took a break from cleaning to take a few shots of jack and his new do.
sweaty and dirty after school...
but you get the idea...

I hope you all have a delightful Thanksgiving.

be back in a few days...

You can thank Jack...

Jessica Fulkerson O'Brien

please email me (ewillard9@gmail.com) with your address

just please don't be too angry with me

if I don't get to the post office until Monday...

xoxo

you are going to love this little book.

I just know it.

I wish I could send one to everyone.

Dear Evansen:
The train table is set up and waiting for you to play... please hurry up and get here!
We just can't wait! We are SO excited.
In the meantime,
we are doing an excellent job of "trying out" all the toddler toys Mom pulled out of storage for you.

Lovelovelove,
Colten and Jack

"We're not playing with them mom...we're having a war"

Have to go watch the MLS Cup right now,

but I'll have Jack draw a name for Love tomorrow.

Thanks for saying "hi",

I have some new blogs to check out after the turkey day is done.

(which is always exciting to me!)

xoxox

ps. Yes, Jack got his hair cut off.
pps. He looks super cute.

and old.

super old.

love (luv) n.

I picked the boys up from school yesterday.
Jack jumped in the truck and proclaimed in a very excited voice
"Did you know that bitch means female dog?"
Thank goodness they're learning something at school...
(no that actually was not my first thought)
"Yes, I did."
"We got dictionaries at school today, and the b-word is in there!"
"Great news son, great news..."
I'm sure when the teachers passed out those dictionaries they quickly regretted it when all the little 3rd graders began looking up swear words.
lovely...

Jack's new Dictionary for Students also has the meaning of the word love.

love –n.
1: great and warm affection (as of a child for a parent)
2: a great liking
3: a beloved person

One of my dearest friends, Karen, has fulfilled what I know has been a dream of hers...
she published her first book.
simply called love (luv) n.
Karen and I have been friends since the 6th grade.
Both of us grew up having artists as parents
and some of my fondest memories involve our creative endeavors together...
making paper dolls, drawing while discussing fashion magazines
and making drinks from dandelions.

As we grew older, we took different paths, but our friendship has remained...
Karen lives in NYC now, where she embarked on her love research -
(in her words)
"Seven years ago, after the events of 9-11, combined with a family crisis, I found myself questioning love. With a pending marriage less than a year away, I decided I needed answers. The somewhat unusual solution I came up with would change my life forever: I began to interview perfect strangers. Setting up a Love Research booth in public spaces, I enticed passing New Yorkers by offering them a single red rose in exchange for responding to five questions about love. Hundreds of interviews and flowers later, these revealing and fleeting encounters not only gave me an archive of fascinating stories from people of all walks of life, they also forced me to examine my own understanding of love." What does love mean to you?
Have you ever fallen in love?
Has your love ever been tested?
How do you prepare for love?
Who are your love heroes?

I decided to conduct a little love research of my own,
separately asking each of my boys 3 questions about love.

Jack:
What does the word love mean to you?:
"A liking between one another...a LIKE-ing"
Name three things you love:
(this made Jack nervous at first because he said there were "four of us"...I told him he could lump us together as "family")
"My family, the planet I live on and food and water"
Do you think love is increasing or decreasing in the world?
"I think it's staying the same. Can I say same?"

Colten:
What does the word love mean to you?
"It means you care about someone or something"
Name three things you love:
"Soccer, my family and food...(pause)...no, change food to God"
Do you think love is increasing or decreasing in the world?
"Decreasing, because of war, the economy and a lot of celebrities are getting divorced"

Jared:
What does the word love mean to you?
"It's a feeling of putting your spouse before yourself or your needs....or someone else, but it's about putting them before yourself"
Name three things you love:
"Soccer, Math, my family...no... change math to God"
Do you think love is increasing or decreasing in the world?
"Decreasing. Now you hear about people having multiple marriages instead of the biblical one... and cheating and divorce and all of that"

I'm so glad that the 3 things you love were in no particular order....
math, or God.
heehee... and Colten's answer about celebrities made me crack up,
"Why are you laughing Mom? They are...and it's not good."

I love blogging.
I do.
I love the people I've met, the friendships created.
I love keeping in touch through blogging,
I love looking back and remembering what we've done as a family...
and the funny things the boys have said along the way...

