Lutheran Schools Week-Day 4...and the PARK!

Today was Grandparent's Day at St. Paul! Matthew was so blessed to have three of his grandparents come to visit him at school. The day started with an extraordinary breakfast for all the grandparents with yummy fruits, bagels, donuts, coffe cakes, O.J., coffee, etc. etc. etc.!!! Then, they could visit the classrooms from 9-11. Grandpa Moore and Grandma & Grandpa Mueller had such a good time...we've heard from all of them since this morning and they were just really thrilled to have been able to go. Matthew & Grandma Mueller wrote a story together about what Matthew does when he goes to her house...Matthew wrote a sentence or two and then Grandma wrote a sentence or two. It was a very special time for them!

This afternoon each student got a "ticket" to go see a movie. Matthew couldn't remember the name of his movie but it was about a dog. He got to bring a snack & drink from home. And, best of all...a NO HOMEWORK day!

After school, the boys watched Arthur and then I had a proposition for them...if they were really good at Hobby Lobby (I needed to go there!) we'd stop at Cape County Park on the way home...it worked! They were great and I got what I needed...so, we braved the cold (it wasn't actually too bad - about 52 degrees but sunshiny!) and played at the park. We had fun! The pictures prove it!

Have a great Thursday!

Another Ice Day...Ughhhhhhh!

I guess it's not so bad...but, I'm ready for SPRING! It is March 4th...it should be spring-like weather!! Almost 14 years ago when we got married on March 12th, it snowed! So...seems like anything is possible...even if it is supposed to be SPRING!

Rob is home today also. He's recovering from what appears to be food poisoning. He was really, really sick yesterday. He and the boys are watching a movie right now. Looks like we'll be doing a bunch of that today. I think I'm going to try and get a few scrapbook pages done, hopefully!

Oh, if you get hungry today...please stop by. We have TONS of bagels here from Panera Bread! I purchased a whole box full yesterday, along with some scrumptious cream cheeses, to take to the teacher's lounge at school today. We'll be eating them for at least a week...hmmmm...do they freeze well???

Jacob was so disapointed this morning when he found out we didn't have school. :( It was Grandparent's Day for him at pre-school and he was going to get to show his grandparents some of the things he did at pre-school. Hopefully it will get re-scheduled.

Matthew was a little disappointed as well. Today, for Lutheran Schools week, they were having a Read-n-Feed: the kids could bring a snack & drink from home, a blanket, pillow & something to read. They were also going to have a book swap. Matthew had picked out 3 of his books to take to school. In return, he would get 3 tickets to use to "purchase" 3 other books from someone else. And, on top of all that, it was Dairy Queen night...teachers serving the kids! Hopefully all will be rescheduled.

I'm off to finish my coffee, do laundry, and hopefully scrapbook a little! Have a great day!

Lutheran Schools Week - Day 2!

Today was another fun day for Matthew at school! He got to wear his new pajamas...they had sharks all over the pants legs and on the shirt. He also got to take his favorite stuffed animal, which, of course, was Juno...a little gray dog that he got years ago after a trip to the doctor. For the longest time he would keep him in his backpack and take him to school but now he just sleeps with him. He's pretty raggady-looking but Matthew doesn't care! This morning the school held a Teacher Appreciation Tea where the teachers' were honored for their outstanding dedication, care & love for our children. Teachers...you are amazing! Then, for lunch, all of the first graders could have their parents come in for lunch and bring an outside lunch for them. Matthew's choice was chicken nuggets/applesauce/juice from Burger King...Jacob & I both came and ate lunch . Rob was at home...sick...he has literally slept all day. That's it for Day 2...another fun day planned for tomorrow!

Recap of the Week!

It's peaceful and quiet here at home...nice...very nice. This past week Matthew & Jacob both had their Valentine parties at school, finally. There are a few photos below from that. Thursday night I went with friends to play Bingo at BingoWorld. It was fun even though nobody won! There are also a few photos of that below! Saturday morning Rob & Matthew left to go with Darin, the other operator for Penzel Const., to his cabin on Lake Wappapello for an overnight fishing trip. They had so much fun. Jacob had a very hard time because he is just a bit too little yet to go. He and I headed up to south St. Louis for a fun day of shopping...he's a little trooper when it comes to shopping...as long as he gets something! He ended up with a little Army dress-up set...he LOVES it! When Rob & Matthew got home today around noon, we ate, and then all headed to Saxony Lutheran High School for the kickoff of Lutheran Schools week. There are two photos of that below...one where Jacob is standing beside the pre-school banner that they made with their handprints. The other is of Matthew standing beside his artwork that he had displayed. Tons of things going on this week at school. Tommorrow Matthew gets to bring his favorite stuffed animal and wear his pajamas...he's really excited because we bought him a new pair of pajamas and he just thinks it's really cool. We also get to bring in lunch and eat with him tomorrow. I'll post photos tomorrow night. And, I'll try and recap the day's events each evening...Jacob's Tuesday/Thursday morning class is even in on the fun!

Check out my Slide Show!

No More Trips to the Laundromat for Me!

For those of you that may not know, I've been doing a bit of bookkeeping work for 2 businesses here in Jackson. One is Siemer Appliance here in Jackson. While Jacob is in pre-school for 6 house a week, I go to Siemers. Well, at the moment, we have only one tech that goes and does service calls. He's a great guy and he sure knows his stuff, and to put it simply, he's always booked SOLID with his service calls. So, when my dryer quit this past weekend, I was hesitant to try and get him to come check on it. So, Rob thought I could ask and see if there was anything that he could check before he had Ron (our service tech) come over. So, this morning I asked and was given several things to check first. When Rob got home today around 5:30, he started working on it. The things he was asked to check first all came out good. When I checked on him, he had the dryer completely apart. He has this nifty tool from the Snap-On man (gotta love Snap-on tools) that checks continuity (I kind of see it as that it checks for electrical current). He got out the sheet from the dryer that is a complete diagram of the electrial flow of the machine. With a break for pizza, Rob found the cause around 9:15pm!!!!!!!!!!!! He is simply amazing and would not quit until he found the problem! The culprit was a tiny little fuse coming from somewhere (can't remember where at the moment) in the dryer. So, tomorrow I'll either be ordering it or puchasing it if it's in stock. Thank you, Rob, for working so hard and figuring out the problem!

