tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82418820643856794802024-03-19T02:50:48.157-05:00Momma MangoSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-83261987826362960282011-08-23T01:44:00.001-05:002011-08-23T01:44:26.391-05:00Zucchini!<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5643938537881586338'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7lXAZmV4a_0/TlNMMoSRyqI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3K3yWzkN078/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />In the Spring Seth went out to buy some baby plants for our little garden. He thought he bought 3 cucumber plants, but 2 were mislabeled, because instead of cucumbers, they produced these:<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5643938593424782082'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JgXsvS2i2_8/TlNMP3MzswI/AAAAAAAAAho/XMdZMX2xm74/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Not the girl. The zucchini. Just to clarify. :)<br /><br />So lately I've been chopping zucchini, shredding zucchini, finding places to store zucchini, and giving away zucchini. (Our freezer is already full or I'd be freezing zucchini!)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5643938632609732130'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EsxoK5ZZcxc/TlNMSJLOliI/AAAAAAAAAhs/ILIpBnrkSS8/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />(Ignore the RoundUp-induced brown edging on our lawn in the background. Seth went a little nuts with the weed killer a couple weeks ago!)<br /><br />Today I made four loaves of pumpkin zucchini bread. Tomorrow I might make chocolate zucchini bread, and google some more recipes. <br /><br />What's your favorite zucchini dish? <br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-55479637566430790702011-07-30T11:29:00.001-05:002011-07-30T11:29:51.400-05:00UpdatesSince I rarely make it to the computer downstairs these days (and since my husband wiped the hard drive clean and installed Linux and now my photos and iTunes, etc. are gone), I thought I'd give this BlogPress app a try. One of the things I didn't like about posting via email is that I could only upload one photo per post. This app should remedy that. I hope. So bear with me in this test - post, please. It's going to be a sort of casserole post, with a little of this and that. :)<br /><br />First, I'd like to post a few recent photos of the kids. It's amazing to me still how fast they grow and change. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5635183366038071682'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-V4N6fW0Tf5A/TjQxajjjqYI/AAAAAAAAAg0/e1PGEg0JuR0/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />This was taken on Mother's Day, after my kiddos picked a bunch of "Daddy-lions" for me. Aren't they sweet? <br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5635183386429058242'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-h-OHLO-PG6w/TjQxbvhJbMI/AAAAAAAAAg4/5jOyM45W09E/s288/3.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Ethan is nine, and will be starting 4th grade in September. His current interests include reading "The 39 Clues" series. He is on book nine now, I believe. He also enjoys Rick Riordan books, riding his bike, playing Wii games, and consuming larger and larger quantities of food. (Hm, growth spurt approaching?)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5635183401176176050'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DgksCtIxrMk/TjQxcmdIlbI/AAAAAAAAAg8/GsdxjcJLRJY/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Kibby is 5 and will start Kindergarten. This photo was taken right after she cut her hair and Ruby's at the end of January. See how proud she looks? Not cool. Mommy was not proud. (Ruby's looked much worse!) As it turns out, though, this is one of my favorite photos of Kibby! It's very rare to get her to look at the camera and look happy at the same time! She finished up preschool in May & June (she attended 2 of them with the program she was in through the school district.) It was bittersweet to attend her little "graduation" ceremonies. She had a really great teacher this year and we're all going to miss her! We don't find out until the end of August which teacher she'll have for this year, and I'm trying not to be anxious about that. :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5635183419408346450'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kh0T0D5uD-o/TjQxdqYBbVI/AAAAAAAAAhA/WMUnh1SM_UQ/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Ruby is 3, and still our mischievous little entertainer. I'm seriously considering starting some type of homeschool preschool with her in the Fall during the hours while Kibby is in school, but maybe only 3-4 days a week. I'd like to teach her to read. And keep her curious little mind busy and out of trouble - at least for part of the day!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/113341702780852226289/ProfilePhotos#5635183436352171058'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uafemLufSq4/TjQxepfvrDI/AAAAAAAAAhE/w7VZ6pY5xVE/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Ean, still the baby (he is nearly 21 months now), is still Momma's little boy. He loves to snuggle an play and laugh and tease. It's so fun to see his sense of humor develop. He is talking some... He says about 10 words, maybe? Mum-ma, dadda, no, up!, all-gone, go!, okay!, Nana, Bumpa (the kids' word for Grandpa), uh-oh, and ow. That's all that I can think of right now. He isn't putting 2 words together yet, though. He is very loud, very vocal, and likes to point and say, "OH!!" and babble gibberish (in an excited tone) at things. He has about 10 teeth and is learning to sleep through the night better again. (He had a rough spot there for awhile!)<br /><br />The kids are trying to stay busy this summer. Parks, Bookmobile, the zoo, going to the beach, camping, parades, visits and playdates with friends, time with family... and boxes and boxes of Popsicles! <br /><br />As crazy as day-to-day life is, I'm really going to miss them in the Fall and am glad for several more weeks of laid-back morning routines before the hectic school days start up again. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-14429625797882850042011-07-03T20:26:00.007-05:002011-07-03T21:42:54.580-05:00Beef Salad!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well hello, my long neglected blog! And blog rea</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ders - if any of you are still out there! :)<br />It has come to my attention just now that my previous post, written waaayyyy back in February, was my 100th post. And I didn't even know it. I was blogging from my phone and never knew.<br /><br />Sooo, in honor of my 100th post, my 101st post will be about one of my favorite things.<br /><br />Beef Salad.<br /><br />Yum.<br /><br />My Facebook friends have been patiently waitin</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">g for me to post the recipe to my husband's delicious recipe. I've tried posting it on here before, but may have gotten the sauce a bit wrong. Let's just say he's had more experience lately in making it so he's pretty much perfected it.<br /><br />And it truly is perfection. Without further babbling.... her</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">e is the "recipe" for </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">our Beef Salad:<br /><br />The ingredients. (This makes a pretty big batch, probably enough for about 8 big servings):<br />~ a big, lean chunk of beef steak. Pick your favorite, but not too thick of a cut.<br />~ fresh veggies. Specifically these:<br />~ cucumbers<br />~ bell peppers (I personally think the more colors the better!)<br />~ red onion<br />~ tomato<br />~ mushrooms (fresh. white or baby bellas wor</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">k w</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ell)<br />~ fresh cilantro<br />~ fresh, sweet Thai basil. It has a purplish flowe</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">r at the tip. Might be hard to find outside of an Asian grocery.)<br />~ Jalapeno or thai chili peppers<br />~ about 4 fresh limes<br />~ a few fresh garlic cloves<br />~ fish sauce (Friendly warning - don't sniff the open bottle. It reeks, but TRUST me, you need this! Here is a photo of the kind we use.)<span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1w2-9vGYZk4NAMmR-N_fYfTZbITg533YE-iEl1xSV702zmXXpV-szmu9qsi9_3glqhvYz9i4cHCaaS8zp4EdNMiyrv3Wq2iJ7v-SFNtPieQkNhGmYXM-rBhbZxH3CxroP5grIOe1u2HS/s1600/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1608.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1w2-9vGYZk4NAMmR-N_fYfTZbITg533YE-iEl1xSV702zmXXpV-szmu9qsi9_3glqhvYz9i4cHCaaS8zp4EdNMiyrv3Wq2iJ7v-SFNtPieQkNhGmYXM-rBhbZxH3CxroP5grIOe1u2HS/s400/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625313620493940770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span></span></span></span>~ chili garlic sauce (available in most stores, Again, here is the kind we use.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHy4rUseNIqwodP3JEm2DjNvGhr2GRN3QXZGo8hRGgZKKpIqimHgWfpC2SgljmzTeeu1BZ9p2qINwh5LtJ5klsYh95r6JWPmUwkblpKTmoAB9Bf6n5WYrI_v-M85ND1Z-ecpsIDp1Zp3Ah/s1600/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1609.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHy4rUseNIqwodP3JEm2DjNvGhr2GRN3QXZGo8hRGgZKKpIqimHgWfpC2SgljmzTeeu1BZ9p2qINwh5LtJ5klsYh95r6JWPmUwkblpKTmoAB9Bf6n5WYrI_v-M85ND1Z-ecpsIDp1Zp3Ah/s400/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625313629478672290" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />~ a little white granulated or raw sugar<br />~ a little salt<br />~ steamed jasmine rice<br /><br /><br />Begin by slicing up your veggies into thin strips. Add the fresh cilantro and basil. We usually put them in a couple bowls, and it looks like this when all done:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK73o7mdB2FWhHI6PcZ5F_E7djmm3w4KpMPuY117ey10voVuoruyjwD7Cqv1O_CpdvSWzdK231cQICVZelk8uN3BMLHp5OiBcbLRlVNndwGy4c0slx_ZqI1lvtquZJWMuo4d9MPtxi9kc/s1600/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1600.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK73o7mdB2FWhHI6PcZ5F_E7djmm3w4KpMPuY117ey10voVuoruyjwD7Cqv1O_CpdvSWzdK231cQICVZelk8uN3BMLHp5OiBcbLRlVNndwGy4c0slx_ZqI1lvtquZJWMuo4d9MPtxi9kc/s400/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625312057314312546" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />Next, if you have 2 people, one can grill the steak and the other can make the sauce. If only one person, make the sauce first. Or whatever. Live on the edge and grill first if you like. :) Grill the steak just until it's still a little pink in the middle but no longer bloody. When done, slice it into thin, bite-sized strips. Set it aside if you don't have the sauce ready.