Memoirs of a Geisha

The Geisha to the left is outfitted by her Uncles and Pop!  Thanks guys!

Jonathan flew out on Air Force One  this last trip.  He's in the middle east for the past week and will be until Wed.  No fun.  Those are the trips I worry about.

I have been trying to eat better since the holidays.  That's no fun either.  But it is a nice feeling when your cute jeans fit instead of feeling like Wranglers.  Dr. Phil once said something and it stuck with me (as I'm holding a Reese's pb cup...)  "Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels."  So true!  I don't normally like to tout Dr. Phil, but this quote has helped me out in my darkest dieting moments.

Austin and I went down to Children's Hospital on Friday and had a consultation with a GI surgeon there and we chatted about the pro's and cons to the stomach surgery that would take care of Austin's reflux problems.  Unfortunately, the morbidity rate is 10-15% and that's something that I just can't swallow.  I called Duane in Kuwait and we both felt that right now it's not time.  The surgeon definitely thought he needed it, given his history, the amt of meds he's on now to take care of the reflux.  But I just didn't feel like it was a slam dunk.  I was very surprised because for a couple years, we were heading in this direction.   He's doing great on his new medicine right now even though it's an extremely high dose.  So it's like we either fix it with surgery, or keep him on these meds all his life.  Which is the greater evil?  It's so hard.  

Austin started a little pee wee football class on Friday as well.  He now loves to run with the football cradled in his hands and I try to get it out.   He doesn't like to be tackled, but he likes to tackle me.

Ashley has been a funny little munchkin this week.  She loves to kick a foam soccer ball around the house (a birthday present of Austin's -thanks Shelese and Mandi!) and Ash thinks its hers.  Today we went to Long Park and played ball and ate a picnic lunch.  We had a great time!  Although is was quite cold.  The weather is getting chilly here.  

Much love,

Angie

Happy New Year!

So this posting is a little late....Happy New Year!  I  rang in 2008 with my dear friends here in Gainesville, VA.  Truly one of the best New Years I've ever had.  Duane celebrated 2008 with my brothers and Dad at the Rose Bowl.  They all had a boys trip to watch USC win.  It was a lot of fun!

There has been a lot of fun/action/adventure in the past 10 days!

I hired our first maid service "Rosalita's" to come once a month and deep clean...ahhhh....

When one of the coldest days here (12 degrees) our heater broke.  The house was 48 degrees and I had everyone bundled up.  Jonathan was gone so I called a heating service.  $400 later, we had heat.  And got down to the bottom of the problem....the batteries in our digital thermostat died.  Ugh!

Austin has started getting Ashley out of her crib in the mornings and changes her diaper! This doesn't occur every morning , but when it does, it's heavenly and buys me a little more time.

I started working out again after my holiday "sabbatical".

Austin and Ash yell BATTLE and they start throwing things at each other and the first to cry loses.

Austin was wiping his nose and told me that he had something special for me.  I asked him what, and he said "Snot lotion".

Austin has been making breakfast for me the past few days.  It's a special sandwich made of Hershey syrup, oreo's, m&m's, and 4 layers of 12 Grain bread.  Good morning!

Austin's been "stocked up" so an xray told us.  We had our special "cleanout" with him drinking magnesium citrate.  That night we had a lovely "poop slumber party" where only he and I got to watch movies and be cleansed out!  The plumbing is now working properly.

Austin will do things around the house and say, "Like father, like son."

Austin got the Air Hogs for Christmas (Thanks grandma and grandpa!) and he and Ash both love the remote control helicopters.  They come whizzing by my ear, get tangled in my hair and smash into the side of my head many times a day.  But the kids love them.

Austin was leaving preschool the other day and a girl told him bye and he said, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool."  I had to laugh out loud!  

Ashley will help me cook, throw things in the trash, assist in any way and says "Help Mama!"  She loves being my little helper!

Ash painted her toenails for the first time this week!  I was painting them for her and of course says, "I do" and grabbed the little wand and went to town.  There is polish from the base of her little sausages up past her toenails.  Pretty pink feet!

