Happy Halloween from our fun crew.
This year our kiddos carved some fun pumpkins.
Brady made a train
Hunter made a dinosaur
Caroline made a dolphin (all by herself)
Howard made a wolf (all by himself)
Tracey made a dog (all by herself)
and I made a cup of coffee.
Hope you have a great Halloween!
Our week has had it all.
Deer.
Snow.
Halloween costumes/parties/candy.
Additional work.
Graduate school.
Jury duty.
Jury selection.
Foreman Jury duty.
House selling/buying demands.
IEP meetings.
Tears.
Sweat.
Blood.
Laughter.
Yelling.
Hope.
and
Despair.
We've really run the gamut this week.
The best remedy for that is tomorrow with some R&R, family fun, Michigan football, and maybe a few cocktails!
Who's with me?
Hubby shared this on facebook a few days ago, and it is a really good reminder because it is just not at all my nature to value the relationship over the product... but with children I need to. Not only the children I teach but my own children.
"She's in a spa treatment. I used apples on her eyes because I couldn't find cucumbers."
Our baby girl, our youngest daughter, our Lee Lee girl turns 5 today.
This little girl is so intelligent, so inquisitive, so fierce at times, and so kind and nurturing at others. She is truly a joy to parent.
This past year, she has attended two different preschools and LOVES HER FRIENDS. She is a social butterfly, and a natural leader. In our family, she takes full control of her two younger brothers and loves to play that she is a princess or a queen.
She became a much better swimmer this past year, learned to ride a two-wheeler, and knows the names of all of her upper- and lower-case letters. When her older siblings practice their spelling words each night, she insists on having a spelling list to practice as well.
Lee Lee Marigold is such a fun little girl and we are so thankful that God blessed us with her five years ago.
Brady is making much more effort these days to verbalize what he wants and what's on his mind. Most of the time he puts a general sound with a motion like he waves and says, "Ah" at the same time. He signs that he is hungry and says, "Ah" at the same time.
The sound that he has mastered though is knowing what a dog says. We live next door to a hound dog. So we've lived here about two-and-a-half months and this lovable hound dog greets us every time we step outside. He really is a sweet dog, but he's very vocal with his deep hound dog bark that's almost more of a howl.
Brady will now see that dog and any dog and say, "Oooooo".
He thinks that he what a dog says.
"Ooooooo."
In the case of living next door to this hound dog, he is exactly right, that is what the dog says.
I read this on a friend's Instagram tonight and I found it very inspiring.
These past 6 months have been full of change... and sometimes I reflect on them with a less-than-positive outlook. The change has not always been easy -- in fact, it is often difficult. We are still very glad we did it. We are still very happy with the change... but it is still difficult and it is still a time of transition.
Transition is hard... but we are so glad we made the choice, and took the chance, and made a change from where we were six months ago.
About a month ago, I asked friends and family to consider sending my dad a birthday card to help celebrate his 90th birthday.
My dad is not big on birthday celebrations, and always asks for, "just a nice card." So my hope was that he would receive 90 "nice cards" for his 90th birthday.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
One hundred thirty-seven nice cards to be exact.
He also ran 3 miles (like normal) to begin his birthday.
About a month ago, we had the chance to celebrate my dad turning 90 years old. It is incredibly special to celebrate a life well-lived, and still living well. He has amazing stories of years past, useful advice for living a healthy present, and many plans for great adventures to come.
I started compiling a few pictures of my dad from over the years... and before I knew it I had 85. So I found another 5. Here are 90 pictures one of the greatest men, and the greatest dad.
Happy Birthday, Dad!
