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

Working on a saturday

Today was laundry day and bathroom cleaning day. Fun....right?

Well, Mom had the boys and Alyssa bring down their clothes. Apparently it is more fun to roll them down the stairs than to bring them down in their hampers. Alyssa helped Mommy sort through the mess.

Then Kyle invented the laundry robot game. We had a lot of fun pretending to be robots.

Another happy Friday

Mom and Alyssa played on the computer. Alyssa really really likes videos on youtube.

Kyle got out of school today at 12:45 for a teacher workday/early release, but at school they had a jumping session for the American Heart Association. Kyle jumped rope 20 times!
Here he is showing his "MOVES".

CJ is in a very good mood. He is all smiles and ready to play. Both boys are excited about going to a Karate party at Uncle Jonathan's tonight. Movies, pizza and karate obstacle course....you can't get much better!

a very non-wintery day

It hit 79 degrees today and is beautiful and sunny which meant for a perfect day outside in the sunshine. Any chance they get the boys and Alyssa like to play outside.

Kyle and CJ had their dinosaur eating the scooby van...interesting choice. Jinkies!

Alyssa picked a dandelion and somehow forgot which hand had the lollipop or...she just wanted to taste the flower.

Anyway she decided it was inedible and threw it away. I love her facial expression.

A visit with the Dentist

Kyle and CJ had their six month check up today and they both did an EXCELLENT job. Way to go Boys! No cavaties and good looking teeth. They both did what the dental hygenist and the dentist asked of them and fully cooperated. I was so proud of both of them.

They started by playing in the office until it was their turn.

Then they each had their own room and their own hygenist. CJ was even all smiles and to add to the wonderfulness ---- a new BLUE toothbrush!

Kyle was a trooper and the spots the dentist was worried about last check up --- perfect and no trouble this time. Good job Kyle! His new routine of mouthwash and brushing fixed his soft spots!

Meanwhile Alyssa is finding out about big girl panties and potties. She even tried on a pair of Grandma's underwear....just a couple of problems with semantics and directions.

Double "Sleep"

Since we are working on Kyle's room, he gets to "sleep" with his brother not that he doesn't sneak in there whenever he can anyway. Mom said they each needed a side of the bed since they were messing around. We'll see if it works....Mom is doubtful anyone will actually get to sleep in time for Mom to get some good sleep.

Anyway......They are cute....a handful, but cute.

A calm Sunday morning before the storm

Our day started out well...getting ready for church, CJ reading to Alyssa at breakfast.

and ended with a toliet overflowing upstairs and 25 towels needed to mop up the watery mess. Sigh....so much for an easy, relaxing Sunday.

Karate, Emily's party at Amazing Jakes and then Mom collapses

This morning we got up and headed to Prosper to Uncle Jonathan's karate studio to get back into the swing of things for Kyle and to get CJ started.

CJ was relunctant to join in at first...and spent the first half of class in my lap. About halfway in (when they got to the kicking part) he wanted to participate and so he snuck in on his tiptoes and joined the line. He got to do the jab, double jab, back punch, roundhouse and step behind sidekick combination. He did a pretty good job too.

Here he is after that when they went to talk about the concept of the month.....I don't think he cared about the concept of the month.

Kyle took an active role in the class. He helped Uncle Jonathan and held the shield for the other boys to kick.

After class, we went by Walmart and picked out birthday cards for Aunt Emily (we'd already gotten her presents earlier but not the cards).

Then we headed to Amazing Jakes in Plano, Texas at Collin Creek Mall. It is a two story pizza buffet and games place. They have rides like Planet Pizza, arcade games, bumper cars, go karts, bowling, and a kiddie area. We didn't have time to try out any rides or do the bigger games but I promised the boys we could when Daddy was home.

We started out by eating pizza, mac and cheese, and drinking our choices of beverages. Future note --- Kyle says that it isn't polite to take pictures of people when they are eating because cameras mess with your body. Just in case you ever wanted to know this information. Also explains their surly expressions. Ooops!

Then, we helped Aunt Emily unwrap her presents. She needed a lot of help...really.

CJ liked the table decorations and asked to "hold them". He ended up bringing them home. weird how that happens.

Then we were off to play some games before we went home. Alyssa found the toddler area complete with a play structure. She liked the tunnel, the stairs and the slide and had a lot of fun especially since for the most part she was queen of the castle. Once other kids came to play, she was ready to go elsewhere.

