[fang_grl]

Muriel - We didn't go trick-or-treating because of the rain! I love Halloween!! I couldn't possibly see it as evil - I look at it as a definitive change in seasons. I love the colors, the crispness in the air and it's just another reason to decorate!

I tend to agree with you about kids not using their imagination as much. Whenever I'd attempt to send T outside to play he'd just stand there at the door and say, "I don't know what to do!" I couldn't believe I had to give him suggestions on what to play! He's gotten much better and can have a blast playing with a stick. He's very good at playing with his little castle people (in the house) - uses a lot of imagination. His tv time is limited and monitored closely.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween and I can't wait to see pictures!

[melon161]

Hi everyone,

I'm glad to see a lot more activity on here, it's been really crazy slow lately.

It sounds like everyone had a great time on halloween. Too bad you guys couldn't go out B, that just plain old sucks.

Darci, I'm glad Trinity's feeling better. Keep us updated on her hearing, I'll be thinking about her. When Asher was a baby I was concered about his hearing and seeing so oneday he was sleeping on the floor and I took a pan and a big spoon and banged it together above his head. He stirred so then I knew he heard it, but Stacey thought I was off my rocker. He immediately looked at me and yelled, "what, are you doing!" We laugh about it now. It turns out Asher is just really good at ignoring cause he ignores me everytime I say no.

Muriel, I agree I don't think kids use their imagination enough but I think it's the parents fault too, cause kids don't have to entertain themselves. I monitor my kids tv time. We only have one tv in our house and it's in the living room. I'll never put a tv in their room. They're little kids, they can play. My favorite times are watching Asher and Nicolas just playing their little made up games.

Anyway, not much new. Nicolas is going in for some developmental testing at the end of November. The Occupation Therapist phoned this morning to book his appointment. I think he's up to par but I'm glad we're getting the testing done just to make sure. Other then that, not much else is new.

B, Tonight is MS Apprentice!!!! I can't wait.

Jess, can you believe that Trump fired four people last week, do you think they all deserved it. I don't, I thought the project manager and that girl deserved it but not those other two guys.

Anyway, talk to you al later.

Stacy

[mckenna]

in two months the holidays will be over and it will be a new year!!! just wanted to freak a few of you out!!!

darci, i hope they are able to determine what is causing hearing issues with trinity. i hope it is nothing to serious. my sister is contimplating adopting a 6 year old who is deaf. my sister is a sign language interpreter, but none of the rest of us can sign. so tommy and i will need to take a mommy and me sign lang class so we can communicate with him.

ok, since the comercial side of christmas started the christmas comercials the day after halloween, i am getting into the sprit, so i will post a little christmas quiz!!

[mckenna]

CHRISTMAS QUIZ!!!!

1. which name does not belong to santa's reindeer?
a- comet
b- prancer
c- blitzen
d- klaxon

2. in the Ukraine what does it mean if you find a spider/spider web in the house on Christmas morning?
a- good luck
b- misfortune in the coming year
c-unusually cold weather
d- house needs cleaning

3. whis is not one of the Three Kings
a- casper
b- balthazar
c- telicost
d- melchior


4. who wrote a christmas carol?
a- mark twain
b- charles ****ens
c-hans christian anderson
d- tom sawyer

5. which of the following people was not born on christmas day?
a- sissy spacek
b- jimmy buffett
c- rod stewart
d- humphrey bogart

6. what was the 1st state to recognize christmas as an official holiday?
a- alabama
b- arkansas
c- vermont
d- virginia

7. true or false: before choosing the name tiny tim, charles ****ens considered little larry, puny pete & small sam for this character.

8. when did hallmark introduce the first christmas card?
a- 1815
b- 1915
c- 1851
d- 1951

[ermiller]

1. d
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. b
6. c
7. false
8. c

[ermiller]

haha I think I was the first one to answer the quiz

I cannot believe it is almost Thanksgiving and Christmas. Natalie's birthday is in 3 weeks and I haven't even decided what to get her!!!

