Happy Halloween!
Weekend updates.
~Kerri got her ears pierced! She watched an older girl cry while her ears were getting pierced. I thought for sure she would change her mind. But she put on a brave face, and got them done - one at a time. She did not cry at all. We then stopped for ice cream to celebrate!~Kerri also used her birthday money to buy herself a "Fijit Friend". So far, it has told her several jokes and then fell asleep and started snoring. I turned it off so Kerri could get some sleep. I can see this toy becoming the "must have" holiday gift this year for girls. It was sold out at the toy store!
~I finally gave in and bought myself reading glasses, so I would not have to hold my phone an arm's length away to read the screen. I feel older already.
~Kerri has been asking for a sister. First she told me to swallow a seed, grow the baby in my tummy and then poop it out. Then she said we could adopt the child, and it did not have to be a baby or come from China. Then she told me she wanted a foster child as a sister. I have no idea where she heard the term from. She really misses her friends and wants a playmate.
~We are getting ready for winter. That means snow gear, winterize the cars, the home, and eating more hearty meals, soups, and stews. And let's not forget hot chocolate! It is getting colder every day. I am looking forward to snow! Hard to believe I spent over 20 years in Florida. It's in the 30's here and I am only wearing a sweater.
~Yesterday was the ex boyfriend's birthday party, and Kerri had a spooktacular time. Everyone wore their Halloween costumes. Kerri was happy that her ex (and his Daddy) liked the gift and card we picked out. The card had a whoopee cushion in it. Yeah, we know what boys like. Oh, and the gift was a big, beautiful remote control red Corvette.
~Tomorrow we are delivering Halloween treat bags to school, and I have a meeting there to go over Kerri's initial IEP. I am so very glad we finally are getting things in place to help her. And then it's time to go knock on doors in the neighborhood for candy handouts, and hand out our own goodies at our door. And Nana is coming over in costume after work!
~Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween!
Life with Kerri is sweet.
Farm day.
Today I volunteered to accompany Kerri's class to a farm - and not just any farm - but a haunted one. It was a bitterly cold day (the temperature was in the 20's Fahrenheit this morning) so we were all bundled up to spend the day outside.
Our first adventure was in the maze. I was in charge of three kids: my daughter Kerri, her ex-boyfriend (who is a classmate and our neighbor) and another little girl. The three kids found their way out of the maze, while I was walking around in circles calling out their names and trying to figure out how to get out.
Next, they jumped on a giant pillow. This was one of their favorite activities. They also watched a puppet show, attended an outdoor workshop on pumpkins, played on a pirate ship, several play structures, a giant slide, and then we all went on a long haunted hay ride.
I had fun buying treats for the kids at the bakery shop (chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick!) and then we ate lunch. The ex-boyfriend shared his meatball sub with Kerri (she has never liked sandwiches), and Kerri is now a fan of meatball subs, go figure. (So we had to stop at a sub store to buy her one for dinner).
When we were leaving, the ex-boyfriend (whose birthday party is tomorrow) held my hand, hugged me tight and told me he loved me. Kerri instantly got jealous, tried to separate us and told him to go find his own mommy because I was taken.
We had such a fantastic time together that I totally forgot to take pictures! And we will definitely be going back to the farm.
Life with Kerri is a tad jealous today.
Our first adventure was in the maze. I was in charge of three kids: my daughter Kerri, her ex-boyfriend (who is a classmate and our neighbor) and another little girl. The three kids found their way out of the maze, while I was walking around in circles calling out their names and trying to figure out how to get out.
Next, they jumped on a giant pillow. This was one of their favorite activities. They also watched a puppet show, attended an outdoor workshop on pumpkins, played on a pirate ship, several play structures, a giant slide, and then we all went on a long haunted hay ride.
I had fun buying treats for the kids at the bakery shop (chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick!) and then we ate lunch. The ex-boyfriend shared his meatball sub with Kerri (she has never liked sandwiches), and Kerri is now a fan of meatball subs, go figure. (So we had to stop at a sub store to buy her one for dinner).
