November

I love November.  It starts to really cool off.  Of course by December I'm always saying that i wish it was summer.  Its funny cause it was last year around this time that i really started feeling pregnant.  The time has gone by so fast since Jack was born.  We've had a lot of fun this month.  There's always lots to do with family once the holiday season gets going.  I ended up getting an A on my microbiology midterm.  I completely over studied.  But i suppose that's better than understudying.  Wouldn't ya know,  I managed to take a total of 0 pictures at Thanksgiving.  O well.  We probably shouldn't celebrate the genocide of the natives who we supposedly shared corn with at one point in history.

We had a family get together at my uncle Pat's house.  The kids had a good time.  And Aunt Jenny always has really good food.  

Ellie and aunt Chelsea.

I had Ellie go around and pick pecans for me.  

 They have this really cool swing.  Its cool cause even biggies like me can go on it!  WEEEE!!!  Yeah, i was actually kind of scared.  What, I'm afraid of heights.

Here's Anny on it.

Later, when me and Haylee were on the swing, Anny got hit with Haylee's legs.  So Uncle Justin rushed over to rescue her.  

Oh, poor baby!

Our family and Shanna's family went to a little scenic spot to take some family pics for Christmas.  Out of like the 100 that we took, maybe 5 turned out!  It's so hard to get everyone looking good at the same time.  Except for me, I always look good!

Ellie, get some longer pants.

Jack is 10 months old here.  The girls thought it was so funny that the cereal got stuck to his face and he didn't know it.  

Just hanging out with the cuz'

Cassie let me borrow this toy.  Jack loves it, but he's going to get a big head when he keeps seeing how good looking he is.

These are Ellie's friends Amberlyn and Maylee.  She goes to preschool with them and has a playgroup with them every week. 

The girls went to a birthday party for their friend Amberlyn.  I think Anny's getting a little too old for this kind of thing.  None of their dress up clothes really fit her anymore.  

Also in October

Anny had her awards assembly this month.  She had perfect attendance, made the honor roll, and was student of the month.  I can't remember which month though.   Good job Anny!  Too bad none of my pictures turned out.  My zoom wasn't good enough.  Can you make her out?  She's up there in the top row, third kid in.  

October

Not much new in October.  School is going well.  It keeps me pretty busy with all the reading.  Jack's 9 months now and still not crawling.  No worries.  The girls did things kind of late too.  Can't really think of anything else to say.

Mom and Dad came over for Halloween.  The girls went out with Dad while we all hung around the house.  

Both the girls' were fairy princesses.  How very original.  They got lots of candy.  Most of it mom secretly threw away!

Jack!  No!  Don't go to the dark side!

Our little Darth.  There's still good in him, I know it.

I don't know, he looks pretty crazed!

Jack started clapping this month.  

8 Months

Don't you just love the crisp, cool feeling of toilet water splashing in your face.  I guess i will need to work on my scrubbing skills so it doesn't happen again.  At least my bathrooms got clean.  

So jack is 8 months old now, and finally sitting up.  He falls eventually, but i can usually leave the room for a little bit.  Its such a whole new field of view for him and its easier for him to play with his toys.  We also finally put up the airplane swing that the Kellogg's got for jack.  when i first went outside, Alex was pushing him waaaayy too high and he was all shaking and scared.  so we had to slow it down a little.  then he got happy.  All the pictures i took turned out all blurry except a few.  we finally got our water barrels cleaned and filled.  well, all but two of them.  So that makes me feel good.  I still need to go out and plant some seeds.  And we need to redo our drip system on the garden cause its not working properly.  I am also growing starter plants if anyone is interested.  They will be $2.  I've just got herbs going mostly.  Basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, cilantro, chives, parsley.  so let me know if you are interested.  They won't be ready to plant for a little while though.  

school is going good.  my bio teacher said she would be my lab partner any day.  i think that is a good sign!! 

Jack's wispy old man hair flying in the breeze.

Big boy jack!!  What good posture you have.