Glad to see some "action" in this neck of the woods. I was getting lonely without it

You gals are great- just thought I'd share that
Erin

[JewelMarie]

Darci: Keep us posted on Trinity. I think about you lots.

Mckenna: I can't believe Christmas is almost here.

Stacy: Glad you had a great trick or treat day.

On our home front: I got the call yesterday that said that all the adoption papers were signed last Friday by the judge. YEah!!! I was so excited, I screamed. Anyway my daughter is excited and in shock still. We both are!

Anyway I called her grandparents from her side last night to tell them; I promised to keep in touch with them. Anyway, her grandfather told her, "good for her, it was for her own good." Her grandmother was very excited. The problem arose when they kept trying to force me into being there for Christmas with them. They are always pushing me for a visit, never asking when we are coming or anything. It was always, we wish you were living closer; there are teaching jobs closer to us; you are having Christmas with us or spending the following week with us. It is all starting to really push on my boundaries and I don't know what to do an say. I am struggling to explain to my daughter that that part of her family we will be in touch with little and now she has other family. She seem to understand but also gets upset when her grandmother pushes.

Please offer suggestions. Stacy, how do you deal with taking Asher to see his family?

Jewel

[mckenna]

erin, you may have been the first, but lets hope you weren't the best!!! lol!!! you only got 3 correct

jewel congrats!!!!

[melon161]

Here's my answers, it was harder then I thought.

Stacy

Originally Posted by mckenna

CHRISTMAS QUIZ!!!!

1. which name does not belong to santa's reindeer?
a- comet
b- prancer
c- blitzen
d- klaxon

2. in the Ukraine what does it mean if you find a spider/spider web in the house on Christmas morning?
a- good luck
b- misfortune in the coming year
c-unusually cold weather
d- house needs cleaning

3. whis is not one of the Three Kings
a- casper
b- balthazar
c- telicost
d- melchior


4. who wrote a christmas carol?
a- mark twain
b- charles ****ens
c-hans christian anderson
d- tom sawyer

5. which of the following people was not born on christmas day?
a- sissy spacek
b- jimmy buffett
c- rod stewart
d- humphrey bogart

6. what was the 1st state to recognize christmas as an official holiday?
a- alabama
b- arkansas
c- vermont
d- virginia

7. true or false: before choosing the name tiny tim, charles ****ens considered little larry, puny pete & small sam for this character. False

8. when did hallmark introduce the first christmas card?
a- 1815
b- 1915
c- 1851
d- 1951

[mckenna]

well you did a little better, you got 4 correct!!

very tricky with the red and green answers!!!

[melon161]

Good morning everyone.

Jewel, Congratulations on being finalized!!! About the family question. I have no problem taking Asher to see his birthfamily but they never push either. They let me decide when we'll be going to see them. We have a great relationship. I do think it's important to maintain the relationship so if I were in your situation I would set time aside to go and visit during christmas holidays (if possible). I don't remember how close they live to you so that's a factor too. I wouldn't spend the actual holiday with them, just try and get in a visit before or after. But it's totally up to you. We only live 2 hours from Asher's family so we see them lots, in fact we've seen them every month since July. Just cause we have friends that live in the same place and we go to visit them a lot. I think it's different for every family.

Mckenna, great quiz!!! I'll have to come up with one today or tomorrow, after your's is done.

Erin, nice to see you around. I can't believe it's Natalies almost one, that's insane. The time flies by so fast it's crazy.

Well, Asher's started potty training himself. LOL Oneday he just started saying pee and taking his diaper off so we started taking him to the potty, he's doing very well. I'm glad he's easy to potty train cause I can tell he's going to be difficult for many other things. LOL He's such a stubborn little thing. He's also saying words like crazy. I can't even count the amount of stuff he's saying. The cutest things he says are: Daddddddddy, Where are Djou. and instead of saying DOn't he's says Non't. LOL

Nicolas is doing great to. A couple of weeks ago we taught him 1+1, 1+2, 1+3, 1+4, and 1+5. He has a great memory so he knows all of those. He is doing great!!

Alrighty, only one week until I leave for SF, I can hardly wait!!!

