(Insert your own title because Jack wouldn't let me use mine)

He is our President! And hell yeah, we should let our children (no, require) our children to listen to our President tell them to work hard, stay in school, and yes, even give service! Even if (no, especially if) you didn't vote for him, you should send a message to your children that we still stand behind our leader. And so what, old George can do it, Reagan can do it, but put a black Democrat on the tv to do the same thing and people are outraged??? I am embarassed to read about how ignorant people won't shut up.

So, Pres Obama, please do tell my children to be contributing members of society on Tuesday, because we WILL be watching!

5 - 4 = 1

All three boys started school today. (Jack started July 1st)

(watching the neighbors leave, they kept asking me to leave, in spite of the fact the doors were not even open)

S had his first day of preschool (they used the smartboards on the first day--I am so in love!!). G started 1st grade and with S at his school too, he felt like the big man on campus.
F now in 6th, switches classes for 9 periods, and is at the brand new school w/Jack as his principal.
After all carpooling duties were completed, some other preschool moms invited me out to breakfast. After breakfast, I am sure they all went on to work or home to complete complicated and necessary projects. However, I...I am not ashamed to say, I came home and took a nap. (ok, I am little ashamed...but only to say it out loud, I have no shame in the nap itself)

This is going to be a stellar year!

(ps- how horrible is the lighting on these shots? someone want to read the manual for me on my camera?)

Oh my Heaven, he's 11 not 7!

My birthday rhymes are getting officially disastrous! I can't believe we have a son who is 11! I can remember being 11--my mom making me where Gunne Sax dresses when I really wanted to wear a jean skirt, my mom not allowing me to shave my legs and Todd Perdue making fun of me for it, getting in verbal matches with Ashley (?) with a favorite line, "You're no Miss America!", starting to hate math (or at least pretend to), and going to Rec Dances wanting to bust a move, but starting to wonder who might see me and laugh.

Here are 11 things I hope Finn remembers about himself at age 11:

1. How good he is with his brothers--he loves to play with them, have slumber parties with them, and teach them how to do things.

2. How much he loves to read--we go to Barnes and Noble and by the time we get home he is 1/2 way finished with the novel.

3. How into the Food Network and cooking show he is--he knows more about Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay than any other 11 year old.

4. He still loves Webkinz--it's the age I still loved Barbie but pretended not to at school, guess same rules still apply.

5. Anything Lego is his obsession.

6. He beat his mom at scrabble for the first time, days before his 11th bday

7. He loves playing games with his parents after the little boys go to sleep--may this continue forever!

8. He is sensitive to those around him and we all love him for that

9. He slacked off on his Webelos badge all year (it's true Finn, you know it), but when it came time to get it in gear, he worked his tail off and finished on time. I also want him to remember he was learning to whip/fuse rope the night before his 11th birthday...

10. He has a strong testimony of the gospel--he will need it to fortify himself against what is to come in his teenage years. But even at such a young age, he has a moral compass stronger than many adults (sometimes even too strong, is that possible?).

11. He doesn't want to switch lives with anyone he knows--we had a long talk the other day and while he wishes he had this, or could do that, but he understands the strength of being happy with who you are & what you have. It is a lesson I didn't learn until much older. He is strong. And now he is 11.

Fresh vs. Factory?

I could eat Mexican food every meal of every day of the week. Using fresh tomatoes from our garden and pineapple salsa from Mr Newman, we had the best tostadas today, thanks to pre-made shells. Thank you, factories, for making pre-packaged foods. Processed foods might not be a staple at our house, but definitely a plus!

Here a favorite story of Jacks from when we first met. It was a Sunday afternoon we were at a friends house (Diane, Jiane, remember Beth?) We wanted to make au gratin potatoes with our meal but I couldn't find a box of them in the pantry, so I told the group it was a no go since we don't shop on Sundays. Jiane said we could make them from scratch and I said, "You can't make those from scratch. Don't you need the powder?"

I have come a long way from eating cold cereal for every meal and thinking all cooking and baking must start with a bag, mix, or box. My children might not know what an ironing board is, but at least they know brownies can be made without a box.

dollywood 08 macs

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