Ash loves when visitors come to the house.  She grabs her toys and shows them off.  She grabs things in her room and runs downstairs and grabs more to exhibit her goods.  

Ash has been very "tactical" recently.  She loves to pinch the cheeks of people smaller than her.  She also "pats" heads, sometimes harder than she should.  Austin never hits her back so I don't know where she's learned it!  We're working hard at not hitting.  She's brought Austin to tears many times!

The January thaw here's been nice.  Beginning of January, and for three days its been upper 60's, low 70's.  It was a spring teaser, but we sure enjoyed the warm weather!  

We took a trip to Ikea in Woodbridge with Erika, Cam and Gavs and had a lot of fun!

I hosted my monthly BUNKO party at my home last night and we all had a surprise baby shower for Allison.  Such fun.

Finally, Ashley has been showing tremendous potty interest for a few weeks.  She's been telling me when she needs to go pee-pee.  We'll go and she actually goes!  I'm just terrified to actually start the potty training (which she's really doing by herself right now thank goodness) because she's so tiny and is all over the toilet.  It's so much easier and cleaner if she just goes in her diaper!  But, she obviously can do it and I must buckle down and be consistent!  (Thanks Cherilyn for the potty protector idea!)

Have a great week!

Angie

Trachea Size

The above pictures are of the size of Ashley's trachea.  The first one was a close-up further down.  Uncle Grant left and we're so sad!!  Well, Ash is doing great right post-surgery and we're so thankful!

There's something to say for mothers-intuition.  The neighborhood kids were playing outside and I had my window open listening.  The kids all had sticks, pretend weapons in their hands playing.  As I was starting to put away Christmas things, I felt like I should listen again.  I looked/listened out the window and at that moment a neighborhood boy said, "Who needs pretend guns...my dad has a real gun!"  They all had that glimmer in their eye like, "oh wow".  At that moment I jerked the door wildly open, talked to Austin about the situation and lectured the neighborhood kids.  I'm sure I'm a hit with the kids.  Oh well!  Tough tooters!

Ashley has been 'Elmo-ized'.  She can't get enough of "Emo's Christmas Countdown" that we fortunately or unfortunately recorded.  Over and over and over again.....

Happy New Years Eve!!!

Angie

Tracheomalacia

On Wednesday, the 27th we took Ashley in to Reston Hospital for her 2nd tubes placed in, an adenoid ectomy, and a bronch oscopy.  (Picture taken Pre-op).  After the surgery taking and hour and  a half longer than thought, Jonathan and I were scared in the waiting room. Our Dr. finally came out and explained that while under anesthesia, Ashley had a few scary/rocky moments.  We were horrified and he went on and explained that Ash has the worst tracehomalcia he's ever seen (this is coming from a top 10 DC Pediatric  head and neck surgeon).  Instead of her trachea being the size of a quarter and round, it's like you cut a tiny rainbow or crescent out of a quarter and that's the size of her throat all the way down.  So during the anesthesia due to her abnormal narrow trachea, she started having bronchial spasms and they couldn't get air into her.  They started pumping it through her lungs but it wasn't working because the tube wouldn't fit down her throat.  It was way too narrow.  He showed me pictures and didn't give me all the gory details of what happened in the operating room.  I'm glad I didn't know everything.  I'm just so thankful that Ashley was given a blessing before her procedure.  I know that's what help guided the Dr.'s in there with her.

So with her severely mis-shapen trachea (birth deformity which Austin has as well, just not bad as Ash-we actually though his was worse because we saw his pictures and thought nothing could be worse than that.).  I'm just surprised she hasn't choked more on food.  The Dr. said he's not willing to do anything to open or spread out the trachea because she's a happy girl who can run around and is not failing to thrive due to not eating.  

With tracheomalacia, it's a 'narrowing of the airway.'  So a chronic cough and upper respiratory disease are side effects.  Also, acid reflux makes the trachea sound worse.  Anytime she coughs it has that distinct "bark" and anything at all that triggers anything in her narrow airway makes her cough.  So we've accepted the fact that she'll just bark and we'll love our little goose no matter what!  Both our geese!  Austin and Ash.  Maybe that's why I've had the nickname Goose all my life....I'd only grow up to have kids that honked like Geese!  Ha ha  ha.  What are the chances that both my kids would have the exact same issues?  Wow.  I truly feel blessed though with their condition.  Things could always be so much worse.  

