Halloween.......

I am so not a fan of Halloween as an adult! I enjoyed it as a child and getting all that candy, but as a mommy I have just grown to just almost despise it! I grow to hate it a little more every year and it seems to just get more grotesque and ghoulish each year in our neighborhood. Not to mention the rude kids! One kid didn't approve of my candy choice this year, one complained that he got the same thing every year and didn't like my Toy Story treats! I had chocolate too but figured I would get rid of everything else first and save the chocolate for the children who came late........really late, like after bedtime late!!!!!!!!!

Since Halloween falls so close to Amanda's birthday, when we go to the party store we get to see the "scary thing" which is a bloody man who revs up a chainsaw. Is that really necessary? It scared her so much that we decided to just skip the party store and order stuff online for her party this year. Oh, and the scary man is almost three hundred dollars in case you are wanting to run out and buy one. If you do buy one, please don't tell me!

While I love to see my adorable kids in costumes and see how they interact so politely with the neighbors...that really is about the only thing I see that is good about Halloween.
This year I found the children who came to our house were much older than I ever was when I went trick or treating. We even had 2 moms come with their own bags and no costumes! I thought that was really strange! Our neighborhood was filled with a lot of ghosts, and skeletons hanging around this year more than in the past..........Amanda doesn't get scared by the skeletons because she says, "that is what we look like inside!"

Both of my girls had a blast going up to the homes. Amanda told me she "just loves to go trick or treating" because she loves to meet people and have them give her candy. What kid doesn't? Although, it does crack us up how excited she gets considering she doesn't have much of a candy tooth and just finished her candy from last year about 5 weeks ago. She still has her Easter basket candy from this year! She's more of an ice cream gal!

Tonight, Cubbies which is a club Amanda attends at our church still met even though it was Halloween.....(good thing or I would really wonder about our church) since it doesn't end until 7 we debated about rushing home and going trick or treating but Amanda really wanted to go. She was going to wear her Cinderella dress up costume.........but she had dressed up as an angel for cubbies and decided to stay in it and not change. She had figured out since we said we didn't have much time that if she kept the angel costume on she would get to more houses therefore more CANDY! She's sneaky like that! She did the same thing to mamaw and pappaw when choosing a place to meet them for lunch this week. She chose a place near a Dairy Queen and didn't mention ice cream or anything until the end of the meal when she said her typical, "My lunch part is full.....but my dessert part is still hungry!" "My tummy really hurts and I know what will make it better......ICE CREAM!" She is a nut for ice cream! And of course, since she was with pappaw do you think she got any? If you answered "yes" you win the new car!

I was shocked how she had planned that trip out! Anyway, back to Halloween......we trick or treated and the kids were adorable, but for some reason chills just go up my spine every time someone tells us, "Happy Halloween" I just can't say it back!

Every year I grow to dislike it more and I was the fun teacher who my first year of teaching asked all the other teachers if they were wearing costumes to the party we were having for the classes at our school. All the teachers said they dressing up for the party so I thought that meant they were actually wearing them to school!!!!!!!!

I waltz into school in my very MINI MINNIE MOUSE costume, complete with the yellow high heels, huge mouse ears, black tights, and tail!!!!!! And you would never guess what happened next????
I looked around only to find I was the ONLY teacher in the ENTIRE school with a costume on! Of course, since I thought everyone was wearing their costumes to school so I saw no need to bring other clothes............I asked my coworkers if they were going to put their costumes on? They said not until the party at 2:30!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT? YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WALK AROUND LIKE THIS ALL DAY AND I AM THE ONLY ONE DRESSED UP?

Needless to say, I was sooooo embarrassed and will never forget the principal and the counselor walking behind me and the principal saying to the counselor, "Don't you dare say a word!" The principal was so embarrassed for me since he was that sweet, sweet, grandfather type and he knew it was my first year teaching and I didn't know the rules! ha ha It turns out there had been a big brew ha ha and no one celebrated or dressed up in the entire school but the special education preschool students and of course MINNIE ME!

I survived that day, but must admit that I just can't get into Halloween like that anymore!

Week long celebration!

Amanda turned the big FIVE this week and we have had fun celebrating her all week. She loves to have week long celebrations for her birthday, party here, and a party there. She has had a very exciting week so far and will continue celebrating on Saturday with a big party with her friends. The last count had us at 19 kids so we are resting up and so thankful she chose to have a horse party at a kids moon bounce place and not here at the house! We love kids but 19 could get a little messy and it is nice to have that mess somewhere other than our home! Happy Birthday Amanda, we love and celebrate your life not just this week, but everyday!

