What a long, strange trip its been...being...

So, among other things with which I've been dealing, Talia has been struggling at school. Her entire kindergarten day is spent unfocused and inattentive. She hunts for things in the carpet. She wanders off while heading to lunch. She chews her sleeves. The only way she can get her work done is if an adult sits with her. So after visits with the teacher and a community psychologist, we've diagnosed her with ADHD and today she started Adderol. Heaven help me. She already is a tiny, thin girl that only wears a size 4, and all she's had today is half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and 3 1/2 chicken nuggets. I've been counting. I've been watching her in hyperfocus today. I should be carrying around a scientific journal in which to document her behaviors. Everything she has done today I've viewed through the Adderol lens. For the past two hours she's carried around one of Liam's shoes asking him if he wants Lightning McQueen. Over and over and over. She hasn't laughed all day. Its only day one. I'm trying to remember that.

State Fair 09

These black and whites made the fair more eerie than normal...

State Fair 09

Sate Fair 09!

If Kate had more mobility, she'd be eating that corndog!


Fisk french fries!

More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/28380864@N06/

Sidewalk City

Kids had a blast drawing a city on our driveway...Oh, you know my name is Simon...and the things I draw come true...

Burp clothes' fun continues!

Really not sure why this amuses me so much...

Walk for Life

We're last. Last. Last. Last.

Bath Time

First bath with a camera handy...and another hand to take it!

Like a freight train..

Life. Moving. fast.  Been 5-6 weeks since I last touched this page. Yikes.   Kate just rolled over! I figured I had to document it somewhere!   3 1/2 months old.  Left her watching the Gamecocks and went to check on Talia and came back...on her tummy.  Time's a'flying! 

So...last 6 weeks.  Talia's Gotcha day # 5 was Oct. 12.  We were going to the fair on Oct 15 but it was monsooning.  So we went this week (pictures to follow).  Talia had the H1N1 flu, of course, since everything goes in her mouth.  She missed a week of school, and then she gifted it to Kate.  So then I missed a week of work.  Both girls are better now.  My father-in-law was at work and some uber-enormous water pressure knocked off the nozzle of the hose he was holding and it slammed into his chin, breaking everything.  Actually, splintered the TMJ joints and disintegrated the chin.  He now has a metal plate in lieu of his chin (looks perfect) and mouth wired shut.  Doctor hopes the splintered joints will reform and reconstruction surgery will not be necessary.  Ow.  Ow.  Ow.  I whine when I have jaw pain from sinus problems.  Ow. Ow. Ow.  But he's doing awesome.  What else?  A couple of other sad events.  My favorite cousin from Louisiana lost her husband.  I feel lost as to what to say.  We've lost touch for the better part of 20 years and Facebook just got us back together.  I can't stop thinking about her and wishing I knew what to say.  I have learned just to say something, rather than nothing because you aren't sure.

Lemme go get some pictures posted....

Body Art

So, we've been promising that the kids could do some face painting. Actually weeks ago I brought it to the parents' house and it never was used. So, for 2 days the kids whined about face painting. I, in true democratic style, asked the kids if they wanted to swim in the lake for a short time or do face painting, assuming of course they would choose face painting. Yes, wrong. So Talia and Elias went to the lake and Bella and I, then Julie, started painting. LUCKILY I did not paint my face because the purple and the pinks are not washing off. Lower calf is rather strangely decorated. But we had a blast.



Orange washed off. Dark pink did not. Just imagine.

Our Bugs

I am more and more amazed each day as I see more and more creatures in our yard (not all welcome). We have salamanders (including a baby) and a turtle, birds and squirrels, fireflies, wasps, mosquitoes, frogs, praying mantisis (not sure of the plural) and on and on.

This was a beautiful web, which of course I tried to photograph, but the sun was in the wrong place, as was the web. This was as good as I could get.


Wow. Huge. An an inch from getting inside my house. And eating us.

Umbrella Party

So, for whatever reason, the kids have always loved playing with Talia's umbrellas. E and Bella have recently earned an umbrella each for their good behavior. Elias has held that umbrella each second he was not in school. So, I guess, it was only fitting that we had an Umbrella Party on Wednesday afternoon. I am still not sure what transpired at the "party," but the 3 kids ran around and acted like, well, kids.

Catching Up-July 15-more home arrival pics

Catching up-July 15-Arrival home!

I was explaining that there was going to be lots of excited people at the house that would be holding and kissing her. She said, "oooh."


Heat killed the welcome home balloons.


Talia meets Kate for the first time.


And Grandma meets Kate for the first time.