Semi-annual growth check

Nathan went back to the endocrinologist for his 6 month growth check. He grew 1.2 inches and gained almost 4 pounds. That's huge amounts in the Nate world! So far we have avoided the need for HGH, but the dr. said if he is still behind when the teen years approach we may have to give him a jump start.

For the past year, he's been becoming more and more aware that he is smaller than other kids so please keep praying daily for him to grow. Someone asked him the other day if he liked girls. His response: "No, because they always just look at me and say 'Are you sure you're supposed to be in this class?'" He just doesn't realize that this is his first introduction to girls wanting to be in charge of everything!

Next growth check is in February!

Just the facts

The past 2 weeks have been very busy at our house so I'll get you up to date on all the happenings then hopefully return to blogging on a regular basis with intentions of entertaining you with my wit and charm. But for today, it's just the facts.

*Zac and Kate have already completed 2 weeks of school. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is August 27 and they have been in school for 2 weeks. Remember the days of not starting till after Labor Day? Of course, that was back when bell bottoms and tie dye were acceptable but it just seems summer gets shorter and shorter every year.

*Zac and Kate are at different schools this year which totally messes up my simultaneous orthodontic appt. plans. Last year, I could drive to one school, get two kids and be on my way. This year, it's 2 schools for one kid each which requires an extra 30 minutes and some strategic planning to avoid pick-up traffic at all the other schools in between. Zac is enjoying high school but I don't think my brain has quite accepted that he is a freshman yet.

*Alyssa began her college classes last Monday. After I got over the shock of spending $313 on books which consisted of a paperback and a stack of shrink wrapped loose leaf papers, I am excited for her. She seems to be enjoying her classes. She even joined the Spanish club so she can practice conversing. There is the motivation of not having to take the final if you show up for a certain number of meetings but she actually wants to learn it, not just pass the class. Algebra has gone well so far with the exception of some of those pesky rate/time/distance problems that I would guess only 1% of America knows how to work. You would think the $100 calculator I had to buy would be able to do those for her.

*Nathan will start what will probably be his last year of homeschool next week. It is very strange here on M, W, and F mornings since it is just us at home now, but I'm enjoying the one on one time with him that I don't get very often.

Is your mama a Llama?

While we were in TX last week, Alyssa and her friend Caitlin talked Aunt Liz in to buying a llama cake pan. (And yes, we are aware that this isn't really a llama. It's a Swedish horse of some sort but somehow saying you were going to make llama cake was more fun.) This, of course, led to lots of jokes about who was going to get to eat the llama head and who was going to have to eat the..um..other end of the llama.



Nathan's prayer after having cake:
"Thank you God that Alyssa made llama cake. Thank you that it wasn't a real llama."

Alyssa's car!

We finally found a car for Alyssa after searching the newspaper and internet for what seems like forever! Obama's cash for clunkers is not friendly to economically challenged families like ours who want to buy some of those clunkers.

A friend of one of my coworkers has an auto repair shop and had this '99 Taurus for sale. It has a newer engine, new transmission, new brakes, and new tires and all of the work is warranted for 6 months. We are very glad to have the peace of mind that the car has been thoroughly checked by someone we can trust. And I'm ridiculously happy that I do not have to drive her to dance, school, or work. Yippee!