She said "pray"

One of my favorite words is the word PRAY. I guess because it is one of my favorite things to do. I love to just talk to God all day long. I love to just pour out my heart to Him because He always listens and never hangs up on me or screens my calls! He's always there to listen and I love the way praying just gives me total intimacy with Him. I want to raise my little girls to pray for others and just to pray all day long. I have met so many people who don't pray every day and some not all, and I just don't know how they make it through the day!

The other night we were driving to mamaw and papaw's house to drop the girls off so hubby and I could go to an event that evening.......We have been having these deep conversations in the car lately that start with a simple question from our little girl who just has a brain that just never stops. She started talking about how when she is a teenager, she is simply obsessed with teenagers and can't wait to be one! She wants her pony tails on the side now, because she claims that is what teenagers do. I really am amazed how she knows so much about teenagers......she made the comment that when she is a teenager and she "acts crazy" Her dad told her that we will be praying that she doesn't act crazy and that God will always see what she is doing because He is everywhere........He said that we will be praying and just then our little 14 month old says, "PRAY" and puts her hands together and then starts clapping! She folds her hands to pray at dinner sometimes because she sees us do it but this is the first time she heard the word and then folded her hands without us doing it. While I know she doesn't understand who we pray to yet or even why, I am just thrilled she knows what to do when we say the word PRAY! I am simply amazed by how much children can learn about GOD at such a young age! Thank you God for giving my girls the ability to speak, comprehend, and use their hands to pray!

That Satan!

When we were coming home from running lots of errands Amanda got on the subject of snakes for some reason unknown to me. She wondered why everyone doesn't like them? I told her about how Satan took on the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and well that just started a whole big, deep conversation about sin! At one point in the conversation I explained that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He paid the punishment, and He took our sins away.

Amanda replied,"No he didn't take our sins away, people still sin!" I am thinking she was referring to herself since she had an earlier let's just say, "teenage-size tantrum" and yes, I realize she is still just four but believe me she was acting like a teenager today! It scares me a little because when her dad came home and talked to her about her behavior she put her fingers in her ears. (Yikes, I know someone who use to do that when her mom would talk to her!!) It scares me to see myself in her sometimes! Thank God He really does take our sins away or I would be in trouble and so would my daughter!

Elmo's visit

We had a recent visitor at our house. I will give you a hint, he's red.

My girls

If I had a nickel for every time I said, "look at the camera so I can take a picture of my girls!" I would be a billionaire!

One them is always looking in the opposite direction..........

Finally!!!!! This just might end up on our Christmas card since they are both actually looking at the camera and that would be a Christmas Miracle for us!

God is more powerful than cancer.....

This afternoon driving home from a Chick-filet outing where the girls got to have lunch with my favorite parents and their favorite mammaw and pappaw (they are the only grandparents we call mammaw and pappaw and my only parents) so I am safe writing FAVORITE! ha

Amelia went to sleep so Amanda and I had a chance to have one of our adult- like conversations......we talked about cancer and how powerful it is......this is one topic I wish my daughter didn't know about.

I wish she didn't know the word and I have often tried to avoid it, to keep her away from sad topics, but unfortunately she knows about it at her young age.
We talked about how powerful cancer is.......but that GOD is so much more powerful. I told her He could take it away, or even have someone find a cure but hasn't, she wondered why? I told her I wondered why too?
I told her some questions we will just have to ask in heaven.

I am always answering her questions in the car lately and I will admit that I am having a hard time sometimes finding the words to explain things on her level, and this was definitely one of those times. I am praying for my friends and family that are fighting this horrible disease, and praying for healing, comfort,peace, and that each of them will feel the presence of God in their lives like they never have before!

Guess Who took.......

her first steps on Monday October 4, 2010? Amelia! Yes, she has fooled us for a while now and we have had the camera close by because for the past 2 months because we knew she was going to do it.....but those cameras weren't around and unfortunately neither was I. :(

She took 2 steps with Daddy close by and her sissy too. I was out at the drug store getting medicine for her big sis and missed it! Of course, she is back to just walking on her knees now and I still haven't been able to get her to walk for me on her feet. I am not sure why she likes walking on her knees but boy, can she move fast.

I am thankful she took her first steps when SHE was ready and that she will continue to make strides on her own developmental level, since there is so much more to life than mere milestones!

Those boys!

When I asked how Amanda's day was at preschool she told me it was great except these two
boys who will remain nameless.........kept chasing her on the playground and she was tired of it!
I asked her if she asked them to stop and she said, "Yes, I said,"Could you please give me a little break?"
But they didn't listen and kept on chasing her!

I told her when boys chase you that means they really like you.

She replied, "Well, I already have a boyfriend and his name is __________."

I am sorry I can't share his name with you because who knows if he will still be her boyfriend next week..... you know how young love can be!