Why it takes me so long to get anything accomplished...

Happy Halloween

It is a beautiful day here, and the Van Kuiken's don't really have any big plans - Clay will mow the lawn, Paige is cleaning her room and doing a bit of schoolwork, Tim is doing yard work and I will be doing laundry and other exciting stuff like that.  Tonight the kids will be going to their grandmother's to help her hand out candy.  They feel that they are getting too old to trick or treat.  Tim and I will have a nice, mellow evening all alone.  We don't get trick or treaters here for some reason - probably because the driveway is so long!

Tomorrow Tim is heading to Paris, and the kids and I will clean the guest cottage for my cousin Jackie, who is coming to visit next week.  Then Paige has Nutcracker rehearsal and Clay has youth group at the church...

Last night at dinner, my beautiful, extremely intelligent daughter proved once again that she is a NATURAL blonde!  She was telling Clay about our girl's day out and lunch at P.F. Chang's and she said, "I had the honey chicken and...what was it called, Mom?  Eye Drop Soup?"  Mmmm Hmmm. We all just stared at her.  Then this morning she asked Clay if Michigan had a football team.  Clay's mouth dropped open in astonishment and he just shook his head in consternation.  Ahhh, Paigey.  :-))

Friday stuff....

Tim suggested that Paige and I plan to have a "girl's day" every Friday - as both incentive and reward for Paige.  Hmm....and me too!!  So today Paige worked from 8:30 until 11:00, and then the girls headed to St. John's Town Center for lunch at  P. F. Chang's, and a visit to Target, and then to Costco.

We had a lot of fun talking and giggling - and the boys enjoyed our leftovers when we got home!

I am so excited about the time change this weekend.  The photo below is what it looks like when I we drive Clay to school in the mornings at "O-dark-thirty"....I am hoping that the sun will at least be thinking about making an appearance when we leave in the mornings next week! It will make it so much easier to get going.  For everyone.

And, finally...the photo du jour of Gus.  It is so funny how babies can just drop off at the drop of a hat.  Deep Sleep!  I tried to get a photo earlier when I found him in an interesting sleep position, but naturally he woke up as soon as I turned the camera on.  Apparently, he was busy licking, um....himself...ahem....with his leg cocked over the top of his head when he lulled himself to sleep.  There he was - sound asleep, head between his  __________ rear leg cocked over his head......you get the picture.  What a funny boy!

Tonight is "family night"....we are having grilled halibut for dinner, and then we are going to watch Transformers en famille.

With thanks to T.S. Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter.....

...When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

the reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his Name:

His ineffable, effable,

effanineffable

deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Gus is the Cat at the theatre door.

His name, as I ought to have told you before

is really Asparagus. That's such a fuss

to pronounce, that we usually call him just Gus.

Paige's new school!

For those who are wondering how Paige's new school is working out - it's working out quite well. So far, anyway! The photo shows the new classroom (kitchen table) and Paige reading something in her Science book before answering some questions. I am enjoying spending a bit more time with my sweet girl, and there are a few perks as well....

*Please notice the glass sitting in front on Miss Paige on the table. That is a smoothie I made for her for a snack.

*Yesterday we took a break to make homemade applesauce together. While it simmered in the crockpot scenting the house with yummy apple cinnamon smells, Paige did some more work, I checked the previous day's work - and we all had applesauce for an after school snack. When Clay got home he said, "I want to be homeschooled too if I get to make applesauce." HaHa!

*The best perk of all though is that I can cuddle and hug her ANY TIME! Often I will walk past the table and just lean down and give her a kiss on the top of her head. Unlike my older child, Paige is still a cuddle bug.

Paige is working very hard, getting a lot accomplished, and I think she is enjoying it. She especially loves the Art History course. Anyway, I think we are off to a good start. I think she has learned more this week than she did in the entire nine weeks at the other school!

On another note - I don't know if any of you followed the story of the little 7 year old girl who was abducted walking home from school and found murdered...it happened here so it has been big news here. Yesterday was little Somer's funeral, and I was watching the coverage on the news last night. I cried. Somer's favorite color was purple and her mother had asked people to bring balloons to release after the service. Kingsley Avenue was packed with people standing along the road, wearing purple and holding purple balloons. As her body passed in the limo, everyone released their balloons. Orange Park High School released the students from 5th period to stand outside and honor her as her body passed. It was just overwhelming to see the video of all those people releasing the purple balloons. My heart breaks for her mother - I cannot imagine what she has been through this past week. Also, of course, everyone here is worried because there is a child killer out there. I hope they catch this monster soon.