Family Picture in front of the Christmas Tree

Catching Up

Hi Friends-
I have been missing blogging...even though I've faithfully kept up with everyone elses' updates, I've neglected my own. Thus, here are some highlights of what we've been up to lately--

Cassie has had a mysterious fever for the last 3 days. Wednesday night it was 103.7 and it's been hovering above 101 since. She's still in a pretty good mood but I've kept her away from other children so we don't share the germy-love (all together--the moms in our playgroup/Bible club say a big, "thank you!")! With Christmas approaching, however, we've had to keep up with our errands. We went shopping to Carters and Aldi on Thursday, Tyson's Corner, CVS and Ross on Friday, and will probably hit the library before nap time today.

Tim's new job at Edge Consulting is going quite well. He started the first week of November and has settled in very nicely. So far it's been an amazing change--working for a small company vs. the mammoth Lockheed Martin certainly has its advantages! His commute has increased but we're figuring out the best times for him to work in order to avoid the traffic snarls--leave the house by 6:45am and come home before 4:30pm. I LOVE having him with us by 5:30 every evening. As for Edge--they seem very family friendly--Cassie and I will be attending our first work-parties with Tim (Lockheed never invited families to their functions). Saturday (TONIGHT) the adult party is in Leesburg and then Sunday is the children's party with Santa. I'm not sure if little Cassie will be healthy enough for that, but we're hoping and have a sweet dress picked out for the occasion!

Emotionally and spiritually, I have been put through the ringer this past month...but in spite of tremendous challenges, I am joyful (Wha!?!)-yes, joyful- over how God is using EVERYTHING for good in my life. I've been at a new level of maturity in my relationship with God--and am finding freedom from old traps. I still need prayers, of course, as I know there's much more inside that needs to be removed in order for God's character to be duplicated in me. Specifically, when God brings us to your minds, would you pray for supernatural healing and forgiveness in my heart, for courage to boldly face emotional issues that I'd rather hide from, and for discernment/wisdom to recognize lies (especially those subtle ones from Satan!)and use God's truth to combat them.

Physically I'm on a roll with exercising! I have been running 6 easy 10 minute miles for a while now so I've begun challenging myself to do a few 8 minute-miles. I limit myself to an hour on the treadmill--I love it so much I could go longer easily. I've been reading books my mentor, Joanne (an older woman from Immanuel who I meet with weekly), has recommended to me while, of course, absorbing all I can from The Message. My latest favorite passage is in Matthew 5:


Matthew 5:43-48
43 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' 44 I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 45 for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. 46 If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. 47 If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. 48 "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

I suppose this is enough news for now. Thanks for being my faithful blog-friends!

Nov-Dec Pictures

Nov-Dec. 2008

EVIL Pampers Baby Cruisers

Yes, I said Pampers=EVIL!
We've recently used the Pampers' Baby dry brand and they were, ehh...so I thought I'd give Pampers another chance. OHhhhhh...these Cruisers are the Satan of absorbency! My poor baby's bum is covered in red spots because of the--technical explanation here-- "absorbent gel in the dry weave lining." Here's the account of some other mothers who have seen the evil of Pampers. http://www.mamasource.com/advice/pampers-cruisers/diaper-allergies

I bought 2 packages at CVS on Saturday but will promptly return the unopened one. Anybody need some size 4 Pampers--we only used 2 out of our 30 pack? Grrrr. Maybe I should try Ebay! (kidding!) Oh Huggies--I'm sorry from the BOTTOM of my heart (ha-I get it!) that I ever wandered from you!

In other news, my triple coupon Bloom trip was so not pleasant...the staff were sorta rude and the store itself was not clean or easy to walk through (lots of clutter in the middle of the isles--and this was at noon on Sunday). Boo on Bloom...I did NOT have a "come on get happy" moment in there but I had a lot of "come to Jesus" moments trying to control my frustrations!