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and don't forget to cook your rice. Not that</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I ever forget to do that... a-hem....<br /><br />For the sauce, begin by smashing up the garlic cloves into a near paste-like consistency. Roll your limes to soften them to get the most juice out of them. Or let your kids drop them and play with them while you're slicing the veggies like we do. :) Squeeze the juice into a bowl with the garlic and add about 1/2 cup of fish sauce. Hold your breath if you have to. ;) Add 3 tablespoons of the chili garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar. If you want it spicier, you can mince the jalapeno or thai chilies and add them right into the sauce.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdMEUm9mvUiKnvcuXjvvwkzE6dCLs9pza8zLhwo_btyQF0uhZ_4YNzwp85dsNg9tWnl3goNmNt8ycHQyhu4xm9hkVlpTGubY_WlPeprlCDQQ2c_0QbcddmVTwBkKQvO24HcldYOeCCJtU/s1600/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1575.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdMEUm9mvUiKnvcuXjvvwkzE6dCLs9pza8zLhwo_btyQF0uhZ_4YNzwp85dsNg9tWnl3goNmNt8ycHQyhu4xm9hkVlpTGubY_WlPeprlCDQQ2c_0QbcddmVTwBkKQvO24HcldYOeCCJtU/s400/Susan+iPhone+2010-11+1575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625318937346960626" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Once the sauce is mixed up, add the beef strips and marinate them for a bit. Then, add it all to the bowls of veggies and mix it up. Let it sit for a few minutes (if you can, this is the hardest part for me!) to let the flavor develop a bit more. Serve over fresh steamed rice.<br /><br />Enjoy! And let me know what you think if you try it! :)<br /></span></span>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-75417919556325853252011-02-01T01:46:00.000-06:002011-02-01T07:37:12.447-06:00Five!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCYOC2OK9Wfj-8F7PK68UYfUzD1Mrhok3xNhM8DhFRRy-IpJ5U4wrqWHfbeVr8udSe0eLv827_jEpeuC_8eD8ca2ONysLzcnq1J-qdOyhGTLG252bbyWVQywTMuTV6FSHdUryiDlRHwAW/s1600/photo-732448.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCYOC2OK9Wfj-8F7PK68UYfUzD1Mrhok3xNhM8DhFRRy-IpJ5U4wrqWHfbeVr8udSe0eLv827_jEpeuC_8eD8ca2ONysLzcnq1J-qdOyhGTLG252bbyWVQywTMuTV6FSHdUryiDlRHwAW/s320/photo-732448.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568714724687331090" /></a></p>Someday I'll get back to blogging more often than just for birthdays! I hope. I miss it!<p>I had to post about our sweet Kibby, though. She turned 5 last week, and had a fun pink birthday complete with a pink cake with pink frosting and pink sprinkles. (She's a bit fond of the pink, yes.) :) <p>Today we were at the doctor's for check-ups, and I was reminded that my sanity is fragile. I took 3/4 of the kids by myself while Ethan (my oldest, 8 yrs old) was in school. It wouldn't have been stressful if the appointment wasn't for all 3 of them. Small room. Bored kiddos. Hungry kiddos. Dressing and undressing themselves kiddos. (The gowns were quite the novelty.) Hearing and vision screens that weren't gonna fly for my dear autistic girl. Trying to help her be cooperative while holding a squirming, hungry 15-month-old and keeping a curious 3-year-old from: stealing all the gum from my purse, squirting out the entire contents of the big pump-bottle of hand sanitizer on the desk, and touching every single item in the room (yeah both girls had to try out the reflex hammer for themselves.) <br>Two hours in this little bitty room. They should consider padding the walls.<br>Did I mention all 3 needed shots? <br>That's a story for another day. For now, it's enough to be able to type this as proof that I survived. :)Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-30005027833249554022010-11-19T09:26:00.000-06:002010-11-19T09:42:36.614-06:00One!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZZRQEpq-_FofpEhQoSiyxCeDQMnpT7wkL3HARmN89kbRYQV0nX44c_ub_PoiWEvcIE7lBcQjS2flDS3WGSg3iv5ltdzeJztTsH6xTSkV8twohq-66r3AmhUlqWiaOYXLEUOJqOaoLOVZ/s1600/photo-756615.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZZRQEpq-_FofpEhQoSiyxCeDQMnpT7wkL3HARmN89kbRYQV0nX44c_ub_PoiWEvcIE7lBcQjS2flDS3WGSg3iv5ltdzeJztTsH6xTSkV8twohq-66r3AmhUlqWiaOYXLEUOJqOaoLOVZ/s320/photo-756615.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541286735391098450" /></a></p>My baby turned one earlier this month! I am so late in posting about it because we've all been sick with some nasty flu bug lately. The kids are all doing much better, but I am still recovering and Seth just came down with it last night. <br>Ean's party was attended by his grandparents, cousins, aunt & uncle. His grandparents were here for the weekend of Halloween so we had the party for Ean and Ruby together on October 30th. The kids had a fun weekend filled with cake, candy, pizza, costumes and family. <p>I guess that's as much as I can blog this morning, since I just woke up Ean by blowing my nose. (Yes, poor child to wake up to what probably sounded like a foghorn!)<p>Happy Birthday, my sweet baby Ean! I love you!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-45626743932264583812010-10-28T07:17:00.001-05:002010-10-28T07:17:26.013-05:00Three!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4Gx0alpVPW11NDZsPtnpijhR4VAzoiiB_gs8Qcx-OSWKW9E7ztRTLH97ElBjDCRqCrLuWJLfkV99aNJVG3UeowEaOwWALIiG2dBLuMWIgx4hOsB7vt4DQy986kR1BCHm5qxNt5dDrNbm/s1600/photo-746014.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4Gx0alpVPW11NDZsPtnpijhR4VAzoiiB_gs8Qcx-OSWKW9E7ztRTLH97ElBjDCRqCrLuWJLfkV99aNJVG3UeowEaOwWALIiG2dBLuMWIgx4hOsB7vt4DQy986kR1BCHm5qxNt5dDrNbm/s320/photo-746014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533069986509161842" /></a></p>Look who just turned 3! <br>Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet 3rd-born! :) I love you, Ruby!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-13345493178884746042010-10-12T10:01:00.000-05:002010-10-12T10:10:26.882-05:00Ahhhhh.... I love Fall!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtIP1_SGRImBH5deGT8-zaxDFI-OJbXobTrz9Qyidz3kFGOWbtl0xCBmi-h25f_VvJNBLPLiHYrkZL5pttuanl5hDNz-MWQ-YRocrFofGLaVzVNr2ASRDrOP9jCeJx47vQorYTqsSDxSU/s1600/photo-726883.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtIP1_SGRImBH5deGT8-zaxDFI-OJbXobTrz9Qyidz3kFGOWbtl0xCBmi-h25f_VvJNBLPLiHYrkZL5pttuanl5hDNz-MWQ-YRocrFofGLaVzVNr2ASRDrOP9jCeJx47vQorYTqsSDxSU/s320/photo-726883.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527177212290134770" /></a></p>I'm hoping this doesn't double post... I'm still working out the kinks of this blogging-from-my-phone thing. This here is "take two" this morning. <p>This photo was taken a little over a week ago at a local park. It has a small zoo which my kids think is great. The girls have already been asking to go back. I wish I knew if there was a way to send more than one photo in an email from my iPhone (anyone know?) because I have more photos I'd like to share, but it seems silly to publish a new post for each one. <p>That said, this photo was my attempt at a picture of all four kids I the Fall leaves. Let me tell you it was WORK to get this one, even! I had to get an updated photo of the kids on here, though, and the park seemed like a good setting.<p>I love Fall. The colors, the coolness, the smell of wood stoves, bonfires, and crispy leaves... Pumpkins and apples and baking... Mmm. Good stuff. <p><br>Until next time,Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-91441347379145456562010-10-07T01:00:00.000-05:002010-10-07T01:01:14.668-05:00Mobile blogging test!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPOlZWdutWc84IuJivRRLLcZgHW8mfYJepn1GVq47EBlu1t7TtHnCU98XFj0xrCVOBGIsTAxHwF6vmtpDdX-p-4D76fMQFOo-yVb2T9JvA6wiGRwxDwGKJsVh3lWA7ffR_e3uZiwCSohw/s1600/photo-774669.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPOlZWdutWc84IuJivRRLLcZgHW8mfYJepn1GVq47EBlu1t7TtHnCU98XFj0xrCVOBGIsTAxHwF6vmtpDdX-p-4D76fMQFOo-yVb2T9JvA6wiGRwxDwGKJsVh3lWA7ffR_e3uZiwCSohw/s320/photo-774669.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525180254987623970" /></a></p>Testing 123! I'm trying to figure out how to send some posts directly from my phone, in hopes that I can blog more frequently! <br>For now, here's a peek at our youngest little mango! (This picture was taken in late August!) <br> :)Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-28599210529987566032010-07-04T15:33:00.005-05:002010-07-19T19:18:20.991-05:00Soon?Maybe I should have mentioned in my last post that "coming soon" was a relative term. :) Where oh where did the past month GO?<br /><br />Even now as I sit down to type, the baby (8 months old now!) is starting to fuss. Figures.<br /><br />Ok, 20 minute break to feed baby and put him down for a nap. Now where was I?<br /><br />Right. Catching up... Will I ever be caught up? Maybe when my kids are all in school full-time? That will be in about 5 years.<br /><br />********************<br /><br />The above was written a couple of weeks ago already. Seriously, the Summer is flying by so fast I can't believe it. Between a bored 8-year-old, a tantruming 4-year-old, a strong-willed, potty-training 2 & 1/2 year old, and a newly-crawling 8-month-old, life is chaotic to say the least.<br /><br />What have we been up to? Here it is in a nutshell. Yes, the condensed version is all I seem to find time for lately. Sorry.<br /><br />Seth has been job-hunting. He was a contractor at a company that no longer renews contracts beyond 2 years, so as of June 30th, he has joined the Unemployed. No fun there. He spends hours searching for jobs, tweaking his resume and writing cover letters. He has had several phone interviews, but so far no face-to-face interviews. So he is busy searching and doing all that. It takes a lot of computer time! (Therefore, since that takes priority, most of my computer time lately has been from my phone, and I don't do well with typing on that little iPhone keyboard, so this is a treat to use the laptop uninterrupted for a bit!)<br /><br />Ethan is bored. He is always asking if I will play a game with him, or if he can play on my iPod, or if we can go to the beach / park / library / restaurant , etc. We have been going to the beach quite a bit. I need to get him in swimming lessons. He loves the water and wants to learn to swim. He also loves science and wants to do science projects around the house. He is always asking if we have vinegar so he can make a volcano, or blow up a balloon, or make crystals, etc. He is reading about space and wants to look at the moon through his telescope. He is interested in cooking and wants to help me bake (which I haven't done much of due to all the warm, humid days!) Yesterday he told me he thinks he'd like to be a chef when he grows up. Although this may come from watching Ratatoullie a lot lately!