Huge Update about why I have been MIA

Well, I know you have been wondering where I have been and what we have been up to. All I have to say is that I am so thankful that Edward is in Preschool this year and that we decided to do the renovations to our house this year and not wait. It has interfered with our school schedule way to much. We are just basically working on the preschool basics and that is it. I ended up just putting the curriculum aside both out of frustration with the renovation and with the actual curriculum itself. Edward and I went on a vacation to Washington State for 2 weeks last month. We left here March 18th and didn't return until April 1st. We had so much fun and went to so many great places up there......Pacific Science Center, 2 different Children Museums, a Easter Brunch Cruise on the Sound, Bowling, Funtasia Indoor Amusement Park (we rode the bumper cars twice, the Indy go karts twice and played 18 holes of putt putt golf)....just to name a few places. We also saw my brother, his wife and their little boy Levi, my step-sister and her little boy Logan, my grandmother and grandfather on my fathers side along with my uncle (that was a great surprise) and of course we saw my mother and my grandmother (her mother). We got a little bit of winter and spring while we were there. It snowed a few days, sunshine a few days and rained the rest. We got pictures of Edward with the Easter Bunny (first time....just for fun) and also had 4 generation pictures done (my brother and his family were unable to come due to illness). We had the pictures taken at the Picture People. They asked us to sign release forms as they wanted to use some of our pictures in their studio for examples. All in all it was a great trip and so nice to get away from the chaos of the renovation here at home. Thankfully it was uneventful too (i.e. no one got injured). I wish I could have seen more folks while I was up there. Weather played such a huge part in not being able to see some of them, time played another part, as did location. I can't believe that I get so lost now when I go up north. I lived for the first 20 years of my life and now I couldn't find my way unless I have a GPS system. I felt so bad because my sister in law didn't get to see us but it would have been late at night and dark out...I feared so much that I would get lost and be unable to find my way back to the hotel. I just signed little man up for some of his summer activities, he will be going to a week long Soccer Camp (1 1/2 long each day for 5 straight days), 6 weeks of swimming lessons, a 10 week long summer bowling league. I still need to sign him up for Kindermusik Summer Camp (I hope that the other activities I just signed him up for wont interfer with this as I really want him to go) and I have to go to the rec center and see why I couldn't sign him up for Blast Ball this year. I should have been able to. I have until Friday to get that done. That is in May. Soccer camp is in mid June and Swimming Lessons are last 2 weeks of June, 1st 2 weeks of July and first 2 weeks of August. Bowling is every Monday. Right now we are finishing up our last Session of Imagine That Kindermusik Class (next year he will start their Young Child Program), Homeschool Bowling League (actually last day of that is tomorrow with awards in 2 weeks), Co-op Class (just 5 more weeks) and we just started Monart Classes again last Friday (I believe that there are 8 classes in total for that this session). I spent all of today unpacking all of Edward's toys and getting them put up in the new playroom/theater room that was added on in the renovation. I think I have a few more days of that to go. Then it will be on to gettting his bedroom into order (he got a big boy bed....a bunk bed with a trundle bed). I spent all of Saturday evening putting 330 stars on his ceiling. I have to get some more I think I will need 420 stars to complete his ceiling. He loves it, he things it looks cool so far. We also need to put up his new space themed ceiling fan that we bought him (it is the one by Hunter). After his bedroom is come the guest room, new kitchen, new bathroom, new laundry room and our bedroom to organize before my Mother-in-law comes for Edwards 5th Birthday. I have the Maids scheduled to come do the deep cleaning on the 30th of this month. So actually I only have until then to get the house back together. After my MIL leaves, the I have an attic and basement to deal with. I just want to get this house back together and organized then I can breath easily. I still have to go to the TPA Homeschool Convention at the end of May to look at Curriculum for Edward for Kindergarten next year. If you have any thing you can tell me about any great Kindergarten Curriculum, I am all ears. I know I wasn't that impressed or happy with the Horizons Preschool Curriculum that we used this year. I can already tell I am going to love my new Kitchen. I can't wait to start using it on a regular basis. We are still hit and miss with being able to use it. Tomorrow I am making Teriyaki with Orange and Ginger Salmon, Lemon Buttered Asparagus, Sour Cream w/ chives and sharp cheddar new potatoes, and whole wheat and rye dinner rolls. This will be the most extravagant thing I have made in my new kitchen. I am not sure if I said I was teaching the Co-op class that Edward is going to this semester. I have been having a blast working with the children, I can tell that this is something I have been missing since I became a Stay At Home Mommy and quit nannying. I have also taken over doing the Co-op weekly newsletter for the rest of the semester as a favor. Please keep our co-op president and her family in your prayers, they can use them. Bless her heart, she is so overwhelmed right now. I was more than happy to be of help. I actually have been enjoying doing it. However I still am unable to figure out how she made links within the newletter that would send you directly to the part of the newsletter you want to view. Oh well, maybe this way folks are reading the whole thing and learning about new things they might not know about. Well I think that is it in a nutshell.