We Have an AMAZING God!

Isn't this photograph simply beautiful?? This is a good friend of mine, Amy, with her little girl, Isabel, that she and her husband are adopting from Guatamala. She just got back from a visit with her and had the most blessed time with her new daughter. Amy and her husband also have 3 little boys, one of which is a very good friend of Matthew. Please pray for them in that they will soon be able to bring Isabel home with them for good.

Whenever I have new prayer requests I will list them on my blog...please check often and pray as you feel led. Thanks!

Two of the requests are from two amazing young gals, one of which is my niece, the other is Jacob's AWANA leader at church. Please pray for them as they prepare to leave on mission work this summer. God's timing is simply perfect...we just had a missions conference at church that was just awesome and Rob really felt like we should be doing something as far as supporting God's work to reach those that are lost and have never heard of God's word.

Friday night I spent the evening with a group of moms that also have 1st graders at St. Paul. We went out to the Gordonville Grille for good food, company & conversation. It's fun to talk with other moms about stuff that is happening at school...we're going to try and go out once a month...basically a Ladies' Night Out!

Yesterday evening we went to the bowling alley to bowl...little did I know that you needed to make reservations! So, needless to say, we didn't get to bowl. The boys weren't too upset since they got to play a bunch of video games!

Gotta go...need to get the boys ready for AWANA.

Have a great Sunday!

Another Snow/Ice Day...

It was great to have Matthew home today...but, it's getting to where we'd rather have the days off when it's nice outside! Jacob's Valentine party at school had been cancelled yet another time! Who knows about tomorrow...that's the day Matthew's Valentine party is supposed to be!

Jacob & Matthew didn't even ask to go outside today so I didn't even suggest it! We spent the day doing puzzles, painting baseboards, playing mario brothers & watching Scooby Doo. Oh, I forgot coloring too! I got to complete a few layouts that I had waiting so that was nice.

Yesterday was literally a computer day from hXXX for me. I simply could NOT connect to the internet. After a phone call to Charter & Microsoft, it was determined that I needed to contact Dell since I had free technical service from them. I was on the phone with a tech for approximately 3 hours. My cell phone went dead, so he had to call me back on our regular phone. Eventually, after the boys were so tired of me being on the phone, my computer was fixed. I have been operating with literally no anti-virus software and something in my computer was preventing me from accessing the internet. I am definitely not a computer guru so I completely did NOT understand what he was talking about. Anyway, I have now subscribed and downloaded an anti-virus program and my computer is completely protected. Yay!

Hope you are enjoying your Thursday night!

Has This EVER Happend to You??

This evening on our way home from AWANA at church (I filled in for Rob tonight because he went to a hay sale) we drove thru the drive-thru at McDonalds. I got up to the first window to pay and I handed the gal my debit card. She said, "Would you mind paying with cash...I already hit the "cash-only" button?" I said "No...I'm sorry but I don't have any cash." She said, "oh, okay...don't worry about it...I'll just pay for it myself...they're too busy up front for me to go and get someone to fix my machine." I simply did NOT know what to say...so I just said, "okay, thanks." Isn't that bizarre???? So, our supper tonight was free! Has this ever happened to anyone else out there??

Well, it's back to school tomorrow for Matthew. He had a hard time going to sleep tonight. Even though we've been going to bed around 9:00, he's my late sleeper so he's been sleeping in in the mornings. Since he's been off now since last Monday I think it's going to take him a couple of days to adjust. It's going to take a while for Jacob to adjust as well...although I'm sure he will like NOT having to share the plug-n-play games!

Have a great Monday!

Ice Storm!

As I stated in a couple of posts ago, we had a major ice storm here in Jackson and Cape and the surrounding areas. It started Monday night...I had just gotten done with my post Monday night when our power went off again. We were without power from Monday night at 10:00 to Tuesday night around 7:00. Rob kept us warm though...we had our wood stove going in the basement...cooked chili & hot cocoa on it. We camped out in the basement Monday night...Matthew & Jacob thought it was a real adventure! All Monday night, throughout the night, it sounded like little bombs going off everywhere...tree limb after tree limb breaking, and the crashing to the ground. Rob went out in the middle of the night after one of our huge trees in the backyard came very close to falling on our deck and air conditioning unit...he moved what he could and then came quickly back inside. It is so sad...our trees have just been destroyed...ours, along with so, so many others here in Jackson. We are thankful, however, that we didn't have any house damage and that we were all okay. Rob and Matthew worked a big part of the day outside...doing what they could to trim some of the tree limbs that were touching the house. It is just a huge, huge mess outside...tomorrow we should see a lot of melting. The first two photos and the last photo are from the 2 big trees in the front yard. The 3rd & 4th photos are views from our back yard.

Our niece, Maria!

Lauren sent us a few photos of Maria...she was 5 months old on Feb. 12th. Isn't she ADORABLE?!?!?!

What's Been Happening in our World Today!

1. I hear "I've got a sticky situation in here" coming from Jacob's room. I don't run...but I walk into Jacob's room, not quite sure of what I will find. Jacob has climbed on top of his bookshelf (he has a 3-drawer dressor that has 2 shelves attached to the top of it) and couldn't get himself back down. He just looked at me with the sweetest little grin... I couldn't help but chuckle!

2. Jacob had asked me to play Candyland so I said okay...that I'd be there in a minute. When I got downstairs he had it all ready and set up. I sat down on the floor with him and he said, very seriously, "Now, Mom, don't be upset with the cards that I get...it will be okay, I'll wait for you in Candyland". He had stacked the deck...the first card he pulled was the one that passed you all the way to the spot right before Candyland! Once again, I chuckled!

3. At work today, Rob & his buddy, Darrin, the other operator, set bridge girders with 2 cranes. What makes this scenario different today is that he has run a lot of hydraulic cranes, but this was a first for running a friction rig. Everything went great, no one got hurt...then the ice/sleet came and the job shut down for the day.

4. Matthew got out of school today at 10:30 because of the ice/sleet that was expected. It just so happened that as Jacob & I were leaving the house to go pick him up...the sleet started coming down. Man, did it start coming down quick.

