Check this out!

I know . . . I haven't posted about Christmas yet. I'm on vacation, okay? I did find time to set up a new blog for my budding photographer of a daughter. Go see it!

Keep checking back, because it's likely to change a bit over the next few days. This is just our "get it up and going" start!

Day 2

I am determined to make this holiday vacation a fun and memorable one for my kids. Why? Not sure. I just am. I want them to remember that we stayed home, hung out, played all day, had fun. As an adult I have memories of certain times in my life, and it isn't always the big events, many times it's the little things that bring a feeling of nostalgia. So, today, when we awoke to more snow on the ground, I shot a little "Thank you" prayer up to the heavens. You see, this is "Day 2." Day 2 of what? Playing outside in the snow, of course!

I got them all bundled up for the second time, and out they went. To use their imaginations (and energy) to decorate the front yard. Yesterday they played outside for over an hour. It was a wonderful time of bonding for my two little ones. This is something that I crave for them, since they are a brother and sister, rather than two brothers or two sisters. I want them to enjoy each other's company, to be friends, to work together, rely on one another, and all that special 'sibling' stuff. And, most of the time, that's what happens. Until they are both exhausted, hungry and cold. Then they fight over what kind of arms the snowman should have! So, we ended the day yesterday with an armless snowman and the promise of tomorrow. And now it has come.

I couldn't resist this photo. I had bundled the children up and sent them outside, and when I came back to check on them, this is what I found.

Do you think he feels left out?

A Holiday "Not Me, Monday!"

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It's Christmas vacation at the Kincaid home. So, today, I did not let my 7 year old sleep until NOON. No, you didn't read 12 pm - as in "lunchtime." Because I would never let a child so small develop poor, lazy sleep habits like that! I'm a much better mother than that. And, when she did finally get up, she did NOT find her mother and brother both still wearing their PJ's. We always get up early, eat a balanced breakfast, shower, dress and get ready for the day in an orderly and timely fashion. ALWAYS. Even when we are on Christmas break. If I was still in my PJ's, I most certainly wouldn't be contemplating whether or not to stay that way ALL day, just for the fun of it, because, hey, it's not often that we can play "lazy" ALL day!

Since it is Christmastime, we do have our home decorated (yes, we really DO). But if I noticed last week that half the lights on the tree had gone out, it most certainly would not have been driving me crazy. Because I don't let little things like a half-lit Christmas tree ruin my Christmas spirit. It hasn't been bothering me so much that I dug through the tree to find all the plugs, checked the fuses, and wiggled those little lights til my fingers hurt. And when I did, I wouldn't have found that we have not one, but two half-lit strings on our tree right now. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle some more. And now, only one half-lit string! If I found that I only had one half lit string, and it was fairly close to the top, I wouldn't stretch and re-arrange the strings above and below it to fill in the unlit part. Nope, not me! And if I had done such a thing, I also wouldn't have done it only on the sides of the tree that you can see, ignoring the back completely.

See, you can't even tell, can you?

So, what have you NOT been doing this holiday season?

"Useless Things"

Is the title of a poem that Hayden wrote last night. I'm pretty sure it was an assignment, as he wrote it in his journal from school. The thing that amazed me was the ease with which his pencil moved across the page, words flowing out in perfect time and perfect rhyme. His teacher told me at parent-teacher conference time that he was an excellent writer. I'm beginning to see it more and more. And now, I will share:

Useless Things

A body without a head
a pencil without lead
a foot without toes
a face without a nose,

Pages without a book
a chess set without a rook
a no parking sign without no
a toenail without a toe,

This poem without lines
the denist without Dr. Hines
legos without studs
falling without thuds.

I believe it could keep going. But why? You get the point, right? I like it because it's clever. It's simple. And cute. And, I am totally in love with the author!

Elf'd

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hayden's Christmas List - as promised

So, I'm going to go ahead and say it. Hayden's isn't nearly as cute as Mallory's. But, I promised I would post it, for those who are interested - you know who you are!

1. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
2. Lego Rockband Full Set (Wii)
3. Mario and Luigi's Bowser's Inside Story (DS)
4. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
5. Super Paper Mario Bros. (DS and Wii)

Are you beginning to see a theme? Well, keep reading . . .

