Bummer

I know it's the best thing for the safety of the kids, but a bit bummed now since there won't be a party at school....just got word we're letting out early at 11 due to flooding. I hope everyone is staying safe & dry!

Darn it all, I guess that means we'll have to gobble up all those yummy cupcakes!!!!

Rainy Friday

Blech. I hate rainy days. Esp. rainy days when I have alot to do. I'd prefer just to cuddle up on the couch with the kiddos & forget that anything else exists. But, alas, I have way too much to do today.

The kids have Halloween parties at school, so I need to deliver cupcakes & costumes. After school we're headed to Grandpa & Grandma's for pizza & a sleepover! Tomorrow, Ariana is marching with the High School band in the MSU parade!

Crockpot baked penne

(TY Melissa)

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Rinse penne noodles and lay enough in the bottom of the crockpot to kind of cover it, about 20-25 noodles?? Cover with spaghetti sauce, then mozzarella cheese. Repeat with noodles, sauce and cheese until ingredients are gone. I use 2 jars of sauce to make enough for the family and some leftovers. I don't measure anything else. When everything has been added, pour about 1 cup of water around the edge of the crockpot!! This keeps the noodles from sticking, burning to the edge, and getting too dry. I didn't do this the first time and some of the top noodles didn't get cooked. Cook on high for 4 hours. I've never done it on low, but I imagine it could be done on low for 8 hrs. Serve!

Interesting

Harrison was drawing a picture this morning & I asked him what it was....a shark eating a crocodile named Buttock.

The best thing about fall

As I drove to St Louis yesterday, I soaked in all the signs of fall. I absolutely love all the gorgeous colors, cooler (but not cold) temps & fresh air. It's so refreshing.

My very favorite thing about fall are the leaves. I love seeing leaves every where, especially as I am driving down the road. I love watching them scatter across the road as interrupt their presence.

Report Card time!

I'm SO proud of my smart kiddos! Every child made the honor roll! WTG kids!

Tubes for Harrison

Yesterday was Harrison's ENT appt @ Children's Hospital in StL. He wasn't thrilled with yet another trip to the dr. At first he held his ears and said they hurt. Once I convinced him the dr's & nurses were there to help, and not hurt, he was a little more cooperative.

The visit started with a hearing test, which he passed with flying colors (and I KNEW he would! There is no way the little man can speak so clearly and have such an amazing vocabulary if he wasn't hearing well. OASN: When he had his First Steps eval, he tested out around 3-4yrs for language - smart boy!) The next thing they did was typanometric measures. For those of you that don't know what this is, it's measures the change in mobility of the eardrum as air pressure is applied and varied. This test didn't go as well :( He experienced no pressure peak at all in his right ear (this is consistent with abnormal middle ear pathology) and also low static admittance for his left ear (consistent with abnormal middle ear function)

Next, we saw the ENT. Harrison wasn't too impressed to see a doctor with a face mask approaching him. She checked his ears and we discussed his test results and that with the findings combined with his frequent ear infections, it was in his best interest to have tubes put in. So, Dec 15th the little guy will be going in. It's a pretty simple procedure (only takes 10min - done outpatient & we should be able to go home after about an hour) but any time you use general anesthesia there are risks. So, mommy is a bit worried, but I know this will be a good thing for him.

As soon as we left the ENTs office, H asked if he could call Daddy and tell him about his 'ear fashion' I couldn't figure out what he meant, until we talked to daddy...HE understood it! Harrison was trying to say 'ear infection' - too cute.

Eeesh!

I don't know why I have such a hard time keeping up with a blog. Every once in awhile I come back to this and SWEAR that I'm going to keep up with it regularly & it just never happens.

Is it too early to make a New Year's Resolution? Not that it would help, or anything LOL.

Ok, once again I'm going to attempt to blog more often. The kids are always full of wonderful material - I should start making use of that ;)