If there's a bad smell in your neighborhood, it's coming from our house....

I just burnt a bag a popcorn, and now our house stinks and our microwave is permanently discolored.
Sadly, this isn't the first time I've done it. I've stunk up two different offices before by my popcorn burning abilites, even attracting the attention of the hospital President who worked at the hospital adjacent to the medical office building I worked at in Lubbock. (I'd never met him before until rumor of the incident somehow made it's way to his lofty office and he decided to stop by and bring me some already popped popcorn on behalf of the hospital.) He introduced himself by saying "I was driving along 4th street and could smell something awful...."
I was mortified. Smoke had filled the office full of already nauseous pregnant women, prompting employees from the floor above to come down and see if a fire had broken out. Our office microwave leaked black syrup for the next few months when you used it.

It's a sad little skill I have.

We've had the doors and windows open for an hour now, and I couldn't even put the bag of black goo in the trash can in the garage. I had to lay it in the driveway and shut the garage door. Hope no racoons die trying to get to it.

Movies and, well, chocolate, anyone?








In other news, I thought I would catch up on some cool pictures!

Here's our knockout "Christmas Queen". This picture scared us.


Our favorite teacher EVER comes to Eli's first Christmas program at church. He was a narrator, and we were proud!




Julia and our first snowman of the year. She was quite close to him. As the days got warmer, his head was the first to go, slowly lowering the hat day by day to his torso, and then to the ground. She was sad. But he was fun while he lasted!




I guess that's all for tonight.

It still stinks here, so I'm headed to the back of the house. Good night!

Merry Christmas!

Well, Dusty kindly reminded me today that my two weeks is up. (And then added that whatever would be written after such a sabbatical should be especially good.) I don't know that I will measure up, or in reality that I ever have... but my kids give me great stuff to share, and I've been tucking the encounters away... so I'll jump back in. I was able to take a needed break from updating, but I had to keep checking everyone else's posts. I love this realm!!... and the connections it provides. What a blessing! Hope you all had a merry Christmas!

Christmas morning was wonderful. To be honest, I had been caught up in the seasonal stress that I didn't need to be, and was dreading it. I never thought I'd feel that way, but I felt like what I was giving wasn't going to be that good and I still had gone over budget to do it! Details and busy-ness had worn me down, and I'm embarrassed to say, but I was just tired and had lost the spirit of the season in all the details.

But with the early morning came the whispers and the quiet running down the hall. Whispers turned to gasps of excitement and raised voices exclaiming Santa HAD come! We were summoned out of bed, and urged to hurry through breakfast. (Who needs food on such a morning!? Really?) Priceless urgings...:-)

So we exchanged gifts, but after just a couple, Eli sat down calmly, and looking thoughtful, began to speak to all of us. Now talking is not unusual in our house, but his tone caught our attention and slowly everyone stopped what they were doing and all eyes were on him.

"You know, I've decided that this year, I am about the giving.
I mean, in the past, it's been all about getting stuff. And it's not that I don't like getting stuff, because I do.
But I think I'm learning that Christmas really isn't about the getting, but the giving. It's what it's all about.
So this year, I want to be about giving. I don't want to ask for any presents or say I want mine next, but I will wait until someone tells me to go get one, and I want to pass out presents to everyone else. Because that is what Christmas is about."

I can't remember all else he said, but it was enough that when he got done, he had sucked the air out of the room and my mom and Jason had tears in their eyes. I can't make up moments like that. But they humble me and make me so thankful for how God works in that little boy's heart already.

Of course, he has a humorous side too. Julia got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. When Eli saw it, was fascinated because he had seen one at his school collected for a toy drive.

"Oh wow! They had one of those at my school for the poor kids. I guess an oven's a good thing. Except that they'd just be able to eat desert. But maybe they'd like that best anyway."

He was so sincere in thinking through it all that we couldn't help but smile.

I'm still working on posting some info from the Autism and Asperger's Conference I went to, and in true "Angie Fashion" will have some books to give away soon... But I'm getting caught up... and have missed blogworld!


Merry Christmas!

Permission to pass on by!

Due to the busy-ness of the season, I'm checking out for about two weeks! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Frosty Meets Polly Pockets

Julia wanted a Polly Pocket.
Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Jessica bought Polly for Christmas (which we celebrated together at Thanksgiving.) Along with Polly came 1001 accessories.

Always the eye for detail... Julia felt my Christmas decor lacked a little style.



And the joy... of finding these little makeovers happening all throughout the house....:-)

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

Someday, I want to be tagged. :-) Not today, though.
_______________________________________________________

Julia just fell off the bed.
When I asked her how, she said she was dancing, and had a pillow over her head.
She said:
"I was trying to stay away from the edge of the bed. I thought I was not near the edge, because I thought this was the biggest bed ever. But then, I took another step, and the bed was not there anymore. And I looked back at where I thought the bed was, and then I was scared of this side of the bed because it wasnt' there. "

I relayed this to Jason and he went and talked to Julia later.

Jason: "Julia, I heard you thought the bed would go on forever?"

Julia: "Yeah. I thought to myself, 'I was wrong!' That's when Momma and Eli came in, because I was crying.

Jason: "They love you very much!"

That's when Julia looked at Jason and said: "Where were you?!!"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________


Thanks for the prayers to and from Kansas City. It was an unbelievable weekend. We stayed an extra day due to weather, but even that was awesome.
The conference was on Autism and Asperger's syndrome... and I can't believe all that I learned. I am seriously in information overload... but in a good way. Coming home to my family, and espcially my son, was like coming home to a very different future....I heard him say things and comprehended them in a new light, and implemented some simple actions with immediate results. (Now consistencey is another issue....) I am amazed and excited, and will share more over the coming weeks as I have time!