Renaissance Festival

We spent Friday doing one of my favorite yearly things:  attending the Texas Renaissance Festival which is always a good time.  The kids are getting older and enjoying it as well.  Instead of just riding around in the stroller or wagon all day they actually participated in many fun things.

They each had some face/body paint done.  O had a dragon on his arm and M had a butterfly on her face.

M dressed the part in her Belle dress.  She loved comparing her dress to the others we saw.  What a girly-girl!  She certainly doesn't get it from me!

  

They enjoyed some of the rides.

And they tired themselves out walking all over the place so it was a quiet ride home!

I always love seeing all of the costumes and look forward to the day where we can all go, the kids can take off by themselves and do what they enjoy doing and mom & dad can take in some of the shows and shop in peace!  It was a great day--warm but overcast.  The sweatshirts didn't have to come out until the sun went down and we waited for the fireworks to begin.  

We even ran into ZCM, CM and friends.  A very nice day indeed.

Thanksgiving Pictures

I always forget that the last picture chosen to upload is the first one on the post.  How do you move them around??

Anyway, here are pics of the gang putting up the tree and making then eating Thanksgiving dinner.  The turkey breast took longer to cook than it said it would so we ended up eating about 2 hours later than I had planned.  Other than that it was a pretty low key day.

After we chose to set the tree up here on the landing (so we can enjoy it from the family room couch, downstairs and see it through the front window) C decided that we needed a bigger tree.  I'll post pictures of that later.  This 6 foot tree was moved downstairs to the back window and a new 7.5 foot tree is now on the landing.

Hope you all had a great Turkey day.  We are so very thankful for our family and friends!

Party Pics

Space decorations were throughout the venue:

The gals at the end of the night:  LW, JJ, me and TR

TR and PC looking cute:

C and I looking cute:

JJ fire dancing for our entertainment:

It was a great evening.  It kicked my butt.  I'm sick again but at least it is a quiet week.  I think I'm going to make it.  An evening with friends makes it all worth while.

Weekly Recap

Whew!  Another whirl-wind week.  However, I was forced to slow down and have a fight with a bug.  It seems everyone around me has been sick yet I had been very lucky to not catch anything.  Mostly people have had the cough/congestion thing but I had a couple of clients this week with a stomach virus.  As you can see, just a little bit of everything.  My bug seems to have manifested itself into chills, body aches and general exhaustion.  It is frustrating because I have no outward signs that anything is wrong---no runny nose, no coughing, no stomach upset, no fever etc.  However, when I sit quietly on the couch or in bed, I'm pretty good.  Some low back ache but otherwise not too bad.  When I get up my whole body screams including joint and muscle ache--but not the same ache you have after a long workout.  I get up and accomplish some task for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and I am spent.  I have to sleep.  It is annoying.  

I try to make sure I walk the dog every morning so he spends some energy.  The past 3 mornings have been much shorter walks.  Today I pushed it a bit longer and by the time I got home I was a mess.  I had to crawl back into bed and ask C to take over.  He, of course, was happy to help out and got O up and out the door on time, got M up and going, fed the animals, played administrative assistant and took a few phone calls for me and got the kitchen cleaned up before he headed off to work.  Thank you, honey!  One phone call was a cancellation of an 11 am client.  While I was looking forward to the income, the chance to stay in bed longer was even better.  I slept until 10:45 am.  I now seem to have a bit more energy but am going to lay low today.  I have a client scheduled for 4 and I need to pick up some milk at the store but other than that, I'm sitting my butt on the couch for the day.

I've missed two days of classes including a quiz I'll need to make up.  I'll deal with that next week and get notes from someone.  I just need to get past this by tomorrow.  Saturday is a big 50th Anniversary celebration NASA event.  I have looked forward to it for months.  Originally it would have taken place in late September.  However, with the hurricane and all it was postponed to this weekend.  It is a dress-up, adults only event which is so fun for me to do every once in awhile!  I bought a new dress, shoes and the required undergarments, I've set up my client schedule so I can work, take a nap and then get myself ready to enjoy the evening.  The kids are set up at GAB.....Everything is done.  I just have to feel better!  There is food, drink and dancing.  There are people to see and fun to be had!  I cannot crash 2 hours into the evening!  While I've taken homeopathic meds for my bug (mostly the first day), I've saved the ibuprofen to help me get through Saturday.  I so want to be able to enjoy it!

