She cracks me up!

I sat down to eat my lunch and read a magazine. 

This is what I found as I turned the first page:

 

"Buy your kids (donuts) a message from Dr. Lissy"

Alyssa CRACKS me up! Seriously where does she come up with this? Her very creative and imaginative mind- that's where! I love that girl! She brings joy and laughter into my life!

11-11-11

 Worcester Cowboys WIN THE SUPER BOWL

Final score 34-30 

Can you feel the excitement? 

That's my guy!

 On Friday afternoon I got a call from Xander's Lifeskills teacher. She wanted to tell me what a nice boy Xander was and how much she enjoyed having him in class. She said that he was extremely helpful with the food drive and she was grateful for his help. WOW! I told her how grateful I was for the call and that she had made my day! I am so grateful that she went above and beyond her calling as a teacher!

On Sunday I got an email from Xander's football coach. They won their playoff game and are now headed to the SUPER BOWL!!! This is what the email said, "It was a game for the history books!  The game could have gone either way at any moment.  The moment we could win the game came down to three plays.  We got just ahead in the second half and the 49ers had plenty of time and talent to drive down and score.  I was afraid they were about to. Xander reached wherever it is people reach when they decide they want something and they are going to make it happen themselves.  Xander pulled the flags on first and second down giving the 49ers a loss on each flag pull. On the next play, the 49ers passed because Xander had halted their hopes of running.  On that third play they threw an interception and it was because Xander was right there ready to pull the QB flag, forcing a bad pass, giving us the ball back.  Three enormous plays that resulted in the Cowboy win.  Extraordinary."


WOW again! I am so grateful for coaches who work so hard and dedicate so much time to help our children learn and LOVE the game!


It goes to show that you try your best as a parent to raise good, well rounded children, but it is not all you! It is the help from teachers, coaches and others around you and them- that help to shape our children into who they are! I couldn't be more thankful for good role models in my children's lives!

Thankful list

Instead of saying something that I am thankful for everyday during November (I get kinda burnt out on being thankful by the end. I know sad, but true!) I decided to do the ABC's of thankfulness. I can't believe how quickly the ideas started pouring into my head! It didn't take long to fill in every letter!

Alyssa and Alexander- they make my life complete!

Being able to see God's hand in my life. 

Cheese- makes for an easy lunch or dinner! Grilled cheese and quesadillas are my quick fixes! 

Dogs. There is something really special about having a dog spirit in your home. 

Excedrin migraine- boy did I have a doozy of a migraine yesterday! Between Excedrin and Advil I was finally able to make it go away!!

Fall walks in the park with Lissy and Lola. My favorite way to start Saturdays! 

Girlfriends! What would I do without them? Definitely loose my sanity! 

Husband! I really do love that guy! 

Imagination! I love the lego projects that Xander designs or Alyssa's art work and changing fruit and vegetables into friends.

Just because I love you hugs! The best!

Kisses before the kids go to bed. 

Lola! Her sweet little self brightens everyday! 

McDonald breakfasts after early morning games. A family Fall tradition. 

Notes that Alyssa and I write to each other every night. 

Opportunities to laugh at myself. I am presented with them often! :-)

Power! We only lost it for a bit, but so many people around lost power for days! 

Quacking ducks, honking geese and swans that we see on our Saturday pre football walks. 

Reading- I love a good book that I can delve into and everything else just slips away!

Soccer- indoor outdoor it's all good! 

Teachers! Xander's life skills teacher called me to tell me what a great son I have and how very helpful he is and a joy to have in class!  

Unexpected moments of kindness and thoughtfulness. That phone call made my day!

Vacations! Worth every penny to have such wonderful memories with family.

Warmth from sunny spots. My favorite lunch spot right now is in front of the kitchen slider where the sun warms my back. 

Xander! He cracks me up! He is a hard worker and when you break down that tough guy attitude he is such a sweet love!

Yams~ sweet potatoes whatever you call them. My favorite part of thanksgiving dinner. 

Zilpha- my 98 year old grandma. Such an amazing matriarch of our family.  

Pumpkin carving

This year we carved pumpkins late. It was the night before Halloween, but it didn't matter since trick or treating had been postponed due to the storm.

Of course a must in our home for pumpkin carving is having The Nightmare Before Christmas on in the other room so we can listen to the soundtrack!

Alyssa was inspired by it and changed her theme from the picture above to Zero, Jack's dog. 

 It takes a lot of focus and determination to carve a pumpkin. 

Oh and a little bit of tongue! 

The kids kept saying it just doesn't feel right carving pumpkins with all that snow outside. It feels more like Christmas! But carve away they did! 

Alyssa's

Paul's

Xander's

Meet....

Steve the Squash!

 I'm not allowed to cook him. I guess he'll just be a guest in our house (until he rots and then he's a goner!) Until then the creation of Alyssa's imagination will reside on our kitchen island. :-)

SNOWTOBER?

 This is what we woke up to October 30, 2011 

Yes, it is beautiful! BUT it is OCTOBER!

 Perfect for snowball fights! The kids certainly loved it!

 Xander I'm thinkin' ya need a little more shelter!

Lola loved it!

 All of the people who lost power for many, many days yah.... they didn't love it so much! Thankfully we only lost it for a few hours. Our town had 91% of its power down. 3 days out of school for the kids. Crazy crazy CRAZY Snowtober!