I'm in a complaining mood, it would seem, and my Mom told me that if I can't say something nice I shouldn't say nothin' at all. SO, I shall follow Thumper's fine example (Bambi shout-out) and say, "good-night."
(Well, I'm really just out of material to blog...but ending this way makes me look like I actually have some measure of self-control!)

Haircutting at the Hoffmans

Hello Blog-friends-


Saturday mornings are nice for writing...because of the laid back routine, I have some free time to write an update.

Tim's flag football season is wrapping up...I think he has a 'double header' today at 12 (rumor has it he'll be playing Quarterback).

Cassie has experienced her first hair cut. Ugh. Yes, I did it myself. I was combing her hair after a bath on Tuesday and thought, 'how hard can it be to just snip a toddler's hair'....well, I took maybe an inch off but once her curly hair dried, it looks more like 3-4 inches! Yipes! Of course, Cassie is cute as can be with long or short hair, but I feel like I butchered her! I have always liked cutting hair...usually I'd restrain myself to only cutting dog-hair--on my Mom's long-haired malteses. We had this one dog, Tedi, when I was little who endured my haircutting experiments. I should find some old pictures of Tedi's 'bobs'--the 'style' reminds me of Cassie's curly-bob!

• Triple coupon weekend at Bloom. I'm so tired of coupons after the Shoppers' coupon trip (bought over $200 in groceries but only paid $20 due to the triple coupons) that I'm going to have to FORCE myself to go today! Thankfully I have a friend from church who is a wiz with a spreadsheet! She emailed me the 'list' of good deals so I'm going to print that up and do the best I can!
• Our Sunday night Dynamic Marriage class is over! It was an intense class-with lots of homework, but we graduated and have a better marriage as a result. There's a lot to be thankful for but also a lot of work left to be done. I highly reccommend the class to our local church friends--it starts up again this January and is for marriages at any stage (strong, healthy or struggling, detached, etc.).
• My Mom's group is going well...I've been reading our book while running on the treadmill and have been absorbing some good principles regarding mothering. Specifically, I'm learning to 'observe' Cassie better...and thus be able to shape my prayers for her more precisely. It's actually been a good habit to develop in regards to my own self maturity/development. It helps to observe/record the characteristics in my heart that need to be changed by God and leave them at His feet rather than obsess about how I can take control to 'whip' myself into shape. That doesn't usually work with toddlers and it certainly hasn't worked with myself! I guess that's one of the bigger principles I've been gleaning..raising a child begins with 'raising' yourself. I can't sow character into Cassie that hasn't first taken root in me--so I'm learning to care for my own needs just as tenderly as I care for Cassie's needs. I'm sure I could go on and ramble for many pages here...but this is enough for now.
  

Cassie just went upstairs by herself...maybe I should go see what she's doing! Thanks for checking in with our family...we covet your prayers and would love to know if you stopped by!

Say Cheese Please

Here are a few snaps of Cassie practicing her "CHEESE" smile!

CVS-All this and I MADE $7.80!

Yes folks, I MADE $8 on this deal! I didn't pay anything out of pocket! Hooray!

5 CVS type Dove Soaps ($5 back in ECB's)

1 Always Infinity ($5 back in ECB's plus I had a $2 off coupon--earned money here)

1 Gax-X Thin strips (earned $10 after spending $20 on tummy products)

1 Colgate toothpaste ($2 back in ECB's and I had a $1 off coupon)

1 Breeze Blood sugar monitor (cost $14.99, $10 back in ECB's plus $5 mail-in rebate=free)

Total: $33.28

After ECB's and coupons: $12.20

ECB's left in pocket: $20

Total earned: $7.80

CVS-All this for $11.30

It's been a tough week for us since Cassie woke up Wednesday and Thursday with a horrible cold. Today (Friday) I finally decided I needed to get out for some CVS therapy. Cassie, on the other hand, realized what she was in for and asked, rather politely-"No more CVS, Mommy!" So what did this sensitive and caring Mommy do? Go to CVS! But I did have a little talk about how we could do something she chose after we did what I chose. Thankfully, her choice was easy...go home and swing in our back yard.

