We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Rylan's school is offering free breakfast for any child that wants it. I don't know how I feel about this. Sure it is nice for the kids that don't get breakfast and I can understand how it would help tremendously their focus on their school work, but I kind of feel like, shouldn't they spend the money on something else that the school needs? Can't parents afford a box of $2 cereal a week? Maybe they can't and I am naive. They serve it in the first 10-20 minutes of class time, so our teachers have to give up teaching time and supervise breakfast, take time to serve and clean up. Um, is it making that big of a difference? I will have to ask Ry's teacher (who is also our next door neighbor) in a couple months if she thinks so. Anyway just wanted to get your thoughts on this issue. What do you think?

Setting: In the car after picking up Rylan from school. Characters: Rylan and Maddy Maddy: Rylan, you think my hair pretty? Rylan: well it is kind of messy . . . Maddy: No, my hair beuuuuuutiful!

This picture was taken by Rylan before we went to a city pumpkin walk, I am a peanut M&M...haa haa get it? SO here it is ladies and gentlemen...the bump! I am 28 weeks, so that means I just slid into my third trimester, or my 7th month! I am feeling pretty good, this baby prefers to hide behind the placenta because the placenta is in my front and the baby is in the back....yes MY back! Kinda painful and I am sure that the bigger he gets the more painful it will be. Back pain, and nerve spasams this time around. But eh I am not complaining, I am so blessed to be bringing another beautiful Hoogland baby into our home. We are very excited to have another boy (Scott more excited than anyone). We are due January 12th, I have never had a winter baby before! Rylan wants to teach this baby "boy" things. Madelyn just wants to hold him she says. See ya in a couple months sweet baby boy!

Our little girl is growing up! She transitioned into a big girl bed a couple weeks ago, and she is doing really well. She had a couple times when she was playing in her room instead of laying in her bed, but now for the most part she stays in bed and goes to sleep. It was so funny she was going down for a nap and I went into to check on her and she had a book in her bed, (note: I did not give her a book to have in her bed). I asked her if she got out of her bed and she said in her snobbyness voice, "no, mommy I not!" Then I said, Madelyn, you got out of your bed to get that book didn't you?" Then she said, "I in my bed!" Oh she is sassy isn't she? Also one time while she was supposed to be sleeping I checked on her and she had put on her cowgirl boots and was dancing around. So funny, it is hard not to laugh at her and be tough. We kept the crib up in her room and told her that if she got out of bed she would have to go back into the baby bed. She only ...

Rylan started a new season of soccer in September. He loves soccer and it is a perfect fit for his active lifestyle. He came up with his team name, "the Killer Bees" and the rest of the kids loved it. I swear he never gets tired and the coach has to tell him to take a break, or else he would play the whole game! He is a great defensive player, with his great sprinting skills he can speed up to the opposing team who is making a break towards the goal and steal the ball away from them. Offensively he has yet to really grasp keeping the ball and dibbling down to score. If he is in the right place at the right time by the goal he can score, but as far as taking the initiative to do it on his own, he isn't quite there yet. He is learning to be tough, during one game a ball hit him square in the chest -HARD-! He kept playing and when he ran past me next he said, "mom, did you see that, I got hit with that ball bad and it didn't even HURT!" I love it when he tries ...

It has become tradition to go to Gardner Village in October with our friends the Tophams. Shelby the witch Lena the toothfairy They have witches hidden all over that the kids have to find in a scavenger hunt. If they find all of the witches on their list they get a cookie for 25 cents at the bakery. Rylan as Obi-Wan Kenobi protecting Shelby from the green witch. They also have a fun wagon ride where they take you to a real witches house. The women that play the witches are HILARIOUS! They interact with the crowd and tell us gastly stories of rotten apples, frog-eyed stew, and their sister who was turned into a goat. They also talk in sort-of an English acent, which makes my friend Karin and I do so also! Maddy was a witch as well, and she loved dressing up, it t...

After a couple times of trying to get the kids together and it not working out we FINALLY were able to go to Provo so Maddy and Ben could play. Grandma and Grandpa were there too! Playing "this little piggie . . ." Maddy and Ben are so cute together and they only had a couple little squabbles. Usually it is Maddy being territorial over a toy she was playing with and Ben happened to look at it! They shared marbles, and Maddy even let Ben hold her kitty. Ben is very loving and could careless about what Maddy is doing to him or to his things. Well Ben had an apple he was munching on and Madelyn thought ohh that looks good. Pretty soon we caught her leaning in for a bite, and Ben didn't mind. They shared this apple right down to the core! We hope they will be great buddies as they get older!