New Fav Commercial

Every once in a while, I see a commercial that makes me laugh out loud and feel like I have to post it and share it with others. Check this one out.. it's only 16 seconds, well worth the time and hopefully, it will tickle your funny bone like it did mine! (I also said it reminded me of Kevin if I had known him as a kid!! Ha ha!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cNDSPutas8

Coming soon....

Create yours at BlingyBlob.com!

4 Years Today!

Yep, 4 years ago today, somewhere around the 2:53pm mark, we were officially hitched! Seriously, can't believe it's been 4 years! What can I say? I'm so thankful God put Kevin in my life, so thankful he's the person that he is, and also so thankful God blessed us with an amazing child. I don't like to be super sappy (especially on a public domain), but wanted to say how blessed I am to have Kevin as my hubs! He's a super great husband and father and I hope we celebrate many more years to come. (Love you sweetie!) We plan to officially celebrate on Saturday since we'll have a little more time and not be stressed from dealing with work.

On a lighter note, I scanned the anniversary card my sister sent us. It's quite hilarious and thought it worth sharing. It totally depicts my sister's sense of humor (and mine) and made Kevin and I both laugh out loud. The inside simply reads "Happy Anniversary." Ha ha ha ha...



And unrelated to our anniversary, Stone has come down with some crazy virus or something.. as we were leaving preschool yesterday I noticed he wasn't acting like his normal self. I felt his head when I put him in the car and he felt really warm. When we got home, took his temp and it was 100.9. Out of nowhere! So, we watched him for the afternoon and night and he was just pitiful. He also threw up a little, but I think that was more from an upset stomach and not stomach virus. I'm trying to get him in somewhere this morning or early afternoon so pray that I can. We hadn't found a pediatrician here yet, so this will be an interesting adventure. Pray we can see a doctor today and that he will feel better soon!

My child....

My child has always made me smile, but there are times when he absolutely cracks me up. Several "funnies" have happened lately so thought I'd share.

1) After we had come home from the part on the day his foot/ankle got hurt, (last Sat), I was going through the last of my boxes to try and get them unpacked and put away. In one of them, there was this pair of red socks of his. Not sure why they were in this random box, but I'm not surprised as we packed so crazily this time. Anyway, he saw them after I pulled them out and decided that he needed to wear them the rest of the day. He wouldn't let us take those socks off for nothing! I guess they "helped" his hurt foot. Here's a pic.....(he didn't want his pic taken, but I had to, to show my mom the pic of the red socks, which is another long story in and of itself).


2) The next Picasso... "A self-portrait"


3) Literally up to his eyeballs in shaving cream at preschool (today):



4) Making great use of a box and pillow.... (in case you can't tell, they made a car ramp and also a car tunnel (through the bottom of the box).



5) And my favorite "funny" of the week, and probably the funniest thing he's done in a long while. I don't have a picture of this story, but I SO wish I had this on video. I think I could have seriously won some prize money out of this story. This happened yesterday in preschool. His room is right next to mine and there's a bathroom in between our rooms. I had come over to his room to ask his teacher something, but went through the regular door and not through the bathroom. Ms. Krista (his teacher) was actually in the bathroom changing the diaper of one of the other kids. Stone happened to be near the door, standing at the trashcan. He knows he's not supposed to put his hands in the trash at home, so I was wondering what he was doing. I told him to get away from the trashcan and happened to look down into it. Ms. Krista had placed the empty bag of an assortment of candies in it (she had emptied it into her treasure box.) I couldn't figure out why he was interested in this bag. I talked to Ms. Krista for a moment and went back to my room.