<br /><br />Kibby misses school. She always asks to "go to school and see Ms. Julie" (her teacher this past year). She also wants to go to church several times a week. She was evaluated at the Clinic again, this time by a psychologist. (She was referred back in January but it just took this long to get her in! 6 months!) Anyway, the Clinic did some testing and decided not to redo the ADOS test for Autism that the school district had already done over the Winter because after reviewing the report saw no reason to re-test. That meant only 2 hours at the appointment instead of four! Yay! The recommendation was that Kibby stay in Special Ed preschool with the speech therapy included, but to consider adding Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy as well. From what I understand this is a pretty intense one-on-one therapy, recommended for 20-25 hours (or sometimes up to 40 hours) a week with a qualified therapist. They work on developing adaptive behaviors while decreasing target behaviors by breaking goals and tasks down into smaller tasks for the child, and rewarding each small success, thereby increasing the likelihood of the child repeating the desired behavior. (Does that make sense?)<br />So we are looking into that for her. There are waiting lists and insurance hurdles, so it's been a process already. We are also looking into getting her a caseworker to help us navigate all of this, and to get the most help for her right now when she is young.<br /><br />Ruby is 2 and a half, and is our drama queen, silly entertainer, and definitely a strong-willed child! She loves to watch movies, play outside, go to the park, to church, and to go swimming at the beach. She always asks for her "swimming soup". I love that so much I don't want to correct her! Is that bad? :) She is currently learning to use the potty, and isn't too thrilled so far. She will hold it in and beg for a diaper. Um, yeah. It's a work in progress, but I thought it might be easier to train her now before Ean starts walking!<br /><br />Which brings me to Ean! He started crawling a couple weeks ago, and is getting to be speedy already! My gut is telling me he will not walk at 9 months like all of his siblings, and I have to say that makes me happy a little. :) I am NOT ready for that yet! Even though it's exciting to see them reach new milestones and it might have been cool to say "all my kids walked at 9 months" - I now know that they already are growing too fast and won't mind my baby slowing down a bit! He is starting to try to pull himself up on furniture already, though, and we have found him pushed up onto his hands and feet (instead of hands and knees) when crawling, which I find amusing. I should point out that he doesn't actually move then. He stays that way until he remembers how to get back down on his knees or topples over. :)<br />He likes to "dance" when he hears music, too. When he is crawling and hears music, he kind of bops up and down a little. It's hard to describe exactly, but so cute.<br /><br />Whew! The laundry is calling once again, as Ean just overflowed his diaper in the baby swing. (Yeah, he still likes the swing! Unreal, but the weight limit is 25 lbs, and he doesn't try to climb out of it, so we've let him enjoy it as long as he wants to so far.)<br /><br />Until next time! Forgive me for not proofreading - if there are typos I hope you'll all understand! I still have photos to post, so the next one will probably be mostly cuteness and less words. :) Hope you're all enjoying your Summer!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-90004742473015503162010-06-09T16:27:00.002-05:002010-06-09T16:35:58.434-05:00Coming Soon...Yesterday I had to go to a mandatory training for work. Seth took the morning off, and my parents were visiting, so it worked out perfectly for childcare so I could go. The topic was Autism. Some of the people my company supports have some type of ASD so it was meant to educate the employees on the subject. <br />To be honest, I didn't learn much that I could use at work. What I did take away from it was a lot more personal, since Kibby was diagnosed with Autism in February by the school district. (She goes in later this month for more extensive developmental testing through the clinic here, so we will soon have their input as well.)<br />I will post more about what I learned in a future post. (Soon!)<br />Also coming up, look for a birthday post! Yes, Ethan turned 8 over the weekend! :)<br />Until then,Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-18123336617692614692010-06-02T16:32:00.005-05:002010-06-02T17:51:38.634-05:00Out of the Mouths of Moms<a title="”OutOfTheMouthsOfMoms" by="" on="" href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.mycharmingkids.net%E2%80%9D" mce_href="”http://www.mycharmingkids.net”"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/4617261821_e4be59a732_o.png%E2%80%9D" mce_src="”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/4617261821_e4be59a732_o.png”" alt="”OutOfTheMouthsOfMoms”" width="”300″" /></a><br /><br />So, today I see that <a href="http://mckmama.com">MckMam</a><a href="http://mckmama.com">a</a> posted another <a href="http://mycharmingkids.net/2010/06/out-of-the-mouths-of-moms/">"Out of the Mouths of Moms" post on her blog</a>. I LOVE this. Honestly, I should really start keeping better track of the things I hear myself saying to my kids. I was just thinking the other day: "Oh, that would be a GOOD one for a Out of the Mouths of Moms post!!"<br /><br />And so here's my chance to write about it.<br /><br />Except I can't remember most of them! Ugh! I'm going to designate a notebook for just this!<br /><br />Here are some that I do remember...<br /><br />"Because it's not okay to play outside without clothes on! Yes, even in the pool. That is what your swimming suit is for. Yes, I know I have to wash it, but that doesn't mean you can go without one! Here's a towel. Let's cover up and go inside and put some dry clothes on. Yes, because the neighbors do not need to see your bare bottom." (Repeat a few days later. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sigh</span>.)<br /><br />"No, Baby Ean doesn't like it when you poke his eyes. Yes, that is why he is crying. You wouldn't like to have your eyes poked at either, would you? No, you wouldn't. No, really, you wouldn't. It would hurt. Hey, stop poking your eyes! WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU?!?!"<br /><br />"Sorry, we can't have your birthday party at Sea World. Yes, you're right, it would be a little pricey." (We live nowhere near Florida!)<br /><br />"Because that what Kleenex is for. Yes, I know I can just vacuum again, but I don't want to. Please get a Kleenex."<br /><br />"No, Ruby, that isn't Yoda. It's a picture of your cousin!"<br /><br />"No, we don't eat Play-Doh. Because it's not food. I know it's purple and you like purple, but it is still not okay to eat it!"<br /><br />"Please put your clothes back on." (repeat several times daily).<br /><br />"Kibby, we don't talk like that. No, I don't think princesses talk like that, either. Why is that funny?"<br /><br />"No, Daddy did not puke. Please stop saying that. I don't think Daddy has ever puked. What in the world brought that up?"<br /><br />"Why did you yell at Ethan to 'go to China'? Are you mad at him? Do you even know where China is? <span style="font-style: italic;">Where do you learn this stuff?!</span>"<br /><br />"Yes, I know you tooted. Because I heard it. What should you say? No, not that. Do you remember what to say? No, not that! <span style="font-style: italic;">(sigh)</span> Please say excuse me!"<br /><br />"Yes, Baby Ean is cute when he sneezes, and I know the sudden bright light makes him sneeze, but you can't keep turning on the light when he is trying to sleep just so he will have a sneeze-attack. Because it's not nice, that's why!"<br /><br /><br />Okay, so maybe I remembered more than I thought I would!<br /><br />What have you heard yourself saying lately that you never thought you'd hear leave your mouth? Please share! :)Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-57024303754955450462010-05-08T19:18:00.003-05:002010-05-08T19:35:20.827-05:00Sisters<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Proof that they don't always fight:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtcbWHTQD4FkWSqeAP_8RjijOxRP5zFCmkHDum7e-3OzwTDJE7lPFe27P2v4k-KJruxadRiaStLRNJy_2PJhJc2iKU47w0xr9SOhTGKeCB4p_kJEn2ia4vrijWrPpNPsMSrZ9u8Y9j9UP/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtcbWHTQD4FkWSqeAP_8RjijOxRP5zFCmkHDum7e-3OzwTDJE7lPFe27P2v4k-KJruxadRiaStLRNJy_2PJhJc2iKU47w0xr9SOhTGKeCB4p_kJEn2ia4vrijWrPpNPsMSrZ9u8Y9j9UP/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469059683758887778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MuNKXEvZn48mlJYSE_oDkL7InKRpsaDUPdQ7xLKpNi_kzRBCXbex343-g3ACvMSgJJ9GmusK3YysiHnw7f_iWVRhmMtWyCttxY0B4DpgW5fdjljR3wNi8TNt7FZPDIgiA0p8UyucMKcD/s1600/013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MuNKXEvZn48mlJYSE_oDkL7InKRpsaDUPdQ7xLKpNi_kzRBCXbex343-g3ACvMSgJJ9GmusK3YysiHnw7f_iWVRhmMtWyCttxY0B4DpgW5fdjljR3wNi8TNt7FZPDIgiA0p8UyucMKcD/s400/013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469059677164594162" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Kibby is learning to tolerate her sister, and even play with her. It's what I've been hoping for, that they would become best friends. It's heading that way... Of course they still fight and squabble over things on a daily (even hourly) basis, but I am starting to see more love and caring between them, too.</div><div>If Kibby gets an owie, Ruby wants to kiss it all better. If Kibby accidentally hurts Ruby, she is now saying, "sorry, Ruby." without prompting. Heartwarming.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYtrgLFy-QYKJaxQuugHWjsOAfOAC2R0izYN3x9aiJJM__DmXuObd3YtQ5OBWQF_usyDfDHb65JsIuaQmmmEk0tQQI1YVR0fgWg-Iqkf5RgGvz8AK2wE-BvQhclT9SMxCEB59WUeVJGk2/s400/009.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>This may not seem like much, but even a few months ago, Kibby mostly wanted nothing to do with Ruby. She would ignore her or fight with her, but very rarely show her any love, interest, or compassion. To see this starting to change does my heart good! :) There is hope! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwI7Gy6DhrQwrzooRK7gf0QQihbkjZmNg7Wy0CLaMpStjzeoF3YBPICi2qL5SgAGyf10KMIG96DFz24Mh99W1Sh9_0D16sL2NQppU7MtHcbcTVdBoZe6xo66AdsLCImTc1nJtJCqLe6xBD/s400/017.