The Latta Family

I don't want to appall you, but this is the first year Andrew has gone legitimately trick or treating.  I know, I know.  He's 6 years old!  Seriously!!  He's gone out every year to trunk or treat events at churches, and last year we went to the fire department.  We've gone to fall festivals.  We've always had a reason to dress up in a costume.  However, last year I realized he was missing out on a vital Halloween experience: walking through dark streets, going to houses, and saying "Trick or Treat!!"  Tonight he got both experiences.  We hit up the Sun Valley HS Student Council Trunk or Treat, where Alexa shocked me by not only wearing her costume- with the head part on her head- but walked around and let people get close enough to her to put candy in her bag.  Then we came home, ate dinner, did homework, put Alexa to bed, and Andrew and I set out for some "serious" trick or treating!  What a disappointment.  We went to ...

In the last issue of my Parents magazine, there was an article about milestones you might forget to notice.  We've had 2 today. A last milestone: Alexa probably sat in her high chair for the last time today.  She's been gradually moving towards this for the last 2 weeks, but I just feel like this was it.  She ate some of her breakfast in her high chair and then demanded to get out and proceeded to finish her breakfast sitting in a regular chair at the table with Doug and I.  She did the same thing to me last night.  As she sat there with her little face barely higher than the table, swinging her legs, and content that she was doing what she wanted, Doug said, "Girl, you're too independent for you're own good!"  Ain't it the truth though?! A first milestone: Andrew and Lu-Lu are playing together.  Have been for the last 45 minutes.  They interacted a lot, but it's mostly Andrew chasing her or doing something t...

Remember way back in June, I posted a story about Doug and his FFA Alumnia Chapter sending a "basket" to the North Carolina State FFA Convention to compete, and they won, and were going on to compete in Indianapolis to compete on the National level?  Well- if you didn't there was that story in a nutshell. So they finally went to Indianapolis this past week and came home this evening bearing gifts for all (John Deere farm equipment toys for Andrew, a stuffed horsie for Alexa, and a very cool Vera tote for me).  We're so happy to have him home, I wonder if he's as happy to be home, as we are to have him?!  ;-)  Andrew- told me (although I think he was dillusional or something) on Wednesday that he couldn't wait for Dad to be home, because he's more fun than me.  I seriously cannot see how Doug could possibly be more fun than me.  I am a LOT of fun.  Just ask me- I'll tell you! Anyway- so he went.  And . . . the basket go...

We went to the park for an hour or so this afternoon with a friend of Andrew's.  The boys had a great time playing and Lu-Lu had a great time watching all the action.  And boy, was there a LOT of action!  The park was PACKED!  So we played for awhile and then attempted to feed the very aggressive geese, but . . . well you see how the boys reacted to that. running from the geese hanging . . . upside down scoping out the dog right before the geese began chasing us and Lu-Lu decided she needed to be up- and away from those geese! Only a mother knows, but at the beginning of this, when she's "peeking" around the pole- she's saying, "Heh-whoa!"  ("hello" in Lu-Lu talk)

I should tell you that I love Andrew playing t-ball.  Really any sport.  This morning on the way to the game, I was thinking how the weather was simply perfect for sitting on the t-ball field watching some cutie 4-6 year olds play ball.  It was cool, crisp, and the sky was the perfect shade of blue.  The only thing missing  . . . was the coach!  (Doug is returning from the FFA Convention in Indianapolis- that's in the next post).  Poor Doug he was so bummed to miss the last 3 games.  He even considered paying for the ipad to have it's Verizon connection- just to have the Skype set up and see the game in action.  (If you know Doug- you know he's pretty doggone cheap and that's a pretty desperate act for him.) As far as how Andrew did this season?  I think his spring 2011 season is the season where I saw the most growth in him as a player.  He figured out the game that season.  Don't get me wrong- this season was a go...

A friend recently posted that phrase describing her son's mood for the day.  When I read that, the heaven's opened and rays of sunshine cast down on me as I finally had a . . . term to describe Alexa!  And the security that I do not have the only child who does this . . . a lot. I generally am not too worried with what my neighbors think, but I wonder if they feel sorry for us, think we're totally crazy, or wish we'd move so that they wouldn't have to hear all her "Random, Intense Bouts of Screaming."  A few weekends ago we brought out the toddler sized riding vehicles for her.  They were handy-me-downs from Andrew.  He LOVED them.  Particularly the little John Deere gator.  I video taped him once riding it and pressing the same button over and over and over and over and over- and sent the video to my in laws so they could "enjoy" the sounds we kept hearing- since they were the ones who gave it to us.  But Andrew loved to sit on it a...

So I think my sweet son is trying to pull one over on me but  . . . it's so hard to tell! His school called me today at 12:30.  The secretary told me that he had a very low grade fever (99.2- which upon retrospect does NOT count), he was white as a sheet, and complained that his stomach hurt very badly.  Well, she said all the right words to me, so I told her I needed to get some things taken care of in my classroom and  I would be right there.  30 minutes later I show up to discover .  . . a boy that is definitely NOT sick, but doing a great, Oscar winning, job of looking pitiful.  I took him home because I did not want to be THAT mom that left her kid at school- only to have him puke all over the classroom 10 minutes later.  Plus, that might be a little hard on his psyche to have me show up, look him over, and send him back to class- the first time.  Next time I won't be quite as sensitive to his psyche.  So when we get hom...

By far, my worst time of day is dinner time.  It is my most disorganized, chaotic, frantic self that comes out at this time.  Every day it surprises me.  What?  It's 5:30?!!!  How did that happen?  What am I going to fix again?  Alexa's crying and fussing.  Andrew's wanting to make art projects, go outside, anything that requires one eye on him and a gigantic mess.  Doug is not home yet, working in the yard, making a mess on the kitchen table.  See the thing is this, it shouldn't be chaotic.  I grocery shop according to a menu I plan.  I plan a meal for every night, but . . . sometimes I get home later than I planned and I don't have time to fix the "extravagent" meal I had planned, or sometimes I realize I didn't buy all the ingredients I needed, or sometimes I am just not in the mood for what I planned, or sometimes everthing goes wrong.  Tonight for example: I suddenly realized it was 5:30.  Doug was in the...