On Veterans Day Erin and I were off and took the kids into daycare. We just wanted to catch a break for a day. It was rainy so we went to Bob Evans for breakfast. Matter of fact it kept raining for days from the remnants of Ida. In the afternoon we got a fire going and watched DVR shows of the Little Couple on TLC. It was nice to just sit on the couch for a few hours.

 

We picked the kids up early and watched Marley and Me. Now that is a grab the tissues kind of dog movie! It was sad but touching movie at the same time. We all enjoyed it.

 

On Thursday I had a major power outage at work for most of the afternoon. The next day I discovered I had some outlets not working anymore in my cubicle. Earlier I had visited with Ms. Pat at Jaxson’s daycare for a conference. He is doing very well and the temper tantrums he occasionally had at home have not spilled over into daycare. They are better at home too. They say he is right on track and has become a lot more social. We need to  work on drawing shapes and basic writing skills. He is mainly a lefty, but throws a ball equally with either arm.

 

Thursday night saw us quite busy before Survivor. The walls of the basement against the front side of the house had started to let water seep in. It was not standing water but it soaked some carpeting. Erin and I spent some time moving the toy room around. We then spent time keeping the towels rotating from the basement floor to the washer and then the dryer and back again. I also spent some time in the rain out in the yard getting water through the fence line and raking leaves out of the way. We had 8 inches of rain in around 24 hours so it was bad and with some heavy wind.

 

Survivor was AWESOME. Russell, who needs to start geocaching, found his second immunity idol without a trace of a clue. On top of that he used it instead of leaving it in his pocket. Boy the faces at tribal council when he pulled that out were priceless. Instead of being voted out which is what happened he started a civil war. That was a great episode!

 

Friday Erin was off but I was making up time for being out Monday with a cold. School was also 2 hours late due to closed roads. Erin cleaned a little ran a few errands and thrift shopped a little for clothes. We had a coupon for Lone Star Steakhouse, so I met her and the kids there for a delicious meal at a reasonable price.

 

When we got home we had promised the kids to play some games in the dining room. We all enjoyed each game although we had to remind and teach a little sportsmanship. Jaxson won Candyland, Mom won Pizza Time (which all made up dances too), and Liam won the matching game. We have to remember to do this more ofeten but the kids are just starting to catch on so we can all four play.

 

Sadly when we took the kids up for bed we discovered Nemo, Liam’s Blue Beta laying sideways at the bottom. At first Liam was very matter of fact. We all went to the Jack and Jill Bathroom and paid last rites as do all kids when they lose their fish. We had Nemo since June of 2007 so he had a great run at the house. Jaxson has had his red Beta, Bobby Russ, for over a year now and he has gotten big. So I go into our room for a few minutes and when I came back into Liam’s room he is just bawling. It hit him that his little Nemo was gone for good. We both talked to him and settled him down and said he could get another Beta when he was ready. During prayer he prayed for Nemo and the new fish he was gonna get tomorrow. So with that said I knew I would be taking the boy looking at Petco the next day.

 

Two pieces of mail arrived Friday that were good news. Liam’s kindergarten pictures came in and they were good. He had a sweet smile and looked kind of like Opie the way I styled his hair that morning. Also our 30 amp breaker came in. I still need to get it in the box now. In the evening I cut out the pictures for family and got them ready. We will bring some along Thanksgiving to give out and mail others in Christmas cards in a few weeks.

 

On Saturday Erin headed out early to get the kids registered for swimming. Liam is very excited to transition from football to swimming. Jaxson is a little apprehensive but seems happy Daddy is going to go on Saturday mornings too. Now that makes two boys, Daddy and Jaxson, who need to be braver in the water LOL. Honestly I will be good so Jaxson gets used to it. Midday Erin started to rearrange the toy area in the basement. Liam and I ran out for some chores. Coach Billy had given me a Sears Coupon for helping out I most appreciated. I went to Sears and got a big leaf rake. I broke the one we had last year after we taped it up once. I also got a nice big garden trowel. We went on to Lowes for Concrete sealer and stopped at BK for lunch. We went and got a few groceries and our last stop was Petco.

 

Liam looked at quite a few Beta’s but in the end he picked a crown tail beta. He is very handsome with a purple head and red body. Liam already had the name, Anakin, picked out. How could it be any other from our Star Wars fan?

