God Is Good

For sure....

Happy Hallloween

Averi decided she was going as WordGirl from a PBS cartoon. Of course, the obvious costume for Kinsley would be Captain Huggy Face (WordGirl's sidekick).

This was the first year for homemade costumes, which made Halloween so much more fun!

Here is the "real" WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face...



And here are the girls...














Kinsley insisted on carrying her bucket the entire time and waving bye-bye 2 times or sometimes 3 to each house we visited.

Averi was super patient trick-or-treating with her sister. I think she had as much fun passing out candy when we got home.

If you are looking for a great place to store wrapping paper....

Mr. Ed apparently found one.




Now, this is not a passive-aggressive rant.

This is me showing how we function/dysfunction.

We had a super busy week and weekend filled with birthdays (2 to be exact and I'll post on those when I'm emotionally ready), Homecoming, marching competition, soccer game, benefit garage sale for my dad (I'll post on that when I'm emotionally ready), and all that topped off with me having a terrible cold and losing my voice.

Eddie was a super star and wrapped Averi's gifts while we (Granne, Jordan, and myself) took Averi and a couple of friends to Chuck-E-Cheese.

Eddie should always wrap gifts because he's got great technique. I'm a mess when it comes to wrapping.

I'm really wondering though, how long the wrapping paper will stay in the decorative vase and why Mr. Ed decided to stuff it in there after his wrapping job.

The really strange thing is that I haven't asked him, and he hasn't said anything about it either. It's just been patiently waiting to be reintroduced to its wrapping paper buddies in it's proper home in the wrapping-paper-plastic-holder.

I wonder if Mr. Ed will ever notice it.

(alright, that was a bit passive-aggressive)

P.S. You did read correctly...Jordan did go to Chuck-E-Cheese with us. I even shared a few tokens with him. I'm cool that way.

Do you have one of these?

If not, I highly recommend you get one ASAP.

Couponing is Contagious

Eddie continues his Friday lunch tradition with Charles. They've been going strong for the last 5 years or more. A few months ago, they found a new restaurant that they love.

Guess what? I usually had a coupon for that place. So on Fridays, Eddie would always ask me for the B1G1F. Mr. Ed's certainly stepped up his couponing game.

So, I didn't pay much attention to the fact that Mr. Ed was asking for coupons for his Friday lunch with Charles, as the word coupon is probably one of the top ten most used words in our house. In fact, I didn't pay much attention to the last several months when I heard Mr. Ed make mention of Charles already having a coupon for their beloved Nico's.

It wasn't until this past Friday that I really realized....couponing is CONTAGIOUS.

As Mr. Ed left that morning for work, I did my wifely duty by reminding him to call me if he needed a coupon for lunch.

Well, around 11:30, I received a text: "need coupon"

I got online looking for the coupon for their regular lunch spot. No coupon!

We made phone contact. Yeah, people do actually use the phone to talk still.

I told Mr. Ed that the regular restaurant spot coupon was not valid, but I could get a B1G1F for a like restaurant. Mr. Ed was overjoyed because this was one of Charles' favs.

Here's where I get to the point. Hopefully.

Mr. Ed asks me to leave the q's in the mailbox, and he'll have Charles meet him at the house.

He then calls back....here it comes.

Ed: Well, Charles has already left cause he had to get gas, but he brought his coupons with him and has the El Paso one.

HE BROUGHT HIS COUPONS WITH HIM!

Now, I've always liked Charles. He's been a great friend to Eddie. He's a hard worker. He's a great softball player. BUT, he's bringing his coupons (plural...meaning multiple coupons) with him. He's gold! He's a gem. I'm over-joyed.

Sammi: He brought his coupons with him? So, Charles is couponing?

Ed: Yeah, he's been doing it since I started.

Sammi: Really??

Ed: Yeah, he loves it.

You know you've spread the couponing word when two grown men are planning their lunch around their coupons!

Love it. Shout out to Charles...HEY!

3rd Child - Letter of Apology

Dearest Kinsley,

I want to apologize to you for the hand-me-down-winter-jammies that daddy cut the sleeves and legs out of to make hand-me-down-winter-jammies-modified-summer-jammies.
I especially want to apoligize that mommy didn't get the matching "modified" set on you after bath time.
I also want to apologize for the many hours you have to spend each week sitting in your car seat while we are picking up big brother and/or big sister. I know it's torture.

You are adjusting well for sure.

I have taken notice that you have found some very neat ways to spend your time since big sister is no longer spending her days at home with us. I appreciate that you can find almost anything in the house and turn it in to your own personal McDonald's playground. Very creative.