6. Mario Galaxy (Wii)
7. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics (Wii)
8. Monopoly City
9. Lego Bricks & More Taj Mahal
10. Mario Kart (DS)
11. Super Mario 64 (DS)
12. Mario Party (DS)
13. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
14. Lego Bricks & More Town Plan
15. Bakugan Battle Brawlers New Vestroia
16. Maxus Helios
17. Dog-opoly
18. Monopoly NFL Edition
19. Make-Your-Own-Opoly
20. Purdueopoly
21. Anit-Monopoly
22. Nerf N Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS 35
23. Warriors Books
24. Nerf Lazer Tag Set
25. Air Hogs Switch Blad
26. Air Hogs Micro Terrain Titans
27. Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Pipeline

Whew! Now, mind you, there is only one thing on this list that we have bought so far. I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of variety on the list, to tell you the truth - Wii games, DS games, Monopoly games, Bakugan, Air Hogs and Legos. I think shopping for Mallory is going to be so much more fun . . .

Asaro Thanksgiving Holiday

Every Thanksgiving, the Kincaid family is one of the many hundreds of thousands of families that hits the road to be with family. This year was no different (except that we left earlier in the day, making our trip much quicker!)

As part of our Thanksgiving celebration, we go shopping on Black Friday, then celebrate Christmas the next day. We started it several years ago when we were having trouble coordinating our schedules for the holiday, and it has been a tradition ever since.

The kids enjoy spending the day together, and the ladies enjoy shopping all day long. Alayna got some Legos (girly ones) and a chef's hat and apron for playing make believe. Mallory and Chloe both got Bendaroos! Mallory also got a Connect 4 x 4 game. Chloe got a new sweater. Hayden got and new hoodie and some books from his favorite series, Warriors. The kids also got to go shopping with Gramma and Grampa Asaro. Hayden had a little trouble deciding, but eventually settled on the new Super Mario Brothers game. He couldn't wait to get home and play it. The Waffle was happy to oblige. Mallory bought some crafty things, including Pixos, and also a butterfly necklace. She put the rest of her money in her shopping jar!

All in all, it was a good trip. Enjoy the slideshow!

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

Have you ever gotten the feeling, as a mother, that you are over-protective? I have. Have you ever gotten the very opposite feeling that maybe you aren't quite protective enough? I have. Ever wonder where exactly the line between the two is? Yep, me too.

You may have read this earlier post about Hayden being a good marksman. At that time, he was shooting a BB gun toward a practie target at scout camp. He has since moved from BB guns to the real thing. Yes, you read correctly - the real thing! We recently visited Grampa Asaro in Michigan, who willingly took Hayden and the Waffle to a shooting range where they shot a .22!

Here is Grampa showing Hayden how to load the gun with ammo.

(Note the hearing and eye protection. Safety first!)

A little one-on-one practice.

He brought home some shells as a souvenier.
I hope they keep the memory alive!

Slumber Party = Making Memories

Many years ago, we met some people who became dear friends to us. A saying that we often come back to, after having spent time together, is "Making memories together." Since we met, we've gotten married, changed jobs, moved to a new town, and had children.

Mallory and I recently had the opportunity to "make memories" with them again. A few weeks ago on a Friday noght, we drove to Indy to have a slumber party.

Mallory enjoyed reading to Titus.

And playing with Vanessa.

The girls sat up on the new bunk bed to watch a movie . . .

. . . on the wall!

The next morning we didn't have much time to play, but the girls managed to make the most of what time they had. They planned a wedding ceremony and acted it out for us! Too cute!

I am certainly looking forward to making many, many more memories with these dear friends of ours!

All she wants for Christmas . . .

On Monday night we started decorating the house for Christmas. Boxes of decorations littered the living room floor, the fireplace was burning bright and Christmas music played in the background. It was perfect. Well, except for the fact that I was sweating to death, Hayden was trying to play the Wii and I kept walking in front of him, and the disorganized, cluttered mess was making my OCD flare up! In the midst of all the hubbub, Mallory wanted to give us her Christmas list. For fear of losing it, the Waffle told her to go up and put it on my pillow.

Later that night, as we got ready for bed, I heard the Waffle rolling with laughter. Why? Because he hit the sack a few minutes before me and was reading Mallory's list, pictured above.

Since I know you probably can't read the list very well, I will translate it for you below, spelling errors in tact, explanations when necessary.

