Holiday Festivity Kick-off

I was surprised that the boys were so into making these gingerbread houses. I am glad they haven't grown out of it yet. Of course, it did become a competition between the brothers...

Get Away

It's been a while since Manny and I have been on a date so when the opportunity presented itself for an overnighter, we didn't hesitate. There's a local B & B where we like to hide out for some pampering and relaxation. The owner is a Paris trained chef so we always add dinner to our stay. It's good to be spoiled every once in a while.

Ding Dong Dined-Delicious!

We have some friends nearby who have a family tradition- making a wonderfully delicious breakfast, packing it up and showing up to some one's house unannounced to share it. We were the recipients of their generous tradition. The hot breakfast consisted of homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast pizza, hot coffee, orange juice and eggnog. You can wake me up any day with this knock at the door!

Family Hike

We enjoyed a day off at a state park that's close by. The fall colors were at their peak. This is my favorite season to take in God's creation...

Yes, he went to school like this....

Economics 101

Jonathan has an entrepreneurial spirit and in an effort to make some money he decided to start collecting cans. He would rummage through the garbage at church and home. I even caught him dumpster diving after a football game. He recruited Grandma and Grandpa to set aside their cans for him too. On his first visit to the Recycle Center he earned $.60 per pound and came away with a few bucks. The reward for his efforts further motivated him and he became more determined and bold in his pursuit of aluminum.

He had high hopes on his second visit to the dump-I mean Recycle Center- since this time he had more than tripled his booty. When he went to cash out after they weighed his cans, he was hit with the reality of our unstable economy. They gave him only $.20 per pound. My heart dropped as I watched him come out of the cashier's station with shoulders drooping, fighting off tears. All his hard work had not paid off in the way he expected. When he questioned the man, he explained that they base their prices on the current stock market values and they change daily. This explanation didn't make sense or cents to a 10 year old boy.

He's still collecting but this time with a watchful eye on the market...

What's with the 80's comeback?

We celebrated Miguel's birthday last weekend with yet another 80's party! It's a good thing I held onto my warm up suit from the last one but this time I decided to go as an 80's soccer mom. I was relieved that I only recognized a handful of songs that the DJ played as it gave me an assurance that I wasn't that old yet.

Division Champs!

Jonathan's team won the title for the McDonough Mustang Division B playoffs. He was so excited he kept telling people his team won the Superbowl. Although I am excited they won, I am equally excited that football season is over and we can renew time with friends and a slower pace of life. It seems that during football season we don't have a free weeknight and don't see our friends unless they come to one of Jonathan's games.

Side-note: As a way to boost the team's excitement and anticipation for the game they rode on a bus to the field together. Not just any bus. This was an old school bus turned NASCAR fan headquarters (hey, we're in the south!). It was painted white with tiger eyes on the front and a makeshift deck on the top (thankfully they rode inside with "Eye of the Tiger" blasting from the boom box). There was no missing their arrival since the bus backfired every ten seconds the whole ride. What a way to make an entrance- classy. That's how we roll here.

Is There An Age Limit For Trick-Or-Treating?

Manny had some friends over on Halloween to spend the night. Although none of them had full costumes, some face paint and colored hairspray were enough to legitimize their pilgrimage around the neighborhood to beg shamelessly for candy. It was funny to watch these boys trapped inside young men's bodies. Caught between 2 worlds-wanting to hold onto childhood traditions yet anxious for independence. They pulled an all-nighter playing video games on the projector energized by nachos, pizza, candy and Vault soda.