Winter Wonderland!

Hi there! Snow has arrived in the Entiat Valley. It began yesterday, and by today there was enough snow for the kids to go sledding with Grandpa!!

The kids had a blast! It's the best opportunity for pictures of the kids.

Soccer Nightmare! Hello Fall!

Well, the weather is much cooler nowadays. Thank Goodness! Summer is much shorter here than it is in Sacramento. We're all happy about that!

As for the boys playing soccer, well, it's a good thing I got pictures of them when I did...cause there hasn't been much soccer playing lately! Bowen quit early on, and now Jimmy is refusing to practice, despite me dropping him off (and sugaring him up before-hand). There is a game this afternoon, so we'll see how that goes. After today, there's just one practice and one game left. Jimmy says he likes only to play in the games, but he has a tendency to simply walk off the field when he's tired whether the ball is in play or not.

School is going well for the kids, although Jimmy is having a tough time adjusting to it. He still says he hates school. He does like having friends, though, and his writing is improving.

Today, I needed to run Bowen's glasses to him at school, and Bowen seemed genuinely happy to see me there (even gave me a kiss and hug on his way to the playground!). Jimmy saw me and waved as well. Jimmy's excited about a field trip to the apple orchard today--wish I could've gone to take photos...

But, I needed to go update my address with the Dept. of Licensing...when I left, I noticed she wrote my address down wrong on my card....So, I had to go back in with Emma & Andrew in tow...Well, Emma needs to use the potty anytime we're out and about, so I let her use the bathroom. I could hear her flush on the other side of the door...then she says, "Ugh OH!" as water splashed all over the floor. That darned toilet overflowed!!! So, while I waited my turn at the Dept. of Lisencing, I got to mop the bathroom floor! Yay! All so I can get registered to vote on time!!

Family Firsts

Here are the boys! Bowen and Jimmy started soccer yesterday and here's Jimmy's first day of school! Bowen was home sick yesterday, but both are back to school today. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Mom just might get something done finally!!!

Quilt Show

I made it out to the quilt show in Reardan this weekend. What a pretty area! Such a nice way they display their quilts, all along the fences and on the barn and The Buggy Barn quilt shop. I'm pretty happy with the picture opportunities, too! There were some craft booths there, as well, and Virginia Cole was there with her miniature quilt art. I just love her stuff! Check her out at http://www.gallopingpony.com/ to see her work.

School starts in a few days, and with all the chaos of summer, I'm looking forward to settling down into the routine of the school year.

Here's a little critter that Jim found out in the garage...actually it was hiding in the cover of his motorcycle, and it made its way into the laundry room! I've never seen Jim move so fast, when he was hustling to grab a glass to trap it! I took a picture (I have never seen a black widow before), so that we could all learn what to avoid! Creepy!!!

Is It Autism?

To further explain Asperger Syndrome:

Here's an excerpt from the website http://www.autismaspergers.net/ :

"This diagram as developed by Daniel Rosenn, M.D. (1997) shows autism as a spectrum disorder with different levels of severity and presentation. Considering autism as a continuum of its own may help solve the problems of defining and classifying people who are within the autism spectrum. The cluster of circles at the Severe-Kanner’s end of the graphic depict the relative ease of diagnosing autism in a person when she is at this end of the spectrum. Towards the moderate area, the presentation of autism becomes more varied as indicated by the introduction of different shapes such as the square and the triangle. The high-functioning-Asperger (HFA/AS) portion of this syndrome has the greatest diversity in shapes because the variation in presentation along with the number of people with autism in this area is the greatest. At the extreme right, those with autism blend into the general population. This autism spectrum severity wedge diagram shows that it is impossible to state unequivocally that a person with autism must have a particular trait or cannot have another trait. "

I'm finding lots of interesting stuff on the Autism Asperger Publishing Co. website www.asperger.net if you're interested in more information.