 

When we got home Erin and I tag teamed to get the bottom bricks and part of the floor in concrete sealer. Although the minor flooding was rare and the first time since we moved in 2006, we thought it would prudent.

 

Saturday night we watched Hotel for Dogs with the kids. We all enjoyed this movie quite a bit too but it was funny how all the dogs were mostly pure bred. Erin said the movie was quite a bit different than the book but enjoyable just the same.

 

On Saturday night Erin and I Wii’ed a bit for the first time in a while. We played Monster Jam. We also talked to our friends, Sue and Perry, and firmed up a visit with them Thanksgiving weekend. The gang is going to get together at a restaurant for a dinner.

 

On Sunday Erin went to take her punishment at a drivers course. The base has cracked down on Cell phones while driving and she was unlucky enough to get caught. The good news was she was top of the class after sitting through 4 hours of lectures. She had a perfect score and said it was a nice refresher even if it cost her 60 bucks and 4 hours of life.

The boys played out in the yard and then we all took turns playing Monster Jam on the Wii. The boys enjoyed each others company playing. They really are pretty good friends at this point. That is exactly why we planned to welcome Jaxson on this Earth!

 

Erin went to WalMart for some pants for Jaxson while I watched the kids and the Redskins finally WIN against the Broncos! It felt GOOD!!!!

 

Erin let the boys play out front and talked to her parents for a little bit. We watched a nature show about birds, a Hows it Made about ATVs and Stormchasers while we ate Chinese Food. I then watched the Patriots hand the Colts a win. What a boneheaded call not to punt and go for it deep in their own territory. I was glad the Pats ate it - They deserved it.

 

On Monday I took in the fundraising stuff people bought at work from Liam’s first fundraiser. Man this solicitation stuff is going to be a necessary evil! I also found out my hard drive was on the blink big time. I will be using a lap top until they can get the issues settled. I spent most of Monday setting it up for doing my job.

 

We have a pretty normal week coming up I hope. Everybody is healthy and we are all looking forward to Thanksgiving. I have a Potluck on Thursday so Erin is helping me make a Pumpkin Pie on Wednesday night and I must find time this week or weekend to get that breaker in.

Monday, Nov 2:

Russ and I headed to work.  Liam and Jax went to school/daycare.  Dawn saw Mom & Dad off mid morning.  Then Dawn had the house to herself, and I'm sure after all the weekend chaos, the quiet felt kind of good.  She took the big dogs for a walk, and explored the neighborhood a little. 

 

Tuesday, Nov 3:

Russ and I headed to work, but I planned to duck out a little early if possible.  Liam headed to daycare/school, but Jaxson stayed home with his Aunt Dawn for a special day together.  They had a nice day together, walking all around the neighborhood, playing on the playground, putting puzzles together and just bonding.  That evening, we went to Liam's last football practice, and then Dawn took us to Arizona Pizza for dinner - THANKS!! 

 

Wednesday, Nov 4:

Liam only had a half day of school today.  We all headed to work/daycare/school, but around 11:30 Dawn walked up to Liam's school to have lunch with him and then bring him home.  They too, had a nice afternoon together.  They played on the playground, played the Wii Batman and Star Wars Lego games, and just had a nice time together. 

 

After dinner, Russ, Dawn and I watched a movie with Leonardo de Caprio and Kate Winslet in it, called (no, not Titanic) Revolutionary Road.  Um... I can't say it was a bad movie, because the acting was great, but it was a little like watching your worst partner fight ever.  The ending provoked an interesting debate as well.

 

Thursday, Nov 5:  It was my turn to have some special time with Dawn.  Russ offered to take the kids in to daycare/school, as well as pick them up, so Dawn and I could do a Thrift Shop Tour together.  THANKS, RUSS!  We had a nice, leisurely breakfast together, and then headed over to Solomon's Island around 9:30.  The stores weren't open, so we walked along the boardwalk a little. 

 

 

By 10:00, Pepper's Pet Pantry was open, so we took the opportunity to shop a little there.  Then we drove North to St. Leonard to check out an Auction House and a Thrift Shop that benefits a Spay/Neuter program. 

 

Though the Auction House didn't have a live auction going on, we had a great time just looking at all the OLD tools and gizmos from the past.  It was great fun, and I learned that they host Auctions every Friday night.  Sounds like a fun trip! 

