End of Summer

With not much to really talk about I haven't posted in awhile.  We have been busy with school!  I thought it would get less busy, but the opposite has happened.  September was a month of many doctor visits too.  The majority were for Ben.  We took him to a pediatric pulmonologist to try to fine tune his asthma medications.  Now he takes more meds daily, but the difference in the control of his asthma is really great!  He rarely has bad days anymore.  Before the switch he was having at least one bad day and night a week.  I don't even know if he realizes the impact his breathing has on his daily functioning, but I sure do.  As he gets older it will be nice for him to be able to be more in touch with his lungs and what he needs to do to feel good.  We also took him to an asthma/allergy specialist.  He got some allergy testing done and his peanut allergy result was really high.  The sad news is that he likely will not grow out of these issues and will be carrying an epipen and an inhaler with him to pretty much all his activities from now on.  The air quality in Boise was awful almost the entire month of September.  That meant we really did not do many outdoor activities.  What a bummer!  But on the one or two days of the month that were clear we spent as much time outside as we could! 

Here is a "hike" we took to Table Rock.  It is a popular spot here.  I honestly don't know why.  It is a big lookout point over the valley, which is nice, but you can barely see past all the towers and antennas and the massive cross that litter the lookout spot.  A big cement bench has been plopped down on the edge of the lookout making it a perfect spot for graffiti and trash. We won't be doing that hike again.  Do I sound too negative? :)
Afton and Ben are good little hikers and Cade doesn't mind being in the backpack too much as long as we let him out to run around a few times along the way.  It's good to be outside!

Now that Afton is gone most of the daytime hours, it's just me and the boys.  We have a good time hanging out.  Ben is really into coloring lately and spends a lot of time doing it.  Cade wants to color too but he just colors my furniture.  I have been scrubbing a lot of walls, drawers and tables lately and washing the couch covers too.  No matter how many times I hide the crayons and markers he finds a way to sneak them out.  He's one of "those" kinds of toddlers. Here is a split second I caught of him coloring on paper, but you know he's plotting how he can get to the table when I'm not looking! 

 Ben and Afton drawing the lesson for FHE about Adam and Eve: