Trying to get it within the parameters of the white space

Hello all. Well I'm going to TRY to make it easier to read this
post and use my return key more often. Okay, so I just dated
myself. It's the "enter" key on the computer keyboard, it was
the "return" key on the IBM electric typewriter. Arugh! Can
you believe I remember that? ;)
I came across a funny picture of an adorable little girl and
am wondering if anyone can identify her for me? Hint, it's
the same person who's typing this posting! Okay, so I'm
not that funny. Oh well, so sue me.
The other night Will asked me and Ryan (at bedtime, kneeling
down for prayer with the other two younger siblings, I might
add) where babies come from. I about choked. I didn't
think Will was old enough for "the talk" yet. I still am
in denial about it. Will said, "Mama, I think I know where
babies come from." I looked sideways at him, holding my
breath, (just in case he's heard/seen something he
shouldn't have!) and asked him what he thought. He announced,
"They come from guacamole!" He was serious. I was laughing
hysterically. I seriously couldn't breath I was laughing
so hard. Yes, Carrot, I was having an "episode" of
laughing and coughing. Something I do daily. Ever since the
oink flu, when I start laughing, I begin coughing.
Uncontollably.
It's embarrassing and annoying. To quote Dr. Doofensmirtz
on Phineas and Ferb, "so I thank you and I curse you." The
flu, that is. The cough.
Anyhoo, we did finally gain composure and still haven't
answered poor Will. I just don't know how to begin "the talk"
with my 8-year old sweetie innocent.
Well, I'll bet you're dying to see the adorable little toddler.
Here she is:



What do you think? I know, Adorable. Awww, shucks. {blush}

On oinking and not blogging

Okay, so I've had a few, um, hints that I haven't been blogging for awhile now. SO SORRY! ;) I do have a life, you know! Let's see...since I blogged last time I have had the swine flu with pneumonia, Emma had another seizure, I volunteer at the boys' school in their rooms, as an art docent for each teacher, and as a library mom on Wednesdays. Oh, and I'm on the Enrichment committee and a family history consultant. And a mom and wife who must at least pretend to clean the house! Whew! That's a lot on my plate. So hopefully I'm forgiven?
Poor Tommy had a disappointing birthday this year. I had the flu on his birthday so no birthday cake was made. We finally celebrated his birthday at the end of the month by going to the Aquatic Center in Federal Way (really cool pool, it's actually where the Goodwill Games had their swimming events in the 80s) and a late lunch at Fat Burger. Tommy's friends all were no-shows, so it was just our immediate family. We still had fun, but I know Tommy would've rather had his friend from school and our neighbor kids there as well. Later he told me that it was the worst birthday EVER. Doesn't really make me feel like I succeeded on his birthday. Oh well, the sooner he gets used to disappointments in life the more successful he'll be, right?
I feel like there's so much I need to catch up on, but don't know where to begin. I'll go through my pictures on my camera and upload some pics and then comment on them. Maybe that'll be easiest.
Okay, so I'm rambling now. But isn't that what you want? You want me to fill in the void of internet space and type something for you blog stalkers to read. So here you go! You know who you are. I can almost hear you thinking, "It's about time she posted something!!!!" Well please see above for my valid excuses.
Now if only I could stop my sneezing! Ryan tells me that if I don't stop it, my nose is going to fall off my face! I say, it's a darned good thing I don't know karate, or else I'd karate chop someone to death every time I sneeze, they're so powerful.
Well I've killed enough time. I must sign off now and actually do some housework. My mom comes tomorrow and she will spend all her time cleaning inside my house instead of what we're planning on attacking, the dreaded garage. So I'll write more later. I promise.
Meanwhile, here's something fun for you to look at.

Will is Student of the Month for October!!!!!

I would be remiss if I didn't post about Will's newest achievement. It really is something! I got an email from his teacher the other day and she told me that Will has been selected as Student of the Month for his classroom in, are you sitting down?, self-discipline!!! I was shocked! Mrs. Berry even went further and told me that he's modeling the good behavior in class and is an example to those around him! What a new thing for me, being able to be the Mom of Student of the Month! And Will, when he read that email from his teacher was so happy. You think Emma has the million watt smile? That had nothing on his smile!! After all the struggling, to get Will to this point is so gratifying, dare I say, proud? (Sorry President Benson, sometimes you just have to use the word.)
More later, like the pictures from the assembly where he gets recognized. Oh, and did I mention he gets to have lunch with the principal, Mr.Weibel? Pizza delivered from the restaurant,no less! Lucky kid.

Emma was being crazy again today!

Thought you'd like to see the picture of Emma being crazy today. I went to a friend's house today and her daughter had these headbands that just aren't strong enough for her extremely thick hair. So Emma got them! Bonus for Emma, good for Colleen's house to not have them laying around unused anymore. :)
Emma promptly put the whole lot of them on her head and modeled for me. Here is the result.
Enjoy!!!

Will's classroom party

So I went into Will's classroom today with Tommy and Emma and an armful of cupcakes. I was suddently the most popular person in the room! I can't imagine why. :)
Per Will's request it was a yellow cake and chocolate frosting. Well, I was out of boxed cake mixes so that left me with Ms. Martha Stewart's website for a cake recipe. I must say I HIGHLY recommend her classic yellow cake recipe. Yummo! We were out of frosting, so I went to the Wilton website and used their chocolate buttercream frosting. Yum! It was a hit, as I knew it would be. Here is the picture of the cupcakes and some pictures of the classroom. All of the kids had fun. After school was "officially" over, Will took one to Mrs. Moore, his teacher last year, Tommy took one to his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Seeley, and we gave one to the librarian, the principal, and Ms. Erica, Tommy's preschool teacher last year. So we had fun delivering baked goods to our favorite people in the building. Don't you wish you were one of them? Ha Ha Ha

Tommy's teacher

So Mrs. Seeley called the other night, with a glowing report about how he's been doing in school so far. She said what a polite boy he is, and to keep up whatever we've been doing, cuz it's working!
Also, now I'm making some "mystery bags" for her, for some of their math manipulates. So we discussed sizes, and decided on a 6x8 size. I just finished the prototype and will post the pics after I take them.

Back to school, back to school.....

Well today I finally did it!!!!! Both boys on the same bus at the same time! Yea!!! Poor Emma, though. She was so forlorn that the boys left her. She wanted to leap onto that bus when they got on. But then we got into the house and I told her that now we get to have this special time just for us, and she made a full recovery. We went to Fred Meyer, her favorite store (mine too!) and picked up my contacts I had ordered a few weeks ago and then came home. So she had her little outing with her Mama, the first of many. :)
Tommy was so cute. He got up at 7:30 and started asking how much longer until he got to go to school. So sweet. He's really excited to start the new year,and who could blame him? His teacher is A W E S O M E!!!! We had our 45 minute meeting yesterday with Mrs. Seeley, his teacher, and all parents assigned to that time slot with their kids. Can't say it was too much fun, but a necessary evil. Tough keeping the kiddos happy though. Kind of boring for us adults, too, you know.
Will started yesterday and is in 2nd grade. He has Mrs. Berry. With a name like berry, how can we go wrong? I like berries of all kinds, and I'm sure that'll be no different with this teacher. So far she seems pretty wonderful. There is a classroom science experiment in the back of the room with a butterfly grow kit,the kind you can buy on TV, they start out as caterpillars in a jar and then they form the chryssalis, and then presto! butterflies! So they measure daily and watch. Will told me after he came home yesterday that he loved the day and the only bad part of the day is when he had to go home! Such a cutie.
Well, so much for me hangin' with my girl! I'd better go.
More later.