Winner!

Jade's Reflections song was chosen as one of the top five in her age group to move on to the next level. They held an awards ceremony last night, but didn't tell any of the students (or the parents) whether or not they would be receiving an award. Well, her school is a 15 minute drive and the ceremony was past when Logan needed to be in bed and it was at the same time as my enrichment meeting... one I had been really looking forward to and volunteered to speak at. I had arranged for my mom to babysit so I could go since Nate was working late. Unfortunately, I decided we would not attend the awards ceremony. I didn't want to go all the way down there and miss my meeting just to have her end up all upset because she hadn't won anything. After all, she attends the accelerated school. I'm sure there were some really fantastic entries. It really would have been nice to have a heads up from the reflections committee that she would receive something. I guess they figure if they don't tell us, more people will come. So, I feel bad that we weren't there for the BIG MOMENT, but glad that she won! Congratulations Jade!

Four Months

Just in case you're interested, here are Aeris's latest stats.
weight: 12 lbs. 3 oz., 25%
height: 25 1/4 in., 90%
head: 40 cm, 25%

3D Movie

Have you ever been to one of those IMAX 3D movies? We made a family trip down to the Hansen Planetarium at the Gateway yesterday to see 3D Sea Monsters. It was the first time any of us had seen a 3D movie in a theater. It was so VERY VERY cool! I was expecting them to hand out some of those cheap paper glasses with the red and blue plastic lenses, but the glasses were actually really nice. The lenses were big enough to cover my whole line of sight and they were tight enough that they weren't falling off, yet still comfortable. My favorite part was watching Logan reach his hands out trying to feel what he was seeing coming out of the screen at him. (I was actually quite tempted to do the same thing!) After the initial surprise of the 3D, Logan didn't want to wear the glasses anymore. I think it was a little TOO realistic for him.

Fall Colors

My Mom bought this mum plant to be a centerpiece for an Easter lunch we had at my house a couple of years ago. After keeping it on my counter for a few weeks I decided to try planting it out in a flower bed. It was so pretty, I didn't want to throw it out. I had no idea whether it would survive or not. I've watched it now for two summers and nothing... not one flower. The plant seemed to be thriving however, so I've left it alone. When I mentioned it to my mom she said they bloom in the fall. It hadn't bloomed last fall, so I wasn't expecting anything. Well, I looked out at the back yard yesterday and this is what I saw. Just when everyone is clearing out their flowers for the year, I have this beautiful array of color! What a nice reminder that you should never give up.

Tagged! What you may not know about me...

Sadly, I have no longer avoided the tagging game. I am now going to attempt to share 6 things you may not know about me...

1. I love to cook. I just don't like deciding what I'm going to make or having to pay for fancy ingredients.

2. I love the frosting on store-bought cakes. I know ew gross! What's wrong with me? It's probably made with nothing but lard and sugar.

3. I hate to fly. I have serious anxieties about being in small spaces, especially with people I don't know. The take-offs and landings make my stomach queasy and I can't stand the thought of someone else around me getting sick and there being NO ESCAPE!

4. My favorite subject in school was math. With math there is always a right or wrong answer. Memorize the formulas, follow the steps, check your answer... all very good for my logical mind.

5. My first (and only) run from the police was when I was 16. I illegally passed a car using the middle turn lane on Bengal Blvd because I was going to be late getting home and the guy was going SO SLOW! Of course a cop happened to see it from the other direction. When I noticed him I quickly turned down a side street hoping to lose him. After all, if I got a ticket I was sure my dad would NEVER let me drive again! (THAT, my friends, was scarier than anything the police could do to me!) Unfortunately, I wasn't sneaky enough and he pulled me over anyway. Luckily he only left me with a very scary "Verbal Tongue Lashing."

6. Whenever I had the chance to make a wish as a child... you know, birthday candles, shooting stars, wish bones, etc... I always wished for a motorhome or a bunny. Not very useful information, but hey, I'll bet I've never shared that one with you before!

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween! I feel like we've been celebrating all month long! We went to several costume parties this year, so our kids wore their costumes a TON! The great thing is, they didn't get sick of them. Now they're going to go through withdrawal. When I told Logan it was time to get dressed for preschool today he wanted to wear his Spiderman costume again. I guess that's how you know you picked the right one. We were so excited about all the pumpkins that grew in the garden this year... well actually the vines were a huge pain since they took over and I couldn't find my way through them to pick anything else, but whatever! We gave some of them to our neighbors to carve and still had a bunch for ourselves. The kids loved watching me pull out all the "mucky mud" (I have no idea where THAT came from!) out of the pumpkins and deciding what we should carve into each one. I didn't draw a single pattern this year... I just started cutting and hoped for the best! It was totally fun and I think they turned out great! The kids had a blast trick-or-treating and came home with way too much candy. The highlight of the trip was the house that served hot dogs and chocolate milk. We hope your Halloween was wonderful too!

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?