Day 12 ~ post op, and I'm doing pretty darned good! I haven't had to take much medication today (just a dose of naproxen this morning), despite running around the yard picking up stuff.

Our neighbor with the bulldozer came by today for a few hours. I am amazed at the difference already! We've watered down the dirt for hours, in several places, and it's paying off! Our neighbor really knows his stuff! He's able to get some huge boulders up and pushed off out of the way. After some more dozing tomorrow, we should be closer to being ready to pour some concrete. In the meantime, the dozer gets rid of weeds, sage brush, and thistle in an instant! That makes me pretty happy!

Chicken update: We're down to 7... Sometime during my week away, two went missing. I do suspect that we have two hens a-laying now.

I have to say that, during the past 2 weeks, I'm glad that I took lots of pictures. I have this thing that happens, anytime I have to take narcotic pain reliever, that I have gaps in my memory. Looking through my pictures during the past 12 days, has been a little bit of a surprise! Not only that, but when we all arrived home yesterday, I took a peek in the fridge, and there was zucchini that I had forgotten that my cousin had given me before the surgery...It's all very bizarre to have gaps in my memory.

As for an update on Bowen, the Opthalmologist has said that he does not have amblyopia after all. So, that's a relief! His eyeglass prescription is correct, and there's nothing to be concerned about as far as his eyes are concerned. Great to know!

At this point, I've found a couple of books about Asperger Syndrome (AS) that I think I'll end up adding to my library. The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome is the first, and the second book is Asperger Syndrome and Sensory Issues. The first book seems to be an encyclopedia for the topic, and the second book is a very practical look at how Asperger's affects the behavior of someone with AS. For a long time, I blamed myself for being a bad mother, assuming that Bowen's odd behavior must be due to something I had done wrong. I'm relieved, not only to know that there is a reason for this behavior, but also that there are other parents out there who have faced the same parenting difficulties. Ultimately, I'm concerned not only with raising an AS child, but how to handle the dynamics between Bowen and the other kids. Anyway, that's all for now.

Just for fun, I've added this picture, taken by my friend, Kara, of Emma and Jimmy driving a little Jeep. It was June of 2006, so Jimmy was 3 1/2 and Emma was 18 months old. They grow so fast!!!

Reunion

Well, I wasn't sure if I could make it, but I did get to the family reunion this year. The kids had a great time playing with their second cousins on the playground and also getting their feet wet in the Columbia River.

At 7 days post-op, I'm doing pretty good. I have had some allergic reactions, first to the surgical glue, and now to the vicodin, so I'm off the heavy drugs and going to see if I can make it from here on out with just benedryl and tylenol. I'm feeling pretty sore though. Very happy with the results, but need to get beyond the healing process.

There's a quilt show coming up in Reardan, WA where they hang quilts all over the outside of the barn and nearby fences. I'm looking forward to seeing that and possibly getting a good picture of the scenery there.

Summer is flying by!

Just a quick post. I took the kids to Ohme Gardens near Wenatchee, WA the other day. It is really pretty there, and I'm glad to find that there was lots of shade, given the temperatures. It must have been hot at home, as well, as a grass fire burned around 5000 acres near our house in Soap Lake. I figure it got to be about 10 acres away from our property. I can see the blackened area from our kitchen. Thankfully, there was a large armada of firefighters helping, from ground crews to airplanes dropping water.

Last week, I was told by an optician that Bowen has amblyopia in his right eye. I'm taking him to an opthalmologist to see if his eye needs to be patched. Also last week, it was confirmed that Bowen has Asperger's (if you're interested in learning more, check out http://www.autismsocietyofwa.org/Resources.html for more information.

The kids finished up swimming lessons last night. I'm really proud of them. All three kids can retrieve toys from the bottom of the pool, which makes for a fun game. Jimmy and Bowen both have declared that they don't like jumping off of the diving board. (Bowen insists that he NOT be enrolled in swimming lessons again because he doesn't want to go off the diving board anymore). Well, as it goes, the rest of the summer is spoken for, so we won't be doing another session of swimming lessons this summer. I'll take them to the pool when I have a chance, and I do feel much more confident that the 3 older kids won't drown while playing near the frog slide or the fountain.

