The Lights at Crown Center

Pictures from an evening at Crown Center.

Slow down Mal!

It was VERY cold!

Pockets

I message to visitors in my home who may need to borrow a pen or a pencil. Bring your own. lol. I noticed Mal had some extra baggage in her pants. "Hey, Mal whatcha go goin' on?" "Oh, I just am carrying my pencils in my pcoket."

A Day With the Trains

In lots of ways little Mal is a girlie girl, but in many others she is a little tomboy. I have to laugh when I see her wearing a tutu and a camo shirt. Anyway, given a choice for an outing she will often choose to go see the trains at Union Station. Since Dad was on vacation this week he joined us.

Waiting for the big trains to show up.

Tackling a big piece of pie. The pie won.

She's 4 People

Well, the little one had a birthday last week. The big 04. I must say I am a tad melancholy and exuberant at the same time, if that is possible. Her are a couple pics of the big day. I forgot the matches, but in true Gonzales fashion we "got 'er done".

Halloween Extended

Since moving to KC several years ago I have taken McKinsey and several friends to Worlds of Fun for the Halloween Haunt as part of her birthday celebration. We downsized it a bit this year, taking only her best friend. Although our great friends from Garden City joined as did Morgan's boyfriend, making it a total party of six females and Morgan's man. Ha! We had a great time being frightened. My throat is sore this morning from all the screaming. We drug ourselves in about one o'clock this morning with nothing else to give. I am already looking forward to next year. The birthday girl (the one on the right).

Eileen and friend.

McKinsey and friend.
Birthday girl and me.

McKinsey and Audrey.
The teens are a posin'.

Trick-or-Treat

Here are a few pictures from last night. It was a major success. Much better then last year. Mal easily said "Trick or Treat" and "thank you" loudly and clearly. She was completely enthralled with the whole Halloween extravaganza and could barely carry her bucket (it was full) by the time she got back to the house. I was a bit concerned each time I would see a person dressed in a frightening costume but Mal didn't even notice. She was waay to busy looking for the next porch light.

Side note, my party at school went really well also. We had lots of parents attend and NOBODY threw up(yay!), although I did get close. I was winding lights around a faux tree and made myself extremely dizzy. lol. I almost fell down, the kids thought it was hilarious.

Still Here

Oh cheez and crackers! I can't believe I have not posted anything since July. To be honest I almost did not come back at all. But I believe things are starting to slow down a bit and will try to be more consistent. The best place to begin is probably everybody's comings and goings.

Ernie is still working like crazy and going to school 4 days a weeks. His fundraising for United Way has tapered off for now and will not take off again until the spring. His busy time at work is set to begin very soon, not sure when he will find time to sleep at that point but it is just for a couple of months.

Devin is going to school, working and hunting and not necessarily in that order. He kind of has that live to hunt motto. lol

Morgan is going to school, working and juggling a boyfriend. Which of course throws a whole new number into the equation. Honestly, my friends and I really enjoy re-living all her drama with her and always anticipate the next story to unfold. Although we should keep these conversations out of earshot of Mal. I heard her "breaking up" with her boyfriend on her Cinderella phone the other day. She also refers to Morgan's boyfriend as poopy pants after a particularly bad weekend. lovely.

McKinsey just had a birthday, 14. She got her permit this morning. Yay! (Gulp)

Mallorie is growing in size as well as cognitively, as she should be. She is hilarious and very grown up in her humor and sarcasm. Big surprise, right? Her new thing is to sing the song You Are So Beautiful in an Operatic fashion. I am told she breaks out in song occasionally at school while she is playing independently. Lovely.

As for me I am simply trying to keep up with everybody else. Today I am cleaning, well will be cleaning, hopefully. No school the next couple of days so I am thinking in the back of my mind "Why bother?".

Well, time to go. I hear Max drinking what I hope is the remnants of bathtub water(and not the toilet). I better go intercede before he climbs in. Lovely.