Tonight

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Halloween this year brought a MAJOR haul. Sometimes, even after 8 years of being a parent in America, it is hard to believe that there really is a holiday where kids go from door to door and people just give them loads of candy. In fact this year I even got given candy myself during the two spinning classes I took this week at the YMCA. Talk about a contradiction. But I happily gave it to the boys when I was done. I wish I could say the same now. My motivation to stay away from it has taken a nose dive and I am chewing away on those yummy DOTS things I only ever get to eat on Halloween. Now I have to figure out what to do with it all. Someone suggested giving the kids a few dollars each in return for the candy and then you can throw it away. I'm not sure Spencer and Nathan will go for it but Leia just might.

He's been working so hard

Gary's been working really hard since we moved. When he came home from work this afternoon he got on his computer to do a few things. He's not feeling too well either and when I saw him like that, mid type, I couldn't resist sneaking a shot. Gary is such a wonderful, dedicated husband and father. I'm one lucky girl!

Feeding time at the zoo?

Spencer has suddenly started eating loads and loads of food. At breakfast he has upped his one bowl of cereal to two. At lunch we don't always have much time as he goes to school at 12:20 but at dinner he has seriously been filling a hollow leg. I often cook and Spencer has in the past eaten a couple of bites and been satisfied. The other night, he ate three helpings of a brand new dish I made. Now this is weird because he normally sniffs and picks at anything new. In the end I estimate he ate about as much as Gary and I did. I made a risotto the other night and he also ate a second helping and has since asked me to cook it again. He has not cut back on his snacks at all. He can usually put away a piece of fruit, a granola bar, some fish crackers, and sometimes some chips in between all his meals. Tonight we ate tacos and often he is full after one or two at the very most. He inhaled three with no problems whatever. Do five year olds go through growth spurts? Leia doesn't seem to have changed her food intake at all over the last few years. I didn't think he would stay stuck at 37lbs for ever but what if he just elongates like a string bean?

Where did the time go?

This is one of my favorite shots of Leia. She is about 15 months old here. She was just an adorable little girly girl. It really seems like only yesterday.


And here she is today age 7 1/2. She told me that the photographer told her not to show all of her teeth only the front two when she smiled?? Her smile here looks hesitant and I feel like calling up the photographer and telling him/her that they're an idiot. But most of all, I was struck by just how much older she looks. There's barely a trace of that little baby girl left. It's sad but exciting at the same time. I just want to treasure every moment and not miss anything. Somehow, although I hardly noticed it, Leia is growing up.

No smile but then Spencer is Spencer!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Straight As or Average?

Today we had Parent Teacher Conferences at school. Leia's was first. What was different to last year is that her teacher accepts her personality (flighty and social) and doesn't try to keep her seen but not heard. Leia is meeting requirements for second grade and is happy and well adjusted at school. She is not top of the class or anything but I like that. This hasn't always been the easiest thing for me. I was a straight A student myself and I don't think I was happier for it. I put a lot of pressure on myself and derived a lot of my self esteem from my performance at school. I'll never forget the frequent bouts of tonsilitis I had during my High School years. A result no doubt of stress.
And then there was Spencer's conference. He is also meeting requirements for Kindergarten and his teacher has no major concerns with his progress. I admit I was worried about him. During Pre-School he was resistant to learning and had sometimes been combattant with his teacher. His teacher told us the worst thing that he has done is to take extra long turns on the class tricycle during recess which is no shocker since if he could, he would eat, sleep and breathe things with wheels.
So for now we have no geniuses in the family. I am well and truly delighted to have two wonderful yet academically average children. They love to go to school and what could be better than happy kids? And the school district here is fabulous. They are so well funded. The school has wonderful programs for music, art, and computers to name a few.
Now if we could just sell that house in Ohio life would be pretty great! However, I'm endeavouring to "enjoy the journey" as someone we love very much said recently. The small things will work out in the end.

It's fall and we love it!

We are really enjoying our new Neighborhood. Unlike our house in Ohio we live on a very quiet street. So quiet in fact that I can let the boys out to ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk without experiencing heart palpitations. They just love playing out and even this morning when it was 40 degrees out they still wanted to play. Here they are with roses in their cheeks. I love those little guys so much. Now I just have to worry about their fascination with the blow-up pumpkin man thingy the neighbors have in their front yard. No matter where you are, you still find people willing to spend money on these expensive monstrosities?????? Not my cup of tea. I just don't understand it!

Garden of the Gods

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Spencer the ladybug??

Today I had run out of Spencer's favorite lunchmeat for his lunch. I decided to just sneak in a cheese sandwich and hope that he wouldn't notice. Silly me. After one bite came the hysterics. While I can reason with Leia about these things, Spencer is not quite there yet. The fact that I had run out unintentionally didn't move him. So I told him that if he didn't eat the sandwich then instead of the Power Ranger costume he has told me he wants for Halloween I'd buy him a Ladybug costume and make him wear it for Trick or Treating. I can tell you I've never seen him eat a sandwich quite so fast before.