Our House

I know this picture is long overdue, and I have more to post, but here is the front of my house (finally)!  Caleb was helping me water the plants.

Strange Days

Okay, I am still in transition, which, I didn't think would bother me so much. (But it does). Finished my last final today. Looks like "A" in nutrition and "B" in pharmacology. Whatever. I'll settle for the B. That class was miserable.


So, I get two weeks off. 2 weeks. Hmmm. I was planning on finishing my scrapbook room and getting it setup so I can just escape into and do geneology, or, of course, scrapbook. BUT, Lee is working constantly and cannot help me do anything in there, so I have decided to grout the floor all by my lonesome.

He is remodeling Golden Corral and can only work on it at night when they are closed and then it has to be up and ready to go before the morning breakfast rush. And then, he works all day. So, he comes home at 5 or 6 and sleeps till 9 at night then goes into Golden Corral till 1am or so then comes home to sleep and get up again at 6 in the morning and work on the other jobs all day long. He is behind on invoicing customers and I can't help him, cuz I don't know enough of what's going on anymore.

Pat and I are getting along quite well. She and I had lunch together today. We went to a matinee on friday afternoon and Lee took the boys camping. She invited me to a women's night at a local nursery in town the week before and that was pretty fun.

I start med surg and pathophys in a couple weeks. Think I'd like to start now. Am already worried I'll be bored. Or maybe it's cuz it's that time of year again WHEN MY FRIENDS LEAVE. Yeah, going away party in the morning and going away lunch on thursday. This is a sucky time of year. Glad my friends are moving on to bigger and better things, just wish it wasn't necessary. Anyway, I suck at transition.

The studying that never started.

yes, I am supposed to be studying right now. BUT I am so burnt out that I wanted to take a break. Got my last final on tuesday. Got my last TB test read today. Finishing all my vaccinations for compliance for students in the medical professions.

Collin started at Apple School two days a week and is loving it. We are finally making some progress on potty training, too, but I had to resort to gummy bear bribery this week.

Caleb is going thru a tremendous growth spurt and apparently can't seem to get enough food into his face at any given time.

Lee is working a lot, and is loving it, because we have lots of catching up to do after such a long slow time.

Coaching Caleb's ball team has been fun for the most part. Some of the parents from the other teams suck the fun out of the game by being so competitive and nitpicky. This league doesn't get competitive till they are 9. Chill!

I found a new home for my Emmie. It was very difficult to give her to someone else. It was difficult not to vomit. BUT she wasn't getting enough attention here, and she barked constantly cuz she couldn't handle being alone. Now that I am only paying to support one dog (Josie) I can get her cleaned and get her claws clipped and have her in the house more often. This way each dog gets more attention.

The family that took her seemed very nice. And I have had people interested in taking her before, but I didn't feel comfortable with them, so I didn't let her go. Anyway, they had a female chocolate lab years ago named Betsy. She got cancer and died. They have recovered from that and were ready for another dog. They had gone all the way to the animal shelter in versailles, mo looking for another chocolate lab. All the ones they came across weren't as healthy as my Emmie. She fetches well, follows the ball (would make a great outfielder). He (the husband) even remarked at how gorgeous she is. AND yes, she is. Beautiful coloring, sweetheart. codependent dog, though. So, I have talked with them a couple times since she left and she is doing "Fabulous".

Other than that, it's fun to have Josie in the house but she is afraid of my cat, Maddy! WILL NOT come to me when I call her if Maddy is between us. I think she'll get over it.

Okay, well, back to the studying I wasn't doing anyway. . . . . . .

Little Little Spider

Collin was singing on the way to school this morning.  "The little little spider went up the water . . . came down the rain and washed the spider out."  It was very cute. 

We have had about 6 practices for Caleb's baseball team.  Went to pick up the shirts today and they were wrong AGAIN.  Decided to pick them up anyway.  The kids I gave them out to today were very happy to have them.  The game scheduled for today was cancelled because all of the rain that came down, and when it did, "The little little spider went up the water. . . . came down the rain and washed the spider out."