So that's Ash's news this week.  Austin has loved wrestling with Grant while he's been here, playing with his new Christmas toys and having his friends Bree and Hannah come over to share them.  He's also into setting the table.  He loves to get out the linen napkins, put silverware on the table and wrap the napkins in a special Austin design and top it with a napkin ring.  He's so proud of his napkin creations!  He also is practicing manners.  Saying things like, "I'd be glad to" and "Mommy, did you think first before you did that?" Not quite as cute.  He loves to chase Ash around and have her squeal.  Ash loves to be the center of attention.  In fact, to turn attention toward her if she's not getting any, she'll make up a boo boo and say, "Owie Mommy/Daddy!"  So we kiss it, and life goes on.  She takes off running again with her pseudo-boo boo.

New Years is right around the corner!  Grant and Duane leave tomorrow morning  for the Rose Bowl for a few days.  I'll be ringing in the New Year here in DC!

Happy 2008!!!!

Love

Angie

Christmas!

Our Christmas really began when Grant arrived into DC on the 21st.  And luckily Jonathan has been home this whole time!  With Grant, we of course had to hit his favorite eating joints here, "5 Guys", (and mine Chipotle).  Friday night we did the Bull Run Festival of Lights, we've done the Leesburg Outlets, Fair Oaks Mall and just run around town and had fun.  Grant can make you have fun and laugh till you pee no matter what you're doing!  On Sunday night the 23rd we went with our great friends the Bensons and the Naudes to the DC Temple and enjoyed all the lights there.  I've never seen the grounds lit up like that before and was surprised at the amount of people there and the beauty of it.  It was also nice seeing a live nativity.  That was Austin's favorite part.  

On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a beautiful evening.  After all was said and done, Uncle Grant got the kids on the computer to find out where Santa was right before they went to bed.  I believe he was just leaving South America at that time.  The kids hurried upstairs and their excitement was contagious.  Austin could hardly contain himself, as after we tucked him in, we heard a squealing type sound from his room and heard the bed mattresses bouncing around. Uncle Grant then rang some jingle bells outside his window about an hour later.  Pure excitement!

On Christmas morning, Austin waited in his room (impatiently) until his alarm went off at 7:15am before he investigated downstairs.  He then ran into my room and told me that Santa had come!  We got up, got ready, Grant came upstairs in a cousin Eddy white turtleneck and tight green vest ready to hand out presents.  For breakfast we ate chocolate that Kendra had sent us and nibbled on things from the stockings.  Santa of course went overboard this year as always, so I had to put a few things back in a closet for later enjoyment.  We all had an amazing Christmas!!!  Jonathan then cooked his delicious whole rotisserie chicken dinner and we toasted to sparkling cider!  Austin and Ashley love to yell, Cheers! and toast as much as possible.  This year was truly a year to toast to our wonderful family together, our health, our great friends, the wonderful area we live in, and most importantly for our gospel and our Savior.

We truly  hope you had a very Merry Christmas as well as all of you reading this are our closest friends.  THANK YOU for your amazing Christmas cards.  They're up all over our home and we love reading them/looking at the pictures.

Angie

Grant's Here!

So Christmas is merely days away!  We surprised Austin with a visit from his Uncle Grant yesterday!  Grant came into his room this morning and Austin was the happiest boy in the world!  It's great having Granny here.  He's done at BYU and is contemplating between a few different job offers.  

Jonathan isn't traveling this week.  Ahhhh.  Although he is taking a "boys" trip to the Rose Bowl to see USC play in CA over the New Year with all my brothers and dad.  He needs a little boy time.

Austin is just in rare form with Christmas so close.  He is soooo excited and looks over the presents under the tree many times a day.  Ashley just follows what Austin does and makes the same coos and giggles that he makes as well.

Austinisms this week: (so sweet):  He told me, "Mommy, you're a pearl.  A real treasure."

