No. What it is?

"Guess what, girls?!  We're going to the circus tomorrow morning!"

(much squealing, bouncing, and giddy laughter...then a pause)  

"Do you know what the circus is?"  

(dual response--No.  What is it?)  

Oh, how we laughed!  Anna blurted out that there would be jugglers and McKenna squealed again about seeing the "math circus".  (Thanks, leapfrog toys!)

All in all we had a great time, and I think I enjoyed the show just as much as the kids did.  There was an act that really had me feeling like I might vomit.  Seriously.  The Super Silvan had me clutching my gut.  No one should be allowed to "walk upside down on the ceiling" like that.  I don't care if there IS a mat on the ground.  It just isn't right.

Good day

ROLL TIDE!!  We're loving Alabama football...and loving the record this year, too!  What fun it was to see a fourth quarter come back tonight against Arkansas!  Chris' enthusiasm is so great!

The kids and I took in another cross country meet this morning, although McKenna wasn't sure she wanted to go.  After all, "we just did that a couple whiles ago."  That and a trip to Gatewood's Vegetable Farm to get some cider, two kinds of apples, some blueberry butter (ummmm...) and little pumpkins took up our morning.  The weather was beautiful and I was reminded over and over again today how great it is to have different seasons and the joy that can come with changes...even if we're leaving something we love.  God is so good, isn't He?

bonus points

So, I've developed a better relationship with my anatomy professor (you remember, Jack Bauer's secret brother) since squeaking into his class earlier this month.  He and my lab partner and I were chatting at the end of the lab and I told him what my first impression was of him, based solely on summer mass emails.  I told him that I thought he would be like Jack Bauer and he beamed!  I wish he had been serious when he said that comments like that would earn me six extra credit points!  He said that he's hoping to take off a semester or so from teaching so that he can write, and then just teach for fun.  He's working with Stephen King on some project...  He then went off on a tangent about how Jack does things right.  He also asked for a volunteer today so that he could demonstrate a "classic fatal blow to the skull".  I did not volunteer.  

As fun as his class is (even though there's no coffee allowed in the lab), it's sad to see how lost he is.  He boldly proclaims with delight that he follows no western religions.  He's done a lot of things, and apparently done them well.  It's just that the one thing that matters--his heart--isn't in the right place.  There are more people in my life now than have been in a few years that just need to know the saving power of God's grace.  A life without Christ is just so empty and I'm reminded of that more often lately.  

cheerleader and coach

I took the kiddos to a cross country meet this evening...always a favorite activity this time of year!  They all just love the open space to run around, but McKenna took it to a new level this evening.  Toward the end of the meet she was yelling to every runner who passed by.  Dad and I heard her yelling, "Keep it up!  Go number 2 (her bib number was actually 229...McKenna just abbreviated it) Don't look down!  You can get her!  Go, Millers!  Let's go, Noblesville!  You can do it!  Go faster!"  The girls from Noblesville had all gone by so there were no more Millers to cheer for, but that didn't stop McKenna.  She yelled, "Go, Millers!" to the next runner.  The gal made eye contact with her and Anna and smiled.  Dad and I told her that the girl in purple was from Greencastle.  The next runner, about fifty meters behind, was also from Greencastle.  Little McKenna didn't skip a beat.  "Let's go, Greencastle!" she yelled when the girl passed us. I think that Sam's favorite part of the meet was the fact that helicopters kept flying overhead.  

study break

Today I feel smart.  I hope it lasts through next week when I have my first exam in each class.  I'm a little surprised that my stats class has a "review" day before each exam.  Do they really do that at the college level?  

 

Anna knows

Did you know that (brother-in-law) Tim performed at last night's NFL kick off concert?  Anna knew.  Oh, wait, that was John Mellenkamp.  (Anna thought ol' John looked a like her Uncle Tim--worth a few laughs...)

Anna started preschool this week.  So far the report is that she's part of the "social" group of kids who know each other from Mother's Day Out last year...but she seems to love her class and teachers!  I suppose one of the goals will be for her to recognize that there is a time for everything, including when to "shhhh".

Dad got the "laugh of the day" award at dinner tonight.  He donated the old powder blue pet taxi to the animal shelter today.  Come to find out they moved their location. Evidently he hadn't been there since he, well, left our big Tilly at the senior citizen center next door 10 years ago.  After finding the right location, he went it to make the drop.  The receptionist asked the lady in front of him, "Are you here to pick up Tilly?"  We laughed until we were out of breath tonight.  This will probably only be funny to my sisters.  Sorry, everyone else!