Yes, I totally forgot

about my blog. Oops. The holidays sped by like an Indy car, but it was great. We enjoyed a plethora of family time and activities. We did not have a 'White Christmas' (much to Kris's dismay and my relief), but we did have a few 60 degree+sunny days to enjoy outdoor activities. Kailey and Jayden went ice skating for the first time, as did Kris. Kailey hated it at first ("I so don't like this, Mom!"), but by the end of the day, she was speeding around the rink with me and asking if she could take lessons. Jayden wasn't a fan, but he was a good sport.

I went back to school on January 5 and Kailey started school on January 6. She is a peer tutor for a couple little girls who have down syndrome (and 3 boys) at the school. She loves it and her teacher says she is doing a great job. Jayden fluctuates between being sad and distraught that he can't go to school too; however, I think he's enjoying the alone time with dad for a few hours every morning. I'm definitely not ready to have both kids in school! Now that I remembered the blog, I will return soon. Until next time...

Getting into the holiday spirit

comes easily when you have kids. We hope this video helps you to get in the spirit (or atleast makes you smile). xo

Yes we are!

We are definitely in the Christmas spirit! We've been busy with Christmas decorations, crafts, and cooking. Tonight we made and decorated train cakes - it was a messy, sugary blast! Each kid had a train to decorate and Mom and Dad helped them. By the time we were finished decorating, we were much too sick (and the kids were much too sugar-buzzed) to try the cakes, so we get to admire their beauty for another day.

Does anyone know what happened

to November? Wow - it's been a month since my last post?! Let's see if I can remember what happened in the past month...
Jayden spent much of November in the doctor's office &/or urgent care. He had strep, a rash, peeling skin, a fever, lung problems, another rash, etc. The poor little guy hasn't slowed down much with everything that's going on, and continues to grow up in front of our eyes. He is being treated for asthma, although he wasn't diagnosed...the doc wants his lungs to be strong for the cold/flu season. One Sunday he was wheezing so badly it came out as a whistle and reminded me of my brother Jake when he was young. It was very scary. Jayden gets better at talking every day. He definitely speaks in sentences, but it's hard to understand much of what he's saying. He has learned a Christmas song, which I'll record and put up here.
Kailey has been testing her limits a little bit lately, but it's been pretty mild. I have a funny story from the other night - she snuck into the cookie sprinkles and ate some, which turned her lips green. I asked her why her lips were green and she said, "I don't want you to get mad." (Keep in mind I was worried about poison or something). So I said, I won't be mad, but I need to know what happened. She immediately admitted that she snuck into the cabinet for the sprinkles, and she was clearly worried about the consequences. I was so relieved that's all it was and so proud that she told me the truth, I couldn't help but smile. I told her I was not mad and I thanked her for telling the truth, but said she'd have to tell Kris. When she told him what she did and he asked what I did, she said, "Mommy just laughed and told me she's glad I told the truth." Oops.
Kris and I have both been busy with work, house, and fun. We celebrated Mema's 90th birthday in mid-November and it was a lovely, emotional party. It was just the 4 of us on Thanksgiving Thursday which was really nice. We then joined the Schmidt side of Kris' family on Friday for Thanksgiving dinner. We did not do any Black Friday shopping this year and instead hung around the house and spent time with friends. I'll be back before the end of 2008, I swear. xo

I am so disappointed

by the results of the Presidential election, but I will continue to remain hopeful for the future. Besides prayer, I think hope is all we can rely on at this point.

On a bright note, the Tates celebrated Halloween in style! Kailey was a hot pink Supergirl, Jayden was Spiderman, Kris was Captain America in jeans, and I was Batgirl in jeans. Kris brought the kids to my school to join our Halloween party. Then in the evening, we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood and returned home to hand out candy. I was shocked when we had only 5 pieces left and it wasn't even 9 pm! We ended up turning our lights out and vowing to buy more candy (thought $20 worth would be enough!) next year. The kids LOVED trick-or-treating!

The next evening, Aunt Brenda came over so Kris and I could attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball (ooh rah). It was a blast! The ceremony was at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, where we also stayed the night. The ceremony itself seemed slightly botched because there was little light, the Chicken Florentine was dry and rather tasteless, but the cake was yummy and the refreshments were cold. The dj also rocked, which totally made the night. As soon as the music started, we never left the dance floor (except to get on stage, dance on the tables, and get more refreshments, of course.). This birthday ball is one of the best times (out of the 11) I've had.