Christmas List
1. A pen that can be erased
2. High heels (new shoes)
3. Coloring book (LPS - Littlest Pet Shop)
4. A sister (baby)
5. New beret's (you know, for your hair)
6. A new cat (friend for Sage)
7. Cute Kitty cat (suff animals)
8. Cute Kitty sunglasses
9. Journail (cat journail)
10. Cat scarf
11. Long Hair
12. A wach (cat wach - to tell time)
13. A new build-a-bear workshop (cat)
14. Ear ring's (cat)
15. Peszle's (cat) ("Puzzles" for those struggling with the translation)
16. Makeup
17. Dress (cat's)
18. Toy's (cat's)
19. Kitty boot's
20. Littlest Pet Ship toys
21. New color croyn's
22. More books
23. A doll
24. A new cover for my bed (cat's)
25. Cat pant's
26. Gum
27. Clous for cat's (cat) (Also known as "clothes")

Yes. We are aware that she is obsessed with cats. Do you think it's time to look for a counselor? I am a bit concerned about #4. Curious where she thinks those come from??? And #11 - does she mean a wig? Better check on that with her, I guess. Other than that, I think if it has a cat on it, I'm covered.

Check back later for more updates. And Hayden's Christmas list - not quite as funny, though.

Not Me, Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
Last Thursday while my little girl practiced gymnastics for an hour, I did not take the laptop and work on blog posts for the whole hour. I would simply never take my child to a sports practice and not watch every single minute of it. Nope, not me!

After receiving a comment on my “Not Me Monday” post last week from Elizabeth at “Confessions from a Working Mom,” I did not join her Blog Carnival called “Truthful Tuesdays.” I did not do this because I am simply not getting obsessed with jumping from blog to blog reading the posts of all you other ladies out there! Nope, Not me!

I did not TOTALLY enjoy some holiday shopping with the Waffle for two hours yesterday afternoon sans children. I always feel completely at a loss when my children are not with me. If I had enjoyed my two hours of shopping sans children, I might want to say “Thank you” to Nick’s momma, who blogs on this page, for allowing Mallory to join Hayden at Nick's birthday party. But, since I didn’t enoy it, I won’t say "Thank you." Nope, Not Me!

Because I started my holiday planning an entire month ago, I am prepared, organized and at peace with all my holiday planning. I do not feel completely unprepared and disorganized, being unable to make up my mind what to buy for the children, much less anyone else. Nope, Not Me!

I am not overly eager and excited for our annual trip to Michigan to see my parents and sister for the holiday. I am also not ever-so-anxious to go shopping on Black Friday, even though I have no idea what to buy and no plan of attack whatsoever. Nope, Not Me!

Well, I suppose that’s enough Not Me for now. Tune in next week to hear what I didn’t do on our family trip and Black Friday shopping adventure!
Happy Monday everyone!

Believe it or not . . .

. . . this is not a posed picture!

Last Sunday afternoon, after a very busy weekend, I asked the kids to catch up on some of their reading. You see, both of them are supposed to read for at least 20 minutes every day. Most days, this isn’t a problem, but sometimes we do fail! And, it never seems to fail that if we miss one day during the week, we often miss more.

So, when we got home from church services, I asked the kids to read for a little bit while I fixed lunch. They ran off to the other room, and I started cooking. After a while, I noticed that it was quiet. Very, very quiet. “So what’s the problem?” you ask. Because if they are reading like I asked them to, it should be quiet, right? Right. Of course. But, as a mother, I still distrust the quiet.

When it’s quiet, most mothers trust their instinct and go check on their children. When I did, I found them both snugged up together, under the covers, reading up in Hayden’s bed. Complete with pj’s.

I love those kids. I really do.

Pasta on Parenting #3

How old were you when you first kissed a boy? (Or girl – don’t want to exclude the guys reading out there!)

I’m not talking about your first real kiss, or your first French kiss. Just your first kiss. Whether it was a peck on the check, or a lip smacker – how old were you?

I was 6. First grade. On the playground, behind the swings. Of course, someone else told on us, and we got in “trouble.” I don’t even remember his name! (Wonder if he remembers mine?)

Tonight we were eating dinner in front of the TV tonight (yes, we really do that), and I don’t recall exactly how we got on the subject, but the subject became kissing. The question was: Have you ever kissed a girl? This question was directed at our 9 year old. And he was WAY too embarrassed to answer. I’m not sure if he was embarrassed just to talk about it, or because he actually has kissed a girl and didn’t want us to know. I just know he was embarrassed. In a REALLY big way. Hmmmmm.