I later find out why he was interested in the trashcan. The rest of the story goes as this: Krista also saw him at the trashcan while she was in the bathroom changing the diaper of the other kid. She also told Stone to get away from the trashcan. He would leave it, but then go back to it. So, she decided to spy on him through the crack of the bathroom door. THIS is what he was doing (prepare yourself from grossness!!) She had earlier unwrapped one of those big, fat pieces of bubble gum for herself. Well, in unwrapping it, it somehow flew out of the wrapper and across the floor. So of course she got it and threw it into the trash. Enter Stone... As she was spying on him, she saw him dig through the trash, find that piece of unchewed gum, LICK it and then would place it back into the trash if he thought he heard Krista or saw her move in the bathroom to come after him!! AUGHAGHAGHAG! He did this a couple of times, each time Krista trying to get him to NOT do that anymore! Of course, she couldn't move the trash at that moment, because she had an UNhappy child on the changing table that she had to deal with first. I wasn't upset when she told me as we were waiting for parents to pick up, but thought it was funny and gross at the same time! Of course, I wish he hadn't been so unsanitary in his choice of getting his sugar rush, but what can you do? *sigh* Oh my child.. I'm so glad to have him in my life and love that he makes me laugh in so many different ways.

Happy Fall!

Yippie! Fall is officially here! I really didn't even realize that until tonight, sad to say, but I'm glad Fall is here. Which means, our anniversary and Hallquist Oktoberfest is just around the corner! Then Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas... whew! It all flies by so fast these days!

Stone is doing about the same as far as the foot goes, so we're just keeping an eye on it. He's doing very well in school now, so that is a huge blessing for sure.

I am supposed to be "studying" to take my driver's test this coming Wednesday. Yes, the great state of NC requires people to retake the written driver's test to change over your license. Why is this? Who knows, but I'm highly annoyed. I mean, taking this test hasn't helped other drivers on the road any, so why should I have to retake it after driving for over 15 years? I'm sure my in-laws felt the same when they had to take it and they have been driving a lot longer than me! Okay, off that soap box for now. Better go review the driver's handbook before I fail the test!!

The beautiful hills of WV in the Fall.... *sigh*

First Major Injury

Well, I don't know how "major" of an injury it really is, but Stone's never had anything remotely serious until today... our day started with going out to a local place for breakfast. Afterwards, we shopped at the Goodwill and found a couple of gifts for Stone's b-day. Then, even though it was a little cool, we decided to take him to the park for a little while. All was good until Stone wanted to go down the fireman's pole. Kevin is holding him at the top, he grabs on, Kevin helps him down half way and then lets go of him. Stone didn't drop that far, but lands on his right foot kind of funny. For the rest of the day, he has limped a bit....it's more pitiful than actually hurt. I mean, we checked it out and it's not broken or even bruised. We think it's a light sprain if anything. But it's so sad as well as a little comical to watch him walk. Kevin carried him around most of the day and we "babied" him to help make him feel better. Hopefully, he'll heal just fine!

What's Your Pirate Name?

In honor of "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" my pirate name is:

My pirate name is:

Captain Ethel Kidd

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Seriously, check out www.talklikeapirate.com and piratequiz.com for some funny things!!

What I've been up to....

I hadn't realized that it had been over a week since I last posted.. been keeping busy these days. So, to summarize, I'll show and tell through pictures. Scroll down as there are several new posts.

Some friends have asked how Stone's doing with school... much better now. I can now walk into his classroom (which is beside mine) and talk to his teacher and he doesn't get upset. What a HUGE blessing! Thanks for praying!

Some have also asked if I like my job as a preschool teacher. Well, I actually do like it, but I think I suck at it! I mean, I love to teach and all, but I wonder how good I really am. Are the kids really learning anything? Sometimes I ask them questions and they just look at me like I asked them to explain quantum physics. So, we shall see how I progress on this... any advice will be gladly accepted!

Kevin is still liking his job and recently has been asked to switch jobs within the company. This is not really a promotion, but just switching roles. It involves more analytical skills and some finance stuff, which is what he wanted to do in the first place. After we prayed about it, sought advice and asked more questions, he decided to make the move. This is very nerve-racking since he's only been there coming up on 90 days. But, we feel the risk is worth it. Please pray that is so!

And the rest of the updates are below.....

Playing with Stone

Of course, we've had lots of play time with Stone. Despite his issues with going to preschool (which is MUCH better now), we've had lots of happy times around the house, with friends, and out on some playgrounds. Here are some highlights.

Piratey Fireman Explorer?? You decide!!!

A "one man" band.

Sock hands!!

Helping me make some rice krispy treats.

YUM!

Stone got the "Best Hand Washer" award at school one day! Ha ha!

Playing with other new friends.. this is Matthew!

