Happy Halloween

"My Radio Flyer Truck"

"Wow, a real live fire fighter!"

Mom/Grandma, Nathan and Summer

"Where is the fire? I'm going to put it out with sugar!"

Cheeeeeeeese!

Howdy y'all!

Ryan doing his Ninja stance!


Some believe Halloween is a Satanic holiday. I know a couple of people who choose not to participate in Halloween and I respect that completely! I admire anyone who feels strongly enough about something to live their beliefs. Especially when their choice might not be a popular one. But I look at Halloween differently.

I guess to some it would appear that Halloween is "evil" and that the participation in such translates into the celebration of evil. I decided to research the origins to determine if Halloween is actually a satanic holiday. What I learned was that it is not. It comes from Celtic custom, which is Pagan (not Satanic) in nature, which marked the end of the harvest season. When seasons changed the Druid's believed that there was one night when the dead could communicate with the living. I won't go into a huge history lesson but if you are interested, here is one minister's research about the celebration: http://www.new-life.net/halowen1.htm.

So, I guess the question becomes, should we participate in a celebration that has a Pagan origin? Maybe we shouldn't put up the Christmas tree either. It's my understanding that the Christmas tree is also Pagan in origin. Should African Americans not celebrate Kwanzaa? The individual who began Kwanzaa, Robert Karenga, tortured some of his followers, two women, whom he believed tried to poison him. He spoke of a desire to create an all black nation, separate from whites. He expressed hostility toward both Christianity and Judaism and set the holiday close to Christmas for this reason. My point is that our choice to participate in a yearly celebration that has an origin or whose symbols have an origin derived from a different belief system, doesn't translate into us encouraging an opposing belief system. Are there people who celebrate Kwanzaa who are racist? Sure. Are there people who participate in Halloween who celebrate evil? I am sure that is the case. But we don't. That's not what our family is about.

So, why do I allow my children to dress up in costume and go door-to-door for candy? I agree with what this person wrote, "We don't worship other gods or honor the dead on Halloween. Halloween is nothing but a secular time of fun and games -- an excuse for the kids to dress up and overload on sugar!"

October Update

Maybe I should just retire from blogging. Finding time to sit down and jot down my thoughts seems impossible. Instead, they just swim around in my head, hoping to jump onto "paper" but after getting the kids to bed, I end up sitting on the couch, curled up with my blanket, to catch whatever show comes on at 9 p.m. and then I fall asleep. Mike calls it "assuming the position".

Since I don't have a lot of time, I will try to quickly list the happenings in my life over this past month. Since the majority of the time was spent working, helping kids with homework, getting them to bed, and sleeping, I will leave those off the list so the list should be very short.

1) I got a ticket driving the wrong way on a one-way road in a construction zone. I NEVER go this particular route because the road is closed going one direction but I was sort of forced to turn this way one day so decided, "Just this once." Ughhh! And there he was. I needed to turn right onto a street and he was making a left (going the correct way)...right there when I was breaking the law! But he was really nice and I actually wrote him a letter letting him know how much I appreciated him. It probably seems strange that I would write a letter thanking an officer in this situation but I was thankful for the example he gave to my children, especially after the violence my niece experienced at the hands of a police officer and the effect that situation had on my family. That's another story...

2) Nathan learned how to take off his diaper for easier access to Little Willie. The other day I found him sitting on the couch, diaper off, hand "there", watching TV. I thought, "This looks familiar!" What is it about boys/men watching TV with their hand resting "there"? Things that make you go "hmmmmm".

3) Nathan's language is coming along but I can't WAIT until he can say "truck", "walk" and "fork" without it always sounding like F@!#. The Parent's As Teachers lady suggested, when he mispronounces a word, that I state the word the way he just said it and then say the proper word like this..."Do you mean mit or milk?" That way he can hear the difference between his pronunciation and the proper one. In most cases, I have been doing that but when it comes to the words above...well...I can't for obvious reasons. I would never hear the end of it from the other kids. Anyway, it's a little embarrassing when we are in public and he is walking around saying "Mama, f@!#".

