Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! It's been a joyous day in our house. Ryan and Brendan were very aware that they couldn't wake too early, since no one really knows what time Santa will arrive. So they slept until 7:45. What a great present for us!

After taking time to sort and pass out presents, the children began unwrapping their gifts. Brendan, at age 6, certainly has this down pat. He was thrilled and couldn't wait to see what was in each present. Ryan, at 3, had to be reminded that we weren't stopping to play with each toy. Open first, play later. Kelsey, at 20 months, was quite good at opening presents! Still, she took her time moving from one gift to the other.

Santa was good to everyone! The kids have been busy playing all morning. Legos, Pokemon, books, Diego toys, Batman toys, baby dolls, shopping carts, and lots of play food. (I think my favorite may be a Melissa & Doug cookie set that is so adorable and fun!) We stopped to say hello to family via our webcam around noon. We're relaxing now, but soon I'll begin working on our Christmas dinner. We'll likely watch a movie tonight. Tomorrow, we get to do it all over again when Grammy and Papa arrive from Oklahoma in the early evening hours.

On Christmas Eve, the kids decorated Christmas trees (frosted upside-down sugar cones that are decorated with candy). Kelsey's tree is light on the frosting. You can guess what she did with it.

Brendan with his tree.

Ryan with his tree.

Ryan, looking quite handsome after church on Christmas Eve.

A playful Kelsey and big brother Brendan after church on Christmas Eve. The kids were fantastic at church. Now if only we could get there in time to find a seat.

Horned Frog family

Before Tuesday night's game against Boise State

Christmas Eve

It is on days like this that I am particularly grateful I am now home with the kids. Sure, if I worked full-time, I could take a vacation day. But this entire holiday season has been more fun and less stressful.

Today, we awoke to an excited Brendan at 6:45 a.m. I think we should prepare for an early morning tomorrow! He was even more thrilled to hear that the Horned Frogs pulled out a victory. (Last night, he was so sad that Boise State was winning when he went to bed. As I tucked him into bed, he told me I had to hurry back downstairs to cheer on those Frogs.)

The kids have mostly been playing this morning. We ventured out to the grocery store just before lunch. What a mess. The parking lot was overflowing, and warmer temperatures have created a mess of the snow. (And it's raining!) It was worth it, though. I forgot to get pie crust and I am looking forward to pumpkin pie with dinner tomorrow.

We have also been tracking Santa on http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html. At this moment, he's delivering presents to children in Kyrgyzstan!

This afternoon, we'll be baking gingerbread men and assorted other designs for Santa, decorating Christmas trees (sugar cones turned upside down, frosted with icing, then decorated with candies), possibly attending church if hubby gets home early (otherwise, we'll go tomorrow), then enjoying family time until bedtime. Happy Christmas Eve to all!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas ... a little early

Ken and I are enjoying a Christmas gift a little early (which is unheard of in this house). Our new Dell Inspiron 530 desktop arrived on Friday. Ken waited until yesterday to open it, and I finally set it up today.

Wow ... it's fast. For the tech geeks out there, it has an Intel Core2Quad processor, which means this baby should be able to handle photos and videos with ease. The hard drive has 640 GB. Hello, how can I possibly use that much? There are other fancy specs, but I'm too tired to remember them now.

What I can tell you is that the tower is smaller than our previous, 6-year-old Dell, it's quieter, and so much faster. We're running Vista. I have no complaints so far. But I'm not that picky, either. All I know is that I can now sit down, check my email and even check a website before Kelsey even notices I've left her bedroom.

(Oh, it also means that the webcam we purchased for Christmas last year now works. We could never successfully connect on a video call, and it became obvious it was our PC's fault. Today, it worked effortlessly.)

Go FROGS!

Tuesday night the Horned Frogs battle Boise State (the team with the blue field) in the Poinsettia Bowl. We'll be watching. Hopefully, you will, too.

ESPN, 8 p.m.

GO FROGS!!!

Looking back

Just for fun, I thought I'd post this photo again from Christmas Eve two years ago. Brendan is 4 1/2 and Ryan is almost 18 months. Too cute.