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sisterly love. :)</div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-2074685907877560562010-05-04T19:33:00.002-05:002010-05-04T19:45:17.319-05:00Happy Half-Birthday, Ean!Yesterday my baby turned 6 months old. Wow. I don't know where the past half year went. It seems like I just brought him home from the hospital a few weeks ago! What's strange is that now that six months have passed, and I look back, there were times when I thought time was d.r.a.g.g.i.n.g. I remember thinking at times that I couldn't wait until he was doing this or that... like holding his head up better, or learning to self-soothe, or sleep through the night, or roll over, or play in the exersaucer. (Ok, so mainly the sleeping through the night thing...) :)<br />But now, today, it is bittersweet. The year is going so fast suddenly. Before I know it, he will be running and climbing with his siblings. All of our kids have walked within a week (either way) of the 9-month mark, so it really seems unreal that in 3 months it's a very real possibility that he will be walking, too. Again, Wow.<br /><br />Here's a rundown of what he is doing now:<br /><br />* Sitting up for longer and longer periods of time without support.<br />* Smiling at EVERYONE. (He's such a charmer!)<br />* Pivoting around on his hands and tummy when we put him on the floor.<br />* Playing with his toes a lot.<br />* Putting all of his toys in his mouth.<br />* Trying rice cereal (but he doesn't really like it!)<br />* Wanting to stand up on our laps when we hold him (as opposed to sitting in our lap).<br />* Babbling and talking more and more. He "says" quite a few different sounds.<br />* <i>Usually</i> sleeping through the night! (HOORAY!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I took a video of him in the backyard on Easter, and I'll try to post it here:<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSXHbwxdQbuMkFn8X1jigjW-IL3-fkeAgCd2joPdS5KfGd5fmq7Fz59lfYDfjkddlwo9sXEVWOgwgBiEfVyQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was his first time feeling the grass under him, and he didn't think much of it. And he let us know! :)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here is our sweet boy today. Er, yesterday, actually. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HcUGIo9S14MO-GQ0VPVHvmfDpMvaMzCRM1Hg-VSvvgw10OtlSBv03j-duG2UKRfu5sysD54cZiuJcC5sX4SmlwQA6YzBmKJTNGrqbhHFncrRVRRn7zInUc3-FhHqmfD_Y8nw3avPMpNS/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HcUGIo9S14MO-GQ0VPVHvmfDpMvaMzCRM1Hg-VSvvgw10OtlSBv03j-duG2UKRfu5sysD54cZiuJcC5sX4SmlwQA6YzBmKJTNGrqbhHFncrRVRRn7zInUc3-FhHqmfD_Y8nw3avPMpNS/s320/032.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy 6-month-birthday, Ean! We love you very much!</div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-67771554311868138872010-05-01T13:16:00.008-05:002010-05-03T09:52:40.351-05:00Well Hello There!Yes, I'm alive!<br />Life is so chaotic lately that I feel as though I barely have time to breathe some days. Everytime I blink someone needs a fresh diaper, or a drink of water, or has made a mess to clean up, or is in tears because Mommy said, "no more movies today!"<br />And so, the toast gets forgotten in the toaster. The beds go unmade. The laundry piles up (partly thanks to our dryer breaking for a week!), the emails go unread, the dishes get done every other day at best, and, the blog posts go unwritten! Some days we even just have breakfast for dinner because it's so much simpler to make!<br /><br />You'd think that things would go more smoothly around here with only 2 kids home 4 mornings a week now that Kibby is in preschool. But no. Mornings are a rush of trying to pry children from their pillows, get their faces washed and hair combed, backpacks and tummies filled, shoes found (matching ones, even!) By the time I get the two older ones out the door, the baby is crying and the toddler is awake, and *poof* goes any hope of spending some time online!<br /><br />So here I am, trying to get a post up after a 2-month break. And it has taken me 2 days to type this much.<br /><br />Some things I want to mention before I get back to the diaper-changings:<br /><br />1) Anyone notice the updated picture in the heading? The other picture was 18 months old already and was missing Ean! So I had a few minor changes made to my blog. <a href="http://thedesigngirlstudio.blogspot.com/">Danielle (The Design Girl)</a> updated my pic, created a button for me, and switched the layout to a 3-column. Much nicer, I think! Thanks Danielle! :)<br /><br />2) I changed my blog address. We are no longer FIVE mangoes, so I didn't feel that address was appropriate anymore. I am still having trouble getting things worked out to link from my old address to this new one. Some Blogger issue, I am told?<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Will-Carry-You-Sacred-Dance/dp/080546428X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272897910&sr=1-1">Angie Smith's book, I Will Carry You</a>, is out! Yay! For those of you familiar with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com">Angie and her story</a>, you may have been waiting patiently with the thousands of us... and it's finally available. Angie is the wife of <a href="http://toddsmithonline.wordpress.com/">Todd Smith</a> of <a href="http://selahonline.com/">Selah</a>, and her book is about their daughter Audrey Caroline. If you or someone you know has experienced the devastation of losing an infant (or child of any age), I know Angie's story will minister to you as she shares her journey through grief and where her strength and hope come from. I think God is going to do great things through this book. Angie has a gift for writing and relating to others in a way I never will, and I love her heart and willingness to share her story.<br /><br />4) More posts coming SOON. I promise they will be less wordy and definitely cuter. :) Also coming up is an update on Kibby and how school is going for her, and Ean's 6-month post. (WOW!)Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-61057265302767997592010-02-15T14:06:00.013-06:002010-02-18T14:26:36.563-06:00AnswersWell, we finally have some answers about our Kibby. After months of tests and evaluations and screenings, of waiting lists and wondering. It has taken a long time, but we think she will be able to get some help now, and for that we are glad. It will be worth the wait.<br /><br />We met Thursday with the team from the school district that has been doing her most recent evaluations. They tested her for several things: academic and cognitive abilities, vision, communication, and autism. In the midst of this, Kibby also saw a nurse practitioner from the department of developmental & behavioral pediatrics here in town. (She had been on a wait list since the end of August!) She also saw a social worker at the clinic to determine what type of an evaluation she would need by them, and an audiologist to test her hearing.<br /><br />What had prompted all of this testing was her history of delayed speech, strange use of language when she did begin to speak, and other developmental... oddities, for lack of a better word. This led us to get her tested for some type of developmental disorder, and we began this process last Fall, after an attempt at doing an Early Childhood check-in was a flop. They weren't able to screen her. I have written some about these things in <a href="http://fivemangoes.blogspot.com/search/label/Kibby%27s%20speech%20%2F%20language">previous posts</a>, but it has been a while since I've updated on this because I didn't have anything concrete to share. I didn't have any diagnosis or test results to report, just my gut feeling, and I've already shared that.<br /><br />Well, now I have something to report. And research. It's name?<br /><br />Autism.<br /><br />It wasn't the crushing blow it could have been, only because I already suspected it. Not to say that it was nothing to see it on paper next to Kibby's name. It wasn't. However, I am optimistic that the help Kibby will be able to get will enable her succeed far beyond what I can do alone at home. (Not that I am ever alone... with 4 kids, it's rare to ever be <span style="font-style: italic;">truly</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">alone</span> in the house!) I am still processing how I feel about all of this, and all that goes along with this diagnosis. I'm also doing some research. I was a bit surprised at Kibby's scores on the autism test... we all pretty much expected her to test on the higher-functioning end, and she didn't. This doesn't mean she is low-functioning necessarily, either. She did score "far below average" in a few categories. She is a bit of a puzzle, and we're trying to figure it all out yet. He scores <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> be skewed a bit due to her problem with auditory processing, or could be completely accurate. The team once was fairly certain it wasn't autism, but after testing her and seeing her results, feel that they got accurate information and the results are correct. She will be re-evaluated at the end of Kindergarten to see if she still qualifies for services.<br /><br />Kibby also qualifies for services for a language disorder. Which sounds pretty general, to me, but I'm not sure how you could narrow that down for her, either. He use of language is unique and odd, sometimes embarrassing, or even downright funny.<br /><br />We have one more meeting to go before Kibby will start preschool. We will be prioritizing goals for Kibby and meeting with the teachers and observing her classroom. She will go four mornings per week, following the regular school year. For me, right now, the hardest part about her attending school is her transportation. I have to admit it kind of freaks me out to put my 4-year-old child on a bus or van with a stranger, for a nearly 20-minute ride (each way, not including other stops the bus may make) for four days a week. What about car seats? Do they have them? I have so many questions and things to figure out. We do have the option to drive her ourselves, of course, but I'm not sure how that would work with Ethan's bus schedule. I know I shouldn't worry about it, especially when I don't know the details yet. Deep breath, Susan... deeeep breath...<br /><br />There. That's better.