Finally!

After another long week, I'm finally finding a few minutes to blog.  It feels like Halloween was a month ago, not just a week!

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On Halloween, I took the kids down to my parents' house, and while there, I scanned old pictures into my laptop for 4 HOURS!  I was exhausted!  But I've got lots of cool pictures to share with you in the coming weeks.  And by cool, I mean humiliating. LOL  The teen years were not always that kind to me! (It was, of course the late 80's, early 90's, so I'm not sure that I know anyone who came out unscathed!)

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Patience came out with a few funny things this week.  First, as the kids were doing dishes last Sunday morning, she came out like this:

and said, "Look, Mom, I have a pot-belly!" LOL  The picture is from me making her "reenact" the moment.

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Then, later in the week, I had some swelling under my right eye.  Maddie was commenting on it, and Patience came over to see. "Mom, it doesn't look that--AAAAUGHH!"  is what she said.  Nice.  Later in the day, as she checked it out again, she remarked, "Are you sure you don't want to go look at that in the mirror?".  LOL  She sure knows how to make a girl feel good about herself!

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Today, the topic of Christmas presents came up.

*****NEWSFLASH****  My sister and her family are coming for Christmas!!!   My sister and her family are coming for Christmas!!!!!!!!

We talked with Matante Christine on the phone about what the kids wanted for gifts, and what her kids wanted from me--God forbid we surprise them.  Christine's kids are little, so they won't know, but my kids are old enough to ask for, and then expect, certain gifts.  Sigh.

Anyway, later in the evening, Maddie said (with Patience listening), "Mom, you know you don't have to get us anything for Christmas, right?"  I looked at Patience, who was trying to masked the shocked and slightly panicked look that crossed her face.  She quickly said, "Of course you don't HAVE to get us anything......."  (significant pause).  LOL LOL    She's too funny.  She tries to be altruistic, but at heart she's just a normal, greedy little kid. LOL

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On Sunday, we taught Sunday School.  The lesson was on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  The kids had so much fun--we wrapped them in crepe paper, and let them "come out" of their burial cloths. 

I had to work--a show in Fall River, which is about 40 minutes from home. I flew home afterwards, because the kids had Awana.  I don't know about Awana--on the days that I work, it's really becoming a hassle to get home in time, get them dinner and make sure they've practiced (a bit!).  Steve is so tired from working overnights that he isn't as on top of things as I would be, were I at home.  But the leaders have offered to pick the kids up, so I don't have to hurry home on the afternoons that I'm working.  That will help, BUT it won't help the other problem that we're having, and that is watching Maddie struggle so much with memorization.  And having to watch her struggle with feeling badly about herself, next to a sister who is younger and excels at memorization.  I'm really not sure what we're going to do about that.

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Monday we did a 1/2 day of school, and then my friend, Ulana, came over with her gorgeous baby girl for a visit.  Here is Maddie, holding Haly.

 

At Awana, Patience had won an extra prize--one of those big balloons with the elastic handles that you blow up, and then punch?  It was hysterical, because she didn't know what to do with the balloon, but once I showed her--PURE JOY.  She was so funny.  The balloon only lasted about 1/2 hour before it popped, but here she is, having the time of her life with it.

 

I had a meeting Monday night for PC, where they announced (drumroll, please!) that the 2009 incentive trip (to be taken in 2010) is DISNEY!!!!!  I'm so excited!  So I will be working my tush off next year to earn (EARN, not win, do you hear me??) this trip for my family.  We're all very psyched.

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Tuesday was, of course, Election Day.  I had the kids do another 1/2 day of school, we went to vote, went walking with Sue and her family--I can't really remember what we did with the rest of the day.  I know I had errands to run (when do I not??). 

--Wednesday was school, then bowling.  The kids had fun, but they're very inconsistent with their scores.  They have at least one good game per week (they bowl 3 strings), but there are games where I'm paying for them to throw gutter balls.  Oh well. :)

Wednesday evening, my friend Julie came over for a belated birthday dinner.  We were sitting looking at old pictures and pictures on Facebook.  I haven't laughed that hard in a while!  It was pretty hilarious.  A nice break in the middle of the week.

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Thursday was co-op.  I volunteered to make a cake decorated like the Nile River.  How did I do?

Nothing fancy, but the kids were thrilled to have cake! 

Thursday afternoon, Eli has his annual physical.

****NEWSFLASH**** Eli has broken the 5 ft. barrier!  He is now 5 ft. 1/2 inch, and weighs 84 lbs.

Whew--I was thinking he'd weigh 60 lbs. for the rest of his life. 

I worked on Thursday night--fun show with great people.

--Friday morning we did our school work.  We headed out for the hairdresser's after lunch--all 4 of us got haircuts.  Eli's looks great, Maddie just had hers trimmed, I hate mine (just too short--why did I let them convince me that was a good idea???), but Patience (who HAD to get her hair cut, even if she just had it cut 4 weeks ago....) decided to get bangs again.  Here's the new look:

She looks pretty cute, eh?

Then, thankfully, the chiropractor was able to fit me in--whooey, did I need an adjustment!

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Friday night, one of my new consultants (and a fellow hs mom) had her first PC show, so I brought the kids with me to play with her kids.  We had a fantastic time, but didn't get home until 11pm!  EEEK. 

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Today has been busy for me, not so much for my family.  I had a Sunday School meeting this morning, made a run to the Post Office, helped another new consultant with her first show, and was finally home around 5pm.  I read some Thanksgiving books to the kids ('Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson and An Outlaw Thanksgiving by Emily Arnold McCully), and started a game of Clue with them.  But my mom called, and I ended up on the phone with her for an hour (sorry, kids!).

I still have some PC work to do, and I have to go wake Steve up so that he can head to Wal-Mart.  He didn't work at Wal-Mart last night--he got home too late from his day job. :(  Oh well.

Here are a few more photos of the fall foliage.  It's fading now, with leaves falling & leaving tree branches bare, and the colors are becoming muted.  Lots of mustard yellows and rusty reds and browns. 

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Heading south on Rt 95, just before exit 3 in RI.  We don't have many big hills in RI, so not too many sweeping views.  This isn't great (through the car windshield) but I thought I share it anyway.

We're heading to Plimouth Plantations on Monday, so I'm sure I'll have some great pictures from that!  Have a great weekend!