When we were leaving, the ex-boyfriend (whose birthday party is tomorrow) held my hand, hugged me tight and told me he loved me. Kerri instantly got jealous, tried to separate us and told him to go find his own mommy because I was taken.
We had such a fantastic time together that I totally forgot to take pictures! And we will definitely be going back to the farm.
Life with Kerri is a tad jealous today.
Who Invited the English Major?
As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I attended a Pure Romance party a couple months ago. It is common at such gatherings for the sales representative to lead the partygoers in a game of some sort. An icebreaker, if you will. At this particular party, the Pure Romance lady issued an invitation to the attendees: "Use the first letter of your middle name and then come up with a list of adjectives to describe your sex life." There weren't a lot of people there, so my turn came up pretty quickly.
My middle name is Marie. The first adjective to jump into my brain was maudlin. No, no, that won't work. Mediocre? No. Musty? Crap! Seeing that I was stymied, the hostess rattled off a list of M words that would make Dr. Ruth blush. "Moan, masturbate," and so on she went. I can't remember the rest but there were quite a few. An alarming number, really.
"But, but . . . " I responded. "Those aren't adjectives." Everyone turned to look at me as if to say, "Who invited her?"
A few days ago, I had a follow-up appointment with my allergy and asthma doctor. I was in his office a couple of times in late September because I was at death's door with an asthma flare-up. I tell you, I don't know when I've been so sick. I coughed and coughed to the point of exhaustion. He wanted me to come back when I was well so that we could discuss an action plan for the future. When I arrived at my doctor's office, the receptionist handed me an asthma quiz. The quiz asked me to rate my symptoms on a scale of 1 to 5. I was unable to get past the first question: "Are there activities you would of done if not for your asthma symptoms?" (I can't remember the exact wording, but that should be pretty close.) The error may as well have had a disco ball attached to it - I could not look away.
When Dr. W called me into the exam room, he asked me if I had taken the quiz. I decided I would share my horror with him. "There's an error in the first question, you know." I laughed and suggested to him that really, heads should roll for this sort of thing. He hopped up from his spinny stool and grabbed the clipboard that still had the asthma quiz attached.
"Where is it? Wait, let me see if I can find it." He scanned the laminated sheet and spotted the error immediately. He seemed rather excited about it. Maybe it gets boring, talking to people about their lungs all day.
"Now you can go home and tell your wife about the obnoxious patient who came in this morning," I said. He laughed. Oddly enough, though, I think he actually got a kick out of the fact that I had the chutzpah to point out the error. Later in the visit, he wanted to run some breathing tests and I hesitated because my insurance is fully depleted for the year (thanks to A's ear tubes). Everything I do at this point is out-of-pocket. I told him it might be better if I wait until January. Dr. W said he would make an adjustment to my bill in exchange for my invaluable assistance with the flawed form.
Ha! And you thought my BA in English was worthless!
In general, I don't claim to have stellar grammar. My blog is full of errors, I'm sure. I tend to forget when to use 'who' and when to use 'that.' (As in, dogs who sleep or dogs that sleep?) I use commas rather haphazardly at times. I think I successfully avoid glaring mistakes like confusing 'loose' and 'lose.' (Try visiting a Weight Watchers message board sometime - you'll loose your mind, I swear.) The ol' your/you're choice continues to confuse Facebook users worldwide. I don't expect my friends and acquaintances to use perfect grammar in emails or in speech. I promise you I'm not like that. However, I do feel the need to stand up for the language from time to time. I love words and language and yes, I believe text speak marks the end of civilization. Yes, I know language changes and grows. Even grammar rules change (ending a sentence with a preposition has been downgraded from felony to misdemeanor status these days). However, it seems to me like some of the basics should remain. If a noun is not possessive, please don't add an apostrophe. I'm begging you! There is a billboard not far from my home that reads: "We Rent Harley's." It's all I can do not to weep when I pass it. The world's going to hell in a hand basket and if this email I received from a client isn't proof of that, I don't know what is:
the secound one is wrong just deleat it Thanks (That was the entire message, I promise you.)