<br /><br />I'll post another update when I have her appointment set up and I know when she'll be starting school! Whoa, it feels strange to type that. Ethan never went to preschool, so I'm not used to this. I always thought I'd have her at home until she was five and a half! <span style="font-style: italic;">*sniff*</span><br /><br />***Update - I have her meeting set up for March 1st, and Kibby will begin school on March 2nd! I'm not sure I'm ready for this! I'm excited for her and nervous all at the same time. ***Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-59038859239177587892010-01-27T17:00:00.018-06:002010-01-27T19:05:27.579-06:00Birthday Girl!<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday, Kibby!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2KDqrvGSnRYQUpiiv8YqNfJXS9AqHhiXc9ASAwUZBPOhqNoiktXEUn7MpkJVmA7y7hDtyuKxf9Vd-DPcZBo0pFZ3YkpQmWoC8DPbDd7e-_Qzd6LfaxUh7pi4NnIrltRKdkura_NLOCVi/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2KDqrvGSnRYQUpiiv8YqNfJXS9AqHhiXc9ASAwUZBPOhqNoiktXEUn7MpkJVmA7y7hDtyuKxf9Vd-DPcZBo0pFZ3YkpQmWoC8DPbDd7e-_Qzd6LfaxUh7pi4NnIrltRKdkura_NLOCVi/s400/022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431559146895699314" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday was Kibby's birthday. Here she is telling us all how old she is!<br />Anybody notice what's missing?<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj2Pje7poAiZK3p_89e3SUtwBu3OKrWhMbRnVeii6D55HsAdXfygFCRmSJd6uXXyeYByCd5v2b4ej847b_guxxv9RIH8JiN8UzbMePxnfneSFxGXexNqQInwSXZu8TIswyzcvMbwWAxtn/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj2Pje7poAiZK3p_89e3SUtwBu3OKrWhMbRnVeii6D55HsAdXfygFCRmSJd6uXXyeYByCd5v2b4ej847b_guxxv9RIH8JiN8UzbMePxnfneSFxGXexNqQInwSXZu8TIswyzcvMbwWAxtn/s400/005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431559150950429298" border="0" /></a>Two of her gifts - Strawberry Shortcake dolls.<br /><br /><br /><br />She loves Strawberry Shortcake. She watches the 2 Strawberry Shortcake DVDs that she owns all the time! (I do mean all. the. time!) One of them is called Strawberry Shortcake, Berry Big Journeys. (I won it for her from my <a href="http://sassyfrazz.blogspot.com/">friend Sarah's blog</a>. Thanks, Sarah!) Kibby loves to watch it, and she calls it "Strawberry Shortcake Big Germs". :)<br /><br />She also got some Color Wonder paint & marker kits. She loves to draw and paint and color. She had gotten some Color Wonder stuff from her grandparents for Christmas and has been coloring pictures a lot lately. Since Christmas, when she wants to color, she will tell me, "I just want markers for Christmas, I just want to draw!" all in one breath, rushed together. It's the same phrase, said in the same tone, every time. That's just how Kibby is.<br /><br /><br />Here is some of her recent artwork:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqXCOruyv9mNTHbaUXakROPeEd3GSRR5cuzvk0pEjpfVPTseu0CCq6tOoGHYJ76Nfn2cm4Z510rDcwt3bOHOxAA1GoxJw6redHkSCzzlOhgmf9gYcmaiFbV_mmYcFx9WiCyWcNuYWLDmZ/s1600-h/028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqXCOruyv9mNTHbaUXakROPeEd3GSRR5cuzvk0pEjpfVPTseu0CCq6tOoGHYJ76Nfn2cm4Z510rDcwt3bOHOxAA1GoxJw6redHkSCzzlOhgmf9gYcmaiFbV_mmYcFx9WiCyWcNuYWLDmZ/s400/028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431567650796174706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENYyJBTKGzzQUL1ZN1q6RAPbVvN1vfKAvD1S7YxmXAQD7XYNz27tTkJEF4J-_1euM4BSTiKV5dwC-uFHfY7q6ZZ50CChNUygSjwWHlVXnM0rTZ_sWl6h_mMX8br1SxXxe-j71bf59xTdv/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENYyJBTKGzzQUL1ZN1q6RAPbVvN1vfKAvD1S7YxmXAQD7XYNz27tTkJEF4J-_1euM4BSTiKV5dwC-uFHfY7q6ZZ50CChNUygSjwWHlVXnM0rTZ_sWl6h_mMX8br1SxXxe-j71bf59xTdv/s400/026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431567649762692402" border="0" /></a>This used to be more of the norm for her. She would fill entire sheets of paper with just purple. Every single white spot covered with purple marker or crayon. I'm happy to see she is expanding her love of color beyond just that one!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvHyRkW-jlAh-vs-4FosLwYp-soUbSionkIl8wK3HBGfR2XtqaZV2TLcl76P4f_58e78Z1Sg8g9vfAALTq774azBIoC7vHDLu1gOBWRWIQwjZqVdp0Yke34PDkONu-2aF3GsWCddD6yVq/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvHyRkW-jlAh-vs-4FosLwYp-soUbSionkIl8wK3HBGfR2XtqaZV2TLcl76P4f_58e78Z1Sg8g9vfAALTq774azBIoC7vHDLu1gOBWRWIQwjZqVdp0Yke34PDkONu-2aF3GsWCddD6yVq/s400/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431567633737262594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IPEFskyRVHL4Kf_kvk_4KblP672zyCkt8YTwpp245wN8bIYCGMC60Jk765BQojf04uxdav0NXTAeewMl1l6eFKhEN23fBZh8_NMY9NvBTQUIKaFWyy6mxFM9AnE6JRalK-QtJwivJWZv/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IPEFskyRVHL4Kf_kvk_4KblP672zyCkt8YTwpp245wN8bIYCGMC60Jk765BQojf04uxdav0NXTAeewMl1l6eFKhEN23fBZh8_NMY9NvBTQUIKaFWyy6mxFM9AnE6JRalK-QtJwivJWZv/s400/031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431567660469714178" border="0" /></a>I had asked her to open her eyes instead of squinting them shut (how she usually smiles for the camera!) and she signed "awake" for me! :)<br /><br /><br /><br />She used up all of her finger paints in about an hour! I looked over and realized she was using gobs of paint at a time, her little fingers nearly stuck together. Ah well, I thought... she is having fun. She was so focused at her creations, too!<br /><br />Switching gears a bit, we have been having quite a few appointments for her lately. She has been having tests done to see if she will qualify for Early Childhood classes. So far she has had two speech / language evaluations, a vision test, a hearing test, a meeting with a social worker, some academic testing, and she has two more to appointments go. She will have an autism checklist screening done next week, and she will also see a developmental nurse practitioner. I hope to have all of the results compiled by our meeting with the school district in mid-February. I will update around that time to let everyone know what we find out!<br /><br />For now, we'll keep up the artwork, one day at a time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnVYllqRi8sWCdq2eF6OEBKrcRUXGRGGzKBcFRYsu6ADGtykKAgfZtGIXGdRoHySYZGjIFs-tZZ-7cB7qYagPEWWr43LLODwUGR4nII9RFISJg3zv-Gm2TDYrlAF-1LQpRXAwcgigPbgp/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnVYllqRi8sWCdq2eF6OEBKrcRUXGRGGzKBcFRYsu6ADGtykKAgfZtGIXGdRoHySYZGjIFs-tZZ-7cB7qYagPEWWr43LLODwUGR4nII9RFISJg3zv-Gm2TDYrlAF-1LQpRXAwcgigPbgp/s400/024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431567637417538242" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-13902666502055418462010-01-25T16:45:00.007-06:002010-01-25T17:23:16.510-06:00Not Me My Husband Monday!<center> <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/"> <img src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/OUAB/NotMeMondayButtonV6copy.jpg" /> </a></center><br /><br /><br />Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MckMama</span></a>. You can head over to <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog</a> to read what she and everyone else* have not been doing this week.<br /><br />*Or in this case, our husbands. :)<br /><br /><br /><br />It's been a while since I've done a Not Me Monday post, hasn't it? I usually don't have time in my week to be witty <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>keep up with everything else going on, but I just couldn't pass this one up. It's not about me. It's not about my kids. It's about THIS man right here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65C28nBa_-kWyFVeXtmOiTIAM8q-0DoTV_tpp90i3wWkB3ZHI9kjPDgbbIyizbTuH725gXx5feZP5c_inJVjslBpoIC8i8RRfKNOrpxY9dEPrCvzvTE8AuxXo6X4ab7T3xpxEsDuxwddX/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65C28nBa_-kWyFVeXtmOiTIAM8q-0DoTV_tpp90i3wWkB3ZHI9kjPDgbbIyizbTuH725gXx5feZP5c_inJVjslBpoIC8i8RRfKNOrpxY9dEPrCvzvTE8AuxXo6X4ab7T3xpxEsDuxwddX/s400/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430813309388465986" border="0" /></a>Nice hair, don't ya think? Although I think it makes him look a bit pale here. Needs <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Photoshop</span> touch ups, but I just don't have time anymore!<br /><br />Anyway, without further ado...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Not <s>Me</s> My Husband Monday!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Seth, my husband of nearly six years, frequently has us in stitches without even really trying. Maybe that is what makes it so funny? Here are a few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sethisms</span>. Some recent, some from a while ago. All funny.<br /><br />* A few Summers ago, he rode his bike to work to save gas. He parked it in the bicycle rack downtown near his building without locking it up. When he returned at the end of the day, his bike was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> gone. As in <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> stolen. He did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> call me and I did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> say, "Well, did you lock it up?" His reply:<br />"Well, no! It was parked right out in the open. Buildings with tons of windows all around it. Who would steal it with all those people watching?" It did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> take me a minute to reply. I was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> at a loss for words at his logic. I guess he forgot to put a sign on the bike stating it was his? :)<br /><br />* Another time, we were looking in the local swap n shop ads for a kitchen table and chairs. We saw one, but didn't recognize the first 3 digits of the phone numbers listed in the ad and we didn't want to drive too far out of town. Seth decided to call the number and inquire. When the person on the other end of the line answered, "Hello?", my dear husband did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> simply begin the conversation with, "Hi. Where do you live?" (and the person at the other end of the line most certainly did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> answer him with the name of the town!) <br /><br />* When visiting my sister in the next state over, we were getting in the car to drive somewhere, and my father was standing over by the kids on my sister's cement slab in her yard(which will someday soon be their garage floor). My dad (aka "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bumpa</span>" to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">grandkids</span>) did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> trip over some toy the kids had left sitting around, nearly falling over. My husband did <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>blurt out without thinking, "Oh no! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bumpa</span> took a dump!" (He did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> really mean "digger" and the boys did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> find this so hilarious that they still giggle about it to this day!)