Candy wrappers everywhere...

Well, Halloween has come and gone and the candy is slowly making it's way to all of our waistlines! Mostly mine I think! I can't walk past that candy and not pick up one or two pieces! Halloween always marks the beginning of the downward spiral of eating worse than I normally do. UGH!

Let's see...last Wednesday TCC had their little Harvest Festival. Fletcher had a great time. That evening our church had it's annual Holy Halloween. We made plans to check Fletcher out of TCC and spend the evening as a family. I got a call at about 2:30 from the school nurse informing me that Maddie was throwing up. I picked her up and cancelled our plans for going to Holy Halloween. Kayleigh went to help run a booth and hang out with friends. Maddie took about a three hour nap and woke up feeling great and she never threw up again. She was ready to put on her costume and head to church. I had to break the news that she wouldn't be able to go. She was sad but I promised her if she stayed well she could wear her costume to Bubba's on Halloween. That seemed to help. Maddie missed school the next day but she was perfectly fine all day.

Fletcher at Fall Festival (TCC)

On Friday, just as I promised we went to TCC. Now mind you, Fletcher was a complete toot and would not let me even put his 'Little Wild Man' Halloween shirt on him let alone a costume! One of my friends brought Fletcher a t-shirt that just had the body of Popeye on it. Fletcher would have been the perfect Popeye!Sadly, he didn't want to have anything to do with it. Oh well. After we left TCC Maddie and I headed over to see Mimi at her work. Maddie was a hit and everyone just doted all over her. Then my sister Kim called and invited us to trick or treat with some of the cousins. So we headed south and spent the evening with Kim, Kylie, K-Bub, Dawn, Mike, Zach, Amber, Matt, Gabe, Ryan and the Katybug! We had a blast and got a lot of candy! Kayleigh spent the night with her friend, Kelsey and they trick or treated in Kelsey's neighborhood.

My cute leopard!

The cousins

Maddie and Aunt Dawny's dog, Molly also in a leopard costume.

K-Bub (Joe Dirt) and Maddie

The Katybug and her mommy

Maddie and mommy

Last week was also Red Ribbon Week. Each day the kids were able to do some fun things. One day they were able to wear a hat and had black light bowling. They were also allowed to show support for there favorite team. Maddie wore a long sleeved OU shirt (no picture of that day) They also got to wear camo, this was the day Maddie stayed home. And on Friday they wear asked to wear red.

Red Ribbon week

Hat day and black light bowling

Today Maddie is home from school again. She woke up at 4:00 this morning with a fever of 101.4. She's slept a lot today and her temp was down to 99.3 at noon. Which means no school tomorrow via the district rules of no temp for 24 hours. At this time we are both still in our pj's. Maddie is watching a lot of TV and I've been cleaning out my closet trying to get ready for a charity pick-up on Wednesday morning. Yesterday Kayleigh informed me she needed a black dress for a concert she's in Tuesday! Nice. So, I guess we'll be spending the latter part of the afternoon looking for a dress and shoes. I think it must be payback for doing the exact same thing to my mom several times during my jr high/high school years. I haven't seen Fletcher today but I've checked on him and he's doing well. I'll go up there after we find a dress.

Fall break...

Well, it's been super busy around here and I keep meaning to update and I just can't seem to get it together. So tonight when I should be reading a chapter in my book for bible study in the morning, I am going to blog instead! I decided it would be easier to do it with pictures and captions.

We had a great fall break. Kayleigh's grandparents, Monna and Pops came from Mississippi and spoiled the girls with a few nights in a hotel, shopping, getting to eat out and more shopping! Monna and Pops are so good to our girls and bought winter clothes for them. They even bought Maddie a desk for her room! Thanks, Monna and Pops! Maddie LOVES her desk. She's doing her homework in her room and she's playing in her room more often!

The girls with Monna and Pops in front of PF Chang's

Maddie and Kayleigh at PF Chang'sThe new desk!

Silly boy!

Amazing...

Though Fletcher's mind works like a three year old, his little body does not. Some parts are better than others but as for weight baring on his legs or arms he's like a newborn. And I'm sure you all remember that in January Fletcher was basically given a death sentence. In the last six to eight months he has been incredibly well. He's been successfully weaned off Methadone and Valium, they have lowered his vent setting a little and he's tolerating it very well. Last week they lowered his doses of calcium and phosphorus because they were a little high and they have always been too low! The Lord is doing something y'all! I feel like I'm witnessing a miracle every day. Mr. 'I supposedly have the bones of a 95 year old woman' is getting stronger with each day! I'm not usually at TCC with him when he gets physical therapy but on Wednesday I was and his PT has been working with him on a few things. Watch the videos and hopefully you'll be as blessed as I was! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch...