A Morning In The Life

I am so far behind in catching my friends up on everything.  SO, I decided to write what a morning in my life is like right now.  I was gonna write about a day, but (and I know this will surprise you) I don't have time for that.

Dogs Bark.  I ignore them.  Collin tries to snuggle me, but gets bored cuz he's done sleeping.  Alarm goes off at 7:15.  yeah, right.  SNOOZE.  Dogs barking.  alarm again.  Okay.  I'll get up.

I head straight to the kitchen to microwave their favorite frozen pancakes. Yes, I give them sugar for breakfast cuz usually they leave home and burn off their sugar with someone else.  PLUS, it's easy, and I CANNOT make pancakes to save my life, so I buy them frozen.  The kids prefer french toast sticks, now THAT'S sugar.  So, I feel like I am doing well to give them pancakes.

They come in packs of 3.  I cook (heat up) a batch for the first Collin, then Caleb, who generally comes down the stairs with crazy man hair and doesn't say a word.  Still asleep, he eats his pancakes and drinks his milk.  He asks for plate number two, sometimes plate number three.  My kids eat almost no dinner, but pig out at breakfast.  (Maybe it's the pancakes).  But at least they are eating something!

They turn on cartoons while I take a shower.  I intermittently do my hair and makeup while helping them get dressed (they don't care if things don't go together).  Let Josie out, cuz she is done eating and Emmie ate outside.  Fill up their water bucket.  Let Maddy the Kitty Catty out to do her "business".  

Phone rings, it's Lee.  Wandering the breakdowns or most recent info on some dire emergency.  Or what would seem to be one to him anyway.  Alarm goes off.  Oops.  Forgot to turn it off again.  Sometimes I have to give Caleb a asthma treatment in the morning.  He hates it cuz he can't hear his precious cartoons.  Ugh!

Raise the garage door, start the car.  Usually its cold or rainy here, so yes, I still warm up the car.  Pack Collin's lunch.  Maybe eat some breakfast.  Try to think of what I need to take with me.  Get the kids in the car after, "Where are your shoes?" at least twice.  

Collin must open his own car door and put himself in his seat.  Okay, so ten minutes later we roll out (very slowly, cuz I backed into Lee's truck about a month ago).  Course, he's already gone by then, but I'm still careful!!

Drive 4 city blocks to drop Caleb off at school.  Roll off when I see him disappear into the building after "Bye Baby, Love You, Have a Good Day" and a muffled "Love you too" in return.  Sometimes I have to roll down the window so Collin can see Caleb to waive goodbye to him.

Collin watches my turns, makes sure I am going the right way to get him to school.  Enlightens me on some deep and profound yet unintelligible truth as we drive.  Go down to Walnut and Tenth.  Park in the church parking lot at the "Reserved for Christian Church Only" Spot, cuz where else would we park.  

Get out, undo his seat belt, get his lunch and bag and lock the car.  Make him hold my hand into the building and let him run through the gym up the stairs.  Up and Up and Up 4 flights?  I think.  Then, we open the door and are greeted with warm smiles and hellos as everyone is bustling around cuz we are late!!  Put his lunch box and bag in his cubby.  Sometimes he willingly gives up his coat, sometimes I have to stop him to get it.  I undo the latch (dutch door) to let him in, he has already forgotten mommy is there.  Bid goodbye to the teacher after chatting for a few minutes.  She is always doing some fascinating thing with them.  What a wonderful thing is a good preschool teacher.  Heaven on earth is a preschool full of them.  Did I tell you they cried when I told them I have to put Collin in a different school?  OH that was so hard.  They knew it was coming, and I am not gonna pass up the chance to go to nursing school so Collin can go to this school from 9 to 1:30 but I love these ladies and I love this school and THEY LOVE HIM and I love that they love him.  Oh!  This sucks!  It's so HARD to trust your kids to someone.  It's even harder to separate them from TEACHERS they LOVE and who LOVE them.  

Anywho, off I go saying hello and goodbye to the door, and then out the door and down the stairs and stairs and stairs to the car to decide what to do first.  Usually I head back home to study.  All for now.  Hope that is interesting.  Miss y'all.