To Funny

I don't think my Mother In Law will find this as funny but Edward keeps calling her Daddy's Grandma. I keep correcting him but he still keeps calling her that. He is so excited that she is coming for his 5th Birthday (I know can you believe that he is already going to be that old???). I just hope that by the time she gets here he has it down that she is Grandma to him but Mommy to Daddy.

Little Gentleman

I have to share this with everyone, I know I am about to be boastful & prideful .... I pray God will forgive me for my boastfulness & pride. We (Edward and I) were in Washington State on vacation for 2 weeks over Easter and my mom's birthday. We were staying in an extended stay hotel over by my grandma's. We had just gotten back on evening from visiting my Grandma (I believe...could have been my mom or both), we were walking up to the front door of the hotel where we encountered a very pregnant mommy, her daughter (about Edwards age....maybe a little older), and her little boy (about a year or so old...he was walking). The mom was trying to coax the toddler inside (it was raining out...I know big shocker in Washington state), when Edward without saying a thing walks over to her takes one of her 2 rolling suitcases out of her hands and proceeds to open the door for them, and pushes her suitcase up to the elevator. He pushes the button, the mom says to him thank you and that she could take the suitcase back. Edward looks at her and says "No Ma'me, I want to help you." He walks into the elevator, we all follow. He asks what floor (they ended up on the same floor as us, actually just 2 doors down on the opposite side of the hall), pushes the button. We get to the floor, he is still pulling the suitcase, she says she can take it. He says "No I want to take it to the room for you, ma'me." So we follow her to her room. He gives over her suitcase to her at her door. She says thank you. I was so touched by my son's insightfulness to this mom's situation and that she needed an extra hand. I must say I was proud of him and almost brought to tears by his thoughtfulness. I know that by this act alone that we are at least doing 1 thing right in raising him. Just had to share this story.

Is It Still The Same???

Is it still the same thing to say that I have been in Tiffany's and Prada, as owning something from them? While I was in Las Vegas, I went into their stores there. I must say, I know why people buy knock offs. Talk about costly. Now I can understand why Tiffany's is expensive after all you dealing with precious metals and gems. I wouldn't mind buying something there if I could afford it....however, I was looking at a simple 14K tiny gold cross necklace and it was almost $600.00 and the chain was one of those flimsy little ones that break and get knotted real easily. I went into Prada to look around, it was almost $300.00 for a coin purse. There was a Prada silver keychain there and I thought well that can't cost but 10 or 20 dollars.....LOL was I wrong, try $150.00 for a keychain. OIE VEY!!!! I think I will just look there. There was a Gucci store there to, but after the whole Prada things I was way to afraid to go in there to even look around....no I didn't take Edward into these stores with me...I would have been mortified if he even thought about touching something in one of them.

Things I learned while being laid over on a flight

Things I learned about having a flight being over booked and having to be laid over for a flight the next morning in Phoenix. . . .

1. Try to carry a travel size toothbrush, toothpaste, a packet of wool lite, and deodorant in your carry on and probably an extra pair of undies and socks might be good too...but if you don't have the undies and socks that is where the wool lite comes in....you can wash the undies that you are wearing in the sink at the hotel and re wear your socks (most likely they wont be dry enough to wear in the morning if you wash them too).