 

There was also an old used book store near the auction house, so we spent some time and a few bucks in there as well.  I'm always looking for Little Golden Books.

 

Right up the street from the Auction House, was the SPOT Thrift Store.  What a bargain place!  It was clean, well organized, and FULL of cast-offs.  Dawn and I probably spent more than an hour here, just going through the racks and shelves.  We each got some really cool shoes.  Dawn got a couple of skirts, and I found a perfect pair of jeans (among a few other wardrobe additions).

 

We were both getting hungry, so we set our goal for Prince Frederick.  We wanted some sushi, but they'd stopped serving for the afternoon.  So, we ended up next door at the Green Turtle.  Here, we ordered some bar munchies that filled our shopping bellies well.  Then, just a few paces up the shopping center, we hit a Vintage Values Thrift Shop.  Here, we did well too, and had a great time searching through the 35 Cent bins. 

 

We left Prince Frederick and headed home around 4:15.  I'd really intended to circle around towards Waldorf and THEN head home, but we seemed to do well enough on the Eastern part of SOMD, so we were satisfied.  In fact, we got to the boys' daycare just about pick-up time, so we called Russ and told him we'd get the boys, and he could just go home. 

 

That evening, Russ treated us all to Asahi Japanese Steak House for dinner, seeing as though Dawn and I never did get our Asian fix for the day.  It was so good, and the kids had a great time watching the chef too.

 

Friday, Nov 6:

Friday was much like Monday.  We all left Dawn at home to have a quiet day.  I really wanted to leave work early, but a software delivery prevented me from dashing out before 3:30.  The weather was chilly, but we needed to dress warm for the Patuxent River Raiders FLAG BOWL!!!!  This end of the season game, was a challenge between the two Raider's Flag teams - Black vrs Silver.  The commissioner of the league got all the kids pizza.  We let the kids make their own banner to run through, and the commissioner announced their names one by one...

 

"Pax River Raiders.... Number 10.... Liam - COCKADOOOOODLLLE DOOOO - Rooster - COOOOOLLLLLEEEE!" 

 

 

 

The parents and spectators (even Mr. Rick came!) kept warm by cheering on their kids.  The first few plays were awesome, but then the sugar high began to wear off.  Feet and hands began to get cold, and the tears began to flow.  Much of the team kept their spirits up, but a few of the players, Liam included, were just miserable.

 

We pep talked Liam into staying in the whole game though, and were super proud of him for doing so.  Once he warmed up in the van, we think he was proud of himself too. 

 

We didn't win the game, but most didn't care.  We don't usually keep score anyway. 

 

 

That evening, after the boys (and us) warmed up, I figured some popcorn while watching the Wizard of Oz would be a good thing to wind down too.  It was. We called an end when Dorothy and the Scarecrow head down the Yellow Brick Road. 

 

After the boys got to bed, Russ and I introduced Dawn to the Brit show, Spaced.  I don't know if she'll be an obsessed fan like we are, but she sure found the same humor we did!  Hopefully, she can watch a few more episodes on her next visit!

 

Sat Nov 7:

Saturday morning it felt good to sleep in.  It was the first Saturday in a LONG time where we could.  No football game to rush off too, and we could ease into the day.  Our morning had a tinge of sadness in it, though, as it was Dawn's last day.  We had a nice pancake breakfast together, and then Dawn and I took the big dogs for a walk.  Then we all got around to take Dawn up to BWI.  It was a beautiful day out, so it made the drive a little brighter.  We'd had such a nice visit.  Halloween had been such a blast, and the following week, had just the right amount of activity and relaxation. 

 

Around 1:30, we said our goodbyes at the gate.  The weather looked good, and Dawn had an evening date in Billings to look forward to, so we hugged with smiles in our hearts.  We all hope we can repeat the visit next Halloween, but we'll just have to see how things work out.

 

After we left BWI, we were pretty hungry.  We'd originally hoped to eat together before Dawn left, but traffic cut time too close for comfort.  We settled into a Wendy's on the way home, and the exhustion began to set in a little.  Russ had already been coming down with a cold, and it seemed to really be settling in as well. 

 

It was early evening when we arrived back home.  We'd had a late lunch, so we just pieced for dinner, and we got the boys to bed early.  Russ and I hadn't had a lot of one on one time in the previous days, so we spent the evening just catching up with each other and reflecting on the visits.  We both agreed that it was a good time.

