Wow, I haven't blogged for a while. After our crazy, busy summer, things seem a little boring around here. It's amazing the boys are into their second quarter in 7th grade. The adjustment from grade school to junior high was a piece of cake. They both got excellent grades for first term. Quinn was a little bothered that Alex got almost as good of grades as he (Quinn) did. I had to remind him that he (Quinn) has honors classes that require more work and that the teachers are probably going a little easy on Alex, considering he's been in the USA for only ten months.



Halloween can't be over already. Boy, our neighborhood was kind of dead this year, and that is not a play on words. We had hardly any trick-or-treaters. Where are all the little kids? I guess they grew up along with my own children. Maybe it was the rain that scared everyone away. We have so much trick-or-treat candy left over, we'll be eating it for weeks. Well, maybe a week. Well, maybe a few days.



Marissa had to dress up for work. She was an Egyptian princess.

Going out for trick-or-treating. Marissa and Zack accompanied the boys. Zack was the umbrella-carrying cowboy/clown, Marissa was Marissa, Alex was a vampire, and Quinn was a nerd. (His trick-or-treat bag was a briefcase.) So the very first neighbor said, "Aren't you boys a little old for trick-or-treating?" Hello? Hello? Did she forget that this was Alex's first and probably last year for trick-or-treating? I mean seriously, folks. The kid has never been trick-or-treating in his life. Give us a break. Well, I took more pictures of the boys in their costumes. Somehow they have mysteriously disappeared from my camera.

Save a Child Foundation brought 43 orphans over from Ukraine this year for the hosting program. Alex has had a few opportunities to be an interpreter for the host families so they can communicate with their hosted children. It has been good for Alex and a quick refresher course in Ukrainian. Last night we attended the benefit concert, which was a huge success. The organizers need to give themselves a huge pat on the back. The work that goes into everything during the two and a half weeks is amazing. Alex got to see himself in the slide show as one of the previously adopted children, and Quinn loved, loved, loved watching Jon Schmidt perform. (See the clip below.)