I AM still alive

Spending more time at the computer working every day means I spend less time at the computer doing the enjoyable things I used to do! (Like blogging here.)  I have started writing a few times and then I get a "chime" that a work email was delivered and I switch to that. 

But not today!  Today I am determined to get something written here!  Let's see - what's been going on...we had Halloween!  Hans was a butterfly, Katie was a devil and Will was....drumroll......Batman.  That's 3 years, I believe.  Talk about easy costumes!  Overall, this Halloween was pretty low key.  I have a picture of Will, but nothing of Katie I just realized.  And no pictures of our pumpkins that John carved.  (Amazingly, of course!)  We had a Batman symbol, a cat, a bat, and a scary face. 

We had school conferences, and both are doing great.  Katie and Will are both in high math and reading classes and enjoying them very much.  Katie is just finishing up a 3 week project on health disorders and diseases.  She chose epilepsy and presents her research during a school health fair Friday afternoon.  I WILL have pictures of that! 

Will starts basketball after school today.  It is every Wednesday and lasts til mid December I believe.  He is VERY excited! 

Hans and I attempt the CGC test on Saturday again.  There are 10 test items and we only failed 3 of them last time.  I'm hoping for 8/10 this time or better.  It's still the "accepting grooming" that give us problems.  The kids, John and I can brush him and he's totally calm.  But let someone else take the brush and it becomes playtime.  However - if my hand had an overpowering smell of chicken that seems to keep him distracted enough to allow someone to brush him.  So I (literally) am going to go out between test items and lather my left hand in "broth a la chicken."  I can't "treat" during the test, but I can have a smelly hand.

Auditions for the church musical are this weekend too!  The musical will be "Shrek!"  Will wants to be a part of it this year as well so I am taking him with us and asking that he be made part of the "townspeople" or "kingdom" mob.  Katie wants to be "Gingy" (the gingerbread man).  I have a list of possibilities, but am very happy with anything outside of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey or Farquaad.  Pinocchio seems like a LOT of fun, but I'm not sure if I could talk and sing in a squeaky voice for that long!  Otherwise, the "shoemaker elf", "fairy godmother", or other fairy tale creatures will all be fun.  Each has lines and solo parts.  I bought the DVD of the musical so we watched it the other night to get a better idea of what each part consisted of.  We should find out in December!