Anny the Yogi

So tonight i was in my bathroom and all of a sudden i hear my yoga video playing.  i though, hmm that's weird, so i come out and there's Anny doing my yoga video.  it was so funny.  She had my yoga mat out and everything.  so i had to get some pics of that.  at first she was like, "stop taking pictures, its not funny" and "you're messing me up".  She has done it with me a couple times before.  she's actually pretty good, and understands what they are talking about.  she knows the names of some of the poses already.  Alex put a kids yoga video on our netflix list, so we'll see how she likes it.  she said she was good enough to do the grown-up one and she didn't need the kid one.  I'm just excited that she wants to do it.  neither me or Alex are very flexible, so hopefully this will help her.  

Pretty good down dog Anny!  isn't my room so very neat and tidy??

My blueberry baby

I know i just posted, but i just thought this was too good.  i made some pears with blueberries for jack today.   boy did he love it.  of course it got everywhere.  he kept grabbing the spoon so he could feed himself.  

Ellie actually took this picture.  i was in it too, but i cropped myself out for your benefit.  he totally looks like alex here, well i think so.  funny enough, this is also what alex looks like after eating blueberries.

Sorry to keep you all waiting

Geez!  i have been busy with school.  Since i don't have a teacher teaching me anything, i have to read the chapters word for word pretty much.  very time consuming.  but i really like it.  i actually learn a lot more.  i think i would just do the bare minimum before, but now, i have to do it all cause i don't know what i will be tested on.  

The girls' birthdays went pretty well.  Alex is a good dad.  he gets them flowers and a balloon on their actual birthday, so they wake up and see the surprise.  it makes them feel really special.  i used to get mad when he did this, cause i think flowers are a big fat waste of money, but they really do appreciate it.  We had family over for dinner on Sunday the 7th.  They both got the stupid barbie dolls they wanted.  and then Cassie got them the new barbie movie.  why do they like barbies?  i hate barbies.  why can't they take after me??  i wonder if there is a connection between girls who play with barbies and girls who later have eating disorders or lots of plastic surgery.  

We also got a great garden box made.  poor Alex, it was a lot of hard work.  it was exhausting just watching him do it all.  We used like 2x12 inch boards.  they only cost about $32, so not as expensive as i thought it might be.  The whole thing is 22ft x 5ft.  We found a place down the road that sells clean fill dirt for $12 a ton.  and we also got quite a few bags of good garden soil with lots of compost.  I planted a few herb plants to get it going.  and I'm going to put out some garlic in a couple weeks.  and i have a whole list of seeds to get started.  Ellie wanted a tomato plant.  So we put that next to the basil.   i am trying to teach the girls to recognize the difference between the herbs and weeds.  

Last night we went to Shanna's house for dinner.  Alex got to go too since he was off.  earlier in the day he went to jury summons.  they were going to pick him but he said he had a funeral on Friday, so they let him go.  The funeral is for Marcus Bess' dad.  If any of you knew him.  He died last week from a very unexpected heart attack.   

Can't think of much else that has happened.  Jack will be 8 months in a few days!!  he's just about sitting up by himself.  yeah, my kids usually hit those physical milestones pretty late.  Anny didn't even walk till she was about 18 months!

Ellie was a good helper.  She was raking all the dirt.  you can see my grape vine and my grapefruit tree that have yet to produce.

Anny helped out by bringing small loads of dirt with a shovel.  the shovel had holes in it too.  thanks a lot Anny for all your help.

Here is my overgrown herb garden.  the grass took over as i got more and more pregnant with jack, and then i didn't have the energy to do anything after he was born.  stupid grass.  There is still some sage, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender along the house.  I'm going to have to borrow my dad's tiller to get out all that grass.

Oh, yeah, Alex's family saw those guys from that motorcycle show Orange county choppers, or whatever its called, at the airport and got a picture. 

Here's Anny and Iman's son Ethan.  

Oh what a beautiful barbie, NOT!

Lucky me, they sing too.  so i now have barbie songs stuck in my head all day.

Ethan gave them mouse trap.  good job Ethan.