Our Virtual Home

October 13, 2008

Summer recap: We weathered three terrible storms, only losing a few limbs from our trees, a patio table (the glass was shattered), our canopy (ripped three times and bent by the wind when it was blown under our garage awning), and we felt even better about the safety of our house, if that's possible. With so little damage despite what amounted to tornado force winds we felt pretty fortunate the damage wasn't worse.

We enjoyed out pool immensely. We had many happy times as a family, watching our little gal become a confident swimmer and our son become able to move himself around the pool at will while wearing his life vest. We discovered that while our hot tub works, it leaks so much that refilling it became prohibitively expensive, so after two months of enjoyment, we shut it down; we may just get rid of it. It's a 'nice to have' but not worth the purchase of a 400.00 cover and several hundred dollars of repairs. We'll see, though.

May, 2008

Our lives move so fast these days that I wonder how I'll ever find time and a safe space (offline, for the private stuff) to document all our happenings.

This has been a few months of great change lately in our lives as we've buckled down to get rid of all debt (other than the house) because we are worried about what the future is going to bring in terms of the failing US Dollar, increased oil price gouging, increased food costs, increases in our property taxes, insurance, co-pays, and daily expenses. Wow, am I hoping people vote a whole lot smarter this November.

Yet, we McMeekans are experiencing good fortune right now that we feel very lucky about. Our lives are happy and for now, healthy.

Iris's last two report cards were 'perfect'; she goes to the first grade room for reading and math because she was ready; she is still loving gymnastics, soccer, and she earned her year star for girl scouts, bridged into brownie level, and completed the requirements for her 'God and Me' Girl Scout medal through the QUEST program in our Church. This summer, is starting softball. She's silly and affectionate and strong and athletic and just such a wonderful little gal. She can read independently, but still wants me to read to her. But some nights, she reads some stories to us. Amazing how quickly she is growing up. Her teachers seem to all like her a lot, and she loves them. She loves school. I signed her up for 'STAR Camp' so she enjoys a month of mornings at school focusing on Math, Literacy, and Science. In the fall, she begins her piano lessons.

Kellen is active and making great progress in following directions and doing his own good choices again even when his friends aren't, and I'm going to start him in soccer and gymnastics in the fall. Timeouts are few, good days at daycare are many for him, and we're really pleased with the progress he's making in his developmental skills. His writing is getting so good now that I wonder why I ever worried about it, and he's still got another whole year of preschool before kindergarten. He has a great sense of humor and has learned how to skip. He has good cutting skills now so his fine motor is right on track, and his gross motor is off the chart. I'm toying with the idea of starting him in karate.

We have done many needed repairs/cosmetic work in the house. We have finally purchased some good, new furniture for the livingroom and family room. A sofa, loveseat, and recliner. Now we have comfortable seating in our home for guests. We redecorated the bathroom on the main floor, and now its a lot brighter, more contemporary, less traditional.

Peter fixed the hall light so now we have a mini-pendent light in the foyer.

I have been getting Peter some good tools from the 'for sale' bb and at yard sales, so now he has a decent workshop to fix things. Since our deck will need extensive repair in the upcoming years to remove boards that are seriously worn, or warped, we can now do it ourselves, a piece at a time. This will also allow him to branch out in his hobbies a bit.

I've been getting rid of clutter with some deep success; the closets are almost empty of items we no longer use, but there's still a lot of clutter visible. I'll tackle reorganizing next winter when Peter can get some builtins in the basement. We've been working on the rec room. We have gotten a pool table in the basement, although it'll need new bumpers and felt once the kids are old enough to know how to take care of it. ...and, we have a foosball table down there. So once we can afford new carpet, and Peter can make some built-ins for seating & toy storage, we'll just need some decorating and we'll be set for a real 'rec room.' I do want to add an air hockey table, but most of our friends would prefer ping-pong. *sigh.

We have begun building my 'studio' in the extra bedroom since that will become the place where I can take the kids and let them work on their homework with me right there if they need me but doing my own thing if they don't. I can't wait!