Snow day (cont'd)

It's 3:35, and I'm running out of tricks to keep the snowed-in kids
entertained. (How long is this holiday break?) Now Brendan is outside
with a neighbor for more snow fun.

Snow day

Today should have been the last day of school before a two-week
holiday break. Instead it's a snow day.

The forecast called for 5-10 inches, and unlike past super-storm
forecasts, this one appears to be living up to its hype.

The kids were out by 8:15 to help dad shovel and to build snow forts,
throw snowballs, make snow angels, and do cannonballs into the snow.
It was a perfect release for kids who have been stuck inside all week
thanks to lousy weather and a stomach bug.

'Tis the (sick) season

December seems to be the month to get sick. For everyone. I am not sure if we've had one day go by in December in which one of us hasn't been feeling under the weather. My goodness!

Today, Brendan is home from school with a stomach flu. He's the fourth in the family to get it. I think it may be impossible to keep these things from spreading within a family. I thought Brendan would avoid it, since he wasn't around either Ryan and Kelsey while they were actually sick and he certainly doesn't put their cups and toys in his mouth. (Kelsey, on the other hand, most certainly got sick by doing just that.) Unfortunately, he didn't miss out.

Even hubbie, who rarely is sick, was up all last night with the stomach bug.

Now I'm in that annoying position of waiting to see if I'm next, and wondering if every stomach growl is a sign of what's to come. Ugh. Please let this be the last of the Healy house illnesses!

Newest reindeer

She could even qualify as Rudolph with a nose so red from a persistent
runny nose.

Today the Detroit Free Press, my former employer and a newspaper that is still dear to my heart, announced it will drop daily home delivery in March as a cost-cutting move. The plan has been in the works for months, as most of us were aware of some super secret project that was more outrageous than any of us could dream of.

The paper will still be sold at newsstands seven days a week, and will be available for home delivery on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The move is somewhat bold, as this is the largest daily paper to drop daily home delivery. However, several other publications have done so. (This also applies to the Detroit News, which is the competition but a newspaper published as part of the joint operating agreement between the two papers.)

More changes are in store. I believe the redesigned version that is sold on newsstands will be quite different than what is published today.

So where are the cost savings? Well, they won't be printing as many papers each day, which means less money is spent on newsprint and overall production costs. The production staff will be reduced by 9 percent. Right now they don't anticipate any newsroom layoffs. Read more about it at freep.com.

"My favorite team this season"

If you missed ESPN's three-hour analysis Sunday night of the college football bowl matchups, then you missed some of Lee Corso's finest analysis in years. Seriously. This guy clearly knows what he's talking about.

When asked which bowl matchup is the best, Corso jumped at the TCU-Boise State game, saying that TCU is his favorite team of the season. Favorite. He made this comment at least three times during the show.

This, in spite of the fact that he picked Oklahoma to win at least three different times during the GameDay regular-season shows. Gees, those guys must have travelled exclusively with the Big 12 South in October and November.

But he likes TCU. He loves TCU.

(Again, I know what you're thinking: How do I have time to watch so much TV, let alone GameDay on Saturday mornings, with three children? I have no idea, but perhaps the fact that Ryan has mysteriously learned how to make the Gator snapping arms and can identify the Florida Gators on TV tells us something. Thankfully, college football doesn't last all year.)

Be a giving Frog fan

I know what you're thinking, what you've been stressing about ever since the bowl matchups were announced Sunday night. How can I possibly be in San Diego on Dec. 23 -- two days before Christmas -- to cheer on the mighty Horned Frogs?

Here's the good news: You can still show your support for TCU by purchasing a ticket to the Poinsettia Bowl. Instead of using the ticket yourself, you can designate it for underprivileged children in the San Diego area who'll attend because of your generosity. Get more details here.

Hayrides, snow and Santa

This morning we prepared for the holidays with "Snacks for Santa," a special holiday program at Kensington Metropark in Milford. We joined six families for the event, making it a special way to share Christmas cheer with friends.

First, we piled into a wagon for a horse-drawn hayride. We sang Christmas carols while shaking jingle bells, but mostly we were cold! It was in the low 20s, so everyone sat bundled under blankets and too many layers to count. The sights were beautiful, however. A decent snowfall yesterday made for picture-perfect conditions along the Huron River.

