We Always have fun on Halloween. But this year i feel like the boys are getting older and they don't need me as much. It is kind of sad. They were having such a good time showing off their costumes and running from house to house. But they really didn't need me for anything, just to watch out for cars. But it is still fun and Adam is still to funny, After about a block and a half he walked over to me and said, "Mommy, I am poofed, can you go to the door and say trick or treat, I really just want to eat the candy in the driveway and wait." I started laughing and told him, "I sure will go to the door, but if they give me candy I get to eat it." He got very upset about that and said, "That's not fair it's my trick or treat bucket."Which made me laugh even harder and tell him that he would have to go to the door then.

Adam is so cute lately, he is getting his own opinion on what are good words and bad words, He will say poof instead of poop, because poop is definitely dirty, so it must be bad. And since Be Quiet, and Quiet please, mean the same thing as Shut Up, they are Bad Also. So poor Tayler, everything he says is bad. " Mommy, Tayler said (anything) and it sounded mean and bad."It is driving me crazy worse than the "I'm not touching you" game.

Tayler is becoming quite the little athlete. He is just finishing up the fall soccer season and he starts basketball soon. He just wants to play every sport he has even one friend playing, he really loves to run, but that is about it. But he loves to play and that is what is important! He is doing so fantastic in school, I am ever impressed.

School Resumes

Hello All,
I have added a few pics from out vacation to Branson. What a Blast. We went and spent a week in a Cabin at a resort and went and did all the great touristy stuff. We planned the trip with friend ours. Every night we got together and played cards, and the kids watched a movie and fell asleep. It was great. We have decided that a two family vacation is the best. Our kids didn't whine they played together all week and kept each other entertained and we had no stress. We are going to do it again next year. We are not sure where we are going yet, but we do have a year or so to decide.

So much to say this new school year.


Tayler is doing well, He is as busy as ever. Now that baseball season is over, he has cub scouts on Mondays, soccer practice on Wednesdays, and a soccer game over every weekend. And several soccer tournaments extra on the weekend days when we don't have regular soccer. He Loves Soccer. He is doing good in school, just like his Mom, he has started wanting to research everything, and learn about the why. He is starting his first science fair project and he is learning about Sea Lions. He has already looked them up on the Internet, read about them in one of his sea animal books, and checked a book about them from the library. His teacher asked for a list of 7 interesting facts, tayler turned in a list of 20+. He sat at the table reading and writing for over an hour, happily researching, and saying, 'Hey mom did you know . . . . ' I was so proud of him. I like to see him beginning to get involved in school, instead of just attending.




Adam is so amazing this year. Ever since his pediatrician told us that it is normal for kids with congenital heart defects to have developmental and social problems, and we got him on a med to help him, He is doing amazing. Still not so good in large social groups, but he is reading anything you put in front of him. He sat and read yesterday, an entire Curious George book, 40+ pgs. He sat there because he wanted to, and slowly read the whole thing. It is fantastic. There is not an area at school he is not showing improvement. He is not great in a group setting but he has improved so much that they are placing him every day in a regular 1st grade class for 20 min, and he has only had 2 episodes where he had to be removed from the class. Adam is even doing well enough that we are trying him in Cub Scouts. He has a hard time sitting as still as the other kids but he is learning. He can memorize so quickly that the other parents are giving me strange looks because, here he is rolling around, coloring, playing with his fingers, anything but looking at the den leader and when the group is asked to recite a part of the Cub scout pledge he is the first and loudest to remember and recite. It is awesome.


Matt is going crazy. He is Tayler's soccer coach, and also got railroaded into being Tayler's den leader. He is definitely busy. He is looking for a new position at Citi. They are splitting up and moving his current department to Des Monies, and Dallas, so he is going to be able to transfer within Citi, or get three months severance starting the end of December. He is currently waiting for his third interview for a analyst position. o between work and home and practice, he has barely had time to sit and relax.


I am doing okay. It has been six months since everything went crazy here. Matt and I had a hard time with the Six month marker. we each had our melt downs, and we both have recovered. I guess. I have been much happier since i gave back my promotion. I went back to dealing and i only have one responsibility at work now, show up and deal. I can do that. The family's crazy schedule and school schedules, when I added in a crazy work schedule with extra hours every day I could not do it all. I guess it is good to know your limitations. I know that dealing is much more fun.

T. T. F. N.

Summer Vacation??!??!??

WOW, I had no idea that summer vacation could be so crazy. This week has been insane. The boys started their summer enrichment program (summer school) But they have to get on the bus at 7:00am. Thankfully I can get a few hours of sleep, and then they get off the bus around 1:10pm. After that I am watching a neighbor kid for an hour or so and then we are getting ready for Cub Scout Camp. Matt and Tayler leave for Camp at 5:30pm and they do not get home until 9:30ish. I am so thankful today is Friday, We are not going to scout camp tonight we have a baseball game tonight and this should let the boys get home a little earlier.

Summer vacation? I guess we always called it that when we were kids, but now as a parent i have decided that it is more of a summer crash course on time management. But the kids are having a good time.