5. Quick stop at the library on the way home from picking Matthew up...movies, movies & more movies!

6. Rob worked until noon and then we spent the afternoon playing a few video games, doing Valentines for school & watching Arthur.

7. After supper at about 7:00ish...lights went out. We sat in the basement with about 5 candles for about 35 minutes. It was awesome and amazing to just sit (having no computer, tv, etc.) and be still...and talk with the kids.

8. Electricity came back on and we watched the movie, "GAME PLAN"...you HAVE GOT TO SEE IT! It's about a self-centered football star whose world is turned upside down when his daughter, whom he didn't know he had, shows up at his door. It is a MUST SEE.

That's about it...we're iced in. No school tomorrow. Headed to bed!

A Valentine's Day Party!!

Today the boys were invited to a Valentine party that that their friend, Carson, was having. Matthew had such a fantastic time...they started with a cake walk...then it moved on to playdoh, card-making, cooking decorating, yummy snacks, and an awesome Valentine exchange. Poor little Jacob was home sick with a cold. You should have seen his eyes light up though when we brought home his Valentine box...he had a GREAT time looking thru his treats and Valentines. Thanks, Carson (and Amy!), for a super fun time!

Looks like we might be headed for a bit of bad weather...we'll see in the morning! Good night!

A Few Things About Me!

I took this from Sophia Corbridge's blog...as well as Amy's blog! Thanks! The main reason I like to do these questionnaires is that SOMEDAY I would like to scrapbook a few pages about ME...something that our boys might enjoy later on. It will be nice to have something to refer to when I journal.

One thing I won't let my husband buy me: Shoes comes to mind...although anything that he would buy for me would be appreciated!

One thing I would love to have, but I probably will never have: A cabin in the mountains somewhere.

One thing you will never find in my closet: I'm with Amy on this one...HIGH HEELS.

One thing I would choose if I were having elective surgery...A smaller butt & smaller thighs.

One thing I love about my face: my chubby cheeks.

One thing I love to do: watch our boys play and act goofy together.

One thing I would like to change if I could: the past 1 1/2 years where I've gained weight.

One thing I would change as a mom: not worrying so much about our boy's outward behavior but focusing more on their "heart" behavior.

One thing I would do if I had unlimited money: Purchase a beautiful condo somewhere in the mountains and let family/friends to and stay any time they wanted.

One thing that I will not do again:

One thing that I would like to do: exercise 3-4 times a week.

One thing I could do without: a bunch of clothes that are hanging in my closet that I never wear (sounds like another de-cluttering day in my future!)

One thing I love to smell: our boys' hair after it's shampooed

One thing I would do if I won the lottery: assuming it's a LARGE amount, I would pay off all of our debts, including the debts of family members & close friends.

One thing that infuriates me: parents that are completely rude to their kids

One thing that I love about winter: SNOW.

One thing I love about scrapbooking: getting together with great friends to work on our albums.

One thing I am addicted to: blog-reading!

One thing I pray for: my husband

One thing I wish I had: at the moment, nothing...I'm trying to be content with what we have.

One thing I would do again, regardless of the pain: having our boys.

One thing that I absolutely hate to do: I can't think of anything right now...hate is a VERY strong word.

One thing that is weird about me: I like to drink milk in bed while I'm reading (this is the one thing about me that Rob really gets annoyed by!)

One thing that I need help on: setting priorities.

One thing I find most relaxing: massage.

One thing that could get me in trouble: on-line shopping.

One thing that annoys me: our sweet little princess kitty, Calli, tips over every cup that has ANYTHING in it.

One thing I dread; and therefore, don't do very often: hmmmmmmm.

One thing that I have learned, but still sometimes forget: God tells us to be content with what we have...I know it but I have a hard time living it!

Just a QUICK post...

to let you know I'm alive! Several people have asked about my blog this week...not really sure why no posts...but now I've got the crud and I'm not feeling too well. Just hanging around the house this am trying to get sheets/blankets washed, disinfecting, etc. We've all had some bad colds but we're on the upward slide. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

SNOW DAY!

WOW...what an absolutely, incredibly FUN day! We first headed out to the farm to pick up the boys' 4-wheelers. We then headed over to Rob's Mom & Dad's house and let the boys ride their 4-wheelers and Rob & I rode his Dad's 4-wheeler. Then, Rob's Dad got out his mule (actually, Rob's Mom bought it for herself!) and started pulling us on this big make-shift sled. We had SO MUCH FUN! And it was so beautiful out in the country. We are now cuddled down in the basement watching movies...Rob picked up some firewood today so now we've got the wood stove going...nice and cozy.

Have a great weekend and stay warm! Be sure and check out the photo show below of our day today!

SNOW Day! 2-1-08

Jacob's Trip to Outerspace!

Today at pre-school Jacob's class took a trip in to outerspace and even landed on the moon! They collected moon dust and rocks, left an American flag there, and then headed back home! We (or should I say, Rob) made a space helmet for Jacob and he just loved it! I must say...it was quite a space helmet! The kids had a great time!

AHHHHHHHH...Relaxation!

Yesterday while Jacob spent some time with my mom & dad, I went to Metro Business College for a MASSAGE. It was so relaxing...I hadn't had one since my brother & sister-in-law got married a couple of years ago. The students at the school are in the midst of doing their clinicals and they charge only $20 for a full hour. YES, you read that right...$20! There are still openings in February so if you get the chance...go treat yourself! (Julie...I hope you enjoy yours today!)

Wow...what an unusual weather day yesterday. Rob was working over in Cape and from the time he left there until he got home the temperature had dropped like 20 degrees. The boys & I were headed to Main Street Fitness so that Matthew could go to his last Kids Kick class...it started hailing. We turned back around and headed home and went in the basement! About 10 minutes later it was sun-shining! By that time Rob had gotten home and he and Jacob headed out to a buddies house to finish welding on a trailer that Rob is building. I took Matthew to class...he didn't care that we were a bit late. While Matthew was in class, I went to St. Paul to enroll Jacob for Pre-Kindergarten next year. He's excited...he thinks he's starting this week!