2. You can use an iron or a blow dry to dry your recently washed undies.....BUT DO NOT USE THE MICROWAVE to dry them as Kirk learned, it will melt your undies and make your hotel room smell like melting plastic.

3. Not all continential breakfasts are alike. Be prepared to pick something up to eat at the airport.

4. Do not pack your battery charger for you laptop or cell phone in your checked luggage.

5. Be prepared for a lay over when it comes to have a little one in tow.

6. USE THE TSA's recommendations on correctly packing your carry ons. It does help save time when going through the TSA check areas.

WARNING: Watch out for Hotel Doors

We were on vacation in Las Vegas for my husbands 40th birthday, on Sunday the 17th (the day after hubby's special day) we were fixing to go to the airport. Called the bell hop 30 mins before we needed them because hey we know that it takes a good 20 to 30 mins for them to get to you anyways. We had a shuttle to take us the airport so we need to be downstairs shortly after the bell hop would have gotten there. Well, they claimed that they did not take advanced calls....to call back when we needed them and they would send someone straight up. Kirk called the Assistant Manager who did nothing to help the situation (please note Kirk only has one arm, so a bell hop is very important service for us). We waited and called back 20 minutes after the initial call to let them know that we were ready for them. They said it was now going to be a 20 to 30 minute wait to get a bell hop to our room. Of course there was another call made to the Assistant Manager (she was the only one on duty at the time, when it came to managerial staff). Well, I knew that the shuttle would be there long before the bell hop ever got to us. So I told Kirk I would move the luggage myself to the elevator and he said, that will take you 4 trips. I said well if that is what it takes then that is what I will have to do, we don't have time to wait for the bell hop to get up here because we will miss our shuttle. So I went out the door grabbed 2 wheeled suitcases and started down the hall. I got about 1 1/2 rooms away when I heard Edward (I didn't know that he had followed me to help me) letting out a blood curdling scream. I ran back toward him, when I got closer I could see his fingers were in the door jam (the side with the hinges...this door is one of those tension doors they now have in hotels to insure your door will close behind you if you don't shut it all the way yourself). I pushed the door open so he could remove his fingers, that is when I saw more blood than I should have. His middle left finger tip right below the nail was hanging there and bleeding terribly. I took him into the bathroom, screaming that he had cut his finger in the door. He had actually almost amputated, only the back side of the finger was still left attached. Needless to say we missed our flight, and spent 4 plus hours in a Las Vegas Childern's Hospital ER. They were able to stitch his finger back on. They called it a Crush Injury. There is a tiny little bone at the tips of the fingers that got severed from the rest. It will heal over time. His finger will just have cosmetic damage to it but he will always have trauma from the actual injury and what he had to go through to get his finger stitched back together (they had to burrito roll him in a blanket and hold him down to stitch him back up). We put a ballpoint pen in the area where Edward had his fingers and let the door swing close on its own, it crushed the pen. So please, please, please watch your little ones around all those types of doors that are tensioned to automatically close behind you at hotels, doctors offices, restrooms and so forth. Please note I am withholding the hotel name for legal purposes. We ended up spending an additional night in Las Vegas, then caught a flight home on Monday only to get laid over in Phoenix because the flight was over booked. Finally made it home Tuesday afternoon. It has been a week now since his accident with the door and Edwards finger is healing nicely. As for his fingernail, he will loose it and time will only tell if it will grow back and if so how it was effected by the injury.

68 yrs later

This copy of the Kansas City Times dated September 26, 1940 was found in the as of our little porch that someone turned into a portion of the kitchen later on (probably in the 40's) given the date of the paper found there. Unfortuantly, the construction works thumbed throught this newpaper before it was brought to my attention. It is crumbling now, I wish I would have known about it from the first then maybe there would have been hope of preserving it beyond just these pictures. It was neat to look at though. A piece of history hidden within our walls. I am considering putting a current paper in our walls kinda like a time capsule.

Are We Camping?????