Little Swimmers

The kids continue to improve during swimming lessons! I am really amazed at how quickly they are picking up the skills. I never did any official swimming lessons as a kid, because I couldn't get my ears wet, and the techniques the lifeguards use to teach the little kids is very interesting. Emma is doing great now, as she is very comfortable going under the water. I went under about 5 times while holding her, and she liked that a lot. Then she was excited to try it on her own. After that, I couldn't get her to stop putting herself under the water! That makes me happy for her, since putting my head under the water was always a challenge for me when I was learning to swim. Bowen says he doesn't like to do "bobs" which is where they jump up and down, each time putting their heads under the water, in quick succession. He does quite well at it, though! He doesn't plug his nose much. Both he and Emma have been opening their eyes under the water as well. I went under once with Emma and told her to look at me underwater...I started laughing, she looked so cute underwater...She just might graduate from the parent-participation class this time! Who knows! Jimmy is really enjoying his class. The only part he doesn't like is when he has to get out into the cold air. Tonight was particularly bad...we were all freezing--it was 68 degrees when we got out of the water, and mommy was the only one without a sweatsuit to put on! What was I thinking!!!

One side note: I will be having surgery on July 21st. Those of you who know me, know my chest got outrageously huge after having kids...well, I visited a plastic surgeon and he submitted a request for the insurance company to pre-approve the reduction surgery. I figure the people at the insurance company took one look at the pictures of me and said, "Yes,,,hurry up and help that poor woman!!!" In case you are wondering, I will be losing seven cup sizes...I'll let you know how much that actually weighs after the fact. I've debated on making a separate blog about the before, during, and after experience (blogs of other people's experiences have been helpful to read), however, I haven't made up my mind yet. Anyhow, when this is all completed, I look forward to swimming for exercise purposes...right now, I can't do much moving around in the water as my suit won't stay on, on top. I do plan to have a bra-burning party afterwards...:)

Here's a sweet photo of Andrew in June. I can't remember if I shared it or not!

Swimming lessons went very well for these kids. By the end of two weeks, Bowen and Jimmy showed that they love playing in the water. It surprised me, but Bowen ended up being the one to virtually swim, face in the water, unassisted. Jimmy is having more trouble relaxing as far as getting his face into the water. Emma really had fun in her class (with me in the water helping). She's nearly tall enough to keep her head above water in the deepest part of the swimming area. the first day, she kept saying, "can I swim now by myself?"... She did go under water a few times, but not exactly willingly. By the end of the first week, she was clinging to my neck...She's more like Jimmy, in that it's hard to relax going under water at first. Anyhow, the kids are schedule to start more lessons this coming week. Jimmy will do level 1 again, Emma in the parent-participation class with me, and Bowen has graduated to level 2. No matter how well each child does by the end of the summer, the best part about it is that they each have tons of fun! There is even a little frog water slide (2 years old and up), that is a huge hit. There is one super giant water slide also, but it's for kids about 10 years old, or so. It's a pretty awesome facility...much better than the one in Pleasanton, for sure!

A week ago, Jim took Bowen and Jimmy to work. They had a great time seeing the dams up close and personal! That was a pretty big treat for the boys to see. They went places that no tour takes people in our times of increased security!

Emma picked some flowers at cousin Wendi's house...you can sort of see her left eye is swollen from a mosquito bite. Still, a cute pic of her.

TWISTER!!!

Here's Emma helping me with eggs. Notice, there is egg everywhere except in the bowl! It's on her hands, counter, toes, and floor. So, I cracked the rest of the eggs for the cupcakes...Emma decided that we needed to make cupcakes, because it is "getting close to her birthday." Hardly! But, we made some anyway!

