Saving the World

Friends and Manicorns

"Don't cry because its over. Smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

This past week we said goodbye to some friends who have become like family to us. The Filettis are part of our perfect group of six (three couples). They don't read my blog so I won't go into too many details here-- but suffice it to say, they are already sorely missed.And I would like to just take a second to ask: Now that my friend Brittany has gone to Houston-- who is going to: force me to run farther and faster than I want to, yell at a stranger in order to get a parking spot at the beach, attempt to break dance in the Busch Gardens parking lot, imitate the sea lions at Sea World, make dinner and watch my kids when I'm sick, make me go outside my comfort zone and meet new people, scare the big guy sitting in front of us at the XFC fight by yelling in his ear, harass me into attending volleyball and book club and game day, teach me the ways of garage sale-ing and couponing, play Rockband with me-- or any game, for that matter, and dress up in jogging suits and have a photo shoot?

(Heavy Sigh). We miss Jared and Brittany. Houston is lucky to get them.

On a more positive note, we had a costume party to see them off. Lance, in honor of Jared, dressed as a Manicorn (standing next to "Jacob Black", if you were wondering).I love my Manicorn.

Terrific... but Sneaky

The whole family has been sick. I am the last of the household to get this horrible head cold. This means that I spent all of last week doling out medicine and wiping noses, and all of this week trying to sneak in catnaps and clear my own sinuses. Blech. Therefore-- lazy blogging.

A few pictures from my camera:

Zoie was chosen as the "Terrific Kid" in her class. The ceremony and ensuing breakfast was quite lavish. Okay-- not really. But I am very proud of Terrific Zoie. (And also very grateful that my Mom came and helped me handle the boys at the breakfast ceremony).

While clearing out my camera, I came across some pictures that I did not take. Zoie and Tobin admitted to being the combined genius behind these fabulous shots:


Attractive.

Success

We found it! Our quest has found a satisfactory ending.

For weeks we have endured some terrible television-- cliche dramas, predictable comedies... media mediocrity. But we have, at long last, been rewarded for our perseverance!

Hilarious.

The Elusive Fourth

This is Ryder.Ryder is an honorary Rasmussen. He joins our family three days a week-- while his parents are at work. I figure most of you know this-- but I thought I would clarify my occasional allusions to my "four" kids or the "three" boys. We are proud to claim this kid.

Ryder played a integral role in the "Rasmussen Roller Coaster Ride of 2008-2009". I will spare everyone the long story-- but I know the following is true: Ryder was born on the same day that Lance's former company closed its doors. I know that this was not a coincidence. If it weren't for Ryder, I would not have had the courage to quit my job and have a baby-- two decisions that led us to Lance's current AMAZING job and of course, my son Chase.

Ryder was a blessing then and continues to be a blessing now. He is such a fun and easy kid to be around. He just falls right in place with my 1, 3, and 5 year-old. The kids adore him.

Here is a picture of Ryder when I first started watching him:


Ryder turned 2 this past weekend. He had what is widely recognized as "the best birthday party ever" (that is an actual quote from a discerning 3 year-old). Here are a few pics from the party of the century:


Happy 2nd Birthday to Ryder-- a kid who we not only consider part of the family, but who has also been an answer to our prayers.

Tobin

Tobin has always been a very happy and sweet boy. Yes, I think "sweet" is a great description of the kid.
Classic Tobin story: Last week there was a GIANT wolf spider on our ceiling. The spider was at the very pinnacle of a vaulted ceiling-- over ten feet high. So, I could not get him down myself. I decided to just wait for Lance to get home and take care of it (classic Kira). The kids looked nervous so I explained that wolf spiders are nice and actually eat other kinds of spiders-- so there was nothing to be afraid of.As I was helping Zoie with homework, I heard a steady stream of dialogue from the toy room-- where Tobin was playing alone. After a few minutes, I checked in on him and witnessed him sitting at his little play table and filling the spider in on the details of his day. He figured that if the spider was nice then they should be friends. When Zoie said- "I hate spiders!" Tobin got defensive and said- "Zoie, he can hear you!"

Naturally, I neglected to mention just what became of Tobin's "new friend" once Lance got home.

Zoie

I am just so proud of this little kindergartner.

Zoie is the happiest that I have ever seen her. She loves spending time with friends, likes following directions, and adores praise. Therefore, she flourishes in the classroom environment.

Each day she fills me in on every detail of her day (how Kylie wore her hair, a third grader has the same backpack as her, Richard got in trouble, etc.) I love it. She is excited to work on her homework every night and have our nightly reading sessions.

Lance and I secretly get a kick out of our "teacher's pet". She was chosen as the first "Student of the Week", has replaced the Line Leader (who, according to Zoie, couldn't hold still as well as Zoie), and even though uniforms are voluntary at her school--opts to wear the school uniform 99% of the time.

I wonder how long this enthusiasm for academics will last. Third grade? Fifth? I'd love to see it last through junior high. Here's hoping!

Bated Breath

According to World Wide Words: "bated breath" refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing as a result of some strong emotion, such as terror or awe

I cannot wait for Winter. We are experiencing our first cold snap of the season (lows in the 50's and highs in the low 80's), and I can't help but think of all the things I get to do in Florida in the Winter. Here is a condensed list-- in no particular order:

• Take my kids to the park
• Use our fire pit and fireplace
• Get more use out of our Busch Gardens passes
• Open my curtains and blinds (during the summer, to combat the cost of running our a/c constantly, our house resembles a cave)
• Drive with the sunroof down
• Wear long sleeves and boots
• Use the swing set in our backyard
• Buy scented candles that can be described using words like "spiced", "toasty", and "burnt"
• Go for a run anytime of the day
• See the manatees in the Bay
• Go camping
• Buy a wetsuit and do some more scuba diving

I realize that Florida is the opposite of most other states and that some of you probably look forward to Summer for some of these same reasons. To each his own--

I love Florida winters!