Oie Vey!!!!! I feel like I am on a very bad camping trip right now. No dishwasher right now. The kitchen sink, down stairs bathroom sink, shower/tub combo and toilet will be unusable after tomorrow. We are eating off of plastic solo plates, using plastic silverware and really lightening up on cooking at home to alleviate having to washing dishes. Unlike camping though I have no room to move around....ah but I guess that is what it would be like to camp in a fifth wheel with a husband, a 4 1/2 yr old and 3 dogs....huh? Only about 5 to 6 more weeks of this madness. They are roofing the new addition today, demolishing the back half of the kitchen, updating the electric (guess they broke a gas line while I was gone earlier), & doing some clean up of debris today. PTL!!! This isn't one of those projects where it will take years. Our contractor is great and things are moving along smoothly. The addition is over half way done....just need siding put up outside, wired for electricity, dry wall put up and wood floors put down, interior and exterior doors hung....wood floors also need to be put down in the new laundry room, then the upstairs will be complete. This is the first time I have ever been in this type of situation. I can say it is a very stressful one. So many decisions to be made.

Crazy House

Well it officially began today. We started the addition and renovation on our house today. I was awakened this morning at 8 am to Bear-Bear barking insistently. He doesn't usually do this. So I threw my bathrobe on and went down to see what was bothering him. I saw a soda sitting on our back deck that I know wasn't there when I went to bed. I stepped outside to find 2 guys on our roof taking down the gutters we just had put on this summer. Kirk had forgot to mention that they would be starting today. I went to a Dr. Appointment at 10am, to see my new Endocrinologist for my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Diabetes management. This is my first time to have ever seen one and I must say I am happy to have her help me to better understand my diseases and how to manage them. Tomorrow I have to go in early to get some blood work and tests done, then I will see her again in a week after I have monitored my sugar levels according to her directions. This is a good thing trust me. When I was diagnosed with Diabetes, I wasn't told how to manage it, how often or when to take my blood to check my sugar levels ( I even had to beg to get a monitor....it was over a year before I finally got one...then I was just given the monitor and left to my own devices), the signs of to high or low sugar levels and what to do in these situations. It is nice to know that I now have more control over my diseases. Enought of that. I came home to a brage of workers, and finally after 6 plus months of begging Kirk to get me some help to move the old air conditioners that were replaced (Couldn't get them back down the stairs....they weigh a ton and I couldn't bear the brunt of the weight and he kept forgetting to ask someone to come and help me move them), the workers removed them for us. I was able to get to the room that will be turned into the laundry room (yep, it will be upstairs on the 2nd floor now instead of in the basement) to clean it out. Now to go through all my old craft room stuff decide what I need, what can be yard sale and what is trash. I need to down size, as I will have limited storage space for these things. So I spent the better part of the afternoon moving the boxes from that room to the guest room (sorry if you were planning to come to visit us in the next few months....probably not a good idea unless you want to stay in a hotel....no place to put a guest at this time). Feb and March look pretty busy and hectic too. Well it is very late, I need to get to bed as I need to be at the doctors at 8am to have the blood work needed done.

The Manipulation of a 4 year old

Edward is totally and truly a 4 year old. He has the 4 yr old mouth and attitude. Tonight he got in trouble for disobeying us several times about the same thing. He was sent to his room. He went up fussing, screaming and crying, even added a door slam for extra dramatic effect. Trust me, he would have won an emmy for best dramatic actor in a tantrum if there were such an award. About 3 minutes into his trantrum, I hear: " I love her with all my heart, I really do. My Mommy's mad at me, but I love her with all my heart." The thing is while this was cute, funny and all it wasn't just me he had gotten in trouble with it was both daddy and I. It about broke my heart.

