I think we all have our favorite times of the day. For some it may be afternoons when our work is done, for others it may be early morning before anyone else is awake, and still others it may be late night. My boy has three fav
orite times of the day and he programs those times on his watch. 12:30 p.m. for lunchtime, 5:00 p.m. for dinner time, and 8:15 p.m. for bedtime snack. These are the important times for Job. During soccer season the times were different. 5:45 for the start of soccer practice and 6:30 for the end of soccer and he would announce it to anyone
who was listening that soccer was over. No worrying about practice running longer than the 45 minutes. But now soccer is over so Job has changed his favorite times of the day to reflect this change. This is another quirky personality trait of Job's that I absolutely love.
"Mamma, Mamma, What about horse riding lessons?" Lona asks.
"No, Lona it's a dangerous sport."
"What if you ride frontwards?"
Oh boy. I would have loved to see inside her imagination at that moment.
Check out Gracie Allen on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW6GWEi3g3U&feature=related
I think that this is a little scary, seeing my six year old hold and shoot a gun.

Daddy taking time to teach Lona how to site.
Loading the gun - fascinating.




Looking at Grandpa with Admiration
Loading the gun - fascinating.
Looking at Grandpa with Admiration
This weekend we went to John's Dad's house in Sumner. I don't remember how it came to be but a Bee-Bee gun and pellet gun came out. The boys were all over that. I do mean all the boys (this includes John). John talked about the guns to the boys.
1. ALWAYS assume that a gun is loaded.
2. Point the gun towards the ground, never at a person, or animal.
3. Only shoot with Mom or Dad around.
4. These guns are NOT toys.
Then we proceeded to shoot the aluminum out of cans. I kind of like it too. OK, I really like it. I don't think that I'm interested in hunting but to go pop off some cans is fun.
Isaac looked at Grandpa Parks with glee, amazement, awe, and giddiness when he told Isaac that he could keep both guns. WHAT?
Yes, we have a pellet gun and bee-bee gun at home. Oh, joy.
Monday, we drove to Isaac's doctor appointment in Woodinville. WE opted not to take the bikes but I should have brought my running clothes and ran with Job and Lona while Isaac and John were at the doctor's office. Job and Lona ran around the playground like crazy.
We love Isaac's pump. His numbers are so much better than before. However, we have had problems with his pump company. First, there was a miscommunication as to where to send the pump initially. The company sent it to the doctor's office, my fault. The doctor said that the company should have known better they've been dealing with this company for years. The new pump rep messed up. The doctor's office returned the pump because they don't want to be responsible for an item this expensive. Then it sat at the company for a week and a half. I had no idea or we would have remedied that before going to the doctor's. We have had the pump now for 1 month. I have to say that we have learned a lot and John is reading everything he can to understand that. Last week, we went to change out Isaac's pump set. He has to do this every three days. We take a part out and open a new one. Guess what. The pump company sent us the wrong part. I call the company and they overnight a few samples to get us through until I can call the returns department the next day during business hours to correct this mistake. Oh, by the way, it must be my fault for ordering the wrong part. I had no idea that there were other sizes, otherwise when I received the first shipment I would have recognized it. Oh well. I talk to the returns department. They will overnight the correct shipment to me. I should receive it on Friday. Great. Friday comes and goes, as well as Saturday and we leave Sunday for Seattle. We show up at the doctor's office and there sits our order. The doctor's office was going to send it back to the company but called the company instead for us. They took care of changing the shipping address for us. Now when I order more parts/supplies from the company it should come to our house. I know more what I'm doing. It is just overwhelming what I have to order and from whom and where it all goes along with learning about the pump and using it. I'm sure that I'm going to mess up again. Now, the pump company also sent to our address the same parts. I guess I'll be calling the pump company again to make sure we are charged to all these things. Wow.
October 31,
The last day of our quarter. We successfully worked very hard for 2 months. I needed a celebration. So, we headed to Green's Corner for cookies, hot cocoa, tea and a Latte. The kids brought books to read and we hung out. Job told me that he is beginning to like to read like Isaac. I think that he didn't have anything else to do besides read there so he read. Maybe we have to get out like that more often. It was so good. Judy showed up and we were able to visit. Then we walked home (in the rain), but still very fun.
I had ordered costumes for school for the kids. Since we are studying the Puritans, the Mayflower Compact, Rhode Island, all that founding stuff. Next week we are supposed to have a Puritan Feast. Of course they needed costumes and they showed up on Oct. 31. Great!
North Lake Community Church was having a Pumpkin Bash and we headed over there for the evening before hiding from trick or treaters. I forgot my camera! What was I thinking. I wasn't. There was a large jar full of Tootsie Pop suckers and the kids had to guess how many suckers were in the jar. The drawing was at 7pm and I was ready to go home but Isaac was so insistent that we stay and find out if he won. He guessed 125 I think. Job guessed 138 and Lona guessed 185. She won. Now we have way too much candy. The jar was hers. Isaac wasn't disappointed that he didn't win because he still got the jar of suckers. LOL.
Later that night Job wanted to carve his pumpkin that he won at
Awana for saying so many verses. So he in his costume carved away. I now remember why I bought my 50 mm lens. It does so much better indoors at night. I just was not thinking last night. Maybe it was the 1 hour workout at 5:30 am and then the 3 mile run at 3:30pm, with 1 mile walk in between. Why drive when things are so close. Umm - because it's raining. Nah, they can splash in puddles if its raining.
On Sunday we are off to Seattle after church to stay with John's Dad and then Monday Isaac has a follow up pump appointment. Yeah. I think we are going to take bikes down. Lona, Job and I hopefully will ride bikes along the river while John and Isaac go to the doctor. Much better idea than just me.
One more thing: I saw this very funny video about designing stop signs.
check it out.
An example of repetition (for my scrapbook design class)

