Merry Holloween?

These were this years carvings. Aiden's is scary pumpkin. Izzy's is puppy pumpkin. Emma's is Disney Castle. Ben and I love to have a competition when it comes to carving but the past few years all we can manage is carving each of our children's pumpkins! We have some fake ones we need to carve but I'm not sure we're going to have time for that soon, so...

Now, for the Merry part...

Our neighbor's house!

What In the world? We pulled out our scarecrow and they pulled out big blow up Christmas-Go-Round! Then, in one day, they had lights, reindeer, trees, Santa... oh, and two jack o lanterns! You can't put up Christmas before Fall starts!
Do you like the emphasis in the picture here?

"One of the these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong. Can you guess which thing is not like the other? Now our song is done."

Well, like we say every day now, Merry Christmas!

(I am going to be extrememly busy these next few weeks. I'll update when I can!)

Maybe I'm crazy!

I thought it would be great writing and computer practice for Emma to have her own blog! So we created it together and now she's hoping that her friends in Portland will make their own and check each other's blogs. Check out her first post

Pumpkins! (Edited)

Izzy had her second field trip of the year to the Pumpkin Patch. Not the coolest patch ever or anything but they did have a hay maze.

Who doesn't like a good pumpkin? Carving an intricate picture and displaying in with delicate candle light. I discovered some fake pumpkins last year at the thrift store and actually carved one this year. Greatest thing ever. My creation will never spoil. It remains beautiful and unfuzzy! We haven't carved the rest of our pumpkins yet but that post will be forthcoming!

I've added a picture of my pumpkin from our Texas time. It had two sides. Too bad I don't have digitals of some of my best work!

Ben's conversation

So, the following is Ben's conversation with Aiden that he quickly wrote down so as not to forget anything. This conversation happened on the way back to the house from the bus stop. Izzy was there, too.

A: Dad, Jayden likes to have sex with naked girls. ( this kid is a 2nd grader.)
D: WHAT?
A: repeats
D: Who told you that?
A: Some people at school.
D: Aiden what does sex mean?
A: Oh... it's something...you know...I don't know. What is it? (laughing)
D: Buddy, sex is something that only married people should do and I don't think it's appropriate to talk about with your buddies at school.
A:Yeah! You and mom have sex all the time, right?
D:Well, not as much as I like.
A: (laughing) Yeah!
I: Dad, what is sex?
D: Aiden, what did you do today at school?
A: Ah, nothing!

Dad thinks to himself... "Crisis averted!"

So Ben wimped out of that one but, I promise you, I have had to have this conversation many times with all of my children. I have come to realize that trying to discuss these matters with them when they are these ages seems pointless! They don't remember what we talk about at all! I have had some pretty decent explanations, too! But, don't ask for them! That's what your parents are around for. Jeesh!

Ow!

So, I hurt my neck. It was a really strenuous activity I was involved in and I really need to be more careful about how I exercise! See, when your lying in bed and your alarm goes off, the best advice is to wear earplugs or figure out some sort of method other than turning it off so that you don't feel inclined to reach over and turn it off, for that, and that alone, is what I did to hurt my neck... And as I lied there, I thought, "that hurt" and I lied there five minutes, six minutes, seven minutes... And with each minute, the pain got more intense and my neck was able to move less and less. Then... I tried to get up. With every millimeter or a move my body tried to make, shooting pains seared up into my skull. Any way I thought I might be able to move was useless. Now, I could have had Ben just pull me up. Yes, the perfect solution. Only guess who was out of town at that very moment? It starts with a "B" and ends with a "en"! The longer time ticked the more I was determined to get Advil and NOW! So, as quick as I could I maneuvered my buns to the edge of the bed and allowed my body to fall off. How else could I force myself to endure the pain that inevitably shot through my brain?
Let me tell you, I had two very full days planned while Ben was gone and that changed rather quickly. I had Izzy taken to school by someone else and canceled my meeting which left me just enough time to lay down very carefully and sleep so as to try and relax every muscle that had tensed up in body.
As the hours go by, I find the pain to transform into something new. A different muscle, a new pain, and actually, ways I can move it and places I can put pressure which allow me to turn certain ways... But, in the last 60 hrs I have prepped a shower for caulking, a counter for resurfacing, watched two boys for a day, packed up my scrapbooking stuff, taken my kids and myself to a friends where we scrapbooked and stayed the night, and layed flooring down for my first time! And church and sleeping but...
This (picture below) is a pressure point I discovered for neck pain. If it's the right side of your neck push on the left hand and vise versa. I've only tried it once so far and am very hopeful! I've never been to a chiropractor since we moved here and we've always had some sort of good deal wherever we've lived thus far so I don't want to pay 50 to 200 bucks for a little poppy pop but we'll see if I'm forced. I am trying to move it and massage it and have some arnica and other drugs... Like pot. Just joking! I've also discovered my most reliable massager. It's me. I'm always available, I know exactly what I need and I'm good at what I do!
Hopefully this will come to pass. Life could be worse. My neck's just stiff. That's all.

Some random pictures

These are some pictures I took at a house nearby that is a public building. We looked around inside and took pictures outside. It was sort of fun. Yah, okay, it was fun! Izzy brought her friend Harsimran. She's Indian. It makes me think of Eva...