I have also noticed that your "shoe shoe" fetish is improving a bit. You only have small relapses now and again. So proud!

Mommy and Daddy love you very much. You take the prize for sure in the "MOST AWESOMEST 3RD CHILD EVA" category.

Keep up the good work!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

P.S.

I wanted to just give you one little survival tip for this house. NEVER fall asleep on the couch in the middle of the day.

Zoom! Zoom!

Grandma Glenda had no idea when she bought Averi a Barbie Car that it would double as a Kinsley Car.

She finds so many creative ways to get herself stuck in things...bar stools, rocking chairs, strollers, shopping carts.


****Update below....

Double Decker - No? Teen in the House - Yes!

Proof that I'm not on the same page as my teenager:

My thoughts: I'll pack Jordan a nice big lunch for school tomorrow. I"ll go all out & make him an extra-special-double-decker-turkey-cheese-filled-with-love-from-mom-sandwich.

Jordan's thoughts (not that I can read thoughts, although sometimes it may come off that way):
OH NO!!! WHAT'S SHE DOING?????

Jordan says: Mom, what's that extra piece of bread for?

Mom says: (with super-duper proudness) I'm making you a double-decker-sandwich!

Jordan says: No, mom. Please mom. No. Please. No double-decker sandwich. Please mom, no double decker (can you hear the desperation in his voice?).

Mom says: Jordan, I thought you would like a double-decker sandwich. I didn't think one sandwich was enough, and you said you didn't want two. What's wrong?

Jordan says: Just please mom, no.

Mom says: Okay, Jordan...no double-decker.

Mom discards the extra bread.

Jordan is relieved & goes off to take his shower.

Mom is totally confused.

Mom's thoughts: Jordan loves double-whatevers.

- What-A-burger - double-decker
- Micky D's - double-decker
- Home - double-decker

Mom tells Mr. Ed about the situation. A light bulb appears above Mr. Ed's head. He's got a PLAN.

We got to work quickly.

I'm on lookout. He's on find mode.

This was the final product:



Well done, Mr. Ed. Well done! (that's fruit roll up on top of ice cream cone)

The strangest part though (yeah, I think it gets stranger), is that Jordan prefers his lunch packed in this type of bag...

Because a nice insulated bag would be TOTALLY EMBARRASSING!

SCORE:
Parents - 1
Teenager - 0

One other lunch-making note:

My Kindergartner will be so incredibly excited when she opens her lunch box to find her sandwich cut in the shape of an "A" for Averi.

At least I'll be the cool mom at one school campus tomorrow.

UPDATE: Jordan gave us the details of his mystery lunch find. It went like this:

Jordan: It was so funny. My whole table was laughing. Even the senior girls behind us were wondering what was going on.

Mom: Wow!

Jordan: It was even funnier when I bit into it and marshmallows went everywhere.

Mom: You ate it? There were marshmallows in it?

Jordan: Yeah, in the cone. I wasn't going to waste a fruit roll up. All the girls were like what's going on?

Final Score:

Teenager - 1
Parents - 0

Operation Kindergarten

It was a success...ummm with one, small hiccup.

Hiccup Hint: An un-sharpened pencil, a very tempting pencil sharpener (she's had a fascination with those all summer), and an already sharpened pencil on her desk.

Hiccup Excuse: Loss of hearing for the 3 seconds prior to the offense.

Hiccup Outcome: No sticker and a note on her chart stating, "Asked not to sharpen pencil (she already had a sharpened on her desk) and sharpened anyway."

Ouch!

Well, she got stickers the rest of the week, she apologized to her teacher the day after the pencil mishap, she's made lots of friends, and she's excited to go to school each morning. We consider it a success and are so very PROUD of her!!

Monday was

A very big day in the Ferguson household.

It was Averi's first day of Kindergarten. Averi has been so excited and so ready! I'm not sure if Kindergarten is ready for Averi, though. She got up bright and early and ate a big breakfast. We had NO issues whatsoever. We were strong, brave, and ready to face the day. No tears at all...until I got into the car and drove away.










I got myself together for a moment until I realized that when I got home, I had to send Jordan off to his first day of high school.




They both had an excellent first day of school.

Kinsley enjoyed her first day of being an only child (for 7 hours at least).

Oh, Mr. Ed and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Monday also. Well, I say celebrated, but that's probably a little exaggerated. We have deferred the actual celebration to a later date when we don't have so many "firsts" going on.

I love you, Mr. Ed.

Jordan had his first band performance on the high school field!

