John, Laura, Kyle, Christopher (CJ) and Alyssa Mullen

6 Months old --- Alyssa

weighing in at 15.5 lbs --- Alyssa is getting to be quite a big girl. She is learning to roll over and sit up. We've tried solid food but our thrust reflex keeps anything from going down to our tummy --- we'll get it soon though.

Here we are looking cute at our six month's picture session.

Thursday: tired, talented and tickled

TIRED

Kyle is a little worn out from the long field trip yesterday and then Awana, so we elected to stay home this evening from Karate. Missing one lesson will not hurt our chances of getting our next belt --- just so we make all the rest.

TALENTED
CJ played ball in Grandma's house.....that is....until....he lost the ball. Look at the form after swinging his bat. What talent!

Where did that ball get to?

TICKLED
Alyssa practiced rolling over from her back to her front and played with her rattled. She was all smiles today.

Mom, on the other hand, went to work, dealt with heathen 8th graders and administrators. Then, she went to Vega Elementary to look at the book fair. Kyle had already picked out two books he wanted and Mom found some phonetic readers that were Diego stories. She'll have to do more shopping later for Christmas when Daddy is in town.

We can't wait to see Daddy tomorrow!

Making cookies for Cubbies and karate class

Busy evening after we got home from school. CJ and Kyle made sugar cookies and decorated them with colored frosting for CJ's cubbie's book project. Then all of us went to watch Kyle at Karate.

Cookie makers

Alyssa watches Kyle in Karate class kicking the top mat off the pile, doing roundhouse kicks and front kicks. What a great yellow belt kicker!

Saying Good night to Daddy on the phone

Kyle and CJ had to say good night to Daddy and tell him about their day. Kyle recited what he ate for lunch and about how Dylan forgot snacks so they used Kyle's fruit roll ups from before as a back up snack. CJ talked about being a big boy with no accidents today.

At the end of the conversation (after asking Daddy numerous times "What's all that noise?" :-), the boys kissed Daddy goodnight.

(notice that CJ closes his eyes when he gives a kiss!)

Good Night Daddy!

Playing in the sunshine in the backyard

Daddy left for McAllen Texas today after lunch. Kyle gave him lots of good advice: Don't kick anyone, don't hit, stay away from smoking people and be nice. Dad promised to keep it in mind. :-)

We played in the backyard enjoying the cooler tempature mixed with nice sunshine.

CJ stopped and enjoyed some chocolate milk after running around the backyard in the little red car and taking sand from the sandbox to the top of the hill, dumping it and then running back. It wasn't as much fun to take it from the top of the hill and bring it back to the sandbox.

Kyle hung out on the blanket with Alyssa.

We miss you Daddy --- hope you liked your phone hugs.
See you Friday.

Visit from the Great Pumpkin

We discovered that our jack-o-lanterns had developed stringy, yucky mold overnight (which consequently is deadly for CJ) so Mom and Dad told Kyle and CJ all about the Great Pumpkin. Apparently, the great pumpkin comes on Halloween night and takes all the Jack O Lanterns left by good boys and girls home to the Great Pumpkin Patch where they can live with their moms and dads. When the Great Pumpkin takes your pumpkin home, he leaves you MONEY! Boy, Mom was a quick thinker to "remember" that story.

Above are Kyle and CJ with their Great Pumpkin money. (Kyle even wrote a story about it at school on Thursday and got his story published in class. He got to read it to the whole class and illustrate his story in a little book.)