We had a little dust devil twister come through our yard a couple of days ago. It was breezy, and I was outside by the well, getting ready to water. All of a sudden a large wind came up from behind me, and when I turned to look, I could see this twister (dirt & debris getting pulled upward) coming toward me...it turned and circled around toward the garage. It sent a large box airborne and some scrap metal was lifted up and thrown. Then it moved around to the back of the garage and behind the house, where all it lifted was more dirt... All I could do was stand there with my mouth gaping! And then it was gone. And the wind stopped. It was SO BIZARRE!

I've seen those kind of dust devils out in crop fields before, but I've never been caught in the middle of one! I'm a little shocked at how powerful it was!

Jim blasted another rocket today. We haven't found it yet!

Did You Ever Watch the Brady Bunch?

Remember the episode when Jan borrows earings from her mother without asking? She sets them on the bathroom counter, walks away, and when she returns the earrings are gone. Remember how in the end, each person in the family somehow was involved in finding them?

Well, that's how I felt today. Except there were no earrings and I wasn't missing anything. Jimmy was...

I came home from a meeting last night to hear the story about how the kids were dumping dirt on each other. They were subjected to showers and all the dirty clothes, shoes included, were put into the washer. Jim mentioned this to me and said I might want to get it into the dryer before I went to bed. Well, I forgot...

Earlier today, Emma had some wet clothes, so I sent her into the laundry room to change and get the dirty clothes into the hamper. Meanwhile, I started cleaning up from lunch. Afterward, I sat down on the couch, and began to wonder where Emma was. Next thing I know, Emma comes out of the laundry room, all clean with dry clothes. I asked her if she put her clothes in the hamper. "No, I put them in the dryer" she says. Well, I knew the clothes in the dryer were clean and dry, and not wanting her soiled clothes in the dryer, I quick hopped up and went to check the dryer. I discovered that Emma had cycled the wash loads...

She put the wet clothes from the washer into the dryer and put her dirty clothes into the washer. WOW, I thought! She's really getting to be a helper! But, that's when I rechecked the dryer and noticed a pile of laundry soap inside the dryer (the new 3 month old dryer)!

Apparently, she wasn't satisfied putting laundry soap into the cubby drawer for the washer, she needed to put some into the dryer for good measure. Not knowing if this would kill my dryer, I used the shopVac to suck up as much of the powdered soap as I could. I figured the rest would collect in the lint screen where I could vacuum that out periodically during the cycle.

I did clean the lint screen after about ten minutes, and planned to check it again in about 10. Well, the next time I came into the laundry room, the dryer door was open, and the cycle was incomplete. Knowing I hadn't opened it myself, I decided to examine the dryer to see why it would kick itself off like that.

That's when I saw it.

The WAD OF GUM...

At first it looked like silly putty, but this was pink. That's when I remembered that dad just bought some new gum for the kids...Double Bubble...Remember that gum? Thinking that the single piece of slightly warmed gum may not be the only unacceptable item in the dryer, I slowly pulled the clothes and shoes out of the dryer, one by one. Slowly...

I got to the end of the items, and thinking it strange that I didn't find anything else, I examined the lint screen again, then the drum. There it was...the second piece of gum had melted and was gummed up in a few spots around the interior of the dryer!

SO! I can just hear Jimmy saying, "Where's my gum? I put it in my shorts pocket!" then, Dad says, "Well, I put your shorts into the washer!" (everyone races to the washer) Not there...then, Emma says, "Well, I put the wash into the dryer!" (everyone races to the dryer) That's when we discover what happens to gum when it is in the dryer for 15 minutes! The first one comes out clean...then the second one comes out damaged!

Just like the Brady Bunch! The first earring came out of the dryer looking nice. The second came out crumpled!

hmmm...maybe Goof-Off will clean up this mess...

Three, Two, One Blast off!