Crazy hat night for Awana. What can you do with pipecleaners, bells, feathers, and foam sheets?

A view of the trees around our street. This year they have been so vibrant and beautiful. I had to take pictures before the leaves were gone. Sometimes I feel like I live on a Hollywood street (Pleasantville). This is one of those times. I hope to see these trees get large and fill out over the street.
Crazy hat night for Awana. What can you do with pipecleaners, bells, feathers, and foam sheets?
Well, we survived another soccer season. Eight weeks of soccer and it is over as of Saturday. Oh, we do have the end of season soccer parties, but there are no more practices, no more hours on the soccer fields on Saturday, no more smelly soccer socks x 3. This to me means a change of seasons. I have evening freer and now fell like decorating for fall.
Isaac's soccer party was on Saturday after his game at the soccer field. It was a fun tailgate party. We brought hot dogs and the grill, others brought chips, pop, brownies and buns. Very fun. I think that this might be the last year these kids play together. Next year, I think his team is going to be broken up. Some kids want to try out for Whatcom Developmental League. Some kids want to go out for football. Some kids want to quit soccer altogether. Sad. I think we've become kind of a soccer family. There will be other things.
Job's team had a remarkable year. They lost only one game. The parents are starting to become a "family". They had the end of the year party at Round Table Pizza last night. John stood up and talked about each ch
ild, had them give him a firm handshake, and gave them a trophy. The kids also received a DVD of pictures and a little trophy. I took pictures of the kids all season and then put it to music. I really like the "Feeling Good" song by Michael Buble. I also made a holder for the DVD. I downloaded a template from PapertreyInk.com. It was fun to make.
Lona's party isn't until November 6th at DQ.
All three kids had the number 15 for their jersey number. It was coincident that Job and Lona had it but Isaac requested it. Funny.
On Sunday we went to Judy's house to help her celebrate he
r birthday. It was so much fun to be with her family and talk and laugh and eat. I just feel so blessed to have her as a friend. I have learned so much from her and have been ministered to by the whole family. Sometimes I have these funny expectations and then I talk to Judy and I realize that I'm having tunnel vision. It is great. She is such an encouragement to me. I just really love her.
We are studying Early Explorers and events to 1815 in History this year. So far we have made gold masks like the Incas & Aztecs, we are currently in the process of making paper mache boats and a log cabin and a longhouse, we have made a model of Fort James, later known as Jamestown with small buildings. In Bible we are studying the Gospels. We are currently learning about Jesus as a small boy. Jesus was trained as a carpenter so we are making wooden benches.
I really like this year of History and Bible because of the projects. There seems to be more projects this year that we can all do. Lona doesn't formally study these subjects but she can do many of the projects. The "golden masks" are made with 12" cardboard cake plates and 3 10" cake plates glued together. Then we use foam shapes for the edges and modeling clay for the face. We hot glued the modeling clay to the cake plates and then spray painted the whole thing with gold spray paint. The fort is just Popsicle sticks glued to a long piece of cardboard that is then glued to toilet paper tubes. The houses are downloaded from a site ( http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps.htm ) and then cut out and taped together. This site has free maps of many sizes, and a castle or town projects. The only thing missing in the town I think is a church. I use this site all the time. Love it.
Our quarter for school is almost done. Our last day for the quarter is October 31. Yahoo. If we have all of our stuff done, then we can have a reading day. The kids have to read for 1 1/2 hours but they can read whatever. Love those days. I think we may have to go to Green's Corner for part of this time.
On Sunday John turned forty. I asked a few people to write on a 6" square piece of paper to write either a remember when or some advice for turning 40. Then I placed it in a book for him. There were some funny ones, some serious ones and some touching ones. I wasn't able to contact everyone that I wanted. I couldn't put this one my blog because he does occasionally read it. If anyone wants to contribute that I didn't get to talk to please send something in. I'll just slip it in his book. Please sign it so we know who it came from.
Some people wrote about what happened in 1968: Martin Luther and Bobby Kennedy were both assassinated and Mr. Rogers neighborhood aired for the first time (That is still on).
Some advice: "... you cannot turn back time, "turning 40" suggests something exciting. The simple phrase "turning" means you can still do anything you want. "
Comical about turning 40: "Those wrinkles around your eyes... evidence you've spent many years smiling."
"You are told to slow down by your doctor, not the police."
Remember when:
"Johnny getting shot at during the annual chemical engineering class pig roast."
"Skiing at Big Mountain together."
"Football, Superbowl parties you've hosted at your home. "whale breach, hippie chicks playing drums..."
These are just a few of the things that were given to John.
John,
I have to say how much I have learned from you. I admire your self-control, your patience, your contentment with situations. I love your gentleness and how sensitive you are to your family and their needs/wants. I admire you for putting up with me. I don't think anyone else could have. I thank you for putting an importance on God, our marriage and our family. Because of you I came to know the Lord. For that I am eternally grateful. You are kind, caring and wonderful. You bring me coffee weekend mornings so I can stay in bed longer. I love you.