If you are also the type to weep when you spot misplaced apostrophes and such, and you know the difference between its and it's, here are a few websites you might enjoy:
The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks
Apostrophe Abuse
A Way with Words
My middle name is Marie. The first adjective to jump into my brain was maudlin. No, no, that won't work. Mediocre? No. Musty? Crap! Seeing that I was stymied, the hostess rattled off a list of M words that would make Dr. Ruth blush. "Moan, masturbate," and so on she went. I can't remember the rest but there were quite a few. An alarming number, really.
"But, but . . . " I responded. "Those aren't adjectives." Everyone turned to look at me as if to say, "Who invited her?"
A few days ago, I had a follow-up appointment with my allergy and asthma doctor. I was in his office a couple of times in late September because I was at death's door with an asthma flare-up. I tell you, I don't know when I've been so sick. I coughed and coughed to the point of exhaustion. He wanted me to come back when I was well so that we could discuss an action plan for the future. When I arrived at my doctor's office, the receptionist handed me an asthma quiz. The quiz asked me to rate my symptoms on a scale of 1 to 5. I was unable to get past the first question: "Are there activities you would of done if not for your asthma symptoms?" (I can't remember the exact wording, but that should be pretty close.) The error may as well have had a disco ball attached to it - I could not look away.
When Dr. W called me into the exam room, he asked me if I had taken the quiz. I decided I would share my horror with him. "There's an error in the first question, you know." I laughed and suggested to him that really, heads should roll for this sort of thing. He hopped up from his spinny stool and grabbed the clipboard that still had the asthma quiz attached.
"Where is it? Wait, let me see if I can find it." He scanned the laminated sheet and spotted the error immediately. He seemed rather excited about it. Maybe it gets boring, talking to people about their lungs all day.
"Now you can go home and tell your wife about the obnoxious patient who came in this morning," I said. He laughed. Oddly enough, though, I think he actually got a kick out of the fact that I had the chutzpah to point out the error. Later in the visit, he wanted to run some breathing tests and I hesitated because my insurance is fully depleted for the year (thanks to A's ear tubes). Everything I do at this point is out-of-pocket. I told him it might be better if I wait until January. Dr. W said he would make an adjustment to my bill in exchange for my invaluable assistance with the flawed form.
Ha! And you thought my BA in English was worthless!
In general, I don't claim to have stellar grammar. My blog is full of errors, I'm sure. I tend to forget when to use 'who' and when to use 'that.' (As in, dogs who sleep or dogs that sleep?) I use commas rather haphazardly at times. I think I successfully avoid glaring mistakes like confusing 'loose' and 'lose.' (Try visiting a Weight Watchers message board sometime - you'll loose your mind, I swear.) The ol' your/you're choice continues to confuse Facebook users worldwide. I don't expect my friends and acquaintances to use perfect grammar in emails or in speech. I promise you I'm not like that. However, I do feel the need to stand up for the language from time to time. I love words and language and yes, I believe text speak marks the end of civilization. Yes, I know language changes and grows. Even grammar rules change (ending a sentence with a preposition has been downgraded from felony to misdemeanor status these days). However, it seems to me like some of the basics should remain. If a noun is not possessive, please don't add an apostrophe. I'm begging you! There is a billboard not far from my home that reads: "We Rent Harley's." It's all I can do not to weep when I pass it. The world's going to hell in a hand basket and if this email I received from a client isn't proof of that, I don't know what is:
the secound one is wrong just deleat it Thanks (That was the entire message, I promise you.)
If you are also the type to weep when you spot misplaced apostrophes and such, and you know the difference between its and it's, here are a few websites you might enjoy:
The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks
Apostrophe Abuse
A Way with Words
Random Last Minute Thoughts
I arrived here a month ago today. I never expected to be here this long. I've never been away from home for such an extended time. My family has adjusted but it was a process. Did they miss me? Did they become more self-sufficient while I was gone? I'm heading home in the morning and we'll find out.