Stacy

[coachmur]

Hey everyone,

WooHoo, action on the Candian front!!

O.K, my anwers to the quis will not be in red and green because I am not as computer literate as our friend Stacy.

1. d-klaxon
2. c-unusually cold weather
3.a-casper
4. c-hans christian anderson
5. c-rod stewart
6. d-virginia
7. false
8. b-1915

Oh man, i am feeling good about this. I just know I got them all right. LOL

Congrats on the potty progress stacy. some kids are so easy to train. my oldest son was like that and i remember thinking, man, what is so hard about this, I am some kind of mom huh. I mean he was day and night trained in 2 weeks. Well my bubble was burst when along came the time to train number two son and by the time all was said and done i was thinking "man, i'll just be happy if he is trained by the time he is ready for college." hee hee

Jewel, now is the time for you to start your own traditions as a family. Don't feel bad about telling the grandparents that. Grandparents are good at putting pressure on young families no matter how they became a family. It took us a long time to finally get the nerve to say, "we are going to spend Christmas how we want, it is our family and we are going to have our own traditions." If i had to do it over again it would have been said long before it was. That is not to say that the grandparents can't be included in the tradition somehow or another. Maybe your tradition could be to always see them sometime over the Christmas break, since you and your daughter don't have work or school at that time. Just an idea.

mckenna, i am with you. i am trying to get started on my christmas stuff now. does anyone else ever look at flylady.com? she gives you a holiday control journal and if you follow it you will be ready for christmas right down to the last detail. it works for me.

erin, i enjoyed the new pictures of your doll baby. can you imagine? one year old already? doesn't seem possible to me.

we have several inches of snow on the ground this morning so all the talk of christmas seems fitting.

I am off to go outside.

Muriel

[mckenna]

come out come out where ever you are!!!! b, sam, darci, jess can you do any better than these 3???

sorry muriel, you only got 3 correct. stacy is in the lead with a whopping 4!!!!!!!

you guys need to work a little harder to earn your elf ears!

[stone]

Muriel,
I am JEALOUS because I love snow.

I guess I cant complain though because it is 72 degrees and sunny here.
When Brooklynn wakes up from her late nap,I will take her outside to swing and play.She loves to be outside.I am helping Jacob study for his spelling test right now.Chelsea has all of her homework finished already,and we have already studied for her spelling test.She didnt miss any.HOORAY!!!

[MomofKaden]

Sorry I haven't checked in for a bit...but here I am!

Ooh McKenna...you have a tough quiz there! I'll will try, but I don't expect to do well and I didn't peek at the others...

1. d- klaxon
2. b- misfortune in the coming year
3. a- casper (but as a side note - what the heck? Who in the world knows the names of the three kings?! That isn't in the Bible!)
4. c-hans christian anderson
5. c-Rod Stewart
6. d- virginia
7. true
8. b- 1915

Glad to hear people had a fun Halloween. Ours was VERY rainy, so we didn't do much of anything. It was still fun though...Kaden was out of sorts with the time change, so he was in bed before 7!!

All's well with me. The nursery is complete and ready for Miss Ivy to make her debut...should be about 6 more weeks!

I am so excited to hear about Liz's new little boy! Congratulations!

Darci, any word on your little Trinity's hearing?

Jewel, congratulations on finalization! What a blessing.

Stacy and the others - I loved hearing you talk about Christmas shopping! I am almost done with mine! he he he...I do a lot in after-Christmas sales, but I have done some this past month too...with Ivy coming, I can't save anything for post-Thanksgiving this year.

Well, hope you are all doing well. It is Survivor night, so I am happy! Stacy, you are killing me - I have missed the Apprentice two weeks in a row - the Donald fired FOUR people?!?!?! I will have to get on the website and hear more. I will watch tonight.

Muriel - I think you are right...so many kids seem unable to entertain themselves these days. Kaden is so good about it and loves being outside and plays alone for hours! I am very fortunate...but we have friends who have kids that can't play quietly or alone for 5 minutes. That would be so hard!!!