Also, we were cuddled up watching a movie together and I started to doze off and he turned around, stood up and pulled the blanket up over my shoulders and kissed my forehead.  A memory I'll never forget!  Finally, when Austin saw Santa at the mall this week, he named what he wanted for Christmas and then he said, "make sure you bring my mom stuff too.  She likes lip gloss."  Then Santa told Austin, "well if your mom wants something for Christmas, she better sit on my lap and tell me." Dirty old Santa.

Ashley-isms: She'll sing the Honkey tonk chorus of the country song : Oooh-wee, shut your mouth, slap your grandma!"  She'll also dance with her ghetto booty sticking out, spreads her legs, points her fingers towards the sky and shakes her booty!   A little Beyonce.  She also says, "Oh Poop."   She has also got the word "Santa" down from seeing Santa at the mall this week.  

We went to the Bull Run festival of lights tonight and ended the night at Cold Stone.  mmmmm.  Tomorrow, we're going to see the DC National Tree and then the Christmas lights at the Temple.  I love this time of year. Just love it!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Love,

Angie

New Assignment is..

So we just found out that we will be in DC for the next year.  No moving, nothing new. We're actually relieved.  Duane stepped into a 2 year shift leader position and he's only been SL for one year, so he's with Condoleezza until Summer of 2009.  Then the bidding begins again and it'll  be a State Dept crapshoot!  

Mommy's Helper

Brussels last week, Paris this week...I'm starting to think Jonathan's job isn't so bad!  He will be home for Christmas though.  Yeah!

Ashley has been "mommy's helper".  She loves to "help mommy" do whatever she can.  Cook, throw things away, take laundry out of the dryer, close the dishwasher, anything.  Ashley is so into dolls. It's sweet to see her motherly/girly side come out.  She'll take her dolls and try to put diapers on them, but bows in their hair (although she will NOT let me put bows in her hair).  This week we had our ward Christmas breakfast/party and Ash was a little ill at ease about Jolly old St. Nick.  Austin however was happy and asked for a pirate ship.  On the way home, he told me he didn't think that was Santa.  My heart stopped thinking my son of 5 cannot stop believing already--I asked why he thought that and he said, "He wasn't fat enough."  Phew.  Close call.  However, something worse happened.  Austin only really wants a pirate ship for Christmas.  He's written Santa, gotten a letter back and has told Santa himself that that's what he wanted.  Well, Austin was getting snoopy around the house and FOUND his hidden pirate ship in a closet!  He ran upstairs and yelled, "I found a pirate ship mom!"  I had not wrapped it and I was mortified.  That was his big gift from Santa!  Oh no!  I had horrible crisis management.  I didn't know what to say.  He told me Santa did not bring this.  I agreed, and said that Daddy bought it because he knew you really wanted it.  And Austin assured me that Santa knows what kids want and he would have brought it.  Ahhhh!

It's so darling when Ashley wakes up from her nap in the afternoons, and the first thing she'll yell is "Au-tee!!" (Austin) and she knows its time to pick Austin up.  She loves her big brother.  Although I have to admit, the teasing, taunting, and chasing has begun.  And they're 5 and 2!  I didn't think this happened until kids were older.  The tattling and yelling really loud even though nothing really happened only to get mom yelling (reminds me of myself with my own brothers....)  I do love how close they are though.

Austin has had a few funnies this week.  He asked me a philosophical question regarding the Polar Express movie.  There's a quote in the movie "Seeing is Believing" and he then asked me "if seeing is believing, we can't see Santa so is he really alive?  What about Jesus?"  Oh dear.  I explained that it's faith we must have.  Also, just tonight in a prayer I expressed my gratitude for this time of year and how well Austin's been obeying, etc.  At the end of the prayer Austin looked at me and said, "You really should have said in your prayer mommy that you're thankful for the birth of baby Jesus.  That's what Christmas is about."  Also, he's been invited to 2 birthday parties on Sundays and I've let him make the decision if he should go or not. Initially, he said he'd go to Pump It Up after church.  But then after a few talks this week, he told me tonight that Jesus would be sad if we went.  He also told me that I shouldn't spend any money on Sunday either.  I told him that I didn't do that, but he said "I know you like Target Mom.  Don't go!"  Thanks Austin.  Finally, on the news there's a current political issue between Gov Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and it was televised.  Huckabee had a question about the Mormon faith and Austin overheard it and has been pelting me with questions ever since.  "Is Satan really Jesus' brother???"  Gotta love the media.

