Happy Halloween!

It has been a busy October, but I still think we nailed Halloween this year! We decorated pumpkins, had a fall neighborhood gathering, 4-H Halloween party complete with games and S'mores, Mom got to help at the school party and Trick or Treating the neighborhood! Bam!
Now, I'm exhausted, seriously going to bed at 8:30. :-)

Making Frankenstein Graham cracker at his class party

playing a very silly game at the 4-H Halloween party! 

Michael Jackson and a police officer! 

Casing the neighborhood!

For those keeping track of the knitting, it fits! 

That time I Canceled our Internet and almost broke our family....

So, the blog has been a little quiet lately, and for good reason. Last Tuesday, I was tasked by Kelly to call Cox and get a better price because whatever promotion we had had expired. Getting good deals falls into my chores in our marriage.

So I call Jason at Cox. Yes, I'm using Jason's real name. He does the let me look at your account routine when I tell him, "I had been paying $107, then $117 and now it's $129, what can we do here Jason?"

He puts me on hold and I wait for about five minutes, while he probably went to the bathroom. Jason comes back with Great News! He added a couple of loyalty discounts and my new bill will be $149 a month!

"Ummmm, Jason, how is that good news? I told you I was paying $129 and I think that is too high."

Jason let me know, that he is a really good guy and my bill was going up again next month, I just didn't know it yet. The $149 was the best he could do.

So then in my best grade school teacher voice I say, "Jason, do you understand why I'm cancelling my service today? I called for a better price and you actually made my bill go up. Jason, do you see why I might not like that?"

Jason said, very curtly, that he understood and would cancel my service right away.

Oops.

Kelly let me know on his lunch break that we didn't have cable anymore, I said yay, I kinda lipped off to Jason and he shut off our TV. Kelly then let me know that our internet was gone too. Double oops! So tomorrow, one week after Jason tried to destroy my life, AT&T is hooking up our internet. We are going to try the TV streaming trend that all the young kids are doing these days. See how that works out.

So for the last week there has been no baseball playoffs at my house, and no tablet action for the boys. Mom has been blamed with eye rolls and exasperated sighs for an entire week.

Well played Jason, well played!

We did get to go to the homecoming football game this Saturday.
The Jayhawks gave away flags at the game that Alex instantly turned into a cape!
It was a pretty day, ugly football, but pretty day!

I don't think work should be this much fun!

Today is my last day in New Orleans! I'm ready to see my boys, and sleep in my own bed. I am going to miss these girls I'm traveling with.

I've gotten a lot of great ideas for my program and also got to eat a lot of gumbo! I've eaten alligator and caught one! It was a baby, but I still had to catch it.

Between all my learning sessions and evening fun, I still finished Alex's yarn shirt. I hope it fits. Can't wait to put it on him! D's yarn shirt will be next!

Long Distance Blogging

I'm adding two new states to places I've been this week. I'm at my first National 4-H Agents conference in New Orleans, LA and came via girls road trip! New states for me are Mississippi and Lousianna.

Of course I couldn't come without some knitting! I brought Al's sweater and hopefully I can finish it this week. Ok, it's short posts for now, because I'm blogging from my phone! Hope to have more fun updates on the road. While I'm gone Kelly and the boys are tearing stuff up. Can't wait to see what I come home to! 

Daryl Cracks Me Up

Having Daryl ride his bike while I've been running is really a win for both of us. We had one of our run/rides today after school and I get ALOT of material for the blog. Here are a few of our conversations. Mind you, I'm mostly giving him yes and no answers because I'm out of breath!

Daryl: Do you remember when my passion was smelling good?
Me: Yes
Daryl: Well now my passion is Origami, I got another Origami book at the library today and I want to make all of the animals in it.
Me: Cool
Daryl: Your passion is the same as Mrs. Garrett's, you just want to buy leggings and look like you teach first grade.
Me: I can't help it, your first grade teachers are cool!
Daryl: Ya, they are.

A little while later

Me: Daryl let's run through the rose garden.
Daryl: Ok
Me: Do you know why I like the rose garden?
Daryl: Ya that is where you got married. Does being in the garden make you remember when you ran away from Dad at your wedding?
Me: What?! I didn't run away at my wedding!!
Daryl: Don't you remember, Grandpa Richard had to go get you and drag you in?
Me: Daryl, he walked me down the aisle, he didn't drag me, and I didn't run away!
Daryl: oh, ok.

That kid! He is too funny! I'm sure he said other good ones but I was running and I couldn't write this stuff down, just I was just replaying it in my head so I could remember it when we got home!

I never posted the pictures from when the boys stayed with our
friend Joyce over labor day weekend. They got to spend time with her
miniature horses! They loved their visit with Joyce and Aunt Barb!

Hello Fall!

I am so happy that it is starting to feel like fall! I'm ready to wear some sweaters, watch some football and make some fires in the fire pit! We had a pretty easy weekend with one parenting lesson learned.

On Friday, Daryl wasn't feeling good so I told him to go lay down in his bed, it was almost six o'clock. I kinda forgot about him, and at almost eight I went to check on him. He was sleeping hard, so I thought maybe he would just sleep through the night. Not so much, he got up and was wide awake at 9:30pm. Kelly and I stayed up with him for an hour but then we were ready to go to bed!
He finally agreed to go to bed if he could sleep in our bed. I said yes at the exact same time Kelly said no! You can imagine which one he heard.

So, Daryl and I slept in my bed, Kelly slept in the guest bed and at 4:30am he got up again and wanted something to eat! Did I mention I never gave him dinner?! I was off of my mom game that night. Experience is the ultimate teacher, so next time I will do things differently.

Today, was a big day for Daryl. He got to Acolyte for the first time at church! He was so excited and did such a good job. I know it is silly, but I teared up a bit watching him take the light up to the alter. I just remembered him being baptized and how it doesn't seem that long ago.

Alex also had a big day because for probably the third time ever he sat in church instead of going to the nursery. He agreed that Daryl did a good job.

Then the boys got to top off the weekend at cousin Carter's birthday party. It's not every October you can have an outdoor pool party for your birthday, but this year it was great!
Have a great week everyone, I need to get some laundry done so I have clothes to wear tomorrow!!

Daryl with Pastor Morgan, he also got excited that he got to wear the robes today! 

Did I mention Daryl is now into Origami?
He asked everyone in my office if they could make a crane. Tracy could
so she helped him make one. He was hooked! He got a book and paper on Saturday, this is a fish!

Alex doing his highlights books during church! 

Alex swimming on Oct. 2nd!