Now more than ever, we need to remember those who sacrificed for our freedom - thank them, appreciate them, acknowledge them. Let's cherish our freedom now, because we never know how long it will last. xo

'Tis the season for politics!

On Friday, Kailey, Jayden and I were three of 20,000 people in attendance at Bass Pro Shop to hear Sarah Palin speak to Springfield. Despite the weather (temp in the 40s), it was a fantastic experience. We arrived around 9:30 and joined the line for people who had tickets (my friend's husband got us VIP tickets...he rocks). The atmosphere was that of comraderie and anticipation. As a side note, when we entered the line, there were 2 protesters. We waited in line for about 30 minutes before entering the security zone. By this time, the protesters had grown to a whopping 7 people. This provided material for many jokes about Democrats among the crowd.

Getting through security was pretty much like getting on an airplane, except we got to keep our shoes on. As soon as we got through security I showed our tickets to someone and they directed me to a guy who escorted us to the VIP bleachers...fancy. I found my friend Kristy on the bleachers and we settled in. The program was due to start at 11, but Palin wouldn't arrive until noon. The GOP officials had warned everyone not to bring signs, which I thought was kind of strange. Shortly after we sat down, GOP workers passed out homemade and McCain/Palin signs to the crowds. We also got red, white and blue pom-poms. Did I mention it was cold?

For the next hour, we listened to music and talked with the people around us, waving our pompoms every time the sun peeked through the clouds. As 11:00 neared, the electricity of the crowd increased. Pierce Arrow (Branson singers) came out on stage and sang for us. They began the show with an emotional rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while we saluted the enormous flag on top of Bass Pro. Several state and local Republicans also spoke to the crowd. Next thing we knew, a guy animatedly introduced...Naomi Judd!! The crowd was literally silent for a few seconds while we processed that. Then we loudly welcomed her onstage. She talked about being a working mom, what America meant to her, and the goals of John Mc Cain and Sarah Palin. Then she introduced Sarah Palin.

The crowd erupted.

It was exciting and exhilerating. Governor Palin brought her daughters with her and talked about how the weather and Bass Pro Shop reminded her of home. (Another side note: my friend's husband drove the youngest daughter in the motorcade and she sang "all the mavericks in the house put your hands up" from SNL...how cool is that?) She began by thanking our troops, she reminded us that only one man in the race had fought for our country and he didn't plan to stop, she talked about how Joe the Plumber was able to accomplish what the Republican party has been trying to do for months, she discussed their education plan (allowing parents to choose the school their children attend), she reminded us of her accomplishments in the state of Alaska, she promised to remember she was working for us, she declared her love for our country (several times), and she attempted to renew our hope for the future. After the rally, she spent a good 30-45 minutes signing autographs, talking with people, holding babies, etc.

The biggest emotion I experienced from Sarah Palin and the entire rally was that of patriotism. I left the rally with pride for my country and hope for the future.

What great fall weather

we've been having! With the exception of a couple days, our weather has been a sunny 70-80 degrees by day with a cool 50s at night. It has provided us several opportunities for fall family fun. We enjoyed an evening at the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theatre drive-in movie and even though the movie wasn't super, it was a great time. We also went to a farm/park in Springfield where the kids got to play, make crafts, observe farm animals, jump in a bunch of hay, have their faces painted, etc. The farm also offers hay rides, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch, but we decided to save those activities for a cooler day. We've done our share to cheer on Nixa's football team (both the kids love to go to the games so they can run around with their friends), we played kickball against my students, and we also attended the annual chili supper at my school. Kris and the kids are regulars at the Springfield Nature Center where they hike trails every week. I have been working a lot with my regular teaching duties, the committees I'm on (Care team and Characterplus Leadership team), my evening program, and homeschooling one of my students who just had a baby.

Kailey loves to write and practice spelling words. She asks me to give her a word, then she tries to spell it, and finally she asks me how to really spell it. It's so cool! She has a journal that she writes & draws in daily. Starting next week, Kailey will be attending preschool 2 days a week as a peer tutor. She is working on her back walkover and back handspring in gymnastics (yes it makes me nervous) and never ceases to amaze me.

Jayden is talking like crazy and it's so much fun! He speaks in sentences, and he is getting easier and easier to understand. He loves motorcycles (well, he loves any type of vehicle) and loves to play Mario Cart on the Wii. Jayden is also working on potty training. He finally decided to stop fighting us on the issue and is progressing nicely. I can almost see a shopping trip without buying diapers...