Update!

So I went to Ooltewah Elementary School to have Thanksgiving lunch with TC today. I haven't been able to spend alone time with TC away from all the other kids in a long while. I really enjoyed talking with him and I could tell he loved having my undivided attention. He was also excited to show me the top runners in his class. He keeps getting third place and is so hard on himself. After lunch I gave him a hug and told him I would see him after school. As I walked away, I looked back and saw TC look around the corner to watch me leave. I cried all the way home. I guess I just remember times when my mom would come to my school and eat with me and I cherish those memories. I really loved being able to spend time with T.C.

AJ is my little helper at home. He helps with the chores and has such a good attitude about it. He always tells me how much he loves me and how pretty I am. I think it is so sweet. I think he will be very ready for preschool next year. I can tell he is getting board of being at home all day and needs an outlet. Maybe gymnastics. He jumps around, climbs the furniture and swings from the top bunk constantly. How many times do I have to say stop? I think we need bars in our backyard.

Dakota is definetely showing so much personality. She loves all the girly things. I am not used to this. She wants to wear makeup, put lotion on all day. She loves high heels, purses and anything that might resemble a bracelet. The cutest thing is how her little bootie shakes as she walks/runs. You gotta burger to go with that shake? I also love how she throws fits about what she wants to wear. Tennis shoes would be the most practical thing right now but she wants pretty dress shoes to wear. She also loves skirts. I guess I will have to start letting her choose her own outfits.

Jaxon is still the perfect baby. I guess that might give my other children a complex but I don't know how else to describe him. He sleeps so great, he eats great, he loves to play around on the floor and rolls everywhere. He is so ticklish and laughs out loud when I change him or talk to him. I can honestly say I know what it must have been like for Mary in the song "Away In A Manger" No crying he makes is totally possible.

Having two babies to take care of and three still at home all day gets very overwhelming but I do love my babies. I think I changed 5 poopy diapers today. Can't they just get it out just once and be done? I so look forward to Steve coming home in the evening and I so enjoy my walks. They destress me.

Also, Jaxon had his 4 month check up last week and I guess I am just used to hearing that my children are in the 95% in height and 50 - 75% for weight but I just look at Jaxon and can't help but think he is definetely my biggest baby. He just seems like a giant already.

Please share!

So, after I got Dakota to sleep, I took Jaxon outside for some fresh air. I was wearing a short sleeve top and thinking how nice it is that in November, I can wear short sleeves. Now, on the contrary, I remember wearing a sweatshirt on a June or July night in Colorado and Idaho and thinking that was great. I have to admit that I am loving this great weather.

This past Sunday was our family dinner day! Every month during the year, someone in the family has everyone over. No, I haven't taken my turn yet. I'm afraid that everyone would feel claustrophobic. Anyway, I spent some time talking with a couple of my sisters-n-law about organization in a big family. I think my last 3 children came so fast that I never had time to think or readjust how I was doing things. What might work with 1 or 2 children, may not work with 3 or 4. Needless to say, I have felt very disorganized since our move.

How in the world do I move from a 3 bedroom apartment to a 5 bedroom house and not have enough space for everything? Well, I started to break it down. Where are my problem areas? My laundry room and my desk are the biggest. Oh, and lets not forget my closet and the hall closet. So, how do they do it. I got a few tips.

1. Keep all of the kids socks in the laundry room and don't worry about mating them. I love the idea of keeping their socks down here in their very own little rubbermaid drawers. Although, I do have to mate TC and AJ's socks. I KNOW that TC doesn't care to wear an ankle sock on one foot and a crew sock on the other. Hence, the mating will continue.

2. Stop folding underwear. I guess that I might just be a nut but yes, I fold everything. Anyway, if I want to be successful at keeping a household together, then I must let a few things go. That includes folding underwear.

3. Go paperless with your bills. Online billing can be great. I was halfway there but I might take the entire plung!

4. Buy a new front loader washer and dryer. Ok, that isn't quite reasonable for me right now but when I ever have to buy a new washer and dryer....oh, yeah! I would love to get all of our jeans washed in 1 load.