Here comes summer!

 

January, 2008

Its hard for me to believe we've been in our home for a year. What a great year we've had!

Our lives are quite different now that we have an entertaining space. We've hosted several dinner parties, picnics, barbeques, playdates. We've thoroughly enjoyed the space and quiet and peace our new home has afforded us. Our children have seen birds up close and as their behavior and appearance changes from season to season. The River has a life force all its own, unique and vibrant and entralling; almost mystical and the thrum of it fills our souls with constant wonder.

We've enjoyed our deck immensely; our neighborhood, with pure joy. Our children get to ride their bikes in a safe place; see our dear friends when they look out their windows; experience the change of the seasons with full sensory awareness. We love it here.

Not that there hasn't been new home issues; We've weather-proofed as best as we can, but its become apparent that . We've discovered that all our carpeting is covered with cat urine, and will need to be replaced; our stove has needed a new top; our furnace has needed serious repair, as has our 'new' dryer. We discovered t

 

October, 2007

It's amazing how time flies in the lives of families with small children. My Mommy friends tell me they all notice that, but it's true. Sure enough, when there's some sort of routine to our lives, something changes it and we move on. Not that its bad or good, just the adjustment to new things always seems to throw the kids for a behavioral loop for a day or two when it happens.

• Iris is back in gymnastics, and has moved up to the 6 and up class.
• She turned 6 and loves school; and is doing extremely well. We are in awe of her literacy acquisition.
• Kellen is in preschool and doing very well

September, 2007

• Dr. Dabash will be leaving our community. Our hearts are stricken with the injustice of it. Shame on Lisa Madigan. Shame on Brad Hart. Shame on James Hoyle, who apparently has no problem allowing child murderers to go free. Shame on our justice system.
• Take a moment to make something good out of tragedy...for Silvie, who'll never see justice (Shame on you, James Hoyle!)
• The old house is finally 'Our OLD house'...no more responsibility for it. Whoo Hoo! We're happy to be out of that neighborhood.
• We're getting ready to close the pool for the year. *sniff. What a summer it has been.
• Iris can swim without her life jacket now.
• Kellen just started preschool.
• Iris just started kindergarten.

Summer, 2007

We sold the house; got the deck refinished (or at least, sealed for a year but it needs a TON of work); got the pool running and have spent many happy hours in the pool. We've done more entertaining this summer than in all the previous 10 years of our marriage. We got 1/2 of the garage cleaned out so we can put the van in there.

The ponds out back will be turned into a campfire pit next year; the kids have gotten very tanned despite my best efforts to apply very generous amounts of sunscreen. The old camry is going to be sold, and that 1/2 of the driveway turned into a sort of 'bistro' area, or rather a nice table/seating area so we can watch the kids while they ride their bikes. At least, that's the eventual plan.

Late Spring, 2007

• We've accepted an offer on the house so will hopefully be done with that July 1!
• We've gotten the porch fixed so the kids are safe from falling out of it.
• Gotten more of the garage cleaned out at the new place, and hoping to get it cleaned and organized over the next few weekends
• The kids haven't seen the train table literally in months because it's in the basement waiting until the true hot hot of the summer for us all to go down there and sort and clean up
• We've hung up our birdfeeders in a way that the racoons can't get to them, and we are enjoying watching our feathered sprites. I'll be creating a birding page once we get some pictures
• We're looking at options for a sandbox. The kid's sandbox is just too small for them to really do anything with.
• The fence is in the process of getting fixed/secure so the kids can't get near the pool without us. Once that is done, we'll get the pool running (Update: We've gone ahead with the pool and have locked down the porch door so that the kids cannot get out of it. The pool needs quite a bit of work to get it going but it has water now and is cleaned up)
• We're getting the last items out of the old garage & moving the plants over to the new place to prepare for when we close on the house and are done with it
• I've updated the kid's blogs
• New pics in the gallery