After Matthew was finished with class, we did homework, ate, and then headed to soccer camp at the junior high school. One of his best friends was there and they had a great time. The camp was only last night and then this Thursday night.

Forgot to mention that Monday evening I hosted a crop here at our house. Thanks, girls, for a great time!

It's TIME...

for a little update of what's been happening around here! Last Thursday we took the boys to their first Southeast Missouri State Basketball game and they LOVED it. It was their mascot, Rowdy's, birthday party! SEMO fell behind by almost 20 points but then brought it back to within 4, I think. It sure did bring back some memories from my college days.

Friday was Romp-n-Stomp for Jacob. He really loves going and there is pretty much a smile on his face the entire time. So unlike Matthew when he was able to go...I, for the most part, had to do every thing with him! Uniqueness is awesome.

Friday evening was a little bit of pampering time for me. I went to a spa party and had a fabulously relaxing time! Can't wait for my new products to come in.

Saturday Rob spent the day making deer sausage, jerky, ground deer, etc. with some buddies so I took the boys and headed over to Cape. First stop was the Osage garage sale...Matthew & Jacob both LOVE going. I gave them each $2 to spend. Jacob found a really cool guy with a motorcycle. Matthew found a little backpack full of little Indians, space people, teepees, horses, etc. After that we headed to my Mom & Dad's for lunch...mmmmmm....mmmmmmm...good. After that I took the boys to the university's new swimming center. We had fun swimming but the water was pretty cold...we lasted about 2 hours. The hot tub was nice though!

Sunday we headed to church...it was our turn to teach the 3's...we had an awesome class. Lunch at El Torerro's...AWANA at 4:00 for Rob & the boys...I headed to Pizza Pro to get the W-2's done.

That's about it in a nutshell! Hope you hav a GREAT week!

A Restful, Uneventful Night.

Compared to my last sleep study, the one last night was a breeze. For several reasons I felt last night was 10 times better than before! Number one, I knew what to expect. Number 2, the respiratory therapist that was hooking me all up was a FEMALE and she wasn't as "rough" as the one before. Number 3, I was calmer. And the most likely reason that last night went so well...I took an ambien pill! The House Supervisor, who was in traning, came, along with someone else, to administer the pill. In total, I had 3 people watch me as I took my pill. I didn't care...I knew I would be in la la land soon. And sure enough...slept the entire night and was wakened at 6:00 am to get up. GREAT EXPERIENCE. There were no sleep abstructions which is great because that is what my doctor was trying to rule out. I do snore, quite a bit, actually, and I have some slight leg movements during my sleep. Other than that I don't have too much to say! I follow up with my doctor in a couple of weeks to discuss. The new sleep lab at Southeast is AWESOME.

I got home in time to take Matthew to school since Rob ended up having to go in to work today. He was off yesterday. Jacob spent the night with my mom & dad so I'll be picking him up after my oil change today. He was still sleeping when I called earlier.

Headed upstairs for a nice warm cup of coffee....brrrrr, it's cold outside.
Have a Great Day!

Snow Trivia & Misc.

What is the largest snowflake ever measured?

Answer:
The largest snowflake ever recorded, according to the Guinness World Records, was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. A man named Matt Coleman observed the snowflake in 1887 at Fort Keogh, Montana, and said the snowflake was "larger than milk pans".


Can you tell I'm thinking SNOW! If it's going to be cold like this we might as well just get a little snow to go with it! Maybe before winter is over it will happen...Matthew & Jacob (and I'm SURE all of the other kids out there!) would like to see a little snow.

We have a nice little fire going in the stove right now and it is so cozy. Rob & Matthew went out to a friend's house today to make deer sausage and they brought some wood home for the stove. Thank goodness...our heater seemed to run all day. Jacob and I stayed home and did puzzles, played video games, and played Chess & Checkers (all by HIS rules, of course!). A nice little nap finished off the afternoon.

Happy Sunday to all and Enjoy the Cold Weather!

Good Friday Morning!

Hope this nice cold morning finds you well rested and looking forward to the weekend! We just got back from taking Matthew to school and boy is it ever cold! I LOVE it. We've got a busy day ahead of us...but a fun one. We're headed to Walmart shortly to buy what I need to make 8-can vegetable soup...super easy. After that we're headed to Romp-n-Stomp...Jacob has been SO looking forward to going. Matthew started a "kids kick" class at Main Street Fitness last week and Jacob really wanted to go so I told him we could start going to Romp-n-Stomp again. This morning when Rob went in to give Jacob a hug & kiss, Jacob said "Daddy, today is Romp-n-Stomp day!" So cute...normally he would have still been asleep! After Romp-n-Stomp we're headed back home so that I can finish, yes, FINISH, my layouts/cards for the swap tonight at Crazy Croppers. For those of you that are getting one, YES, they will be done! Nothing like working under pressure! I'm posting a completed layout...I think they turned out nice. Tonight, like I said, is Crazy Croppers. We're having supper there...we're bringing soup, chicken salad, dessert, etc. etc. Should be very yummy! Have a GREAT Friday everyone!

50 Random Questions

50 Random Questions

1. Where were you 3 hours ago?

In the van taking Matthew to school.

2. Who are you in love with?

Rob and our boys.

3. Have you ever eaten a crayon?

No.

4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Yes...one of the old cabinets from our kitchen is down in our basement. It has pink countertops.

5. When is the last time you went to the mall?

Saturday - went to Bath & Body Works & Old Navy

6. Are you wearing socks right now?

No.

7. Do you have a car worth over $2,000?

Yes - my van.

8. When was the last time you drove out of town?

Sunday, the 30th of December...we went to St. Louis.

9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?

No.

10. Are you hot?

No.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Coffee.

12. What are you wearing right now?

Comfy clothes (as Jacob would say!)

13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?

Both.

14. Last food that you ate?

Toast.

15. Where were you last week at this time?

Too long ago to remember...oh, I think at the doctor.

16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?

Yes...coats & fleece pullovers for the boys.

17. When is the last time you ran?

Me...run????

18. What's the last sporting event you watched?

Mizzou football game on New Year's Day.

19. What is your favorite animal?

Cats, of course...dogs run a close second.

20. Your dream vacation?

Right now, probably anywhere with my family.

