Heaven Help us all!

The books have been purchased! The practice calendars will be made tonight, the lesson book will be made tonight and they are stoked!

Mom and dad - not so much! We are starting the boys piano lessons today. Heaven help us!! I don't know that I have the patience to fight them, but I guess only time will tell. Please pray that I will survive this!!!

Oh boy! I told them, once they start, they can't stop until 6th grade. I have a feeling then next 4-6 years are going to be TORTURE!!!

Cheater

I overheard a very funny conversation while getting ready for church today. Kennie and Justin were standing at the game closet (because we have too many games!) This is how the conversation went.

Kennie: "Justin, which game should we play?"
Justin: "How about Chutes and Ladders?"
Kennie: "Are you going to cheat?"
Justin: ponders for a moment and says, "Yes, I always cheat at Chutes and Ladders."
Kennie: "Well, then I don't want to play Chutes and Ladders!"
Justin: "Well, which game should we play?"
Kennie: "Justin, will you cheat at Cootie?"
Justin: "Umm, no, I never cheat at Cootie."

It was decided and they played Cootie. A funny side note, I sat and watched them play Cootie while feeding Maggie and Kennie cheated the entire game! I think my kids learned how to play games from Sharon! (Sorry babe!)

Begger's Night

Beggars night is the term the Dayton Ohio area uses for Trick or Treating. Our night was last night. Before I show you pictures, I am going to rant. Beggars night was from 6-8 pm. Great! They put a time limit on it. No kids ringing the door bell waking up the young kids. This is our 2nd year on this side of the military housing, so this wasn't new to me, but I remember my rant last year. As one is begging each house for family, one can observe multiple (and I mean like more than 10) 15 passenger vans dropping kids off and going to the "end" to park. Yes, you heard me right. Multiple vans brought their kids to the stand alone houses to trick or treat because we are the "rich" part of the military (you are supposed to be a Captain or higher to live over here) and we are safe. So, we gave out candy and then gave out some more. The thing that bugs me the most is when kids over the age of 12 are begging. There should be an age limit. There should be some sort of party for kids age 12 and older to go to. Why are they coming to my house and taking the Mike 'n Ike's or Hot Tamales from the little kids.Okay, ranting done. Kennie was a pirate, Justin was a knight, Nate was the cutest dang spider you have ever seen, but it was Maggie who stole the show. She is the cutest lady bug in the world. See for yourself!! Aaron was a military man (what a great costume huh?) and Sassy was a crazy mother. (come on, that is a disguise don't you think?)

Also, here is a video of Nate saying trick or treat. I couldn't resist, he was SO SO SO cute!

How we celebrate Halloween

We are celebrating Halloween by letting the boys choose 1 friend to sleep over. They decided to ask Wesley to join us tonight. So, we had Wesley's family(who might as well be considered our family as well!) over for dinner, played a bit of the Wii and ate desert. Wesley went all the way home (across the street) and changed into his pj's and brought his sleeping bag over. This is what my downstairs looks like right now.

A trip to the Newport Aquarium

On the last day of Aaron's 2 week vacation, we decided to take the boys somewhere fun. Aaron had for the most part healed from his surgery (look at the pictures later for an explaination for that one), so we headed to the Newport Aquarium, in Kentucky. They were having a killer deal that we couldn't pass up, with each adult, 2 kids got in free. That's the kind of deals we like. Anyway, this will be a long post because there are a TON of cute pictures.

Our family shot. Can you notice what Aaron's surgery was?? He had PRK (eye surgery kind-of like lasik). He doesn't have to wear glasses anymore. He wears sunglasses for the first time since I met him. He actually looks quite sexy!! (I love you hunny!). Aaron and I were joking on the drive home about the lack of planning for a group shot. Kennie, Nate, Aaron and I are all wearing different shades of red and Justin is wearing Oarnge. Oh well! Just a side note, you can't see Justin's shirt, but it is so fitting for him. It says, "My parents are exhausted." He thinks it is so funny and jokes about it. If only he knew how true it is.

All the kids, from left to right: Nate, Cameron, Dallin, Justin, Emmy, Karissa, Kennie, Caleb and Katelyn. We went with 2 of our neighbors and their kids. Not pictured: Aaron and Sassy, Lori Gregory and Deborah Heyward.

All the kids on the floor. This was at the shark walk through. They built a tunnel through the shark exhibit. You walk through and they are swimming all around you. It is pretty creepy!

This is the creepiest shark. It would swim over us opening and closing it's mouth. Yuck!

Kennie and Sassy feeling Condoleezza Rice. She liked to bite the cup of Nector. She was more interested in the bottom that what was inside. Kennie thought it was so funny!

Justin, Kennie and Emmy waiting for the shark.

Nate feeling the little Ray. He is not scared to touch anything!

Nate pretending to feel the shark. He just liked splashing in the water!

Okay, I saved the best for last. As you can see, Nate is obsessed with the image of himself in the mirror. He stood and ran into himself for like 5 minutes. This is so classic Nate!

GO GIANTS!!

2 years ago Kennie decided he was going to pick his own football team. After me listing about 15 teams, he picked the Giants. You can't even imagine how excited he was to hear that his Giants were going to play in the superbowl. I asked him if he wanted me to wash his Giants shirt so he could wear it last night and he said, "Of course mom, don't you know, the Giants are going to win?" Oh, to have the faith of a little child.

I wouldn't let him stay up to watch it because there was school today, so he went to bed at half time. During the entire 4th quarter I was on pins and needles. Kennie would have been so upset if I had to tell him that his Giants lost. I was so relieved when they won!! I almost woke Kennie up to tell him.

He was VERY excited this morning to find out if his Giants won. He came running into my room and the first thing out of his mouth was, "How many points did they win by?" Again, oh to have the faith of a little child. He was so excited when I told him that they won by 3 points. "Only 3 mom, I thought it was going to be more. Oh well, at least they won. Can I wear my shirt to school today?" I couldn't tell him no, so he went through this day proud as a peacock because his Giants won the superbowl. He told everyone he came in contact with.


Justin was sad that he didn't have a Giants shirt, but he wore his red shirt so he would match Kennie's shirt. Here is a picture of the boys cheering for the Giants!!