The Jist Of It

Well, it has been way beyond hectic around here. Edward is just working on this visual ABC's, Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Numerical order, Days of the Weeks, Months of the Year and the Seasons. This is mostly flashcard work but I am so glad that we have taken time off to just focus on this. I have seen so much improvement in his recognition of these things. We will return to normal curriculum work on Jan 7,2008. We had our Christmas parties at Co-op and Bowling League last week. I was the person who did the Co-op party. I baked over 4 dozen gingerbread boy cookies for the children to decorate, assembled party bags, planned party games, made party treats, bought supplies, decorated, planned the crafts and helped with the clean up afterwards. It was a hit. We have been watching these 2 new shows every M-F morning on our local PBS station. One is called Super Why and the other is Word World both teach reading. I love them and encourage anyone with children pre-reading to early reading levels to check them out if your local PBS station carries them.
We are also preparing for a huge remodel on our house at the beginning of the year. We are going to have an additional room added upstairs, relocate and design the kitchen, move the school room into the existing kitchen area after it has been gutted (except for the wall to ceiling cupboards on the East wall (will make great storage for all our supplies, books and school goodies), we are enlarging our down stairs bathroom and modernizing it. The new room upstairs will be the theater/playroom (yeah no more toys will be allowed down stairs for the most part). All the prelimanaries for the remodeling are turning out to be very time consuming. Luckily we are trying to deal with this all during the next 2 weeks because there are no co-op, kindermusik, monart, or bowling classes.
I am doing a co-op class this Semester so that will also be consuming my time. Makes me wish there were more than 24 hours in a day, some days.
Edward is getting excited about Christmas.
Well that seems to be it in a nutshell for now.

Edward's Celebrity Look-A-Likes

Thompson Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

PARENTS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!

Please follow the url below to find out VERY IMPORTANT Info about a movie coming out in December called the Golden Compass. We need to be aware of this so that our children (whom this movie is geared towards) are not subject to this movie's message against God. Urban Legends Reference Pages: The Golden Compass ( http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp )

Elephants, Horses & Clowns oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We took Edward to the Barnum & Bailey Circus. He absolutely loved it. He loved the clowns. Will add pictures as soon as Kirk gets them uploaded from my phone.

First Crush

Well it has happened, Edward officially has his very first crush on a little gal. Her name is Emma and she is in our homeschool co-op. He just thinks she hung the moon. His way of showing his affections to her was to push her into a recycle bin. We told him how to let a little girl know that he likes her but we also went over personal space and not being forward. Doing nice things for her was the best way to show that he liked her. Awwwwwwwwww Puppy Love, isn't it grand?????

Should I wear a Disclaimer or Defective Badge?

I have been feeling lately as if people are judging me by the way I look. My hair is thinning in places, I have fair that grows from my chin & I am fat. These are only the things that they can see on the outside. No one can see the issues my body is going through on the inside. No one knows how hard I struggle and hate the way I look. I know if you are reading this then you are saying if this is the issue then fix it. But it's not 100% fixable for me. I have a disease, one that a lot of people don't understand or even know that in addition to having infertility issues there are so many other health problems and little quirks that go hand and hand with my disease. My Disease is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I struggle with this disease and have every day since I was 11, when I was blessed with my cycle. I didn't know it though until 1999 or 2000. I went through years of not knowing what was wrong with me, why I couldn't do that simple thing of giving a child to my husband. People star at me, their looks tell me everything that they are thinking. Lady loose weight. Lady take care of yourself. Lady quite being so lazy. Heck, I have actually had a family member tell me that I was Fat, Ugly and Lazy. This broke my heart. I don't want to be fat, I would give anything to have the body that Britney Spears (NO I DON'T CONDONE THIS LADY LIFE...I am just using her to make a statement...you will see what I mean as you read on) that the press and tabloids had the audacity to claim was a fat. LOL! Yeah right if that is fat then I am in HUGE trouble and no wonder why I keep feeling like people are judging me for my weight. It is exteremly hard for a woman with PCOS to loose weight, so much so that my doctor told me she wouldn't put me on a diet. It would be more disasterous for my state of mind and mental well being because it would be so fustrating for me. She just said eat breakfast, get 30 mins of exercise a day and take care of yourself by taking your meds daily.