21. Last person's house you were in?

I think my mom & dad's house.

22. Worst injury you've ever had?

When I was very little I was running in my socks across the dining room floor and I slid right in to a corner of a cabinet...I had to get stitches.

23. Have you been in love?

Yes...currently.

24. Do you miss anyone right now?

My litte niece, Maria...she is such a sweetie...we don't get to see her nearly enough.

25. Last play you saw?

Wicked...is that considered a play or a musical?

26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?

Don't know.

27. What are your plans for tonight?

Driving out to the farm with Rob to load hay for a "hay customer".

28. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment?

No one...I've never done it.

29. Next trip you are going to take?

Paducah hopefully in May...Probably Destin, FL in June.

30. Ever go to camp?

No.

31. Were you an honor roll student in school?

Yes.

32. What do you want to know about the future?

IF I could know about the future I would want to know that our boys will be happy, healthy & be followers of Christ.

33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?

No.

34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?

Just went last Wednesday.

35. Where is your best friend?

I don't really have a "best" friend...just lots of close friends.

36. How is your best friend?

All of my friends are well!

37. Do you have a tan?

No.

38. What are you listening to right now?

The dishwasher.

39. Do you collect anything?

Not really, although I really like snowmen & stars.

40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know?

Don't know.

41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over?

Years ago on my way to church when I was still playing the organ in Friedheim...I didn't get a ticket.

42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw?

Can't remember.

43. What does your last text message say?

It was from some online auction service that I didn't request to be a member of...I am now a NON-MEMBER.

44. Do you like hot sauce?

Yes.

45. Last time you took a shower?

Yesterday morning.

46. Do you need to do laundry?

No...amazingly I'm all caught up!

47. What is your heritage?

German.

48. Are you someone's best friend?

I pray that I'm a good friend to many.

49. Are you rich?

Monetarily, No. In ways that matter, YES.

50. What were you doing at 12AM last night?

I think I was actually SLEEPING!

Amatokin

Top Ten List - Best Myspace Quizzes

Bargains, Bargains & MORE Bargains!

I spent a good part of the afternoon today at the Stamps & Scrapbooks Retreat, which was AWESOME, by the way. I was able to take 2 classes, one with Julie and the other with Nikki. In Julie's class we made some awesome Valentine treat boxes/bags and a card. In Nikki's class we made an awesome 2-page layout. I had a great time.

After that I headed over to the mall to check out some stuff at Old Navy & Bath & Body Works. OMG!!!!!!!! Don't tell Matthew & Jacob (!), but,at Old Navy, I found them each an incredible camoflage coat for next year for $10 each! And, I bought them each 2 fleece pullovers, one red and the other camoflage...for $3.50 each!!!!! These things will all be a surprise for next year! I wish I would have had more time to look, but I think I did pretty good none-the-less!

After the mall I headed out to the farm. Rob and the boys had a huge bon-fire going so we just hung around that for about an 1 1/2 hours. In JANUARY...it was great!

Headed to bed...GOOD NIGHT.

Whew...what a week!

This week has just been crazy...it's 9:04 pm and I'm ready for a little relaxation! I should have went to the spa party that I was invited too (hope you girls had a great time, Jaime!)...but I had to get up to Pizza Pro to pay bills...it was the only night this week that I could get up there! After that Rob and the boys and I went to Stooges to eat...Betsy & Cecil walked in and so we ended up eating with them. It was a relaxing night.

I found out today that my blood work that I had done yesterday morning was all normal. Definitely a relief to me! My "bad" cholesterol was a little high, but nothing to worry about. Just need to eat better...what else is new...and exercise...what else is new????

Tomorrow afternoon I get to go to 2 scrapbook classes at Stamps & Scrapbooks here in Jackson. I'm excited...I don't get to do that very often. I'm so sad though because we found out this week that Rona is closing her store. I will definitely miss going there and visiting, cropping & shopping! Rob will be hanging out with the boys and if it's good weather they'll go to the farm.

Have a great weekend!

My Head is POUNDING.......

Why is it that I can go so long without the slightest headache...and, then BOOM...I get one that pounds all day long??? It started this morning after I went to the doctor. I think that was probably the cause of it! Hadn't had a complete checkup in almost 3 years. It was time. I have blood work tomorrow, a mammogram next week, and a sleep study in late January. I KNOW...I said I would NEVER have another sleep study again! For those of you that don't know, I had one done probably 2-3 years ago, I slept a total of about 1-2 hours, when I got up in the morning I fainted and the sleep study tech had to call the house supervisor before they would release me. It was a mess. Not something I EVER wanted to do again. Well, I'm going to try it again, this time WITH sleep medication. Hopefully that will be the key. I drastically need to change my lifestyle as far as eating and exercising...I've gained about 15 pounds since last summer...it's just aweful. I've been depressed about it all day. I really wanted to go to Bible Study tonight, but I had promised Matthew I would take him to the last basketball game at St. Paul since his cousins from Trinity in Cape were playing. The sound of cheering, buzzers buzzing, etc. did nothing for my headache. Rob wanted to stay home and finish up our stairs and start painting, so I took Matthew. I'm headed to bed now...please pray for relief from my headache!

Mmmm...Mmmm...Good!

Today I tried a new cookie recipe called Oatmeal Crispies...they were delicious! Got it from this website: www.thepioneerwomancooks.com
Thanks for posting the link on your blog, Amy! It is an awesome website with lots and lots of yummy stuff! Also, check out www.thepioneerwoman.com

Oatmeal Crispies

Mix together 1 cup shortening, 1 cup brown sugar & 1 cup sugar.

Beat 2 small eggs in separate bowl and then add 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir together and then add to the above mixture.

Stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, & 1 tsp. Baking Soda. Add to above mixture.

Next, add 3 cups oats to the bowl and a nice pile of chopped pecans (if desired).

Mix all together. Form into balls, flatten slightly on cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes at 350.

Just Miscellaneous Stuff!