Just a few tips but man it has helped me a bunch this week. I realize that we have to make things work for us and all of our priorities are different but I hope that maybe you could share a few of your time saving tips and organizational tips with me. What can you not live without?
How do you keep things tidy?

Enjoy!

AJ enjoying some Xbox time.

Dakota being Dakota! At least she wasn't getting into trouble!

TC getting his year end trophy for football.

Dakota

Jaxon has had a lot of teeth come in overnight!

happy halloween

Happy Halloween!

We have had great fun this week. Monday night we carved pumpkins for FHE. TC drew the face on his pumpkin and didn't enjoy cleaning out the goo! Too slimy! Dakota had her fair share of grabbing knives off of the counter and always trying to run away as fast as she can so that she doesn't get caught. What a stinker! If I can survive while I get her raised, I think I will be able to accomplish anything.

Wednesday night we had Trunk or Treat at our church. I had to laugh at Dakota because she about threw a fit when I handed her a pumpkin to put her candy in. She threw the pumpkin down on the ground and screamed at me. I guess we just assume that they will get excited about these things. Anyway, she felt very pleased to sit with dad and hand out candy while I took AJ to each car. Why not TC, you might ask? Well, TC was just a little too fast for us. The kids made out pretty good, though.

Friday night, we went to Derek and Marcie's for their halloween bash. I wish that I had taken pictures of all their decorations because they did an awesome job. We had dinner and all kinds of fun snacks while we were there. At about 6:30 we took the kids to Darrin and Jennifer's neighborhood so they could go trick or treating. I think TC outlasted all of the other kids. He ran from one house to the next, to the next. I had to keep yelling for him to stay with the group. I guess football must have whipped him into shape. We all went back to Darrin and Jennifer's house where we hung out for a little while, until the kids started getting sleepy. We also had to go pick up Jaxon from Grandma's house. She was kind enough to keep him while we did our trick or treating. It was so different to be out at the end of October and not freezing to death. I think TC has always had to wear a coat and mittens to go trick or treating. What a fun halloween and yes, the kids have way too much candy. I'm sure it will last a very long time.

Is the answer clear cut for you?

If you are completely sick of politics right now, then you may want to go on to the next blog address because I am devoting this post to my worries with our next election. I don't consider myself Republican or a Democrat. I like to get all of my facts straight before I choose someone to be a leader. Being a mom of four children does not allow much time for fact digging but I do try to read what I can and watch the debates. This year I have had a hard time deciding who to vote for, until I started worrying about the type of person and their history more than some of the policies and platforms. If you are voting for Barack Obama, I would like to hear why. I like some of the things that he has to say but I worry about the person he is and if he is telling the truth. I would like to believe that all people and politicians are honest but lets face the facts. I don't think John McCain is the perfect man either but I feel like he is a true American. If nothing else, at least we will only be paying him 200,000 dollars a year for maybe the next 10 years. Barack Obama is a very young man and we will be paying him 200,000 per year for the next 40 years. That might be enough to convince me.

I do want to include an article that I read that has pointed me in the direction of John McCain. I have read up on Thomas Sowell and he isn't just some guy who has an opinion. He is well educated and has taught at many Universities and is the author of many books. He completed his degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude. He went on to receive a Master of Arts in Economics from Columbia University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Chicago. This is what he has to say:

