Elijah's Christmas Cello recital

It is amazing how much they have learned in just a short time. Playing strings is not an easy instrument and they sounded great. Most of them are first year orchestra students.
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The Wiggles Live

We took Zane to Greenville, SC on Nov. 7th for a live Wiggles show. He is waiting patiently for it to begin.
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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Zane and The Wiggles

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The Big Red Car

We had 3rd row seats in the lower bowl so we could see really well. Anthony (blue wiggle) threw the inflatable banana to Brian and he threw it back when they sang the fruit salad song. We enjoy it as much as Zane.
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The Wiggles mosh pit

The security guard kept trying to keep the kids from reaching up on stage (as if they could reach anyway). After a few times of tellling them to stop the little boy in blue gave him a hug and the security guard gave up and left them alone.
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Wags in the Zorb

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Happy 8 year anniversary for Brian and I!

It doesn't seem like 8 years, but don't ask him that question he may not agree!!LOL

Elijah's first Cello recital

These videos are short because my batteries kept dying so I apologize for not getting the whole thing. This first song they picked it without a bow and the next one was with the bow. He is in the lower right hand corner playing the large cello.
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Here he is!!!

You really feel proud of your kids when you watch them doing something whether it is football or cello.
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NEW AUTISM STATISTICS

Make sure you check out the newest Autism statistics that have dramatically gone up in the last 2 years as more and more children are diagnosed. This disease needs more money and research in order to find a way to prevent it. Follow the link below and donate. There are very few people in the world who don't know someone with an autistic child. Something needs to be done!

http://www.autism-society.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=20686.0&printer_friendly=1

Northwest vs. Halls #2

They got together at the end of game and did their prayer/speech together.
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Elijah is #18 on the left

Elijah's team won the game against Halls 28-8.
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Zane playing on the bleachers in his cleats like brothers.

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Elijah's Dad (on the right with the hat), Coach LeBron, and some other players

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Touchdown!!!

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Zane likes to repeat everything he hears

I was fussing at him in Walmart the other day and I pointed at him as to try to get his attention without making a scene and quietly, but firmly said "Hush". It worked, but he says it to me all the time now and Elijah thinks its funny so they both do it!
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Elijah is playing the Cello at school!

He has learned "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and one other so far. He practices every night.
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Playing his guitar with Murray (Wiggles)!

That is what Zane does when that song comes on. He goes and gets his guitar and sings along.
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FADED ORANGE

Their is a new website on my sidebar called FADED ORANGE. It is a website that you can download your amateur videos of skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, playing with your band, etc.. My brother in Vermont is involved with the webpage and some of his photos snowboarding are on the web page. Go take a peek and tell your friends! If you have any videos of you and your friends doing crazy stuff in any of those sports, go post it and check out all the others. You can also follow it on Facebook!

LMU flu days

I heard last night on the news that LMU or Lincoln Memorial University was giving their staff 7 extra sick days in addition to the ones they already have just in case they are diagnosed with H1N1 or the regular seasonal flu to encourage them to STAY HOME AND NOT CONTAMINATE EVERYONE ELSE!! They didn't want them to come sick so they wouldn't use all their sick time and then and then not have anymore left for the rest of the year. If every other employer would do similiar things then it would make the virus not spread quite so much.
I think if you take care of your employees like that and give them a reason to work hard and long for you, they will. Do you work for free? Do you as an employer want your employees to have your back and do their best? If everyone put theirself in someone elses shoes for just a few minutes and took a long look at how we treat our employees, friends, nannies, babysitters, etc... I think we would have a few things to change, don't you?

A PRAYER REQUEST

Elijah's football coach is having back surgery for the 2nd time in a year today at 1:00 at Parkwest. Please keep his speedy recovery in your prayers. He has struggled with his back for years and he had to lay on the field last night to get some relief during football practice, so I am hoping he will get some relief and improvement after this surgery. Thanks!