4) Grace finally lost both of her upper front teeth. THAT took forever. Her last tooth was just hanging there. I told her once that she looked like Nanny McPhee. So, she pushed her tooth forward so it was the only one hanging out of her mouth and said, "That's enough now!"...which is a line in Nanny McPhee. I laughed so hard. Anyway, she would NOT let me pull it. It was driving me crazy! Confession...I even snuck into her room when she sleeping just to try to wiggle it! I didn't get it but it fell out the next day. So, now she is a cute little 7 year old with no front teeth. She is soooooo adorable!

5) Ryan continues to be totally obsessed with Pokemon cards! Is this normal? He's like a Pokemon junky. I think I am going to need to do an intervention and soon before I lose him to this other world.

6) Ryan also lost a tooth. In fact, last night he wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy. It said, "Instead of money, please leave me three packs of Pokemon cards." See what I mean? Junky, right? He wrote two notes before that. One said, "Dear Tooth Fairy, I will only accept $10". The second note read, "Dear Tooth Fairy, I will only accept Pokemon cards." We explained that making demands of the Tooth Fairy was probably not the best way to get what he wanted." So, he changed the note and got $3. The next morning he ran over to me and showed me the money and said, "The Tooth Fairy didn't give me Pokemon cards but she gave me money so I can go buy Pokemon cards!"

7) Mike, Cheryl and I went to the hockey game last Friday. I had sooooooooo much fun but I barely watched the game. Sarah Palin was there to drop the puck. The reaction from the crowd was amazing. Most people cheered...I being one of them. I happen to really like Sarah Palin. What I didn't get were the people that booed with such hate and vengeance and banged on the glass as if Sarah Palin single-handedly killed everyone in their family. Get a grip! Anyway, we spent most of our time talking to friends. I spend so much time in my "mommy world" that I forget what it's like to actually go out and socialize. I was energized for three days after.

8) We went to my sister, Annica's, baby shower last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I love those little shower games, especially the dirty diaper one where they put different things in a diaper and you have to guess what it is. I won that game, btw. But there was this other game we played and I completely pissed off one of the other guests! When we arrived we were each given a necklace with a little plastic pacifier attached. The rule was if anyone said the word "baby" and you caught them, you got the necklace. Whomever had the most necklaces at the end, won a prize. Anyway, there was this woman...I didn't know her at all...whom I decided to trick. This had worked for my sister earlier in the evening so I thought I would try it. I asked her, "Hey, Where is Annica registered?" She politely responded, "Babies R Us". I smiled and asked her for her necklaces. Ohhhhh, she was not happy! So much for fun and games. For some reason the person next to her took her necklace and said she heard it first. I wasn't about to get in a brawl over it so I just let it go. When my "victim" left she said that it was nice to meet everyone except for me. :-( Boo hoo. Actually, I don't really care. It was only a silly game and she was a poor sport!

9) Ryan and Grace had a fall festible (that's how Grace pronounces it) at their school. That was fun! There were games, prizes, cheap food, raffle baskets that I didn't win, etc.

10) On Saturday we are going to a Trivia Night. If we win, it will NOT be because I contributed anything! I love to go to trivia nights but I benefit the team best as a member of the cheering section than anywhere else.

Well...looky there....I actually found some time to write something. But don't expect anything for awhile. Now that the holiday season is approaching, I am sure I will be busier than ever!

A couple of weeks ago we took a little day trip to Elephant Rocks State Park. Whenever we go there, we like to stop along the way at the Sandy Creek Covered Bridge. This is one of the last covered bridges in Missouri.

Here are a few pictures. And of course we had to take those goofy pictures where we're pretending to hold up or push over the rocks. Ryan was actually a little worried that one would start rolling down the hill.