After 20 minutes or so, we arrived at our destination. A small house (warmed by a roaring fire) was awaiting us with cookies, fruit and hot chocolate. We settled in; it takes awhile to get those layers off. Then Santa arrived and the children were thrilled. One by one, the kids had a chance to talk to Santa about the year and their Christmas wishes.

After our visit with Santa, we wrapped up again to play in the snow briefly before heading home. It was such a nice time and we're so happy our friends invited us along. We'll definitely return next year!

Basement makeover

Our budding photographer, Brendan, wanted to document our newly renovated basement. No play-by-play reporting as with our bathroom renovation last year. After all, when you're doing more of the work on your own, there's less time for, well, everything.

Our basement was considered "partially finished," meaning that the basement was already laid out with walls and had (cheap and thin) carpet. There were some lights, a bathroom, and doors.

Two years ago, we took the lone "finished" room, which had a drywall ceiling, and turned it into our playroom/guest bedroom. We used the space frequently, particularly during the winter when we needed a change of scenery but going outside isn't an option. But we had longed to take advantage of our remaining space.

You see, our basement is abnormally large for a house the size of ours. We have approximately 1,800 square feet in our ranch-style, three-bedroom home. In the basement, we have nearly 1,800 square feet. That's a huge amount of space just screaming to be used!

So this fall we added tons of insulation (to keep out the cold from outside and to minimize noise between floors), had recessed lighting installed in the largest room and bathroom, followed by a drywall ceiling, then painted the ceiling and walls and installed baseboards and painted them. With the exception of the lighting and ceiling, Ken, my mom and I did the rest of the work.

Here's the reveal:

The basement features a room that runs the width of our house, which is rather wide. At one end, we created a little nook with bookshelves and a table, where the kids can pull out puzzles and games or create their artwork. To the left sits an air hockey table, given to us by a neighbor, that has already proved to be a fan-favorite.

At the other end of the same room is our "family room," where we have a couch, electric fireplace to provide much-needed warmth and a TV. The door leads to the guest room/playroom. Between the two areas sits the pool table. Unfortunately, we are limited as to where the pool table can be placed. This is partially because of its size, but also because of a pipe that stands in the most awkward spot in the room. This vantage point is taken from my treadmill (see below).

Another view of the "family room," with my workout area behind the couch. I love that my treadmill is tucked out of the way, where little ones can't wander near it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brendan said it best at dinner last Wednesday night, when we shared what we're thankful for with two neighbors who joined us for dinner. He said, "I'm thankful for my friends and family." Of course, we're also thankful for so many other things -- our health, happiness, and all that we've been blessed with. But he summed it up quite nicely.

We shared our Thanksgiving, as has been our tradition since 2004, with two families who were also sent to Detroit, away from family and friends. At first, we rotated houses from year to year. Our families have multiplied so quickly, though, that we are now the official hosts as our home has a bit more space for everyone to move around. (We began with six adults and two children in 2004; now, we have six adults and eight children! Oh my!)

We try to keep it easy on everyone by divying up the dishes among the three families. I'm quite content being responsible for the turkey, rolls and mashed potatoes. After all, that's just about all I eat! Again this year, I brined the turkey overnight. The result is delicious. I have had nothing but good luck since I started brining our turkeys. We also made our first attempt at frying a turkey as well. It turned out well, though the cost of the peanut oil certainly makes it an expensive bird.

Our friends arrived around 4 p.m., and the kids enjoyed making snowmen while we did the final food prep. The kids watched "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" while we tried to eat. Next year, I think we'll be ready to have the kids join us for dinner. But with so many young ones, we wouldn't stand a chance of eating if the kids sat with us. Besides, most of the kids won't eat when we're together because they're too excited to play.

After the kids ate dinner, we took the kids downstairs to play and run off some energy. After dessert and a little chitchat, everyone headed home. No doubt, the kids were exhausted as they went right to sleep and didn't wake until after 8! (With the exception of Kelsey, who didn't sleep well at all. She's fighting a little cold.)