FACTS ABOUT PCOS: Is also known as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome or Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD). Affects an estimated 6-10% of all women and most don't even know they have it. Is treatable, but not curable, by medications, changes in diet (sometimes but not always..this depends on lots of other factors) and exercise. Is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. Has been identified for 75 years and they still aren't sure what causes it. Affects far more than just reproduction. IT IS NOT just a cosmetic problem. CAN INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: Irregular or absent menses, Numerous cysts on the ovaries in many, but not all, cases, High blood pressure, High Cholesterol, Acne, Elevated insulin levels, Insulin Resistance, or Diabetes, Infertility, Excess hair on the face and body, Thinning of the scalp hair (alopecia), Weight Problems or obesity that is centered around your mid section

I feel like I need walk around with a huge badge on my chest or a tattoo on my forhead that states I AM DEFECTIVE, PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE ME ON MY OUTSIDE APPEARANCE

No Halloween Celebrated Here

We don't celebrate Halloween in our house. We celebrate Fall/Harvest This is our choice. We feel that Halloween is not a holiday, that we as Christians should celebrate. God laid this heavy on our hearts and we are choosing to follow His wishes (this also applies with Harry Potter Books....he has laid that heavily on our hearts that these books aren't of Christ, nor something that we would want us polluting our minds with). Yes, that means our son, doesn't get to go trick or treating but we don't feel that he is missing out on much. It is just so dangerous to go trick or treating anyway. He is old enough to understand that Halloween is a day (thanks to the fact that people do celebrate it and tend to decorate their homes (some not so tastefully)) that might look fun, but we are trying to give him our Christian values and see that it isn't a day that God would want us to celebrate. This year so far he hasn't wanted to decorate or even look at decorations pertaining to this holiday. He actually gets upset when he sees them. However we did decorate for the fall/harvest time. We have pumpkins (no carvings) and gourds on our front porch, with some fall flowers. A fall wreath on our front door. A welcome Fall Sign on front porch wall. We also have a beautiful fake pumpkin that is engraved with a great saying: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, on each side of that pumpkin (we bought this last fall). We have some scarecrows (a boy and a girl,...really cute ones...we even have a couple of bigger ones for the front porch) sitting on our front entry hall table with some pumpkin spice potpourri. We have other fall decor that I need to go up to the attic to get that we bought last year (fake pumpkins with no carvings and so forth, nothing haunted, bloody, screaming, scary or questionable). So see we do decorate, we just choose to do it for Fall/Harvest not Halloween. For the most part Edward seems to understand that Halloween is a no no, the Lord has really been letting his heart hear what we are telling us and he hasn't questioned us about this yet. He might in a few years but I have a few great books to refer to incase he has questions and the Lord will help us to get through that too. Praise the Lord for those.

What is his name again mommy?

This afternoon, Edward suddenly got really quiet. I called through the house for him but couldn't find him. I went outside to see if he was out there playing. At first I couldn't see him at all (my heart began to drop) then I looked over our fence to our neighbors yard and there was Edward "helping" our elderly neighbor work on his bright yellow moped scooter. He always is coming in the house and asking me the neighbors name. I think it is cute that Edward wants to help him. The other day, Edward brought in flowers from the neighbors garden that he cut for him. We put them on a vase and put them on Edwards desk. Don't worry the neighbor doesn't allow Edward in his house and his wife is there. He tells Edward to come tell me that he is helping him. I think Edward does but I think it comes out a different way...he is showing the neighbor something (usually something to do with his trains). Edward doesn't have any grandpas around so this is a blessing for him. I did go over with Edward today though that he isn't to go any further than the neighbors yard, he can't go in their house or garage. He is to let us know know that he is over there. If he breaks any of these rules, he will not be allowed to go over there to "help".

My FIL's Talents

As you read in a previous post my Father In Law, Stan Thompson passed away on Wednesday Morning while jogging. My Father In Law was a journalist, a artist and a photographer in heart, mind and soul. He loved what he did, he had a great talent for he. He was free lancing for the San Luis Obispo Newspaper which is a sister paper to the Tribune. Here is a link to the article that they posted about him the day after his passing: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/158122.html I have also added the link to the last article that he wrote for the newspaper, it was published on the day that he pasted away: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=11C1307237A1DDF8&p_docnum=1 I share these things with you because I want you to know what a brilliant talent he had. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, especially his loving family.

By George He's Getting

Today during school like every day for the past 5 1/2 weeks we have been working our way through the alphabet. We are up to Ff now. Everyday we begin with saying the letters and their sounds. Today like every day I ask Edward the sounds that the letters make to see if he knows them before I begin reviewing them with him. He successfully made the A B C and D sounds with no help or reviewing of them. I am so proud of him. He is also working very hard on writing his name all by his self. It is just amazing to watch his learning grow every day.

