I Finally Have Teeth

Here are my bottom teeth...



Here are my top teeth....


Evan finally is getting his teeth. It's funny how children differ. Andrew had a whole mouthful of teeth at this age.

Nathan's Birthday

We celebrated a "Pirate" themed birthday for Nathan this year. I was very proud of the pirate cake that I made. It looked perfect the night before his birthday:


Aargh...
Unfortunately, by the end of his birthday, it looked like this:


We joked that it was hit by enemy fire.

Nathan had 4 of his friends over for his first birthday party. I read the kids "How I Became a Pirate". Then, they became pirates. They made eye patches out of felt and ribbon and hook hands out of paper cups, cardboard, and aluminum foil. We sent them on a treasure hunt around the house for hidden treasure.

Elbert and I had fun making up the clues. Here is a sampling:

"Batten down the hatches...you know what to do. Head below deck to find your next clue."
"Blimey...you're grimy. Even pirates need to get clean here."
"Shiver me timbers, treasure is near. Where the littlest slumbers, you'll find the chest here."

They had fun running around the house finding the clues. Elbert had drawn a giant pirate, and they finished the games by playing "Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate."

Here are a few pictures of the party and the rest of Nathan's 5th birthday:

The birthday party (7 boys in all) eating lunch.



Nathan and his cake (before it completely fell apart)


The birthday menu consisted of ribs, beans, and sweet potatoes (all on the grill).



Even Evan loved the ribs.



We got Nathan a pirate ship for his present. It was a big hit.

Warm Weather in November

I apologize that I haven't posted any pictures recently. Elbert put a new hard drive into our computer, and it has taken a little while for things to get up and running again. Thankfully, we caught the problem before the old hard drive failed, so we didn't lose anything.

The first week in November was unseasonably warm. We were outside in short sleeves. Nathan and Andrew helped Dad paint our garage entrance door. Evan played outside.

Chinese Outfits

A year or two ago, Nathan and Andrew were given Chinese outfits by a friend. They finally fit. Nathan and Andrew had a blast wearing their outfits around the house. Of course, they were pretending to sword fight.

Thank You, Thank You for Birthdays

Nathan's prayer last night before bed:

"Thank you, God, for comic books, costumes, and thank you, thank you for birthdays and friends. Amen."

It Made Me A Little Sad

For the past 1 1/2 years, Andrew had said "Dathan" when talking about Nathan. He just wasn't able to make the "N" sound at the beginning of that word, although he could for other words. Last night, Andrew called Nathan by clearly pronouncing the "N" sound at the beginning. Elbert and I looked at each other because it was so clear and different from what we had been hearing. It made me a little sad because it was a unique thing for Andrew that no longer exists. I know, I know...they have to grow up.

So Busy

Last week at Sunday School, Nathan's teacher, Miss Elliot, told the class that they didn't have time in class to finish coloring their pictures. She said they would have to finish at home.

Nathan told Miss Elliot, "Well...I go to school on Monday. I have MOPS on Tuesday. I go back to school on Wednesday. I go to Bible Study on Thursday. So, the only day I have left is Friday."

I Have My Own Way

We all had a piece of Nathan's birthday cake after dinner. It is amazing how much cake ends up on the faces of our children during the eating process. After we were done, I told Nathan to go upstairs to wash his hands and face.

Knowing that he was going to be told the same thing, Andrew said, "I have my own way [of cleaning my face]." He then proceeded to stick out his tongue and lick as much chocolate off his face as he could.

Bodily Functions

Nathan went to throw his pajamas in the hamper yesterday morning. I didn't think they were dirty, so I asked him, "Are they dirty?"

Nathan responded, "Well...I farted in them a lot."

Children's Interpretation of Song Lyrics

The boys have a children's Pirates of the Caribbean CD that they love to listen to. It's funny to hear their interpretation of the lyrics.

Nathan and Andrew sing: "Yo, ho, ho and a bottom of gum."
Actual lyric: "Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum."

Nathan and Andrew sing: "Steggy steals a special ship..."
Actual lyric: "Some say he steers a spectral ship..."

I Am Thankful For...

Today at MOPS, the boys did a craft. They decorated a paper turkey, glued on paper "feathers" and filled out a little piece of paper. The paper said "_____, I am thankful for you because ____________."

I picked Andrew up from his class and got his craft. His craft said "Mom, I am thankful for you because you do puzzles with me." It was so nice. It was a good reminder to me about what is truly important. Sometimes I sit down to do a puzzle with Andrew, and the whole time my mind is wandering to the hundred other things that I *need* to do. What I need to do is stop and enjoy my time with him as much as he enjoys his time with me!

Happy Halloween

Elbert helped the kids carve pumpkins last Thursday. Nathan loved the feel of the pumpkin seeds and "guts". Andrew put his hand in there one time and was done. He did not like the squishy, cold feel of the inside of the pumpkin.



I took the kids "trick-or-treating" to Elbert's school. They had a blast visiting the teachers and getting candy. I was amazed at how well Evan did walking around in his costume. He didn't complain at all that he had the hood on.

Evan, the frog

Andrew, the dog
Nathan, aka Spiderman
Evan wanted to sit in a desk just like the big kids.
Eating lunch in Daddy's classroom
We had Deb and Caleb (visiting from MN) and Pam, Jeff, and Eliot over for Halloween dinner. I decided to start a new tradition. I made homemade pizza and dressed it up with pepperoni to look like a jack-o-lantern.


Nathan and Eliot
Trying to get all the children to look at the camera at the same time was quite the challenge!
It's a good thing that Evan is tough.