I felt so bad for Nathan. He ended up getting sick that day. He was fine when we were at the covered bridge but wouldn't eat anything. By the time we got to the park, he had a fever but we didn't have any Tylenol or Advil. It was probably a good thing that he didn't feel like climbing. All he wanted to do was sit in his stroller. At the end, we gave him a grape Capri Sun, which he promptly threw up all over Mike. He felt MUCH better after that. (Nathan, that is) Mike didn't have a shirt to change into so, embarrassed by his golfer's tan, traveled home covered by a Harry Potter towel. I could not stop laughing!

The Lemonade Stand

I wrote this some time ago...right after Labor Day weekend...but I just found time to upload my pictures to my computer so I could post them.

This past weekend was one of the best I have had in a long time. Saturday morning, I got out of bed and began my usual routine of getting the kids ready for the day, making breakfast, and cleaning the house. I looked over at our kitchen table and there sat two coolers and a huge container of lemonade. I am embarrassed to say they had been sitting there for the past two weeks...since our pool party on the 17th. I managed to clean them but had not returned them to their usual location in the dark recesses of our basement. Anyway, it gave me an idea. As Ryan, Grace and Nathan were eating I asked if they would like to have a lemonade stand. They were excited about this business venture so our work began.

We started discussing our "business plan". Ryan was listening intently. Grace was dancing around the kitchen, falling to the floor, playing with Nathan...basically bored with the discussion. She agreed she wanted to be a part of the venture but planning was not her thing. She decided to go next door to play with Alli. By default, Ryan became the manager of the business.

With entrepreneurial spirit, I took this as an opportunity to teach Ryan a little bit about how to run a small business. We began making a list of what was needed for the lemonade stand, itemizing our expenses and discussing the meaning of "overhead". We discussed advertising as he drew the word "Lemonade" with black bubble letters on a sign. When Grace returned home, she decorated the sign with markers and crayons. Ryan wasn't too pleased with her making changes to his sign but then we started talking about ways to make your business unique and memorable. First impressions are very important so a bright colored sign was not a bad thing. Ryan thought about this and thanked Grace for her efforts.

We discussed the expenses of the business. We told Ryan that we would go shopping to get some things we needed such as ice and cups, but he was expected to pay us back. This launched us into a discussion about credit and interest. We told him that we would not charge interest but in "the real world", when you borrow money, you pay much more than the original price...sometimes several times as much.

Ryan accompanied Mike to the store to buy some things that were needed. As they walked through the aisles they talked about the quality of the product, figuring out what to charge and about the correlation of supply and demand. They also decided to add a second product to sell at the stand...rice crispie treats! This led them into a deeper discussion about the quality of your product. Would people rather have "store bought" rice crispie treats or "home made"? Also, which one was more cost effective? Mike and Ryan decided to conduct an experiment about which one would benefit the business more so purchased both. Ryan's position was that most people would want the premade treats. Mike was confident that people would prefer homemade. Also, Mike pointed out, that many more treats can be made if they were made at home.

After they returned home we made the lemonade and the rice crispie treats. We set up a canopy, which was originally intended to offer shade to Ryan and his "employees". We were pleasantly surprised when we realized that people were coming down our street to see what was going on at our house because the canopy caught their eye. Ryan hired two employees (Grace and Alli), we posted the sign, set out the products including both types of treats, and they were in business.

Business was slow at first. Ryan, Grace and Alli were sitting in their chairs, watching cars pass by. We started talking about how to draw people to their business. They decided that jumping up and down and yelling "LEMONADE!!!!" was a good idea. They were happy to find that this worked and business picked up a little. During down time, we talked about ways to draw more customers if this were a real business. I asked if we were in a good location. Grace pointed out that the mall would be a better place because there were more people. All three of the kids came up with excellent ideas about how to make this business more successful. I had to leave for a short time. When I returned they excitedly shared stories of customers buying lemonade. Ryan came to the conclusion that it's best if an adult is not present! Interesting. I decided to watch from inside the house.