As a mom, I’m wondering if I missed something? The Waffle’s been telling me for some time that this day was coming. I think in my “please don’t grow up” mind, I must have been ignoring the fact that this day has finally arrived.

He never did answer “Yes” or “No” to the original question, but the real shocker came when I switched from asking him if he’d ever kissed a girl to who it was that he had kissed. His answer? “Guess!” No Way! I don’t know who was laughing the hardest: Hayden, me or the Waffle. As the boys were preparing to leave the house, I pulled the Waffle aside and gave him strict instructions: “You have to find out who he kissed!”

Oh dear. What have I gotten myself into with this parenting thing?

Birthday Fun

A few weeks ago, we were blessed to have spent the day with our dear friends, the Brewers. It was their younger daughter Vanessa’s 4^th birthday, and boy did we have fun! Vanessa’s daddy, like the Waffle, is a construction contractor for a living. He made the most awesome bunk bed for his girls! Check this out! Of course, they have 10 foot ceilings, so this bed is simply massive. It would NEVER fit in our house! But it is beautiful. Brad did a fantastic job.

Vanessa received many gifts. This one was a $5 bill in a card. The expression on her face just kills me. What was even more hilarious is that she had this expression EVERY TIME she opened a gift.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but Mallory is a very crafty and clever little girl. She is also a fan of tissue paper. This is what she decided to do with the leftovers from all of Vanessa’s packages. Do I see a fashion designer in my future?

Here are a few more pictures of the day. What a great time we had. Hope we get to do it again real soon.

Mallory and Emily

Brad and Titus

Vanessa, Hayden, Emily and Mallory

The Bear Den

The Bear Den of Pack 3310 has been busy this month! They are well on their way to completing all of their achievements right on schedule.

At their first den meeting this month, they had a special visitor. Iron the dog came to the meeting and introduced himself! The boys had an eventful evening learning about crime prevention and how the police dog helps the police officer do his job.

In addition to meeting Iron, the boys also fingerprinted themselves, just like real criminals!

At their next den meeting, they went to Arni’s Pizza to make their own pizzas! They toured the kitchen and learned how a pizza is made from scratch. Then, of course, they got to eat their own creations! The boys also listened to some folk tales at this meeting.

Hayden and the Waffle attended a pro basketball game as part of the “Circuit of Fun” scout program that is organized by the council in Indianapolis. The Scouts get to do lots of really neat things with Circuit of Fun such as Monster Jam, the Indians Overnight, Indianapolis Ice Hockey game, events at the Indianapolis 500, and many more. Hayden had never been to Conseco Field House before, so this was a real treat.

Everything was big - big basketball . . .

. . . big shoes . . .

. . . big arena . . .

(OK, so maybe the seats could have been a little better!)

Scouting keeps us all pretty busy, but I am so glad that we’ve decided to stick with it. I can tell a difference in his maturity and confidence. He believes in himself, and he isn’t afraid to try new things. He offers to do chores. He’s respectful, helpful and kind. Of course, I’d be lying if I told you that he was like this 24/7. So, I won’t. Lie, that is. We still have our moments. And I’m sure we always will!

Truthful Tuesdays - a Blog Hop

Ok, so I must admit, I'm getting into this blog thing! It's as much fun to jump around and read what other ladies are posting as it is to post about my own family.

And, I've found another one. Truthful Tuesdays. I am posting for the first time today. If you'd like, you can go over to Confessions from a Working Mom's blog and join us with McLinky (which I signed up for with MckMama's "Not Me Monday").

This week's Truthful Tuesdays question is...

What is your spouse's most annoying habit? And how do you cope with it?

I would like to start the answer to the question with a disclaimer: In our marriage, I am probably the one with more annoying habits than he is.

OK, now that we've taken care of the legal stuff. My spouse's most annoying habit is his general inability to pick up after himself. Dirty socks by the bedside - but, only a week's worth. Magazines on every table in the house - and on the back of the toilet, and on the steps going up to our room, and, and, and. Piles of paper that don't have a home - everything from receipts to junk mail to very important papers that he asks about later (as in "Where is the order form for the Cub Scout event that I laid here on the table last week?"). I really believe that in the genes the Waffle passed on to our children, that the "Leaves things lying around" gene must be a dominant trait, much to my dismay. I would have preferred they got my "Everything has it's place" gene.

