Yell all you want - I'm neglectful

I haven't taken pictures, I haven't written. Sigh.

Jack right now is always a guinea pig with no tail. I have no idea why this is. But it is.

Hysterical thing he did the other day?

"Dad, pretend I was a ferret with no tail, and you were Darth maul."

yeah... that's my house...

Jack and the Cat :)

 We keep waiting for the cat to run every time Jack comes in the room... but he's still sticking around.

My Little Emma

I started to re-organize Emma's books, but was promptly pushed away by the professional. And, to be honest, she did a better job than I would have done :)

Simply Because

Well, this site has been really quiet over the last little bit. Life has been quiet. Well, maybe "quiet" isn't the right word.
It's been chaotic, with normal stuff.

We've spent the past weeks fighting off one virus after another... it looks like we're nearing the end of it all, the last bits of couching will hopefully be gone soon.

On a very happy and exciting note - well two:

1. Emma - our little second grader - won the reading challenge for HER WHOLE SCHOOL last month. Every year just before the Iditarod sled dog race, the kids do an Iditaread. Emma read her 600 minutes in two weeks, not the allotted six. This made her the first dog in Nome :) No other kids in the school reached her for two weeks after she'd reached her goal.

She was awarded a gold medal from the school, and Mike was fortunately able to miss work for the morning to watch the assembly.

2. Jolene has a book - The Next Door Boys - being published by Cedar Fort (one of the big 3 in LDS publishing) in October. She's looking forward to a good working relationship with them as she has several other projects "in queue." She's been "querying" with her young adult titles (a completely different process than the LDS market) with some really good success. Several agents have a hold of her project, Insight, and she's about to start querying another YA that she finished up a week or so ago.

Mike is busy as work. They've lost several employees to different jobs, or education, or moving, so Mike has been spending a LOT of time helping his boss with interviews. It looks as though he'll be in trial for the next few weeks, so we're going to enjoy him this weekend before he has to jump back into it!

And that's my random update.

Hopefully next time I'll have pictures - but needless to say - when the family's been vegging in front of the TV - piles of tissues at their side - it's just not a pretty picture ;D

Still Christmas!

Oh My

Jack and his future wife or high school girlfriend - which will add a few grey hairs, I'm sure.
But Olivia sure is cute, isn't she?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I thought I'd throw up a few pics.  My mom took loads and I'm sure hers are better but here's some for now...

 Emma in her Christmas pajamas made by her mom.

 Jack is obsessed with Ghostbusters (Go eighties movies)

 Jack ran around sticking his Harry Potter Wii game in everyone's face.  He loves it.

 Emma has already found particular spots for her Leia and Amidala.

Little Lego Man. 

Padme Amidala, ready to kick some butt.

Flash

 I have taken nearly all the glass ornaments off the tree.

This is Flash, a kitten who, after last week, is the most expensive kitten I've ever owned.  I had no idea kittens could get something near pneumonia.
He seems to be fine now, thanks to the diligence of a little girl very determined to have a healthy cat.

Little Snitch

Jack is well aware of what brownies are, where they come from, what dish they're baked in and how to be the one who gets first pick of bites.

What on EARTH was I thinking?

So, with all the issues we've had with Emma's teeth, I'm a little crazy when it comes to things like juice (we almost never have any) and brushing time.
Because I want to brush Jack's teeth, we've worked out a little deal.  I brush his teeth and he can be as loud as he wants, as long as his mouth stays still.

You can only imagine how this has backfired.

On the plus side.  He has no cavities.