This was really fun. Jim decided to set off a rocket. I had to quick get the kids dressed so they could all watch, and grab my camera too! It happened so fast, but the really funny thing was, we COULDN'T see WHERE the darned thing went! We walked around looking for the rocket, and now I'm convinced it must have landed on someone else's property. If we do find it, we could set it off again. Otherwise, Jim will have to head back to Walmart for another one to build!

After the rocket blast off, I spotted a bunny rabbit running around. The kids decided to chase it--I think they all got a good look at it! That's pretty fun.

Yesterday, I spotted a quail egg just laying out in the open by the road. We have a quail 'couple' that I see regularly, but darned if they can't figure out a safe place for their eggs! I was tempted to take the egg and keep it warm somewhere, but decided to leave it there. This morning it was gone. I can't imagine the anguish little birds feel when they lose eggs like that. I mean, they can't pick up their eggs and put them in a safer place. 'Gee, maybe laying my egg out in the open isn't a good idea'... There are plenty of sage bushes that they could use! Maybe I need to get some nesting boxes out there!

Grandpa has been doing some landscaping of his yard, and things are looking pretty neat! Helps to have a tractor to move those rocks! Here, he's got some rock stairs laid down. Also, this is the hummingbird that got stuck in the garage. He didn't seem well, and alas, died the next morning. Such a beautiful creature!

Last night, I took Jimmy to get enrolled for Kindergarten. He was excited to visit the school and see the gym. Come fall, both Jimmy and Bowen will be going to school all day, every day. WOW! I'm going to get some things done for a change! How exciting is that?!?!

I'm trying to get some older pix of the kids onto digital format. So, I may periodically post pictures of them when they were babies. They grow too darned fast!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

We had a great visit from Grandma over the past few days. We tried to do a little site seeing while she was here. We took her up to Grand Coulee Dam and walked through the visitors center.

(In this picture, Bowen is showing everyone the two caterpillars he found outside...well, what I didn't know was that he brought them with us to Grand Coulee Dam~stowed away in a plastic lunch sack...and they somehow escaped! Not to be found again...there are probably caterpillar guts on the floor of my car somewhere!)

On the way up hwy 17, we stopped at Sun Lakes/Dry Falls State Park, which looks like a really nice place to camp/swim/boat as well as have a picnic with the kids! I had never noticed the park before, so it was quite a pleasant surprise! The weather held out for the kids to play a bit, then we got a few sprinkles after that.

We also took Grandma and the kids to see dad at work. We were able to take a sneek peak at Wanapum Dam, but we didn't go all the way in, as it would have been a long walk for the little ones. It was fun watching the kids try to keep large hard-hats on their heads.

After we got back to town, the kids played a bit at the McPlayPlace...Grandma witnessed Andrew's ability to scarf down a whole ice cream sundae! He's a pro, I tell ya! The kids were sad to see Grandma leave. Emma has been asking me today, "When's Grandma coming back?"

Hope you all had a great Mother's Day weekend!

Stick to the good stuff!

When I first decided to start this blog, I decided I'd only put in positive stuff. I really don't want this to be an outlet for any parenting frustrations I might have, unless I can do it with humor. If we can't laugh at the crazy stuff that happens (Jimmy flooding the bathroom, Emma stealing money from my purse on a daily basis, Bowen crashing his bike into Jimmy on purpose~that kind of thing), then what is the point of all this child-rearing business? Who'd want to do it if there wasn't any good stuff to talk about??!