Her next favorite was the zebra. She rode it over and over again. (Luckily it was free to ride...yay!)

Kyle and CJ's favorite was a game called Speeding Ticket where you drove your police car down the streets and tried to run down little tickets with feet. Every time you hit a ticket with your car, one came out of the machine in real life. I'd say they probably played it about 10 times and got over 200 tickets. Kyle LOVED it.

As it was getting close to 4:00, we had to leave (thus not getting to ride the train, or cars---but next time, right?). We drove home in abominable traffic....going 10 miles an hour on 75. Mom hates that kind of traffic so she cut down some side streets and took the back way home.

Now....we are all tired and slightly cranky...so early to bed for all.

Kyle sings and reads for African American Month

Here is Kyle singing "Follow the Gourd" as part of the first grade performances for African American Month.

He also had several parts to read in the Reader's Theatre on famous Black Americans.

He did a great job!

Four Leaf Clover

CJ found a four leaf clover and he is very very proud of his find. We didn't believe him at first, but it IS a four leaf clover.

Wednesday nights....busy busy busy

We had a busy night with Awana but we got to talk to Daddy. Kyle said the first section of his workbook and CJ is closer to another patch.
Of course, Alyssa had fun with her "peeps" and the ladies in the nursery LOVED her pigtails.

I caught Alyssa and Kyle brushing their teeth. Alyssa was mimicking everything that Kyle did. It was adorable.

Before bed, Kyle and CJ showed me the new game they invented...stair sliding. You slide down the stairs on your tummy or back. (Doesn't it bring back memories? We played similar games as kids).

I am very impressed at how the flowers John got me have stayed alive and well. All the Star Gazer Lilies have opened and look three times as big as the bouquet looked when I first got it.

Flowered Walkway and Wacky Hair

Daisy Grandma came over today and planted beautiful flowers in front of our house. Alyssa says, "Pitty fowers", CJ says that they are beautiful and Kyle says like a rainbow without any red. Needless to say we all think it looks great.

I was able to snap a picture of the "girls" --- Alyssa told her grandmas that she wanted them to sit on the little bench with her. It was cute as she was incredibly proud of herself after they complied.

As I took the picture, she patted her chest and said Pitture pease pitty. :-)

Kyle and CJ had their hair washed and I dried it before they got out of the tub....it was so funny to see their hair so wacky. I told them they were wild and wooly.

Another busy day and three worn out kids

Must have been a busy day as the kids are all worn out...asleep before nine o'clock!

Mom is worn out too. I had a Professional Development Day at PWSH about poetry in the classroom. It was an interesting talk but it would have been nice to have the day off like the PISD kids got. Kyle had to go to school too though so both of us had a full day.

We had a den meeting after school. We made dinosaur centerpieces....they were...interesting....very interesting....when CJ is a tiger cub, I am so being the Den Leader because....wow....

The house is getting ready little by little. The library is completely finished. I rearranged Alyssa's room (maybe we won't have to paint it). The door is finished to the garage and kilz is on both bathrooms. There is a lot left to do....a lot, but it will get done before John gets home.

Daisy Grandma comes over and helps us plant flowers

Kyle, CJ and Alyssa picked out some flowers that they wanted to plant in our front flower beds. Grandma came over and helped them plant them. We had fun....after all....dirt, water and flowers...wow!

Kyle's Den goes on a hike at Town Lake Park

The Den leader gave each boy a list of things to find, touch and smell. They had to look for all kinds of nature items from bugs to trees to dirt and mud.

Kyle liked the parts having to do with tree and when he found the snail shell minus the snail. Pretty cool.

Happy Valentine's Day.....and Scouting for Food

Here is Alyssa in her Valentine's outfit with a carnation (Mom got it from student council at her school). She liked the flower a lot especially rubbing it on the fireplace and walls...the flower didn't appreciate it as much...pretty much was non existent afterwards.

We spent the morning doing Scouting for Food. This meant taking yellow bags ...

and putting them on all the doors in the neighborhood. CJ helped the three Tiger Cubs and we covered 6 blocks in two hours running full tilt at first and dragging like 80 year old men toward the end (until we got to the park and then we rejuvenated.

Kyle in action

CJ in action

Alyssa spent the afternoon reading...

while Kyle and CJ worked on Wii games, played with matchbox cars, played playhouse disney and funschool and colored.