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*Disclaimer:<br />No husbands were harmed in the making of this post. Hopefully no marriages, either! :) I love you, Honey! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">xoxo</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><br /></div></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-51572324861157890102010-01-19T20:14:00.007-06:002010-01-25T12:23:45.705-06:00I'm growing!<div style="text-align: center;">I'm getting bigger!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />See?<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZFF8ZCFosLLCkWObpeDtmEft-XUWnhKmoiPP1AirNm3cPhb8m1RhJGDz1CCA6KBST-dyW6UD9zy6haX_slX7cvIUuE7iBZRSKZndQU_7xLzOjLZNGFGsyQgMG1stOtIahDV4accm1Ald/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZFF8ZCFosLLCkWObpeDtmEft-XUWnhKmoiPP1AirNm3cPhb8m1RhJGDz1CCA6KBST-dyW6UD9zy6haX_slX7cvIUuE7iBZRSKZndQU_7xLzOjLZNGFGsyQgMG1stOtIahDV4accm1Ald/s400/005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428640256478429266" border="0" /></a><br />This was me just after Christmas. (I'm thinking hard!)<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPIuFzVDvP6vLlfb6Lb2gT80RXZYhY4ncrm62fcksYjWFHtlRQM4tTZlNybddwgTViKEdaPJiYGyvWYpRc6aJ-Low9dg5FXzoP0YySp0vq-ex6ah0hswSohT57TD7Ng6PbZt3FqSmf1hH/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPIuFzVDvP6vLlfb6Lb2gT80RXZYhY4ncrm62fcksYjWFHtlRQM4tTZlNybddwgTViKEdaPJiYGyvWYpRc6aJ-Low9dg5FXzoP0YySp0vq-ex6ah0hswSohT57TD7Ng6PbZt3FqSmf1hH/s400/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428640275910885794" border="0" /></a><br />Here I am on New Year's Eve. So excited I can hardly stand it.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu8frvOpCtCmBzYEHgwYo6pSfnM-hdIXpRG2HQDBpjfITjsxR1JIGtum2_jMpL3z1LJuDxsJzHP95daZshcFss33NI1O1tYkP6PLHNWGz2b-TYSmZK9JueCUdbVXurBHxE9hMVtACmvDt/s1600-h/036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdu8frvOpCtCmBzYEHgwYo6pSfnM-hdIXpRG2HQDBpjfITjsxR1JIGtum2_jMpL3z1LJuDxsJzHP95daZshcFss33NI1O1tYkP6PLHNWGz2b-TYSmZK9JueCUdbVXurBHxE9hMVtACmvDt/s400/036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428640281251991906" border="0" /></a><br />But I do like to try to talk to Mommy!<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m4MdQT3Pqt9WUZFW738UYyK20iJIoWeAmwVjaxc3vnhyphenhyphen4z4cwCn4sSBDnb57L1kGpm-Cu4d7WlV3RDjJufFYYw7iwxF99pLBk1YXsvRqFO5TiCTey8EX71B0LjY5gugEyt6952n9z5YB/s1600-h/Ean+smile+01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m4MdQT3Pqt9WUZFW738UYyK20iJIoWeAmwVjaxc3vnhyphenhyphen4z4cwCn4sSBDnb57L1kGpm-Cu4d7WlV3RDjJufFYYw7iwxF99pLBk1YXsvRqFO5TiCTey8EX71B0LjY5gugEyt6952n9z5YB/s400/Ean+smile+01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430743138408146514" border="0" /></a><br />And here I am most recently. All 13 and a half pounds of me. :)<br />(And it's Mommy's fault I look green here. I thought she was going to fix that...)<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXChY5pBrhcCUlmzJVrXc8Q7GZTqIkt9s7qK0RbOMBDXdSGnQ_ysJjYC4zHqWO4ZVrrH4OARSiWB0y2XaD0_8-pdpLE7l1fEu6nT0GNGSMY4MKJAd4CtLdT0hZ7_piOg_uTTiYSrEMA-I/s1600-h/Ean+smile+02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXChY5pBrhcCUlmzJVrXc8Q7GZTqIkt9s7qK0RbOMBDXdSGnQ_ysJjYC4zHqWO4ZVrrH4OARSiWB0y2XaD0_8-pdpLE7l1fEu6nT0GNGSMY4MKJAd4CtLdT0hZ7_piOg_uTTiYSrEMA-I/s400/Ean+smile+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430743143339954498" border="0" /></a>See you soon! :)<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-30059186649694370332010-01-14T15:00:00.008-06:002010-01-19T20:13:37.990-06:00A Very Late Christmas Post<div style="text-align: center;">Only nearly a month late...<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZoysudivVtumwbbn57b_WXAvhYkDO2YPc-YdJ1q9E8PWSglCbW1pIkn97V3DTVuz9WMdwUoU9a_luUZwVOkWh0jhSS0betOVp1HHSE7AsJRb3bX7mGONrnXETt-XRsRQEHpDaieFPkip/s1600-h/Christmas+2009+kids.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZoysudivVtumwbbn57b_WXAvhYkDO2YPc-YdJ1q9E8PWSglCbW1pIkn97V3DTVuz9WMdwUoU9a_luUZwVOkWh0jhSS0betOVp1HHSE7AsJRb3bX7mGONrnXETt-XRsRQEHpDaieFPkip/s400/Christmas+2009+kids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428635577838644802" border="0" /></a><br />Merry Christmas!<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hqkQjaOuQ6Q5_wdLk3E_SYhPlCPo60MHIlEFhbCFjS24ZBnuhMfV869q9800blMt7JEqq9vWFgJrYF0R2rD7I7iZ0jzBX_RO8U8xxaaQvzUgKHrhR6oQzDKzqr6BLwaZ5MfaVxKz8pAY/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hqkQjaOuQ6Q5_wdLk3E_SYhPlCPo60MHIlEFhbCFjS24ZBnuhMfV869q9800blMt7JEqq9vWFgJrYF0R2rD7I7iZ0jzBX_RO8U8xxaaQvzUgKHrhR6oQzDKzqr6BLwaZ5MfaVxKz8pAY/s400/013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426706143108940834" border="0" /></a>Kibby provided our laugh for the morning, when she got her stocking, she went from Grandma to Grandpa saying in an excited voice, 'TRICK OR TREAT!!!" and held out her stocking to them. Ah, Kibby... Great enthusiasm, but wrong holiday. :)<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPojHC9nAe16Ujg2_oAhFsQg2Ci-VBG44Ky0fzGmvDU_H_suCOt2f-yb4pG-OA1tUh_KQmpm7oxTYuDMmrJSMpYwrybt_28T30i7U9YeMkuffoSuC2hKWNj3CHNd-Kgr9dg_pFWDr6Kox/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPojHC9nAe16Ujg2_oAhFsQg2Ci-VBG44Ky0fzGmvDU_H_suCOt2f-yb4pG-OA1tUh_KQmpm7oxTYuDMmrJSMpYwrybt_28T30i7U9YeMkuffoSuC2hKWNj3CHNd-Kgr9dg_pFWDr6Kox/s400/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426706129766809890" border="0" /></a>Checking out their stocking gifts and candy.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_MD1_tm1fLkx5ykxfXwoggq1j5n5uuZl98ov1Xwh2Y0-nx0v9qMIR4Gr2WQFC-Z47wNqx5KJhUaLRJjBeni31thioPyn8RS5_P6GWh7c2U90EtT9xJ4yvwB_kECAcN0PfBP407-H7_T_/s1600-h/051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_MD1_tm1fLkx5ykxfXwoggq1j5n5uuZl98ov1Xwh2Y0-nx0v9qMIR4Gr2WQFC-Z47wNqx5KJhUaLRJjBeni31thioPyn8RS5_P6GWh7c2U90EtT9xJ4yvwB_kECAcN0PfBP407-H7_T_/s400/051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426706157805363106" border="0" /></a>Ethan got a chore chart. It's magnetic, and I still haven't thought of a really good place to put it where the little ones won't be into it and either rearranging the magnets or losing them, or worse - choking on them. Ethan was (still is) pretty excited about it, though.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33a03-5LCISwBvdw5G7aSWOrxCk45H-_FVQKM5xf_ob5YwemiFTf6eDX4eSjDoQFnzK50W0zQyZFSIBAIkbrfOIrswj50_8XnSyUky1OCOGTK_-ceUqerC_oCjyzOHr6L6nPTj7EFz19s/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33a03-5LCISwBvdw5G7aSWOrxCk45H-_FVQKM5xf_ob5YwemiFTf6eDX4eSjDoQFnzK50W0zQyZFSIBAIkbrfOIrswj50_8XnSyUky1OCOGTK_-ceUqerC_oCjyzOHr6L6nPTj7EFz19s/s400/049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426706148753208386" border="0" /></a>The girls got fleece slings that Grandma made for them. Ruby loved hers and I have a couple dozen pics of her wearing her baby that morning. Kibby liked hers but wasn't nearly as excited. She chose to carry a Care Bear in hers.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlm2se0Awxk5dNIoJL6lbWJxtUQTTp5fPLaZt7h4u7Sq1SmIKecN0G-yeZlhPl4S0WJavxG3EoNnvRgR_0YobjibVBzwB1bkv6zAlEM7erpEi7e8PHKktyRZhTht7tSdB-pSM3vuUrVEB/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlm2se0Awxk5dNIoJL6lbWJxtUQTTp5fPLaZt7h4u7Sq1SmIKecN0G-yeZlhPl4S0WJavxG3EoNnvRgR_0YobjibVBzwB1bkv6zAlEM7erpEi7e8PHKktyRZhTht7tSdB-pSM3vuUrVEB/s400/029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428638350281936002" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is Ruby when she first opened hers. My mom had made them each 3 dolly blankets and a sling. Ruby immediately gave hers a snuggle!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbYpdf-Zd_5Padrraqr62Dhmh5QB_O0wL4pUa-rMHGYXSZT_gO5lLkIQ8MeUc_qIhlZhvIB5a6_0-xeV7LwOGZqDB9gZdhuh_vHeIuUgNZmoftTyRXQ2VwHFxQQRgHp7IdNxq7W2nX8bk/s1600-h/Christmas+family+pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbYpdf-Zd_5Padrraqr62Dhmh5QB_O0wL4pUa-rMHGYXSZT_gO5lLkIQ8MeUc_qIhlZhvIB5a6_0-xeV7LwOGZqDB9gZdhuh_vHeIuUgNZmoftTyRXQ2VwHFxQQRgHp7IdNxq7W2nX8bk/s400/Christmas+family+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426706383279711842" border="0" /></a><br />Our family of six! (Wow, nobody is crying!)<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-38585648656857395702009-12-04T00:12:00.005-06:002009-12-04T00:19:07.888-06:00All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgC0AgL4HcW2M-2t0O8vgbW-TV8mrlXhHJNFxliZYQAT7xLeagWVp7rB8_Q4RpZmm3AlKJPwya6Y8Pvq5x-JwTzG8VqPiOe91nKuvqDctvHMr_ryLHKJuKt4cmGoegr2b58LsuOzYY0Qc/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgC0AgL4HcW2M-2t0O8vgbW-TV8mrlXhHJNFxliZYQAT7xLeagWVp7rB8_Q4RpZmm3AlKJPwya6Y8Pvq5x-JwTzG8VqPiOe91nKuvqDctvHMr_ryLHKJuKt4cmGoegr2b58LsuOzYY0Qc/s400/021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411260453084818546" border="0" /></a>After all the drama of the tooth coming out (and there was lots of drama!), he said he wants to keep it instead of putting it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. I said that was up to him, and that the Tooth Fairy probably wouldn't go broke quite as soon that way. ;) Here he is holding it in the little tooth case he usually uses for when he puts them under his pillow. This is his fourth tooth he has lost. I'm hoping it will be a while before he loses any more!Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-91531346362169262422009-12-03T23:59:00.007-06:002009-12-04T00:19:58.408-06:00One month already!<div style="text-align: center;">I can't believe Ean is already one month old! Here are some recent pictures:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKkFNaM30Ao9rHV90dhsGuWbJCEKpEtVWbxxRTDne8SRkrd4x-N9X8FRR_uGMwTXSzGoxdEDlZ7yYpoBmgCbVGfrDSLW6EyAXXOLSHdwLoQCoby_j2zn4UdqUJHgZFukT37x4to6ioHtV/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKkFNaM30Ao9rHV90dhsGuWbJCEKpEtVWbxxRTDne8SRkrd4x-N9X8FRR_uGMwTXSzGoxdEDlZ7yYpoBmgCbVGfrDSLW6EyAXXOLSHdwLoQCoby_j2zn4UdqUJHgZFukT37x4to6ioHtV/s400/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411257491450686018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOIcCCdPZ3rS9OHUU41y7CgHdajva7cLBLgXlsfH8Pviu-uG2WsNIsNXxm7duabeDN02EjZrxId3T6D5DkpYYx_XanJBgtKe-TK19AYEVZjJqSNyH-i8puuMctm_rtwtrKos8St_DKrtW/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOIcCCdPZ3rS9OHUU41y7CgHdajva7cLBLgXlsfH8Pviu-uG2WsNIsNXxm7duabeDN02EjZrxId3T6D5DkpYYx_XanJBgtKe-TK19AYEVZjJqSNyH-i8puuMctm_rtwtrKos8St_DKrtW/s400/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411257493672200994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghScB4kVmYzQilvtgFqFH5j-VhKamolbgpqKdZJlpYFh4bBYD2xeMwirxINeimjQfispLcCx3h3gsfUXGev4iRjQT7DTanWaqyXRszPJZCwAflhpOc04eUib8-SBJ8OSOD2YO2uuuZbMMP/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghScB4kVmYzQilvtgFqFH5j-VhKamolbgpqKdZJlpYFh4bBYD2xeMwirxINeimjQfispLcCx3h3gsfUXGev4iRjQT7DTanWaqyXRszPJZCwAflhpOc04eUib8-SBJ8OSOD2YO2uuuZbMMP/s400/013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411257504417246402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fLv7ubP4ORElS5vIAISa2t2VmPDBSXHBSzcw6aONGshgNtqP6hfpapTZn8IMYs-Ma5rta0vBCIkW9Q7zrPk5ufzhyphenhyphenV8bnoDryZcGdTQhnpnPZs-GGxgsSrqSHm7rC9ntzsg71xuj2FYJ/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fLv7ubP4ORElS5vIAISa2t2VmPDBSXHBSzcw6aONGshgNtqP6hfpapTZn8IMYs-Ma5rta0vBCIkW9Q7zrPk5ufzhyphenhyphenV8bnoDryZcGdTQhnpnPZs-GGxgsSrqSHm7rC9ntzsg71xuj2FYJ/s400/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411258999841470130" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here he is trying to talk to Seth. (We were trying to get him to smile!) He is beginning to find his voice and says "ah" more every day now!