 

Sunday Nov 8th:

Another day to sleep in!  Now, mind you, sleeping in, is really only until about 7:30,  but just the opportunity to wake up without the alarm is valued.  Since we had no eggs, I ran out to Sheetz to get us some breakfast sandwiches.  The boys enjoyed playing together in the morning, and Russ and I got things around for the End of the Season Party that afternoon. 

 

We made little party favor goodie bags, and had our certificates and gifts ready.  It had been a great season.  Russ really enjoyed working with Billy to coach the kids.  I always had confidence in him, and I think he can't deny the confidence he now has in himself.  He sincerely LOVES working with these kids, teaching them the basics of football.  I too, have learned to enjoy the game.  Liam has decided to move on to swimming, and that is just fine.  I'll be registering him for lessons this weekend.  Jax is much like his father, in that football just seems to be part of his DNA, so Russ will get the opportunity to continue his coaching next year.

 

The party at the One Stop Family Adventure Center was great.  Almost all the team came.  They enjoyed the go-karts, the moon bounces, the video games, the pizza and the CAKE!!!  They all got personal football cards of themselves that Russ had made, and we handed out Parent Awards, and Coaches Gifts.  They even got me a little something for being the team mom.  I would be glad to give my support again next year. 

 

  

 

After the party, we came home and pretty much collasped.  The house has it's share of clutter, but it'll just have to wait.  I made us a little dinner, Russ had some crabs, and I cleaned up the kitchen, but that's as far as I got.  I tried to stay up with Russ, but once my body hit the couch at 8:30, I was really struggling to stay awake.  Finally, I gave up and went to bed.

 

Russ still had a hum-dinger of a cold.  He couldn't get to sleep last night, and is just this side of miserable.  I suggested he not go to work today, and he didn't.  We'll all need our rest.  With the nasty flus going around, we need to be a bit on the offensive.

 

Things are back to "normal" for a little while.  We'll cherish the next couple of weeks that have us sticking around the house.  Time to get back into a routine, but then we'll need to start planning for the holidays.

Thursday, October 29

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The night before, Dawn called with a snow warning.  I noticed on FaceBook, that my friend, Jen, who lives in Colorado, said it was snowing.  Apparently, that was an understatement.  It was no surprise that I got a call from Dawn on Thursday to tell me that most flights out of Denver were cancelled. She was going to see what she could do to find another flight.

 

I stayed at work for much of the day.  I tested out my Princess Leia costume because the building was encouraged to dress up for Halloween.  About 8 of us did.  We also had a Chili Contest and a Pumpkin Carving Contest.  It made for a fun morning, and my own costume held up pretty well!

 

I left work a bit after lunch, and gave Dawn a call to see how the rescheduling was working out.  It wasn’t.  Russ tried to find some alternatives online too, but there was just no way for Dawn to get out of Billings and bypass Denver without doubling her cost.  Her best option was to go home, and return to Billings the following day to resume her previous schedule.  Kate would pick her up at BWI on her way down from Philadelphia.  I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the house for all our guests.  Since I didn’t have to go to the airport to pick up Dawn, I accompanied Russ and the boys to football practice, and then we ate at 5 Guys for dinner.

 

Friday, October 30

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Friday morning I let Russ sleep in a little, while I got the boys ready for daycare/school.  After I dropped them off, Russ and I went to the grocery store to stock up.  It was quite a shopping trip, but we wanted the shelves and fridge well stocked for the week. 

 

After bring the groceries home and putting them away, I began putting laundry away.  Just as I started in on the baskets, Mom and Dad arrived!  They’d had a long trip, but got here safely, and I’m so appreciative of their traveling.  We chatted a little and got a bite to eat.  Then we went to Liam’s school because his class was having a “Fall Festival” party and family was invited.  This was a special time for Liam to share his classroom with his Grandparents, and it was fun to see him interact with his new friends and even perform a Monster Dance!

 

 

 

After the little party was over, we were able to bring Liam home.  On the way, we stopped at Daycare to get Jaxson.  The boys were both excited to see Gramma & Grandpa.  So we returned to the house, and Mom helped me get some things ready for my Pampered Chef Party.  The consultant, Kim Jenkins, was scheduled to arrive at 5:30. 

 

It was a great show, and I ended up with about 8 guests.  We had Pork BBQ sandwiches, Spinach Strawberry Salad and fruit with a fluffy chocolate fondue.  It was fun, and helped me get my Deep Dish Covered Baker for HALF PRICE!  Thanks to all who attended!