Okay, so I messed up on this trip and still need to go back to get the 'final' product to reach the "spend $20 on tummy medicine and get $10 in ECBs" deal. Once I do that, it'll make my shopping report sound much more impressive, but here it is, as it is! :) I heard through the grapevine (I heart CVS website: http://iheartcvs.com/2008/10/1019-1025-weekly-ecb-deals.html )that there will be a diaper deal next week so Cassie will have another opportunity to sacrifice for her Mother! With these diaper deals, I may never potty-train her! :) (kidding!)

1 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste

1 Aquafresh toothpaste

3 Reeses snack bags

1 Huggies Diaper pack

1 Always Feminine product

1 32 oz. bottle of Vitamin water

1 Maloxx Tummy med

1 Maloxx chewables

1 bottle Purex Laundry detergent

1 spray bottle of hand sanitizer

2 Speed Stick deo/antiper.

Total: $52.21

Total AFTER coupons and ECB's: $11.30

CVS-All this for $2.95

Today's CVS trip was a small one...we simply didn't need much (since I've been stocking up on stuff for quite a few months now!).

1 Pampers 34 pack

1 Irish Spring 8 pack

3 Softsoap pumps

1 Pampers Baby wipes

2 Sunsilk hair product (for volume and for split ends)

1 Cover girl foundation

1 Vitamin D bottle

1 Fusion power Razor (for men)

Total before Extra Care Bucks and Coupons: $55.26

After: $2.95

I got all my "strategies" from this blog:

http://sahmmoney.blogspot.com/2008/09/cvs-this-week-928.html

Church Surprise Party

We went to Harrisburg for the weekend under the guise of "just visiting" Tim's parents but REALLY it was to be apart of the church's surprise party to honor Marvin (Tim's Dad) for 25 years of faithful ministry at Calvary! It was really wonderful to see the church express their love and appreciation for a guy we already think is terrific! Here are some snaps from Sunday after church:

CVS-All this for $11.06

Due to a mistake by the CVS manager (who kindly ruled in my favor--$10!), I was able to purchase ALL this for the LOW price of $11.06 cash out of pocket! WOW! I had coupons for everything AND 2 items were 75% off! Sorry the 7 packages of chocolate we bought aren't on display--we took them to our church group for snacks tonight and I left them there for the next time. Mentally, you can include 7 packages of snack-size chocolates/skittles that I bought for $0.88 each. :) This sort of shopping is NOT easy for me to do--it requires me to be oragnized and planned out...but wow, what a great reward in the end!

2 packages: Cottonelle 12 Double Roll TP

6 boxes Kleenex Tissues

1 pkg: Viva 8 pack Paper towels

1 AAA Battery 4-pack

1 Maybelline Mascara

1 Maybelline Eye liner

1 Crest Pro-health

1 Addidas deoderant

1 Glucerna Meal-to-go 6 pack

1 Berry drink mix-14 servings

7 pkgs of assorted Hershey's snack-packs

1 Nivea for Men Body Wash

__________________

$51.16 Before Extra Care Bucks Rewards

$11.06 After

JC Penny Pics-Cassie Age 2

Here are the proofs from our latest visit to JC Penny's...I can't recall which ones we ordered...it was a high pressure sale and I had a baby saying, "Mommy, I sleepy tired." We probably bought all the "wrong" ones...oh well...at least we got Cassie home to bed! :)

CVS-All this for $10.74

I know how much you all love to see what I get at CVS...I don't go every week because it's stressful to negotiate all the coupons and Extra Care Bucks--but I DID go today and here's what we brought home!

So what ARE you doing?