Me

Updates

I have finished all my lessons for Nutrition and all my quizzes for Pharmacology.  I am coaching Caleb's ball team.  

"Skinny Boarding"

Caleb called it "skinny boarding", but it's really skim boarding, and he and Daddy are very good at it.  Caleb has done it so much on these last two trips that he's wearing the finish off the bottom of his board.  Collin made a little friend while we were down there, (and Yes, it was a girl and her name was Abby).  

I shopped at the outlet mall which they said is the biggest in the nation.  Oh, and the Gulfarium had half off student admission and students who swim with the dolphins, so guess what I did!!

Easter

We were on vacation for Easter this year.  We went to Destin again to enjoy the beach.  The city collaborates with a local church to put on a massive Easter Egg Hunt.  AND it is all FREE!  25,000 eggs were set out, and there were 2 age groups.

They passed out "Meal Tickets" for each person.  It entitled you to a hot dog, a drink, and chips.  They had cotton candy and snow cones.  They had rock climbing walls (which you can see Caleb took advantage of, and they had 3 bounces houses.  They also gave away lots of free baskets and prizes.  

We had also gone to the Adventure Club Egg Hunt before we left town.  They had the best balloon man there that we have every seen!  They hunted eggs there, too. 

The Easter Bunny also made a stop at our condo while we were on vacation.  Although, Collin kept saying Daddy left the baskets out, we kept trying to convince him it was the Easter Bunny.  Man, we had a whole lot of egg hunts this year.  How was your Easter?  Did you lay out on the beach afterwards, too???

Vacation

My Mac

So, I got a new MAC and I haven't posted!!  It's almost been a week, I know. But, of course you know I have been busy.  Had a little lunch at my house yesterday.  Have a fireside there tomorrow night.  Took a nutrition test, didn't go so well.  Caleb was diagnosed with asthma and now must have treatments regularly for a while.  Lee went on an overnight campout for the "Klondike" merit badge I guess it is?  It was really cold, but they had a great time.  Gave him an excuse to spend a little money on camping gear.

My pharmacology class is super interesting but very intense.  Even though I am a BIG PICTURE person, when I want to ace a class, I become really detailed and get so sucked into the details I run out of time to study the concepts and end up with a mediocre grade.  Figured that out after an embarrassing number of years in school.  Started when I struggled in Microbiology.  Got a 68%  what?  But, I KNEW what I knew and boy did I know what I didn't know.  I am getting better at it, though, and don't want to get out of practice.  I was gonna get a couple years experience nursing b4 starting my masters, but now I may not so I don't forget how to study.  I know that will make it take way longer to get done, but it's better than not doing so hot when I go back.  My grades have a massive effect on my self esteem.  Silly a little, I know, but there you have it.

I was studying late the other night and I turned on BYU tv to watch something about Joseph Smith from 2005, at leas that's what the directv guide said, but it turned out to be a press conference with Prophet Monson and and the presidency.  Very cool that I stumbled upon it.  I have had a pretty constant OVERWHELMING I mean really OVERWHELMING feeling and understanding of how the Lord loves us and how much he loves us, and thank goodness taking care of all facets of the work of the church is left in such capable hands.  I continue to miss and love our Prophet Hinkley and thank him for solidifying my testimony in prophets in more ways than I can "verbalize".  Love and miss you all.  

Busy January

(Thought I would post a picture of my Maddy Kitty Catty, in case I hadn't done that yet)

I remember January being really boring as a kid. Probably because I hate the cold and was never really adventurous enough to go out and play in. Well, all these years later I still hate the cold, but January is anything but boring!!

I have really been trying to focus on working less, being a better time manager, being more "in tune" with my kids and spending more quality time with friends and family. It is going well.