Obviously that has been my focus for the past week but there are other things that happened too!  I passed all of my midterms getting strong Bs in all three classes.  We had a fun family event last Friday at O's school.  The PTA hosted a movie night in association with the new PTA movie store.  They have family friendly movies and are trying to promote it for the holidays I'm sure.  So, they offered a free public showing of Kungfu Panda.  It was a very cute movie and a great time.  We filled up the school cafeteria with blankets, pillows and snacks and had a great couple of hours enjoying the movie.  

Since we have plans for this weekend and I've been busier at work lately, I had a full day at work last Saturday.  All went well and I wasn't as tired as I thought I'd be.  Sunday we met with a pet sitter who will take care of the pets for us over Christmas.  Then, just after he left, the dog started vomiting.  He suddenly could keep nothing down and by 4:45 Monday morning was vomiting on our bed and there was blood in it.  We were very worried and got him in to see the Vet on Monday morning.  They did a few tests and found he had not ingested anything toxic.  So, we are treating him for gastritis.  We came home with anti-nausea meds as well as antibiotics because his white blood cell count was slightly elevated.  He seems to be just fine now and never really lost his high energy so all is well there.  We are watching him just in case he relapses which might indicate a blockage in his GI tract.  That would involve x-rays etc.  So far so good.  

M enjoyed her weekly dance class on Tuesday and then the two of us headed out to shop.  I needed shoes and undergarments to go with my dress for this weekend.  I hate shopping and prefer to do it during quiet times so I figured Tuesday mid-day was the perfect time.  Ha!  The joke was on me.  We went to Macy's and hit the shoe department first.  It was chaos and I just figured that there was some sale going on plus, it was still the lunch hour so it should calm down.  It took a long time to get waited on but I had already dedicated this day for shopping and didn't want to leave.  I finally got what I needed, looked at the very long line for checkout and decided I'd take my shoes with me to Foundations and look for a bra.  That department is upstairs and I had already picked up my hose and bra before I realized how long that line was for checkout too.  What is going on?  I ask myself.  It is just a random Tuesday.  It is not a holiday week, is it?  What am I missing?  Well, Macy's is having a big one day sale.  Dammit!  I've already invested too much time and energy to leave my selections behind now.  Plus, I must have been working on fighting that bug because my head was fuzzy and I was tired.  I figured, I'm already here and I don't want to have to get back out and do this again this week.  My judgement was cloudy.  So, I decide to take advantage of the sale and find some jeans.  It took a bit of searching but I found a pair.  Then I took my place in line.  M was starting to melt down but was holding it together pretty well.  Then a sales associate came by to direct the line to a few other cashiers so we could get out of there faster.  I went over to the children's department happy that I had taken advantage of the price check computers to make sure all of my selections would ring up with the correct sale price.  To make a long story short (too late!) the cashier told me that she couldn't ring up the shoes because they work on commission in that department and she needed to give credit to one of the sales people there.  I about came over the counter at her.  I should have just given up at this point but, dammit, I had spent too much time and energy here and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel!  I was going home with those shoes no matter what! 

So, I grab M who is in tears by now and haul everything back downstairs to the shoe department.  The long line was gone and I was able to finally purchase all of my items.  We practically ran out of the mall.  I really, really hate shopping like that.  But I am very glad I stuck it out and got it done while I had the chance.

Yesterday we had a quick conference with O's teacher.  We are so proud of him.  We all agree on his strong points and weak points.  He is doing very well and is at or above where he needs to be at this point in his education.  I really like his teacher and I really like the things they are doing in his classroom.  Today is his last day before Thanksgiving break--they have the entire week off next week.  We have things to work on with reading and math to keep him thinking.  He is having a little bit of trouble with odd and even numbers but he loves to write.  He has written notes to his teacher and his Kindergarten teacher from last year just this past week.  He is very sweet and loves to express his fondness for them.  He and his sister write notes to one another too.  It is very fun to watch them.