Here is where my "three readers" {*wink*} come in to play...
I'm super proud of my friend...
I was so excited to walk into Barnes and Noble and buy her book!
It's such a sweet little book,
I'd love to pass some love around...
so if you'd like a copy of Love, I'd love to send you one...
I have an extra...
In your comment you could answer a question about love,
or tell me about something you'd love for Christmas...
or just say "hi"
leave a comment...
and I'll have Jack draw a name next week.
xoxoxoxo

Me " I'm going to make you some soup...then I'm taking the boys to get sushi before I drop J at youth"
Colin "Ok, what will the boys eat?"
"Sushi"
"Jack?"
"Sushi. Jack eats sushi. It's just you that doesn't."
"What is wrong with my kids? That isn't even real food!"
ha.

Sorry I've been a little MIA this week...
Just when Jack seems to be on the mend...
Colin decides to go and get sick!
I'm trying desperately to keep the rest of us healthy, as I play nursemaid to my poor hub.

Thanksgiving is next week you know,
we are suppose to have some visitors ...
Colten helped me with the calendar this month.
and it makes me smile every time I walk by it...
Grandma is coming,
and "Even" (aka Evan)...
Not sure what happened to Grandpa, Aunt Gabby and Uncle Mike.
Clearly too much writing...

Even....
heeeheee....

We have a train table to set up for Mister Ev...
So Uncle Colin needs to feel better soon.

ok. I'm off to Clorox my house...and suck down a few more vitamin Ds.
Tomorrow,
a little fun give-away...
for my three readers! YAY!

Without Water

There is No Life...

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.
Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick.
Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault.
Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.
Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.

"For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat,
I WAS THIRSTY and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in."
Matthew 25:35

Jack is still sick.
Yesterday I did what all good moms do when their babies are sick...
I took photos.
while he ate his bagel sandwich.
(hence the cream cheese and turkey on his mouth)
my boys do not believe in starving a fever, that's for sure...

he is so darn cute.
even with glassy fever eyes...
and a messy mouth.

I was feeling his head yesterday,
and getting him more water...
when he said in his little sick voice...
"thanks mom for being so nice to me"
well,
melt my heart...

completely random discussion on food

I thought it was funny that someone on facebook commented on a halloween photo of the boys sorting their candy...
something along the lines of "how long will it take them to finish that?"

the assumption = the candy would be gone almost immediately...
the reality = I will throw it away around Easter,
to make room in the pantry for the Easter candy.

This was my trashcan last week,
as I made room for the Halloween candy.it's not that they don't love candy...
they do.
I guess they get bored of it? and move on...crazy boys.

I on the other hand,
have determined that I must go back on my "diet"...
just because
I do.
and my month of cheat has proved it...
sooooo as much as I wanted to dive in after those stale peeps....I refrained.

have I mentioned I hate salad?
I do.I have however determined that if I plan said lunch salad,
so it's not the same stupid salad everyday...
it's better.
like the above veggie salad with hummus was yesterday.
(which my kids would tell you looks like "cat-puke"...they're charming...have I mentioned that?)
today is a dill chicken salad...
tomorrow,
chicken salad with brie.
definitely more doable.
and clearly, not low-fat...
just GF.

have I also mentioned I hate cooking?
yeah.
I do.
making meal planning/cooking my least favorite chore.
below folding laundry,
which is down there.
but.
I love to eat.
irony.

Colten told Jack the other day that
"You eat mostly healthy stuff during the day so that you can eat dessert at night"
which I think really is the truth.
He's a smart boy.

Jack however doesn't like "healthy stuff"...
fruit and veggies are not his friends.

He is home sick today
(probably from not eating his veggies)

"Mommmmmm"
"Were you calling me?"
"Yes. Can I have a banana?"
"Of course"
"I just saw one on tv...and it looked soooo good...now I want one"

so like his mom that one.
behold the power of suggestion...

I think if they advertise broccoli on tv all day today
we might make some progress...
I definitely do.

Last Weekend

was super nice.
The weather was amazing.
the park was gorgeous...
and the boys played great.

Jared plays a year up.
So he is on a U-16 team.
He's still the tallest on the team.
They played a team a year younger, and I bet this poor kid about peed himself when he saw he had to guard J.
Colten scored three out of four of his team's goals.Jack's team just started playing together this fall, and they had yet to win a game.
They lost their first two games, but won their third.
They WON!
As far as we were concerned that was like winning the tourney.Jared and Colten both went to the finals, and won.and...I ate at PF Changs.
and...Our hotel was across from a Starbucks.
I told you...
a super SUPER weekend.