Welcoming Bryce

Another new friend here was pregnant and gave birth to Bryce Aiden on Sept 9th. We finally got to go visit them today (9/18) as his older sister Alex (in background of first pic) was sick with a stomach virus right after they came home from the hospital. None of us wanted Stone or the rest of us to get sick too, so we stayed away until now. He sure is a cutie! Alex and Stone usually play together well and our 2 families met because the husband also works at the same company with Kevin. They were actually staying in the same hotel as us before we moved into our homes. Makes me MISS my M and Wyatt!!

New hair

I absolutely hate posting pictures of myself, but thought I'd at least post these 2 of my old hair and new hair. Most people hadn't realized how long it had gotten because during the spring and until this past Saturday, I kept it up and off my neck so I wouldn't get as hot when wearing it down. Anyway, I know these are horrible pictures of me, so don't make fun!

The OLD me/hair

The NEW me/hair!

Labor of Love

BEEN HELPING A FRIEND paint the room for her baby, who is due in late October. Alcidea is a new friend, obviously, as I'm still new to the area! We met because our husbands started work on the same day and met in orientation. Anyway, she needed some help getting her room ready so my MIL and I volunteered to help. Alcidea really wanted dark and light pink stripes with white stripes inbetween on the walls. What a task this turned out to be! I lost track of how many hours we literally took to tape the walls with painter's tape. Alcidea and I mainly worked on this, as my MIL was also helping paint the furniture Alcidea wanted white instead of dark brown. I know the first wall we did took 4 hours, as this was our "experimental" wall and we had to tape around windows. After that, I lost track! I just know it took several days. Anyway, we finally finished and then my MIL helped with the painting. I'm glad she did, as I barely knew what I was doing! So, the outcome was a very pretty room. Even though I'm not a huge fan of pink, and if I ever have a girl, I won't be doing her room in pink, that is for sure! What a labor of love it turned out to be. See the progression below.

The room before taping and painting.

Starting to tape.

My friend Alcidea.. "measuring" the baby. (FYI, she's from Brazil.)

Beginning to paint. We used low odor paint because she wanted to help.

And more painting....

And some more painting!

Finally done and took off some paint and put on light switch plate.

Taking off the tape...

A finished room...

And better days still....

Seems like Stone is finally adjusting to preschool. Yesterday went well, although he still had some "moments" and cried when I first left. Today, he didn't cry AT ALL! Not when I left, nor when I had to ask his teacher to watch my kids while I ran down to the bathroom. I wouldn't have risked peeking my head in her doorway, except I really had to go! He saw me, smiled, spoke to me, but didn't fuss or get upset when I walked away. I'm very proud of him! I also got a new student today.. she is Indian, her name is Malu (which is short for something long and not easy to pronounce) and she did rather well on her first day of school in a new place. She also could write out all her letters and numbers but at the same time has trouble with some English, as her parents both speak another language at home most of the time.

And in other news, one of my new friends here had her second child today. A boy, Bryce.. 7 pounds, 12 ounces, 20 inches long. She has been in "labor" for the past 2 months... seriously, having contractions and then having to have shots to keep from delivering him too early. But, he was due sometime this month, so he is good and Sommer is doing well too. I am keeping their daughter Alex (she's 3 1/2 and her and Stone usually play well together) tonight for them.

Also, I'm "single-mom-n it" today, tomorrow, and Thursday, as Kevin's out of town on business. Just spoke to him and he's pretty exhausted. He left the house this morning by 5am to catch a 6am flight to Dallas, TX. He said they've been going ever since they hit the ground, skipped lunch and still hadn't stopped for dinner. Poor guy! I would have demanded a snack or something in there if it were me!!! Ha ha! I hope he gets some good rest tonight.

Better Days

School report: Thursday and Friday went better for Stone. Thursday went really well, but there were only 3 other kids there. The director Stephanie stayed with him at the beginning but didn't have to stay long at all. He seemed to have adjusted well. Friday was a different story. He did fine most of the day, but anytime there was a change of activities, he got very upset and would cry some. Seems like he has a difficult time transitioning between things, so we'll work on that some.