I am taking a class from Big Pictures.
In my class one assignment was to use these colors of pink and orange and to use this layout of eight squares on two 8 x 8" papers. I was to journal the similarities and differences of two people. I chose the papers and then decided that it was too girly for any boy pictures. I may put some embellishments on it later but for now I have a picture of myself in the top left-hand corner and Lona in the bottom right-hand corner. When Lona took a look at the top picture she asked me where her dress was that was in the picture. I asked her who that girl was. It was her, definitely. Then I had her ask John. He also said Lona but didn't recognize the picture. Yes, I guess we do look alike. We both love snobby hot drinks, playing with barbies (not anymore for me). Our names both start with an "L". We love being around people. Our differences are pierced ears. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 9. She is homeschooled, I went to public and private school. She is my daughter, there is 30 years difference in our ages. I think that we are more alike than different. We can both be high maintenance. Poor John.
Last Sunday it was so nice that I couldn't stay at home. Of course we had plenty of work or things we could have done but I needed to get away from the house and enjoy the outdoors. Originally we thought about going to Lake Padden riding around once and then John and I running while the kids rode, but decided to ride from Barkley Village over to Blodel-Donovan Park and back. We are trying to get our tax-payers money out of the bridge over Alabama. We take off from Haggen and instead of going straight we decide to explore some of the side trails. We have been in Bellingham 7 1/2 years and have never gone to Big Rock Park. The trail is uphill and soon the kids abandon their bikes in a patch of nettles "so no one will take them". Up we head. Another side trail leads us to Barkley Boulevard and a great climbing wall. Again back on this "new" trail we come to a tunnel under Barkley Boulevard. The kids loved running back and forth through the tunnel, making noises, going by themselves. I think we stayed 20 minutes there doing that. Finally onto this Big Rock Park that a walker told us about. It was about 4 pm and we were the only ones at the park. We went through looking at all the sculptures that were placed in the park. The sign said something about it being restful for the wildlife. Job made some kind of comment that if squirrels make it through the hole in an art piece that they would score a point, if they didn't make it, they'd just go splat. They ran from art piece to art piece. Finally it was time to go home. The kids ran 1/2 mile to their bikes while John and I rode ours. Very fun outing. Home in time to eat dinner and go to our church group at 6pm. Love discovering things about our town.
In my design class from big pictures, we are studying balance. An assignment was to take a picture or cut out of a magazine something with symmetrical balance. I couldn't think of anything around home that had symmetrical balance. Then i looked over at a wall in my
bathroom. It is a little alcove where the tub is and I found my balance. Maybe that's why I feel so balanced in a bubble bath. Nah, it's just that I'm alone there. Any how, I needed a picture of balance and there it is. (You can see my hand on the side. I'm using the mirror to take a picture of the alcove.
After Job hounded and hounded me to cut his hair, I finally did that today. He wanted the sides short and the top needed shortened too he decided. Ok. Of course Lona wanted just a trim around the edges. We gave her bangs or frontal hair as John calls them. The verdict is still out. I don't like it. John and Lona love it. I think it changes her look too much. Oh well, it'll grow. It just seems so short compared to the rest and I don't know. she just looks different. Both Isaac and Job say that she looks different.