Right On, Aunt Ami!

Ami bought a new camera and she tried it out with Megan this morning....I think Megan likes it!

So Thankful

Something happened this week that made me more thankful than ever....thankful for my husband, my children, family, great friends and thoughtful coworkers. Early Tuesday morning my Grandma passed away. She was an inspiration to me my whole life. She was everything I hope to see in my children as they grow older - kind, unassuming, gracious, generous...there aren't enough words. A couple years ago, on the day we say goodbye to my Grandpa, she and I were sitting in my Aunt and Uncle's yard enjoying the sunshine and reminiscing about him. She said to me "We had a good life. We never had a lot of money, but we travelled some and met a lot of nice people." She was thankful for her life...and I'm thankful for the 36+ years I had with her. Though I miss her terribly, I'm thankful that she is in Heaven with my Grandpa, her parents and sisters, and many good friends.

Great Blog Stuff

So, I was reading about this new website on "I Love the Way She Blogs"...check it out...great free backgrounds and templates!

A Saturday afternoon date

This afternoon while Megan was at a birthday party, I took Kellan on a little date. Though I would've liked to go see the new Twilight movie, we spent some time at The Carousel instead. We rode on the carousel until I was nausious and dizzy (only took two rides!) and discussed Christmas while eating ice cream cones. Kellan was delighted to have my undivided attention...it's not easy being the middle kid!

Our New Pet Dinosaur

Isn't he cute?!

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Besides the fact that I have not been adding to my blog as much as I would like, there are a few other things I have not been doing lately. For instance, yesterday morning while Marc, Megan and Kellan were at church, I did not pull up the video to Taylor Swift's song, Crazier, on YouTube....and dance with my favorite little partner!

And then I did not let him roll around on the counter while giggling hysterically....

Last night we went to Aunt Katy and Uncle Bill's house for dinner to celebrate Uncle Bill and Grandma Cindy's birthdays. Aunt Katy served homemade mac and cheese and cheesey hot dogs for dinner...very kid-friendly! We were all just finishing up when Katy asked if anybody would like another wiener. As you can imagine, Kellan latched right on to that opening! He kept saying the word "wiener" and then giggling. Before you ask, I definitely did not laugh until I cried everytime he said it and started giggling. I know, I know....totally inappropriate!

One more thing...on my way home from our parent teacher conference this afternoon, there was a truck speeding up our road and stirring up all kinds of dust. I most definitely did not call the guy and moron and say that I hope he gets a flat tire in front of my very impressionable 7-year-old. What kind of example would I be setting if I did a think like that?!

Hmmmm.....

I don't know why, but I am always so tired on Thursday evenings. Well, I can guess that it's probably because I have three small children and work fulltime and have a big house to clean and lots of laundry and...well, you get the picture. This Thursday evening, however, I am way more tired than usual. I think it's sort of self-induced, though. Since each of my children were babies, I have looked forward to the day they could do a few things for themselves...like picking out their own clothes, brushing their own teeth, bathing themselves, putting on their own shoes, etc. It seems that Miss Megan and Mr. Kellan have reached this point...but for some reason I can't seem to give up these tasks! I'm not sure if it's just a habit for me to automatically do it all or if I have some kind of crazy control issue....no, I'm sure it's just the habit thing. Anywho, now that we reached this more self-sufficent phase, I kind of feel sad because they don't need me as much anymore. Watching kids grow up is so bittersweet...

Any now that I've poured my heart out, Megan just came out of her room to remind me to complete her Scholastic book order before I go to bed because it's due tomorrow....can't she just do it herself?! I'm tired!

Okay...I'm back now...

Well, I meant to post a Halloween picture on Thursday after I returned from a business trip; however, I am just now finding time! I was so exhausted on Thursday and Friday, I just didn't have the energy to compose an entertaining post. I have finally recovered so here goes:

First of all, here is the promised Halloween photo:

We had a great time at the Pierson's Halloween party and the kiddos had their most successful trick-or-treating year ever! If only Marc and I could quit eating their candy!

As I previously mentioned, I was out of town Monday through Thursday last week. I returned home to a pretty clean house and three very happy children. I have to say, I'm very impressed with Marc's single parenting skills! This weekend I'm getting a chance to work on those skills myself - Marc is in Denver hanging with his buddy, Matt, and his brother, Sean. They are going to the Steelers/Broncos game tomorrow night - GO STEELERS!

Now that we are just a few weeks from Thanksgiving, I'm starting to plan for one of my most favorite days of the years....the day after Thanksgiving! Now, I'm really not that much of a shopper for myself, but I love buying for others and I have lots of great gift ideas this year! I've already been studying (yes, studying) the sale ads and making lists. Last year Katy and I went to Walmart at 5 am...we're not doing that again. Walmart is almost more than I can handle on a normal day - at 5 am the day after Thanksgiving it's just way too scary!

What have the McCauley kids been up to lately? Well, Megan is continuing to ace every spelling test and she is practicing for her Christmas program already. Oh, and she has another loose tooth! Kellan has been enjoying hunting with his daddy and grandpa and he is learning how to use our laptop. Mr. Jacksen is continuing to be our sweet...and sometimes not so sweet...littlest. It's hard to believe he will be three years old next month! Yikes...I guess I better start thinking about his birthday party!

Just a little break...

After a very long week last week, trick-or-treating on Saturday evening, and then cleaning and packing yesterday, I just haven't had time to post pictures or funny stories on my blog. AND, I know you're going to be devastated, but I am going out of town for work this morning and will not be back until Thursday afternoon. So, watch for a post full of great stories, photos, and humor Thursday evening.....