I tried an acupuncture session on monday afternoon to see if it could help with my chronic shoulder pain. Believe it or not, it is very relaxing. The needles don't hurt (me) at all. I suppose some people might be a little more sensitive to them. Anyway, you "Soak" for 20 minutes during the session. My ears and face were so warm and RED. Anyway, yesterday, I had more energy than I have had in a long time, so much so, that it almost worried me! I exercised and just couldn't get enough cardio. It felt so good! My shoulder pain has been alleviated for now, so I think I will continue to try acupuncture. I love that I enjoyed exercising again.

My sister has been great about staying in shape and has lost some weight this last year, and when I told her it was hard to get motivated to exercise, she told me that if I worked through that I would get the point where I had a hard time going without exercise. I'm sure she's right, and I look forward to it.

Caleb's Party

We decided to have Caleb's birthday party after school was back in session so he didn't get ROBBED for his birthday :) We had it on MLK day since I figured it would be a little easier to get more kids there, and it didn't take up everybody's weekend plans. Yes, I know it looks SO plain, but, it had be, 'cuz we were painting!! They had just taken off their "paint shirts" and put clean white paper down on the table before we took the photo above. I know, I know, little girls have ribbons and bows and pink stuff, but we had MOTORCYCLES AND HUMMERS AND ATVS and other cool stuff.

It worked out pretty well, we had a fun little group, and you guessed it, we went to "The Mud Room" where the kids painted some sort of motor vehicle they chose. They were all SO QUIET and concentrated so hard! (except for Collin).



Caleb got to put his handprint on a plate and his friends put their thumbprints all around the edge, and the store owner was going to turn the little thumbprints into cardinals. The parents really liked it 'cuz it was low key and quieter than most birthday parties. I decided not to give away little party favors since they get to take home their awesome artwork. I knew Caleb would dig this kind of party 'cuz he is so creative, but was pleasantly suprised at how much his little friends liked it, too.

He invited a 4th grader. . . . . . . yeah . . . .that's what I was thinkin', too. Huh? a 4th grader, how do you even know a 4th grader?? But, his friend Chad from his class has an older brother named Nick who is in 4th grade and they are all in scouts together through the school and as it turns out, Nick is quite a good friend to my Caleb. He has a very funny and interesting mix of friends. His friend Isaiah is a few months younger and no kidding, he is a foot taller!!! Kinda funny when they are standing next to each other.



Collin did pretty well, considering he couldn't open his brother's presents. He just enjoyed being around Caleb. They are pretty good little friends sometimes. It is pretty sweet to watch.

Free Weekend

(Okay, I was just gonna post a note, but turns out I decided to vent and ramble, Enjoy!)

Well, Grandma has the kids this weekend since it's her last weekend off before she starts working lots and lots of overtime. I have been so excited about having alone time I don't know which project to work on first. Some of that has been determined for me though, since my bank lost all my bill pay info and I have to redo that. The house is mostly clean since we had a little get together last night and had cleaned to prepare for it.

I will probably start training my "Dragonspeak" a little more so I can get it to transcribe all my hours of interviewing my Grandma. I have homework to do for nutrition. Seems like the teacher is taking a while to grade it, but I guess that's the way it goes in an online class that is mostly short answer or essay.

We had to run around a little to take care of errands before Grandma picked up the boys yesterday and the boys were so excited all day they couldn't contain themselves. SO HYPER!! She came in and sat down and Collin wouldn't leave her side for her to go to the bathroom (which is normal for him now). Caleb has grown out of his fascination with Grandma which is hard for her, but Collin still clearly worships her, so that helps.

I gotta tell ya I have felt like we should have more kids, but of course we'd have to wait till I am done with this program, but then I think I have forgotten how much time babies take up. I used to prefer babies to children, but now I really enjoy being able to have sweet little conversations with Collin and how excited Caleb gets about the most innocent little things.

Caleb got in trouble in school last week for talking in the line twice, so he had fill in a "think sheet" where he had to write about consequences. He had to ask what consequences were by definition so he could complete his sheet, and as I tried to give him examples he hadn't heard of the "just say no to drugs" thing and didn't know what they were, or any other behavior I would think of off the top of my head that comes with consequences. I feel bad for having lost touch with how innocent he still really is.