Newly Added: December, 2006

• Yet more pics in the gallery
• New sound files...!
• The Sibling Blog...a late addition to the site
• mParent Portal is on hiatus until after the big move. Of course, since it hasn't really even taken off, perhaps 'on hold' would be more appropo?
• Working on logos and identity for the Kyle David Miller Foundation...http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/

Learn more about seatbelt inertial release...
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/3130/Inertial_Release_-_Seat_Belts_Buckles_-_Page_1.htm

What's Going On? -- Update fall, 2006

We've updated our computers at home, moving them to the dining room on a counter so Peter and I can work at the same time. At least, I hope we get to do that. Right now it's more like Peter plays on the computer on the right while one or the other kids plays on the other computer. But that could change.

We've got it!!! BROADBAND!!!

History of this Site

I'd been quite busy at the new job in fall, 2005 through early summer, 2006, as a Webmaster (officially, "Webmaster Trainee" until I pass my civil service exam in December, 2006) over at Western Illinois University. I have landed a great gig...awesome work environment, wonderful co-workers, 2 minute commute, and a job that truly provides public service at a high performing institution.

Of course, being a Mommy who also works outsite the home had raised other issues. By the time I picked up the kids, they were missing Mommy pretty bad since they'd never been away from me that long. So my evenings were taken up with having two angels in my lap needing hugs, cuddles, and lots of reading time. That had left time for chores only late at night...no time for postings before, but with broadband, that should get a lot better.

Now that the kids are far more secure in their new schedules, I get things done and then have time to play at night...or rather, a little time...some days...IF I have the energy.

Hmmm...what to do with that free time? Answer- Make a new website!

I've been so fortunate to have landed that 'dream job' that seriously upgrades my skills, challenges my mind, pays more than decent, provides flex time for family obligations, and keeps me hopping. My career path was planned for this, but I just didn't expect to have it prove fruitful in our hometown. I'm glad we didn't have to move for me to find a good job!

The only down-side to my new job (if you can call it that)...my design skills aren't used much, since I'm busy with so much coding and updates to existing design. I'd decided to start a completely new site (in my all-too-limited free time) to:

• keep my design skills sharp
• challenge me to do good content on a lousy dialup
• give me an outlet for all the useless knowledge I've accumulated

Who Writes This Stuff?!!!

Fessing 'up...I'm the culprit. The one with far too much of nothing to say...Heather McMeekan. I was formerly known as Heather Platt (my maiden name). I grew up in Marengo, Illinois, after starting out in Des Plaines, IL.

I came down to Macomb, Illinois for schooling at Western Illinois University in 1986, and am happy to say I have found a wonderful home here in the our fair city. When I stop to consider that this fall I will have been living here for 20 years, I'm amazed that such a random, unguided journey has yielded such a happy, satisfying life. Just how does that happen?

Macomb is a wonderful place to live...to work...to raise children. While we have our challenges, we also enjoy many, many excellent benefits for such a small community.

We're especially fortunate to have excellent schools, a rich multi-cultural area, and lots of decent, hardworking people. Of course, it's not easy maintaining a city when we live in a state that receives a much lower slice of the federal tax pie than others; or when our property taxes pay for our education (QUITE the regressive system!!!) but our teachers are excellent and we have good, decent people who do an excellent job with the resources given.

I'm glad to live here and raise my children here. It is so much nicer than where I grew up, and MUCH more affordable than where all our friends/family members live. The quality of life here is superb.

Macomb is also the home of my alma mater, Western Illinois University...where both my hubby and I work! WIU is a wonderful school...great deal for the money, very safe, and a beautiful campus. It's always worth it to stop by for a walk around the beautiful campus, especially in the spring and fall. Gorgeous! They also have what can only be described as one of the best libraries in the midwest. Beautiful, well-maintained, up to date collection...if you can't find it there, it doesn't exist.

Feel free to look around. You won't find any un-family friendly pics here. I hope to branch out and make a few pages for parents of young children. View the site map.

Check back every once in a while...who knows what I'll try to do now that I have HIGH SPEED INTERNET?!!!!