Twas the Night Before Halloween...

...and pumpkin seeds were scattered all over our house!

• Thomas declared that pumpkin guts are "too slimy" to touch with his hands.

• Thomas and Toby fought over who could have the big spoon and who could have the pie server. When I say fight I mean they tried to kill each other... with the big spoon and pie server.

• When he wasn't scattering pumpkin seeds and pumpkin guts all around, Toby was trying to eat them!

Good times...

Until later,

Emily

Dejavu!

Yes, yes I learned my lesson a few weeks back when Toby did this the first time around...it was James that left the cereal out! It was a brand-new box of Captain Crunch.

Until later,

Emily

The Snow's are Going to London!

I'll keep the details vague...but we're going to London for a few days next month. All four of us. We're flying. And we're excited!

Until later,

Emily

Thomas' 6th Birthday!

Today, Thomas turned six. It's so hard to believe! We started our day about a half-hour earlier than usual so that he could open all of his birthday gifts. He got lots of Legos, a new Nintendo DS game, puzzles, a book, a new water thermos, new clothes, new snow boots, puzzles, games, markers and a new bike! Yes, he got spoiled. Even when we "try" not to spoil him, the end result is pretty much the same!

At his school, he shared his birthday with another classmate, named Calvin. Thomas turned out to be the "older" of the two since he was born in the early morning and Calvin was born in the evening. I got to send cupcakes to school, REAL cupcakes, not store-bought pre-wrapped treats! It also happened to be the day of the first school assembly that Thomas would participate in. Although, this one was a pretty casual, low-key one. The "big" one is in December. I didn't know about this first assembly until a week before and had already committed to something that I then had to get out of. I was glad I did, though, because Thomas kept looking back the entire time to see if I was watching. They also recognized all the kids that had had birthdays in August, September and October.

When I came to pick up Thomas from school later on in the day, he was beaming. He was wearing a special birthday hat with bright feathers all over it and I could just tell that his teacher must have made both Thomas and Calvin feel very special all day long.

When we got home, his friends C & J came over and asked him to go to the park. Which eventually lead to C coming over to our house to play. James surprised us all by coming home early (5 PM) and I was so glad! Even though I was trying to keep the evening really casual, I was still rushing around like crazy and I was glad to have him there to help, which he did, a lot! We had pizza for dinner and then had C & J's family over along with another family for cupcakes & ice cream. I surprised Thomas and everyone with trick candles this year! They stayed until almost 11 PM. It was a great birthday.

Until later,

Emily

(Here are more pictures!)

His class just finished their Unit of Inquiry about water. During the assembly, they were pretending to be in boats and swinging on the ropes to get past the alligators in the water.

This is when they were recognizing the kids that had had birthdays over the past three months.

The cute blonde (adult) girl is his teacher, Natalie. (Which, if you are wondering, yes they do go by their first names!)

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thomas has been out-of-school for the past two days for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Today, James and I went to his. It was a 30-minute appointment where we discovered that Thomas is very quiet and eager to please in class. We both laughed and then told his teacher that he is very loud at home. It was also the perfect time to speak to her about Jackson. She was kind of surprised because she says Jackson isn't that kind of a kid, but maybe because Thomas is so quiet he might be testing some boundaries. She got all fired up and said she would be "right on it" and that she "doesn't tolerate" such things.

Thomas has also presented some blood sugar problems when he comes home. As in, many times, as soon as he hops in the car, he is screaming, crying and hungry. As soon as we get home, I feed him a snack and he is fine about 20 minutes later. Miss Natalie sat there saying she can't even imagine Thomas acting in such a way (I was glad to hear that he hasn't had the same meltdowns in school), but said that there is an easy solution to this and now that she knows there is a problem she can help out. She said there is another child in his class that she found out through these conferences that has the same kind of thing going on. Well, the kids have a snack every morning. She said to pack Thomas two, and she'll let the class have the "option" of finishing their snacks at the end of the day when they are quietly sitting on the rug having story time but she won't really give Thomas the "option". Sounds good to me.

Until later,

Emily

Back In Town!

James is back. It was a short one. Three days and two nights was all. The worst part was he left Sunday morning so I had both kids all day, AND didn't get my Sunday nap. He went to Poland.