Anyway, this post is long enough and I need another nap to help me get through the afternoon.  M is watching Star Wars for the second time today so I should have some quiet time available.  I'll try to get pictures over the weekend from the NASA Gala.  Next week, O is on vacation, I'll need to catch up on school stuff, there is Thanksgiving and decorating for Christmas.  We plan to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving at the Texas Renaissance Festival which has become our tradition.  So, lots going on and lots to look forward to.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

November Birthdays!

For November birthdays we had "Yankee Chili" for dinner with corn bread and, for dessert, a strawberry cake, strawberry frosting with sprinkles.  Yum!  I call it "Yankee Chili" because I put meat, spices, beans and veggies in my chili to make more of a stew compared to the southern version of chili which consists only of meat, tomato sauce and spices.  C and I loved it but the kids were only happy with the corn bread!  But we ALL ate cake.  

We sang happy birthday to:

Aunt Jeanne

Uncle/Brother-in-law Scott

Siggi

Carmelo

Christie S

Kerry F-H

A much shorter list than October birthdays but all loved and cherished just the same!  We hope you all enjoyed your special day!

As I was saying...

Oddly enough after I posted my last entry I picked up my current issue of Consumer Reports On Health.  Right there on page 3 the title reads:  "Hospitals embrace complementary medicine."  And the first two sentences say:  "Nearly 40% of hospitals now offer acupuncture, massage and other complementary therapies, compared with just 27% two years ago, according to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association.  Growing research shows that those therapies can help many patients when added to standard care."

ConsumerReportsHealth.org provides unbiased information about health including complementary therapies. 

Please give it a try

I just wanted to send out an appeal for help with my future career.  Please utilize your local complementary medical professional.  Many practitioners of complementary medicine are trained to work with western medical professionals but approach the body from a different angle than those trained in western medicine.  That is why it is called complementary medicine.  It works well together with traditional western medicine.

Check out this site for high quality practitioners in acupuncture and oriental medicine: 

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine  

If you are a more research based person, here is a link to the government agency that explains, monitors and promotes research in complementary medicine:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine  

The more the public demands complementary options as part of their health insurance plans and the more patients educate their western medical practitioners about other options they want to utilize in their own treatment, the more acceptable and mainstream these practices will become.  Many of them are more cost efficient, less invasive and equally helpful for so many illnesses when compared to western medicine.  The goal is NOT to turn our backs on western medicine but to enhance it.  The goal is for all practitioners to work together for the benefit of the patient.

So, again, I encourage you to utilize your local complementary medicine practitioners.  Use them yourself, use them for your children's illnesses, use them for your aging relatives and use them for your pets.  The success these practitioners have now will help to pave the way for my future career.  It is a perfectly selfish request!  But, I also strongly believe in alternative forms of medicine regardless of whether or not I plan on making that my career.

Thanks for trying and I hope we all reap the rewards of having choices in health care.

Will the media ruin Christmas?

I just saw this article on CNN.   At first I found it quite entertaining.  Then I started thinking that this kind of media attention 6 weeks before Christmas could develop into a huge thing that will just ruin Christmas all around for everyone.

Christmas means different things to different people.  I find that most people celebrate what they deem the important points for them and their family and leave the rest.  I mean, everyone is really too busy with their own lives to get into this supposed Christmas war.  Why does the media have to turn it into a huge thing?  

So, this year I encourage you to ignore the stories about certain groups boycotting retail stores for having too generic holiday greetings.  Disregard any sort of media blitz about what is expected of you during the holidays.  Enjoy the holiday time for what is important to you and your family.  Make your own memories and celebrate in your own way.  Don't let the media provoke you and distract you to become a part of their so called Christmas war.

Celebrate!