Since the boys and I had already finished watching Star Wars IV this evening before Rob got home, I felt I had a little time to blog while Rob now finishes up the movie! I've never been much of a Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. fan...until now. Matthew & Jacob have both been "in" to Star Wars for the past 6 months or so and even had a few characters to play with. Well, Betsy & Cecil Franklin had loaned us all of the movies and Rob, Matthew & Jacob just loved them. I never really sat down and watched them simply because I had this mindset that I wasn't going to like them. Well, we returned the movies, but Santa brought us the whole DVD set! So, we've been watching them and they're actually really, really good. Well, I haven't actually gotten to "hear" all of each movie, since Jacob & Matthew have to do their light saber moves throughout the movie and they get really excited!

I received some money for Christmas and I decided that I needed to buy new plates/salad plates/bowls...my sister had found a great deal on Pottery Barn for some plain white plates...just got my shipment today and I LOVE them! It was something that we really needed but I just didn't want to spend the money on...now I'm glad I did. I also purchased new silverware which was also a long time coming! Today I went thru our kitchen cabinets and cleaned out old mismatched stuff...pitched some and some will go to Goodwill. Nice feeling.

I'm also in the middle of cleaning out Jacob's room, closets, etc. My oh my...all kinds of stuff gets put in his "miscellaneous" container! I cleaned it out and pitched a bunch of stuff! Jacob is camping out with Matthew tonight in his bed so I'm going to try and finish his room up tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going to tackle my scrap area and get things ready for the crop tomorrow night at Stamps & Scrapbooks...looking forward to it!

Here Goes...My New Year's Wish List!

2008 New Year's Wish List:


1. One habit you'd like to break totally. I would really like to kick the habit of drinking sweet ice tea & Dr. Pepper and get back in to drinking water.

2. One person you'd like to get to know better. Mmmmmmmm...Thinking on this one.

3. One random act of kindness that you'd like to make a habit this year. Taking a meal or treats to someone "just because" at least once a month.

4. Something that you'd like to own by the end of 2008. Well, it's going to have to be a new computer since mine is acting really, really strange lately and I'm just sure it's going to crash any time. Also, I'm in the mood for a new camera...we'll see!

5. Something that you'd like to get rid of by the end of 2008. All of this excess fat that just seems to take up residence on my body!!!

6. One change you'd like to see in your life in 2008. Focusing my thoughts/actions/etc. on what's really important and letting go of what's not.

7. One thing you'd like to memorize in 2008. Another one I must think about.

8. Something that you'd like to improve on in 2008. My housekeeping and organizing skills!

9. Something new you'd like to learn in 2008. How to just take it easy and not worry so much about what has to be done...to just live in the moment with my kids and hubby.

10. Something you're looking forward to this year. Vacation...not sure where yet!

11. One thing you're going to make sure DOESN'T happen this year. I'm going to make sure that I don't gain the weight that I did in 2007. It made for a very cranky "me" at times!

12. One person that you want to be closer to this year. Still thinking on this one.

13. One place you want to visit this year. St. Louis Cardinal Stadium with my family.

14. One thing that you'll move from 2007's to do list to 2008's to do list. Although we have been working on this...it will continue into 2008...paying down bills and spending less on things that aren't important.

15. One old acquaintance that you'd like to reconnect with this year. Karen or Renee

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it to 2008! Rob, Matthew, Jacob & I stayed home this evening and ate yummy food, watched movies, played together...and are now headed to bed! It's 12:17 am, January 1, 2008!

I'm not much on New Year's Resolutions because it seems like in the past I would make them and not follow thru with them. I am, this year, however, going to share my "wish list" of some things that I'm going to try my best to do. I got the questions from another blog that I regularly read. Here are the questions and hopefully tomorrow (well, today...just later!) I'll post my responses! It might give you something to think about as well!

1. One habit you'd like to break totally.
2. One person you'd like to get to know better.
3. One random act of kindness that you'd like to make a habit this year.
4. Something that you'd like to own by the end of 2008.
5. Something that you'd like to get rid of by the end of 2008.
6. One change you'd like to see in your life in 2008.
7. One thing you'd like to memorize in 2008.
8. Something that you'd like to improve on in 2008.
9. Something new you'd like to learn in 2008.
10. Something you're looking forward to this year.
11. One thing you're going to make sure DOESN'T happen this year.
12. One person that you want to be closer to this year.
13. One place you want to visit this year.
14. One thing that you'll move from 2007's to do list to 2008's to do list.
15. One old acquaintance that you'd like to reconnect with this year.

Happy New Year and God's Blessings to you in 2008!

Christmas Eve, Christmas Morning & Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas...a Little Late!

Hi! Just wanted to share that I hope each and every one of you had the Merriest of Christmas's yet! I tried to take a little "blog leave-of-absence" but realized that I hadn't wished you all a Merry Christmas! I hope you had a very blessed time spent with friends and/or family...and that we all remembered the true reasons for our celebrations.

We started celebrating with my side of the family on Sunday...it was a fun day! We all got to meet our sweet little niece/cousin/granddaughter Maria...what a precious little girl! Check out the photos below! We started the day by eating...what else?!?! We played a little right/left game, sang Christmas carols, my Dad read the Christmas story, and then we exchanged gifts. The rest of the day was spent visiting, snacking & playing games.

Christmas Eve day Rob was off, which he usually isn't. He and the boys went and got wood for our stove while I went up to Siemer's Appliance to visit and do a little Christmas celebrating. That evening we went to our Christmas Eve service at church, and then we went to Shoguns for supper afterwards. What an experience! An expensive one, but fun...they prepared our food right in front of us with flames of fire, a volcano, and catching food in our mouths! We then went home to open gifts with the boys. After sprinkling our reindeer food, we went to bed for some much needed rest!

Christmas Morning! "Santa came and he ate all the cookies and drank all the milk!"...was what we heard just a little too early!!! The morning was spent playing with the toys from Santa and from the night before...just a relaxing time amidst all of the clutter/mess/etc. in the house!!!

Christmas Day in the afternoon we went out to Rob's parents and family. Rob's mom, grandmother & I enjoyed some time visiting while the boy's all played outside with Matthew's new metal detector. By evening everyone had came and we enjoyed great food, opening gifts & playing games. Fun Times.

Rob went back to work on Wednesday...the boys and I have just been hanging out at home, watching movies, playing outside, etc. Trying to get the house in order somewhat...we'll get there!