FLU UPDATE

Elijah had a football game this evening with the Halls #2 team at John Tarleton. His stepmom called to tell me that it had been rescheduled because 12 players on the opposing team had the flu. A friend of mine told me she had 15 people absent from her homeroom because of confirmed flu cases. The news says the absenteeism rate is 6%. I have a feeling it is going up very quickly. Make sure you wash your hands and watch your kids when they come home from school. The flu season this year is starting out early and strong regardless of the "don't panic" mantality they are portraying on the news. They begin flu mist vaccines next week at Elijahs school and it could not come fast enough. That doesn't always guarantee they won't get it but it make deter some cases of it hopefully.

Open House

Brian and I went to Elijahs open house on Mon. evening. We got to meet all 6 of his teachers and go to all his classrooms. Cedar Bluff is a small, quaint school with about 565 kids. It reminds me a lot of Sterchi, his first elementary school. It is a nice school. He is taking an honors Science class, and his 2 related arts classes are PE and Orchestra. He will be playing the Cello for his instrument. He is enjoying it a lot so far and I have a good feeling about his teachers. There is no line at pick up or drop off so that is incredibly wonderful. I hate sitting in line at school waiting to get your child. It is boring. There is a little boy across the hall from Elijahs homeroom who has the same name as his brother, Zane Atkins, spelled the same and everything. Elijah thought that was funny. I don't think his first name is Ezra though.
He had his first football game last night against Catholic. He did great, but he got hit on the elbow by a helmet and has a monstrous bruise. He will be okay, but I am relieved it isn't broken.

Biskit Atkins Oct. 1, 2003-Aug. 17, 2009

We have lost our sweet baby dog this week. Biskit passed on Monday. Elijah started middle school and he died. It was a very emotional day for everyone. He went everywhere with us and he was loved as much as one of my children. He slept with me every night. He apparently had a mass or tumor of some sort in his stomach/chest area and it had grown to where he could no longer breathe and he had a heart attack and died on our way to the vet. I have lost many friends in my life but this is the hardest death I have ever had to deal with. I cry every night because I feel him following me , I forget not to fill his water bowl and I can't put his toys or blankets away. Elijah can't even discuss it without out crying and neither can I. It is much easier to write it. We got him around Christmas when Elijah was 6. I had wanted one and we happened to pass a sign on the way to my moms house that said "Boston Terriers for sale". We stopped and Biskit ran right up to Brian. Needless to say we took him home. We have enjoyed every minute of joy he has brought and he was taken much too soon. He has been through much happiness and all of the hard times we have endured. I have told God already that he may pee on his couch if he doesn't watch him, but he is lucky to have him now. I am sure this won't be the last Boston for our house but we are not yet accustomed to daily life without him. We are having him cremated and placed in an urn so we can take him with us wherever we go. I couldn't bare the thought of burying him and then moving someday and leaving him behind. Dogs see only the good in people and ask nothing of us but to be loved and taken care of. They make life happier and are always there to lick your face when things aren't going so well. Thanks to everyone who has played with, bought toys for, and petted our Biskit. We are beside ourself with grief so keep us in your prayers for speedy healing.
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This was taken 2 days before he passed.

He went into the baby pool and got this ball but you can see how out of breath he got when popping it. He had been on steroids and antibiotics for weeks for what we thought was pneumonia. The mass was not visible to the eye, it was internal.
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First Day of Middle School!

He was so tired and a little relieved from breaking the ice that he came home and took a hour and a half nap! Elijah hasn't napped, unless he is sick, since first grade. He had a pretty good day. The good thing about 6th grade is everyone is new so they are coming from different schools and are all making new friends so no one is different or stands out. I think he will do great once he is settled!
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Pool time with Zane

It was so hot that we blew up his little pool and he and Biskit got in it. Yes, even the dog got in it! Only to retrieve the inflatable beach ball so he could pop it, which he did! (photo to follow)
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