Since I have turned nearly everything over to Lee for the business (I answer no phone, make no calls, and am treated as a contract laborer) I have to say that my stress level has gone down tremendously. School and kids and a house are WAY EASIER than working with that business stuff anymore, and I have really been able to enjoy my baby's personalities. I have really wanted to focus on KNOWING WHO THEY ARE while they are young, because if you don't know before they hit middle school, you never will. [Gospel according to me ;)]

OH! And to change the subject, lots of people have looked at our spec house to lease. WHICH, we thought would be great, but it turns out that our realtors have only asked for one month's rent?????? as a deposit on our $355,000 house????? HUH???? Now we have people interested and begging to lease it, and our realtors act as though we should be happy that these people want to lease with an option to purchase in 15 months. I'm not sure how they didn't expect that this would be a REQUIREMENT because once anyone lives in that house it becomes USED, and therefore worth less money. I am completely confused by their reasoning and expectations.

AND, when people want to lease it is because they don't know if they will like the school or want to stay in Columbia because of a work transfer, which I get. The others have BAD credit and need to repair it. So, I think we decided to just change the listing to purchase only. Shouldn't you live well below your means in a very modest home to fix those things instead of trying to lease all the home you can afford? Especially in this situation where the lease money gets you nowhere and it's money you are tossing out the window to have a roof over your head? Again my realtors think I'm nuts because one of them is $112,000 in credit card debt that her husband DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT. Can you imagine???? I am realizing how guilty I must be in believing that most people are like us. Guess they aren't huh? We know the gospel does amazing thingvfor people. I just forget those things that have been burned into my skull about what's important. In some ways it's good though, because I realize I must have a better grasp of what's important than I give myself credit for. Any other Moms out there worry about making sure they only focus on the eternal, or at least focus on that first?

Got my test results back from blood sugar and isulin. I am the absolute opposite of normal (add canned laughter here :) My blood sugar DROPS when I eat. What??? That would explain that even though eating should make me feel better it SO doesn't. And justs so y'all know, but Blood Sugar was on the low side of NORMAL at the 2 hour mark which is usually all they check. But I KNEW something was wrong and asked for a 5 hour test in which you see absolutely no reasonable pattern.

I had expected to to insulin resistance. You know, you drink sugar, your insulin spikes and your blood sugar doesn't respond. BUT, I drank sugar and my insulin went up a little, still stayed well below a normal, diabetic or otherwise spike, and my blood sugar DROPPED. I will see a endocrinologist soon. But if any of y'all have any ideas please advise.

So, I guess there is a lot more going on here than I realized. Hope all is well with you, that you are enjoying your family members, are in good health, and that you will keep in touch!

I got IN!!!! I got my letter of acceptance today!!!

I have been welcomed into the profession of nursing. Classes start at 9 am may 16 2008. I will be a nurse (except for my boards) a year from this august. I am very excited.

Nutrition has already started, it is online through the University of North Dakota. I imagine it will be pretty simple since I have had all the other classes first. I expect pharmacology will demand a large amount of my time. BUT, it says that the first day of class I will need my stethoscope, a penlight and a blood pressure cuff (amongst other things). I get to have my head in the clouds for a little while now.

I voluntarily had a 5 hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test and an Insulin Test yesterday. I believe I am at the beginning of having problems with insulin resisitance due to some vague and other not so vague symptoms. Confirmation of this will just call for a change in diet, but I am hoping to finally get someone to take a look at the other hormones that this involves. Ultimately, I did this so I could be done with my night sweats. There also appears to be a link to cortisol production which helps you to gain weight.

I realize it won't be easy, and know that I must also work on this myself, so I am back to the "weight watchers" way of living. I still have my calorie (point) counting calculator and it seems pretty easy. I don't feel like I am starving. Hopefully this will help. I used to be able to lose a lb a day, but at this point I would be satisfied with a pound a week. I just don't want to get hypoglycemia, or type 2 diabetes by not paying attention. Usually people have problems with insulin resistance for a very long time before they get a diagnosis.

