Monday, November 30, 2009

Curtis's Big Reveal!

Curtis has been working tirelessly on a new website. He had this great idea several months ago, building a site where people can make their own matching game using photos and videos and then they can share it with friends and family. He launched it today and it turned out great.
You can build your own matching game for free! You can also have it professionally printed or pay for the pdf to print it yourself. You can become a fan on facebook or follow on twitter.
Go check it out!
www.MatchTheMemory.com

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Audrey is Reading!

The other day I got out a beginning reader and went through the lessons with Audrey. She caught on so fast, I was surprised how well she read without much coaching. I asked her if they had been teaching her how to read in preschool and she said no! I guess she is a lot like her dad. He was reading fluently before he started school and skipped kindergarten because of it.



This morning she asked me, "Can I say heck or hell?" She couldn't remember which was ok. Curtis said, "You shouldn't say either." Audrey responded, "You mean I shouldn't say either one!" We laughed because a four year old was trying to correct our grammar.

Audrey wanted some water in church today and instead of asking nicely she whined, "Wa-wa!" (which is what Nathan used to say for water.) I told her to talk like a four year old, so she said, "Agua!" She has picked up on a lot of Spanish words and uses them often, sometimes she even signs and says the word in Spanish. I guess English is just too simple for her.

Yesterday my mom was talking about the special protocol for an MRI that my sister Alaura and I will be getting next week. It is a new test to look specifically at the veins, particularly the ones that drain the brain. The insurance company can only recognize it as an MRA, which looks at the arteries, not the veins. Audrey piped in, "That's because they don't know what an MRV is!" Mom, Alaura and I laughed so hard. It is amazing what kids hear and understand.

Alaura did a language analysis on Audrey a couple of weeks ago and concluded that Audrey speaks at the level of a seven year old. She amazes us everyday with how smart she is and the things she comprehends. I think kindergarten might be a little boring for her, but she will still love it.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Yet another blog...

So, I really want to keep track of, and share, all the things I am learning about ways to help MS and to spare all of you who are not interested, I have created a new blog. I hope to be adding to it whenever I come across things that I find interesting and helpful and probably updates on my progress and feelings. You are welcome to visit it or follow it. Let me know if you would rather be on an email list and I'll add you to it.
Thank you all for your comments, support and helpful suggestions! =)

www.mymsnotes.blogspot.com

Sunday, November 1, 2009

My Compost Box

I plan on growing an organic garden next year and because I have so many produce scraps, I decided to make a compost box so I can add good stuff to this future garden.

After lots of thinking I came up with my own design. It was really easy and done in about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Here is what I used:
10 - 8 foot 2" by 2"s
4 - 3/8" by 3' rebar
1/2" drill bit
Hammer

What I did:
I had Home Depot cut the 2 by 2s in half, then at home I drilled a 1/2" hole about 1/2" from each end.
In the place I wanted the compost box I started stacking the boards onto the rebar, first the top and bottom and then the two sides, again and again until they were all used.
Then I pounded the rebar into the ground.
Voila! All done! How easy was that!

The kids loved helping me, next spring I will probably be ready to build another so I can rotate them.

As Nathan Would Say: Hawoweeen!


We carved our $17 pumpkin on Monday and all of us enjoyed the freshly baked pumpkin seeds.





Curtis said that Audrey looked like Jon Bonet Ramsey with her makeup on. I don't know if that was a good or bad thing.



Nathan was pretty good at sitting still for his makeup, but was glad when it was done.


Audrey says she was a butterfly (I think she looked more like a fairy).
Nathan was a bear, we never got him to growl while in the costume though.


What a cutie!


After a long day filled with sticky candy and chili from the ward party, they really needed a bath.


All clean for Sunday! I just wanted to show off our little professor with his corduroy, elbow patched jacket.


Audrey got her picture taken too.


We had a fun Halloween. I am setting aside a whole bucket of candy to use as stocking stuffers. No need to go spend more money on something we have plenty of!