Wishing you all the best in the New Year that is fast approaching!
Becky

Christmas at the Mueller's - 2007

Matthew's 1st Grade Christmas Party!

Photobucket Album

Jacob's Pre-School Christmas Party

Matthew's Christmas Program, a "DUH" Moment, Etc.

Tonight was Matthew's Christmas program at school. He was a shephard and looked so proud to be wearing his "shephard's" costume. The kids did a great job singing...this year the verses & the chorus's were all part of their memory work for the last 4 weeks (instead of Bible verses) so they really knew all the words to the songs. It was awesome and Matthew actually sang!!!

After the program we decided take the boys to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. We went thru the drive-thru because we were headed to the Jackson park to look at the lights. Me and the boys ordered...and Rob decided he didn't want anything. Well, when we got up to the window to pay, Rob had changed his mind. He asked the cashier if he could "have" a chocolate cone, in addition to what we had already ordered. The gal said, "well, you're gonna have to pay for it". Duh...Rob just looked at me and I was like "what??", and Rob just turned to her and said, "I was planning on it". If you didn't get a little chuckle out of that, I guess you just had to be there!

Last night I went with my scrappin' girlfriends to Bella Italia to eat (our group of 6 (sometimes more, sometimes less!) have been rotating crop nights now at each other's homes for probably 4-5 years now, maybe longer) and exchange Christmas gifts. It was a fun night...even though I had to cut it short because Rob also had his Union Christmas party last night.

Tomorrow is Jacob's "Happy Birthday, Jesus" party at pre-school...and then Matthew's is on Friday. Friday is the last day of school until January 3rd...yippee!!

Need to get teacher's gifts ready...have a great night!

WICKED at the Faboulous Fox in St. Louis!

It is called the FABULOUS Fox for a reason...IT IS FABULOUS! My friend, Amy, and I had tickets for WICKED last night and it was absolutely incredible!!!!! I would definitely see it again! I grew up watching the Wizard of Oz...and this was about what happened with the witches before the Wizard of Oz. It is playing until January 6th, I believe...if you get the chance...GO!

Before the show we had a little time to do some shopping, although we completely amazed ourselves by not spending much money! We had dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant just down the street from the Fox...can't remember the name for the life of me! Scrumptious!

We had plans to stay at a Drury and then shop some more Saturday, but weather forecasts of anywhere from 2-10 inches in St. Louis urged us to go ahead and drive home after the show. Got home around 2:00 am, I think. Even though it was only a day...it was an awesome little getaway!

Rob just left with a buddy to go up north...yes, he's headed for bad weather. They are going to go hunting in the morning and then head home by 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited for him to be able to go...hope he gets the BIG one!

The boys and I are having a movie fest this afternoon! Popcorn, soda, oreos...what more could you want?!?!

Have a GREAT, rainy Saturday!
Becky

Just a few pics of our day today...

Photos in Order from top to bottom:

1) Matthew is reading our Bible verse for the second Sunday in Advent.
2) Jacob & Matthew with our Advent wreath.
3) Miss Calli Jo taking a little snooze after playing in the tree!
4) Some yummy cinnamon rolls that were delivered to our house today by the Franklin's..Thanks!
5) A layout kit that I completed today while everyone was either napping or playing.
6 & 7) The boys' playing with their fire station & castle...this keeps them occupied for hours because they continual change how they build it.
8) Rob taking a much-needed Sunday afternoon nap!

Have a GREAT week!
Becky

For My "Scrappin" Buddies!

Good Morning!
I came across this awesome 2-page layout this morning as I was reading a fellow blogger's post. Thought this was the neatest way to record your family's holiday season. Even if you don't have a ton of stuff on your calendar, which we don't, you could record favorite traditions, Bible verses, etc. The journaling boxes are so great. Thought it was cute and wanted to share. Kelli Crowe is the gal that designed it. Have a Great Day!

This is the BESTEST day EVER!

That's what Jacob said today when I picked him up from a birthday party! A little boy from church was turning four and they were having a CARS-themed party...that is right up Jacob's alley! They went tractor-tipping in the little boy's backyard and his Daddy was Frank the combine...Jacob just thought that was awesome. Jacob's been sleeping for an hour now-the party must have wore him out!

This past Wednesday I went to Matthew's class to help make Advent wreaths. I've got a photo posted. The kids had so much fun and it was such a mess! Each child got
1 and a 1/2 of the big shredded wheat biscuits and they mashed them up in a ziplock bag. Then they dumped it in a plate, we poured glue on it, and green food coloring. We then shaped the "mess" into a circle, just like a wreath. The kids put four birthday candles on it, and then another mom and I hot-glued red berries and red bows on it. They turned out so cute. We light the first one tomorrow!

Last night my friend, Carinsa, and I had a night out together. We ate at the Olive Garden first and then we headed to my church where our ladies' ministry had a program about being "Intentional" with our kids at Christmas and making baby Jesus the focus of all that we do in celebrating. It was a fun night. There were booths set up with all kinds of ideas, books & fun things to do to help accomplish the main focus of Christmas. Lots of ideas...one that I'm going to do with our boys is have a small package wrapped up for each of them (and one for Rob & I too) that says, for example, To: Jacob, From: God. Inside I'm going to put a picture of Jesus in it and tell the boys that Jesus is the best gift of all. I also found these neat little coins today at Gospeland bookstore that has the nativity on it and on the other side it says, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". I'm going to put them in the little packages as well.

Happy 1st of December to you!
Becky

Fun Little Recipe to do with the Kiddos!

Little Holiday Pretzel Treats

Ingredients:
Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy


Step 1
Heat the oven to 170º. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

Step 2
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

Step 3
Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

Getting FURTHER and FURTHER Behind...

in my blogging! Hope you all had a very Thankful Thanksgiving! We enjoyed a yummy lunch at my mom and dad's and just hung out there the rest of the afternoon. Rob & my Dad watched most of "It's a Wonderful Life" while Mom and I browsed the after-Thanksgiving sale ads and I did some word search puzzles. The boys just played. That evening we went to Rob's parents for supper and ate some more yummy food.

That's all for tonight! Got to get to bed!

