This blog is dedicated to our oldest son, Nicholas, and what he is doing lately. Nicholas is the most organized and greatest helper ever. Everyday when he comes home he gets himself a snack and sits down and does his homework. He never complains, even when he has a big project. He will concentrate on it for hours until it is finished. Last quarter he got straight A’s because he has such a good work ethic. I always tell the kids it’s not how smart you are, it’s how hard you work. Here is the proof. Every evening he gets all the lunch boxes ready for the kids and puts the juice boxes in the freezer to get cold for the next day. He keeps his side of the room emaculate, and does his daily chores quickly and completely. Every mom needs a son like Nick:) We put him right up there with the best!
Nick just turned 13 this month–a teenager! He’s quite a different breed of teenager since he has autism, but I’m glad. He is the most responsible and innocent teenager I know. He didn’t want anything for his birthday, but we got him a fly pen system, my parent’s got him a photoshop book, and Rob’s parent’s gave him $20.

He is taking piano lessons on Thursdays, goes to boy scouts on Wednesdays and is teaching himself how to use the 3D modeling programs Blender & Maya. Here he is trying out a hot pepper…spicy!

This blog is dedicated to Ben, the second Muhlestein son, and what he is doing lately. Ben is getting older and I see him entering his own world of friends and social activities. He is on the phone almost every day organizing playdates or chatting on the computer with his friends and playing online games.

He likes to question authority, although he does what he is told, he just wants to know why he should. He is my thinker and reader. He’ll finish a 700 page book in 3 days. He is taking piano on Thursdays and is in a Dungeons and Dragons group on Tuesdays.

One day I went to school with Ben all day to see what goes on in his life. I can’t believe how school has changed. So much more crammed in and less time to just be a kid. Writing reports on computers and absolutely no talking. It felt like military school and my bum hurt from sitting all day. They did have recess and I went out with Ben and a couple of girls to the sandbox (volleyball pit). They caught a frog and I helped them make a obstacle course for the frog. A gang of giggly sixth grade girls kept whinning at us to let the frog go and that we were “hurting” it. They even told on us to the teachers! Hey, I’m an adult here! After the third time of bugging us I told them to leave and find something to do and worry about themselves. Sheesh… let the kids just be kids. I can just see those girls growing up too fast and ending up wishing they didn’t. I’m just glad I never grew up. Don’t grow up too fast Ben…”Don’t worry mom, I won’t”

This blog is dedicated to Gordon, the third Muhlestein child, and what he is doing lately. Gordon loves to help in the kitchen and be a little chef. Here he is learning to make an egg roll-up (it’s like an egg pancake with cheese and whatever you want inside then rolled up like a burrito).

He isn’t afraid to try new things and get a little crazy. He was the only one of my kids who would go into the shaving cream pit at Carowinds.

Wherever we go in our town it seems kids know Gordon. He loves to snuggle and hug, is
taking piano lessons on Thursdays and gymnastics on Wednesday. You spin me Gordon!

This blog is dedicated to Ethan, youngest Muhlestein, and some stuff he’s been doing lately. When all the kids go to school, Ethan and I play.
Every Tuesday we go to a playgroup together and play with all the toys and do a craft. He’s learning to write his letters and he can do a wicked flip on the trampoline. He is also taking a gymnastics class on Wednesdays.

I guess we all have our quirks, here are a few I’ve discovered about my boys this month (yes just in this one month)
Ben and Gordon talk to each other non-stop. I have to practically yell to get a word in when they are together. You’d think they were girls with all that talking. Even brushing their teeth, they are jabbering. Here is how they brush their teeth together.

In Ethan’s closet, he has a stash of things he collects or things he claims for his own. It just keeps growing.
He also went through a phase where he had to wear sunglasses all day, even in the house. Here he is eating breakfast.

Nicholas made up his own language. It took him three days, but he finished it. Made up his own alphabet and everything.

My wonderful friend Jannah took these pictures of us at Lake Norman. It’s so pretty here in the fall–take a look for yourself.

The Saturday before Halloween was the church party. There were games, prizes, cake walk, haunted room, and trunk or treat. Ben was the Grim Reaper, Gordon was a knight, Ethan was a wizard, and Nick didn’t want to dress up. I guess Nick is growing up, but I trick or treated until I was 17 years old, and I still dress up. So what does that make me?

A funny thing–on Halloween, we went trick or treating at the Brian Center, a retirement home, before we did our neighborhood. We had gone there for FHE the monday before and told some of the elderly people we’d be back with our costumes. Well, as we were walking the halls, I whispered to Rob, “Do you think the old folks will be scared that they are being visited by death?”–referring to Ben’s costume.

About a week before Halloween, Rob and I went on a date. At one point, we ended up at Value Village looking at stuff. Rob found this t-shirt that said “Your Mummy is so hot.” He took it home and blacked out the “Your” and added “My Kids’.” I made myself a mummy and here we are at the party.