10 days till Christmas.  I'm done shopping!  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my brother Aaron turning the big 30.  I love you!

Angie

Birthday Girls

This week I turned 32 and Ashley turned 2!  Jonathan spoiled us both tremendously.   It was a fun week full of roses, cake and pink balloons all over our home.

This week was the first snowfall of the season! Austin was so excited.  He was outside in it forever.  Ashley put her boots on, went outside and touched the snow, tasted the snow and then came inside and said, "hot cocoa" a phrase we've already learned this winter.  

This week Jonathan travelled to Brussels.  He brought home the most delicious chocolates I've honestly ever tasted.  I told him Condi needs to travel there more often.  And if he brought home chocolates like those, I didn't mind him being gone.

I had our Christmas Enrichment meeting on Thursday evening.  It was an absolutely beautiful night.  So many sisters put so much hard work into our magical evening.  We had delicious food, drinks, desserts, a spiritual message and beautiful music that we've all been working on for weeks.  All the ladies went home with a CD of the music there that evening.

Austin has been into "smells" this week.  He bent over and smelled his feet and told me they smelled like "Cracker Barrel".  Then, the next day he told me to smell his hands (yuck) and he told me they smelled like Shrek's ogre hands.  He told me hats smell like old cheese, his lips smell like eggs and that Ashley smells like strawberry shortcake.

Ashley just got her first package of pull-ups this week.  I'm so used to her going on and off the potty, that this is so much easier.  Again, after the New Year the potty training begins!  She hasn't been escaping as much recently.  She's into sitting in Austin's car seat, singing with the radio, and babies.  She loves dolls.  Dolls of all sorts.  She cuddles them, kisses them, changes their diapers, and holds them in blankets as much as she can.  It's so sweet.  Ash has been trying to sing along to the 24 hour Christmas songs I've been playing in our home.  It's so cute to see her sing and try to dance too to the music when she thinks no one is around!

Jonathan ended our week by taking a trip to the ER.  He was cleaning one of our new kitchen knives and it slipped out of his hand and sliced right down on his right pointer finger.  It is his trigger finger (oh dear) and he got it stitched up just fine.  Although he said he never wanted to visit Prince William ER ever again.  We keep saying this in our family but tend to always go back there for stitches.

Can you believe that Christmas is seriously 2 weeks away?!?

I'm so excited!  Have fun getting your last minute shopping done!

Angie

Poo Poo

This week Ashley has been saying Poo-Poo at least 20 times/day.  That means she has the feeling she needs to go potty, but when I put her on the toilet to try, nothing happens.  She gets excited that she has the attention, she's on the pot like a big person, and then immediately hops off in 2 nanoseconds, only to repeat the process over again 2 minutes later.  I decided after the new Year, we'll start the potty training.  She obviously has the interest.  Poo Poo!

Austin has been announcing that he's going to play for USC football when he grows up.  (That's our favorite college team.  Go Dad!)  In fact, Duane is already plotting with my dad and my brothers to take a trip to L.A. to the Rose Bowl in January if they go.  Go Trojans!

Other than football, Austin has been a little stinker in school the last couple days.  The teacher told me he was not letting go of a girls backpack, he took a toy from the same girl the next day, etc.  I asked who this girl was and the girls mom was right next to me.  She said, "I think my daughter likes your son so maybe that's why they're "picking" on each other.  Austin heard this and said, "Sorry, I already have a girlfriend.  No, a wife.  Madeleine.  She left me.  She moved to Kansas.  But she's still my wife."  So funny!  We were dying!  We miss you Cecilia.