So, how do I handle his most annoying habit, you ask? Well, I do what every loving wife would do: I just do it myself. You see, after twelve years of marriage I have learned that it doesn't benefit us for me to nag the Waffle. He does, on occasion, realize that he is being slobbish and pick up after himself. But, in those not-so-rare moments when he doesn't? I just remember that I have just as many horribly annoying habits as he does. And he still loves me. And he rarely points out my annoying habits to me (or anyone else, thankfully!).

A "Pasta on Parenting" Not Me, Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The kids are growing up right before my very eyes. Quickly, so quickly, they change and grow. I find myself having thoughts that contradict each other (Spaghetti). “Oh, look at her dressed up so cute and trendy,” I think as I hear myself say, “Here, honey, wear the dangly earrings with that outfit.” Me, encourage my little girl to grow up too fast? Never. Ever. Nope, Not Me!

Then, not 48 hours later, getting her out of her bed this morning, I hear myself say, “Bring your blanky and mom will snuggle with you in the chair while you wake up,” as I cuddle, snuggle and rock her, like she was 7 months old, rather than 7 years old. Me, try to keep my baby little forever? No way. Never. Not Me!

And as our eldest gets older, and we notice his growing interest in more things “guy,” we have tried to encourage some of those man-ish tendencies. Here’s the list just from this weekend. Learn to build a fire in the fireplace, then, later, after the fire is going, add a log. Take out the trash. Go to a pro basketball game with Dad and our buddy Josh. Watch football on Sunday afternoon. See – guy stuff. He’s growing up. So, when the Waffle and I discussed the idea of letting him walk from school to the YMCA, I didn’t feel a little sadness in my gut, thinking about the fact that he really isn’t so little anymore, thinking that, yes, I DO have to let him learn how to do these grown up type things. Nope, Not Me.

And, on Sunday evening, when he started to melt down from being over-tired from all the guy stuff, I did not allow him to curl up on the pew next to me at church service, put his coat over his head and take a little nap - like he was 9 months old, rather than 9 years old. Nope, Not Me!

I also did not feel a rush of love and gratitude when the Waffle leaned over to tell me, “You’re a good Mom.” Because I was not feeling just a tinge of guilt about letting a 9 year old sleep during church, rather than pay attention to the lesson. Nope, Not Me!

We all have “Not Me” moments when parenting our children. Thank you for letting me share mine with you today.

Happy Monday everyone!

Hypochondria and H1N1

As mothers go, I am of the species hypochondrae. In other words, when it comes to illness, I often find myself thinking that whatever current illness is ailing my children is worse than it actually is. Red, itchy eyes? Must be pink eye. Vomiting and diarrhea? They'll probably get dehydrated and have to go to the hospital for IV fluids. Twisted ankle with a limp? It might be a hairline fracture! I can't tell you how many times my mind just goes into overdrive when the kids are sick.

All this being said, I must admit, then, that I have wondered, more than once, if my children, myself or my husband have had H1N1. We are active and healthy people. But we are exposed to LOTS of people on a regular basis, so it's not unlikely that we have been exposed to the virus more than once since it's arrival in town.

As hypochrondrae mothers go, I have repeatedly searched the internet for information on this "horrible" virus. Funny thing, the symptoms turn up the same on every search. The one I've found interesting is this: it is estimated that at least one-third to one-half of H1N1 cases do not include a fever. This is why I have thought that someone in my family (or more than one someone) could have already had it. You see, so far this fall, all of us have had the following: sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, and fatigue. The missing symptom has been the fever (and associated chills). This is otherwise known as a cold.

So, imagine my surprise (and comfort) to know without a doubt in my mind that one of my children is currently suffering from the H1N1 virus. Does the word comfort sound strange? Well, as a hypochondriac, one of the things I find comfort in is just knowing for sure what the ailment is. So, you probably think when I say "for sure" that we've been to the doctor's office and been tested and its been confirmed, right? Wrong.

When they get H1N1, you just know. I don't know how to explain it except that you just know. I don't need a doctor to tell me that a fever of 102 with a headache, chills, aches, and a horrible runny, stuffy nose is the H1N1 flu. I just know. And, according to the news and websites, many doctors aren't even doing the tests anymore anyway. They are just diagnosing based on symptoms.