Today TCC took a group of kids to TG Farms in Newcastle, OK. Fletcher had the great privilege to go on this adventure. It was his first pumpkin patch experience. I didn't send Maddie to school today so she and Fletcher could enjoy the trip together. I think I was more excited about it than the two of them put together. This was an amazing blessing for me as a mom. I love fall and always take Maddie to a pumpkin patch to get a few pumpkins. I never dreamed that Fletcher and Maddie would get to go to one together! We had a great morning. We learned all about pumpkins and gourds, pet some animals, went through a hay maze and we were even able to go on the hayride! They just picked up Fletcher's wheelchair and put him on that hay wagon. It was great! Everyone there was so accommodating to these sweet kids it just blessed my heart so much!

Maddie, Fletcher and me in front of the TCC bus

Walking with Fletcher. He loves holding hands when he walks.

Maddie and Fletcher on the hayride!

Hayride!

Oh no...

Today Fletcher had to have one of his teeth pulled. His tooth has been loose for quite a while but today he was pushing on it with his tongue and it started to bleed. So, we decided it needed to come out. I was quite traumatized by the whole ordeal. Fletcher's not even four yet he shouldn't be losing teeth especially his top teeth at this age! But he does look pretty cute! Every time I got the camera out today he got really mad, but I HAD to have a picture of that smile! By the time I was about to leave he let me video him. I think it's hilarious! In the still pictures there are four women in front of him trying to make him smile. That was a big job!

Road trip...

This morning I took a spontaneous little road trip with two of my sisters, Dawn and Kim and my niece Amber. Dawn owns a monogramming store and Kim and Amber work there. So we all loaded up and went to a trade show in Ft. Worth, TX. Now I'll be honest and tell you that trade show was one of the most boring things I've done in a long time. However, the trip to Ft. Worth, lunch and the ride home was one of the best times I've had in a while. When I get together with those three girls laughter is abundant! We laughed until we cried today. So I have made a list of the things we said that made us hysterical throughout the day...

First of all we probably said 'Seriously?' at least 100 times

Dawn: 'He was infatuated with my personality' speaking of someone from high school

Amber: 'Oh I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth' (after her mom's comment above)

Dawn: 'I hate you all'

Amber: 'We're not going to encourage band'

Me: 'We're just in it for the memories, we're not going to make a career of it' (Girl Scouts)

Dawn's GPS: 'Left turn ahead' about 8 times and we went in a complete circle

Dawn: 'We hit the gold pot'

Dawn: 'I hate you all'

Kim: 'Whatever, panty thong monogrammer!' talking to Dawn

Dawn: 'I hate you all'

Dawn: 'Frac job' so funny, though we have no idea what it meant!

Dawn: 'I don't think Jesus likes that very much' she's probably right on that one

I'm sure this is so not funny to any of you but as I type I'm smiling from ear to ear! Poor Dawn she's always the one who says the funniest things and she doesn't even mean too! The bible says laughter is good medicine. My trip today was a great dose of fun! Thanks, girls it was a blast being with all of you today!

Homie, bridges and badges...

Poor Fletcher look at what his mommy does to him. I thought it would be hilarious to put his much loved visor on him upside down or right side up. What exactly would you call that? Anyway look at my little fresh prince! Okay so the latest on 'the man' Fletcher has successfully been completely weaned off of Methadone and Valium! He has been on both daily almost his entire life. It has been a long and tough road but he's narcotic free! Way to go, Bubba! Fletcher is doing really well. He's still having temper tantrums almost everyday but like I always say I'm thankful he's strong enough to throw 'em! Fletcher has added some more signs to his vocabulary. He now signs 'book' when he wants to read, he's also signing 'ball' and 'go'. It's pretty awesome.

Hey Homie!

Girl Scouts is in full swing and tonight Maddie and I experienced our first bridging ceremony. It was really neat. None of the Daisies bridged over into the Brownies but we had Brownies who are now Juniors. Maddie's Daisy group got to do the whole color guard routine tonight. Maddie carried the flag in with another Daisy. We now also have our own Troop 22 flag. Maddie received a few badges, pins and two petals. She's really excited. They don't wear uniforms anymore. The Daisies wear little blue smocks over their clothes. Since we now have badges and stuff we're going need to get a smock. I was a brownie and a Girl Scout and I do not remember some of this stuff. I clearly remember the Father and Daughter dinner where we sang 'Hello Dolly' but replaced Dolly for Daddy. I remember the meetings, the uniforms and the great songs, but not bridging ceremonies maybe I had a crappy troop leader who didn't go the extra mile. I don't know...

Color Guard
Badges!