<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitdyIltjW9Yu6LoPu2e9ToxRzQ7tmR0GsFkVgutRemCDE7K38b1FNF7Rz5Nvm43QACdRapsetzredono2MtW8Z2-xmdm6iUsEu9AD49oOwH11ID931vtISCwD4mPG8fJynwM0ZNEJ65lu/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitdyIltjW9Yu6LoPu2e9ToxRzQ7tmR0GsFkVgutRemCDE7K38b1FNF7Rz5Nvm43QACdRapsetzredono2MtW8Z2-xmdm6iUsEu9AD49oOwH11ID931vtISCwD4mPG8fJynwM0ZNEJ65lu/s400/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411257511928717586" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday (the 2nd) he smiled at me for the first time! And I don't mean in his sleep, either! The first time he did it, I thought it was unintentional, but then he did it 3 more times! He was so alert and just studying my face as I talked to him for about 10 minutes. Of course I didn't have my camera nearby, and trying to get him to do it when I do have my camera around is still difficult. It won't be long, though, and he will be smiling a lot more! :)<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-82388720023593556212009-11-16T20:03:00.007-06:002009-11-16T21:07:25.368-06:00Catching UpIt has been a busy few weeks in the Mango household, so I'm a bit behind in posting some important events!<br /><br />First of all, our little Ruby turned 2 at the end of October!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWzp5ZZ0uEhNt_KpLuoIniR5MCegWbyy3UEzUwUhb3ZQHlhOkfptXT0h9wO0Rp5O2op9C5mCcxwP39EJHI9w7jGeufGDbBnRJbhDpKyJeW2h5k-Xws1Uj7VEJZvPwg57fZumie1eR2rer/s1600/088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWzp5ZZ0uEhNt_KpLuoIniR5MCegWbyy3UEzUwUhb3ZQHlhOkfptXT0h9wO0Rp5O2op9C5mCcxwP39EJHI9w7jGeufGDbBnRJbhDpKyJeW2h5k-Xws1Uj7VEJZvPwg57fZumie1eR2rer/s400/088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404890053820525666" border="0" /></a><br />Birthday Girl!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41f_kGE9rri85NoT9ud_KeZ8UQg_zvNyJVfmTWdjyhhvFzlEzYc-GrEr2CtXDMWVSGKaiywJj7xu1jFiZCaGYMd6s1xwB-euQwn5pmxNO3tPvf_Y3CMPqIe_ssbJsska0DbRdY3pEqLFZ/s1600/090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41f_kGE9rri85NoT9ud_KeZ8UQg_zvNyJVfmTWdjyhhvFzlEzYc-GrEr2CtXDMWVSGKaiywJj7xu1jFiZCaGYMd6s1xwB-euQwn5pmxNO3tPvf_Y3CMPqIe_ssbJsska0DbRdY3pEqLFZ/s400/090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404890058246092290" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLex8HkroisQ3xYh4WGCO-pWgJRImTN81weMsfBa_rG-EkOIATGxHvf1g-fbgTiaUwNCANMNWfjo7Fy2XuL7Qzsz0qag7wigbv7BZaObiZYc06mfKNe1sF7tDtrWaJWR9JVLBS7ASLoHG/s1600/091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLex8HkroisQ3xYh4WGCO-pWgJRImTN81weMsfBa_rG-EkOIATGxHvf1g-fbgTiaUwNCANMNWfjo7Fy2XuL7Qzsz0qag7wigbv7BZaObiZYc06mfKNe1sF7tDtrWaJWR9JVLBS7ASLoHG/s400/091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404890065185800434" border="0" /></a><br />Blowing out the candle.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtZRvgs0Ffrno70jBEeimSh1JWYrsGSaT5YdhjpZjwdji5VwgDxZ-84K8Tg2i2XR6JYZ_9-1ES6z2PFypPRDXzkQ1doz0sP0FkDaQhPQ2Hg7-Um35dpxxlEKL4SK65-AKhZO3wLFUGckm/s1600/108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtZRvgs0Ffrno70jBEeimSh1JWYrsGSaT5YdhjpZjwdji5VwgDxZ-84K8Tg2i2XR6JYZ_9-1ES6z2PFypPRDXzkQ1doz0sP0FkDaQhPQ2Hg7-Um35dpxxlEKL4SK65-AKhZO3wLFUGckm/s400/108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404890066679644050" border="0" /></a><br />Hooray for Cake!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDONdX6EF1CWrHfJpyVGck3g7Thj1_dFQl-KZTJah7KqpgwR_oPn33irwN1DFQTdNqWTnhCA1vURajaB0bg7oHKWuVBrR1qQl4GG0w7BEVmem1i8UUk07CpNPsNorxA85ABQ8LebTsFPZ/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDONdX6EF1CWrHfJpyVGck3g7Thj1_dFQl-KZTJah7KqpgwR_oPn33irwN1DFQTdNqWTnhCA1vURajaB0bg7oHKWuVBrR1qQl4GG0w7BEVmem1i8UUk07CpNPsNorxA85ABQ8LebTsFPZ/s400/020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404890075727098514" border="0" /></a>Opening some presents.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFtdnS-GED6qom2_CGtBigcVoQ9ZYev-9d5jhnkMGAH8eenH_TgYRPXLGNcBzr-loWNoz6dQYAlREiyjPhl10-EHtZQDtLiI8qqCLbBLTnHNwKb9DolBccq-YZWAaPhaL4sOvHjGm5oth/s1600/053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFtdnS-GED6qom2_CGtBigcVoQ9ZYev-9d5jhnkMGAH8eenH_TgYRPXLGNcBzr-loWNoz6dQYAlREiyjPhl10-EHtZQDtLiI8qqCLbBLTnHNwKb9DolBccq-YZWAaPhaL4sOvHjGm5oth/s400/053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891003730614930" border="0" /></a><br />Baby Ean, 8 days before his arrival! Please ignore the dark circles around my eyes and lack of make-up! Focus your attention instead on Ruby! She already loved to give her baby brother kisses! :)<br /><br />****************************<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Next came Halloween. It seems so long ago!<br /><br />Or maybe that is just because we're out of all the "good" candy already?<br /></div></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVvKhRT7l0poc8hQTjfsiAzSimMMMdl54WyzG7zyPDF8n-zDE0wW88LSqOzf8bwcu39v515DBt5bTBFiZGhJQz0D5keSWr3Q0BBgccEpzwGM2sy05ifS7YyO6LpXpQ_X2Weqz5eVeO4RD/s1600/116.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVvKhRT7l0poc8hQTjfsiAzSimMMMdl54WyzG7zyPDF8n-zDE0wW88LSqOzf8bwcu39v515DBt5bTBFiZGhJQz0D5keSWr3Q0BBgccEpzwGM2sy05ifS7YyO6LpXpQ_X2Weqz5eVeO4RD/s400/116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891009162175122" border="0" /></a><br />Ethan was Darth Vader again, cousin Isaiah was a pirate, Kibby was a princess, and Ruby was... well, we weren't sure. I got the costume at a used children's clothing store, and at first I thought it was a bunny, but we're now thinking it's really a lamb. What do you think? Either way, I think it's way adorable on her!<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNBGsTdON4s3DJyZenp44PuyddXBepuTeOGVVQilSmceuGMJqyt9rxs4_gQPuppZ6XljtY-rSg_xAGXvb-Bycn8_Ph5jbWh5MNs7PpUHMw0WhJG6_YGpaAWIkvqGOlg_FgPSMHj_byJDP/s1600/124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNBGsTdON4s3DJyZenp44PuyddXBepuTeOGVVQilSmceuGMJqyt9rxs4_gQPuppZ6XljtY-rSg_xAGXvb-Bycn8_Ph5jbWh5MNs7PpUHMw0WhJG6_YGpaAWIkvqGOlg_FgPSMHj_byJDP/s400/124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891023836896370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HhaDeqcgxhCXghm8e3aHnNhstyyuWtNsUyDVR4F97Zd9UHS8ZC7Nvs7sY4dhylYbvZZlIXy75HLPc3oz6TxrzatPE63CDRQkXtBGYdVOmMsMqJa_9QSsPldw9-Boz_fti-BcVKpIgZZN/s1600/122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HhaDeqcgxhCXghm8e3aHnNhstyyuWtNsUyDVR4F97Zd9UHS8ZC7Nvs7sY4dhylYbvZZlIXy75HLPc3oz6TxrzatPE63CDRQkXtBGYdVOmMsMqJa_9QSsPldw9-Boz_fti-BcVKpIgZZN/s400/122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891013341702466" border="0" /></a>Lamb or bunny?<br /><br /><br />************************************<br /><br />Next up is some more recent pictures of Ean. Ean with his siblings, Ean by himself, Ean being held, Ean crying... you get the idea. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhGq5OQyfOsNZI6yLLq7M0m78LR19jH1Bfp-rlOKwmGaKdHEqfltwsBgjl2tWlxZd-OBXlUQZt6tuV4mx3f49jOXDSqbmX-PX9dXxA5XY8LAHDAnequm7czAqMQ3EJWN-zagAjjPsspwB/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhGq5OQyfOsNZI6yLLq7M0m78LR19jH1Bfp-rlOKwmGaKdHEqfltwsBgjl2tWlxZd-OBXlUQZt6tuV4mx3f49jOXDSqbmX-PX9dXxA5XY8LAHDAnequm7czAqMQ3EJWN-zagAjjPsspwB/s400/006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891515938740642" border="0" /></a>With his sisters.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jUzHzSqAJaDdFi6550GzzWvlVgPP6DiAu8VguDU07OZJ1zdQBKiiAN5Z6gVnMPzFJsmGk2rb1aouWP99xKny46v9X4b3a2LGVnzSVIDBnxdSZw54FL_bu7GF6TI_7Cl8l2SzWCy2sVZP/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jUzHzSqAJaDdFi6550GzzWvlVgPP6DiAu8VguDU07OZJ1zdQBKiiAN5Z6gVnMPzFJsmGk2rb1aouWP99xKny46v9X4b3a2LGVnzSVIDBnxdSZw54FL_bu7GF6TI_7Cl8l2SzWCy2sVZP/s400/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891524837908690" border="0" /></a>Hungry enough to eat his own arm!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i04qFLWfn6KhE09VeHwiMZZ8J1sgmVuLKTD164mxxRdkn1myx_mkWwJM5wBfz4eB1yCKD4KqD6vS1wibBjv8kWHrE1sk2ka7jyg67Jcfk6aVjQq5yZO2Ck1dfl2-NsHTeBcKkxd4XW3P/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i04qFLWfn6KhE09VeHwiMZZ8J1sgmVuLKTD164mxxRdkn1myx_mkWwJM5wBfz4eB1yCKD4KqD6vS1wibBjv8kWHrE1sk2ka7jyg67Jcfk6aVjQq5yZO2Ck1dfl2-NsHTeBcKkxd4XW3P/s400/010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891529989726114" border="0" /></a>Ruby just can't get enough of him.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBY-tT-4cN9ZEak1fMFKgSZrt1as6LrQud1FRJB1gb05wMcswcPwc-_8tqEVQGBEoW9VxTlhRFePWv6dWhd2Q_F-SCNyMWUGG0UaQMTStq13qayWuj7E7TASVXotq6hhUPbdJl_6I8Bup/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBY-tT-4cN9ZEak1fMFKgSZrt1as6LrQud1FRJB1gb05wMcswcPwc-_8tqEVQGBEoW9VxTlhRFePWv6dWhd2Q_F-SCNyMWUGG0UaQMTStq13qayWuj7E7TASVXotq6hhUPbdJl_6I8Bup/s400/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891534653543746" border="0" /></a><br />I may never get a nice picture of all 4 kids... Someone is always bound to have their thumb in their mouth or not be looking this way... I'll keep trying, though! My blog header needs a new photo, for one thing!<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMMpUnf7Nqc25oHbWZ631IaPB5RdIlwH_-EtYXl1Dy4sgDageQDQyA4xVwQTHjx-MB9Z8rwFD2tA-afAY5jE8bXRGE5mqr-hzr9wN9EhYcLhwvWdzzwh-VpWDoTbu4LH-_RyE031Pc5KF/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMMpUnf7Nqc25oHbWZ631IaPB5RdIlwH_-EtYXl1Dy4sgDageQDQyA4xVwQTHjx-MB9Z8rwFD2tA-afAY5jE8bXRGE5mqr-hzr9wN9EhYcLhwvWdzzwh-VpWDoTbu4LH-_RyE031Pc5KF/s400/012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891540416033442" border="0" /></a><br />We have a hard time keeping Ruby's hands off Ean. Not for lack of trying. We are constantly reminding her! Hands off, please! Well, off his face and hands, at least. Since it's flu season and all, you know...