So! Here is some good stuff! Bowen was excited about the letter he got from his grandpa, and he's needing my help to write another letter. (He was thrilled the other day because he was the one to check the mail on the day his letter arrived!) There was a short period following that I had to remind Bowen that not all letters come with money inside! Fortunately, he got over it, and was eager to write another letter! (It is still in progress Grandpa!) This morning, Andrew woke me up at 6am sharp...came into my room...'Mommy...where your glasses? Get up Mommy!'...How can I fault him! He's such a cutie-pie, whether I get any sleep or not! After that, I sat on the couch, chugging my caffiene, I mean coffee, when Jimmy emerged, thumb stuck in his mouth and dragging his blanket behind him (I swear he looks like Linus from the Peanuts Gang sometimes!). He flashes me his blue eyes and dimpled smile (not removing the thumb, mind you), and he curls up to snuggle in my lap. I mean, WHY would I want to sleep, when I could have Jimmy curl up in my lap? Later, Emma comes out of her room, thumb stuck in her mouth and dragging her blanket behind her. She plops onto the couch (she's always last getting up--I swear it's a girl thing. If it were up to me, I'd sleep until lunch time. Who needs breakfast anyway???!!! Anyway, Emma has started having some bad hair days. Her hair points every which way but down! And, it doesn't help that she attempted her own 'hair style' the other day. (I'm still cringing about that!--I begged her not to ever cut her own hair anymore, and I'm trying to remember that her hair will grow back!) As I was saying, she's the last to get up, so there's no chance for her to snuggle on my lap. But, alas, her cute endeavors happen in the afternoon, apparently. She caught a chicken today (forced some hugs onto it), and darned if she didn't have that chicken eating out of her hands, literally! Enjoy that picture...rest assured, if this grosses you out, Emma was fully bathed afterward. Oh, and remember, she's refusing to use the toilet too, so actually, I feel sorry for the chicken!!! Cluck, Cluck, Save Me! Save Me!

Okay, it's the middle of the night now and not a creature is stirring. Off to bed I go! Enjoy!

Spring is Here!

Here's a picture of the four kids back in March. Also, Bowen's spring school picture turned out very nice. That's a miracle, since he was throwing up the day after it was taken!


Some of the things that I've planted around the property, while small, are showing signs of survival! There are several lilac plants, forsythia, and flowering dogwood (which may or may not be alive!). There are a few baby fir trees, a few baby pine trees, a mountain ash and two different birch trees that are about 6 feet tall. I've planted about 4 different raspberries, though only one is showing signs of growth. I planted a seedless blackberry, which I hope will grow. There is also one blueberry root that I planted, but don' t know yet if it'll grow. We've scattered
lots of wild flower seeds around, as well as some giant sunflower seeds that the kids planted. I don't see much signs of growth from the seeds out there...it may be too dry to germinate. It's hard to keep all the areas wet all the time. At least I've found some long hoses to reach the yard with, and the outdoor frost-free water line outside has a great deal of pressure.





Here's a picture of Jim with Bowen & Jimmy on the snowmobile. We did this over at my cousins' house, and I think that was before Christmas. Shoot, I can't remember anymore!

We have had some feathered visitors here. So far, we have lots of white-crowned sparrows. We have a few house finches. There are at least 3 goldfinch who come to the feeder each day. I've also seen some chickadees, crows (duh), and caught a few glimpses of the meadowlark. The meadowlark have a powerful and pretty call, so I hear them daily, but don't often get to see them. The birds can hide well among the sagebrush.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

We're finally back online and very happy to say that our connection is speedy fast (as Junie B. Jones would say)! We've been in our house for 2 months now. During that time, aside from getting most things unpacked, we also had a pole building garage built. At this point, Jim is working on figuring out how to get power out there. He's not happy with the situation, as he's trying to dig down to locate the conduit that was placed in the ground prior to the hole being filled in. (Don't mention the issue to him...might tick him off!)

Our baby chicks aren't so little anymore. They sure love me, though. They think I have food, so they come a-runnin'! It's funny. Here's a picture of me and Emma on a snowmobile. I don't remember if I ever posted pictures of that day.

Andrew is teething....that's why he's chewing on 2 pacifiers. It was funny so I had to get a shot of it! Emma is delighted at putting several hair things...that is, when it is HER idea...!