We are planning out our vacation to Branson, Mo. We are headed down there mid July. The Boys are saving their allowance money, and I think they are excited. I am not sure, they are only asking me 4 times a day now when we are leaving, last week they asked about 6. Maybe they are not as excited as i thought? LOL

For those of you who may not have heard, we have learned a new thing about how Adam's body reacts to accidents. The last week of school Adam Fell on the Playground and hit his cheek on a slide. A tiny red bump turned into the most scary black eye, and cheek, that i think i have ever seen. He has finally almost completely healed. He still has a little bruising around his eye and some scabs that are healing from his skin stretching to much and splitting. So Adam now thinks we are mean parents, because we have been so overprotective. But he is getting used to his new set of rules. He is really getting better. We have started a pattern of 'Using Adam's Brain' He will ask himself aloud, 'If I do this will i get in trouble, will I get Hurt, or will I make a big mess' It is very cute, but he is beginning to decide what is following the rules and not following the rules. But He is still Adam and when you ask him why he did something, 'Adam why did you hit Tayler withthe car?' he says 'Because you told me not to'. And what can you say to hat, he is honest, just bold.

Tayler is being tayler, besides all the crazy schedule, is doing great. He has been great. I keep teasing him for not having a voice. He had a rough battle with croup, and afterward he is still getting his voice back. He is also very excited about cub scouts, he moved up to a Wolf Cub. He got to go to his camp and they shot a BB Gun and learned a little about Shooting Archery, he likes that a lot. They have built something with hammer and nails every night, and played a ton of games. He has had a good time. He is Growing up so quickly. He makes real decisions that he has had to debate about. So Big.

Matt and I are going, and going, and going. Keeping up with the two of them is a exhausting blessing that I cherish and thrive on every day. With out the two of them i am sure he and i would have gone completely Crazy by now.

T.T.F.N.

What Is Important?

This morning I sit here in a very quiet house. My house has been quiet before, but some how today uneasy quiet. I have been through things I hope no one ever has to go through this last week. Last night I realised that an entire week happened and I remember a few small moments from each day. I really felt as thought only three or four days had passed. Last night I realised it had been eight days. Eight days of fog and being disoriented.

Today I remembered to Kiss my Boys, before they left for school, (until they said, Mommy stop, guess i might have kissed them too many times) I Made sure I told them how much I Love Them. I tried to make sure they would know that if this was the last time I saw them they would know that I had given them all I could give. I am not sure i want to think that every time they leave the front door that they might not be coming back, but for now I want to wrap them in bubble wrap and keep them inside. I want to hold their hand when they cross the street until they graduate from high school, I want to make them stay in their car seats until they are in Jr High. But I can't, Matt Keeps telling me so.

I somehow remember with very vivid detail every moment when the took her of the life support until she took the last breath. I can tell you the for a while she almost smiled and looked so relaxed, and comfortable, and I can tell you that her face slowly began to turn blue, and as I held on to her feet, that I felt her heart stop beating, before she took her last breath. I can remember all of that like it happened yesterday, But I can't remember most of last week. I can remember how everyday she lived she lived with a zest for life. Through her pain and Meds, though her every move was very deliberate and no motion was wasted. Through all that she smiled every day, Silly things made her giggle, She loved what she loved and that was what she wanted. She lived every day.

What Is important? I think I know, Live, Really Live, Every Day. Tell the people you love that you love them, Smile when things are happy, Cry when you are sad, and Giggle when things are silly, and go to sleep at night knowing that Every Day you have Lived!



Christal

Love Your Children

Please This Week, Pick them up every time they cry, give ice cream for every scratch or bruise, and Hug them until you feel like your arms are goign to fall off.

Snow Days

So It snowed yesterday and they cancelled school. They have cabin fever so badly. We have done every art and craft project. Yesterday we made valentines, plaster elephant, and a billion origami animals. I have already begun to think today what we will do to keep ourselves entertained. They have both been Fighting off some virus or another, and Tayler has ran a fever off and on for the last two days, so He is dying to go outside and I wont let him. The Dogs however only want to come inside long enough to eat a snack and warm up a little and go right back out in the snow. They run with their noses down until they make a stack of snow and then eat the snow from their noses. What a bunch of crazies.


Today we will paint our elephants that we made yesterday, and maybe find a few more craft projects to do. But I am running out of craft supplies. Maybe we should take a hint from Ireland and Chris and make shaving cream pictures on the kitchen floor. I am sure they would love that. Hopefully create some non-fighting time, or at least create a distraction.



We are busily getting ready for stage two of the Pinewood Derby. Tayler has his second race this weekend. We take his car to the weigh in on Friday evening, and he races against the four other fastest cars in his pack to determine which two will move on to race in district finals. This time he races against all the other boys regardless of age, or pack. He is very excited. Actually he is excited that after this weekend he can play with his car. He is convinced that next year he should build two cars, one for playing with and one for racing. He says 'It takes to much patience to only build one car.' I laugh every time i think about how much patience his Dad displayed when making the first car, and think to myself, that two cars might push the patience level over the top.


Well I am going to begin my busy day of playing referee, art teacher, and chef. And since my Hubby did not do Valentine's Day this year, When the boys go to bed, I will treat myself to a nice bubble bath and read a good book until the water gets cold. Sound fabulous.
T.T.F.N.
Until next time