It was cool. We were proud. Kinsley danced to the music. Averi found friends to play with. Jordan rocked the field.

We were so proud.

They actually had band parents come onto the field to show us a few marching moves. Eddie and I did the quick choose-a-roo. I won! I got to go. It is HARD. Not just hard but impossible for me, at least.

They have "coordinates".

COORDINATES? Are they men at sea?

No, they are the BAND. AND. THEY. ROCK. THE. FIELD. We did a few marching steps...I was loaded down with the snare drum. I never actually got to play the drum (although the really embarrassing parents tried to play their child's instrument...I chose to use my embarrassing moment on snapping pictures....somehow I still ended up being the most embarrassing parent EVA). I still think the parents trying to play the instruments were WAY more embarrassing.

Anyway I did a few "mis"steps and stumbled around clueless and still wondered "what's a coordinate"..."when is 8"...."which way is east".

SERIOUSLY they have to know NWSE! Who knows that?

I learned that either E or W (one of those) means your facing/not facing the sun....I've forgotten which one. My odds are better now though.

Kinsley ate cheetos, Averi drank Mr. Pibb. We were practicing our "football game" parenting technique, which will be to fill their mouths with lots of sugar, salt, and whatever else will keep them occupied.

I have a new respect for band.

And MY. SON. IS. FABULOUS...with or without band.

Kinsley Wants YOU

Jordan "THE FRESHMAN"

Business has picked back up in the FUrguson household (yes I realize our name is spelled wrong in the header - it should be fixed soon).

School is starting soon. SCHOOL. IS. STARTING. SOON. Sorry, but I've seen so many bloggers use one word sentences & I just had to join the fun.

Alright, J-Ray has been soaking up the heat at band camp..."One time, at band camp...". I know many of you repeat that in your heads when you hear "band camp", as do I. One fun fact, the nurse at my doctor's office (the doctor that delivered Averi & Kinsley) looks just exactly like the girl that repeated that line so infamously. That girl now (the famous one - not my baby delivering doctor's nurse) is on a sitcom.

Moving on, band from the beginning, has been such a huge surprise for me. It is SERIOUS stuff. They don't play! That deserves repeating in case any of you non-band people don't get it. THEY. DON'T. PLAY. Okay, I really hope I'm getting the one-word-sentence-using-in-blogs thing down. My goodness, trying to fit in never stops, does it?

Anyway, I had to learn the seriousness of the band thing the hard way. I just want to save any non-musical parents from the same embarrassment (for your children's' sake of course...wink:wink). *Note to future band parents - NEVER question the middle school band director about his chosen instrument list....NEVER...NEVER. Most ESPECIALLY NEVER when you know nothing about music. My frugal nature was not a positive characteristic in that situation. I think it went something like me asking Mr. P if they could opt out of the 2 thousand dollar marimba and use one of those small xylophones that come in those musical kits at Target...you know the ones that are like $14.99, at least I'm sure that's the way he took it. Lesson learned, though. Now we are spending hundred's of dollars on yard signs, t-shirts, buttons, car decals, and whatever else we can to SHOW OUR SUPPORT! I should have used the periods in between, huh?

Jordan just walked in the door, from taking a break from practicing, literally MARCHING to his own self made drum beats. No joke. That's how he communicates now.

Chicachicgaburumptychakchak.

Now he's reading what I'm writing. Love you J. Keep up the good work.

On the serious side, please pray for Jordan as he takes on so many things this year. He's entering high school, playing in the Varsity Marching Band, and has several AP courses. Oh, and let's not forget that he will be getting his driver's permit this year. I won't address that topic further because I might go into a crazy-overprotective-mom-rant about how the driving age should be raised to 25 or better yet a law prohibiting any child I gave birth to from obtaining a driver's license.

Jordan showing his new Freshman ID (also known as mom begging him to pose for a pic with his new high school badge while he's busy texting):





That's probably enough crazy from me for the day.

Stay tuned for "Averi & The Chopper" and "Kinsley Wants YOU!"

Take the 3:54 to listen

Wow! I just saw this video posted on Vicki Courtney's blog. Powerful for sure and so worth the 3 minutes, so please check it out.

My friend, Angi and her family drive a long way to attend this church. She's always raving about Matt. After seeing this video, I'm a fan too.

Party Time!

Saturday night, Averi and I had a little slumber party. Daddy painted Averi's face, and Averi painted mine. She did a fabulous job. We made pretty jewelry, ate popcorn & ice cream, drank root-beers, and watched a Scooby-Doo movie. We camped out in the living room. It was a blast!

Here are some pictures.