Mom did laundry, dishes and organized the house as best she could.
This afternoon we looked outside at the clouds...they are very unusual.

CJ's Valentines for Daddy and Daddy's Valentines for Mommy

CJ made a shirt in preschool just for Daddy. He can get it when he gets home. He even made a paper version of Daddy to "wear" the shirt until Daddy gets back. This version of Daddy has a mustache? not sure why but I am sure it is a very good reason and Daddy is frowning because he misses us and wishes he were home.

The back of the shirt signed by CJ.

He also made a photo holder and they took a very cute picture of him.

Mommy got another bouquet of flowers from Daddy (that makes three days in a row).

This is my counter covered in flowers. . . three from Daddy and one from CJ (the purple tulips).

John sends pictures from Taipei

Typical Street in Taipei

It is an easy job...especially with helpful signs like this one to help guide you.

and of course, the roads are clearly labeled....

Oh wait....you'd have to know CHINESE......
and it would also help if your equipment was in a good working order. :-)

John did get to go up to the tallest building in the world (right now). Here is the view from the top.

Kyle participates in the flag ceremony at the Pack Meeting

Kyle got to hold the American Flag in the flag ceremony. He did a great job!

Before the ceremony, CJ and Alyssa played on the chairs while Kyle practiced for the ceremony.

We brought the tunnels inside, and Flowers from Asia (sort of)

Hi Daddy, Peek a Boo!
(This was just too cute not to post).

At school today, halfway through the day, I was surprised with a fresh bouquet of flowers in a red vase. A Happy Valentine's Day greeting from my beloved all the way from Asia. They are beautiful my love!

Today, after Awana, the boys set up their tunnels while Mom ran bath water. They got Alyssa involved too and they ran through the tunnels which stretched from one end of the game room 19 feet to the other end. I caught them as they came out the finish.

After we played a little while, we took our baths, read our books and relunctantly went to bed. Somehow Kyle and CJ ended up in the same room again. I don't know why we gave them their own.....
As this is being typed, Alyssa is asleep and the boys are listening to children's classic music. Maybe they will be asleep soon.

Chilling, Relaxing or Chillaxing .... on the couch

With storms on the way, we spent a somewhat quiet evening. I grabbed some pictures of the kids on the couch playing around. Alyssa likes being the center of her brothers' attention.

Hopefully we are all asleep before the storms hit....otherwise we will have a mess of scared kids. I am encouraging sleep as best I can. Alyssa is the most responsive.

Daddy, we miss you. We really like to talk to you on the web phone and it is hard for us to figure out how you could be 14 hours ahead of us in time. Kyle thinks you are time traveling like Sonic the Hedgehog, who by the way time travels as part of his rings of power thing (at least that is the best I can grasp from his explanation). I think it is cool that Daddy is just like Sonic. How could you possibly top that one?

Sweet angels sleeping ..... or not.....

After a busy day of playing and going to school, our little angels were asleep quickly.......................

except of course.....
Kyle.

He told me that his mind isn't ready to sleep yet, and his legs hurt...he needs ice packs. :-) I think that could be a sign that he is growing again...of course, right after getting him new pants.

That sign he is making with his hands --- Super Sonic sign for I love you Daddy.

Before Church...a message for Daddy

Alyssa got a little excited with her part --- so hopefully you can tell it says I (heart) U or I love you.

Playing in the backyard --- before the rain comes

Alyssa, Kyle and CJ went into the backyard and played with their tent trains this morning because of the possibility of rain later. The only problem was the wind kept knocking the train over which made them mad.

Kyle put the trains together with help from Alyssa and CJ. Kyle is a great superviser. :-)

CJ is still feeling a little off from the flu but he wanted to play so I let him go outside.

They had fun (with small skirmishes in between).

Daddy's on his way to Taipei, Tawian

John left this morning around 10:45 for Taiwan on a 20 hour flight. That's a lot to track!

Here he is in the air over the ocean when we got home from school. He's only been gone a few hours but we miss him already (and Kyle and CJ wonder what life is like on the other side of the world.)

Here is where Daddy was when Kyle, CJ and Alyssa went to bed. He still has a long way to go!

Kyle's message for Daddy....

Mom is on her way to bed and checked one last time on Daddy's flight. He is about 2 hours away from landing. Wow. Here he is closer but not there yet.