This week has been filled with fun holiday parties!  We love our old Fairfax ward and our great friends that we still hang out with.  Thanks Erin!  And our current ward, the Gainesville ward is wonderful.  I absolutely love this time of year.  Besides Christmas is in only 24 days, my birthday is right around the corner on Monday the 3rd!  I feel like I'm still 25, but obviously look older.  The crows feet aren't so cute when they don't go away after you've stopped smiling.  I lost my glasses and was trying some new ones on today and asked Austin which pair looked the best.  As soon as I put some on that I thought were sassy, he said, "Now you look like an old mommy."  So, 'old' mommy is turning 32.  

We're taking our Christmas photo tomorrow morning by my dear friend Jean.  I'm getting ready for our Christmas enrichment night on Thursday.  It will be wonderful!  I also feel so blessed to have such wonderful ladies I visit teach and a great partner that is such a great influence. 

Feliz Navidad!

Angie

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Just the 4 of us, at home, relaxing, eating, relaxing, eating....We did the Fried turkey (a Jonathan Charleston Special) green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, oyster dressing, cranberry jello salad (thanks mom for the recipe!)  

Prior to T-giving, Austin had his preschool Thanksgiving program.  My friend Erika watched Ashley so I could spend all my attention on Austin!  He said his lines perfectly!  We then enjoyed a class "Bread Share".  He was so proud.  I was too.  

Ashley hasn't escaped this week, she's tried, but I'm onto her!  She now can count to 5, but tries to count to 10 with missing numbers.  She still wants to play with everything Austin has/plays with.  Forget her toys, whatever is in Austin's hand, needs to be in her hand as well.  Austin is a team player and gives in...most of the time.  

Also this week we had an appt with Austin's gastroenterologist.  Before we decide to get the surgery done (nissen fundoplication) we are trying one last round of medications for 4 weeks. But even if they work a little better than what he has been taking (which isn't working) the Dr. said he would be on them for years and years.  He's just not getting any better.  The Dr. thought the surgery was a good idea because his acid reflux is so severe.  One of the worst he's ever seen at this age.  The problem we found out through many bronchoscopy's and endoscopy's is that his sphincter between his stomach adn esophagus won't contain anything.  That muscle flops open and shut and no matter how much meds we give him to reduce the acid in his stomach juice, the juices are still flying up into his esophagus and lungs uncontrollably. It burns his esophagus and causes extreme wheezing, hoarseness and asthma/bronchitis. And at age 5, this sphincter muscle should be strong and he should've outgrown anything by now.  So, all of Austin's Dr.'s and Jonathan and I have decided we'll most likely have his surgery done in January or February sometime at Children's Hospital in DC.  That's one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the nation with Dr.'s skilled in gastroenterology problems.  It's a 4 hour surgery. This is longer than anything he's ever done before.  It's scary, but after 5 years of poor Austin suffering and 3 years since we've been in the states and 8 anesthesia's later, we finally know what the problem is-a muscle that won't contain the contents of his belly!  We'll keep you posted. 

Jonathan is busy at work this time of year.  Palestinian peace talks with the President and Sec State and all 51 UN delegations coming in to DC.  

I am starting my Christmas shopping now!  I partook in Black Friday (not at 4 am) but later.  But this year I am comfortably doing most of my shopping online.  

Above is a picture of my brother Chris, Jodi and baby Brigg!  He's week old today!

31 days till Christmas!

Love,

Angie

The Escape Artist

First, a congratulations is in order for my big brother Christian and his sweet wife Jodi!  They had their baby boy 'Brigg Joseph LaBarbera' yesterday weighing in at 9 lbs 11 oz!  That's quite a feat for such a petite Jodi!  Way to go!

Trick number one!  

Starring Ashley the disappearing toddler.  At the Freedom Center during Austin's gymnastics class, I peak in the window of his classroom and didn't have my eye on Ashley for 5 seconds.  The next things I knew I looked around and POOF!  Gone.  I looked in all the classrooms, ran down the hall yelling her name, nothing.  No Ash.  After 30 seconds of searching, and people walking around, my heart is now pounding, tears welling up in my eyes and now I'm screaming in this rec center for my daughter just knowing she's been picked up and out the door by now by some stranger.  1 minute later, an older gentlemen opened the mens restroom door and asked me if this little girl was mine.  I ran inside not caring if men were using the restroom or how many were in there.  Ashley had pushed open the mens bathroom door, opened a stall and locked herself in.  I thanked the man, crawled underneath the stall, open the door and took note of the very freshly used toilet she had chosen to stand by.  I then vigorously washed our hands (still in the mens restroom).  