This update is coming nearly a week late because Kelsey passed along her cold to me and just about everyone else in the house. I'll be happy when we're healthy again. Still, we enjoyed our long weekend, filling it with holiday movies, Christmas decorating, ornament-making, and lots of play time.

Kelsey and I wait for the others to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. The littlest ones -- Kelsey, Jackson and Jake -- did eat with us as they are easily confined in a high chair. The feast was delicious.

The only way to convince the kids to pose for a picture was to give them cookies. Group photos were not in the cards that night.

We gave it one more shot for a group photo, this time with the adults. Brendan acted as the photographer. Maybe next year we'll have better luck!

Rankings

TCU has had an excellent run under Dennis Franchione (before he disgraced himself at A&M) and Gary Patterson. I give most of the credit to Patterson. When last night's BCS rankings came out, TCU could make some claims that I'm quite happy to point out to you:

• The Frogs are ranked #11. Right behind the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes. I am betting most of our Buckeye Nation friends are trying to overlook this. After all, they wouldn't want to actually credit our little school for doing so well.
• TCU has two losses this season. They have been to No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 6 Utah. The Frogs couldn't hold up against the Sooners, but their defense did hold OU to 25 yards rushing. Against Utah, it was a battle of the defenses as both offenses struggled to get points on the board. In the end, it was a last-minute Utah drive that did TCU in. No matter, two losses to two top 10 teams isn't much to complain about.

Despite all of this, TCU will still be screwed come bowl season. The Mountain West Conference lacks the glamour and prestige of other conferences, so its teams are stuck playing in meaningless bowls played so early in the postseason that people often miss them. Once again, this shows that college football is all about greed and politics. It has little to do with actually getting the best matchups on the field to battle for the best rankings.

5 reasons I like winter

Just to be fair, and because I'm generally a positive person:

1. The quiet snow. There are few things so peaceful and enjoyable than being outside when the snow is falling. It's truly lovely. The world just sounds different. And to my children, it's almost magical.
2. The holidays. The stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas used to stress me out more, but I have been better recently about planning ahead and eliminating tasks that aren't critical. Still, this time of year is one of my favorites, second perhaps only to spending warm, sunny days at the pool! Really, I love the magic surrounding the holidays and the joy the season brings to so many people. And I love sharing it with family and friends.
3. Wearing stylish coats. When we win the lottery, I will buy 15 coats of varying styles and colors. I actually do love stylish coats. I really love the selection at JCrew, because they are so kind and thoughtful to offer many of them in Tall sizes. The coats I don't care for are the bulky, winter coats that actually keep you warm. Unfortunately, those are preferable in these here parts.
4. Playing in snow. Actually, my kids enjoy this more than I do. But I love how excited they get to play in the white stuff. They can complain about the cold for days but then it snows five inches, and suddenly they act as if it's 10 degrees warmer outside. (Well, in January or February, that is likely to be the case!)
5. Hot chocolate. I love drinking hot chocolate, though it's a special treat that I only have on occasion. Not only is it warm and delicious, but it also reminds me of dear friend, Tyra, and puts a smile on my face.

Bonus: This winter we have a new reason to enjoy the cold. We're spending many days and evenings in our newly finished basement. I am not a basement person during the summer, when I'd rather be outside or near a window to enjoy the sunshine. But during the gray, winter days, what difference does it make? We are settling in nicely to our new space, and the kids are enjoying more comfortable access to their downstairs playroom.

5 reasons I hate winter

I realize that winter does not begin until December, but someone forgot to mention that to the Michigan branch of Mother Nature. So already this winter, I can list 5 reasons I hate winter:

