Thursday night...

Has it really been this long?? Where is November going? I guess a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks! We've been busy just doing normal "stuff"....

Annika's been battling a cough. She'd cough all night long, so that means she is up and wanting to come in our room just to lay by us and cough! Poor thing! So, all day she is just exhausted and this is my girl who WILL NOT take a nap. If you want to get on her bad side, make her take one! Well, yesterday I MADE her take one. It was not pleasant, well, it was after she fell asleep! So, last night I tried the HOTTEST cough remedy on the market today. Vick's Vapor Rub! But, not on your chest, on your FEET! Just lather it up good, put some socks on, and go to bed. That child slept the WHOLE night without a cough. :) Thanks, Amy! Now, I know you are all going to try it next time! Tonight all FOUR of my kids have Vick's on their feet...and freshly cut toe nails.

The past few months I've been dabbling with possibly getting a new van. We talked about it in the spring before putting a couple thousand into our old van....but we just kept our van. Jason, my new best friend and car salesman, has been calling me every couple of months wondering how we are in our mission to find a van. I kept putting him off telling him we are not ready yet. Until, a few weeks ago when he called, then called again a few days later and then again a few days later. He's a very nice guy....you can't help but like him and was never pushy or shady like MOST car salesmen are! I always answered and chatted. Finally I just asked how much "my" new van could be mine for. I was really shocked when he told me the answer! So, passed it along to Tim. This went on for a couple weeks and some days Tim was going to get a new one and some days he wasn't. It was funny, we knew we were getting a good deal, but just wanted to make sure. I called the Toyota place on Tuesday and told him what I was in the market for and just had to see how comparable the prices were between the Odyssey and Sienna b/c they are both nice vans. Well, we were talking about prices and features and finally he said at the end, "yeah...that's a really good deal. Almost a too good to be true deal. I would love to earn your business, but I think I just sold you an Odyssey!" That was funny. So, I told Tim and he said we should just get it being we'd have to get a new one in the spring anyway! So, Mama has a new van. :) And, Mama did it all by herself! Tim just drove by it on Sunday to look at it being the dealership was closed! He's not a fan of buying new cars or anything for that matter......and even said the next house we buy is my department, as well. I welcome the challenge. He does have to go in tomorrow and sign some paperwork. But, Tim has a hard time with change (grin!) and is keeping our Silver van. Its funny, I've been driving my old van for almost 3 months with no driver side mirror. I've gotten so used to not using it that yesterday and today I am just trying to get back into the habit of using one! Its been interesting.

We have had some funny moments in our house. Issy's been a little character, as always, and started picking up objects and putting them behind her ear and saying, "doh!" She is just too fun. :)

Annika was crying yesterday on the way to get our new van and through her tears says, "Mommy, why did Grandma Berniece have to die?" Break my heart, child! Not a good moment to bring that up.

Erik had to excuse himself from dinner the other night because Alaina made him laugh so hard he peed in his pants.

Last night I picked the kids up from AWANA. Erik had blood on his shirt and an accident report in his hand. Apparently another child ran into him during game time and hit him pretty hard in the nose. He held it together until we go home and he just got really angry that someone would do that to him. I think it was an accident!

The kids completely emptied their closets on Tuesday. I had a wholegrain 101/pressure cooker class here, so I was not upstairs with them. But, their Dad was. Annika welcomed people at the door with a princess dress on, a really long blond wig, high heels and a tiera. They kept coming down with CRAZY stuff on all excited that they FOUND this and that. OH DEAR! I know that all that is there....there is nothing to be found. If I wanted you to have that I wouldn't have put it high up in your closets! So, I have a mess to pick up. Too bad for them, because when they pull stuff like this (emptying places onto their floors) most of the stuff goes to goodwill and not back in a "spot!"

That's it for tonight. I have to get to bed! There's more to write, but I'm too tired!