Some days there are no words

Some days are such a mish-mash of events that there are not words to sum up the day.  O started the day getting all ready for school and just mentioned as he brushed his teeth that his belly hurt.  Then, as we walked out of the front door to catch the bus he mentions that his throat was "really, really sore."  After a brief conversation about whether or not he needed to stay home from school, we decided he would, in fact, stay home.

He was a bit put off by the rules:  if you are sick, you stay in bed and read.  No t.v.  No video games.  No running, jumping, playing.  Just relaxing in bed.  I may have to sit on him soon to keep him from running around with the dog.  Guess he feels better, huh?!  

The weather was dreadfully dreary, dark and rainy but I was in pretty good spirits all day and still am.  I kicked butt all weekend and had finished all of the laundry, worked, cleaned the kitchen, sorted through piles of paperwork that needed to be thinned out plus DD came over today for our massage trade.  Oh, and I snuck a couple.....ok a FEW pieces of Halloween candy.

Of course hearing about Mac the elephant (previous post--click on the title to go to the Zoo's announcement) was very sad.  But, all-in-all, the day was really good.

Now the dog is licking the bottom of my shoes, the cat is attacking the dog (hissing, whacking at his nose) because he is a bit too close to the cat, the other cat is yeowling in the other room because she has decided it is time for dinner.  The kids are drawing beautiful pictures for me.  M is only in her underwear because she has become a streaker as of late.  I'm lucky she is wearing underwear right now.  O's hair is sticking up just enough to be super cute.  I'll take a photo and post it to the beginning of this post.

Yeah, a good day of nothing much is really nice for a change.  And on a MONDAY no less.  Wish you all were here to enjoy it with me.  

I guess I'll now need find time to study for my Acu II midterm that is tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Houston Zoo bids farewell to Baby Mac the elephant

Bigger Than Me

I feel like my current education is bigger than me.  I mean, while I find it wildly interesting, I feel like it is pulling me along.  Like this is my destiny and I'd better just suck it up and do it.  Maybe because I am beginning year 2 of what will be at LEAST a 4 1/2 year adventure.  I've come too far to quit but I can't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And when the thought crosses my mind that I need to take it easy and spread my classes out more, take more time to finish my degree, I think of the class that just started this semester.  There are almost 30 of them.  That is at least twice as many as when my class started a year ago.  The word is out.  I can't let them get ahead of me, right?

I told my friends once that I would pay the whole tuition just to have the knowledge for myself.  That I wanted to be able to help my family and friends and if I made a few bucks along the way then all the better.  Now I feel threatened that these people, who began their education a year after me, will hit the job market before I do.  That's not ok at all.  So, it doesn't matter if I'm ready or not.  It doesn't matter what sacrifices both my family and I will have to make.  I can't let them beat me to the finish line.  And that is how it is all getting to be bigger than me.  

Pocket Money

O is getting to the point where he can handle an allowance.  I've been pushing for it but we haven't formally sat down to make a plan yet about amount, frequency, what jobs will be done in exchange..

I was folding towels today and O was nearby.  I asked him if he wanted to make a little money and help me out.  "You mean pocket money?" he replied very excited.  I gave him some towels to fold and we sat and negotiated a fee for his help.  He is not very good at the negotiation part.  While he understands money and seems to kind of understand the power of it, he really doesn't get the big picture yet.  He is right on the cusp of understanding and I think pocket money will help him out.  We negotiated $0.60 for him to fold the share of towels I gave him.  After he was finished we talked about negotiating a better price for a job well done.  He talked me up to $0.70.  Then we counted out the change together and put it in his envelope.  Then he started asking what else he could do for some pocket money.  We talked a bit about the difference between a regular, set allowance and earning extra money by doing extra jobs.  I have struggled with this because I feel like there are certain things that every family member should have to contribute towards the household without expecting pay for it.  However, the thought of him taking over some daily jobs that I currently do would help us both.  I would have more time to myself and he would be gaining responsibility (feeding the dog and cats, loading the dishwasher, etc.).  I'm sure it will all evolve as we move through it.  