 

 

 

Needless to say, after the last guest left, and Kim loaded her van up with dirty Pampered Chef dishes, I was exhausted.  I collapsed on the couch and thanked Russ and Dad for keeping an eye on the half dozen kids who also “attended” the party.  We got the boys to bed, and watched a little TV.  I nodded off a couple times, but was determined to stay up to welcome Kate and Dawn.  Russ, Mom & Dad had already gone to bed, and I was watching a show about Punkin Chunkin when I suddenly awoke to Kate and Dawn laughing at me throgh the garage door window. 

 

Hugs went all around even though it was nearly midnight.  We sat on the couch for a little bit and talked, but I reminded them that we had an early Football game to spectate in the morning, so we all found our beds.

 

 

Saturday, October 31

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What a wonderful morning!  It is such a wonderful feeling for me to wake up with a house full of family.  Well… we won’t count that I was only half away with a mere 6 hours of sleep and an incredibly busy day ahead of me… but the magic was still there.

 

I got myself dressed and headed downstairs to let the dogs out.  It was raining.  Where was the rain coming from??  It wasn’t supposed to rain!  So, I told Russ, and he came down and checked the online radar.  No rain in the forcast, no cancellations on the football websites…. So we proceeded to get everyone else up.  We took two vehicles down to the field for the early morning game.  It was misty out, but no longer raining.  The field was muddy, but that’s all part of football.  It did nothing to deter our players.  It was a great game!  Maybe it was because they were all excited about Halloween.  Maybe Liam was just thrilled to have such a family fan club present… or maybe it was the crappy weather.  No one seemed to care.  Liam even made not one, but TWO flag tackles!!  This is a great achievement for him.  For half the season, his dad had been telling him that if he grabbed a flag, he'd get the Batman Legos Wii game he so desperately wanted.  Russ gave him the thumbs up on the field after the first flag pull, and Liam shouted for joy.  The kids ran hard and all had smiles on their faces, especially when Coach Billy gave them each a little Halloween Goody Bag!

 

 

 

After the game, we went to go check on the Silent Auction Baskets I’d bid on the weekend before.  I was only a dollar short of winning the doggy basket.  When the commissioner of the League told me the baskets had to go today, so the highest bid wins, I ran for my check book.  I didn’t want the doggy basket for myself, but wanted to win it so I could donate the money to the Raiders Football League, and then donate the basket to the Animal Relief Fund so they too could benefit from using it in a raffle of some sort.  Additionally, Dawn bid on a basket of hot chocolate and goodies and won it for $30!!.  We ALL enjoyed the bounty from that when we got home.  The hot chocolate was delicious on a cold, rainy day.

 

Once home, we cooked a better breakfast for all of us, and spent the rest of the morning visiting.  Russ and Dad attempted to figure out what was wrong with the electric circuits for my microwave.  They also kept a cozy fire going in the fireplace. 

 

We kind of skipped lunch, because we planned to have an early dinner before we headed out to go Trick-or-Treating.  It was good to have some relaxing time in the middle of the day.  Dawn even practiced her lessons a little bit on our out-of-tune piano!

 

It was nice not to have to rush into carving our pumpkins too.  Russ thought about doing a Darth Vader bust, but decided, he'd stick with a traditional Jack-o-Lantern.  The one Jax drew ended up looking like a Puking Pumpkin, so he delighted in announcing that all afternoon.

 

Around 4:00 we decided to get dinner going.  Russ cooked some steaks, and we had several yummy side dishes to fill our bellies.  We all sat around the dining room table and discussed our Trick-or-Treat route.  I think all of us were eager to get things cleaned up so that we could don our costumes.

 

Once the kitchen was decent, we all raced to our rooms to get our costumes on.  Liam got a little help from Aunt Dawn, and I helped Jax.  Russ helped me a little, and Mom and Dad AND Dawn all pitched in to help Kate with her C3P0 costume.  IT WAS HILARIOUS!!!  We were all laughing so hard and were so excited we barely got out the door.  Finally, we were all put together enough to get a few pictures taken before we hit the street. 

