Adding Animation

Alex is now at the age where he is starting to put animation into objects. The other day he found 3 toothpaste tubes: a large-one, a medium-size one, and a travel-sized one. He arranged them together, and then said "Here is the daddy, the mommy, and the sweetheart!" He is growing up in all sorts of ways, but am sorry that I have not been adding for the past few months. Will try to post more soon.

Homesick and Spoiled

Just talked to Alex over Skype and he was very excited to tell me that when he woke-up this morning that he couldn't walk. I asked him why not and he said, "It was painful." It just seems like a very grown-up response to me. He can, however, walk just fine now. It was just early morning rhuematoiditis.  Alex has been homesick for at least the last couple of weeks, not talking to me because he cried at the thought. Recently, with the excitement of coming home, he has been able to talk with me and tell me a little more.

I can't believe that the whole month has gone by this fast, with only 3 days remaining; I feel rather spoiled having this month to work-out, sleep in, read, and control the remote and television shows. I have never found time to be so valuable before in my life! I swam my first mile, put together my first 500-piece puzzle, and shampooed carpets while they were away! It was my month of firsts, but I am now homesick for Alex and Eliud!

Birthday Party

Alex and I went to Sam and Seth's Birthday party at the beginning of December and had a great time visiting the Myrhe clan. As fate would have it, Alex was born during the biggest baby boom in recorded history since the 50's, and there were four 4- ( or almost 4-) year olds at this party: Sammy, Ian, Alex, and RJ. This picture is not in fast-forward or speeded up at all, rather it is in regular mode. It just happens that 4-year-old's move that quickly!

Saw Monroe Crossing, a bluegrass band, last night and the bass player, Mark Anderson, spotted my son enjoying the show (we were in the front rows). He waved at Alex and when he looked our way, he head jammed a litte harder for my little boy. They are simply amazing: entertaining, funny, full of life, harmonious, and talented. We would go see them again in a heartbeat!

Anyway, while listening to their harmonious tunes, I was reminded of a poem I once wrote while driving in the country and hadn't written it down yet. It is about a tree that was famously known in the little town of Cottonwood.

The tallest, widest tree in town;
It must have been 2 or 3 trees round.
Between the trunks there was a seat;
 a place for friends to meet.

But it's not there anymore.
The town was forlorn
because of damn, damn, damn,
Adrianne.

It was a place for new romances,
friends' imaginary play,
a place of second chances,
or to talk the day away.

How many broken hearts did it see
 and how many good-byes?
It was a sacred majestic tree.

But not anymore,
the tree of

Business Man?

Halloween day Alex was ready to go Trick-or-Treating as a fireman!! I got out my make-up case and put blue eye shadow all over his face to make it look like he had ashes, but as expected, it rubbed off before the night was over. Starting at the break of Halloween T-O-Ting, we got to the Marshall Independent at 3:30pm where we saw the cutest costume: a little Asian 3-year-old dressed as the little girl from Monsters, Inc; she was absolutely adorable!!! We went to the businesses around town that offered treats, and only went to two houses, one being my parents. Respectfully, I think that makes it one house that we went to see, Rick Judeman, a neighor of my parents who gave Alex two huge handfuls of candy!  Still, he got a huge bucketful of candy, plus an apple and a trail mix package! Boulder Estates, Hy-Vee, True Value, and The Assembly of God church were all very generous, too. The weather sure was shining down its best to us that night too, letting the kids run and enjoy jumpy houses.

After Alex was done T-O-Ting, he stopped at his grandparents house to help them with their giving of candy. Did he use the bucket of candy that was sitting for the T-O-Ters? No, he used his own bucket of candy. He watched at the window and said "I am waiting for the customers." A future in business....

Bonking Head

Today was a day of bonking heads
luckily, nothing is bleeding red
Don't let yourself go crying
Gotta try to be tough,
                           I think
Instead, let yourself be sighing
and let everythin drain,
                           plus the kitchen sink


Alex hit his head 3 times today and I was trying to teach him to let go of the pain. I started the poem and he helped me finish it.

Dinosaur love

Recently Alex has been asking about dinosaurs occasionally. One day he asked "Why don't dinosaurs come back to life?", and again today he asked "Why aren't dinosaurs alive now?" with him only to say in the next breath that he isn't scared of dinosaur skeletons but is scared when the skin is on them. With the explanation that they lived a long, long, long, long, long time ago and that human lived a long, long, long time ago, he was satisfied for the moment. I think this is the beginning of a dinosaur love.