Until later,

Emily

Making Friends Whether You Want to or Not...

Today Thomas and I had a conversation that went a little like this,


Thomas: "Mom, I have to be friends with Jackson or he will beat me up."

Me: "Well, Thomas, if Jackson is that way, is he really a good friend?"

Thomas: "No, but I have to be his friend until we move away from here and I don't go to that school anymore or he'll beat me up."


I don't know what is more shocking...to find out that this boy Jackson is such a "sweet" boy or that fact that Thomas already has it all figured out...that he's already learning to pick his battles and for him he chooses to play with Jackson rather than getting beat up by him.

Until later,

Emily

How Cold Is It?

I don't know exactly but for the past two mornings as we have been leaving for church and school at approximately the same time (8:25-8:35 ish) I have had to scrape thick ice from my windshield and wait a few minutes before it was safe to drive (because it also fogs up inside).

Until later,

Emily

Two at Once!

Toby has been on and off miserable this week. I have suspected an ear ache. Which, could have been part of the problem. He has not wanted to eat or drink much of anything. Today, it was past lunch time and he had barely had a nibble or two of anything all day long. We were on our way home from Toys R Us, waiting in the parking lot for James to come out with the "big" birthday present (his birthday is next week) for Thomas and I thought, I'm just going to give him some Tylenol, something is really bugging him. We got home about 15 minutes later and Toby's mood had improved already. I sat him down and fed him three jars of baby food (it's days like today when I'm glad he'll still take baby food because he refused to eat any table food) and then took a look at his mouth...I had examined it a week ago...and sure enough! The bottom two dog teeth have FINALLY emerged! After seeing this, I followed up with a dose of Motrin, just to be safe. We had a babysitter over tonight, so I didn't want her to have to deal with a miserable toddler. So, all the teeth have broke the skin now except the two-year-old molars! Ooh, can't wait!

Until later,

Emily

The Mayonnaise Jar

My friend, Michelle W, sent this to me recently. I've seen it before. I liked it before, I like it still!

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Cokes .

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Cokes from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Coke represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Coke just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Cokes with a friend.'

Until later,

Emily

Good-night and Good-bye!

My kids said their good-night's and good-bye's to Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Dennis last night. Tears were shed by Thomas. He understands that when he wakes up this morning, they will be gone. Toby will figure it out this morning when he wakes up and the house is rather empty. I'm sure that he will wander around wondering where they are. I've seen it with Thomas when he was younger, it is so sad.

We had a wonderful time with James' parents. I think it was a trip with good balance in it, considering the circumstances. The first afternoon I stayed home with Toby and then there was one day where I stayed back with both of the kids so that everyone could go at a faster pace (and I could get some things done at home). The kids were really good, all except on Saturday when Toby was still coping with the shots and I'm pretty sure he had an earache. The weather was also amazing, it only rained hard for one day and the leaves are absolutely breath-taking right now. It was never very cold outside, either. We also had quite a bit of down-time in the mornings and the evenings, so the kids could play with Grandma and Grandpa and we were also able to talk, especially once the kids went to bed.

Thanks for coming over Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Sherry, we miss you already!

Until later,

Emily

My Boys Love Rough-housing!

Marksburg, Germany

Today, we took a daytrip to Marksburg, Germany. It involved another scenic drive. The leaves really are just beautiful right now. As with many places we go to, this also included a castle. Unfortnately you could only go through on a guided tour. Toby was in a very bad mood today (I'm pretty sure he had an earache). So Grandma Sherry and I opted to stay back. Thus, I don't have many pictures. Here's the grumpo playing around while we waited and a picture of the castle as we were leaving.







Until later,

Emily

First Experience with a Doctor Out "On the Economy"

Ever since we got back from the States this summer, I have been trying to get Thomas into the military health clinic for a health assessment so that he can continue to be registered with CYS (Child and Youth Services), which last year meant preschool, hourly care, and sports but this year, because he's in school, it really only means sports and since he's not signed up for any with the military system, it's not that big of a deal. But, as of September 7th, his registration ran out. I didn't register Toby until last spring, so he is still registered, as it is an annual registration.