As with anything regarding parenting, you have these great plans and ideas that never seem to work out once you are there.  I want him to have his own money to do with as he pleases and, hopefully, to learn how to manage, budget, etc before he has to head out into the world and do it for real.  But, he needs to work for it, appreciate what he receives in gifts (for birthdays etc.) and figure out what value he puts on monetary items.  A lesson that can only be taught through living it.  

We all have our own experiences with money and it is often amazing to me the different views people have concerning money.  C and I decided years ago that the bulk of our funds would go towards traveling to see our families (primarily) since we were so far away from them and to see different places in the world.  That is what is important to us.  But don't think I don't notice when we go to the home of a peer and they seem to have so much more than we do.  We can't do it all and we've chosen what is important to us.  I mean, I really would like some nice furniture for the house but not if it means we have to miss Christmas with our families.  Another thing, education.  I don't think it ever occurred to us to set up college education funds for the kids.  Both of us had to work our way through college and apply for scholarships.  Why should our kids have it any easier?!  You can't appreciate something unless you work for it.  Of course, we will help out where and however we can but we won't give the kids the idea that their education is covered.  Our retirement is more important than their education.  Goodness knows I don't want them to have to take care of us one day.  One of my friends once mentioned how upset her husband was at his brother because he hadn't bothered setting up education funds for his kids.  It was something he never had and he is making sure his child has that for his future.  I just don't think that it is a parental requirement to pay for post high school education.

Anyway, how did I get here??  So, the idea of pocket money has hit home with our 6 year old.  I look forward to watching him grow in this realm.  And I really hope I don't screw it up.    

Homesick for France

For some reason I spent the day today thinking how wonderful it would be to have my French family visit.  I'd love to see them all again.  I really miss them and I really miss France.  I ate my truffles from Le Notre (Paris, Las Vegas) and drank one of my favorite French wines for dinner:  Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages.  I dreamed that my French family was sitting around our kitchen table, sipping wine and laughing.  Thierry, Isabelle, Regine, Bernard, Marie-Therese; when will I see you again??!!!  Thierry, are you still with Marie-Helene?  I would love to have you all here for a month.  Why does France have to be so far away?!!

Just come for a visit.  All you have to do is get your plane ticket here.  We will take care of the rest.  PLEASE!  Come for a visit!

Explanation on updates

I meant to elaborate on the quote from that man in my update.  I just got distracted so many times I forgot what I was doing!  M is napping now, the DVR is playing Ghost Hunters Live from Halloween night, the dog is snoozing at my feet and all is right with the world!

Anyhoo, there are multiple things I find frightening in his quote.  First off, he is so concerned about the "tax burden" but doesn't seem to worry about this HUGE deficit we are all saddled with.  

I don't understand why he thinks Obama would let Iran or any other country obtain nuclear weapons or why he would allow attacks on other countries.  No one wants that to happen.  Why would John McCain be better at preventing that than Obama?  Yes, Obama is a diplomat but he's no pushover.  It is ridiculous to assume any President would not do everything in their power to prevent that even if it meant calling out the big guns to stop them.  

The gay marriage thing I really don't understand.  I mean, I get that some people believe that homosexuality is wrong/immoral/etc. but you'd think that their "Christian ideals" would prefer that two people commit legally/spiritually to one another instead of "living in sin."  Gay marriage doesn't threaten their marriage/relationship so what difference does it make?  I think what they are more afraid of is having to explain to their children that not everyone believes exactly the way they do.  If you are confident in yourself and your beliefs then it really shouldn't phase you how other people believe as long as they aren't hurting anyone.  Why don't they get that?  Fear.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of thinking outside of the box.  Marriage is a personal choice.  I know people who are perfect together who choose not to marry.  I know people who bring out the worse in one another who are married.  I know people who cheat in their marriage.  Marriage isn't for everyone and that's ok.  But if two people choose to be married, who has the right to stop them? 