Let's see...what else has happened since we've moved in? Bowen started school here, and he's becoming an expert on the numbers and types of buses that the Ephrata School District uses. His favorite web site is http://www.schoolbusland.com/ if you'd ever like to check out the various buses pictured there. He's bonded well with his two bus drivers, and they think it's fun that he likes buses. They had a remote control bus at their office and decided to give it to me for the kids. How nice of them!

It didn't take long for Andrew to learn to climb the ladder and slide down the slide. He was so excited!

More recently, we were all visited by the 'stomach bug' and though us grown-ups didn't get it (thank god), three of the kids got it. Andrew was the worst off, and after 2 1/2 days of V & D (he couldn't keep anything in his tummy), I ended up taking him to the clinic then the ER for IV fluids. Now I know what dehydration looks like! The doctor did run a blood test to see just how dehydrated he was, and he said he was 'pretty dry', so they gave him a second Bag of fluid. The best part of it was that they gave him some anti-nausea meds in his IV, and he's been able to drink and eat more and more ever since. He's perking up quickly. I had to laugh at the hospital though. Andrew was pretty mouthy...saying things like, "Get OFF ME!" and "I WANT MY DRINK" I told the nurses that Andrew was going to be their biggest biligerant patient for the evening.

Emma has probably had the most difficult time adjusting to the move. Potty training has gone in reverse. I won't buy anymore pull-ups, and she hardly ever 'goes' to the bathroom. Some days she gives me some hope, but really it's got to be her decision to do it. At three and a half, she's really becoming a challenge! On the other hand, she seems to have one foot in baby-land and the other in grown-up land. She likes purses, fancy shoes, and even tried to give herself a haircut! (Don't ask!) This week, she's shown much interest in writing her letters. She can write MOM and is working on Emma. She also decided to plant some flowers, so she pulled off most of the blooms from the African Daisy, and stuck the stubs into little pots with some dirt. It was cute at first, but since Jimmy had sort of 'claimed' the daisy pot, he was pretty ticked at her.

Jimmy is enjoying his final few months of no-school. He's been quite interested in helping to plant some plants. He's not super outgoing, but I think that'll change when he meets kids at school. I have also caught Jimmy talking to Andrew and getting Andrew to play with him. Jimmy's a pretty social kid. He's keen on motorcycles, and really wants to get a bike that looks like a motorcycle. I told him maybe for his birthday...

I need to do another post later. I need to hit the hay!

Getting Closer!

Things are finally happening! I went to the property yesterday, with Bowen, and we were able to go inside the house. It was very dusty, as the workers were sanding drywall (or whatever it is they do to it!), but I was so excited to finally SEE the inside! I was able to go into every room except the master bedroom. Cabinets, counters and windows all have protective plastic on them, but I think you can get the idea.

I hope that in 30 more days, we can actually live in the house. We should have electricity hooked up by middle of next week. The contractor was digging the hole for the septic tank yesterday, as well as trenching for the electrical conduit and water pipes.

Bowen, Jimmy and Andrew have been sick for about 2 days now. I didn't know Bowen was sick when we drove out to the property, so he 'surprised' me about 5 times during the car ride.... Jimmy had been throwing up all night during the night before, and Andrew had been throwing up during the day before. Pretty fast moving bug! I hope I can avoid it this time!

Bowen was enjoying the piles of dirt that the contractor created on the property. Apparently, dirt is more fun to play in than snow!

Not much else new here. A few weekends ago, Jim and I took the kids to try ice skating. When I was a kid, I was able to stay up on the ice a little bit. This time, I felt my age! Jim, surprisingly, managed quite well. Jimmy and Bowen were holding the wall for dear life...Andrew wasn't sure what to think, and Emma wasn't doing too well either. So, needless to say, I could not take any pictures of this adventure, as both Jim and I were trying to keep the kids up on the ice, as well as ourselves! The whole skating attempt probably lasted about 15 minutes! I'm glad we tried it, though. Maybe when the kids are a little bigger, they'll be interested in trying again.