On another note, I seemed to have caught a cold from one of my kids (I'm guessing) since it hit me hard Saturday. Stone is also a little snotty, but I don't think he's as sick as I am, which I'm thankful for. So, I've been sleeping a lot over the weekend and didn't go to church today. Kevin visited another church which he seemed to like a lot. Then, K's parents came over for lunch after church. More sleep (nap), dinner, and I'm probably going to head to bed soon. Oh, and on Saturday, I helped a friend start taping her room to be ready to painted. She is having a baby girl in October and wanted to paint the nursery room. She wants stripes on the walls, and let me tell you, that is NO EASY job! It took us about 4 hours to do just one wall (although the wall did have 2 windows we had to work with). But, I was thankful I could be of some help. Off to bed soon, as I have school in the morning!

A Rough Start.....

....to our preschool year. Today was a looooooooonnnggg morning dealing with Stone and his lack of transition to his preschool room. Let me backtrack for a moment... for the past 2 weeks, Stone and I have been up at the preschool for me to go through training. Because it's such a small preschool and because there were only a couple of other kids who's moms were teachers, the kids just played in the rooms and with toys we pulled out for them all week long. They basically had free rein of the entire place and of course, anytime access to their moms.

Enter yesterday, the first official day of preschool: Stone did not adjust well. He cried throughout the morning and the director was in his room a lot, hugging him and getting him distracted so his teacher could focus on the other kids. Yesterday, there was only Stone's class (3 year olds) and my class (4's). We are the only 2 classes that meet every day. The others only meet 2 or 3 days depending on the age. Well, our classes are also right beside each other too! So, this makes for a very NON happy Stone, one who is not used to being "penned in" to a room and not being able to have access to me. However, the director Stephanie was wonderful and kept him distracted and until we both went out playground... he didn't cling to me, in fact, he played with the other kids and was fine. UNTIL it was time to go in.. then he wouldn't leave my side. Luckily, it was towards the end of the time so I just kept him with me since he was hysterical.

Then TODAY.... was WORSE than yesterday, believe it or not! Today, there were a few more kids in his class, and he didn't have the director's availability, since there was another little girl in the other 3's class who was even more hysterical than Stone!! So, Stephanie had her which left Stone's poor teacher to deal with 8 other children on top of Stone who wouldn't quit crying.. he made himself sick (and I think gave himself a headache) and cried for over an hour. I finally went and got him to give his teacher a break and kept him in my room for the rest of the time. So, I had to finish teaching my kids (which thankfully, I only have 4) and deal with Stone still crying in my room and throwing a fit on the floor! He finally calmed down and did okay the rest of the morning, but to say the least, I was extremely frustrated.

After talking with the director once the kids went home, we came up with a plan for tomorrow and Friday that will hopefully work. If not, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. As far as the kids in my class, they are precious! I have to say, with only 4, it is quite easy. They all know each other from last year and know the "groove" of school. So, that is fun and I look forward to "playing" each day and teaching somewhere in there!

Here are a few pics....

The first day of school (9/2/08)

Stone on the slide at the playground at school today.

Swinging on the playground

My four kids!

More Sad News

It's been an emotional last 10 days. First, the news of one of my best friends losing her baby at only around 5 months pregnant (see post below) and then, just late last night, got an email informing me of another sweet friend who's husband Brad went to be with the Lord yesterday evening. I posted about this family a while back, as he's been battling cancer for the past 2 1/2 years. LOVE this family, as they were so wonderful to me during my time in Memphis while working at a church.

I will have to say though, in the midst of this tragedy, Kay has an awesome faith and godly perspective on life and death. Here is the post she sent out informing everyone that Brad had died. Please keep Kay and her 2 girls, Hannah and Sarah in your prayers in the days to come.

Our God Reigns!

Posted 13 hours ago

There is a party in Heaven tonight and Brad is the guest of honor.

Our dearly loved husband, father, son and friend no longer has need of medications, chemo or procedures. Though there may be tears for us on this side of heaven, he will shed no more.

Thank you my friends, family and prayer warriors for your diligent prayers. They have been answered with a resounding YES! He has been healed and will spend eternity in joyous praise of the Lord our God.

I will post later with details of a worship and memorial service for Brad.

May we all be found faithful and grateful.

Blessings,

Kay, Hannah & Sarah