October 27-28th.

This weekend just flew by. No idea where the time goes.

On Saturday we went to the JDRF Halloween party. Not a big event, but it's always nice to see other kids with diabetes, exchange recent experiences, catch up on the latest news.

Soon after we get there, I pull out my camera, get Gabe all ready ("smile!") for the shot... and the camera wouldn't take the picture. I look inside and apparently, I left my memory card at home. Bummer!!!

Not much happened there anyways, and they run out of pizza soon after we got there, so we only had two slices to share between the four of us... Where as we saw some people inhaling two three slice portions.

Then the usual comes. My least favorite part (and sadly, kids' most favorite), the Pinata lynching. Of course, once it is broken open, all the big kids rush forward, leaving my kids in the dust. Then as the stampede comes to an end, I have Jon holding a spider ring, Gabe holding a little slinky, and Larissa crying empty handed. Again, all the big kids walking away with hands full of junk. :-(

The party was from 11am to 1pm, and we had a showing at our house from 1pm to 3pm, so we headed out to Burger King for a late lunch and to hang out till we can go back home. Just as we get back in the truck, I get a call. We have another showing from 4-5pm. I quickly calculate that if I get home between 3-4pm, I can grab my camera's memory card and head out to the park.
So that's what we do. Then we spend another hour shivering in a cold wind, waiting till it's OK to go back home.

Sunday started rather early for me. I am oncall this week, so I got a page at 2:30am. Spent till 4am on the phone with a support center, trying to figure out this unusual issue. Finally, I am given a permission to go get some sleep. That lasts till 7:30am when kids get me up for good.

Finally, after lunch we get to get out (the oncall issue is resolved, I am good to go). By then, most of the day already past us by. We make the best out of what remains.

What a beautiful day too! Sunny and really warm.

After a (really) long walk on a trail and some time at the playground Larissa ends up with low sugars. I knew she was "off" because she starts acting really crabby. Not too bad, she was 59 and a quick drink of apple juice bounced her right back to a cheerful self.

Gabe spent most of his time chasing grass hoppers and looking for sticks.

...and Jon just wanted to opposite of what he was told. He ended up walking away from the direction of our truck on a trail, until I pretended to leave him there. He run after me crying, and I am sure, making some people think he was a lost child.

We top it all off with a trip to McDonald's. Why not? The fun never ends at our house!

The contest results are now posted!

It is now official!

Colorado Springs Balloon Classic coloring contest results are in and finally posted on the web.

Jonathan won third place in his age group and he got a certificate, a toy, a t-shirt, a pin & 2007 Hot Air Balloon Catalog.

You can find his art work at:

http://www.balloonclassic.com/page.asp?id=40&name=2007%20Coloring%20Contest%20Results

PS: Now, I am not in any shape or form claiming that he has some God given talent in art, I just think it's cool!

Proud Momma.

Lost tooth

After much drama and deliberation, Larissa decided that her tooth was loose enough where she wanted my assistance with pulling it out tonight.

She kept going back and forth with whether she should show her teacher a loose tooth or a lost tooth. Finally, she made ten cards, five telling her to go ahead and pull it , and five telling her not to. Well, the first five cards she opened all told her to go ahead and do it!

Another tooth is out!

October 20th-21st, First Snow!

(Melting icicle)

Not a really productive weekend, but there is always something to do.

On Saturday we got a call from the realtor's office letting us know that we had two showings. So, basically, we had to be out of the house from 10am-1pm. Coincidentally, we had a birthday party to attend at 1pm too.

I heard on a local 99.9FM radio station that they were giving away a Family 4 Pack (tickets) at the mall to one lucky family to Jon's favorite show, "Go, Diego, Go!" I already priced the tickets a few weeks back, and decided that paying ~$125.00 was out of my budget, but getting them for free would suit me just fine ;-)

So, we headed to the mall. Put our name in the drawing bucket, and waited for an hour, to only find out that we didn't win... As much as I tried explaining to the kids beforehand that there was NO guarantee at all we would win, I ended up comforting two crying kids (the youngest two) at the end. Oh, well, better luck next time!

(Gabe on the left, Larissa next to him, behind a boy in red shirt, and you can barely see Jon's head in front of Gabe...)

Next four or so hours were spent at the party, sliding off an inflatable slide, over, and over, and over, and... again. As a result, kids were out for the night much earlier that usual.

Guess what we got on Sunday? Our first snow of the season!

So typical for Colorado, we got a record high temperature on Saturday (79 degrees), but didn't go above 34 high on Sunday!

Of course, first thing in the morning, we run out of milk and I really didn't feel like going anywhere, but finally decided to go on our "Adventure walk". Which basically means that we would bundle up really good and walk to a 711 Gas station, which is about three blocks away. Not a long distance, but during the bad snow storms, have been an impossible route to drive.

The weather outside was really nasty! Windy, overcast, with snow. I got a terrible headache too. What was even worse, since we pre-packed for the move, I had to dig through the boxes in the garage to get our winter clothes out. I found jackets and hats, but no gloves... Perhaps they are in another box.

By the time we came back, Gabe was crying that he had frozen feet and Jon had a big snot spread over his face (gross!). We made pizza from scratch and had hot chocolate.

Amazingly, 30 minutes later, kids wanted to go back outside to play in the snow again!

Mid October weekend

I think the Fall is finally here. This was the coldest weekend yet this season, by far. The sun barely came out and the wind, it seems, was brushing up on it's skills all weekend long.


This Saturday we went out to play some Miniature Golf. Kids had fun at first, but right around hole #4 Gabe managed to get his golf ball over the fence. There was no way to get it, so I let him use mine. From there on, it just got so chaotic.

Jon would put a ball 6 inches away from the hole, get it in, and yell "hole in one! I got hole in one!"
Larissa would get upset because she didn't get a hole in one.

Gabe would charge ahead and not wait for any one. Next thing I know, we are on three different holes...

Then right as we were finishing up our course, I hear an owner walking around and yelling: "does anyone own a black Expedition?!" Yep, that's right, my truck got another "bump".
Two weeks ago I got hit from the back, while I was sitting at the red light. This week some lady had trouble pulling into a parking spot next to me, and here is what I got now:



I know it's not a big deal, but at this rate, there won't be much of a truck left by the end of the year...

Tim suggested checking my bumper to see if I have magnets there... funny...

************

On Sunday we ventured out (in a rain) to the Miramont Castle in Manitou (Colorado).


Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Not sure what I expected... I think it was mostly because of a lady at the front desk, who was really pushy with my kids about me buying her book for them. I hate being put on a spot like that. Especially, when I have a certain budget and have never heard of her or her (tooth fairy) book!

The castle was nice, but it would have been be more meaningful if we had a tourguide who could tell us the history of it and not some two-sided flyer! LOL
After the castle we went to a "Penny Arcade" in Manitou Springs, but the only Penny relation we could find there was the arcade's name...
Never the less, kids had a blast, played games and got a bunch of totally cheap and useless rewards.

Jon, the Batman

Oh, while at the castle, Gabe bought this gun that actually pops gun-powder-filled paper and it makes a loud popping sound and smells awful, but he totally thought he was The Cowboy for the day. He even gave his sister a ride on this yellow stallion.

I am here

This is my very first blog posting here. My friend just introduced me to it. Lot's to learn. Many mistakes will be made, at least at first.

Here is a first picture of me and the kids. I think you can easily guess which one of the kids hates to have pictures taken! Let's just say that last the time there was a photographer at his school taking pictures, I was informed that I won't be getting any... They really tried too.

(Note how I am holding his hand so that he won't cover his face, as he usually does...)