Since Kay clearly hasn't been blogging, what HAS she been doing? (other than writing in 3rd person)

-De-cluttering FRENZY...seriously, I've gone totally insane with de-cluttering. I have turned my entire house upside down. Do you know how hard it is to organize with a 2 year old? I don't recommend it! It's been a FAR less than ideal situation, but I've done it and things are starting to get back in place. So far I've redone the-

• Living room (new layout, removed toys, etc.)
• Family room (sold my treadmill and moved some toys out)
• Kitchen (mainly, cleaned out pantry and cabinets, bought a new table set too!)
• Office/library (reorganized bookshelves, rearranged furniture, closet clean out, etc)
• Cassie's Room (rearranged furniture, took out glider chair, added toys/shelves, reorganized closet)
• Guest bathroom (de-cluttered and threw out old medicine/toiletries, cleaned out linens, etc.)

My buddies over at Alexandria Freecycle have been enjoying the fruits of my labor...I've been giving away stuff almost every single day! Baby stuff, books, unused kitchen items, about 30 pairs of old jeans/pants (good grief...how did I end up with THAT many pairs?!?). If you don't know what freecycle is, seriously, check it out! Where ever you live, there's probably a group you can join. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlexandriaVAFreecycle/

--Walking adventures with my new jogging stroller! Tim bought me a new stroller for Cassie's birthday so we've been putting it to good use! We've been walking to the library, CVS, Wal-mart and Safeway. The stroller is a bit too big to navigate in the stores, but I like being able to get exercise AND run errands. We even walked to the Springfield Mall a few weeks ago! Tim picked us up in the car for the homeward trip, so it didn't end up being a 6 mile round trip...but it was still fun and useful. I am kicking around the idea of walking to Kaiser today (right next door to the Springfield Mall). We have an 11am appointment with Cassie's favorite doctor, "Dr. Reddy, Set, Go."

--HOMEWORK! I've been doing so much reading and writing I feel like I'm in school again! So far I've completed an intense study on Spiritual Gifts, Wrote my resume and cover letter to apply for a part time job, wrote my testimony/life story, read Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, and have been doing all this while trying to keep my 2 year old from "helping" too much. Tim and I just started our new Sunday night class-Dynamic Marriage. It's already been VERY time consuming with daily homework assignments. The really tough part isn't the time though...it's the introspection required to answer the questions. The class is designed to help couples assess their emotional needs and hurtful habits so the questions probe very deeply. I was doing my homework last night and all I could think of was, "This is SO not fun." But, I'm glad to report, I did it anyway.

--New Bible Study, Breaking Free by Beth Moore. My Tuesday morning group will start for the Fall this coming Tuesday...Uh-oh...more homework!

--New Group at McLean Bible on Wednesday nights...I've long since forgotten who reads this blog so this might be recklessly honest considering I don't really 'know' that everyone who is reading this is a 'safe' person. Still, if you know me well you know where my weaknesses are...so then you'll know what this new group is about! :) How's that for 'Unmasking'? I'm into partial disclosures right now! Seriously though, I'm honestly worried about this group because I am NOT a night person! I'm ready for bed by 7pm most nights (I don't GO to sleep then, but I could if I tried!). I have had a hard time being faithful to any weeknight meetings because of this. In my defense, I get up REALLY early in the mornings. I'd love your prayer support in this area...I want to be faithful but need a super-dose from God in order to accomplish this!

Okay...that's enough for now. I haven't even told you about my new job...it hasn't started yet so I'll save that post for when I know more details!

My assistant needs me, so I must close for now! Thanks for checking in with us! :)

Cassie is Two!

Cassie turned two yesterday and we had a party to celebrate. See the link for pictures!

Good Book for Parents--Find it at your local library!

I LOVE the library! I could seriously live there! :) Here's one of my latest finds...they have over 10 copies in the Fairfax library system so hop on over to pick up a copy! I think I might just purchase this one for our home library...

Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents
by Braun, Betsy Brown
This handy book offers sensible language and explanations for handling specific situations inevitable in raising young children. Braun's down-to-earth advice is delivered with humor and derived from her expertise as a child-development specialist and parent educator

Below is a link to the Fairfax County library system:
http://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=Just%20Tell%20Me%20What%20to%20Say{245}&library=ALL&user_id=GUEST&password=1111

Healthy Habits

My friend, Dina, has an idea to help us stay accountable via the internet...here's a link to her post: http://thefelts.blogspot.com/2008/08/accblogability-buddies.html

I'm gonna join in...I'm pasting my comments to Dina below:
Well, of course I'll join you! I can't say no to healthy habit building! :)
My goal has been to do SOMETHING for exercise every day for the month of August. So far, so good...I've jogged or gymmed every day (unofficially, I aim for 1 hour or 300 calories burned--according to my heart rate monitor).
My other goal is to reduce "screen time" for me and the family...I spend too much time on the computer, to the neglect of other healthy habits (sigh).
Finally, healthy meal planning is on my goal list. I do "okay" here but it's stressful and last minute so I'd like to be more intentional with it. I suppose I should put this on my blog so I don't leave uber-long comments. We'll figure this out as we go...important thing is to get started! :)

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times–we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the award’s creator.
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

So, I'd like to thank the Academy for this tremendous recognition of my...smile? :) No, Seriously, how cool is it to see your name on someone else's blog!?! Thanks Joy...you have truly delivered on the promise of your name--given me Joy!
http://www.oywiththepoodlesalready.com/

Now, on to those I'd like to pass this award to:
http://djcannon.blogspot.com/ Joelle--your posts are such a wonderful mix of topics! I look forward to reading each one because it's like a visit with you! I especially value how you love your husband...it's an encouragement to me to be daring and courageous in my own marriage!
http://thefelts.blogspot.com/ Dina--your blog has been a blessing to me! Your courage to share what God is REALLY doing in your heart makes you a true woman of Faith...I see each word as precious and hold you tenderly before God in prayer each time I read your blog! My recent favorite thing: the way your assessed your outfit for the hot date night---I think the EXACT same stuff about myself/modesty issues/puffy materials. :)
http://paulandjennilee.blogspot.com/ Jennilee--I have gained SO much wisdom from your blogs! I've learned about good books, gardening, hospitality and how to be refreshingly honest with a liberal dose of humor! You are a charming reflection of your father in heaven--both of them!
http://kandjmantoothfamily.blogspot.com/ Katie--I don't believe I've ever met Katie face to face but she's the SIL of my best college buddy, Lori Jean. When LJ first met Katie, there were many comments about how Katie and I are similar...after reading Katie's blog, I see it too! I have loved the honesty and sincerity in Katie's writing...it's validating to me to know I'm not the only one who feels 'this' way! I especially value how Katie shares the things in her character that are in "progress"...reminds me that NONE of us has arrived! :)
http://amazingamandasadventures.blogspot.com/ Monica--I've only recently found your blog but have loved every post so far! I love how you write about your feelings...how you thought about reacting in a less-than-Christlike-manner, but then also how you finally chose to respond in a way that gives God glory. I also love reading your words because it helps me feel connected to you even though our face-to-face visits are crowded with the girls' chatter and activity!

CVS Bargains

CVS: $11.04 for all this stuff (a savings of $43.13); Then I got $4.00 in Extra Care Bucks (money to spend at CVS)

Bible Club for Cassie!

Here are some pictures from our friend, Monica's Bible Club meeting!