Gun control.  I really have to excuse myself from that one.  I don't like guns.  I don't have experience with guns either so I can't speak out too much on that.  I think people should have the right to bear arms for personal protection or hunting/recreation.  I don't think that people should be allowed to own weapons that are more powerful than that.  I can appreciate collecting guns.  I understand that Democrats have a history of trying to put some control on gun ownership.  I think that people who cannot legally obtain a firearm will find an illegal way to obtain one so many of the laws are not effective.  Just like going through security before boarding an airplane.  I mean, we go through the routine but if someone really wanted to get a weapon through airport security they could.  The same with gun control.

I strongly believe that church and state should always remain separate.  Without going into a huge rant about religion (which is a whole other post!!) I don't get why people are threatened if it doesn't say 'In God We Trust' on our money.  It is not a religious relic.  It has no business being on there in the first place.  Even though it slightly annoys me, it doesn't take over my thoughts.  I don't think about it every time I pay cash for something.  Do people who want it to remain on there think about God every time they use cash?  Seriously?  I feel the same way about the Pledge of Allegiance.  It should be "One nation.  Indivisible.  With liberty and justice for all."  But I don't get all riled up about it.  I just don't say the God part when I recite it myself.  The pilgrims left England because they didn't want to be ruled by a monarch.  They wanted freedom to live and believe as they pleased.  Many of them believed in God and practiced a Christian religion.  Some of them did not practice any religion.  I believe that the Founding Fathers wanted a separation of church and state because of the corruption that historically occurred when the two were intertwined.  That was a very wise decision and very observant on their part.  Many of them were Christians and they may have prayed for guidance as they were creating the foundations of our country.  But I don't believe that they intended for the citizens of this country to be restricted in their religious beliefs.  And that is why I find this man feeling that his religious values are threatened because Obama will be the next President utterly silly.   

Ok, that is all.  I think I covered it.  

O Updates

O finished up his baseball season on Sunday.  As I mentioned before, the coaches weren't all that interested in coaching so I'm not sure how much he actually got out of the experience.  He had fun though and I think we are all happy that it is over.

He also has been loving a new X-Box game his dad got him:  Lego Star Wars II (based on the original trilogy).  He is pretty good at it too.  He and M even sat and watched the original movie on Monday night while I studied.  They LOVED it (I know LW is pleased to hear that).  M even watched it again the next day.  I guess the other two movies from the original trilogy would be good Christmas gift ideas for the grandparents since they've been asking recently. 

He received a very good report card Friday that has him working at or above grade level across the board.  He is doing well, enjoys school and we are very proud of him!

He got to vote at school yesterday.  They got little voter registration cards and everything.  I asked who he voted for and he hesitated.  Then I told him that he didn't have to tell me if he didn't want to since voting is a private matter.  Then he said he voted for John McCain because he felt bad that his plane was shot down.  He thought that Obama looked like a nice man but he felt badly for McCain.  For first grade, that is a good start.  Unfortunately, too many adults vote with the same reasoning!

I am going to sign off for now.  M and I are going to go pick up some lunch and take it to O at school and eat with him.  We all enjoy doing that a lot.  

Updates

I know I posted on Monday but it was a quick one (I even forgot to mention trick-or-treating with TR, PC, AR, DH and RH and having dinner with TR's aunt, ZCM, CM and LW.  I think I have everyone now!).  I was studying feverishly for a physiology midterm that I took last night.  Despite spending much of the day on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on the subject, I could have spent a lot more time.  You see, we had 14 chapters covering cells thru the nervous system and the teacher asked only 50 questions.  All of that material and only 50 questions.  I really don't WANT to memorize all of that material.  While I find physiology very interesting, I can look up the information if and when I should need it.  Why do I need to know which part of the inner ear hears a whistling sound (one of the test questions)?  It is very interesting and may be good information if you were in a trivia contest of some sort but, seriously?!  14 chapters of information and he wants to know which structure in the inner ear hears a whistle sound.  I know I got it wrong.  It was a tough exam and I can only hope I got at least a C on it.  

Anyway, so I was lost in the land of physiology for a few days and I wanted to update a few things.