It was a short time later when Ryan came running in to tell me that Alli got mad and kicked over the lemonade stand. When I went outside to see what was wrong I realized that a) Alli did not kick over the stand and b) this disgruntled employee had a valid reason for her complaint. This brought us to another discussion about the importance of treating employees fairly and letting them know they are valued. We talked about how important employees are to the success of a business. Although this little conflict blew over, it was soon after that both Ryan's employee's quit. Being Labor Day weekend and the last days the pool would be open, Grace and Alli examined their priorities and decided swimming was more important. Ryan compensated them ($3.00 each) for their time and off they went.

Ryan tried to keep the business going on his own but he discovered that having employees not only made the job more enjoyable, they were also very much needed. He hired two more employees, Devin and Summer, who did an excellent job helping him out until the end of the day.

Eventually, Ryan decided to close shop as business had slowed considerably and he wanted some time to play. After we cleaned up, Ryan paid Summer and Devin and counted the remainder of his money. He had about $10. His heart sank when he realized that the expenses would greatly reduce his profit. I had him imagine all of the things that would have been expenses had we not already had them handy...the canopy, chairs, coolers, crayons, markers, poster board, tape, lemonade, and a driveway! I explained that most small business don't turn a profit for three years! Then I let him off the hook and told him he could keep his money. That put a smile on his face and for the next couple of days he talked about the lawn mowing and leaf raking businesses he was going to start.

As for our experiment with the Rice Crispie Treats, we learned that most people prefer the Rice Crispie Treats made at home. But apparently, the homemade treats weren't as desirable to kids. For some reason, they wanted the individual, pre-packaged item. Hmmmm...I wonder why that is. An experiment for another day, I guess.

August Rush

Although the title of this post is the name of a recent movie, it is also a term adequately describing this month. The beginning of school, the return of Boy Scout meetings and violin lessons, gymnastics lessons, two birthdays (and parties), and we have happily added an adoption to the month. The start of school also brings with it Meet the Teacher night, parent/child school orientation, PTA meetings, and homework. Needless to say, I'm exhausted!

It's interesting to compare the perspective of the child's versus the parents. I remember a carefree childhood, walking to and from school, playing with friends, coming in for dinner when I was called, the dreaded announcement of "bath time" (that always meant I had to come in early), laughing (or arguing) with my sisters, bed time stories about Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear...etc. I don't recall being rushed or feeling any need for organization or responsibility. But as an adult I feel much more pressure to get things done on time, to fit it all in in a day, to keep things organized, etc. Do my children notice this? Do they sense the pressure I experience? Or are they living the same type of carefree childhood I had, oblivious of the pressures of the adult world? I hope so.

Adoption Day Photos

It's a Boy!!!!

Most children join a family at birth in a hospital. Our son officially...legally...joined our family in a court room. We entered the court room surrounded by family...the people who will love, support and help raise our children along with us. Our attorney sat to our right. A social worker to our left. The judge in front of us. We raised our right hand vowing to tell the truth and the hearing began.

Tim (our attorney) asked me a series of questions: Will you state your name for the record? Where do you live? Are you married to the man sitting next to you? What was the date of your marriage? What is Nathan's birth date? When was he placed in your home? Is it your intention to finalize the adoption of Nathan today? Do you believe you can care for, maintain and educate Nathan? Do you believe this adoption is in Nathan's best interest? I answered all of these questions...they were familiar. I've heard them a hundred times before only I was the adoption specialist, not the adoptive parent.

Then it was Mike's turn: Where you present in the courtroom when your wife was asked the previous questions? If you were asked the same questions would your answers be the same? Do you believe this adoption is in Nathan's best interest?

When the attorneys were through with us, they turned to the social worker, asking about our ability to care for, maintain and educate Nathan but my mind was wandering. I was staring at Nathan, so proud of this little boy who in just moments would be my son. I couldn't imagine my life without him and quietly thanked God for bringing him into our lives. I glanced over at Ryan and Grace...two amazing children who love having Nathan as their little brother, who are protective of him, care for him, love him and fully accept him as though born to our family. But today he was born to us...born in a court room with a judge announcing his birth...

"The court finds that the adoption of this child is in the child's best interest and from this day forward for all intents and purposes shall be the child of the petitioner and that his name shall be changed to Nathaniel William Ray...."