<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRWkcT_i8UV5_xvpRcw4M4TqhtsGoVM2AX10HvMYxm9NctMfryok-3N1QfMZ8gaSH8_Vessd6WWoj85nKNHriuLy5R48yyuGR_Z7XkgYQtAm-C1HHm5aUhLne9J_TO_oM_11reGOrbzWD/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRWkcT_i8UV5_xvpRcw4M4TqhtsGoVM2AX10HvMYxm9NctMfryok-3N1QfMZ8gaSH8_Vessd6WWoj85nKNHriuLy5R48yyuGR_Z7XkgYQtAm-C1HHm5aUhLne9J_TO_oM_11reGOrbzWD/s400/014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891883854303026" border="0" /></a><br />He's always hungry! :) Here he is trying to eat the pillow!<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmKSPdh8jcuLJAmvT8jKt6DOwbvfqL-cQ_9DHCL2f_iWr2H1Ov_BAOEDAo0iyMFh_kAsJiExlXh6ENHPRKfkdnLCemlmcmo4gA_eLdYtaH7WRhsOpz_D2tk6ErfDnh6UjLoBuv-e1O_St/s1600/017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmKSPdh8jcuLJAmvT8jKt6DOwbvfqL-cQ_9DHCL2f_iWr2H1Ov_BAOEDAo0iyMFh_kAsJiExlXh6ENHPRKfkdnLCemlmcmo4gA_eLdYtaH7WRhsOpz_D2tk6ErfDnh6UjLoBuv-e1O_St/s400/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891887391080210" border="0" /></a>Not happy, but look how strong he is! Holding himself up.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhuSDBsQbMyDhPg_uj7L7AKLf3kevwSlG9Abv-6AOVw9jBO6QKKsD2H50uL9W6_pesv7eot5uCS9EhhZTuSyTnKZh2laQk4TexzEluvlTpwQ_XfuNnJIjxTqivh62afnAasNQCboGbtP3/s1600/019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhuSDBsQbMyDhPg_uj7L7AKLf3kevwSlG9Abv-6AOVw9jBO6QKKsD2H50uL9W6_pesv7eot5uCS9EhhZTuSyTnKZh2laQk4TexzEluvlTpwQ_XfuNnJIjxTqivh62afnAasNQCboGbtP3/s400/019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404891900023822994" border="0" /></a><br />Until next time!<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-7191887529238649352009-11-11T18:23:00.003-06:002009-11-11T18:34:21.011-06:00One Week<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ean</span> is already one week old. Wow. Actually, he was a week old yesterday, but I didn't have time to put up a post then. I don't really have time now, either, but wanted to post a picture or two.<br /><br />Or five. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnqJx6JIQiux9a4KC8F7qMPHHfAQiak1l3dcZEpU8N9nRn-DmB5RSESod2Rest0ghDSx1wSP3xOMwSZZPYeh2HkRqRHvOCJbYPYQFkrHL0-BUvKmTsMzass0AojxhMs0yqpkckZJBJbNa/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnqJx6JIQiux9a4KC8F7qMPHHfAQiak1l3dcZEpU8N9nRn-DmB5RSESod2Rest0ghDSx1wSP3xOMwSZZPYeh2HkRqRHvOCJbYPYQFkrHL0-BUvKmTsMzass0AojxhMs0yqpkckZJBJbNa/s400/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403007072371189746" border="0" /></a><br />So tiny!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vP6yghIuw6WtAPwOzxST1tmvqKnuLMEUQNAyOHFVnc81XfA_TPZtmVo6QE_iykwUDbqazx1TH0AZJ0wIVfhNgF06zlrvZ0RKxWTLDA31fd3I7gi76joig_NuS0o9HyDrpG-nfl_DIJaC/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vP6yghIuw6WtAPwOzxST1tmvqKnuLMEUQNAyOHFVnc81XfA_TPZtmVo6QE_iykwUDbqazx1TH0AZJ0wIVfhNgF06zlrvZ0RKxWTLDA31fd3I7gi76joig_NuS0o9HyDrpG-nfl_DIJaC/s400/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403007067352415458" border="0" /></a><br />Look Mom! A smile!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9n1NKuVBuYNVImStNP-g3Dv5foehHUZfXuKkoz6N8MLisvzzrzwkEcDQ4Xe2fkobQUUqvTFpXxuZjYWLxCB-kbloEOajVL65wleP_34VxmUuSpZAYwa8smPsek7qB2otJovtZJpQednYX/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9n1NKuVBuYNVImStNP-g3Dv5foehHUZfXuKkoz6N8MLisvzzrzwkEcDQ4Xe2fkobQUUqvTFpXxuZjYWLxCB-kbloEOajVL65wleP_34VxmUuSpZAYwa8smPsek7qB2otJovtZJpQednYX/s400/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403007058091175698" border="0" /></a><br />Sleeping on Mommy.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqiU8S4INqxNhpCcG1H2bAVHdJ9le-IpyS_iO3VFfVGnu3EaZLy7eEl1k0hyphenhyphenEqxssBwczKZVt6RiAbzp5ONC_QQ1X_A3uhvnptYthekN5THch9qJBVkZFM5Sso0MLk27XDz1Qm_AsaSMS/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqiU8S4INqxNhpCcG1H2bAVHdJ9le-IpyS_iO3VFfVGnu3EaZLy7eEl1k0hyphenhyphenEqxssBwczKZVt6RiAbzp5ONC_QQ1X_A3uhvnptYthekN5THch9qJBVkZFM5Sso0MLk27XDz1Qm_AsaSMS/s400/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403007057923411298" border="0" /></a><br />Listening to Ethan talk to him.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HC9iJClsqSbwl6vuZdUpRBSEPzyX8HiR7_3jiQXoyZoNRoiNasXPSMMir5RswfA0hHn7WF54-uYM_FyGMmCDl-4ebVLv2vTBWCG0C-FWcG-jHcN_wLgWfm8VA_IG6a45yumZWVTb-szW/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HC9iJClsqSbwl6vuZdUpRBSEPzyX8HiR7_3jiQXoyZoNRoiNasXPSMMir5RswfA0hHn7WF54-uYM_FyGMmCDl-4ebVLv2vTBWCG0C-FWcG-jHcN_wLgWfm8VA_IG6a45yumZWVTb-szW/s400/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403007081581410850" border="0" /></a><br />First shot of all four kids together. Of course <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ean</span> wasn't looking, Ruby's clothes have water dripped on them, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kibby</span> is displaying her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">newly-found</span> wacky fashion sense... but I couldn't take another at the time because my memory card was full! I do think it accurately conveys how crazy life is right now, though, so it's definitely a keeper! :)<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-77896663682106563792009-11-07T23:18:00.004-06:002009-11-07T23:33:39.923-06:00Announcing...<div style="text-align: center;">Drumroll, please.....<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe5e0KFcDsTjduNGWQMKTu-KFIe3z6WAYuIzbEYdGW2-bHFjHTleLNDKSwYwVGVcDSBPAlLyQNEBsFftQdbrUnIHGT5bU8KeC7pfB5EiAhcxuoNfBhKEWQicvINr1JbMSQjupwpfCk8Vr/s1600-h/170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpe5e0KFcDsTjduNGWQMKTu-KFIe3z6WAYuIzbEYdGW2-bHFjHTleLNDKSwYwVGVcDSBPAlLyQNEBsFftQdbrUnIHGT5bU8KeC7pfB5EiAhcxuoNfBhKEWQicvINr1JbMSQjupwpfCk8Vr/s400/170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401599886413300834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Baby Mango has arrived!<br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ9LIiJuhIAVTRn7h6lRYDRHNvA0B-dj2YOIbIHBtJHZSNikbsh6_0P8QZFDqVQa8QaW9iCA_NN5HXM11jWwfNa8b9FWDJhENYmF_0FPHZ6kKVTPEwtSEU2M8E-aNFsmMjC4j6N09XJ4g/s1600-h/143.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZ9LIiJuhIAVTRn7h6lRYDRHNvA0B-dj2YOIbIHBtJHZSNikbsh6_0P8QZFDqVQa8QaW9iCA_NN5HXM11jWwfNa8b9FWDJhENYmF_0FPHZ6kKVTPEwtSEU2M8E-aNFsmMjC4j6N09XJ4g/s400/143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401599883819511778" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Details:<br /></div><br />Ean Royal Keo (yes, he has 2 middle names, after 2 of his great-grandfathers) arrived on November 3rd at 5:27 AM. 8 lbs, 13 oz and 20.25 inches long. (A big boy compared to his siblings!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Everyone is home and doing well!<br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTXsIalLCnT5cP_k1_564TXRdDk3HnXVBhP0sTy8ko_W6J9ETFomNwEO_EExUgQZKi9O_HAURUT6jKf_yAi4gmYgtUhWSdMu1_3dX4xB-dL52Wgpf_1q-LI_GjcnUGIJgcrPXJz-Nv0YJ/s1600-h/195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTXsIalLCnT5cP_k1_564TXRdDk3HnXVBhP0sTy8ko_W6J9ETFomNwEO_EExUgQZKi9O_HAURUT6jKf_yAi4gmYgtUhWSdMu1_3dX4xB-dL52Wgpf_1q-LI_GjcnUGIJgcrPXJz-Nv0YJ/s400/195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401599890524604930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDwYBhdSKrHFPnQ0MiDBg4qefQ9UgJPgTKb7lGaRjkYqoQtJMbkneGI86Cf6KpyDEI59L-457sYFy3cLb4wLNa4gmeMZ03j8_KQD_L_PtuBODzVx90z3EsfQPsvNAaIvACNCYbEsMI_KE/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDwYBhdSKrHFPnQ0MiDBg4qefQ9UgJPgTKb7lGaRjkYqoQtJMbkneGI86Cf6KpyDEI59L-457sYFy3cLb4wLNa4gmeMZ03j8_KQD_L_PtuBODzVx90z3EsfQPsvNAaIvACNCYbEsMI_KE/s400/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401599894290596786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoSbKRHfZpvPaimj2u9hKVcSaqHcJXCSOabBu2GiucEXzTimjgthxKCj5GNEbr9ea_lw2KJU7A-_2LPsVX_d78VnHOkXI6BTsUzQpX7w-lebOfkGWVk9ziGeFhh453WKDtF6XFyYO7isC/s1600-h/019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoSbKRHfZpvPaimj2u9hKVcSaqHcJXCSOabBu2GiucEXzTimjgthxKCj5GNEbr9ea_lw2KJU7A-_2LPsVX_d78VnHOkXI6BTsUzQpX7w-lebOfkGWVk9ziGeFhh453WKDtF6XFyYO7isC/s400/019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401600259667559010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKd_IzOydaNfLxwOOTmxFrm52B0jsA3Z1xGpik6CzZBJLfRLo7KrCvrrSBhcl88EKn_TE1kzfKR2YzfHQoACYWt3ZWoDVwCtqCKD1OUGLBcATEqhHqKG0S7WoHhJpo4Pr1ogVhIkjBhSP/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKd_IzOydaNfLxwOOTmxFrm52B0jsA3Z1xGpik6CzZBJLfRLo7KrCvrrSBhcl88EKn_TE1kzfKR2YzfHQoACYWt3ZWoDVwCtqCKD1OUGLBcATEqhHqKG0S7WoHhJpo4Pr1ogVhIkjBhSP/s400/017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401600255959226402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8a_STjVZT3QEG_taz8kK0m4h3XTu2cDAhsM4hTuAJJVja7m2N2I_vQqeSbRJX6J1cKrR5ckGTZ39pTTiEmnAn-Bf0KR6jDYH2lGSa7AWHGeKLcwWuryigcYbUEHraEr3Atkkp1Gfo-vcD/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8a_STjVZT3QEG_taz8kK0m4h3XTu2cDAhsM4hTuAJJVja7m2N2I_vQqeSbRJX6J1cKrR5ckGTZ39pTTiEmnAn-Bf0KR6jDYH2lGSa7AWHGeKLcwWuryigcYbUEHraEr3Atkkp1Gfo-vcD/s400/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401599902348768770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More to come later! As you all can imagine, things are a little crazy around here right now, but I wanted to get an announcement posted! :)Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241882064385679480.post-64657760614702002072009-10-16T13:39:00.003-05:002009-10-16T13:55:14.753-05:00It's been a while...Yes, I know. I know.<br /><br />It's been a while since I've posted anything! It's also been a while since I've:<br /><br />...slept for more than 2 hours at a time.<br /><br />...seen my feet when standing up.<br /><br />...not had to visit the bathroom every hour.<br /><br />...not waddled like a duck.<br /><br />...not spent countless hours debating over baby boy names and agonizing over not having one picked already!<br /><br />...not craved pumpkin something-or-other.<br /><br />...vacuumed under my bed. (Yeah, the nesting instinct must be kicking in because that dust under there is just driving me mad but I can't move my bed by myself! ARGH!)<br /><br />...not been overly-cranky with my kids, especially when they seem to want to fight with each other. all. day. long. every. single. day.<br /><br />HOWEVER---<br /><br />There are only 11 more days until my due date! <br /><br />Then life will get really interesting, I'm sure!<br /><br />So if you don't hear from me in the next couple weeks, it's most likely because I'm cleaning like a mad woman. Or can't waddle all the way to the computer before having to turn around and head back to the bathroom to pee. Or the kids' fighting has finally landed me a stay in the psych ward.<br /><br />...Or my bed fell on me while I was trying to vacuum up that annoying dust under there.Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09650082888080513940noreply@blogger.com2