First off, the cleanse.  All went well.  I made it the entire 10 days and felt fantastic.  I think the hardest day for me was day 10 (Sunday) because I knew I was almost done.  It was totally psychological.  I was the most hungry and wanting food the most on that day just because I knew I was almost done.  I lost 7-8 pounds and I really feel like it was a valuable tool for me to reset my relationship with food.  I've eased back into eating real food by tracking my calories closely and eating often throughout the day as well as making better food choices and being aware of portion size.  I was amazed that I was so comfortable and clear minded through the cleanse and I don't mind saying that I actually look forward to doing it again in the Spring.  Between Friday and Sunday, the white fur on my tongue began diminishing and was totally gone by Monday afternoon.  Interesting.  So, it was a valuable experience.

Next, the election.  According to an obviously conservative Republican that was interviewed after early voting last Friday (from the Houston Chronicle), 

"I am scared," said Carl Favre, 58, of Sugarland.  "I'm fearful for my children.  The tax burden they'll be faced with will be increased over time," said the lawyer and developer.

Favre said if Obama wins, he will not do what it takes to prevent Iran from getting nuclear arms.  He also fears Israel will be attacked, gay marriage could become "the law of the land," gun control will increase, and Judeo-Christian values will be threatened.

"I could even envision a time when, if they have their way, even on our dollar bills 'In God We Trust' will be gone."

Are these people for real?  That little snippet of that man's thoughts scare the crap out of me.  It frightens me that people with those thoughts walk amongst us.  

I am really happy that Obama won the election but I am not happy that McCain lost.  I really like John McCain and have for years but I felt like he really wasn't true to himself during his campaign as he tried to win over the conservatives.  I look forward to many good things from him in the future and I know he will work well with President Obama.  I would have been fine if either candidate won.  In past elections, the thought of either candidate winning scared me so, all-in-all, I'd say this was a pretty upbeat election year.  I anxiously await the future with Obama leading us.  I love his confidence, his refreshing look on things, his cool headedness and the work he and his wife have done.  No president will ever do everything perfectly but I feel he has similar beliefs to mine and will make decisions to the best of his ability.

Anyway, I don't like politics and I usually don't get too involved so this is a change for me.  

As usual, it seems that there was more I planned on saying but cannot remember right now.  More later.

Halloween

I keep forgetting that I have to upload the photos backwards to how I want them displayed since blogger takes the last one and puts it first!  I could delete them all and begin again but I'll leave it this way.

So, the first photo is the day after Halloween.  The kids are relaxin' with Brody.

Halloween night:  Little Princess Belle couldn't stop posing for the camera!
O lookin' mean as a vampire.  This is the only time he wore the teeth.  They were annoying to him so we ended up tying them to his cape!  Also, he didn't want any make up (white face, dark eyebrows, fake blood etc) so he was basically a 6 year old dressed in black with a cape.  He has always enjoyed passing out candy more than getting dressed up!  I don't think he will trick-or-treat for long.

What a pair!

We went trick-or-treating with LB, AB, and AB from next door.  We also picked up O's friend CM along the way.  The boys made a huge race out of getting to every door.  LB who is 16 weeks pregnant now fears she will have a boy (AB is a 4 year old girl).  The energy of these 2 boys amazed her!  The girls kept up well and we had to keep tabs on who's turn it was to ring the bell.  We covered 2 streets in around an hour and decided that that was enough.  

Then we went to TR and PC's house for some food and fun.  PC has great decorations that are always fun to see.  The kids had a great time sorting through their candy and playing with AR's toys.  They loved staying up late too!

Now the house is full of candy.  C and I went through it all yesterday and tossed at least half of it.  We kept the higher end stuff and the lollipops.  They actually got some Valentine's and Easter candy in their bags.  I don't think those little sugar hearts go bad but just the idea of having candy that old when we had so much new stuff in the house that I bought to hand out....we kept the chocolate stuff over everything else!

The first thing M said the next day, "Is it still Halloween?"  Out loud I said no.  Inside I added, "thank God."  But, with all of the candy in the house, Halloween with be with us for many months to come.