So far, my little one is handling it well. No problems with her breathing, her fever is being controlled with ibuprofen, and though she's been very inactive, just laying on the couch, she's still coherent, laughing at jokes and enjoying the company of her family.

So, for now I'll just be Dr. Mom, and enjoy the duty of caring for my little one while I wait to see if it spreads through the entire family.

Yes, Boys and Girls are different

In so many, many ways, as I have been humbled to learn over the years - my son and my daughter are very, VERY different. I see it in a variety of ways. Talking, cleaning up, eating, writing, playing games, relationship with the Waffle, relationship with me. I could go on and on, but, no need. I'll just show you pictures that prove my point.

I asked the children to write their Thank You cards for the birthday gifts they received. Mallory's were a little late, but who's counting???

Here is what the boy wrote:

Here is what the girl wrote:

I was cracking up laughing when I saw the difference in the two cards. I don't know why I though it was so funny, it was just a perfectly good example of the difference between boys and girls.

Carving Pumpkins - Contractor Style

It's October. Halloween is in 4 days. It's cool and crisp outside. Yep. Time to carve pumpkins. Many of you may have already done yours for this year. We've had the pumpkins for several days now, but just haven't made the time to do this wonderful, long anticipated, much loved event. Do you detect sarcasm? Maybe just a hint? Carving pumpkins rates up there as one of my top "eewwwwwwww - I don't want to do that" jobs as a parent. There's something about cutting open this VERY large gourd, just so you can dig in with your hands and pull out all the ewww and goo simply to make a glowing face for your front porch. (You know, you can buy a rubber one that plugs in . . . ) It really doesn't help that Halloween just isn't my favorite holiday. I'm not really sure why - it just isn't. But pumpkin carving is definitely not my thing. Maybe it has something to do with this:


And this:


Anyway, as much as I look forward to this event, I do everything in my power to make sure that I am not the one digging out the eww and goo. This year was no different. When the Waffle and the kids got started last evening, I determined that I needed to run to the grocery store to pick up some pork roasts that were on sale. This little plan worked out very well until I came home to see this:

And this:


Yes, my contractor husband decided to bring a little excitement to the carving table this year in the form of power tools used to carve the pumpkin faces out. Hmmmmm . . .? Dangerous, you say? Well, no, not any more so than a sharp knife. And, come to think of it, maybe even less so! Interesting? Yes. Fun? Yes. Messy? YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

Turns out that power tools sling eww and goo everywhere when you use them to carve out pumpkin faces, much like they do with sawdust when you use them to cut wood!

But, since I wasn't the one in charge of pumpkin carving, what could I say? Ummmm, "Nothing" is the answer to that question. So, nothing is exactly what I said. I just grabbed my camera to capture a few of these fun-filled, memory making moments that the Waffle is so good at providing for our children.

Thank you Honey, for making life fun!

An "Extreme" Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Yesterday, instead of making a big Sunday lunch after church like I normally do, I did not feed my family a smorgasboard of leftovers from the fridge.

I did not do this simply so I could have a quick lunch before begging the Waffle to drag me and my family to a big muddy field in the middle of nowhere over an hour away from our house to watch (from a distance) many, many people, all wearing the same blue t-shirt, volunteer to do lots of work building someone else a new home.

We did not have to wait in line for over an hour and a half inside an airplane hangar just to get on a bus to take us to this muddy field in the middle of nowhere. And if we did wait for an hour and a half in line, I would not have enjoyed every minute of it.


My children also would not have enjoyed this very long wait to get on a bus. They would not have passed the time by playing silly games like thumb wrestling, "Rock, Paper, Scissors," "Mercy," and the hand slapping game called "Hot Hands."

If I had not done all of these things yesterday, we would not have arrived at the Extreme Makeover Home Edition Build Site in Bunker Hill, IN, about 3 hours after we originally left our home. I also would not have been completely amazed to see all of this:

Ty: You are totally AWE-SOME!

Here are the children in the "spectator tent" making a sign for the family.

"Move That Bus!"

Mallory wanted her picture taken by this pink tractor - pink is for Breast Cancer Awareness month

The episode of the home built for the Cowen-Brown family is set to air sometime in January - watch for it! It's sure to be awesome.

Happy Monday everyone!