 

 

 We still laughed nearly the whole way because C3PO was more of a “Blind 3P0” and kept unraveling.  Other Trick-Or-Treaters stopped us for pictures.  Jax looked adorable in his Jawa costume, complete with glowing eyes.  Liam took his Jango Fett costume very seriously and even ran into one of his classmates from school.  Mom & Dad helped us find our way by holding the flashlight, and taping up C3PO when needed. 

Finally, after an hour and a half, we made it around the block and had bags of candy.  Liam raced in the door, stripped off his costume, and had all his loot dumped out on the couch before I could get my Princess Leia buns off!  Jax was so tired by the time we got home, that I think he’d forgotten that he’d actually acquired a bag of candy.  We let each boy have a couple pieces of candy while we watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”  After the show, we insured the boys brushed their teeth, and got them into bed.  Halloween has really become a special holiday, and I hope we can continue the tradition for several years.  It would be great to have Noah and/or Brian & Jo join us one year!

 

Once the boys were in bed, we watched a show that we’d been saving to show Kate about the Lost Colony at Fort Raleigh.  It was pretty good, and I think Mom, Dad and Dawn all enjoyed it too. After the show, Kate needed to head back to Philadelphia.  We hated to see her travel so late, but she had a singing engagement the next morning that she really couldn’t miss.  Luckily, she made it home safely.

 

After Kate left, it wasn’t long before the rest of us headed to bed.  We’d all had an early start to a very busy day.

 

Sunday, Nov 1

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We purpously kept the schedule light on Sunday.  We got up when we felt like it, although, the boys joined Grandpa pretty early.  We had a nice breakfast together, and just took our time enjoying each other’s company.  We still chuckled at the memory of Blind 3PO avoiding the ditch.

 

Dad and Russ tried to get a new circuit breaker at Lowe’s, but couldn’t find one that was compatible with our box.  Luckily, we found one online.  The boys played well together, and it was just nice to talk and play at a leisurly pace.  Liam got some of his homework done - with a little help from Aunt Dawn.

 

 

After lunch, I called my friend Janet to see if she still wanted to escort us on the base, so I could show Mom & Dad and Dawn the Ch-47F Simulator.  The base has gotten a lot more strict on guests lately, and contractors can’t escort guests anymore without government approval or personal escort.  Janet wanted to see the Sim anyway, and she’s a Civil Servant, so we picked her, and her daughter, Rosalia, up on the way.  Jax and Russ stayed home, and it was just as well, because Jax was running a low fever.  He’ll often get one when he’s getting run down.

 

We had a fun time flying the Sim, but it took me quite a while to get it up and running.  I’m lucky to have a very accomodating and helpful boss and coworker, who don’t mind phone calls at home.  So, the tour took a bit longer than I’d anticipated, but all who wanted to got to fly, and we returned home around 3:30.  Big thanks to JANET for her help!

 

We planned to fry a turkey for dinner, so we started getting that all ready.  I told Russ it would take an hour to do, but then dilly dallied in getting the rest of the meal together, so we didn’t really end up eating dinner until about 6:45.  Not bad, but a little late.  It was so yummy though.  We made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower salad (actually, Kate made the salad the day before, but we forgot to put it on the table at dinnertime), green beans and cabbage.  Missed the cranberry sauce though!

 

After dinner, we all pitched in to clean up.  It was getting late, and the boys had school the next day, so we got them in bed soon after dinner.  They certainly needed the rest.

 

 

Then the adults watched the movie, The Departed.  It was good.  A big violent with an ample share of profanity, but the plot was pretty good.  Dad and Mom got a little lost, but they hung in there to the end.  By the end of the movie, we were all ready to turn in.  It’d been a really fun weekend, and we are so blessed to have family who are willing to travel and be such a special and cherished part of these special times.

 

Russ and I had to return to work on Monday.  Liam went to school, and Russ took Jax to daycare.  Mom and Dad left the house around 9:00, and I was glad Dawn was there to see them off.  Dawn had the rest of the day to herself, and took the opportunity to walk around the neighborhood quite a bit with the big dogs. 

 

Tuesday, Jax will stay home with Dawn, and I hope to duck out of work a little early.  Wednesday, Liam has a half day of school, so Dawn is going to join him for lunch and then bring him home.  Thursday, I’m going to take the whold day off from work, so Dawn and I can do some shopping together.  Friday night, Liam has his last football game of the season, and Saturday, we’ll be taking Dawn back to the airport.  We plan to make EVERY MINUTE count!!