Time for a Change

So I finally figured out how to personalize my blog. It's still a work in progress but I'd love to know what you think. Any suggestions would also be appreciated.
Thanks!

Edited to add:
A special thanks to Lena at Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates for making this new look possible.

Blog??? What Blog???

Yes, I know, I know. If my blog were a child, it would have been taken away from me due to extreme neglect!

It would be an understatement to say that things have been crazy lately. And we are all adjusting to the major change in my job schedule. Can you say tired, with a capital T???

Instead of trying to catch up today, I'll just share some a few things about the kids with you. Yesterday, when I picked Malia up from school, her teacher told me that she really loved the worms and spent most of the day playing with them. It was raining (again) which brings out the worms, and I guess they put them in the sensory table! I've never known of a preschool to give the kids worms to play with. I LOVE that school! I told Malia's teacher that she's been playing with (and squishing) worms since she was a year old.

So, on the way home from school, Malia informed me that when she's a grown up, she's going to live with her friend, Hannah......in Hawaii! Kai then informed me that he's going to live at home when he's a grown up! ;-) We won't have to worry about missing Malia, because she told Phil that she'll visit us two times a week.

The kids are growing so fast. Kai can ride his two wheel bike pretty well now and Malia is trying very hard to learn. Kai is really taking care of himself now. Getting cereal for himself and Malia this morning, getting ready for school, doing his homework, etc. He doesn't want ANY help when he takes his showers any more (he didn't even want me to hand him his towel the other day!) and he no longer wants to take a bath with his little sister. He doesn't even complain about going to school now and he's learning to read and spell and he's really good at math (adding and subtracting).

Malia is just Malia! She's very loving and great at sharing but she still has her temper....however she doesn't seem to use it as much anymore (she mostly saves it for Mommy!). She is learning to write her letters and it really good at rhyming words and understanding what words start with the same sounds. She loves working on educational workbooks.

Well, I leave you with a few pictures from Easter. We had a great time at Wayne and Rita's, including an Easter egg hunt.

Malia searching for eggs in her slip
dress and jacket!

Kai and Meghan

Don't ask!!!

All Hallows' Eve

Kai and Malia both had Halloween parties at school. I was signed up to volunteer for Kai's party so I didn't get to go to Malia's. Auntie Gina took Malia to her party and Phil was able to leave work and meet them there. I'll post Malia's pictures when I get them.

The Neubert Halloween parade

Doing a craft in class

After school, we went trick or treating. The weather was perfect (mid-70s) especially compared to the last two years we were here. This year was strange because Kai suddenly knows kids from the neighborhood that I don't know. So many kids were talking to him and one trick or treater who came to our house even said hello to Lola (she's become very popular with the kids on the afternoon bus. They always chant her name so loud, the bus driver had to tell them to stop!).

After a little while gathering candy, the kids were ready to go home and pass out candy. They always seem to enjoy that part of the night the most.

Crocodile (again!) and Cinderella

Malia's pumpkin
Reminds me of Jack Skellington
His eye was so big, my fist could fit through it!

Kai's pumpkin

Pumpkin Carving, Part I

Last week, we had a pumpkin carving party with some of our cousins. Chloe, Hagen, Sophie, Hannah, Abbey, Auntie Nettie, Bob, Uncle Greg and Auntie Gina came for dinner and carving. We had tons of fun. Malia drew her own pumpkin face and wanted to carve it all by herself but she finally had to let Auntie Gina and Mommy help her. Kai picked out a design for his pumpkin face but Bob did most of the work for him!

For dinner, the kids had "mummy dogs" and "ghost milk" and the rest of us had "ghosts in the graveyard" (AKA: shepherd's pie. Thanks for the recipe, Heather. It was a huge hit).

Auntie Rita gave Kai and Malia a
haunted gingerbread house to decorate.
Note the black frosting on their faces!

Mummy Dogs and Ghost Milk

Ghosts in the Graveyard

The kids also made caramel apples
while carving their pumpkins

Part II

Here are some pictures of everyone hard at work, de-gutting their pumpkins:

Auntie Nettie hates pumpkin goop.
She must really love Kai!

Part III

Auntie Gina also hates pumpkin goop.
She must really love Malia!

Kai and Malia's pumpkins

(Most of) The Gang
Malia was tired and done with
the festivities at that point!

Hagen having fun with
Malia's pumpkin

Proud to Wear Pink!

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Malia and I got pink streaks in our hair. Malia absolutely loved it. She told all of her friends at school "I have pink hair!" Sadly, hers fell out after only a week and a half. The lesson we learned is that headstands and hair extensions don't go together!

On a more serious note, our pink hair, and this blog entry, are dedicated to Sharon (who I worked with at Probation), Tina (who is one of my Panera friends) and Lisa (my friend, Heather's, friend). Keep fighting ladies! I am so proud of you and you have touched my life in ways you will never imagine.

Pretty cute, no?