Such a good sport...

"I just thought it was a creative name for a delicious pie"...

I'm sorting photos from this weekend right now, and will post them soon.
Funfun weekend...

I gots mines...

behold the power of the gingerbread latte...
all lion king style.
I am honestly in a horrible mood...hooray for that, eh?
and darn it for Starbucks not helping out...

So instead of boring you with those details...
some photos from last week,
which was "spirit week" at the littles school.
friday was dress-as-your-favorite-character-from-a-book...

Jack wasn't really sure what character to be,
because of course my kids are rule followers at school,
and they said character from a book...
(most kids just wore their halloween costume)
making it slightly difficult for Jack, who isn't such a book reader.
Also, as he pointed out...most of the characters in the books he does read are "just boys"
and "there is no costume for that"...
The night before he thought maybe he'd be Max from the Wild Things...
and I could just "go get some white fabric, and make some pointy ears, and it wouldn't be that hard."
instead we opted to go with Percy Jackson from The Lighting Thief.
which only involved me ironing some letters on a shirt...
that I could handle at 9 o'clock at night.Colten on the other hand wore his hand-me-down dress suit,
because really, if you can wear anything, why not make it a suit and tie.
(he was a FBI agent from his book)That is just so Coley.
If he could he'd wear that suit everywhere.
I have no idea why.
in fact,
if he doesn't become a "famous soccer player"
(his current plan)
I'm sure the only prerequisite for any other future employment will be
must involve wearing a suit daily.

ok.
we leave for Little Rock tomorrow,
for a soccer tourney...
that I am far from ready for.
I should probably go do something
like pack...

Please come eat this candy...

Ok...confession time.
We didn't actually get around to carving pumpkins this year.
(I know...gasp!)

Which for two out of three boys is not a problem...
for the Jack one...
it's completely unacceptable...
we will be carving pumpkins.
(oh yes we will)
even if it means our jack-o-lanterns will be sitting under our Christmas tree this year.

Much like the one time we didn't get around to dying Easter eggs...
so we did them that summer.
am I really the only mom that sometimes doesn't get to these things?!?
really awesome. Mom-of-the-year stuff happening here...

I've looked at WalMart...
and at Kroger...
and of course there isn't a pumpkin to be found.
(could some store please cut me a tiny bit of slack?)

So this morning on the way to school Jack reminded me (again)
that we still have to carve pumpkins...
(like I'd forgotten this fact)
I proceed to tell him that I have been looking,
and can't find any pumpkins right now,
but maybe we'll drive by a farm stand on the way to Little Rock this weekend.
if not...
I explained that people sometimes make real pumpkin pie,
so surely the stores will have pumpkins again soon in time for Thanksgiving.

Jared "Wait. People use pumpkins for that?"
Me (thinking he just didn't understand how you'd use a whole pumpkin)
"yes they cook the pumpkin and then scoop out the flesh and throw it in a food processor or something. I don't really know...I use it out of a can"
"I never knew that was what was in the can"
"Wait...you never realized there was pumpkin in the can of pumpkin pie filling?"
"I didn't know"
"What did you think pumpkin pie was made from?"
"Well...I didn't know. I just thought it was a pie that tasted really really good."

he just thought it was pie.
pie made of some unknown source
that tastes
really
really
good.

yes.
that's my son.
please note this is the same son
that got a 100 on his report card in AP Algebra 2 this semester.
(yes...the class that comes after Geometry)
a 100.
not just an A.
a 100.
but pumpkin pie...
that is one of the great mysteries of the world...

oh
my.
I love that kid.

31.

I really like making the boys halloween costumes...
however this year they picked what they wanted out of a catalog,
which was just fine too...
jack was kung-fu fighting...

and if you remember jack's aversion to head-wear, this lovely hood/mask/headband combo lasted all of ten minutes...love that boy's eyes.

and the joker was wild.
colten really just wanted his face painted.
wish granted.and like years past, he was still sporting some eyeliner today... this year they were just on a mission.
my friend jill and I just tried to keep up with the four boys...
or merely keep track of them by glow-necklace.
(they are old, and fast)
it was like blue, red, orange, green. they're all there. whew.the aftermath...quite the haul.
always some serious trading takes place.

and just in case we didn't have enough candy...my sweet husband managed to come home from the store with some more.
it.
was.
on.
sale.
ha.
love him. I do.