Cassie's personality is really developing...and I can see it more clearly when we're around other children. I see Cassie as one who likes to observe and watch what's going on first...then she'll join in. I predict that the next couple of times we go to Bible club, Cassie will be much more quick to sing and march with everyone else. This time, however, she watched Mommy march and sing, occasionally running over to join me but more often just watching. I really want to be careful to communicate that I respect and cherish her unique personality-- the fact that she likes to observe first before she jumps in is a great characteristic. As long as she's being appropriate and respectful to others, I don't mind if she watches from the sidelines. I went ahead and did everything the moms and kids were doing...sometimes she sat with me, other times she went farther away to get a different point of view. I didn't try to convince her to do anything (I asked her and if she said 'no' I dropped the issue). When she DID come over, I told her I was glad to have her sing next to me. Well, that's enough of my parenting philosophy...here are some pictures:

32 years old!?!

For my 32nd birthday, we went to the Jim Henson exhibit at the Smithsonian...it was lots of fun and just right for 3 people trying to take it easy after getting over the worst cold EVER (not too much interaction with others)! The next day I took this picture of Cassie and Tim...I have to say it's my new favorite because I love Cassie's smile (you look good too, Tim!).

Cassie in Ohio!

Cassie LOVED our time in Ohio to visit Tim's side of the family! We had so much fun, we all made ourselves sick. Yep, all 3 of us have colds--bad colds, more like the flu. This sweet healthy picture of Cassie (taken BEFORE the plague) will have to hold you for now because you would be horrified if we showed you pictures of what we look like NOW!

Talk to Jesus; I You, Mommy

Every night we have a little routine: After cleaning up the dinner dishes-while Cassie and Tim have Daddy/daughter time, all three (well, 4, counting Riley) of us go upstairs to get Cass ready for bed. I didn't think it particularly mattered to Cassie, but last night she showed us that she KNOWS what comes next in our routine--right after we put her in bed she said, 'talk to Jesus?' I was estatic...that's the closest thing to a "gold star" a Mommy can get!

After we talk to Jesus about our day, we tell her good night and I say, "I love you, Cassie." Her response: "I You, Mommy."

I don't know if she is speaking in some sort of outdated type of English or if her toddler brain simply left out the verb...but those two pronouns speak volumes of meaning into my heart!

The Evangelist named Mom!

I had the honor of going to a luncheon today where my Mom presented the gospel to a group of 75 plus women (and a few men--mostly husbands of the women members). It was so cool to see my dear precious mom exercising her spiritual gift so obediently (okay, so I'm not sure if her gift is actually evangelism, but it SURE was for the hour that she spoke today!)!



I love my Daddy (who cares if I'm almost 32...he'll always be my Daddy!)
Beka with Dad

The girls after lunch...notice what good sisters we are---we both have black and white on and didn't even coordinate before hand!

A candid shot of Mom before she spoke.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to us! Six years and Counting!
No celebration of our marriage would be complete without our baby!

We're Home Again

A few pictures from our journeys:


Simon and Cassie taking a nap in their 'car seats'






Cassie wasn't ready to smile when the auto-timer snapped our picture with Aunt Debbie and her son Austin



Calla, Cassie and Gus in Atlanta




We girls all pose with our maternal Grandmother Keenan

Cassie and me in between 2 of our favorite Bryants, Aunt Judy and her son Trey!

My baby at the W for the first time! Somehow I don't think she gathered the significance of being on my old campus! Maybe she'll appreciate it more next year (ha!).
Playing peek-a-boo at the Dairy Queen in Flowood, MS!

Cassie poses with her Great Aunt Ann
July 3 Celebrations: Pool visit and then a car-ride to the Fourth of July dress rehearsal