1. The kids go stir-crazy. I suppose if we gave into unlimited video games and TV, the kids wouldn't be so wild after being stuck inside all day. Or perhaps they'd be even crazier. Either way, the kids (and I) desperately miss their outdoor play time.
2. Playing outside. Yes, people do go outside in Michigan. And kids play outside. But it's cold! And you have to put on so many layers, which leads me to ...
3. Dressing in layers. My hubbie will tell you that even after six years, I still don't dress right for winter. That's partially because I don't like wearing layers. But what I dislike even more is having to put all of those layers on my children -- all THREE of them. It takes 30 minutes to go outside to play for five minutes before someone starts complaining that it's too cold and they want to go back inside. Seriously.
4. The gray skies. What's even worse than the cold temperatures is the endless gray days. In the past two weeks, I'd guess we've had two sunny days. The lack of sunshine wears on us so much more than the cold or the snow.
5. The sun goes down ... way too early. It's dark here around 5 p.m. In mid-December, it'll be closer to 4:30. I remember winters when I worked in which I'd drop Brendan off at day care in the dark, and pick him up in the dark. It's rather depressing, particularly when it's been gray all day.

Yummy goodness

Kelsey enjoys a homemade treat from Mom. I think she likes it.

Snow has arrived

The snow up until today had mostly been Texas snow -- it wouldn't
stick and looked more like rain. But today it started really snowing,
enough to even turn the ground white. Hello, winter!

Noteworthy ...

1. It's snowing tonight. Our patio table is covered with a thin layer. Yikes!
2. Gas was $1.99 on Friday. I didn't see prices during the weekend, since I've been housebound with an ill Kelsey. But I love the idea of gas less than $2!

Sweet boy

Ryan has such a sweet, loving personality, which helps to balance his
100 percent boy side! He's rediscovered "Froggy" this week and has
been caring for him and eating meals with him. Today he even gave up
his prized chair so Froggy could sit comfortably while they watched a
show together.

Go Frogs!

That's all I'll say for now ...

Overheard

Brendan and I spent an hour in the car yesterday, and had plenty of time for one-on-one conversation. These days, that is so rare with three children in the house. Three children who all want their say!

No matter, we were discussing the election and I explained what a right and privilege it is to vote for our country's leaders. As soon as you're old enough to vote, I told him, you should.

His response: "Well, Mom, I may not be available because I am going to be an astronaut and I might be on the moon or Mars."

That sent us into a much-too-long discussion of absentee voting, though he was still convinced that a last-minute emergency on the moon might prevent him from voting.

Holy costumes!

With a Halloween-themed birthday party, a Halloween party, schooltime activities and our own trick-or-treating, we weren't lacking in spooky fun. So many events sparked much creativity in the family to make sure our friends wouldn't recognize us in disguise.

For our friend Jake's birthday party (he's the pumpkin to the left), we dressed as Batman characters: Brendan as the Dark Knight Batman, Ryan as the original Batman, Ken as The Joker, Kelsey as Catwoman (tail stayed in place; ears did not), and Me as Batgirl.

For the Halloween party, Brendan dressed as a ninja and Ryan as a firefighter who specializes in superhero poses.

On Halloween, the Batman boys reappeared to trick-or-treat with the Joker. Catwoman was running a fever as the last of the three kids to get a 24-hour bug. So she was in bed by 6 p.m. and woke briefly around 7:45 to assess the boys' candy selection and greet a handful of visitors before dozing off again.

Happy Halloween!

What a great treat for us this Halloween. We're blessed with nearly 70-
degree weather and clear blue skies. That makes for perfect pumpkin-
carving weather.

We don't get fancy with our creations. Just some spooky faces!

Sliding siblings

It's cooler outside so we've made our move to the indoor playgrounds.
Our favorites are the Plymouth Play Cafe in downtown Plymouth and
Jungle Java in Canton. We'll still play outside, but this gives us a
break from the cold and keeps the kids dry. Plus, it's open early in
the mornings.

Rainy day fun

Today is a cool, rainy fall day. So Kelsey, Ryan and I met friends at
Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum this morning. We haven't been since Ryan was
a newborn and I was on maternity leave.

They've moved the preschool area into a larger room, making it easier
to keep tabs on two children who move in different directions.

Both children loved the giant petoskey stone that they could squirt
with a water bottle and scrub with a brush, though Kelsey enjoyed
squirting herself the most. They also enjoyed the usual favorite, the
water tables. Kelsey had to eventually be excused because she couldn't
resist splashing.

Frightfully good!

