Hey Carron,

I finally did get caught up just this morning. School keeps coming - quizzes and tests to grade - they just don't stop. I've got a slower than usual weekend with only two quizzes to grade but I do have lesson plans to write for a new text book (geometry) that we are using this year. I have to stay a couple of weeks ahead for that to coordinate test and quiz plans with the other geometry teacher.

The boys are playing video games so I came in here to read emails. I also checked the blog site and enjoyed some of that. This computer is for ever slow - but the dial-up is free through my UWF connection - can't beat the price.

We finally got some new picts of the boys - I just need to get them scanned. Other than staying busy at school, all is going well here - only 6 weeks until the new kid is due. We still have not decided on a name - we are bad about agreeing on names - two of the boys didn't get their names until 24 hours after they were born. I guess we are too picky - I think we did OK though: Neil Clayton, Ty Landon, and Cole Steadman. The neat thing is that they meanings are similar:"champion/from the farm" (or "clay pit" depending on the namebook you look at), "sovereign/from the open grassy meadow", and "triumphant one/who grows up on a farm". The names are also not abbreviateble (something Tammy wanted).

Well, we've set a hard pattern to follow. I hear from my parents that it has snowed up there already. We are enjoying mid-to upper 60's temps in the AM and 70's to 80's mid-day. We have had a couple of mornings in the 50's, but that is pretty rare here this time of year. We do get temps in the 30's and 40's in January - occassionally we get snow, but that is very rare.

Brian Z. and I have had a couple of emails, but have not gotten together (my fault with school keeping me on the run). My father-in-law tells me that if you keep the mule pulling the plow too much sooner or later he just quits and goes to the barn - he always has some funny way of making his point - he is really a great guy other than the fact that he is married to my mother-in-law - that story is the usual mother-in-law thing.

We usually don't have breakfast on Sat. - everyone sleeps in then we eat a late brunch (actually my sleep-in time today was 6:30am.) Anyway, the boys are saying they are hungry and want me to fix something (mommy let's that be my job on Sat.) so I need to go feed three little tummy's. How does bacon, eggs, and pancakes sound - Ty (5) says he doesn't want pancakes - he wants eggs, grits, gravy and ommlettes (?sp).

Thanks for all of your work in coordinating communication and the web site.

Eric (Collins)