Just a couple photos...

of Jacob's Thanksgiving party today at pre-school! And, a photo of a turkey that Matthew made in school last week. Maybe a longer post tomorrow!

Ten Random Thoughts/Things That Happened Today

1. Rob left for work at 6:50 am. I fell right back to sleep and woke at 7:40. Got Matthew to school (with his shower taken, by the way) at 7:54. We live 1 1/2 miles from school. This happened only one other time and Matthew was to school on time at that time as well!

2. I absolutely love a rainy, fall day.

3. Jacob & I played 3 games of CandyLand today and 2 games of Diego.

4. Our school, St. Paul, collected over 500 boxes for Operation Christmas Child!!!!

5. Had the boys circle some things in the Lego catalog to put on their Christmas wish lists...needless to say, I have LOTS of choices!

6. I fixed spaghetti w/garlic bread for supper. Always a hit.

7. Will be doing most of our Christmas shopping on-line this year...so much easier and lots more choices.

8. For those of you with kids, I got a neat little idea from my sister, Elizabeth, today, on doing a "moving" nativity with your children. Basically, at home, you set up your nativity like you always do, leaving Mary & Joseph and Baby Jesus, out of the nativity. Each day then, you put Mary & Joseph in a different spot and let the kids find them...basically to symbolize their travels. Then on Christmas Eve, they arrive at the nativity. Baby Jesus appears in the morning. I thought that was so cute and such a fun way to relay the message of what happened on that first Christmas.

9. Looking forward to substituting for Matthew's teacher on Friday & Monday!

10. GREAT mail day!

Recap of a FUN, BUSY Weekend!

Friday night started off with a fun craft night that a good friend of mine put together! Rob and the boys stayed home and watched movies and went to bed early! Here's a photo of what we made. The first project, on the left, is a Christmas card holder or mail holder...I didn't put the handles back on yet so it's missing those. The second project was a Christmas planner...although I think I'm going to use mine for displaying photos, we'll see. It was a fun night with about 10 ladies showing up! Thanks, Julie!

Saturday morning, Rob & Matthew got up around 4:00 am to go deer hunting...they didn't see a thing except for squirrels. Went to pick Matthew up around 8:30 am...he'd had enough! Rob continuted to hunt the rest of the day. That afternoon I took the boys to a bowling birthday party...they had so much fun.

Then, as soon as Rob got home we headed to some friend's house for supper and to plan an adult only trip! We had so much fun...we got a map out and just looked it over and jotted down a few places that we're considering and are going to do some research on!

Today we played cards, put together Operation Christmas Child boxes, and now the boys & Rob are at AWANA at our church. I'm spending my alone time doing laundry, straightening up around the house, and just stuff like that!

I've got another recipe to share...would be great for dessert at your Thanksgiving dinner!

Pumpkin Crisp

1-15 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 box butter-flavored yellow cake mix (I used BC's Super Moist Butter Recipe Yellow)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted
Cool Whip

Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 13X9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture; sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hours to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with Cool Whip, if desired. Makes 8-10 servings.

Heather...the last recipe that I posted for muffins...I took some out of the freezer and just let them thaw...they were as if I'd just baked them!

Have a great week!

MMMMMMM...You Gotta Make These!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups oil
2 cups brown sugar
4 cups sugar
Beat Together, Then Add:

8 beaten eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp baking soda dissolved in 1/3 cup warm water
4 cups pumpkin
7 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cinnamon
Mix, Then Add:

1 cup warm water
3 cups milk chocolate chips

Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 (mine actually took about 25) minutes...as soon as they start to brown. Do not overcook.


I have my last batch in the oven right now...I halved the recipe and it made 34 muffins (cupcake size). They were so yummy I had to have two with my milk tonight! They would be excellent to freeze as well.

One-on-One Time

I LOVE nights like these...don't get me wrong...I LOVE spending time with my whole family...but nights like these are special...spending a little one-on-one time with my boys. Rob needed to go out to our farm and plow some fields...Jacob really wanted to go so we let him since he doesn't have pre-school tomorrow. Matthew was totally fine with that...he was like..."Mom, let's play some kickball and drink hot cocoa!" Well, if you know me...you know I LOVE hot cocoa! So, after Rob & Jacob left, we played kickball outside for about an hour. Then we went to the library to check out a couple of books & videos. We came home, did some math homework, ate, and drank hot cocoa while watching about an hour of Superman. It was then time to do some reading...and work on spelling words. Then, we watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, which is a hoot by the way, and then it was bedtime. What a fun night for Matthew & me!

Good Morning! I just spent a few minutes reading a blog from a fellow scrapbooker who is also a Mormon. I wouldn't normally post comments from an LDS Conference, but this one really struck me this morning. It was directed to parents about the time spent as a family, by Elder Dallin Oaks, LDS General Conference, October 2007:

Some of our most important choices concern family activities. Many breadwinners worry that their occupations leave too little time for their families. There is no easy formula for that contest of priorities. However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, "I just didn't spend enough time with my job."

In choosing how we spend time as a family, we should be careful not to exhaust our available time on things that are merely good and leave little time for that which is better or best. A friend took his young family on a series of summer vacation trips, including visits to memorable historic sites. At the end of the summer he asked his teenage son which of these good summer activities he enjoyed most. The father learned from the reply, and so did those he told of it. "The thing I liked best this summer," the boy replied, "was the night you and I laid on the lawn and looked at the stars and talked." Super family activities may be good for children, but they are not always better than one-on-one time with a loving parent.

Family experts have warned against what they call "the overscheduling of children." In the last generation children are far busier and families spend far less time together. Among many measures of this disturbing trend are the reports that structured sports time has doubled, but children's free time has declined by 12 hours per week, and unstructured outdoor activities have fallen by 50 percent. The number of those who report that their "whole family usually eats dinner together" has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together "eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children's academic achievement and psychological adjustment." Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children's smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: What your children really want for dinner is you.

One more thing!

Matthew got his "behavior" card turned today at school. He was acting like a cat by meowing. His teacher said, "Matthew...we don't act like animals in class". It could be worse...what was he thinking!?!? :)

Happy Halloween...Night 2!!!

Wanted to share a few more photos of our Halloween fun...night #2.