Brendan has a knack for drawing that makes Ken and me marvel. He was motivated to draw Halloween decorations a couple of weeks ago, when the neighbors decorated their front yard with many spooky treats. This is one of his creations. I love the details, including the person walking into the scene from the left.

Drylands

This video of a recent dryland workout for TCU swimmers brings back painful memories. In the fall, we spent some workouts doing mostly dryland or weight training. My knees were much worse then, so I didn't do too much running. But my two least favorite but most grueling dryland workouts included running the stadiums (zigzagging up and down on the stadium stairs as fast as you could) and pulling myself up stadium ramps on a scooter, using only my arms. I can feel the burn now!

2:08.49

Yesterday, my friend Suzanne G. and I ran in the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon -- 13.1 miles. We both were proud in our accomplishment. Our time of 2:08.49 is slightly better than a 9:55 pace per mile. It also is better than our last half marathon, which we completed around 2 hours 15 minutes. (That was on an unbearably hilly course that I will never, ever do again.)

The course was beautiful, with the first couple of miles winding from downtown Detroit to the Ambassador Bridge. We crossed the bridge into Canada and ran along the riverfront before heading back to the United States through the tunnel. (The tunnel was cozy and warm, which I was even more aware of when we emerged back in the cold air. Race time temperature was around 32.)

You can watch us finish on the video here. Make sure you're watching the 2:13-2:23 video, as our clock time is slower than our actual finish time. (For you novice runners, that is because there were literally thousands of people lined up for the start. We were pretty far back in the crowd, so our offical race time is from the moment we crossed the starting line to the finish line. Our clock time is when the race began to when we crossed the finish line.) Patiently wait for the moment when the winner of the men's marathon crosses the finish line -- around 2:16. We're right behind him in white shirts. You can see me clap with my white gloves on when I cross the line. And, yes, we got lapped by the marathoner. That's amazing to me.

I had said this would be my last half, but I am not so sure now. This race felt much better than my last half, and my knees didn't hurt once. My right hip did, but that was OK. I'd love to someday match my personal best time, which was around 2:03 in the White Rock half marathon in 2001.

Family resemblance?

Here's a photo of my hubby just days before his first birthday, way back in 1970.

Here's a link to Kelsey around her first birthday, and another link to Ryan at the same age. Any resemblance?

Rocket star

After each soccer game, the parents and spectators (all relatives, of course) make a tunnel for the kids to run through. It is clearly the best part of the entire game for most of the kids. Brendan certainly enjoys it, as seen above from Saturday's game.

Beautiful day

We're having the most beautiful summer weather today and through the
weekend. Today it is in the low 70s, blue skies, and barely a breeze.
Tomorrow it'll be in the 80s. We'll soak up every minute, knowing it
could all turn to winter any moment.

Horny Toads

New Horned Frogs have hatched at the Fort Worth Zoo, and they aren't of the invading freshmen type.

See the video here.

Very cool little purple power

For my birthday (which was last Saturday), my parents bought me a new running companion, an iPod Nano. Quite fittingly, it's purple. (It's from the new colorful collection.) I love it!

I simply wanted something smaller to run with, as I've been running with my iPod Classic as of late. I didn't realize how cool it would be. The screen and images are so smooth and crisp, and I love the Genius feature. Just pick a song, and it makes you a playlist. Very cool.

Only problem? I keep touching the screen, expecting to navigate with a touch feature. The iPhone has spoiled me.

Thank you, Mom and Dad!

(P.S. -- I must mention that my hubby's birthday is the day before mine. We celebrated jointly by purchasing a new Plasma TV for a newly finished basement. Well, it's not finished yet. But we're making progress. So far, we've cleaned out some major junk, purchased a new couch and electric fireplace heater, added a couple of games for the kids, installed new lights and a heater in the bathroom, and added insulation to keep out the cold and keep in the noise. Still to do: install ceiling, paint the walls, install base molding, and clean out more junk. We hope to be finished by mid-November, just in time to hibernate for the long winter. Seriously, it feels as if we've doubled the size of our home by utilizing this space.)

