New happenings.......I have started school back with a bang. After getting many patients "treatment planned" I am now doing a lot of Dentistry which is stressful and demanding, but also fun and interesting. I am finding it more difficult each day to commute an hour back and fourth every day with two kids at home and with Hendrix doing more activities, which is why I am glad things are starting to wind down with school and I will be finished next year, thankfully.

Hendrix had his first basketball game on Saturday which went way better than expected. Since he is playing with 5 and 6 year olds and since the goal is 7 1/2 feet, I didn't really expect Hendrix to shoot, and honestly, just hoped he would stay on the court during a game. He caught on much more than I thought and besides a size difference, you can't tell he is two years younger than everyone. He even made two baskets on Saturday!!! I wish I would have video taped that. I didn't even have my camera because...............this brings me to my next subject....

Slade started getting sick at the end of last week and I had a bag packed for the Hospital on Sat, however we did not end up going and I was able to rush to Hendrix's game at the last minute....BUT......Slade got worse and was hospitalized Monday morning with pneumonia, in respiratory distress and fever.....really sick baby! He was released today and although we have a lot of medicines, he is feeling much better and I will be back to school tomorrow. He however will stay out of daycare until Tues or Wed of next week. Thank goodness for Nana and Daddy who can take off and stay with him. Here is a picture of him yesturday. He caught right on to the whole I.V. thing, but it was awful putting it in. You really can't tell how sick he is in the picture because he is his usual happy self!

Well it has been a busy holiday season as usual. I was able to be home with the boys for about a month so that is very nice. Slade is walking and running everywhere....also falling down a lot so he has a permanent bruise on his head. The boys loved having their first christmas together and Hendrix is really getting into Christmas now so it is really fun to see it through his eyes. Below are some pics from the last month. Slade will turn 1 y/o in Jan....hard to believe! Nutritious Christmas morning breakfast.......
Bacon and M&Ms

Party at our house with some friends


Santa visits Slade

Santa visits Hendrix

Enjoying his new Leapster


Making a gingerbread house with Sasha


Taking Slade for a ride


Christmas picture


Hendrix and Drew at The Grinch on Ice


Slade does not need help getting in his toy box!

The one good snow we have had so far


Cookies from a party I had


Homemade choc covered pretzels for Hendrix's teachers

Hendrix's First Basketball Practice

Well, although my last and most difficult final of the semester is tomorrow, I couldn't miss Hendrix's first basketball practice. We persuaded them to let him try out even though all the other kids are two years older. Turns out it was a great decision. He loves it and he is definitely on par with the rest of the kids. More pics to come I'm sure!

Hello all. New things in our life: Slade is taking about 4-5 steps before turning up the motor and crashing, so he'll likely be walking soon. He has also been rather sick, as my kids usually are their first year, with a trip to the ER in the middle of the night to get a steroid shot because he couldn't breathe and last night a 103.2 fever (on ibuprofen and tylenol) due to some type of infection??) He is doing much better this morning so we'll see if it lasts. I thought I would post a few short videos that I have taken lately. Hope all is well!

Congratulations President Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I really don't know what else to say. Despite living in one of the most backward thinking states on the planet, Obama won, and he won big, which I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone reading this, but I am just so happy and proud that he won so definitively. I have shed many tears of happiness as I'm sure many have. I guess I didn't realize how much I felt invested in this election and it's just so hard being in Ky sometimes where I feel like a fish out of water, so HOW WONDERFUL to know I AM in the majority, and I'm not the crazy one here. I took Hendrix to vote yesturday and tried my best to explain things to him but I'm not sure he really got it. They did however have kids voting which he took part in and, of course, he voted for Obama who he still thinks is part of the family as much as we have talked about him over the past months. I am just so proud that our country is truly in a place where race doesn't matter.....I think it says something for how far we've come, how much hope we can still have that anything can happen, and sets a president for how things will be done in the future. Today, I am REALLY "proud to be an American"!!! Good day to all!!!

We had fun trick or treating!! Now both kids (Hendrix hopped up on sugar) are headed over to my parents to stay the weekend and we are getting up early to go out of town shopping. Here are some pics.

Slade has 4 teeth now, two on top, two on bottom. Hendrix and Brandon went to the library to get some books last night. It's part of Brandon's "school time at night" We are working with Hendrix on writing his letters. He knows them all by sight and what sounds most of them make but now he's learning to read and write........well I say this loosely but it doesn't hurt to try I guess. There are a lot of great internet resources out there with printable workbook and arts and crafts. Everyone go vote next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I would say camping was a success...but freezing at night! We went with my family. My stepbrother has a son about the same age as Hendrix and it's nice that they are at an age where they enjoy playing together now. They had lots of fun running around doing boy things and enjoying the halloween themed weekend. We didn't do as much with the actual Yogi Bear as we have done before but now we have some "favorite" campsites in mind and we'll go again to do all the other stuff next season. Here is a picture of Hendrix and Drew in their Halloween costumes, both pirates by coincidence, and if you click on it, more pictures of the weekend. Ta ta!