Day 2 Atlanta with Pictures

Shanda's birthday yesterday was super-fun for us all! We left the 3 kids with "Uncle 'Rad" and drove into Newnan for our bithday girl day. Lori Jean met us at the Dollar Tree and then we piled in her car to hit Red Robin. At lunch Beka and I surprised Shanda by covertyly asking the waitress for the "birthday treatment." The staff came out and loudly annouced Shanda's special day. Pretty funny. After lunch, we went to Michael's (craft store). Next it was pedicures for the ladies with Beka, Shanda and I getting a super-sparkly 'diamond' star on our right big toes (LJ opted out of that fun since she's the only employed member of our group and felt she should maintain some professionalism on her toes). Target was next and THAT was a very long visit. Purchases included sunglasses for LJ and me, sandals for Cassie, PJ's for Beka, matching shirts for Calla and Cassie, etc. I used a giftcard so I didn't technically "spend" anything! We split up after that with LJ and I driving to Shanda's house and Beka and Shanda making one last stop at Starbucks (Shandy got a free drink cause by that point we had forced her to wear a special tiarra in honor of her 35th birthday). Can you believe I've been in the South THIS long and haven't had one single trip to Sonic!!?!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Brad had all 3 kids under his care. When we left around 10:30, I had just put Cassie down for a nap (she asked for one too..."nap, Mommy. Sleepy"). She slept until about noon and then got up to play with the other kids. Our little girl is very sensitive...at one point Brad and Calla were sitting on Gus' toddler bed while Gus and Cassie played with the train-table. Gus decided he'd join his family on the bed and then Cassie was the only one NOT on the bed. She must've felt left out cause Brad said she started to cry--just cause she was alone. Brad got everyone up on the bed for a brief moment before Gus climbed down and Cassie followed him (she's his shadow and will go ANYWHERE he does. If she doesn't see him, she asks, "where's Gus?" and goes on a search. Gus does the same for Cassie though so it's almost like they're babysitting each other). Next sensitivity episode occured when Brad was carrying Calla out of Gus' room and Cassie reached up to Brad to be carried as well. He picked them both up and cuddled them on the couch for a long time. Both girls just sat next to him peacefully watching cartoons. Eventually, Calla climbed down (she's incredibly agile considering her broken leg!) and proceeded to get into mischief with Gus. Brad sternly told both his kids "no" to what they were doing...his reproof must have upset Cassie though because she put out her little lip and started to cry...then she started coughing and...well, you know the rest. She threw up all over which gave Brad his 'to do' list for the next hour (clean up couch, Cassie, clothes, etc.). All the kids slept from 1:30 to when LJ and I got home at 5. It was so very sweet to creep into Cassie's room and wake her up...she was out cold! I wanted her to get up though to see LJ.

After Beka and Shanda got home they cooked a bunch of pizzas and we all ate dinner. LJ ended up staying until after 9pm when we began giving kids baths before bed. We had a great chance to chat--I told her all about the stuff I've been learning and how I was applying it to my life. I wish I had heard more from LJ, but she seemed to be in a 'listening' mood so I didn't want to pry or push her to talk. Anyway, it was SO good to have all of us together out in the yard, watching the kids play (well, Calla "sorta" played but more sat with the adults and watched...again, tough to interact with a broken leg). Their yard is huge and really allows Cassie the chance to explore "far off places" by herself. Back home in DC I'd never let her wander so far from me/an adult, but here in the big fenced in yard she has the chance to see what life is like outside of Mom's arm-reach! Cassie's biggest love is not Mommy, Tiaboo or Gus, but the swing (as further evidence of that statement, Cassie just woke up a little bit and over the baby monitor I heard her ask for the swing)! I pushed Cassie on the swing for a long time while LJ was showing Beka pictures of her house-redecoration projects. While I pushed, I played a little guessing game with Cassie using the signs from Signing Time. After I had totally exhausted all my sign language vocabulary, I told her it was her turn to think of a sign for me to guess. She thought and said, "Umm...how 'bout.." and put her fingers together in a tent shape--I had FORGOTTEN that sign and so she really did come up with a legit and challenging entry to our guessing game! How cool is it that she's beginning to play WITH me! ;)

Don't expect me to send an update like this every day...I just thought I'd write since I haven't been able to talk to any of you very much. I know it's not easy to find time to read this much text, so thank you for making the effort to get this far in my writing!