So Kelli, What Have You Been Up To?

I thought you'd never ask. It's not that we've had so much going on, but rather things have just been hectic around here. NOTE: I have no idea why blogger won't space between my paragraphs. It's very frustrating so if anyone can help that would be great!

Well you know last weekend Caleb was sick with a stomach virus (he's fine now). Since he was sick and I didn't want Jamison to get it, she went to Rondell's mom's for the weekend (she escaped the wrath!). While she was at Maw Maw's house, Jamison pulled out her other loose tooth. So now she has two new teeth. She's growing so fast!

Then comes sad news...my cousin Tasha, 36, passed away on Tuesday. Everyone was asleep and we got a call from my aunt (the one who cares for Jamison and Caleb) around 1:00 am. Calls at that hour are never good. My aunt told Rondell that she had to call the ambulance for Tasha and that she didn't think she was going to make it. My cousin had been sick for a little while with some infections and apparently her body couldn't take it anymore. I quickly got dressed, called my mom (who was already at the hospital) and was on my way. She passed right before I got there. Tasha was the cousin that I wanted to be when I was younger. She and I played a lot when I would come to Columbus with my mom. She's was the cousin I always wanted to stay with. We've grown apart over the years for various reasons, but she will be missed.

So, because Aunt Roni has been dealing with the loss of her child, me, Rondell, and other wonderful family members have gathered together to take care of the kids. Wednesday I stayed home. Mommy watched them on Thursday and I stayed home again on Friday. Paw Paw (Rondell's step dad) came over on Friday to watch Caleb for a bit while I went to Jamison's Fall Party at her school.

Jamison's Fall Party was a lot of fun. She talked all week about me coming to her class and staying for her party. Mrs. Dutko had four stations set up and each parent manned a station. There was one where the kids frosted cookies and decorated them, one with Halloween bingo, one with pin the nose on the pumpkin and then my station where we made bracelets. It was so nice to get to talk with the kids that Jamison plays with each day. I didn't take my camera because I didn't know if that was appropriate, so there are no pictures, sorry.

Then it was home to finish Jamison's costume. Have I told you what she wanted to be....a strawberry poptart. I'm glad she told me this about two months ago because it allowed me to really think about how I was going to put something like that together. My mom helped a lot with the idea. I ended up taking an off white pillow case and putting a white piece of fabric on top for the frosting. Then I took glitter glue and made spots all over for the little sprinkles that are on top of poptarts. She wore a red sweatsuit for the filling. I think it turned out pretty well:

Here's my little poptart (it's hard to see the glitter, but it's all over the front)

Trick or Treat was fun. Jamison's cousins came over and Caden, next door, went too. It's turned into a tradition for Rondell, his mom and the neighbors to go and then Mommy and I stay and hand out candy. Mommy and I love seeing all of the kids' costumes.

My poptarts. Rondell decided to make Caleb a brown sugar poptart. So he has on a pillow case with brown frosting and a brown sweatsuit for the filling.

The kids ready to go, Caleb, Jayshawn, Ni Ni, Jamison and Quinelle

Jamison rounding up her troops. Caden was a train conductor.

The little trick or treaters, Caleb and Carissa (Caden's little sister).

When everyone came back Rondell updated me on how popular Jamison is. He said that as they were going through the neighborhood quite a few kids would come up and say "hi Jamison." Rondell was so tickled. Then a child two kids came to the door and saw Jamison and said "hi Jamison." They were like 4th graders. Too funny! I wonder if this is a view of what's to come.

So that's been the deal around here. Our house is messy (and driving me crazy) and schedules are off. We even missed church this morning! I'm sure we'll be back to normal here in just a little bit.

Oh and I found two new blogs that I like to read. You can see them here and here. I have also added them to my sidebar. These ladies are so creative and it has really inspired me. I'm not very creative but I love to make things around here homey and these blogs are great tools.

OH!!!! And my birthday is just one week away, the big 3-2!