Dear Noah: Alex's Birthday party yesterday

We celebrated your cousin Alex's 14th birthday yesterday at aunt Angela's house....we took grandma C. along with us. We had a great time. This was the first time you said you would see grandpa Lincoln since you "accidentally smelled Autumn" their dog which made grandpa L. get mad at you. You originally said you hoped he was not going to be there cause you did not want him to get mad or you mad at him again. ONCE there however and you realized he was there you were happy to see him and hugged him and now you are saying you want to go to their house and you "promise to never go up and smell their dog again" to make anyone mad. That you will be very careful to be good. ALL in all you did very well. You were very polite.....played well with Audrey and without her. You minded your own hands and body to yourself (minus one time when I guess you touched your cousin Audrey's butt). You did not have any fits. You told everyone you loved them all very much. You talked sweetly. You posed for pictures. You did not have a fit when it was time to leave. You told Audrey when she got scared because of the thunder that "it is okay..it is just a storm...and Jesus is with us...don't you know that? He is with you all the time and he is a good man...a nice man..he will always take care of you". I just stood there mouth open. You amaze me with the things you say and just instinctly seem to KNOW. You are wise beyond your years without any additional help from me!

We got caught in a bad storm on the way down but it did not last long. Rained a lot while there but not during the drive home so that was great! I LOVE storms but don't want to be driving in them!

We had a great time. The food was superb from PF Changs...and she got the best cupcakes and ice cream! YUMMY!

It was an ORIENTAL/DRAGON type theme....such cool decorations. We even got the coolest party bags to take home with little gifts inside!

She is so creative and talented....always has such great ideas for entertaining and celebrating things with people. The decorations created a wonderful ambience. We really enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Today was a lazy day. I did not have to get up to work so Noah and I slept in which is such as treat now that I finally seem to be able to do it!

Followed by lazy morning...coffee....sitting at the kitchen table together checking out the ads in the paper while looking out the window and talking.....about everything. We were watching it rain.....saw the hummingbird come up and eat out of our feeder....he even few close to the window. We did some school....I introduced multiplication to you. We talked about some upcoming school projects we will work on this year.

talked about money....presidents on the money.....you got to talking about GEORGE W. BUSH....said he was our president. Said he was George WASHINGTON Bush..."he has that BUSH added onto the end of it"..you said. I told him that many did not think GWB was a very good president and did not think he should be president any more. I asked you what you thought...you said "well I think he is a good president....except when he goes to other countries". I asked why he was bad then and you said "cause when he goes to other countries he kills people".

wow....pretty much sums it all up.

We discovered a cool art teaching program which you are still working on your PC with......

I made us breakfast and you lunch. We played some games......talked a lot....you asked me how you could possibly see all the interstates in the United States since you were only a child and could not yet drive. I said someone would have to drive you or you would have to wait till you got old enough. Your promptly gave me your opinion on it....telling me "well I could get a truck driver to drive me" so that started another entirely new topic on STRANGER SAFETY.

Then the birds and the bees.....things we would be studying and doing in school this year. ON AND ON. I popped popcorn in our new popcorn popper and I LOVE IT!

I experimented. Do you know you can take BUTTER flavored cooking spray like Pam and spray on your popped popcorn to make it taste like movie popcorn minus all the fat and calories???? SOOOOOOOO GOOD! You can sprinkle cheese or parmesan cheese on top of it too......all sorts of things.....with or without the spray. I loved them all. I bagged up all the extra corn to eat off of whenever I get the urge to have some as a snack.

I made me some spareribs and baked sweet potato for lunch. Small pan of brownies for dessert and snacking (though after seeing some of my pics taken yesterday I obviously could pass on those!)

Anyway...life is sweet.....love the new place and the STRESS-FREE environment. SO nice to just be able to GO with the flow!

Today is an official PJ day for me and Noah. We have and will not even get dressed.

I just made a pot of fresh coffee...checking out the pics from the party yesterday.

I heard that my old place in Colorado got some SNOW! wow...hard to believe though it will be here too before you know it.

still lots to do....but I am just skating today......taking it easy..........