Good, old days

From 5 Things I loved about our vacation: Visiting TCU and spending a night in Fort Worth

Proof that Ken and I did exist in the University Pub, the main hangout near campus, together. The Pub has a wall or two of Polaroids taken over the years. We stopped in on our night in Fort Worth and split a pitcher with our friend Ron. Most of our time was spent searching for familiar faces in the photos. Shocking how many swimmers were in the photos. In this picture: Ken, Laura, Ryan Kling, Courtney Gardner and Ron Forrest (guessing that's Homecoming 1995)

We had dinner with Ron at Joe T. Garcia's, a legendary restaurant in Fort Worth's Cowtown. It's legendary for a reason. The Mexican food was outstanding, portions were generous, atmosphere is beautiful, and the margaritas were yummy. Joe T's is also simple. They offer maybe five entrees, so menus aren't necessary. And bring cash.

Us with Ron on the patio at the Pourhouse, another one of our old hangouts. We parked it here most of the beautiful evening.

Me next to the newly renovated Frog Fountain, on TCU's campus. A new student center and several dorms have just been completed (behind me). The campus has completely transformed in the short time since I graduated. I think all the changes are good and I am rather impressed! I particularly liked the new fountain, which was never my favorite.

Goodbye, Main. The student center was demolished just a few days before we visited campus. The center housed the Main, which was the main cafeteria on campus. I ate many, many meals there.

Ride 'em cowboy

Ryan discovered his cousin's old cowboy boots today and couldn't be separated from them the rest of the day. He wore a Woody hat (from Toy Story), wore his cowboy boots (which somehow made him look even skinnier), and managed to find a colorful pony given to us today by a neighbor. That pony became Bullseye. We know he will one day deny everything ...

Ride 'em cowboy

Fall traditions

Fall seems a much bigger deal here in Michigan than it was in Texas. Perhaps that's because it could be 80 degrees until Halloween, and the leaves on the trees didn't change colors much at all.



In Michigan, people live for Fall. It's one of the more popular seasons, and people look forward to visiting cider mills on a perfect Fall day.



That was today for us. We headed to our favorite, Three Cedars Farm, for a picture-perfect outing. The sky was blue, the wind was absent, and the temperature was mild (though we had to start the morning with jackets).



The kids loved the hayride and enjoyed picking pumpkins. We noticed the pumpkin patch seemed to have fewer (and smaller) pumpkins than previous years. The newest addition to the very well done Three Cedars is a playground. The kids spent 45 minutes or so milking a pretend cow, going down slides in a barn, riding John Deere tractors, and playing on a wooden train. They barely stopped to eat the delicious donuts (part of the Fall tradition), which come in plain or cinnamon sugar. I made up for their disinterest by polishing off a couple of extra!

Ryan and Brendan find a pumpkin in the U-Pick pumpkin patch.

Kelsey uses this extra large pumpkin as a drum.

Brendan, Ryan and Kelsey sit atop a real and old tractor.

Porky and Mr. Ed, or Ryan and Brendan, play in the playground.

Ryan goes for a spin on this pedal-powered tractor. The play area included a small track they could pedal around and a shed to park the tractors.

Best seat in the house

Kelsey finds her comfy spot for hanging in my room while I fold
laundry. When she's not sitting nicely, she's rocking the boat.

So grown up

Brendan in his first-grade photo

UPDATE: Lost tooth

The Tooth Fairy visited Brendan in the wee hours Saturday morning. She left a one dollar bill in exchange for Brendan's baby tooth.

The next morning, Brendan was happy to have the money, but he wasn't nearly as excited as the day before. Finally, the question came: "Why did the Tooth Fairy only give me one dollar?"

Most days, one dollar would have been plenty. But on the way home from school Friday, our neighbor Whitney, who is 8, explained how she also lost a tooth in math class on Thursday. The Tooth Fairy brought her $4!

I quickly explained that the Tooth Fairy pays more for larger teeth, and that when he's 8, I'm sure he'll be so lucky.

Lost tooth

Brendan lost his first tooth in math class today.

"It landed right on my paper," Brendan says. "It was very cool and I
like it."

Brendan's plana are "to put it under my pillow for the Tooth Fairy to
come and take it and give me some money."

He also plans to show Daddy and share the news with his cousins.