Thomas Sowell

Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow
The Hoover Institution
Stanford University
Stanford , California 94305

~~~~~~~~~ Professor Sowell's Article ~~~~~~~~~~

"Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.

After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President.

I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me who I should vote for.

We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words 'money' and 'special interests' come to mind, among many others.

Here's the way I see it.

Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely liberal Senator from the State of Illinois , which has a long and rich history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a child of that system.

You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color. As a matter of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we are indeed the greatest country on earth!

But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the man for this job!

Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of your own pastor, the Right Reverend 'God Damn America' Jeremiah Wright. It is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people.

We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now. And you have publicly stated that this man IS your 'spiritual mentor. BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you. His words were disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once heard a 'discouraging word' in the 20 years you attended there. Don't tell me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having anything to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in the audience in the background of his fiery tirades. Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out on your campaign. I am no Oprah fan, but st! ill she did the right thing.

Now YOU look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such language in all the years you attended there! This is like me telling you that I attended dozens of Klan rallies and never once heard the 'N' word. Yep. And Bill Clinton 'did not inhale'.

Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid enough to believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you.

I am deeply sorry, that in a country teeming with enormously talented African Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will not even salute the Flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. God forbid you ever get near the Oval Office.

Which leaves us with Senator John McCain.

John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit loony, and you have a notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion, to lead us for the next eight years. I WANT your trembling hand on the nuclear button.

Think about it.

We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon. We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling their sabers at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to be really ticked off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.

John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit. And I want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of these 'world leaders' to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat every time they think of messing with the United States of America

I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your nightstand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran , Russia , China , Venezuela , Cuba , Libya , Syria , Pakistan , and those other dopes in the sheets, the Saudis.

On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the opposition in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED. For all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket. The liberals are ticked at him and the conservatives are ticked at him. Just my kinda guy.

I predict that John will select Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate. Good choice. I want a Jew whose memory of the Holocaust is still fresh in his mind and who is royally ticked off at all of these towel-headed morons in the Middle East to be the next in line if something should happen to John. Shalom, Vice President Joe. One heartbeat from the Oval Office.

Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for their love of America When you ask him about it, he will tell you that what he did was 'nothing special.' Even more incredibly, he states that ANY American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in that situation. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real point is that John McCain believes that about the 'average American,' and that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot on election day for John McCain -- warts and all."

Wow, if you made it this far, you must have questions also. I guess after all of that being said, what do you think?

Random Thoughts!

In reference to the spider, I have never seen a spider like this before in my life. This is why I was so enthused and had to take pictures. I am sure that because we have lots of trees on our property that we will see our fair share of spiders. I will just have to always keep a gallon or two of spider killer in hand. I lived in Colorado and found a black widow on the side of my house, and if it wasn't for living on the third floor of my apartment building in Idaho, we probably would have seen a few HOBO spiders. I hate spiders no matter what but at least the one I found in my yard wasn't very poisonous. I hate them, but I have to admit that I am always curious to see cool creatures.





We are getting very excited for Steve to own his own business again. I know he wanted to be a teacher and there is still hope. In the mean time, Steve has passed both portions of the plumbing test and has sent in his application and required documents. Now we are just waiting for the plumbing board to let us know he can start bidding for work. With 18+ years of experience in plumbing, I can't imagine that he won't do well.



TC is doing well in school, even though I am very disappointed in Ooltewah Elementary School. I think Ooltewah used to be considered one of the better schools in Hamilton Co. and after being exposed to other schools in Colorado, Idaho, and Steve being able to substitute around the school district in Hamilton Co., we both know that Ooltewah Elementary is lacking in many areas. I wish we could just send our children to private schools but I don't think that would solve the problem for all of the other children in Ooltewah going to such a poor, run down school without any new technology. Steve and I have decided that we are going to join the PTA next year. We hope that we can help bring a bit of hope to the parents of Ooltewah Elementary. Too bad the government only decides to give the funds to low income areas. Steve and I know that in order for TC and eventually our other children to keep up in society, we will have to do much of the work to help them stay ahead. READ, READ, READ!!!! We are happy with his teachers, but they can only do so much.









I know that politics is on everyone's mind right now and I guess we are all getting sick of it by now. I personally don't think that either of these men that we will be voting for can single handedly get us out of the situation we are in. I think that it is up to individuals to make better choices and make sure that we don't get ourselves in the same situation that America is in or at least be working on getting out of those situations.