think this is a great idea!
http://jasonandamberly.blogspot.com/

"I think it is polite to send a thank you note.

(Even if I have failed to send you a much deserved thank you note I still think it is polite to send a thank you note - hey, I'm not perfect.)

And seeing how it is November and all - the month for gratitude - I decided to send my Commander-in-Chief a little thank you love. I was thinking about this quote, "...The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined..." (full article here) and I thought what, my friends, is more tender, kind, and refined than a lovely homemade thank-you card with a thoughtful expression of gratitude?

By the by, I called the White House today to make sure that mail can really get to the President and I was assured that it would. I am not kidding, I really called the White House and I even blushed a full crimson blush as I talked to the switchboard operator. So get going, send a card, and pass this on."

I too hate that President Bush is being blamed for things that are not in his control. Check out the following article....I found it interesting.

http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/081017light.html

Now go check out Amberly's blog... http://jasonandamberly.blogspot.com

(Libbie...just copy and past the URL in your browser) :) :)

Mowing The Lawn

Mason loves to help Uncle Kevin mow the lawn.

As soon as he hears the mower out there, he hurries out to "help".

(On this particular day he wasn't dressed and I told him to get some clothes on before going out. Stripes and plaid....)

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

I've been emotional today. Like many of you, I am concerned about the election today and the future of our Country. Let's keep praying.