Disappearing Act II: 3 days later at Kohls Dept store, both kids were holding onto the cart.  I leaned down to pick up a gravy tureen and POOF!  She was gone.  I immediately called her name but nothing.  I figured if I'm calling her name, she knows where I am and can hear me.  So If I just look for her, I'll find her quicker.  The first 10 seconds I am speedily walking through the store, then 20 seconds I am running through aisles, then after 30 seconds, the tears, panic and worry well up inside me again knowing she'd been kidnapped by now!  Meanwhile, I told Austin just to stand right there and hold onto the cart.  Finally I saw Ashley running.  No, sprinting as fast as she could away from me.  To where?  Anywhere but near me.  I ran up behind her, and before I captured her, she saw me and started to giggle in her hot pursuit-probably thinking how fun it was to escape, even for a little while.  

Disappearing Act III: Austin had a couple of friends over (Bree and Hannah) and they were all downstairs in the basement playing with toys and they were being nice and including Ashley.  I was cleaning upstairs when the doorbell rang.  I opened it and our neighbor from across the street was holding Ashley.  She said, "Do you know this little girl?"  My heart sank as I grabbed her.  The neighbor told me that she was taking her dogs out and noticed Ashley was petting a cat on someone's front patio for about 5 minutes and that she was alone and it was 45 degrees outside.  Good golly.  She had unlocked and opened the back door, and we'd left the garage door open because we were playing outside earlier.  She escaped!

One week, 3 escaping attempts....my heart can't handle another one!

This week was Austin's real birthday-Nov 13.  He turned  5!  He already had a wonderful pirate birthday party but on his actual bday, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's, had spiderman cupcakes and ended the evening at home with a "treasure hunt" (what else could a pirate want?)  What did he find at the end?  A real treasure chest! 

Austin's also saying funny/gross things this week and laughing at his own jokes (which then makes us giggle).  He's saying things like "my lips smell like eggs" and looking in his mirror and saying, "do you want a piece of me?" and singing Christmas songs to himself which really isn't to himself and people in stores look at him and smile.  He also reminded me this week, "Jesus is the boss of you mommy."

Ashley's comments this week are, "No Way!" and "O-kay" really emphasized and starting to sing the dumbo song "Baby Mine, Don't You Cry."  She also loves jingle bells over and over again.

Ashley started a tot tumbling class last week at the Freedom Center.  Austin takes the gymnastics class after her. They both love tumbling around! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  Gobble Gobble!

McDonalds Birthday Party

Austin celebrated his 5th birthday a few days early this year.  Last night he had his Pirate birthday party at McDonalds Playplace!  What could be better?  His buddies, a pirate theme, a treasure chest cake.  It was so cute because this was the longest I'd seen Austin giddy for for longer than like 5 minutes.  He normally gets excited and claps his hands together and his cheeks just dimple in happiness.  This lasted the entire time at his birthday party.  It was so nice seeing him so happy!  

This week Ashley has been so feisty.  If something doesn't fit her right, she'll yell "NO WAY" or sometimes she'll say "oh my" or "is that funny?" when what she did really wasn't (like throwing a cup of juice on the ground.)  She ran to the front of church today and almost got on the stand.   She was sorely disappointed when I intercepted and she didn't make it.  Although she gets lippy during the day, at night time I am the only one that can hold her and put her down to bed.  She cuddles and says, "love yew".  It makes the sassiness seem so sweet suddenly and not maddening like a few hours earlier.

Austin also asked about pee holes this week in girls and boys.  I explained things appropriately and his questions he had he retaliated back were colorful.  Austin ended the conversation by saying, "well my pee hole is called big weenis."

Isn't it great having a boy?

Angie