Out of the four weeks I was here, I only got to spend forty-eight hours with this precious package. That was not enough time to inhale all his newborn sweetness.
As soon as I get home I'm digging out a newborn photo of my first born, this baby's mama, because this photo looks just like that baby.
Compare this photo to the close up in yesterday's post and see how quickly he's changed already. This is going to only accelerate in the weeks and months to come. Why do babies have to do that?
I baked cake almost every day for four months this year but in the last four weeks I didn't bake a single one. (Lots of pies but no cakes). At the request of the midwife, I made a chocolate fudge birth day cake for Andrew with chocolate cream icing and strawberry filling.
I had a special, memorable time with my girls that culminated in a remarkable homebirth. I was reminded once again how powerful and magnificent birth is when it's approached with respect and love and trust. It was worth the long wait to witness the arrival of this new little person into the eager arms of his family.
Andrew participated in his first Skype call today. I think there will be many more in his future.
I'm going to miss these little guys a whole lot.
Compare this photo to the close up in yesterday's post and see how quickly he's changed already. This is going to only accelerate in the weeks and months to come. Why do babies have to do that?
I had a special, memorable time with my girls that culminated in a remarkable homebirth. I was reminded once again how powerful and magnificent birth is when it's approached with respect and love and trust. It was worth the long wait to witness the arrival of this new little person into the eager arms of his family.
I'm going to miss these little guys a whole lot.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Today Kerri had to wear her Halloween costume to Brownies.
We had to add some extra layers for warmth, since it is pretty cold now.
And Kerri picked this costume out herself, and has been practicing cheers for a week.
She even did a split, then put her pompoms in the air, and fell over sideways. It was hilarious.Her Brownies Halloween party was a lot of fun. And Kerri came home happy and exhausted. She fell asleep pretty quickly, which hardly ever happens!
Life with Kerri is getting into the spirit of the holiday.
iris turns 8!
My friend Julie asked me to take her daughters baptism pictures for her. I don't take pictures for people anymore, besides family. Shad and I both feel that for us, right now, it just doesn't work for our family.
BUT, Julie offered to do a trade. I take her daughters pictures and she watches Kate and Elle for me a couple hours a week for me to volunteer in Tanner's classroom. Score. It worked out great for both of us.
Here's little Iris....
Playgroup fun at Mother Nature's Farm
Over fall break the Monday preschool playgroup enjoyed some fall fun at the pumpkin patch. We had a fun time together at the farm...just wish it was cooler out!
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| We give this farm 2 thumbs up! |
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| The fun hay maze! |
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| Family Fun |
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| The Kids |
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| Having fun! |
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| Mamma's Boys |
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| Cute Animals |
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| Feeding the cow and sheep! |
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| Pumpkin Decorating |
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| Future Farmer |
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| Putting stickers on their pumpkins! |
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| Fun with mom |
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| 30 minutes later and still adding stickers! |
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| Family Fun |
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| Working on a master piece! |
Family Activity Day
This months Family Activity Day was at the Veteran's Oasis Park. It was an open house for the Police Department and a free fishing clinic for the morning. The kids had fun fishing, as well as the parents. There were lots of police officers walking around and showing off their vehicles. The kids went home with tons of stickers, crafts, fliers and candy!
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| Catch of the Day! |
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| Ready to catch a big one! |
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| The police K-9 demonstration |
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| Such a beautiful morning |
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| Having fun with daddy! |
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| Fishing with mommy! |
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| Future Cops |
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| Family Fun |
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| Another fun game |
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| Getting MORE candy! |
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| Little Fisherman |
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| Having Fun |
"Park" Day at Xtreme Air
What a fun day we had at Xtreme Air and Skate Park. The kids had a blast jumping around, going on the velcro wall, playing dodge ball and playing basketball. Even the moms had fun jumping around!
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| Just hanging out! :) |
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| Bouncing Fun |
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| Hanging with friends! |
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| Having fun with mom! |
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| Weeeee! |
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| Friends |
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| Group Shot |
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