But, at the same time, I have been trying to get Toby in for an 18-month check-up. I have also had no luck with that. Being a civilian, I get "Space-Available" appointments, and there just hasn't been any space for us! To be fair, I know that the clinic has been really busy lately. I have a friend, whose husband is deployed and she can't even get in!

So, last week, I called the hourly care number to get Toby scheduled for his hourly care in October--when I take German--and they politely but firmly told me that I could make the appointments but I needed to understand that I could not check him in until he had the three immunizations that he was supposed to have at 18-months.

I realized that I finally had to branch out and find a doctor on the economy. A friend of mine recommended him. Turns out that he is actually Czech and he loves Americans and the US! We are "private pay" meaning that the doctor will send the whole bill to us, we will pay the entire thing right away, and then submit it to our insurance. However, being private pay, we are kind of treated like royalty. When I called to make the appointment, Toby could have gone in the very next day. I chose to wait until after our Amsterdam trip. When we got there, even though there were at least two other patients (Germans using socialized medicine) ahead of us, we were ushered right into the next exam room.

Toby got two shots yesterday, three immunizations but two of them were combined. I wanted him to get a flu shot too, but the doctor and James "shot" me down on that. Good thing because he has developed a 103 degree fever (if I let the Tylenol and Motrin lapse). I'm going to take both Thomas and Toby in for that and to take care of Thomas' health assessment once Thomas turns six. I don't want to have to dispute Blue Cross Blue Shield about why Thomas had two annual check-ups in the same year!

As a side note, before giving Toby the shots, the doctor explained to us that he was going to give him one in each arm, I think both mine and James' mouths dropped to the ground! But, the doctor was flexible and said he could do it elsewhere. Toby got two shots in the upper buttocks instead! My kids have only ever had them in the upper thigh...but he seems a lot less bothered by the soreness.

The doctor I saw, also gave me his cell phone number in case there is a problem that occurs after hours. My friend said that he has even met them in his office on a Sunday because they were so sick. To me, it's the alternative to "Instacare" since they don't have that here.

In case you are wondering, at 21 months Toby weighs 25.5 pounds and is 33.5 inches tall.

Until later,

Emily

Amsterdam--October 5-8, 2008

Well, after living here for 14 months, we finally made our way out of Germany! Because, in this case, going back to the States for the summer doesn't count! Amsterdam might seem like an odd choice for a group of six Mormons, which included two young children and two senior citizens, but that is where we went!

Amsterdam is one crazy city! And not because of the legal prostitution and pot-smoking! Although, I must say, we didn't venture into the "Red Light District", but there were still plenty of places that we were glad that the kids are too young to notice much. However, the thing that seemed the most wild to me, and I think to all of us, were the bicyclists! You really had to watch out for those speedy little bikes! Around every corner it seemed like there was a race going on, teenagers, moms and dads with one or two kids riding with them, double seaters, and even old people. Everyone bikes.

I liked Amsterdam a lot because the Dutch just seemed like a lot more friendly people than the Germans, in general. I also like that the Dutch really do know both Dutch and English and don't care which one you know. After three days, I declared that I would rather live in the Netherlands! Alas, we came back...

The morning of October 7th (my 34th birthday), we hopped abroad a tour boat to get a view of Amsterdam.

Ours were the only kids on the boat, so we quickly found our way to the back, where the open air was, trying not to annoy too many passengers.

We rode along the canals for about an hour.

A view of the inside, Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Sherry are on the right side, second table from the back.

Thomas loved it!

A rare opportunity--someone else along who can take a picture with all four of us in it!

(But, of course, Toby won't smile!)

Anne Frank's house (the one with the black doors and shutters).

It was eerie to walk through the rooms where the eight people hid for over two years, but I'm glad we got the chance to do it).

Until later,

Emily

And of course we had to come home with some Dutch tulips (bulbs)!

Look Who Has Joined Us in Germany!

Rudesheim, Germany--October 4, 2008

It's Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Dennis! They are James' parents. They have come to visit us during Thomas' Fall Break!

Until later,

Emily

Is It Boredom or Creativity?

On the first day of Thomas' Fall Break (otherwise known as one cold, windy, rainy miserable day), Thomas and Toby found so much fun in playing in the pack-n-play!

Until later,

Emily