In Mourning

We are grieving the loss of my beloved Father-in-law. He died unexpectantly yesterday morning. In a way this might have been heaven sent because he would never get sick where we would have to watch him go through pain. But never the less, to loose him in a blink of an eye is very shocking to all of us. He will be greatly missed. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through the grieving process (this includes my Sister-in-laws and their families, my FIL siblings and their families and other who knew him). This is hard for Edward being so little to understand, especially since he only got to see his Grandpa once in Nov of 2005. It is so hard to be so far from family, especially since there is no stopping aging. PTL though that Kirk was able just last month over Labor Day Weekend to get together for a 3 day vacation together with his Dad. I felt on my heart that they needed this weekend alone together with out Edward and I. God must have been telling my something at that time, I am so happy that I listened to what he was telling my heart. We have decided that Edward and I will remain here in Kansas instead of going to the funeral. Edward is confussed about exactly whom it was that passed away and since my FIL will be cermated there will be no way for Edward to put the person with the death. We have talked to him about it and he knows his Grandpa has passed away. I think it is in his best interest to keep it simple at this point.

The Woman You Love To Hate

I am one of those women you just love to hate, I already am doing my Christmas Shopping (our spare room is already storing some gifts and waiting to store more) and have my Christmas cards ordered. They were delivered today, I will be making my Christmas Card list here in the next few weeks, addressing and preparing to have my cards in the mail December 1st. Christmas packages will go out at that time too. I think having to live so far away from family has taught me to be ahead of the game.

Edward's Curriculum For This Week

This week's curriculum is pretty interesting. Edward is learning about Helen Keller and the Braille system. We have learned what his name looks like in Braille and will be learning what Braille looks like. We are reading a biography about Helen Keller. We have also been learning the letters Cc, Dd and Ee. We have been working on A through E (including the sounds that each letter makes). We are learning the colors BLACK and WHITE and Circle is our shape. We also have a new Memory Verse, Genesis 1:3 (NIV) And the Lord Said "let there be light" and there was light. He pretty much has our first Memory verse, Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, memorized now. Beginning in October we will start having a weekly theme. We are going to be doing Apples the first week of Oct, for the 2nd week Fire Saftey(that week is Nation Fire Safety Week...we'll be covering some other safety issues during this week too), Farm Animals will be the 3rd week, then Popcorn for the 4th week (did you know that October is National Popcorn Month?) and the last week of October we will focus on Autumn, Leaves and Harvest time. 3 is our number this week. Edward is also now writing the first 2 letters of his 1st name by himself. I had been holding the pencil to steady it and guide it for him in the past as we talk about the way the letters go. I am so proud of him. He does tend to make his E huge, jetting way. We've also started incorporating computer learning programs into our curriculum. We've joined both the Preschool Playhouse Disney online program and the myNOGGIN online preschool program, not to mention we utilize alot of the free kids sites like pbs.org and dailynoggin.com too. We also have 3 computer program that are Christian based that came with the Horizon Preschool Curriculum that we are using this year, as a part of it's media program. We also are using Jumpstart Preschool Programs, and other learning programs like Blue's Clues. It is amazing to watch Edward grasping concept after concept. Tomorrow we have Co-op class. Still no Monart or bowling due to the thumb. We are still working on the first pre-reader book. I will not let him move on until he can actually read the words in the book. I have made flashcards with the words on them so that he doesn't use the pictures in the book to help him know what words I want him to say. I want him to see the words and know what it says. I got the rest of his Scholastic Phonics Program in the mail today. We will begin that program in January. I am excited, he'll be able to read by himself before we know it. Which I know he wants to do so bad, he is always looking at books and making up stories about the pictures because he wants to read. Speaking of books, Edward wrote on this week for Kindermusik class. It is cute. Well, that is about it in a nutshell for this week.

Arms

Edward loves to point out to Kirk that he only has one arm. He always says "Daddy I have two arms, you only have one arm." Now that Edward has broken his thumb and has to wear a splint like brace on his right hand, he has been saying " Daddy I only have one arm like you." LOL!