We are doing Caleb's birthday party very late this year. Martin Luther King day. We are going to "The Mud Room" to paint pottery with little boys. I know it's not something you'd figure most little 7 year old boys would like to do, but as you know, Caleb is an artist. He is quite excited about his party.

My little Maddy Kitty Catty is getting fat. But she is beautiful!!! Let's face it, I like my animals to be a little chunky anyway. They are softer that way. All for now!!

We love our Wii and we love our family!

We got a wii for Christmas and we love it!! I am not much of a gamer but this is great!!

Lee and I have been working lots on geneology. I got back to 1190 on one of my Dad's limbs and Lee has been making exciting headway, too. I got an email from my maternal great grandmother's sister's great grandson. (Follow)? My GG Olga had a sister Alma, and he (Jason) is her descendant and has pictures I don't have. I'm very excited about getting those.

Talking with my grandma about a trip to Arkansas so she can see her half sister one more time and hopefully I will have more luck down there actually getting past my great grandma. This has been the most interesting yet most difficult limb to climb up, funny how that works. More later.

Gingerbread (Graham Cracker) Houses

In keeping with our holiday tradition, we made faux gingerbread houses. The kids have been looking forward to it for days. Mark and Stephanie were able to join us.

The mess we made. The houses we built, mostly the memories are the important
part, but we did have some cool houses.

This is Mark's house. Outhouse with plumbing problem on left. Broken down truck in right side of front yard. Tires against the "Bait Shop"

The little gingerbread men on the roof are actually "roofers". Poor Collin's little house kept falling in, so we covered it in glue (icing) and put multiple layers of roofing on.

Yes, this is one of the areas where Lee acts like a kid. He had a
great time, making a "slate roof" with candy.

Front of Caleb's "reindeer house"

Caleb was pretty interested in arranging and eating the candy.
But he had fun, it's all that matters!

Get the perfect angle!! Will it work?

The master creates his roof while supporting the sides.

I am eating candy and I love it!! I refuse to eat the icing, though,
. . . . .you aren't supposed to eat "glue"

"I wanna know what love is"

An email I got from a friend about love that I think is awesome and sums it all up for the day:

Children were asked to give the definition of love. The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5 "

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6 "

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka 's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybodyYou don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)-Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8



And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said , "Nothing, I just helped him cry"

Snow Days

Collin, did you bloody your lip when you fell down? No? Are you sure?



Don't hit that tree! Watch out for the dog doo!



He went down the other side to avoid dog doo and almost went over the retaining wall. Ouch! That would have really hurt!

Okay, let me try backwards down the hill, that way I won't see the trees till I actually hit them.

A sneak peak!

Okay, not much new going on here. BUT Lee HAS been working on the house. Here is the fireplace that is almost finished. Just need to add the mantle.



Oh, and I caught the boys after a slumber party (apparently)

That's NOT what the garage is for!

So, Lee cleaned out the garage this weekend so I would be able to put my car inside. Today we went out to get in the car, and Collin was very confused about why I had parked by car in the garage. I tried explaining that a garage is made for parking in, but he doesn't buy it. So, that's life when discussing logic with a 3 year old.

Took another physiology test tonight. Seemed easy. If I aced this one, I don't have to take the next one.

My office manager is gonna take time off for minor surgery that she really needs, so I will be without her for a month. I think it'll turn out alright though. Doug has a funeral wednesday, so he'll be gone. A friend of his who's a little older than us had a brain tumor that spread very quickly. Really sad.

'Bout done with Christmas shopping. Buying very little for the boys this year. They always get too much anyway, and I am trying to get them more books, since interest in those lasts way longer than toys.

Collin is counting and doing ABCs really well, and Caleb is doing subtracting in word problems which is amazing to me. He's so smart. They both are. What a blessing. Next is to just help them direct that potential, right? Only got 15 years or so to work on it. Not sure if that's enough time.

Collin is looking more and more like Lee which is cool. Both boys looked so handsome last sunday. I had gotten them new sweaters for church on sale at The Children's Place. Should take pix and post them, right?

Not much else going on here, but things are going really well. Miss y'all. Love y'all.

-Later y'all